October 31, 2006 at 8:09 pm
(Personal)
One of the more interesting temp jobs I ever held involved working in the Medical Records department at a Children’s Hospital. I was part of a group that went through the files combining records in cases where one patient had two or more files. Most of this work was done electronically, but in some cases, we needed to look at the files to determine whether two files belonged to the same patient. Some of the files were in archival formats and some were in the live files. But some of the files, ones that hadn’t been touched in several years but hadn’t been archived yet, were stored in an area called the Annex.
The annex was one of the creepiest places I’ve ever been. It was in an old and little-used part of the hospital and was either in or next to an old pool area (or tub room a la One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?) It was poorly lit, and, what with high racks full of files, it was impossible to see the entrance from most places. It had windows (near the ceiling, so the room may have been below grade,) but we worked on second shift, so this meant very little. And of course, we were dealing with files for kids, many of whom were, sadly, in very bad shape. It was impossible not to think about why some of the kids, whose files were thick with multiple visits, had stopped coming. At least a couple of my compatriots claimed to have heard or seen things…and the infrequently-visited, poorly lit areas, with their tile-enhanced echoes, just seemed to add to the…spookiness. You could almost believe that spirits might haunt a place like that.
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October 30, 2006 at 9:59 pm
(Advertising)
I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who’s stomach is turned by Chevrolet’s newest ad. For me, using the images of Rosa Parks, Richard Nixon and Martin Luther King Jr. is perhaps a bit manipulative. The NY Times David Carr analyzes the more subtle nuances of the ad and the underlying illness it exposes.
While I don’t think it’s the *greatest* article on the subject of advertising ever written, it certainly touches on some points that I didn’t pick up.
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October 29, 2006 at 6:43 pm
(Personal)
Shouldn’t one of these teams be playing for Lexington?
I like Shannon Sharpe’s comments on Javon Walker’s touchdown (and subsequent Lambeau Leap…you never forget your roots, I guess) “It’s gotta be the number.”
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October 25, 2006 at 8:49 pm
(Political, Uncategorized)
My first response when I heard that Rush Limbaugh criticized Michael J. Fox’s pro-stem cell research ads by suggesting that “…either he didn’t take his medication or he was acting,” was probably pretty typical. He’s accusing Fox of being off his meds….well I suppose Rush should know what that’s like!
But in all seriousness, why are the Republicans going after this issue, of all the wedge issues? It’s my understanding that support for stem cell research has been increasing (I found several old poll numbers including this one.) Are they trying to bring out the shell-shocked “base?” Surely they don’t think this kind of thinking appeals to moderates?
This story has even more juicy details with regard to Missouri, where there is a stem cell ballot initiative. A fun read.
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October 25, 2006 at 8:38 pm
(Political)
News of our new space policy has sure slipped under the radar. With news of Iraq and the upcoming election, perhaps this story wouldn’t make the top three or even five stories…but it’s nowhere to be seen.
It’s a frightening story and it reveals a frightening attitude that seems to have developed among Americans and in particular hawkish ones. This attitude of “protector of the earth” is a joke. Even while senior officials admit the Iraq invasion was filled with huge miscalculations and “arrogance,” and while we watch the latest attempts to promote democracy abroad fail catastrophically, others in the administration seem to believe that they really know what’s best for the world–that we can still act unilaterally. They still believe this!!!
Worse, it seems to serve as proof that the administration is acting less than serious by taking a conciliatory tone to the current situation in the weeks leading up to the election. The White House is just trying to preserve it’s chances at maintaining a majority in both houses this fall. After November 7, they’ll go back to their hardheaded ways.
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October 25, 2006 at 8:33 pm
(Social/Economic)
A quote in this article on convenience food suggests that there is growing interest in “meal preparation centers.” what the hell kind of goofy idea is that? Bad enough to see that runny-nosed kid grabbing the serving spoon in the buffet line, now we want to commingle veggies, too?
Something I would be interested in (especially after chopping two tablespoons of fresh onion into last night’s dinner) would be the sale of fresh food in sane quantities…maybe even half of an onion, for instance.
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October 17, 2006 at 6:58 pm
(Uncategorized)
I read Michael Pollan’s piece on food safety and small producers with some interest.
Although he gets a couple things wrong (or he is at least misleading–for example, HACCP has been used by the food industry for more than 30 years and covers more than just pathogens,) he makes some interesting points. Would we have to worry so much about food supply if production and distribution were local? And what if strict regulations were placed on smaller farmers?
I was disappointed in Pollan’s analysis, which is over-simple. For example, he states that regulation of small farmers is a “one of the principal reasons” why the price of locally-grown meat is so high. But larger producers also benefit from their larger scale in terms of purchasing things like feed and transportation. In other words, the increased price the farmer charges will really depend on the size of the farm and how much of his product he can spread the cost around. Sometimes the cost may be greater than the higher prices he paid for other infeeds but I’m not easily convinced that that will be the case with every farmer.
I also resent his attitude that the righteous will pay more for organic foods and eat produce in season. The reality is that most of us have other concerns that are a little more pressing when we make our meal choices. It’s well and good for cultivated Manhattanites to push for free range cattle, but it’s a little more difficult for the working class or families to spend the sort of time or money that will be required to effect real change from the bottom. Food companies will probably need to be the ones who generate momentum towards more sustainable farming and the produce section will probably never look like a giant farmer’s market. Still, there is clearly some hope for the idea. Companies like Chipotle are making a difference. And while I’ll bet that many or even most of their customers aren’t eating there because of their eco-friendly purchasing policies, they are eating there. Organic products are even making their way to supermarket freezers, traditionally the stronghold of the least organic products around (and I’m thinking specifically of the frozen burritos I ate during college.)
Still, some of his ideas are quite valid. Why, for example, do we have to worry about e.coli and salmonella in unpasteurized apple cider? And in any case, it would be wonderful if regulation were toned down–the knowledge of what happens to companies with large food-safety related recalls should provide a pretty good stick on its own.
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