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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Dane County Deaths and Overdoses due to Heroin Much Higher in 2010

Dane County and the city of Madison are struggling with a heroin problem.  Twice as many people died in the past year from heroin as the year before, and over five times as many people who died from heroin use just 5 years ago.  Overdoses have jumped up to 86 in 2010 from 20 in 2005.  This is alarming, but so are the increasing numbers of cases of drugged driving.  These cases are reported anecdotally by police, but are counted altogether with other impaired driving offenses.  

If you or someone you know is addicted to heroin or opioids including pharmaceuticals, please know that help and support for getting better is available.  Dane County has a webpage with lots of resources here:  http://www.danecountyhumanservices.org/atoda.shtm

"Heroin overdoses, deaths, and drugged driving all on rise in Dane County." Wisconsin State Journal Article (Dec. 29, 2010) Link: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_0752d3dc-12d9-11e0-8113-001cc4c03286.html

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Dr. Gábor Maté Interviewed on Democracy Now [Video]

Dr. Gábor Maté, a controversial and bestselling MD and author from Canada, interviewed by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now about some of his views on addiction, ADD/ADHD, PTSD, and autism. I find his comments on the influence of environment as being more important than genetics as very compelling.  (Source:  http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/24/dr_gabor_mat_on_the_stress)

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

9-11 First Responders Opposition from Republicans is Dropped in the Senate

Jon Stewart will be happy, as Senate Republicans have stopped opposing health care coverage for 9-11 first responders.  The bill needs to clear the House of Representatives still, but who would oppose this?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-21/senator-coburn-blocking-sept-11-health-care-bill-seeks-changes-to-costs.html

Nuclear Arms Treaty Ratified!

Any step moving the world towards the goal of nuclear disarmament is a good step in my book.  Despite a lot of bluster from Republicans (and many voting against ratification), 11 of them joined all the Senate Dems to vote in favor of ratification, thus passing the treaty which was signed between Presidents Obama and Medvedev of Russia last April.  A supermajority of 67 votes out of 100 is needed to ratify a treaty in the U.S. Senate.

Source:  http://www.voanews.com/english/news/US-Senate-Nears-Vote-on-START-112327969.html

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Conflicting Messages about Marijuana Leading to Rise in Use Among Youth?

A recent study shows up to a 10% rise in the amount of use of marijuana in the past year among youths between grades 8 and 12. (source: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20101214/marijuana-use-spikes-among-us-teens) While acute toxicity from marijuana use is known to be low, and overdose is not likely, several other problems related to marijuana use among young people have a good scientific basis including affecting learning, memory, and involvement in risky behavior.  Chronic use of marijuana can also lead to psychological dependence and increased tolerance, which in turn, lead to increased use and abuse.

While marijuana use is gaining more acceptability among the public, and medical marijuana is legal in sixteen states, is it worthy to suggest that young people may be getting mixed messages from government and advocates of medical marijuana?

It is my opinion that youth need as much reliable information about marijuana use as possible.  They need to know that it is not as dangerous as the U.S. government previously said it was, but that it is still something that should be avoided, especially among youth, whose brains and decision-making skills are still developing.  Myths that persist about marijuana use should be confronted, such as thinking that smoking marijuana and driving is safe or that marijuana is not addictive.

Also, I think that some consensus needs to be reached about the method of administration of marijuana.  Clearly, many people are benefiting from its use in treating a wide variety of illnesses and symptoms.  But why is smoking marijuana still the most popular form of medical use?  I realize that it is the quickest way to feel the effects, but one can gain the same effects from eating it too and thus limit the harm from the smoke, right?

Finally, I think that government officials need to do a much better job communicating to youth about why the FDA has not yet approved marijuana for medical uses, and to help providers and researchers find ways to standardize and control the quality and potency of marijuana, and ultimately allow manufacturers to provide it safely to members of the public who need it.  If they can't, they risk continuing to create confusion around a drug that has tremendous benefit, some harms and potential for abuse and dependence, and widespread and increasing use among youth as well as adults.

Friday, December 10, 2010

December 8, 2010, is the 60th Anniversary of the Day of Observation of the Passing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

In honor of today's anniversary of the first observation of the passing of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I will reprint the entire content of the declaration.

Preamble:
  • Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
  • Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
  • Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
  • Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
  • Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
  • Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
  • Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
  • Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1 
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason andconscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2 
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3 
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4 
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article 5 
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6 
Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7 
All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8 
Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating thefundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9 
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrestdetention or exile.
Article 10 
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Article 11
  1. Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
  2. No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
Article 12 
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 13 
  1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
  2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including their own, and to return to their country.
Article 14 
  1. Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
  2. This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 15 
  1. Everyone has the right to a nationality.
  2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
Article 16 
  1. Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
  2. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
  3. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
Article 17 
  1. Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
  2. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 18 
Everyone has the right to freedom of thoughtconscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19 
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20 
  1. Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
  2. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
Article 21 
  1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
  2. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in their country.
  3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Article 22 
Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organisation and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
Article 23 
  1. Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
  2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
  3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
  4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 24 
Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Article 25 
  1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
  2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in orout of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Article 26 
  1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
  2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
  3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Article 27 
  1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
  2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
Article 28 
Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realised.
Article 29 
  1. Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
  2. In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
  3. These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 30 
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

You can read more about the declaration here:  http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/udhr60/declaration.shtml The UN on the 60th anniversary
http://www.unac.org/rights/question.html Frequently asked questions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights The source of the above text of the declaration

Thursday, December 9, 2010

New Report: Smoking, Even in Small Amounts, is Extremely Dangerous

Any amount of smoking, even second hand smoke, can damage lungs and DNA, and can lead to cancer, a new government report states.

Source:  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0923441520101209

If you or someone you know would like to quit smoking, please visit http://www.smokingstopshere.com/ or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, to find out what tools, tips, and strategies are available.

Driving while drinking or high

Some pretty striking survey results and statistics were released today from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration about substance abuse and driving.  Here are some highlights:

  • Wisconsin leads the list of states with the highest percentage of drivers age 16 and older who drove under the influence of alcohol during the past year at 23.7%, compared to the national average of 13.2%.
  • Last year 10,839 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in the U.S..
  • 1 in 3 car accident deaths were due to driving while high on an illegal drug.
  • Wisconsin is the only state where driving with a .08 BAC (blood alcohol content) is not a crime.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Thinking about Awareness

This past year I've been struck by several types of awareness raising which I think the effectiveness meets one or more of the following outcomes:

1.  It has no actual long term effect because nothing is learned and no opinions or behaviors are changed.
2.  It produces a backlash, or the opposite effect of what is desired.
3.  It creates confusion or cognitive dissonance about an issue.
4.  It spreads an incorrect view (one not based in fact).
5.  It promotes the idea that someone is doing something about an issue when indeed they are not.

So here are some examples.  I'm willing to admit that there are effects of an awareness campaign that I'm not aware of, but that is the only disclaimer I feel that I can make.

1.  Facebook campaigns, such as the recent one asking users to change their profile pictures to cartoon characters from December 3-6, 2010, to fight "against child abuse and violence." This is a modern version of the internet petition, but of the worst kind.  It contains no information about the issue, confuses the issue by suggesting that the problem is 'human faces,' and does not name either its creator or any potential benefactor.  Isn't Child Abuse Awareness Month supposed to be in April?  Snopes.com has a good article about internet petitions like this campaign here:  http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp 

2.  The Tea Party movement.  As the 2010 elections showed, this movement has not been ineffectual.  But it has spread the incredibly false belief that government is the source of problems for Americans.  Largely funded by individuals and groups that seek to dismantle environmental and social protections that have improved the lives of poor and vulnerable, Tea Party candidates emphasize personal responsibility and self-determination.  The problem with this is that people who are disenfranchised, marginalized, and are in economic or political or social minorities are in no position to organize their communities without assistance.  The only guaranteed assistance offered by the Tea Party is tax relief, which mainly benefits those who own property and have access to capital, not those without.

3.  Vegan bashing.  A personal pet peeve of mine, some supporters of locovorism have begun to target their ire against vegetarians and vegans claiming that eating a meat and dairy based diet which is locally based is by definition more sustainable to the planet than a meat and/or dairy free diet which is not locally based.  Lacking details, and contradicting the United Nations as well as authors such as John Robbins of Diet for a Small America, those who are taking this approach are providing a major disservice to many vegans and vegetarians who are in fact supporting the most unselfishly sustainable dietary practice that is possible.

4.  Nationhood.  This extremely dangerous idea has been around for a couple hundred years, with extremely negative consequences.  Not to mention the loss of lives and destruction of the environment from wars, the concept of sovereign, individual nations which have supremacy over their own domestic affairs prevents collaboration and problem-solving on a global level.  Every parade, bumper sticker, presidential address, and t-shirt that boldly proclaims that one country is the best over all others simply emboldens the idea of sovereignty and independence, rather than interconnection and interdependence.

5.  Religion.  It serves as a protector and sole possessor (sovereign) of moral law.  Humanity cannot have their own values because supreme and higher beings (Gods and Deities) have already claimed them all.

6.  Advertising.  This is a really dangerous issue because it is so omnipresent.  You cannot get away from it, unless you live in a foreign country where you don't understand the language.  Or you live in the country and have immunized yourself against its powerful reach.  It is very effective - many of our actions are controlled by what admen hired by corporations want us to do.  Everything from driving to buying milk.  It's the aggressive and tempting voice of materialism, which is something that those of us in rich countries are so beholden to.

Before you think that I think these things are necessarily bad, I'd like to leave you with one last idea (some might call it a meme, even if it's not an obvious one), and that is...

7.  We often think or say things are good or bad, when actually values and opinions more likely lie along a continuum of viewpoints.  There are venn diagrams, tables, linear representations, and all kinds of ways to visually represent the ways we think, believe, act, and behave.

This essay is simply my attempt to say that I think raising awareness involves, and requires, ways to think about the effectiveness of the action or campaign.  Costs and benefits, including effectiveness and how the action might be counter-effective or confusing, should (must!!) be considered.

I know that taking positions against nationalism and religion and simplistic Facebook campaigns will not win me many friends.  I respect those who are involved in supporting these causes.  I just think that they're not what they purport to be.



Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Educated Women Having Fewer Children?

Just an interesting blog post from the Times on women, motherhood, and educational attainment that I thought I'd share.  http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/educated-women-having-fewer-children/

Today is World AIDS Day - Join me in spreading hope and awareness

December 1st is World AIDS Day
"AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007, and an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_AIDS_Day

What can you do to stop AIDS?   Promote awareness  (share this post or create your own), wear a red ribbon (the symbol of AIDS awareness), contribute to organizations that provide relief and prevention services, etc.

Friday, November 26, 2010

What's the cost/benefit of 2053 Atmospheric Nuclear Tests?

This video, which I read about on my friend Paul's Facebook wall, shows every nuclear explosion throughout the world since the first test near Los Alamos, New Mexico, on a time-lapse map.



Watching it brought many questions to mind:  How many people have died or been injured during the creation of these explosions?  What was the total cost of creating these explosions?  What was the overall benefit of these explosions?  Were these explosions necessary?  Will we ever achieve total nuclear disarmament, and renounce the creation and use of these bombs, like Ukraine and South Africa have done?

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

SMART Recovery® Facilitation

I facilitated my first meeting tonight with this excellent self-help program focusing on addressing addictive behaviors.  As a science-based, humanistic, self-help approach to recovery, I feel that the goals and methods of the program are totally in-line with my overall philosophy related to leading a healthy, balanced life.

Being a facilitator mainly involves listening, being empathetic, and helping guide discussion and keep track of time.  Meetings are 90 minutes long.

In addition to an online community, SMART has three meetings per week in Madison as well as one in Stoughton.  Meetings are free, open to the public, and are completely confidential.

If you or someone you know might be interested in attending as an observer or to address your own addictive behaviors that are causing problems in your life, please visit this site to see if there is an online or in-person meeting you can attend:  http://www.smartrecovery.org/meetings/index.htm, or if you're in the Madison area, visit this site to see where the local meetings are held:  http://smartrecoverymadison.org/

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Mental Illness Affects 1 in 5 Americans

According to a recent government study, it has been show that Mental Illness Affects 1 in 5 Americans. The study also showed that 20% of these individuals also had substance dependence or abuse related problems during the previous year (I'm paraphrasing from the linked article).

What are the implications of this study? That access to care is limited, that comorbidity between mental health and substance abuse is very high, and the main point, that mental illness is not some minor issue: rather, it is one of the most widespread individual, family, and social challenges that Americans face.

I am concerned whether this article will increase or decrease the stigmas about mental illness that seem to perpetuate our culture and society. I'm hopeful that the response to this and other similar studies will increase awareness about mental illness and turn into expanded coverage and access for mental health and substance abuse treatment. This seems to be the trend, but under the face of high deficits and budget cutbacks it is too early to say what will happen during the next couple of years.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

SMART Recovery®

I've started attending my first meetings as an observer with the SMART Recovery® program this week.  The program is really amazing, and I'm looking forward to getting more involved and helping the program develop in whatever way I can.

There are currently four meetings which take place in the Madison area.  They are all free and open to the public.  One of the things that's really exciting about this program is that it tries to help people stop from addictive behaviors which are causing problems in their lives.  It relies heavily on science-based evidence and humanistic values.

People who are struggling with an addictive behavior such as drinking, smoking, gambling, etc., can really benefit from this type of program.  So please consider sharing the information to your friends, colleagues, and family members.   To find information about this program, visit http://www.smartrecovery.org/ for the national website, or http://smartrecoverymadison.org/ to find a meeting time and place in Madison.  Observers are welcome to attend, but please contact a facilitator in advance.

Friday, November 12, 2010

NOH8

A very nicely done anti-bullying ad from the folks at NOH8 (www.noh8campaign.com).



I think that bullying is a much bigger problem than just affecting youth who are gay, bisexual, lesbian, or transgendered, but if we're going to start somewhere I think that this is definitely a good strategy.

Dane County's Alcohol Free Online Self-Assessment Tool

I can't remember how I stumbled across this website, but apparently Dane County not only has a Coalition to Reduce Alcohol Abuse, it also is sponsoring a great new self-assessment that people can use anonymously to find out things like whether their drinking is a financial burden or if they are at risk of having health problems from their choice to drink.  It's called ECheckup, and you can read more about it below, or by following this link: http://www.countyofdane.com/commissions/alcohol/.

"All residents of Dane County can use this important resource from San Diego State University.
Just go to this link: http://interwork.sdsu.edu/echeckup/usa/alc/adult/Dane to do your own totally confidential Brief Self Assessment that will provide you with:
  • accurate and detailed information about your personal risk patterns
  • your individual level of alcohol tolerance
  • your unique family risk factors
  • harm reduction strategies
The Coalition will receive statistical information, but nothing is ascribed to any individual person. This is a well-researched resource. We encourage Dane County residents to take advantage of this opportunity."

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

New Warning Ads for Smokes

I think that these ads should have been used a long time ago.  No smoker has ever really been deterred by the current labels no matter how scary the statements are.  I think people will respond much better to some of these images, although some of them are probably not going to be effective with some folks at all.

Anyway, here's the article so that you can decide for yourself:  http://gawker.com/5686426/your-12-pack-of-cigarettes-will-now-come-with-these-horrible-pictures

You can actually weigh in on what ads you found to be the best by visiting http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/Labeling/CigaretteProductWarningLabels/default.htm and following the instructions listed under the heading, "Public Comment."

China Sentences Food Safety Activist to 2 1/2 years in Prison

Zhao Lianhai has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years after his conviction earlier this year of causing social unrest by being a food safety activist.  Zhao's infant son was sickened in 2008 by the widespread use in China of the chemical additive melamine in baby formula.  As the New York Times has reported, China has perhaps coincidentally released information about a new food safety initiative today as well, aiming at providing the public with more information and curtailing what the Chinese government calls false news about what is or isn't safe to eat.

Although I have deep respect for Chinese society and culture, I believe that this harsh sentence will inevitably deter its citizens from speaking out on public health dangers in the future, and is a fundamental violation of Mr. Zhao's human rights.  China has every right to put forward initiatives of what it thinks is in the best interest of its citizens, but individuals like Mr. Zhao should be tried on the factuality of their statements, not the amount of their concern or the loudness of their dissension.   And the punishment should fit the crime, which in Zhao's case does not seem to match at all in my opinion.

Here's the New York Times article on Zhao's sentencing:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/world/asia/11beijing.html?ref=global-home

Here's the People's Daily article on its new food safety initiative:  http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/7194527.html

Monday, November 8, 2010

Comment of the Day: It's Too Easy Not Being Green

An interesting post from Gawker about how 'Being Green' is just another brand these days designed to make people feel good about their purchases but lacking any real substance.

Comment of the Day: It's Too Easy Not Being Green

While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales - NYTimes.com

Seems a bit contradictory...

While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese Sales - NYTimes.com

Who's Dying in the Iraq War, in Pixels [Infographic]

Who's Dying in the Iraq War, in Pixels [Infographic]: "
This simple pixel diagram displays the human death toll of the Iraq war. Blue pixels are 'friendly' deaths (U.S. and coalition forces), green ones are 'host' deaths (Iraqi government), gray are 'enemy' deaths (insurgents) and orange, well, those are civilians. More »



"

Monday, October 25, 2010

Young Man Killed on E. Johnson

I went jogging on Sunday past where an accident had happened, and despite the closing of the street and multiple police cars and officers around, I didn't know that someone had died until today as the news reports started to come out.  A 21-year-old UW-Madison student was run down while trying to apparently fix his car on E. Johnson St., about 4 blocks North of where I live.  It is being called an accident - the driver who hit him was a 19-year-old woman.  Here's some of the news and police reports:  http://www.nbc15.com/news/headlines/Police_Investigating_Fatal_Crash_10564181...  (UPDATE 5/25/2011 - Driver may have been texting while driving - http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_7bbdd7ca-8657-11e0-a028-001cc4c002e0.html)

This accident got me thinking again about the fragility of human life when it comes into contact with automobiles.  It made me want to know exactly how often this type of thing happens.  What I found out, was that for those of us under 44, and in fact quite a few who are 44 and over, it happens much too often.  In order to show rather than tell how serious a problem this is for us, I decided to draw some comparisons between cancer and motor vehicle injuries.


Cancer affects almost 12 million Americans annually and killed about 559,000 Americans in 2007 (Source: American Cancer Society, 2007, Cancer Facts and Figures, http://www.cancer.org/Research/CancerFactsFigures/CancerFactsFigures/caff2007...  But motor vehicle accidents kill a disproportionately high number of young Americans - two to four times as many who die from cancer between the ages of 1-44.  Indeed, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for all Americans between age 1-44, (Source: Centers for Disease Control, 2007, http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/images/Death_by_Age_2007.gif), and motor vehicle related deaths are either the leading or second leading injury-relate causes of death for all age groups during 2007, the most recent year that data was available, equaling 42,031. (Source: Centers for Disease Control, 2007, http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/images/Unintentional_2007.gif)

The number of fatalities is much lower per year than it used to be, especially as a proportion of the population.  So it's not all bad news, there's just much more to do.

What we can do as a society to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our fellow citizens?  Wear a seatbelt, be cautious, don't drink and drive, share the road with bicycles and pedestrians?  All good ideas.

I would also add things that we don't typically think of as safety related - we need to encourage public transportation or carsharing, carpool, and reduce the number of trips on the road.
Be safe out there, people.

(Caveat: In this post I use the colloquial term for people who live in the U.S., "Americans."  I hope that this doesn't offend any of my Argentine, Bolivian, Brazilian, Mexican, or Canadian friends!)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Rush Hour Traffic on E. Johnson

I nearly got killed today riding home from work on E. Johnson St.  The bike lane disappears suddenly and the only option is to merge in to automobile traffic... but as soon as I did that some jerk in a SUV came flying by me within only inches from my handlebars.  I said something to him, like, "Nice driving!" and of course he yelled back something about getting off the road.  This is pretty typical agro/driver behavior as far as I'm concerned, but since I did catch his license plate I turned off on a side street and called the police non-emergency number.  According to State of Wisconsin law, vehicles are required to give 3 feet clearance when passing a bicyclist.   I feel that if they give me less than that, and if I feel it was intentionally unsafe, I'm going to call the cops and hopefully they will follow up with the driver and give them a warning for the future.  If the driver has a pattern of reckless or dangerous driving and end up losing their license, then I think this is exactly what should happen.  Bikers are at best 1/10th the weight and size of a car or truck, and are moving nearly as fast.  Why should drivers not use more caution with bikes?  Why does it seem like they're trying to kill us?

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Virginia Executes Teresa Lewis

I have to admit, I don't think about capital punishment much.  It is not permitted in Wisconsin, and it is not really much of a political issue here.  I feel as though most Wisconsin residents do not think it is an effective or humane way to treat our society's worst criminals.  It was a debate topic when I was in high school, and I usually took the position that in states where the death penalty was used more, the murder rates were actually higher and vice versa.

35 out of 50 U.S. states, as well as the federal government, allow for the death penalty.  They're in the company of some of the world's worst human rights offenders.  The U.S. is the almost the only country of any European or North American country (except for Cuba, Belarus, and St. Kitts and Nevis) to still use the practice.

The latest execution of a 41-year old woman in Virginia for conspiracy to commit murder is a new low in the sad history of capital punishment.  Teresa Lewis was reportedly suffering from mental illness and had an IQ of about 72.  If her IQ had been 70 it would have been illegal to execute her.  I feel as though society can judge her actions - ones that resulted in the murder of her husband and stepson for money - but who judges society?  Ultimately, it will be for history to decide.  But I think I already know that we will ultimately abolish the death penalty, and it is just a matter of time.

I think that if enough people were against it and spoke out, that it wouldn't need to take so long.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Changing Perceptions about Substance Abuse

My work towards certification in Substance Abuse Counseling is going pretty well. I'm taking six credits in AODA/counseling this semester and plan on receiving my training certification in December. After that, I intend to work towards getting my licensure in Social Work with a specialty in Substance Abuse Counseling. I think that this is a really important area to work in especially with the changes in societal attitudes towards drug and alcohol use, the availability of alternative treatment and programs that allow people to avoid jail, and perhaps most interestingly, the increasing awareness about the potential benefits of drugs that used to be considered the most dangerous. These benefits, which are under very close supervision by the FDA and top-notch research institutions, are looking at whether drugs like LSD, MDMA or Ecstasy, Psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana are effective in treating a wide variety of disorders and conditions such as depression, PTSD, headaches, addictions to other substances, and effects from cancer. I'm also encouraged by the fact that improvements to accessing mental health and substance abuse treatment are in the pipeline due to health care legislation passed earlier this year by congress. I'll be posting more articles in the future that more specifically address things that I'm interested in, but here is a link to an overview printed in yesterday's Toronto Star. Check it out, see what you think... Tune in: psychedelic drugs are back - thestar.com

Substance Abuse

My work towards certification in Substance Abuse Counseling is going pretty well. I'm taking three credits in AODA/counseling this semester and plan on receiving my training certification in December. After that, I intend to work towards getting my specialty in Substance Abuse Counseling since I now have my Social Work credential. I think that this is a really important area to work in especially with the changes in societal attitudes towards drug and alcohol use, the availability of alternative treatment and programs that allow people to avoid jail. I'm also encouraged by the fact that improvements to accessing mental health and substance abuse treatment are in the pipeline due to health care legislation passed earlier this year by congress. I'll be posting more articles in the future that more specifically address things that I'm interested in.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Why Don't More Businesses Share Their Calendars?

Ok, so it's 2010 and very few websites are using a common calendaring format for their events.  And it seems when I talk to friends and family about calendaring that very few people even know what it is or how to use it.  If we could all list and share events that had the ability to easily import and export events into whatever electronic calendar we use life would be so much easier!

First of all, what calendars do people use?  There are so many, but here are some of the main ones:

Paper Calendars:  Frankly, I don't think these make much sense.  The main benefit is that you can look at them on your wall (in your kitchen, or wherever).  You can't share events, import or export, and they aren't portable.  I will print out my events from my other calendars, but as they change or are updated I'll just recycle the old one and put up the new one with some thumbtacks. This is practical, especially at work, when I'll print out and arrange several months together to keep track of my tasks and projects. Those pretty laminated calendars are better for just knowing what the date is and maybe adding a bit of art to your house or office.

Desktop Applications include:  Microsoft's Outlook, Apple's iCal, Mozilla Sunbird (for Mac, Linux, or PC), Evolution (Linux only), or Oracle's Native Desktop Client (Linux or PC).

Web Based Calendars:  These are for sure the most practical (and essential) in my opinion.  You can access them from anywhere, they're easy to share, and they'll sync with your desktop or handheld calendars.  I use Google Calendar, but there are many others - Oracle has a web based calendar system that's used where I work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  I think Yahoo and Microsoft have their own versions.  Apple has one.  I'm not going to go into all of them because they're essentially the same and you just have to find one that you like.  I think that Google Calendar is by far the best, and it's free.  Sharing your calendar is easy, as well as importing and exporting events.  Syncing has become much easier, with Google rolling out its own mobile syncing software within the last year or so (I'll talk about that later).

Handheld Devices include:  Probably too many to mention here but the ones I'm most familiar with Palm PDA Calendar and Symbian (Nokia) Smartphone Calendar.  To get these to sync with a desktop client or web calendar you have to either do a USB sync or OTA (over the air) sync.  The bad this about doing USB syncs is that it's not 'real-time' and for that reason I far prefer using OTA syncing.  This requires either wifi or data plan signal with your phone.  Wifi is especially nice because it's fast and doesn't involve any data charges that sometimes come with cell phone plans.

Once you've decided on the calendar system you're going to use, you should make sure that your syncing options are cheap or free, and easy.

Syncing:  I've used paid services before, namely Synthesis' SyncML and GooSync, to share my events from a web calendar with my smartphone and PC.  These were very useful, and not too expensive (around $30 a year).  In addition to syncing events, they also handled contacts, and tasks.  Recently, as I mentioned above, Google has come out with their own syncing service for mobile phones, and I've let my other services lapse and no longer use them.  I use this in combination with something called Microsoft Mail for Exchange.  This is just basically the same as push email, and different phones have different versions.  It's main drawback from me is that it doesn't handle tasks, but on the plus side it does work with my email accounts very well.   Wikipedia has a list of all the other phone clients' compatible syncing software here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push_e-mail.  If you buy a new iPhone or Android phone today there's actually very little you need to worry about because calendaring, contacts, tasks, and syncing will be pretty much built in.  I would just try to stick with Google or a service that will let you manage and own your own content as much as possible.

Once you're set up with a good web based calendar and have it synced up with your portable devices, you're ready to share sharing, importing, and exporting other calendars.  I'm simply amazed that most websites that I visit do not have a common calendar format that I can use.  They usually have the event name, date, time, and place, which I am forced to cut and paste into my calendar.  Why don't they have a simply button that would allow me to immediately import it?  This requires me to explain a little bit about calendar formats.  They do exist, if not used as widely as they should be.

Calendar Formats:  The most common format that I know of is the .ics or iCalendar format.  This is not only for Apple, as the name might imply.    I've made a test .ics file that you can download and try to open with your calendar here.   It is for an event at 12:15 p.m. Central Standard Time on July 5th.   Since I'm using a Mac right now, when I open that link the iCalendar program opens the event link and gives me a chance to view it before saving it.   Importing an .ics file to a web calendar varies by the service you're using, whether it is Google, Microsoft, or Yahoo!  In Google Calendar you have the ability to add a single event (.ics file) as well as an entire calendar (such as by exporting your Outlook calendar in .csv format to your desktop).   More info about importing external calendars to Google Calendar can be found here:  http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=83126.  One last thing about the .ics format is that it needs improvement.  There are certain non-western calendars that are not supported by it, and there's currently an international consortium working on a truly common calendar format for all of humanity to enjoy.  I should also mention that I really like RSS and XML feeds.  Here's a good example of a calendar that provides both:  http://www.today.wisc.edu/  These in particular are very nice because each event has its own iCalendar link for easy importing into your other calendars.

So now what?  Why don't businesses and people start sharing their calendars more?  Those are two very separate questions.  People don't and shouldn't share calendars for privacy and security reasons.  They should, and do share events that they're attending or promoting.  A lot of this is being done via Facebook - but the main drawback of this is that Facebook is a closed system and not everyone is on it or wants to be on it.  And even though they do allow you to import and export events, they do not allow the sharing of a business's (for example) event schedule.

Businesses should share their calendars.  It's common sense.  Why don't they?  Here's a link to the High Noon Saloon, a club I really like, and their online calendar:  http://high-noon.com/index.php?page=calendar  Notice there's no way to add any of their events to my calendar.  I have to cut and paste, which is tedious (especially when almost all websites are like this).   Here's a nice example from Mozilla of .ics calendars that you can download and use.  You can also cut and paste the link, and import them into your Google Calendar.   Honestly there aren't very many directories of good calendars either.  I would love to be able to download a calendar or schedule for a local radio station, theater,  or TV channel.   I think it would be absolutely the main part of my web presence if I had a business.

How to do it:  I think it's easy.  Many Content Management Systems will have an .ics plugin such as this one for Wordpress:  http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-ics-importer/.  Businesses can also start a Google Calendar and share it.  I do this at my job actually.  We've embedded the whole thing right on a webpage - which is really cool, check it out....  http://stemmidwest.org/default.asp?contentID=479.
This is really easy to do, so don't worry... pretty much anyone who knows how to put together a website can do this.

You can also just create one-off events and publish them to the web like I did (see my earlier example - here's the link again:  http://mywebspace.wisc.edu/dnordstrom/web/Test.ics.  My event doesn't have a lot of detail, but it totally could, including location and notes...

A final thought is to get your calendar listed in a calendar directory like this one:  http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/calendars/  Google Calendar used to have a public directory, but for some reason they took it down.  Now you have to search a little bit more to find them.

I think that if businesses don't support open and common calendaring, they are really missing the boat on providing a very accessible and convenient way for their fans and patrons to keep up with their schedules and events.  Relying on a closed system like Facebook excludes people who aren't members of the service, and blocks development of more open formats.  Apple too tries to tie in their calendars and events a bit too much in my opinion, but at least they use the .ics format which is compatible with web based and desktop calendars alike.