Lauren’s blogchalk: English, Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver, West Point Grey, Lauren, Female, 26-30.
Emira’s blogchalk: English, Canada, British Columbia, Vancouver, West End, Emira, Female, 26-30.
Things of note around the web:
Last night I happened across a television program that completely mesmerized me with its devastating beauty. HOLOCAUST - A Music Memorial Film from Auschwitz is a 90 minute program featuring musical performances filmed at Auschwitz, interspersed with images of survivors who played in the camp orchestras and escaped the gas chambers as a result of their musical abilities. The entire film (or what I saw of it, anyway) runs without narration — just images and music.
The bit I caught was violinist Maxim Vengerov (about whom I can only cite superlatives) playing the chaconne from Bach’s D minor Partita No 2, walking slowly through the camp, and eventually out of the camp, through the gate, where the camera pans up the railway tracks that lead out into the surrounding forest. It was unimaginably moving. I can really hardly put into words the feelings it provoked.
I’m terribly sad that I missed the rest of the program; I would have loved to have heard the rest of the music, especially given the stellar cast of performers involved.
(The Guardian also has an excellent article about the program.)
Here’s an interesting idea: some people are suggesting that on January 20th, aka inauguration day, those Americans who do not support the Bush administration participate in a 24-hour consumer boycott: Not One Damn Dime Day.
CodePink has some additional suggestions for “inaugurat(ing) the second term of the peace and justice movement”.
The gals who edit Our Bodies, Ourselves are putting together a much needed book on menopause and are looking for submissions. I am so very excited about this book as both through our work and my own extended social circle of female friends and family I have been learning a lot about just how much misinformation there is out there on menopause/perimenopause and how that lack of information causes real trauma (both physical and emotional) for many women.
I urge you to send this on to women who may be able to contribute and keep your eyes out for what promises to be an excellent book.
Call for Stories - New Menopause Book! Women have trusted Our Bodies, Ourselves for decades to provide the most up-to-date information on everything from emotional well-being to birth control. Now the editors of the “bible” of women’s health are embarking on an exciting new project: a book about menopause. This book will confront media misinformation and scare tactics and bring you the most unbiased and trustworthy information available.more...
Sadly, not my Uncle Liam but I agree with Might Girl that the world needs an Uncle Liam show. We’ve been watching the Arlo theme song and random intervals today at work. I dare you not to bounce in your chair.
LiP Magazine delivers what is quickly becoming one of my favourite e-newsletters. Herewith, two news stories I wouldn’t otherwise have heard about:
Dying For Basic Care
For Blacks, Poor Health Care Access Cost 900,000 LivesMore than 886,000 deaths could have been prevented from 1991 to 2000 if African Americans had received the same care as whites, according to an analysis in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The study estimates that technological improvements in medicine — including better drugs, devices and procedures — averted only 176,633 deaths during the same period.
That means “five times as many lives can be saved by correcting the disparities [in care between whites and blacks] than in developing new treatments,” Steven H. Woolf, lead author and director of research at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Family Medicine, said in a telephone interview.
… Reduced access to health care doesn’t account for all the racial disparity in preventable deaths. Blacks have greater incidence of some diseases; some of this greater morbidity results from education, income level and environment as well as access to health care. The challenge, the authors said, is to deliver the same quality health care to everyone, despite these factors.
Apparently, Apple’s innovative approach to design and user experience does not extend to the environment; Apple’s products have higher levels of toxic components than Dell’s or HP’s, and they are creating toxic-waste problems when they get thrown out. (Issue #2: Apple doesn’t have a recycling program for old components.)
Visit BadApple.biz to tell Steve Jobs you know he can do better.
As we attempt to claw our way out from under the post-holidays email dump, here are a couple of links to entertain you: