The Onion - End-Life Crisis

I thought this was funny...one of those you have to laugh or else you'll cry things, a satirical account of a problem we don't like to talk about - how we deal with end of life issues.

End-Life Crisis Marked By Extravagant Spending Spree
November 20, 2006

TOLEDO, OH—Ever since his retirement nearly a decade ago, area resident Oscar Subitzky just hasn't been the same. What began as a single, uncharacteristic extravagance—the payment of $15,000 for a coronary angioplasty to expand his narrowing arterial wall—has given way to a growing number of personal luxuries, from the latest brand-name heart medications to the most advanced palliative care. The unusual developments have led concerned family members to suspect that the once prudent and conservative 74-year-old widower is undergoing an acute end-life crisis.

"Sure, the operation seemed a little indulgent at first, but we could tell it was really important to Dad, so we didn't try to stop him from having it," said daughter Martha Welsch, 46, who can still remember when her father didn't need "pricey doodads" like defibrillators and cardiopulmonary-resuscitation devices to be content. "We all thought this was going to be a one-time thing, that it was just something Dad had to get out of his system, and then things would go back to normal," she said.

"Unfortunately, one surgery quickly became two surgeries, which soon turned into three surgeries," Welsch added. "That's when we realized the whole thing was a lot more serious than Dad just wanting to get a clogged artery cleared."

Subitzky's end-life crisis began when he suddenly left a secure job as an accountant at the age of 65. Welsch admitted she didn't quite understand what had come over Subitzky until he announced six months after his retirement that he had started seeing a cardiologist nearly half his age.

"You hear those stories about men in their late 60s all of a sudden coming home with an expensive new pacemaker or deciding to get work done on their kidneys out of the blue, but Dad just never seemed like the type," Welsch said. "If he honestly thinks that spending thousands of dollars on blood transfusions is going to change the way he feels inside, I'm afraid he's got another thing coming."

Lately, Welsch said, between "all those fancy new breathing tubes he now wears," and the company of a new live-in nurse only a few years older than some of his grandchildren, she sometimes doesn't recognize her father.

"What's he going to do next, gallivant off to some $10,000-a-day, all-inclusive hospice?" she wondered.

In addition to throwing money around "like there's no tomorrow," as Welsch puts it, Subitzky has also reportedly grown obsessed with his appearance, examining his body for lumps, bruises, or signs of congested veins dozens of times a day. According to son Patrick Subitzky, 39, who admits to being a little embarrassed by his father's newfound vanity, the older man's obsession with his looks has also resulted in a "ridiculous new diet" of only dark-green leafy vegetables, fruits high in citric acid, whole-grain cereals, and absolutely no meat or dairy products.
"I love him and everything, but I don't know who my father thinks he is anymore," said Subitzky, who cringes every time his elderly father speeds around town in that "loud and flashy" ambulance. "He's even talking about a trip to Denver to see some heart specialist there. Whatever happened to the Oscar Subitzky who hated to travel?"

According to psychologist Elizabeth Schulz, who specializes in mortality-identity issues, an end-life crisis is an emotional state of fear and anxiety that often affects men and women between the ages of 65 and 100, and is usually sparked by the uncomfortable realization that one's time on earth is limited.

"Individuals in the middle of an end-life crisis are usually easy to spot, as they tend to foolishly acquire big-ticket items such as liver transplants to compensate for feelings of growing inadequacy," said Schulz, who in the past several years has observed increasing numbers of clients suffering from the common disorder wheeling themselves into her office. "While these shortsighted material purchases will often work at first, leaving the individual feeling rejuvenated and even energized, in the long term they have very little effect."

The Onion: Wonder Drug

Satire from theONION.com:

Wonder Drug Inspires Deep, Unwavering Love Of Pharmaceutical Companies

March 6, 2006 Issue 42•10

NEW YORK—The Food and Drug Administration today approved the sale of the drug PharmAmorin, a prescription tablet developed by Pfizer to treat chronic distrust of large prescription-drug manufacturers.

Pfizer executives characterized the FDA's approval as a "godsend" for sufferers of independent-thinking-related mental-health disorders.

Click here for the full article.

Former Presidents Bush and Clinton to Speak at Tulane University Commencement

From Tulane's website (click on title above for link) by Mike Strecker:

George H. W. Bush, 41st President of the United States, and William J. Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, will be the keynote speakers at Tulane University's 2006 Commencement, May 13 at 9:30 a.m. in the New Orleans Arena.

The two former presidents, who first joined force to raise funds for the victims of the 2004 south Asian tsunami, formed the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund in September. To date, the fund has raised more than $100 million, some $30 million of which has been dedicated to 33 higher educational institutions in the Gulf region, including Tulane.

"I've always felt, in light of what we've experienced over the last few months, that this year's commencement would be a special one. Just how special was made plain this week," Tulane President Scott Cowen said. "We are so honored to have these two world leaders, who have harnessed their formidable skills and galvanized the generosity of the American people, address the historic Tulane class of 2006."

Commencement 2006 is Tulane's first university-wide graduation since Katrina. For a full schedule of Commencement 2006 events visit http://www.grads.tulane.edu/

Jazz Fest

I am so excited for Jazz Fest this year, which takes place the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May. There will be some great musicians including Dave Matthews, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Lionel Richie, and Bruce Springsteen.

You can visit http://www.nojazzfest.com/ for the complete schedule and ticket information. I hope many people go and many tourists from all over spend lots of money in New Orleans; the city could sure use it. Hopefully there will be even more traffic lights working and less trash in the streets by the end of April.

Mardi Gras

This float (from one of Sunday's parades) poked fun at Mayor Nagin's "Chocolate city comment."






Mardi Gras weekend had much larger crowds at the parades than last weekend. This is of course encouraging because hopefully restaurants, hotels, and other businesses made lots of money that will help in rebuilding the city. I had a great time watching the parades on St. Charles Ave. on Sunday, and down close to the French Quarter on Fat Tuesday. We later went t o Jackson Square (in the Quarter) for a late lunch of Po' Boys and people watching. Great costumes, funny signs, and a quite a few strange characters made for an enjoyable afternoon.

Bourbon street seemed as packed as ever while we headed home. Beyond the crowds, two things struck me. First, I saw people with small children walking along in the crowds. It's scary to think parents would bring their kids to such an environment, even if it was only late afternoon. There were (as expected) drunks fighting and women flashing, but on top of that, the crowds were so dense that a little child could easily get separated or even kidnapped. There is lots of pushing and grabbing while stumbling through the trashed-out streets. It's amazing how dumb some parents are.

Secondly, there are always some fundamentalist Christians with "Repent now, Jesus is coming" signs trying to save the wicked sinners on Bourbon street, and their out in full force now. Their presence didn't bother me, but in trying to understand their purpose, I asked myself a few questions. Isn't carnival celebration something supported by Christians (even endorsed by the Pope centuries ago) as a time to have one last fling before the more strict period of lent begins? Isn't it a little judgmental and presumptuous of these evangelical demonstrators to claim that anyone on Bourbon street is a wicked sinner automatically going to hell? That's the feeling that comes across in their message. Lastly, have these people no marketing skills? It seems to me like their energy is wasted on an audience that is not in the proper mood or location to be receptive to their message. It just makes me wonder, that's all.

This float depicts some of the many fridges that lined the streets.










After Katrina, many fridges were left on the streets for weeks/months before being removed. Often times, people decided to use them for advertising ("For tree removal call 555-5555") or to make light of our current situation, similar to what this float depicts. Katrina humor has been a good tool to help face setbacks during our slow recovery. Many have the "you have to laugh or else you'll cry" attitude.

Carnival Parades

Saturday was cold and misty, but nonetheless, I trecked on downtown to see the parades and begin my carnival season. The crowds were much smaller than last year, way smaller. I worry for the local businesses and hope that the weather was to blame, knowing that probably next weekend and Mardi gras will bring larder crowds and more tourists.

The parades were shorter as well. Generally each Krewe will have around 30 floats, and their parade will take over an hour. Today it seemed like the total of all 5 parades was little more than 35 or 40 floats and the afternoon of parades ended only around 2 hours after they began. It was just as well because as I was walking to my car, it started to rain a bit, and I was ready to get out of the cold.

I don't mean to come off as pessimistic. I had a great time; I caught plenty of beads, and I enjoyed the floats, marching bands, costumes, and seeing the children enjoy the festivities, still with a sense of wonder in their eyes.

I guess I need to accept that this year, Mardi Gras will be different. It may be scaled down and have a more somber tone, but I think the celebrations are just what this city needs right now. After almost six months of devastation and setbacks, it's nice to have something different to talk about beyond, "did your house get flooded?" and "do you know when that place will reopen?"

New York Times: Churches and Evolution

This article mirrors my belief that science and religion are compatible and not in conflict. They seek to answer different questions, and both are required to fully appreciate all aspects of life and existence.

--------------------------------

February 13, 2006


At Churches Nationwide, Good Words for Evolution
By NEELA BANERJEE and ANNE BERRYMAN

On the 197th birthday of Charles Darwin, ministers at several hundred churches around the country preached yesterday against recent efforts to undermine the theory of evolution, asserting that the opposition many Christians say exists between science and faith is false.

At St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, a small contemporary structure among the pricey homes of north Atlanta, the Rev. Patricia Templeton told the 85 worshipers gathered yesterday, "A faith that requires you to close your mind in order to believe is not much of a faith at all."

In the basement of an apartment building in Evanston, Ill., the Rev. Mitchell Brown said to the 21 people who came to services at the Evanston Mennonite Church that Darwin's theories in fact had compelled people to have faith rather than look for "special effects" to confirm the existence of God.

"He forced religion to grow up, to become, really, faith for the first time," Mr. Brown said. "The life of community, that is where we know God today."

The event, called Evolution Sunday, is an outgrowth of the Clergy Letter Project, started by academics and ministers in Wisconsin in early 2005 as a response to efforts, most notably in Dover, Pa., to discredit the teaching of evolutionary theory in public schools.

"There was a growing need to demonstrate that the loud, shrill voices of fundamentalists claiming that Christians had to choose between modern science and religion were presenting a false dichotomy," said Michael Zimmerman, dean of the College of Letters and Sciences at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and the major organizer of the letter project.

Mr. Zimmerman said more than 10,000 ministers had signed the letter, which states, in part, that the theory of evolution is "a foundational scientific truth." To reject it, the letter continues, "is to deliberately embrace scientific ignorance and transmit such ignorance to our children."

"We believe that among God's good gifts are human minds capable of critical thought and that the failure to fully employ this gift is a rejection of the will of our Creator," the letter says.

Most of the signatories to the project and those preaching on Sunday were from the mainline Protestant denominations. Their congregations have shrunk sharply over the last 30 years. At the same time, the number of evangelical and fundamentalist Christians has risen considerably, and many of them, because of their literalist view of the Bible, doubt evolutionary theory.

The Clergy Letter Project said that 441 congregations in 48 states and the District of Columbia were taking part in Evolution Sunday, but that was impossible to verify independently. Around Chicago, two churches that were listed on the project's Web site as participants in the event said they were in fact not planning to deliver sermons on the subject.

Still, those who did attend sermons welcomed what they heard. After the service at St. Dunstan's, Brett Lowe, a 41-year-old computer engineer, sat in a pew as his son Ian, 2, and daughter, Paige, 6, played at his side. "Sermons like this are exactly the reason we came to this church," Mr. Lowe said.

"Observation, hypothesis and testing — that's what science is," he said. "It's not religion. Evolution is a fact. It's not a theory. An example is antibiotics. If we don't use antibiotics appropriately, bacteria become resistant. That's evolution, and evolution is a fact. To not acknowledge that is to not acknowledge the world around you."

Jeanne Taylor, 65, a recently retired registered nurse attending services at St. Dunstan's, said the Bible was based on oral tradition and today "science is a part of our lives."

At the Evanston Mennonite Church, Susan Fisher Miller, 48, an editor and English professor, said, "I completely accept and affirm the view of God as creator, but I accommodate evolution within that."

To Ms. Fisher Miller, alternatives to evolutionary theory proposed by its critics, such as intelligent design, seem an artificial way to use science to explain the holy. "It's arrogant to say that either religion or science can answer all our questions," she said. "I don't see the need either to banish one or the other or to artificially unite them."

Gretchen Ruethling contributed reporting for this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/13/national/13evolution.html?th&emc=th

USA Today: Return of students brings dose of life to New Orleans

I went to the Welcome back/Dr. King Day concert last night at Tulane's uptown campus. It was amazing and inspiring, the best MLK Day event I've ever attended. First were speeches from Tulane President Cowen, Louisiana governor Blanco, and Lt. Gov. Landrieu. They were the expected, "glad you're back, let's work together to rebuild a greater New Orleans" type speeches. But then Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis gave what was probably the best speech I've ever heard live. He was motivating, funny, eloquent, and he tied together the need to rebuild New Orleans with following Dr. King's legacy and ideals very well. The text of this speech is posted in my previous entry (below this one) on my blog. Following this great speech was a short jazz set featuring Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, his father Ellis Marsalis on piano, drummer Herlin Riley and bassist Reginald Veal. Their talent was undescribable, and the soulful music made me feel good to be back in New Orleans. What a night!

You may be able to hear part of it on NPR since they were there recording. See the USA Today/AP article below.
---------------------------------------


Return of students brings dose of life to New Orleans


Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis performs at Tulane University.
Ben Margot, AP






Posted 1/16/2006 11:28 PM


NEW ORLEANS (AP) — With their energy, optimism and free-spending ways, college students could be just what this struggling city needs right now.

New Orleans is reopening for business as a college town, though on a reduced scale. Classes at Tulane, Xavier and Southern universities start on Tuesday. Loyola and Dillard started last week.

Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis celebrated the students' return in a packed concert Monday hosted by Tulane, asking students to honor the memory of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. by helping rebuild the city.

"What better way to celebrate him than by rising to a challenge," he said on the holiday honoring King, before playing a set with his father, Ellis, a pianist.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco asked the students to commit their summers to helping rebuild the state.

"Your state needs you," she said. "We need your minds, your good ideas, your contagious energy, your spirit, to rebuild."

At colleges around the city, many classes will be held in trailers and hotel conference rooms while campus repairs continue, and overall enrollment is considerably lower than it was before Hurricane Katrina.

Still, more students came back than initially feared — including 88% at Tulane. While no one believes college students can single-handedly revive New Orleans, few can imagine how the city could ever come back without them.

"I feel like just by being here, we're giving a hand to the city," said Alicia Figueroa, a Loyola University junior from Miami, stepping off a Loyola bus tour Saturday of the city neighborhoods hardest hit by the flood. "Even just going to the Winn-Dixie and buying groceries, that puts money into the city."

An estimated 65,000 students attended New Orleans colleges before the storm, and about 40,000 lived in the city, according to the 2000 census. Because the overall population will probably return more slowly than the students, New Orleans will be even more of a college town than before.

Not only is Tulane the city's largest employer, but the return of its students will boost New Orleans' population 20%, President Scott Cowen said.

In the short run, businesses from bars to bookstores should see a much-needed revenue boost. In the long run, the city hopes they will stay after graduation as a skilled workforce.

"It's hard to imagine a major city growing and thriving without having universities," said Tim Ryan, an economist and chancellor of the University of New Orleans. "They will really give a breath of new life to the city."

For now, though, it takes a leap of faith to imagine a thriving college life on several of the campuses.

The neighborhood around Tulane and Loyola is relatively vibrant, but Xavier, the country's only historically black and Roman Catholic college, is in an area of mostly abandoned homes and stores. Dillard, near the London Avenue Canal breach, was so badly damaged that it will not reopen there until at least next fall. Even then, it will almost certainly be an island of life in a sea of empty neighborhoods.

The school presses ahead, insisting that, somehow, a vibrant neighborhood will grow up again around the campus.

"There is a wonderful thing that happens around a campus, and it is almost inexplicable," said Brown University President Ruth Simmons, a Dillard alumna who has been working closely with the school since the storm. "It is very hard to find a campus that is not surrounded by a viable community."

There is some worry that, despite all the talk of a new ethos of public service, students living in the better-off neighborhoods will retreat to their own bubbles.

"They come back and expect it to be, 'Uptown New Orleans, let's have some fun,'" said Kevin Caldwell, busily serving drinks Saturday to dozens of football-watching Tulane students Saturday afternoon at a bar near campus. "That ain't what Uptown New Orleans is about any more. Uptown New Orleans is about rebuilding a city."

Caldwell said he was pleased to learn Loyola was taking students on bus tours of the most heavily damaged parts of the city.

"They're welcome back, but they'll have to be tolerant, because we've been here 4{ months" struggling to rebuild the city, he said. "They have to remember that."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.

Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-01-16-katrina-students_x.htm

Wynton Marsalis - Renewal Series Address - 1/16/06

Transcript from Marsalis speech found online at http://www2.tulane.edu/marsalis011606.cfm
Video also now available on Tulane's website

Wynton Marsalis - Renewal Series Address - 1/16/06
McAlister Auditorium, Tulane University



It’s good to be home. It’s especially good to be home in a time of crisis because tough times force us to return to fundamentals. And there is nothing more fundamental than home. Many of you are visitors to New Orleans, but it won’t take four years for the Crescent City to be forever in your blood. So I feel in a way, that we are all home tonight.

I also feel a special honor in speaking on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday because it was Dr. King’s tireless activism that encouraged our modern way of relating to one another. Yes, we are here tonight empowered with the feeling that we can speak truthfully to one another. We can work together. We can rely on one another because Dr. King’s actions made his dream our reality, and this rebuilding of New Orleans gives us the perfect opportunity to see what we’re prepared to do with the legacy of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement.

Look around this room and realize that the shout chorus of the Civil Rights Movement still waits for a generation with the courage to write it. That’s why I say we are all home tonight. We are all home because Dr. King led the charge to victory over regressive, ignorant traditions that had long gone unchallenged…because he was unwavering in presenting compelling arguments to make real the promises of the Constitution…because he never succumbed to hopelessness and showed us what one citizen can achieve when armed with an evangelical zeal for freedom and a first-class education, it is most fitting to re-open our city’s finest institutions of higher education on the day we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Though he is almost always reduced to a dreamer today, Dr. King was a most powerful exemplar of action. His last book is entitled Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? It is a question that is most appropriate for us in this moment.

Dr. King worked in the shadow of slavery and discrimination. We are in the shadow of the worst natural disaster to ever befall America.

What better way to celebrate him than by rising to a challenge?

His challenge was to reverse 80 years of legalized apartheid – a veritable way of life in our land of freedom. Our challenge is merely to rebuild a great city in times of unbelievable political callousness and corruption. Yes, this is Louisiana, and we are home tonight.

Through a tireless single-minded campaign to expose injustice, fraud, and debilitating political apathy, Dr. King never lost faith in the ability of humans to behave better. He didn’t settle. He succeeded. Certainly his single-mindedness is what is required of us, at this time, to rebuild New Orleans. Don’t settle. Succeed.

Lofty words and catchy slogans aside, when we look around here, we see destruction, anguish, and uncertainty. Let’s look deeper into ourselves and find possibility. That’s why it’s important to mark the reopening of New Orleans with the triumphant return of Tulane, Xavier, Loyola and Dillard Universities. Through first-class education, a generation marches down the long uncertain road of the future with confidence. After all is said and done, education’s purpose is to lead students to who they are, what they can be, and who they want to be. The best way to be, is to do. And when we pass on the best of what we do … that is quality education.

If we’re lucky, we only have a good 80 years or so on this earth, and through education, those 80 are extended through the generations that follow. Look around: Paul Tulane put his life into this campus over 120 years ago. It’s still here – inviting us tonight. I spent many a night as a high school student in the Tulane Library.

It’s here for us now, and will be here for young people looking for knowledge to define themselves and their time long after we’re gone.

That’s why it’s important to address young people in the reopening of New Orleans – you have always been at the forefront of social change. In rebuilding, let’s revisit the potential of American democracy and American glory when its citizens are mobilized to enlightened action. The soldiers in Martin Luther King’s army were people demanding change - lawyers, clerks, politicians, housewives, businessmen, maids, clergymen. The ones on the frontlines were America’s youth.

Young people, much like you, who felt empowered to better our nation...who understood that change required sacrifice…who were emboldened with a spirit of rightness and were determined to create change for the betterment of our country.

That is why, as I stand before you tonight, I say the best way to be, is to do. Don’t settle for style. Succeed in substance. President Cowen said “don’t come back if helping restore New Orleans is not in your DNA,” and 91 percent of you have returned. Most of you have returned at a time when many would have stayed away. And now that you are here, you have the opportunity to set a new tone, not only for New Orleans, but for our country. Remember, many a revolution started with the actions of a few. For example, only 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence of which Ben Franklin said, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” A few hanging together can lead a nation to change.

You know, we love to patronize young people with slogans like “the young will lead the way” – when actually, the young very seldom lead anything in our country today. It’s been quite some time since a younger generation pushed an older one to a higher standard.

My daddy thought – no, he expected – that my brothers and I and our generation would make the world a better place. He was correct in his belief because he had lived in an America of continual social progress. Depression followed by prosperity, segregation by integration, and so on.

And though I haven’t quite pinpointed it, somewhere between my daddy’s youth and mine, generational aspirations for a richer democracy changed to aspirations for a richer me - more wealth and more leisure time for a lower quality of work. Oh, and forget about our political process. Voting became too much of a bore - let alone keeping an eye on how our tax dollars were being squandered or how our interests were being poorly served by our elected officials.

When did we begin to lose faith in our ability to effect change? Perhaps the demoralizing murders of JFK, RFK, and MLK scared the civic-minded young people of the 1960s out of their idealism and into indifference. Perhaps it was the 1980s when the “opportunity” inherent in the American Dream was distorted from the land of “we” to the land of “to hell with anybody else but me.” Maybe the preoccupation with technological progress has overshadowed our concern with human progress. In any case, the result of this social inactivity is that generations are now named simply for the last letters of the alphabet. And these alphabet-named people are distinguished by the ability to manipulate new technology, buy new things and be obsessed with the trivial lives of celebrities.

But I know you’re more than that.

We have the tendency to make generations unanimous. But in fact, there really have only ever been a few people in each generation who step out, are willing to put themselves on the line, and risk everything for their beliefs. Only a few act…the rest of us reap the benefits of their risk.

Yes, I always laugh when people my age complain about their college-age and teenage kids by talking about how much better we were. I laugh because I have absolutely no idea what my generation did to enrich our democracy. What movement have we been identified with that forced our elders to keep their promises…that challenged their failures or built upon their successes? For me, we dropped the ball after the Civil Rights Movement. We entered a period of complacency and closed our eyes to the very public corruption of our democracy.

As we have seen our money squandered and stolen, our civic rights trampled, and the politics of polarity become the order of the day, we have held no one accountable. From us you inherit an abiding helplessness.

If you realize the unfortunate consequences of inaction, hopefully you will understand even more the importance of holding both your elders and your peers accountable when it comes to the rebuilding of New Orleans. Stay up on the facts.

What, other than injustice, could be the reason that the displaced citizens of New Orleans cannot be accommodated by the richest nation in the world? You, along with the entire world, saw the bureaucratic fumbling and lack of concern inflicted on those very same citizens at the Superdome and the Convention Center. Who is being held accountable now?

Take your example, not from my generation, but from generations – from those few inspired young people – who stood on the front lines and fought injustice throughout the course of our nation’s history.

For example, in the first 20 years of the 1900’s, youth supported the Progressive Movement to keep farmers from being shafted by big business, as well as the movements for women’s suffrage, worker’s rights, a League of Nations and keeping alcohol legal. The next 20 years would see young people pushing for the establishment of Social Security, the repeal of Prohibition, and the establishment of unemployment insurance. Young people vowed to fight Fascism with the Lincoln Brigades and also vowed not to fight old folks’ wars by taking the Oxford Oath. The 1940’s began with young people fighting the “Good War.”

The 50s saw young folks involved in tearing down the laws that supported segregation, challenging parental tastes and authority with rock-and-roll, and questioning conformity with the Beatniks. The 60s and 70s saw youth challenging Vietnam, the role of women, rituals of courtship, race relations, and the political process itself. Today, we still reap the benefits of these generations’ successes and suffer losses from their failures.

The rebuilding of New Orleans is an important point in the history of the United States. Should my generation expect yours to be the watchdogs of this effort? Should we expect you to monitor how our leaders handle this responsibility to restore our city?
Well, my generation might not – because we have not been very good watchdogs ourselves. But I do. I expect you to be different than the example we’ve set for you.

Don’t wish for someone else to do later what you can do now. When you perceive a problem, instead of speaking about it in bars or dorm rooms or in hushed corners, put together a group of friends and be loud in your dissent. When you notice inconsistencies between what is said by government officials and what is done, exercise your individual and collective power to take steps to remove them. Our form of democracy allows you to do that. Remember, the best way to be, is to do.

What are you going to do?

Well, when it comes to the rebuilding of New Orleans, start with the President. He stood in Jackson Square and told the nation that he would rebuild New Orleans and fix the levees.
When public outrage was at its highest and his popularity was nearing its lowest, let’s remember that he put Karl Rove in charge of the reconstruction effort. That was in September. Has anyone seen or heard from Karl Rove? Hmmm…

In the opening days of this New Year, the President reiterated that the levees will be fixed. Yes, money has been appropriated. But is it enough? The task has been assigned. People have been put in charge. But are they going to take care of it? Are they waiting for people – like you – to stop paying attention?

Now is the time for your generation to reclaim the energy, optimism, and fire that is the real American spirit. I am confident that you students can, and will, make an incalculable contribution to the intelligent and compassionate rebuilding of our city and protection of our dispersed populace. In doing so, you will be using your collective power to redefine the soul of our nation.

You know, democracy is a can-do form. We always hear about the rights of democracy, but the major responsibility of it is participation.

Throughout American history, we have seen causes for the betterment of democracy invigorated by young people unafraid to fight for the general welfare of all, even if it meant alienation from their own families.

Don’t be disheartened by the destruction of the hurricane or by political ineptitude or even by the apathy of others. Remember, we are all home. That is why I urge you not to let this moment pass without sending a clear message to your peers and elders around the world, “New Orleans will be rebuilt, and it will be rebuilt with an intensity, with an intelligence, with an impatience and with a freshness that only serious young people can bring.” One of the great lessons of the Civil Rights Movement – when the minds and hearts of enough citizens are focused on change – America changes very quickly.

I know that the challenge of rebuilding may seem insurmountable. But we have a roadmap to success - the path of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Because he didn’t settle for “that’s just the way things are,” we don’t have to. Because he led an intelligent assault on all sorts of sanctioned corruption, we too can use our intelligence to project integrity. Because he understood that all human beings are of one race long before the discovery of the DNA strain, we can now live that reality. Because Dr. King was always about the business of making real the human grandeur outlined in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, we can still believe that our government can be of the people, by the people, and for the people. Let’s concentrate our energies to that end.

You will hear that the most immediate concerns for New Orleans are the wetlands, the levees and the homes. But I’m here to tell you that the most immediate concern for New Orleans is the well-being of our displaced neighbors spread out in a Diaspora all over the United States.

Look around the room…and I want you all to understand that there are forces all around you who wish to exploit division, rob you of your freedom, and tell you what to think. They are afraid of change…some of these forces are even within you. But I’m here to tell you, when young folks are motivated to action, when they act with insight, soul and fire, they can rekindle the weary spirit of a slumbering nation. It’s time somebody woke us up.

PHOTOS! Now on janetitterington.com

It has been exactly one month since I returned to Kansas City. I continue to gain strength from the overwhelming support I have received from family and friends.

I have finally posted my photos from Katrina online.
Click on the word "Photos!" above to see the pictures I took during Hurricane Katrina.

Back in Kansas City!!!

I got back in Kansas City on Sunday. It took 4 days to get here, but I am so happy to be with family and friends and to just relax and enjoy the love that everyone is continuing to show me. I plan on putting the details of my adventures, as well as the pictures, on this blog, so stay tuned. This whole mess has reminded me that I am so blessed to have the best family and friends imaginable. Thanks to all for your well wishes, thoughts, prayers, and help. I am forever in your debt.

Love, Jane

Skies: darkening; Winds: 50mph on the coast, 25mph here; Rain: light

There are more people here in the med school building than I thought. Physicians have brought their families and there are several dogs, cats, and birds. Children are running around and playing in the halls. The atmosphere is light, but everyone knows what is coming and you can sense the worry in their souls.

Settled in

Thanks to everyone for your well wishes. It means so much to know that I have so many people thinking about me during this storm. I am all settled in the lab and the cats, while scared, are getting used to the room they are staying in. The sky is already getting darker and it has started to sprinkle.

More later.

Katrina

Just a quick update to let you know my hurricane plans. I have decided to evacuate upwards (instead of leaving town) and head to Tulane Med. School. I will camp out in the lab on the 7th floor and have a hurricane party with other cardiology personel who are required to stay. Tulane is a stone and concrete fortress with backup generators and its own water purification system, and the lab has no windows. It's really the safest place in town to stay. I will take the cats and a few books I've been meaning to read and bunker down for the storm. I will post updates on this blog to let everyone know I'm safe.

Crawfish Boil

This weekend I ate crawfish with some of my New Orleans friends. It was the first time I actually took the little guys apart to get the tail meat. They tasted great, but it is a lot of work for a little bite of seafood. I'm done with finals, and I am getting ready to fly to KC this weekend for Martha and David's graduation festivities! Not much else is new in NOLA, just trying to get some good research done.

UPDATE: Bills Target Pharmacists Who Say 'No'

Bills Target Pharmacists Who Say 'No': "California lawmakers today will consider whether to create the nation's first law requiring pharmacists to fill emergency contraception prescriptions and other medications even if they find them immoral."

Sounds like a good thing since they have included a provision allowing a pharmacist with moral objections to pass off to another pharmacy if there is no excessive inconvenience to the patient.

How We Die: Choice and Chance (washingtonpost.com)

How We Die: Choice and Chance (washingtonpost.com): "Along with all of its unexpected political implications, the Schiavo case has had the effect of exposing the enormous gap between what Americans imagine death should be like and what death actually is like for most people in the 21st century."

The above column reminds me of what I learned in my History of Death and Dying class at KSU. Americans don't see or talk about death today like they did in 1900. Perhaps this is why we fear death more. Add to this the medical advancements that can prolong the process of dying, the lawyers with their DNRs, living wills, and power of attorneys, and the new and arguably less influential role of the physician in the information age, and you have what amounts to an incredibly difficult dilemma. End of life issues are not easy. I just hope the political, social, and legal outcomes of the Schiavo case help us as a society to better deal with death/end-of-life issues because we certainly don't do a great job now. My fear is that the religious right's efforts could move us backward instead of forward.

Horse and Chicken Joke

On the farm lived a chicken and a horse, both of whom loved to play together. One day the two were playing, when the horse fell into a bog and began to sink. Scared for his life, the horse whinnied for the chicken to go get the farmer for help!

Off the chicken ran, back to the farm. Arriving at the farm, he searched and searched for the farmer, but to no avail, for he had gone to town with the only tractor. Running around, the chicken spied the farmer's new Harley. Finding the keys in the ignition, the chicken sped off with a length of rope hoping he still had time to save his friend's life.

Back at the bog, the horse was surprised, but happy, to see the chicken arrive on the shiny Harley, and he managed to get a hold of the loop of rope the chicken tossed to him. After tying the other end to the rear of the farmer's bike, the chicken then drove slowly forward and, with the aid of the powerful bike, rescued the horse!

Happy and proud, the chicken rode the Harley back to the farmhouse, and the farmer was none the wiser when he returned. The friendship between the two animals was cemented: Best Buddies, Best Pals.

A few weeks later, the chicken fell into a mud pit, and soon, he too, began to sink and cried out to the horse to save his life! The horse thought a moment, walked over, and straddled the large puddle. Looking underneath, he told the chicken to grab his hangy-down thing and he would then lift him out of the pit. The chicken got a good grip, and the horse pulled him up and out, saving his life.

The moral of the story is?
"When You're Hung Like A Horse, You Don't Need A Harley To Pick Up Chicks!"

Pharmacists' Rights?

Pharmacists' Rights at Front Of New Debate (washingtonpost.com): "Some pharmacists across the country are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, saying that dispensing the medications violates their personal moral or religious beliefs. "

I think Pharmacists should have the right to refuse to fill a script they don't believe in, just as you cannot force a OB/GYN to do abortions. However, they do NOT have the right to prevent the patient from filling the script elsewhere.

A fundamental American principle is that one should have his or her freedoms or rights so long as they don't infringe on the rights of others. The pharmacist can have his or her beliefs, but should not force them on others.

What do you think?

Feeding tubes

To my family and friends,

FOR THE RECORD:

If 1-I am unable to communicate, drink, eat, or go to the restroom without a tube in the corresponding orifice,
AND 2- I show no signs of improvement in the ability to do the above,

THEN
Please consider my state of being as "dead" despite any other definition of life. Please also do not take any measures to prolong my "life" in such a situation as I would not consider it to be of quality.

Simple enough, right? Well, I guess not according to our congress and President. Regardless of where you stand on the political issue of right to life/right to die, I hope the Schiavo case will get people talking to their families and loved ones about what they would want at the end of life.

You don't need a living will or DNR or power of attorney, although I'm not saying those things are bad. You don't need to be a medical expert and list off all possible scenarios and interventions. Such a list can in fact create problems if an intervention might be needed only temporarily in an emergency.

In my opinion, the most useful conversation everyone should have should be to answer the following: What is quality of life for YOU, and what daily activities or functions are so important that not being able to do them would make you feel functionally dead?

Whether your definition is on one extreme: "If I am no longer able to run a marathon or jump out of a plane, then let me die" or the other: "Any measure of life in me should be considered evidence that I want to keep fighting - do all you can to keep me here" does not matter so much, although I think most people are somewhere in the middle.

What DOES matter is that those who love you (who will be making decisions about your healthcare if you are not able) know what your views are.

Personally, I feel that I could still be "alive" as long as I am interacting with the world. Maybe that means only being able to watch television, listen to music, and say hello to loved ones by waving at them and smiling, provided there isn't plastic attached to either end of my GI or GU tracts.

Spring!

Spring has sprung, my favorite time of year! It's beautiful in New Orleans. It's hard to believe I came one year ago to look at apartments. It's flown by, but I guess lots has happened.

I've neglected my blog lately since I have been busy with exams and experiments. This week is Spring Break, and I am flying to Kansas City this afternoon! I'm excited to see my family and friends.

Research Days

Here I am presenting my poster at Tulane's Research Days. It is titled, "Life or Death: Factors influencing the balance between survival and apoptosis in human aortic smooth muscle cells."

The poster part of the day lasted three hours, and then I gave a ten inute powerpoint presentation. It was fun to present some of my research, but I'm glad it's over. Now I can get back to new experiments instead of talking about old ones.

Meditation

Inspired by David's spiritual adventure in India (and the possibility of a free lunch), I attended a lunch workshop this week on using meditation to reduce stress. It was taught by a Buddhist monk, and it was really quite good. First he talked about the need for meditation, how stress and anger build up, and how we need to find a healthy way to release them. Then we did a mini meditation for beginners. After closing our eyes and completely relaxing, we were told to focus on the sensation of our breath at the tips of the nostrils as we inhaled and exhaled. As we finished our meditation, we were encouraged to maintain our new sense of calm throughout the day. He then finished the meeting with a teaching on compassion. I left feeling very peaceful and relaxed. Now if only I could maintain that feeling during rush hour traffic...I'll work on it.

David

David sent another update from India. Read it here!

Follow Up: Scientists Are Made, Not Born

Those of you interested in my earlier "Women in Science" post may want to read the following Op-Ed from The New York Times: Scientists Are Made, Not Born or this article from the AP filled with data on differences between the sexes.

The authors (of both articles) don't look at women in higher positions in scientific academia, such at the percentage of full professors or department heads that are female. These numbers are growing much more slowly than the percentage earning masters or doctorates.

Also, regarding the second article, I think (a minor component of) the differences may be genetic, but are more likely environmental. Parents and schools need to encourage young girls to get excited about science and math. I know I have a science bias, but I think 1 full year each of chemistry, physics, and biology should be required for all high school students. If I remember my high school days correctly, you could get away with only one semester of intro biology and one semester of intro physical science. How will we fill the need for the high-tech jobs of the 21st century which increasingly require a solid background in match, science, and computers. Bill Gates just addressed the nation's governors (read the story here) and told them we need major reform in high school education to prepare our children for a 21st century job. He makes a good point.

What's Secretly Wrong With Kansas

What's Secretly Wrong With Kansas

Read the above article about the Attorney General in Kansas invading medical privacy in cases of abortion. It's scary. I'm of the opinion that whatever you tell your doctor (or lawyer or minister) should be private, especially in these cases. The exception of course should be if you are about to go kill someone or blow up a building. The "crime" of statutory rape does not meet this threshold of severity in my opinion.

Women are extremely vulnerable if they are approaching a doctor for an abortion. We don't want people to avoid a trained physician and seek less safe alternatives to abortion just because their privacy isn't protected.

What I learned from the Oscars

• I guess I should have gone to Million Dollar Baby instead of The Aviator this weekend.
• Penélope Cruz and Salma Hayek ARE in fact two different people. Confusing.
• Chris Rock can do family-friendly comedy well, but Robin Williams does it better.
• Ouch, sorry Jude Law...I guess you suck at acting.
• Shrek 2 got robbed. Brutal.
• Antonio Banderas can sing...not too well, but he probably would have made it into American Idol.

Red Carpet

A few reflections from the Red Carpet Pre-Show:

Hilary Swank: You look like a nun. Who chose that dress? Oh wait, someone stole the back half of your dress.

Halle Berry: Do something with your hair.

Laura Linney: Wash your hair.

Pre-Oscar Predictions

I saw The Aviator last night and Ray today. They were good movies, but not outstanding. The Aviator had good acting and was visually stunning but was too long. Ray had great music (obviously), and Jamie Fox was great, but the script and cinematography left something to be desired.

I do think these two will do well tonight because I feel the bar is pretty low this year. I'm pretty clueless for the remaining nominees. That being said, here, in bold, are my predictions:

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Don Cheadle - HOTEL RWANDA
Johnny Depp - FINDING NEVERLAND
Leonardo DiCaprio - THE AVIATOR
Clint Eastwood - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Jamie Foxx - RAY

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alan Alda - THE AVIATOR
Thomas Haden Church - SIDEWAYS
Jamie Foxx - COLLATERAL
Morgan Freeman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Clive Owen - CLOSER

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Bening - BEING JULIA
Catalina Sandino Moreno - MARIA FULL OF GRACE
Imelda Staunton - VERA DRAKE
Hilary Swank - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Kate Winslet - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett - THE AVIATOR
Laura Linney - KINSEY
Virginia Madsen - SIDEWAYS
Sophie Okonedo - HOTEL RWANDA
Natalie Portman - CLOSER

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
THE INCREDIBLES
SHARK TALE
SHREK 2

ART DIRECTION
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE AVIATOR
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT

COSTUME DESIGN
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
RAY
TROY

DIRECTING
THE AVIATOR
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
SIDEWAYS
VERA DRAKE

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BORN INTO BROTHELS
THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL
SUPER SIZE ME
TUPAC: RESURRECTION
TWIST OF FAITH

FILM EDITING
THE AVIATOR
COLLATERAL
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY

MAKEUP
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE SEA INSIDE

MUSIC (SCORE)
FINDING NEVERLAND
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE VILLAGE

MUSIC (SONG)
"Accidentally In Love" - SHREK 2
"Al Otro Lado Del Río" - THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
"Believe" - THE POLAR EXPRESS
"Learn To Be Lonely" - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
"Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" - THE CHORUS

BEST PICTURE
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
SIDEWAYS

VISUAL EFFECTS
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
I, ROBOT
SPIDER-MAN 2

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
BEFORE SUNSET
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
SIDEWAYS

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
THE AVIATOR
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
HOTEL RWANDA
THE INCREDIBLES
VERA DRAKE

Blockbuster

So I went to Blockbuster to rent Ray in order to see it before the Oscars tonight, and there was this ten year old boy asking the check out lady where he could find Grand Theft Auto, a video game famous for its violence and sexually explicit content. I was glad to hear her tell the kid he couldn't rent that game without his mom being there. He ended up choosing another game. Way to go blockbuster lady.