All posts by Genevive Bjorn

Family, Politics, Random

Elderly couple consider divorce to keep health benefits

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A dear friend’s parents have been married for nearly 50 years, but now are considering divorce in order to keep healthcare benefits. Is this status quo really worthy of protecting, as some opponents of healthcare reform advocate?

About 2 months ago Mrs. Jones (name changed at her request) had a sudden, massive stroke. Her brain swelled 15cm, while her doctors prepared her family for the worst. But Mrs. Jones survived the first three critical days. When she regained consciousness, she lost all feeling in and control of her left side. She can’t walk, sit or swallow. It could be 6 months of intensive phsycal therapy before she can take a drink of water.

Mr. Jones retired from a job in aerospace years ago with a full pension and benefits. His insurance will cover 120 days of rehab for his wife. Then Medicare will kick in, since Mrs. Jones is in her 70’s, and cover an additional 65 day of rehab. Each day costs about $2,000 for care and therapy.

But when Mrs. Jones’ doctors and therapists met last week to establish treatment goals, the most they hope to achieve is swallowing within 6 months. By the time her insurance runs out, Mrs. Jones will be lucky to be able to sit up by herself. The rest of the care will have to be paid out-of-pocket, which would bankrupt Mr. Jones in the midst of his retirement.

The couples’ attorney recently suggested the couple divorce to protect assests and allow her to qualify for Medicaid.

Is this really the heathcare system we want?

Health

Hand sanitizer now more common than the cold

Since the recent pandemic of swine flu, I’ve started to notice that hand sanitizer dispensers popping up everywhere: malls (like he one shown here recently installed at Queen K mall in Kahului), airports, train stations, restrooms, schools and even gas stations around the world.

Once found only in hospitals, hand sanitizer dispensed from plastic orbs of various colors now almost as common as the cold. The idea for people to clean their hands more often than washing alone in order to break the transmission of contagious diseases, such as cold and flu. The alcohol-based gel kills most bacteria and viruses on contact, thereby preventing the spread of illness.

But viruses and bacteria are smart and highly successful. In response to doctors giving out antiobiotics to treat viral infections, we created super drug-resistant bacteria that now plague hospitals and clinics.

Is it possible that we are making the same mistake again with hand sanitizer in our quest to live germ-free and helping to create super strains of these critters?

Culture, humor, maui, Science

Maui students explore the universe through fun and radio

Students at the Paia Youth and Cultural Center (PYCC) in Paia, Maui, teamed up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and started a new radio show for the low-power radio station, Radiopio. The show, called “Astrofacts“, explores questions about the universe and creatively reports findings on air in short, highly entertaining spots. The kids at PYCC produced each segment of the show, now numbering about 30, together with the Laura Civitello, the program director for Radiopio at PYCC, and Adam Burgasser, assistant professor of physics at MIT (and full disclosure, my husband).

The spots take a fresh look at some important questions about the universe. If you’ve ever wondered what black holes colliding and duking it out might sound like, Michelle and Mason, PYCC members, re-enact such a scene in their segment “Black Hole Showdown“. (If you have no idea what a black hole is, not to worry, the kids will make you laugh anyway.)

In another fun spot, Charae and Mekena sing “Happy Birthday” to the universe, only to realize that 13.7 billion candles will never fit on a cake. Even intergalactic weather gets its due with a series of spots that humorously report the local (and bizarre) weather conditions around the Milky Way.

The show also includes interviews with scientists, such as Roy Gal and Robert Jedicke, both assistant professors of astronomy at the University of Hawaii. Charae reached out to Maui phenom Harriet Witt, the official astronomer of the Maui Film Festival.  In her interview with Witt, Charae finds out how one person of science can embrace both astronomy and astrology and explain it all in a way that most people can understand easily.

When the program first started in March 2009, the kids recorded the spots using scripts. But after a few segments, the PYCC members really took off running with their own ideas, according to Civitello. Thanks to PYCC’s mission of providing a forum for fun–not more school work–for its members, the program has stayed true to its core mission of recreation. The program has evolved accordingly into something much more creative and innovative than originally envisioned, says Burgasser.

The stated purpose of Astrofacts, as posted on the blog, is to “touch on all aspects of astronomy and space science, as well as science-related topics relevant to the Maui community…guided by the principals of ‘oli ‘oli (fun and enjoyment), kipaipai (encouragement and inspiration) and akamai (good old smarts!).”

You can listen online to Radiopio and try to catch the spots when aired. Alternately, you can hear the spots on demand on the Astrofacts blog. Either way, the spots are likely to make you laugh out loud. Listening may alter your view of our universe, at least temporarily, through the lens of kids having fun.