Gimpy Mumpy

Medical Podcasting

As more and more patients and doctors become accustomed to the convenience of having information portable on their iPod or MP3 player, medical podcasting becomes more widely available. 
With all of these new medical podcasts available where to start?  The Krafty Librarian offers some basic podcasting information with links to some noteworthy sites such as MedicineNet.  KidneyNotes has a more comprehensive list.  I have also found that typing "medical" into the Podcast.net podcast directory is another a great way to find medical podcasting sites, while Apple has it's own iTunes podcasting directory.

Fast-Medicine: Check-ups in your Mall Food Court

Fast-Food-Medicine.  With the high price and inconvenience of seeing your regular doctor for routine ailments, such as athlete's foot and strep throat, a new medical trend has begun to fill this niche.  MinuteClinics have been paving the way, with test clinics in mall food courts in Indiana, but they are not the only ones jumping on the convenience store, fast-food style healthcare band-wagon.  Similar clinics are popping up inside Walmart, Target and CVS stores around the county. 
Is this trend a positive or a negative development for patients? It may be too early to determine but I do have some reservations about this.  There are of course the benefits a fast, efficient healthcare system where patients do not have to wait (do not even have to have an appointment!) to be seen, however this begs the question; Why isn't this being addressed with our regular physicians?  Why can't our entire healthcare system be fast, efficient, and available when the patient needs them?
But of course the question Mumpy would not be able to resist asking the MinuteClinic staff, "Can I have a side of fries with that?"

Le P@d Osmooze

"What's that smell?"  "Oh that?  I just received an email that's all."
Le P@d Osmooze by french tech/gadget company Violet is a device that puffs out fragrances to alert you that you have received email.  Although this is being marketed as a novelty tech-gadget, I can see the convenience of a scent signaling incoming email for the hearing impaired.  Rather than having to hear a ding you could get a puff of scent.
If email comes from your boy/girl friend, then a nice fragrance is emitted. 
But what about when you get Spam?   
If it smells like canned meat, then I'm outta here!

The Self Advocacy Group Pub

UK disability blogger Katie, of Personal Eye View, has started a second blog The Self Advocacy Group Pub.

As Katie says in the welcome post, "This is your self advocacy pub to talk about anything disability related that you feel that you want to bring up.  So come have a drink, sit comfortably and chat."

Officials Declare Football Player Unsafe to be on the Field Due To Lack of Mandatory Shoes, Knee Pads & Thigh Pads

.....but this football player doesn't have feet to put shoes on, knees to attach knee pads to, or thighs to protect with thigh pads.  High School Senior Bobby Martin wanted to play in last Friday night's game.  His coaches and the coaches of the opposing team did not object.  The officiating crew however declared him unsafe to participate in the game, siting a mandatory equipment rule for shoes, knee pads and thigh pads.   How was he expected to wear such protective equipment, and why, when he has no legs? Bobby had already played in three games this season so the decision seems even more peculiar.  So what was different with this game?  That is precisely what Bobby would like to know.  As he told the Dayton Daily News, "Everybody was looking at me, talking about what I didn't have.  I felt like a clown.  I hated it.  I just wanted to know why it was different this game than all the rest."

University Denies Student Right to Service Animal, Claims Psychiatric Problems Do Not Qualify as a Disability

Sarah Sevick, a student at Our Lady of the Lake University, has been denied the right to having her service animal on campus. 

Now the service animal in question is a ferret, but don't let that fool you.  Sarah has a disability and her ferret Lilly is registered with and has identification from a service animal organization.  Lilly is trained to help distract and sooth Sarah, preventing anxiety and panic attacks.

What I find particularly disturbing about this case is that the school denies that Sarah even has a disability.  Although Sarah has full documentation of a psychiatric problems including PTSD, university administrators stated in a letter that they were "unable to conclude her impairment qualifies as a disability."  As Sarah states in the video news coverage, "I do have a disability, you know.  Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not real."

Handbook for Bloggers & Cyber-Dissidents

Today Reporters Without Borders published their Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents.  The handbook includes tips and technical advice on how to remain anonymous, avoid censorship and includes personal accounts from bloggers worldwide.  The handbook goes on sale today (and the money goes to support a good cause) but can also be downloaded for free in English, French, Chinese, Arabic and Persian as a pdf here.

Comic Relief

After the seriousness of my last post I thought a bit of comic relief was called for.  This comic from the Penny Arcade archives is my favorite:

Animals In Need

Animal rescue workers continue to save animals stranded by hurricane Katrina but they are in a race against time.  Not only are these animals starving, injured and dehydrated but now rescue workers are faced with the arrival of hurricane Rita.  This breaks my heart.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) have rescued nearly 6,000 animals so far but are in need of help.  Please take the time to visit their site and use their forms to send off emails to President Bush and other officials to encourage government to assist in their efforts.  I was particularly motivated to do this, and to spread a bit of the message on my blog, when I watched this slideshow of HSUS rescue pictures.  The image that will be forever burned upon my psyche is image #5 of the dog whose only option was to crawl out into an iron cage that held an airconditioner unit.  I admit it made me cry but it also made me send those emails.  Take a moment to send a few if you can.

Crip Crossing Curb Alert

If traveling to Oqunquit, Maine this Fall to view the autumn foliage or next summer to visit the white sand beaches be sure not to be a crip, or at least do not attempt to cross the road.

Mr. M and I captured these pics earlier this week.  The town moved this pedestrian crossing last year and still have not put in any form of curb cut to allow the mobility impaired a means to get onto the sidewalk.  This leaves us crips stranded high and dry in one of the most dangerous intersections in southern Maine.    What the hell were they thinking?!  I have sent off a gimp protest  email to the Town Manager (putting me on his s*list I am sure) and will keep you all updated as to any progress.