genes and discrimination part trois - it's official, we have a new law!

finally, on may 21, 2008, w signed the genetic information nondiscrimination act! i can't believe it didn't receive any fanfare and i just heard about it this morning. this is the first civil rights legislation since the new millenium and no hoopla?

a quick search this morning on the la times and new york times did not show any news of the president making GINA the newest federal civil rights legislation.

and, a quick google search revealed that even other smaller news outlets did not report on it till, at the earliest, 4 days after the event.

at least the washington post, through reuters, reported it on the day bush signed it. but no one else outside the beltway picked up on the news?

shouldn't this be newsworthy? heck, accidents on the freeway get reported sooner.

well, i am glad it passed, lack of news coverage notwithstanding. now i hope employers and insurance companies heard the news too and will comply.

but more importantly, i hope americans who want and choose to be genetically tested for various diseases take advantage of this new law without fear of termination or higher insurance premiums or no insurance coverage. or at least, if those things happen, the courts can protect their rights.

to detox or not to detox

i did that once. from january 1 (not new year's eve) to january 31, 2007. during that time, i still went out to bars to hang out with people. i learned a few things.

i had "resolve." that is to say, i was not tempted to drink... even when there were college bowl games to watch, happy hours to attend and birthdays to celebrate.

drunk people were not as amusing as they previously (and subsequently) have been. seriously.

i saved lots of cash. well, maybe not "lots."

so, the dilemma is, i am going wine tasting in a couple of weeks in napa and then off to spain shortly thereafter. so as much as i would like to detox, i can't possibly detox any time soon. i don't think it is fun wine tasting without tasting wine or going tapa-hopping without drinking spanish wines. i also don't think detoxing for a week would do much help since i do that anyway.... until the weekend, that is.

the real dilemma is that by the time i get back from spain, there is a big possibility that i may change my mind about detoxing altogether... even though i know that detox is probably good for my liver.

maybe i am over thinking this.

genes and discrimination part deux

the house and senate already passed the "Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act." why hasn't bush signed it into law yet when he claims he's all for it?

sign it already!

genes and discrimination

i am so happy that there might soon be a law prohibiting genetic discrimination in employment and/or in accessing health insurance. with medical advances - such as genetic testing for breast cancer, lou gehrig's disease, etc. - empowering people to take precautions to avoid/minimize the inevitable (which end result is sure to be mentally, financially and emotionally taxing), these same people should not also have to worry about losing their jobs or losing health coverage for something they have no control over.

so house of representatives, pass this same law that the senate already passed. and whoever the POTUS will be when the law passes both houses of congress, sign it!

a new meaning to "down the toilet"

it is always disheartening to read a story like this. individuals can find ways to try and help eliminate poverty. but, as a collective, i don't think we are doing enough.

king drew redux

this "new training" for staff was a little too late for edith isabel rodriguez. but, i suppose, it is better than nothing.

i am still appalled that after all the past fatal mistakes, gross negligence and incompetence previously unearthed at king drew (i guess, it is now king harbor), all of those things still continued.

one can only hope that the county supervisors, hospital managers, doctors, nurses and every other staff at king drew learn something about actually caring for patients. but then again, they should have already been trained.

another tragedy is that this hospital is supposed to serve an impoverished community. unfortunately, that service has not been provided.

in memoriam: edith isabel rodriguez

i read this very disturbing news story about edith isabel rodriguez, who died after writhing in pain from abdominal pains for 45 minutes on the floor of the emergency room at king drew hospital and where NO ONE - doctors, nurses or other staff - helped her. this is unacceptable!!!

one would think that this tragedy should never have happened. yet, it did. how can we avoid this tragedy from ever happening again?