Serendipity

I am a somewhat frequent flyer. Once or twice a month I get out of bed in the middle of the night, schlep to the airport bleary eyed, slog through the security line, deposit my goods in bins, take off my shoes and assume the position in the body scan xray machine.  The amount of radiation that I am exposed to is considered minimal - I only fly a couple of times per month. The scanner shows an awful lot. Privacy concerns have been a hot topic for years, but it didn't come up in class.  I was surprised to see these scanners on the low end of the Radiation Dosage Chart from informationisbeautiful.net - equal to eating a banana. I was also surprised to learn that there is not real standard for communicating the amount and type of radiation that we are exposed to.  How many banana's isn't as crazy as it sounds. The article "RADs on a plane - The Round Trip" noted that radiation exposure is higher in first class, and as the plane reacher higher altitudes.  It wou...

A kiss on the cheek is a placebo too. Jesca Hoop - Hospital (to win your love) In our class discussion last week I heard a lot of resistance to the research presented. It's a theme that bubbles up frequently in acupuncture school.   I get it.  In research methodology class we learn to be skeptical about the motivations of researchers and publishers and the nuances in study design, the measurement of results and analytical approach. In the media we read sensational or reductionist headlines proclaiming some half baked study now has the answer, and its often intended to discredit acupuncture or herbal medicine - which we hold dear!  I feel compelled to protect traditional medicine, to practice time tested techniques and subtle manipulations that are the result of careful observation and repetition...   We who are called to study traditional medicine value it for those qualities specifically, as do many of our patients.  But many of them jus...

I love my fabric softener.  Snuggle reminds me of childhood, and feels like some outdoor scene I know only from a commercial on tv. I like folding towels. I use Snuggle Liquid and especially like the lavender scent.  I know... more chemicals.  Snuggle gets a D from the Environmental Working Group.  The entire class of Cationic Fabric Softeners does.  Cationic fabric softeners are listed as "of moderate concern", and they appear on the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) list as Asthmagens.  It also contains some detergents that are listed on the EU Ecolabel detergents database, which are of "some" concern, and a couple of cationic fabric softeners which are of low concern... at least some of the ingredients are biodegradable?  This product also gets a D due to the lack of information provided on its label.  That is for the liquid fabric softener.  I found the Sun products corporation Safety Data Sheet for the Snug...

Week 1: Is this loafing? Habit: an hour off after work/school - first thing when I get home each evening.  I take and hour give or take... it's busy time though. Put away the stuff, find a remote control, pet the cat, make a cup of tea... they're things I don't think about much Monday (June 25): Play with the cat. I think i'm more interested in the rainbow ribbon than he is. Homework and tv... is this loafing?  Upon asking the question i put my feet flat on the carpet, take a deep breath and straighten up seated... in a minute I'm bored. Tuesday (June 26): Orthopedics midterm. Finished early and went to Agave for happy dinner. Ceviche was great. I often dine alone, people watch, read the phone... lost in thought.  Is this loafing?   Tuesday evening outside with the cat, massage session with the neighbor and some new vampire of an acquaintance drained all my energy and time over-talking on the phone. Is listening loafing?  That was such a drain.  ...