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November 21, 2005
Great photography exhibit at MHS
Saw a great exhibit this weekend at the Minnesota Historical Society. They are hosting Capture the Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs. It's a collection of the Prize winners starting from the first year an award for photography was given in 1942. It is a very powerful experience. These photographs are large -- they fill your field of view -- much unlike the medium in which they were first printed: small, with stories and text surrounding it. These photographs are like windows, and I found myself feeling like I was bearing witness to the event in the picture, just as the photographer did at that moment in time. Along with each picture is a short description, often including details from the photographer him/herself. Some tell of how their vantage was strategically staked out, others of how it was the fleeting luck of the moment. In particularly gruesome surroundings, a number of photographers report that they shot on auto-pilot, hardly aware of what they were doing. They captured assassinations, fires and floods, parades and portraits. Afterwards, Ben remarked on how quiet the exhibit hall was, even though there were dozens of people. We, all of us, I feel, were swept up in that singular connection each of us made with these pictures. It was the most riveting exhibit I've witnessed in a long time. Kudos to MHS and the Newseum, the creator of the exhibit. It's showing through January 15, and only $6 for college students. I highly recommend it!
Posted by rigd0003 at 4:00 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2005
Buyer's Guide to Hybrid Cars
Sigh... I won't be able to buy one of these beauties for a while, but I can daydream!
If you're in the market, the Union of Concerned Scientists has a great informational web site called the Hybrid Center. It's got a buyer's guide, technical information, links to model reviews, and even a Saturn-esque owners page where current owners post pictures and comments.
Posted by rigd0003 at 1:32 PM | Comments (0)
November 9, 2005
Wednesday squirrel blogging
You've heard of Friday cat blogging. Well, after a long day of cleaning up statistical programming code, I thought I'd take a break and do a bit of frivolous blogging.
This is a picture I took last month -- the result of me trying to take a quick snap of a new visitor to our backyard. Saint Paul is the only place I've lived where I've seen white squirrels. I don't know if they are true albinos or just white, but there are at least two areas where you see them. One is in the Como area and by the U of M's St. Paul Campus, the other is in Highland and Macalester-Groveland area. (As an aside, there are more St. Paul neighborhood maps here.)
In addition to the pleasure of spotting one in my neighborhood, the squirrels are kind of interesting from a genetic standpoint. There must be a high enough prevalence of the "white" gene circulating around in the squirrel populations in these neighborhoods to keep that trait from dying out. I wonder if there are any other traits conferred along with the whiteness.
Anyway, right after I took this picture, a black squirrel and grey squirrel swooped in and shooed the white squirrel away. It's too bad I couldn't get a picture of all three. I hope it comes back to visit!
Posted by rigd0003 at 5:08 PM | Comments (3)
November 8, 2005
Polio in Minnesota
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| from the CDC's Public Health Image Library (ID#: 1624) |
There's an excellent N.Y. Times article on the recent polio outbreak here in Minnesota. It elucidates some key points that I hadn't realized. First, the index case is a infant with an immune system deficiency. This probably put her at risk of acquiring the virus in the first place. But it also means that her body can't easily get rid of the virus, so she most likely will continue to produce and shed the virus in her stool. Indeed, it has spread to four other children who live on neighboring farms.
Another good point is that just because the community is Amish doesn't mean the people are necessarily isolated and immobile. "The Amish commonly take buses and trains, and occasionally even planes," the article notes. Members of the infected infant's Amish community recently attended a large wedding in Ontario, Canada. In the realm of public health at least, we are all one community. Surveillance efforts should strive to extend towards all; prevention and protection should strive to support all. Interwoven among these ideas is the question of reconciling individual rights with what is necessary to protect the larger group. All of the varied scientific and ethical issues that the public health community wrestles with are present in this one case.
Lots of weighty concepts. Lots of uncertainty. But for me, I am glad of one thing: if the case had to occur somewhere, I'm glad it happened in Minnesota. Why am I happy it happened in my state? Because we have the best and brightest public health minds working for us. We have one of the most thorough and comprehensive public health infrastructures. We have integrated laboratory surveillance. We go further than other states in tracking down cases and following leads. That's why I'm here in Minnesota getting my Ph.D. at the School of Public Health. That's why so many come here to be a part of this team: the health department, department of agriculture, the board of animal health, the Pollution Control Agency, environmental health, the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, and on, and on.
The Times article noted the difference in this polio outbreak:
As [the infant's] care became increasingly complex, she was shuttled through four hospitals. At the third, she developed diarrhea. On Aug. 27, doctors sent a stool sample to the hospital's laboratory, which determined that the girl had an intestinal virus. In many states, nothing more would have been done.
But in Minnesota, hospitals send such samples to a sophisticated state laboratory...
I'd like to close with a special thank you to Minnesota residents and public officials. Thank you for paying the taxes and choosing to fund this great work. What you sow will be reaped by so many.
Posted by rigd0003 at 2:53 PM | Comments (0)
November 7, 2005
It's both disturbing and delightful...
how much varied information there is out there in cyberspace.
I was searching for my husband's wish list on Amazon.com recently. He has a birthday coming up, so I thought I'd get some ideas. When I couldn't find it (apparently, he hasn't granted public access), I became curious about how many wish lists are public. My last name isn't very common, so I ran a quick search in Amazon. Turns out there are 222 of us -- a lot more than I thought!
And it's weird how revealing some lists are about my fellow-named. There is Kim, who is interested in boat maintenance; Tammy, who wants to become a paralegal; and David, who is thinking of getting into online trading. There are lots of our group who are expecting a baby, judging by all of the cribs on their lists. I think Bo is a gamer. He's into Doom and Baldur's Gate and the Elder Scrolls. Kevin has more varied interests: celtic mythology, philosophy, and $20,000 futuristic tanks.
Of course, I don't have to guess the personalities for some. They have conveniently told me through their "About Me" section of their list. Lynn is a "teacher, Christian, mother." Gwen is a "Mary Kay Lady." I like Randy already because he is a "NICE GUY." But I'm mindful not to cross Terry, since he is "Old & Cranky."
Posted by rigd0003 at 2:13 PM | Comments (1)
November 1, 2005
Bone health for cyclists and swimmers
There is an interesting article on bone health in the November issue of Outside magazine. It opens with the story of Bill Holland, an avid cyclist, who participated in a bone density study at the age of 48 and was shocked to find that he had "the heart and lungs of a 17-year-old and the bones of a 70-year-old."
Although I've heard for years that low-impact sports like swimming and cycling don't do as much as other exercise to stimulate bone growth, I was quite surprised that someone like Mr. Holland, who rides 150 miles a week, would have such deteriorated bones. I know that the amount of force you apply to a bicycle pedal is less than the amount of force you apply to the ground while you are walking (or running) -- that's the beauty of the bike as simple machine. But it still seems that multiplying that force thousands of times over the course of a cycling workout would leave your bones stronger than your regular couch potato.
The article goes on to shed light on this seeming disconnect. It turns out that you lose calcium in your sweat as you exercise - as much as 120 milligrams per hour. (The typical adult needs 1000 to 1200 mg/day of calcium, but athletes may need up to 2000 mg/day.) So it's this combination of less stimulation for bone growth and loss of the key mineral in bone growth that compounds into a big bone health problem.
Bone is an amazing tissue. Far from being static and passive, this tissue is simultaneously and continually being built up and broken down. Bones require feedback in the form of impact stress to keep promoting growth. Another good reason to take the stairs!
Posted by rigd0003 at 5:33 PM | Comments (1)