recessive economy = recessive care

When you can't afford gas, bills, car, mortgage, and food which do you compromise? Your pills.

Although prescription drugs only account for 10% of healthcare costs in the United States it seems this is certainly an area Americans are willing to compromise on when it comes to their budget. Skip a pill here and there, keep the pain meds and drop the cholesterol ones -- potentially dangerous moves. Certainly agonizing for many too.

I am not the only one asking this: How is it again that the United States is the only developed without a national health care policy?

Disease Prevention the Modern Way

How's about an e-card to notify a partner of your and consequently his/her possibility of infection. inSPOT, the online e-card servicer for electronic cards with STD notification messages was first developed out of an initiative of the San Francisco Public Health Department. I had heard about this new service casually a while back but did not really undersand what it was.

Fox News had an article on it today and it happen to eappear on my RSS feed so I thought I'd do a brain dump. I'm sure there's controversy over the necessity and message this carries with it but I personally think its a refreshingly interesting way to use technology to combat a public health issue. Talking about STDs is scary and awkward -- especially if you're telling someone they may have gotten it from you. Granted if you're close to someone this is an in-person conversation but casual relations are quite common nowadays. E-cards are casual communication -- its a fitting facilitator.

Details are available on the inSPOT website and in this article from PloS Medicine.

Let's Be Lame

Let's get together after work -- us co-workers and gather at a bar and drink and talk about....DRINKING! -- and then drink some more.

and when the conversation slows lets switch to talking about salaries or work titles or our wives that are home taking care of the kids and when that dries up lets make a toast and start all over again.

freaking corporate-ville. exactly how long do I have to pay my dues again? someone show me the way out, please.

It's not clear why even modest amounts of alcohol may shrink the brain, although alcohol is "known to dehydrate tissues, and constant dehydration can have negative effects on any sensitive tissue," says Paul.

So a new study draws a correlation between how much you drink (over your lifetime) and the size of your brain. The more you drink the smaller it gets. I didn't realize dehydration can shrink your brain. Maybe that explains my memory loss - I'm horrible at staying hydrated because I hate drinking water and soda is off limits. (is/was - same deal :))

there was a point to this post but i've forgotten it.