Uncorrelated Causations

Stream-of-consciousness on how we die

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 01:58:11 -0400

Stream of consciousness after (re)-reading this article, on how doctors die (published years ago when I was in undergrad, but published again in Saturday Evening Post.

Things I’m interested in: why people die, how doctors die, how to communicate with people, patients, clients, whoever, therapy, psychology, medicine, medical sociology, why people get sick and how to address their health in context of societal inequality, teaching about bioethics, role of biotech and public health in modern medical arena, injury prevention, U.S. health care system, DNRs, mental health, evidence-based public policy, education and health policy, especially concerning children, young adults, and elderly, palliative care, bipartisan bill-writing, spirituality/religion and mental/physical health/death/dying, quality of life, communication…

Other resources I came across regarding death:

How We Die, by Sherwin B. Nuland (I think I remember discussing this book in section in my Biotechnology in Medicine class… probably my favorite class from Brown).

2001 TED talk by Nuland on ECT

Unofficially started work at the CDC today, read some articles on MVAs and injury prevention - excited to start Monday, but also nervous, have to do a good job and not mess this up, but incredibly grateful for opportunity. Looking forward to this. Weird wave of nostalgia as I left PVD Thursday morning… took a picture of the sailboat and exit hallway leading to baggage claim, now have it as background for my phone. Usually don’t think about it, but this time, I was like “I love Providence, and I love being from RI.”

I should probably sleep. Really want to write something substantial on reflections on my first year of grad school, plus topic of dying relating to public health/religion… maybe that will happen.

tballardbrown: Beginning in 1996, Radio Diaries gave tape...

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:07:18 -0400

tballardbrown:

Beginning in 1996, Radio Diaries gave tape recorders to teenagers around the country to create audio diaries about their lives. NPR’s All Things Considered aired intimate portraits of five of these teens: Amanda, Juan, Frankie, Josh and Melissa. They’re now in their 30s. Over this past year, the same group has been recording new stories about where life has led them for our series, Teenage Diaries Revisited.

Here’s our first installment: Amanda Brand is gay. Her family is conservative Catholic, and when she was a teenager, her parents were convinced she was only going through a phase. Recently, Amanda sat down with her mother and father in Queens, N.Y., in the same house she grew up in, to revisit her tumultuous teen years.

Teenage Diaries Revisited: A Gay Teen’s Family, ‘Evolved’

Photo: Radio Diaries (left), David Gilkey/NPR

cherishing love, extending (and receiving) grace

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:15:18 -0400

Something my cousin wrote tonight: “1, cherish your loved ones now, not later, and 2, extend grace to others because you never truly know what someone else is going through.”

Good to be reminded of this as I go into the stretch run of my second semester in grad school. Really busy, yet not busy enough, often feel inadequate, but supported by wonderful classmates, friends, and family. And faith that the Lord’s grace is good enough for me, that those who extend grace to me are doing so genuinely and I am worth the effort, that my standards should not be the same as those who evaluate (or don’t evaluate) me. That being called to live like Mary is not because what Martha did was wrong and Jesus was criticizing her, but because Martha simply had her standards flipped, and Jesus wanted her to enjoy the full extend of his teaching and love.

So thankful that I have loving mentors, and brothers and sisters in Christ to stand and walk with me, and I with them - and all of us with Him who lives in us.

His Love Story: Biblical dating

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:50:12 -0500

His Love Story: Biblical dating:

hislovesaves:

taken from Boundless

“As Christians in dating relationships, we want to avoid hurting one another and dishonoring Christ by “defrauding” (see NASB translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:6) our brothers and sisters in Christ by implying — through word or action — a higher level of commitment to that…

Interesting… kind of want to explore the “guard your heart” aspect again now that I’m out of RUF and in grad school…

wwdtm: This week’s ‘Not My Job’ guest Abby Wambach is really...

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 23:33:27 -0400

wwdtm:

This week’s ‘Not My Job’ guest Abby Wambach is really good at soccer!

"It has come to our attention that the scientific leaders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital did not..."

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 23:21:36 -0400

“It has come to our attention that the scientific leaders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital did not have an opportunity, prior to today, to review the findings of the paper entitled ‘Consumption of Artificial Sweetener and Sugar Containing Soda and the Risk of Lymphoma and Leukemia in Men and Women’, to be published in today’s Journal of Clinical Nutrition [sic]. Upon review of the findings, the consensus of our scientific leaders is that the data is weak, and that BWH Media Relations was premature in the promotion of this work. We apologize for the time you have invested in this story.”

- A statement from Brigham and Women’s Hospital to reporters.

Translation: never mind.

As NBC’s Robert Bazell reported, “Earlier in the week the hospital sent out a press release about the study with the headline ‘The truth isn’t sweet when it comes to artificial sweeteners.’ ” The paper, he said, had been shopped around to six journals before a seventh agree to publish it.

The findings, if you’re still interested in seeing them, are out in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

(via scotthensley)

Just goes to show that anything can be published, eventually.

I need you, Jesus, to come to my rescue. Where else can I go? There’s no other name by which I...

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 07:16:58 -0400

I need you, Jesus, to come to my rescue.

Where else can I go?

There’s no other name by which I am saved.

Capture me with grace, I will follow you.

“Rescue” - Desperation Band (at least the version I’m listening to)

Past few days (and especially nights) has been hard in terms of thoughts… midterm in less than two hours. Suddenly thought of this song this morning when I woke up. Capture me with grace, and I need nothing (and no one) else.

"Fifteen minutes before “Morning Edition” is beamed to radios across the country, Renee Montagne is..."

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 23:27:16 -0400

“

Fifteen minutes before “Morning Edition” is beamed to radios across the country, Renee Montagne is ready to record her one-minute introduction. To cue her, the director points his index finger. “Good morning. It was the president’s turn to court Latino voters…”

And she’s off. Here in the soundproof studio, though, “Good night” seems like the more appropriate greeting. It is only 1:45 a.m.

NPR’s “Morning Edition” has one of the most peculiar formats of any morning show on radio or television: it’s split between the East Coast, with the co-host Steve Inskeep in Washington, and the West, with Ms. Montagne. The director cues Ms. Montagne through a videoconferencing system, and the co-hosts routinely add what they call “splits” to their scripts, so that they share the responsibility for introductions and interviews. “We are functionally sitting next to one another,” Ms. Montagne said, yet by staying on separate coasts, they are reflecting the audience’s geographic diversity.

”

- ‘Morning Edition’ on NPR, Broadcast by a Team on 2 Coasts - NYTimes.com

A peek “behind the mic” at Morning Edition. — tanya b.

(via npr)

Love Morning Edition, so much… just wish I could drive and listen in the mornings like my dad and I used to. Maybe when those self-driving cars become more common…

hashtaghearts: tarynhiroshima: viaspiritualinspiration #word ...

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 23:16:35 -0400

hashtaghearts:

tarynhiroshima:

viaspiritualinspiration

#word

Definitely one of my favorite verses…

hashtaghearts: When you encounter First World problems like...

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 23:16:06 -0400

hashtaghearts:

When you encounter First World problems like failed wifi or lack of reception, take a peek outside, heck, take a stroll some place away from the everyday hustle and bustle and see what Creation has in store for your senses today.

Think of it like a mental and emotional cleansing session and rejuvenate an out-of-shape gratitude.

Nature has no bars, just pretty smells and consuming sights.

Hollister Models Mock Asians At Opening Of South Korea Store

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:03:47 -0400

Hollister Models Mock Asians At Opening Of South Korea Store:

blackridinnhood:

searchingforknowledge:

Hopefully South Koreans decide that they really don’t need Hollister’s shitty clothing. And Hollister goes bankrupt because of their racism.

You know what could have prevented this?

Had Hollister hired KOREAN models instead of flying out white models from racist countries.

I find it hilarious how their apology talks about “diversity and inclusion” when they couldn’t even think, “Hmmm, we’re in Korea. Maybe we should celebrate our clothes on THEIR bodies instead of forcing our white, racist beauty standards down their throats while promoting our store.”

Whoever is part of their marketing team needs to be fired. Want to connect with a South Korean market? Use their OWN models to sell your brand instead of sending shitty white Westerners who are KNOWN for their inability to be respectful of other cultures, ESPECIALLY East Asian cultures.

Excitement of signing up for classes VS taking them

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 23:58:38 -0400

whatshouldwecallrollins:

How I respond when someone asks me to explain what I want to do with my life

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 17:32:08 -0400

whatshouldwecallrollins:

smile4a1up: Lol I love science. Especially when it involves...

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 23:00:13 -0400

smile4a1up:

Lol I love science. Especially when it involves body chemistry :).

These are the natural drugs folks! You can influence them naturally without that synthetic stuffz!

An occasional drink is no big deal though :)!

First day of class tomorrow. Be humble, stay hungry, time to redeem myself and kick butt.

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:49:23 -0400

First day of class tomorrow. Be humble, stay hungry, time to redeem myself and kick butt.

What If Jesus Meant All That Stuff?

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 23:37:15 -0400

*Note: Posting this from Esquire in its entirety, by Shane Claiborne. Highly recommend his book, The Irresistible Revolution.

To all my nonbelieving, sort-of-believing, and used-to-be-believing friends: I feel like I should begin with a confession. I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians. Christians who have had so much to say with our mouths and so little to show with our lives. I am sorry that so often we have forgotten the Christ of our Christianity.

Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of God.

The other night I headed into downtown Philly for a stroll with some friends from out of town. We walked down to Penn’s Landing along the river, where there are street performers, artists, musicians. We passed a great magician who did some pretty sweet tricks like pour change out of his iPhone, and then there was a preacher. He wasn’t quite as captivating as the magician. He stood on a box, yelling into a microphone, and beside him was a coffin with a fake dead body inside. He talked about how we are all going to die and go to hell if we don’t know Jesus.

Some folks snickered. Some told him to shut the hell up. A couple of teenagers tried to steal the dead body in the coffin. All I could do was think to myself, I want to jump up on a box beside him and yell at the top of my lungs, “God is not a monster.” Maybe next time I will.

The more I have read the Bible and studied the life of Jesus, the more I have become convinced that Christianity spreads best not through force but through fascination. But over the past few decades our Christianity, at least here in the United States, has become less and less fascinating. We have given the atheists less and less to disbelieve. And the sort of Christianity many of us have seen on TV and heard on the radio looks less and less like Jesus.

At one point Gandhi was asked if he was a Christian, and he said, essentially, “I sure love Jesus, but the Christians seem so unlike their Christ.” A recent study showed that the top three perceptions of Christians in the U. S. among young non-Christians are that Christians are 1) antigay, 2) judgmental, and 3) hypocritical. So what we have here is a bit of an image crisis, and much of that reputation is well deserved. That’s the ugly stuff. And that’s why I begin by saying that I’m sorry.

Now for the good news.

I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion, or politics, for that matter. (If there is anything I have learned from liberals and conservatives, it’s that you can have great answers and still be mean… and that just as important as being right is being nice.)

The Bible that I read says that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it… it was because “God so loved the world.” That is the God I know, and I long for others to know. I did not choose to devote my life to Jesus because I was scared to death of hell or because I wanted crowns in heaven… but because he is good. For those of you who are on a sincere spiritual journey, I hope that you do not reject Christ because of Christians. We have always been a messed-up bunch, and somehow God has survived the embarrassing things we do in His name. At the core of our “Gospel” is the message that Jesus came “not [for] the healthy… but the sick.” And if you choose Jesus, may it not be simply because of a fear of hell or hope for mansions in heaven.

Don’t get me wrong, I still believe in the afterlife, but too often all the church has done is promise the world that there is life after death and use it as a ticket to ignore the hells around us. I am convinced that the Christian Gospel has as much to do with this life as the next, and that the message of that Gospel is not just about going up when we die but about bringing God’s Kingdom down. It was Jesus who taught us to pray that God’s will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” On earth.

One of Jesus’ most scandalous stories is the story of the Good Samaritan. As sentimental as we may have made it, the original story was about a man who gets beat up and left on the side of the road. A priest passes by. A Levite, the quintessential religious guy, also passes by on the other side (perhaps late for a meeting at church). And then comes the Samaritan… you can almost imagine a snicker in the Jewish crowd. Jews did not talk to Samaritans, or even walk through Samaria. But the Samaritan stops and takes care of the guy in the ditch and is lifted up as the hero of the story. I’m sure some of the listeners were ticked. According to the religious elite, Samaritans did not keep the right rules, and they did not have sound doctrine… but Jesus shows that true faith has to work itself out in a way that is Good News to the most bruised and broken person lying in the ditch.

It is so simple, but the pious forget this lesson constantly. God may indeed be evident in a priest, but God is just as likely to be at work through a Samaritan or a prostitute. In fact the Scripture is brimful of God using folks like a lying prostitute named Rahab, an adulterous king named David… at one point God even speaks to a guy named Balaam through his donkey. Some say God spoke to Balaam through his ass and has been speaking through asses ever since. So if God should choose to use us, then we should be grateful but not think too highly of ourselves. And if upon meeting someone we think God could never use, we should think again.

After all, Jesus says to the religious elite who looked down on everybody else: “The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom ahead of you.” And we wonder what got him killed?

I have a friend in the UK who talks about “dirty theology” — that we have a God who is always using dirt to bring life and healing and redemption, a God who shows up in the most unlikely and scandalous ways. After all, the whole story begins with God reaching down from heaven, picking up some dirt, and breathing life into it. At one point, Jesus takes some mud, spits in it, and wipes it on a blind man’s eyes to heal him. (The priests and producers of anointing oil were not happy that day.)

In fact, the entire story of Jesus is about a God who did not just want to stay “out there” but who moves into the neighborhood, a neighborhood where folks said, “Nothing good could come.” It is this Jesus who was accused of being a glutton and drunkard and rabble-rouser for hanging out with all of society’s rejects, and who died on the imperial cross of Rome reserved for bandits and failed messiahs. This is why the triumph over the cross was a triumph over everything ugly we do to ourselves and to others. It is the final promise that love wins.

It is this Jesus who was born in a stank manger in the middle of a genocide. That is the God that we are just as likely to find in the streets as in the sanctuary, who can redeem revolutionaries and tax collectors, the oppressed and the oppressors… a God who is saving some of us from the ghettos of poverty, and some of us from the ghettos of wealth.

In closing, to those who have closed the door on religion — I was recently asked by a non-Christian friend if I thought he was going to hell. I said, “I hope not. It will be hard to enjoy heaven without you.” If those of us who believe in God do not believe God’s grace is big enough to save the whole world… well, we should at least pray that it is.

Your brother,

Shane

27

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 23:07:57 -0400

Sorry I’ve taken forever to answer this, and because I’m doing this publicly, won’t answer in as much detail. Regardless, we should catch up, can talk about my answer here if you want, then.

I believe the question for 27 was “Something that weighs on your heart.” There were many things I wanted to write about at that time, but after thinking about this for a year (has it been that long already?) I’m going to go with the loss of friends and mentors through my own doing.

I can’t begin to count (well, actually, I might be able to if pushed) the number of friends who I’ve lost or lost touch with because of something I said or did (or didn’t say or do). Still think about them all the time, what could or should have been. I wonder how they’re doing now, if they think about me, if they’re happy. Same goes for mentors - you can only burn so many bridges (even if unintentional) before, well, people begin to leave. And you’re left wondering why, how, how can I repair and/or move on? Every day. But, I am absolutely thankful for those who have stuck by (or come back to) me, for opportunities given to me time and time again - and for forgiveness. Because without that, the world wouldn’t be worth living in. With it, nearly all things are bearable, and all are redeemable, someday.

Hi uncorrelated causations! I was wondering if you could tell me more about your interests with respect to environmental justice, social determinants of illness, HIV/AIDS prevention and education, health promotion/disease prevention in Asian/Asian-American populations, and especially the relationship between psychology and illness. I'll one day be a psychiatrist and I love discussing such issues with people to broaden my own mind as well as contribute to the knowledge pool. take care and thanks!

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:52:52 -0400

Hello! Sorry I took so long to respond - busy moving and starting grad school. I’ve been interested in social determinants of health for a long time, and much of what I’m interested in relates back to this. Poverty, government suppression, gender inequalities, so many “broad” concepts - yet, a quantifiable reality for the people who live with them. This doesn’t include just the typical determinants negatively associated with health - wealth, healthy living environment, and a support network can influence it, as well, in different ways. Not quite sure where my interest in psychology and illness will go yet, but we’ll see. That’s great that you want to be a psychiatrist, which from my knowledge is a field that is sorely lacking in qualified and dedicated professionals. Are you in medical school now? Best of luck to you, whatever you decide to do!

hypothetical little brother

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:44:08 -0400

*Note: I first wrote this entry in my old blog back in October of 2010. Feeling weird and overwhelmed with school starting in two days: so much left unaccomplished, and so much left to plan. Somehow stumbled across this post, which I hadn’t read in a long time… after reading it, still feel reassured.*

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday on how both of us just wanted to drop our overload of responsibilities and just do something for ourselves - community service, travel the world, whatever. (In my case, it was “had wanted to”…and I’m going to try really hard not to make the same mistake if and when I re-enroll).

In any case, conversation turned to a few people with whom we both served with in a student group two years ago, people we sorely missed. This student group that my friend runs is now quite large, at least its executive board - and we both felt that what it gained in ability to do things, it lost in intimacy.

In my case, I woke up a few mornings ago really, really missing the person who once referred to me as her “hypothetical little brother.” This was during Meiklejohn orientation of my junior year. I had no idea what I was doing, where my group was, where to sit, etc. And then I heard “Hey Jon!” And instantly, I knew everything was going to be okay. I still remember the dress she was wearing (light pink, white, and brown, I think), and whenever I feel down, I just have to bring up that image of her to make me feel happy.

I’ve always felt closer to older people, girls especially, something I’ve come to call the “older sister complex.” To go way back, I actually think this has its roots in elementary school. When I was in fifth grade (and I cannot believe I’m actually writing this), I once had a clear bottle of apple juice that I took out to drink on the bus on the way home. What is the color of apple juice? And what does that look like to immature little kids? Exactly.

Instantly, a chorus of “OHMYGOD IS THAT PEE?” swelled around me, and to be honest, I no longer remember my reaction, but it was probably bewildered, scared, and hurt. What I do remember is a sixth-grade girl standing up and yelling “shut up, you guys, it’s just apple juice!” I no longer remember her name, what she looked like, or what we talked about afterward (or even if we did), but that incident stands out in my mind clear as day.

Ever since then, older girls have very often taken on the “older sister” mentality for me - given me advice, listen to me rant, talk with me and make things okay. The only problem is that I can be very clingy, both physically and emotionally (something I’m really trying to work on/pray about). But back to my friend at Meiklejohn orientation. Afterward, we sat down for lunch at a pizza place while we talked about our upcoming semesters, and how apprehensive I was for med school. She didn’t lecture me, and gave me a little advice, but more importantly, she made me feel happy, and good about myself - that whatever I chose to do was the right thing, and she had no doubts that I would do it well. Maybe med school wasn’t the right path for me. Maybe science in general wasn’t. But that was okay. And if I eventually decided I wanted to go to med school, there were plenty of options, and she would always be there for me. I’m pretty sure we ended the conversation on the topic of palm-reading and heart lines, and I walked out reassured…something that I wouldn’t begin to really feel again until a few months ago.

As I told my friend (the one running the student group) yesterday, I know that the two of us aren’t going to be best friends, and she’s not going to pour her life story out to me, even if I do it to her (I’ll talk about reciprocity in a future post). And that’s okay. We’re still friends, and if I, or anyone else, ever need a “consult,” she will be there and make things good again as only she can - to “just take deep breaths…you’ll be fine; you’re very qualified.”

smile4a1up: This might just be one of my favourite posts I...

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 21:21:32 -0400

smile4a1up:

This might just be one of my favourite posts I have ever made on tumblr. All of us have secrets we wish to keep secret in order to protect ourselves from judgement or teasing but New Orleans-based artist C andy Chang found a way to give people the opportunity to share their thoughts without having to feel vulnerable to the outside world. Her installation, entitled Confessions, is a public art project that took place in The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. For one month, Chang lived in Vegas and turned the P3 Studio Gallery into an interactive exhibit. Visitors could stop by, enter a booth, write whatever thoughts they wanted to share, and drop the confession into a box that mixed anonymously with other slips. Chang then took the anonymous slips and displayed them on the walls, painting selected responses in white against a larger red canvas background.

Throughout the exhibit, the shocking reality of a person’s true secrets are fascinating to read. Some of my favourites can be found in this photoset like:”I’ve been best man to two guys I used to sleep with who went on to marry women”; “My best friend beat a man to death when we were 15. Never told anyone. Still hurts.”

This is amazing.