Current events from my skewed perspective
These are the stories I've taken notice of today. Wanted to share:
The US military is implementing a mental stress management program for soldiers. I think it's a great idea. Will it work? Time will tell, I guess.
More on the story about the Vatican investigating American nuns, written by Catholic theologian Mary E. Hunt. I don't know why this business interests me so much. Maybe because it's about women operating in a male heirarchy? The comments thread--predictably--gets volatile very quickly, though there are some intersting points sprinkled throughout. I'm bearing in mind the notes a commenter left here when I first posted about the subject, and just sitting back to watch all this unfold. It's fascinating. (Story includes a wonderful portrait of a nun from the early 20th century.)
Microsoft is discontinuing Encarta, its online encyclopedia. In part, they say, "People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past. As part of Microsoft’s goal to deliver the most effective and engaging resources for today’s consumer, it has made the decision to exit the Encarta business." Hard as hell to compete with Wikipedia and the entire World Wide Web.
Receiving chemo in the closet: "Earlier this year, state budget cuts in Nevada resulted in the slashing of the outpatient cancer center at the University Medical Center's oncology clinic, forcing patients to find treatment on their own....Oncologist Nick Spirtos found a solution. He persuaded his partners to take on the patients pro bono, converted a storage area in his office into a chemotherapy room and got Clark County to pay for the expensive chemo drugs. One treatment can cost upwards of $10,000.... He's also sought more primitive ways to cover costs. He holds up a clear plastic box bearing the label 'Cash for Chemotherapy.' Dollar bills and loose change jingle. There are 380 boxes placed throughout the county." Welcome to American healthcare in the 21st century. Who says we don't need reform?
Giant Magellan Telescope "will be able to show what the universe was like when it was just a few hundred million years old and emerging from a period of total darkness after the Big Bang." We don't need to turn back time, we just need to look a little farther afield. How cool is this?
And lastly, because alarmist journalism always gets clicks, The Today Show and MSNBC ask: Can your flip-flops kill you? Not being a wearer of flip-flops, I'm not concerned for myself, but I admit horror and dismay on behalf of flip-flop wearing friends.
The US military is implementing a mental stress management program for soldiers. I think it's a great idea. Will it work? Time will tell, I guess.
More on the story about the Vatican investigating American nuns, written by Catholic theologian Mary E. Hunt. I don't know why this business interests me so much. Maybe because it's about women operating in a male heirarchy? The comments thread--predictably--gets volatile very quickly, though there are some intersting points sprinkled throughout. I'm bearing in mind the notes a commenter left here when I first posted about the subject, and just sitting back to watch all this unfold. It's fascinating. (Story includes a wonderful portrait of a nun from the early 20th century.)
Microsoft is discontinuing Encarta, its online encyclopedia. In part, they say, "People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past. As part of Microsoft’s goal to deliver the most effective and engaging resources for today’s consumer, it has made the decision to exit the Encarta business." Hard as hell to compete with Wikipedia and the entire World Wide Web.
Receiving chemo in the closet: "Earlier this year, state budget cuts in Nevada resulted in the slashing of the outpatient cancer center at the University Medical Center's oncology clinic, forcing patients to find treatment on their own....Oncologist Nick Spirtos found a solution. He persuaded his partners to take on the patients pro bono, converted a storage area in his office into a chemotherapy room and got Clark County to pay for the expensive chemo drugs. One treatment can cost upwards of $10,000.... He's also sought more primitive ways to cover costs. He holds up a clear plastic box bearing the label 'Cash for Chemotherapy.' Dollar bills and loose change jingle. There are 380 boxes placed throughout the county." Welcome to American healthcare in the 21st century. Who says we don't need reform?
Giant Magellan Telescope "will be able to show what the universe was like when it was just a few hundred million years old and emerging from a period of total darkness after the Big Bang." We don't need to turn back time, we just need to look a little farther afield. How cool is this?
And lastly, because alarmist journalism always gets clicks, The Today Show and MSNBC ask: Can your flip-flops kill you? Not being a wearer of flip-flops, I'm not concerned for myself, but I admit horror and dismay on behalf of flip-flop wearing friends.