Trauma season is here

Now that warmer temperatures and longer days are here, people are taking full advantage of the nice weather. Bicycles and motorcycles are now common sights, and with the resurgence of outdoor activities begins what the emergency medicine community calls "trauma season." So please remember to always wear your helmet and/or seatbelt when on the roads and trails and make sure your passengers do the same.

While I'm making public service announcements, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the World Championship Candidates' Matches that begin tomorrow. These are, in essence, the "quarterfinals" of the cycle to determine a challenger for current World Champion Viswanathan Anand of India. Participants play a series of knockout-style mini-matches until there is only one player left standing. Russia and Azerbaijan are the best-represented countries with two players each (Vladimir Kramnik and Alexander Grischuk from Russia; Teimour Radjabov and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov from Azerbaijan); the other competitors are Levon Aronian (Armenia), Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Boris Gelfand (Israel) and last but not least recently-crowned U.S. Champion Gata Kamsky. Notably absent is former world number-one ranked player Magnus Carlsen of Norway, who withdrew a few months ago in protest of administrative decisions that had been made surrounding the matches. Good luck to all the participants and go Kamsky!

As I reluctantly predicted last week, the New York Knicks were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs. I'm disappointed but not surprised by the result. As for the rest of my predictions, the Bulls are not off to a good start in their matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, and it looks like the Miami Heat will continue their manhandling of the Celtics. I had predicted the Bulls over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, and I remain confident that Chicago will come through against Atlanta, but it seems that I misjudged the Celtics-Heat series.

In other news, The New York Times published an amusing article about the ploys people have tried in order to sidestep receiving parking tickets. Ever tried any of these? How'd they work for you?