Lecture

Last night I went to a lecture at the United Way on "Social Determinants of Health vs. Social Determinates of Equity" by Dr. Camara Jones. While I refuse to jump on the guilty-white bandwagon, (possibly because I'm broke and without health insurance myself), her arguments and evidence were compelling. With both Native Americans and Hispanics, if they identified themselves by the ethnic group, but generally other people perceived them as white, their health-level was commensurate with the white population; while those who were usually perceived as Hispanic or Native American had lower levels of general health.

While her focus was on attacking some of the underlying "social determinates of equity" (in this case racism), it made me think about the continuing move not only towards taking responsibility for your own health education, but also the move towards making that information available electronically. As we push towards educated health consumers, are we inadvertently creating a system that will make it increasingly difficult for some segments of our population to become educated health consumers?

Ah, that new magazine smell, and other touchy-feely things

I haven't had a magazine subscription in years so when my first New Yorker arrived yesterday it was bliss. I read it online but I had forgotten the sheer pleasure of starting at the front and reading straight through. I stood outside, I lounged on the couch. It travelled well and I didn't have to pick something to read, I just flipped through. Bliss.

On another note, today's link is a friend of mine who is a terrific writer of prose and poetry. Here are a few poems to get you through the day.

What a time to be in library and information sciences!

So much is happening right now in medical informatics! This Washington Post link is just one example of how those of us in "library school" will impact your privacy over the next few years. It's a good thing we are an altruistic bunch who love children and bunnies and think your privacy should be consideration numero uno. If we're the ones designing the systems, the senate won't have to worry about their willingness to cut corners.

Shame on those senators who would sell out your medical records for a few bucks from a business interest. (Yeah, as if they aren't going to hell already). I do love that we have truly reached the Orwellian age when the "Confidentiality Coalition" includes Blue Cross/Blue Shield and their spokeswoman says "We want to make sure that privacy provisions don't become a barrier..." It's kind of like, "I believe in the First Amendment, but..."

And for another thing!

OK, this is just a little piece of personal fun. I live in, what I like to refer to, as a trailer park without wheels. During the winter the steam heat is just uncontrollable and I often have the front door open to circulate some air. Evidently my neighbors see this as an invitation. Do you have some sugar, do you have a potato, a light, a beer, a battery?

Oh yes, I know this is curmudgeonly on my part, but when it is a guarantee to be interrupted during homework every few minutes, it does wear. I'm thinking of posting a price list on the front door, dropping out of school and work and run one of those little home stores. You remember those? They were cool.

Ed Zachary!

Those of you who know me from Facebook know that I was mentioning the proposed stimulus package and the fact that it seems everyone wants something for nothing--"just give me the money!" While when we look back to the recovery from the Great Depression it is clear that most people were not simply handed a check but were put to work for the good of the country. This wasn't just back breaking labor but also those who were paid to write, or to create art or architecture. I doubt the Chinese are going to be erecting any bronze statues that serve no purpose, on their Three Rivers Dam. I know we don't do it anymore.



I don't know if two people can be considered zeitgeist but Carla Blank in the San Francisco Chronicle today has some similar ideas. I liked her idea of using either the Library of Congress or the National Archives to house the works of a National Writers' Project. It reminded me of StoryCorp but with a broader objective.