Well, we have seen Wilson rolling joints for his patients. Somehow, what seems worst about this case is that it took place in a state where medicinal use of marijuana is legal. His doctor legally prescribed that he smoke so that he could eat. The only drugs he used were ones that his doctor prescribed. And the hospital -- in that same state in which the doctor legally prescribed it -- rejected him for using it. Would they have also rejected him for taking antibiotics that the doctor prescribed? This country's position on drugs is abominable. I understand controlling addictive drugs, but medical marijuana? The government basically says that you can't use a drug that allows cancer patients to keep food down and slows the progress of glaucoma because doing so will lead to drug dealers selling crack in our elementary schools.

Off tangeant a little bit, but did anyone see the open letter that the writers of The Wire penned for Time? They argue that the drug laws in this country are so suspect and inflict so much harm that the only responsible action is for jury members to acquit all defendants against Federal drug laws as an act of protest. Interesting read. Bailey, thanks for the link to that article. Very interesting read indeed.

I think this might be the place to post this: I was talking to a friend of mine who is not a House fan. She had watched a couple of episodes at my urging, and we've talked some about House and his view of life and ethics. I'm not sure I can reconcile the statements House makes in the Pilot, about how we can live with dignity but we can't die with dignity.... and his statements in DNR (the trumpet player who was mistakenly diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's) comparing how Foreman's mentor thinks about being a doctor with the way that House thinks, which is that what he does matters, and that the other doctor may sleep better but shouldn't -- with the statements House made to the soap opera star patient in Living the Dream (which my friend saw and questioned), about people being like roaches and wildebeests on the plain and that nothing we do matters.... (am sure there are dozens of examples, but these 3 are at issue with my friend). I'd like to think House values life, because that makes him a more likable person (and my interest in him more legitimate). But his respect for others is, as we know so well, often nil. My friend pointed out the small ugliness of his stealing newspapers and candy from the hospital news stands, as something particularly pointless. I can only think that there's ways he's just not a good guy, and then there are ways he is a good man. But would be interested to hear what others have to say.

I'm not sure I can reconcile the statements House makes in the Pilot, about how we can live with dignity but we can't die with dignity.... and his statements in DNR (the trumpet player who was mistakenly diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's) comparing how Foreman's mentor thinks about being a doctor with the way that House thinks, which is that what he does matters, and that the other doctor may sleep better but shouldn't -- with the statements House made to the soap opera star patient in Living the Dream (which my friend saw and questioned), about people being like roaches and wildebeests on the plain and that nothing we do matters.... (am sure there are dozens of examples, but these 3 are at issue with my friend). But don't we all have different attitudes at different times and in different situations? I mean, your overall philosophy may stay the same but attitudes vary depending on mood. On any given day I may have a very optimistic view of life and say something like "It's important to me to have goals to strive for in my life". On other days it's more like "Life sucks, and then you die." To take either of these statements as my final sum attitude towards life would be a mistake. I'd expect that House would usually express a fairly pessimistic view of life, but every once in a while he gives us a peek at his more positive side. As for the filching of papers and candy. I don't know, but I guess the writers are just trying to show the mischievous little boy side of House.

My friend pointed out the small ugliness of his stealing newspapers and candy from the hospital news stands, as something particularly pointless. I can only think that there's ways he's just not a good guy, and then there are ways he is a good man. As Wilson put it, overall House is a positive force in the universe. He could use his gifts to amass personal wealth and fame. He'd make a great Bond-type supervillian. Instead, he saves lives. Not just because he needs to be right, either, because time and again we've seen him risk his career to save a patient. You can argue about whether or not doing good deeds make a someone a good man, but House does good deeds. What DOB said about attitudes being dependant upon the situation, plus believing that life doesn't have meaning unto itself doesn't mean that a person can't give his life meaning.

I don't know if this is the right place for this, but it seemed to fit best. The whole dilemma about how the birthmother chose Cuddy and her wanting her child back made me look into how domestic adoption works. Over here almost all adoptions are foreign (only 15 out of around 800 adoptions each year are domestic) and I had no idea how this thing works in other countries. I looked at some sites of private adoption agencies in the US and cried over all those couples desperate to adopt and trying to convince pregnant women to chose them. How many hours they must have spent desperately trying to make their 'ad' attract the attention and trying to look their best in the pictures. How impossible for the pregnant woman to make the right decision for her child. It just made me so sad. It also gave me a bad feeling about these agencies who make money out of people's misery. I understand they also make people happy, but still, I don't know.

And to add to the sadness, the scenario that happened to Cuddy is pretty common. Birth mothers, as they should be, are allowed to change their minds for three months after the birth. That's great for allowing the birth mother to really sort out her feelings. It's hell on the adoptive parents, who may lose a child they've already brought home.