I Speak of Dreams

One Million For Literacy

Our nation faces a silent yet growing crisis: low literacy. Over 93 million American adults have limited literacy skills, costing our economy $60 billion a year in lost productivity, generating $73 billion in unnecessary health care expenses, and contributing to a host of other problems ranging from crime and drug abuse to unemployment and homelessness.

Join the Facebook group, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=130311833997&v=wall

Prudent People Plan for Personal Safety: The Novel H1N1 Version -- Get Vaccinated

John Solomon keeps the blog In Case of Emergency, Read Blog (which I recommend to you if you are interested in emergency preparedness...which everyone should be). He reported on a FEMA regional meeting. One of the takeaway messages:

“Preparedness is really about personal safety: People cannot relate to the term “preparedness” but can relate to the concept of personal safety.

Here's the deal: I live in an urban area of California. I'm not realistic danger of wildland fires (unlike some other urban California areas) earthquakes are quite probable

The overall probability of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake in the Greater Bay Area is 63%, about 2 out of 3.

 So I have made prudent preparations, in terms of having a kit in my car with water, food, shoes, weather gear and so on. At home, I'm ready for no city-supplied water, no electricity, no gas, and enough foodstuffs on hand for six or seven days.

That's not "panic" -- just prudence. 

Which brings us to the current situation, which is the novel H1N1 pandemic.  The virus is here in my area.  . Family Medicine physician Enoch Choi reported H1N1 "highest they've ever been" on October 12th.  Illness means a prolonged absence from work or school:

Vaccinate Your Children Against Novel H1N1

Attila the Mom's older son, Big Kid, has been on a ventilator since October 23.

His girlfriend found him unresponsive when she came home from work the night before last.

He's in septic shock and respitory failure due to complications from H1N1. He has pneumonia in both lungs and is on a ventilator.

The only places he's been in the last two weeks is our house, the grocery store, and out to dinner one night. The doctor said there are 10 young people in his unit with the same thing. It's extremely virulent.

We thought it was just a freaking cold, dammit!

If your child has a cold, or flu-like symptoms, take him or her to the doctor right away. And again, and again, if you have to.

I'll have some more to say on novel H1N1 in a few hours.

For Your Daily Dose of Medical Snark

You should be reading Doctor Grumpy. His laugh/post ratio is well over 0.8. YMMV.

Carl Sagan Day

I did not know that we shared a birthday. (Ooops, we don't.  His is today, November 9.  Reminder to self -- check facts.)

From http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Carl_Sagan/

In every country, we should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility and community spirit. In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, this may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness.

----Carl Sagan

More at Neurologica (crossposted at Skepticblog)

Here's hoping that next year, Carl Sagan Day is celebrated in many locations.

Go See Brian Jungen's Work

The blogging anesthesiologist sends strange visions.  The artist Brian Jungen is a member of the Doig River band of the Dunne-za Nation in Northern BC.

image source

Brian Jungen has an exhibit running through October 2010 at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

Oooh, pretty! (Some house blathering)

I started a new collection today:

They're melamine plates, manufactured by LeCadeaux.com. The pattern name is Benidorm. Dishwasher safe (but not microwaveable, which is fine).

Mine were a birthday gift from the darling daughter, purchased at a local gift shop. They are also available on-line through Distinctive Decor.com , Touch of Europe.net, The Frenchy Bee and Amazon When you factor in shipping, prices are pretty close.

We eat outside when the weather permits and I wanted some unbreakable plates to go with the polycarbonate glassware. I have the Vivaldi polycarbonate mugs by Strahl, which are incredibly satisfactory. I also plan on acquiring some multi-use 8 oz glasses, like these from Strahl.

If Health Insurance Companies Ran Public Safety

I found this at Nurse Ratched's

Kind of like this, too:

Angrytownhall.com