Well, it's over.
My summer program is over - has been over (for me) for a week now - so I might as well wrap this up.
I would just like any readers to know that there will no longer be any posts, but I am still alive, and you can contact me via comments.
Goodbye.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Thoughts on Pregnancy Costs
At first glance, the statement Kate Middleton probably spent less on childbirth than the average American woman may seem shocking. This quote from Elizabeth Rosenthal, author of American Way of Birth, Costliest in the World from The New York Times sums up the confusion: "British royal born in fanciest ward: $15000. Average US birth: billed $30000; paid $18000. What is wrong here?"
Quite frankly, reading Rosenthal's article horrified me. In my opinion, giving birth is already difficult enough without having to worry about money issues. Although I've never experienced it myself, my piano teacher is currently pregnant, and she'll occasionally make remarks to my mother about how she can't sleep or something like that. My mother will usually respond with sympathetic reassurances on how everything will be worth it in the end but also with some joke about how as the baby grows, the pain is only going to get worse. It's a generally accepted opinion that childbirth is a rather unpleasant experience.
Now mix in financial worries. The woman featured in Rosenthal's article, Renee Martin, doesn't have insurance that covers pregnancy and will probably have to pay over $32,000 out of her own pocket. At a time when she should be celebrating all the joys (and pains) of motherhood, she has a giant cloud hanging over her head in the form of a $32,000 hospital bill. In the linked video, Martin talks about how while she wants to do what is best for her and her child, it's rather difficult financially.
What is also interesting is that this sort of high charge is only in America. In America, the average amount paid for childbirth in 2012 was $9775. In Great Britain, another very industrialized, advanced country, it's $2641. According to Rosenthal, pregnant American mothers don't even get extra perks and whatnot for all this extra money.
In my opinion, hospitals should strive to make pregnancy care as safe, stress-free, and easy as possible. If I ever want children, I think I should take a vacation in Great Britain. By the time I'm at that plateau, lovely Great Britain will even have Jane Austen on their 10 pound notes. Meanwhile in America...
note: I'm sorry for linking two articles, but I was unsure on whether we are allowed to take articles from The Week, so The New York Times is my back-up. (In addition, the two complement each other rather nicely.) If anyone knows whether The Week is an acceptable news source, let me know in a comment. Thanks!
Quite frankly, reading Rosenthal's article horrified me. In my opinion, giving birth is already difficult enough without having to worry about money issues. Although I've never experienced it myself, my piano teacher is currently pregnant, and she'll occasionally make remarks to my mother about how she can't sleep or something like that. My mother will usually respond with sympathetic reassurances on how everything will be worth it in the end but also with some joke about how as the baby grows, the pain is only going to get worse. It's a generally accepted opinion that childbirth is a rather unpleasant experience.
Now mix in financial worries. The woman featured in Rosenthal's article, Renee Martin, doesn't have insurance that covers pregnancy and will probably have to pay over $32,000 out of her own pocket. At a time when she should be celebrating all the joys (and pains) of motherhood, she has a giant cloud hanging over her head in the form of a $32,000 hospital bill. In the linked video, Martin talks about how while she wants to do what is best for her and her child, it's rather difficult financially.
What is also interesting is that this sort of high charge is only in America. In America, the average amount paid for childbirth in 2012 was $9775. In Great Britain, another very industrialized, advanced country, it's $2641. According to Rosenthal, pregnant American mothers don't even get extra perks and whatnot for all this extra money.
In my opinion, hospitals should strive to make pregnancy care as safe, stress-free, and easy as possible. If I ever want children, I think I should take a vacation in Great Britain. By the time I'm at that plateau, lovely Great Britain will even have Jane Austen on their 10 pound notes. Meanwhile in America...
note: I'm sorry for linking two articles, but I was unsure on whether we are allowed to take articles from The Week, so The New York Times is my back-up. (In addition, the two complement each other rather nicely.) If anyone knows whether The Week is an acceptable news source, let me know in a comment. Thanks!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Thoughts on Austen and Notes
As the title suggests, the article Jane Austen to appear on 10 pound note from the Guardian briefly summarizes a recent announcement from the Bank of England: that Jane Austen will appear on the 10 pound note, probably from 2017 on.
On the rhetoric, the article is rather short and informational. It is supplemented by quotes from representatives from the Bank of England itself and some female campaigners who supported this change. It also presents some background on why this change is being made now. On the whole, I found the article to be concise and easy to follow.
On my analysis, the information presented in the article delighted me, as I adore Austen's novels, especially Pride and Prejudice. Austen definitely deserves this honor. She was an amazing novelist, and I'm glad that the Bank of England is trying to extend their range of featured historical figures by incorporating a female writer. In contrast, the United States has only featured male political figures on its paper money. While I understand that people like George Washington (one dollar bill) and Andrew Jackson (twenty dollar bill) are important to our country's history, I'm a bit disappointed at our lack of diversity.
Take a look at this quote: "without this campaign... the Bank of England would have unthinkingly airbrushed women out of history." Personally, I think the statement is a bit melodramatic, but it emphasizes the importance of this issue. Whose faces go on money may seem like a small concern, but the figures we choose to feature represent our ideals and role models. It may be a small symbolic gesture but is a symbolic gesture nonetheless. I hope that the United States will follow England's example, and we will be seeing some diversity on our own paper money soon.
On the rhetoric, the article is rather short and informational. It is supplemented by quotes from representatives from the Bank of England itself and some female campaigners who supported this change. It also presents some background on why this change is being made now. On the whole, I found the article to be concise and easy to follow.
On my analysis, the information presented in the article delighted me, as I adore Austen's novels, especially Pride and Prejudice. Austen definitely deserves this honor. She was an amazing novelist, and I'm glad that the Bank of England is trying to extend their range of featured historical figures by incorporating a female writer. In contrast, the United States has only featured male political figures on its paper money. While I understand that people like George Washington (one dollar bill) and Andrew Jackson (twenty dollar bill) are important to our country's history, I'm a bit disappointed at our lack of diversity.
Take a look at this quote: "without this campaign... the Bank of England would have unthinkingly airbrushed women out of history." Personally, I think the statement is a bit melodramatic, but it emphasizes the importance of this issue. Whose faces go on money may seem like a small concern, but the figures we choose to feature represent our ideals and role models. It may be a small symbolic gesture but is a symbolic gesture nonetheless. I hope that the United States will follow England's example, and we will be seeing some diversity on our own paper money soon.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Thoughts on the Death of a Watermelon Seller
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
When I first saw the article Death of a Watermelon Seller from the New Yorker, my immediate thoughts were, "Wow, this is considered news? It's sad and all, but people die everyday. Is it that big of a deal?"
Apparently, yes.
The reason why is because this death is a reflection of the problems with the chengguan, the urban management group, in China. The circumstances surrounding Deng Jiazheng's death are suspicious. Although the government claims that he had a heart attack, many believe that he was killed in a violent scuffle in a rather gruesome way, simply for peddling watermelons without a governmental license.
On the article's rhetoric, it begins with a classic anecdotal opening that many are now familiar with. It leads the reader into the topic at hand by describing the settings and situations of Deng Jiazheng's death before exploring its impact, effects, and what it means. The writer also makes his viewpoint on the stance rather clear. For instance, take a look at this line: "the hand-wringing that occurs at the upper echelons of the Communist Party over incidents like Deng's death - not because someone has died, of course, but because such things come perilously close to threatening the Party's legitimacy." It is evident from the language he uses that he views the Chinese government as poor and disapproves of its actions towards its citizens.
Overall, it was an interesting article, and I personally feel terrible for Deng Jiazheng's wife and especially his children. I cannot imagine what pain they must be going through. They don't deserve for this to happen to them, to have a family member possibly murdered.
This article also made me consider what life in China must be like. China, of course, is Communist, and I really have no idea how different it is over there. I hope that China will figure out a better system like this for urban management, and happenings like this will not reoccur.
When I first saw the article Death of a Watermelon Seller from the New Yorker, my immediate thoughts were, "Wow, this is considered news? It's sad and all, but people die everyday. Is it that big of a deal?"
Apparently, yes.
The reason why is because this death is a reflection of the problems with the chengguan, the urban management group, in China. The circumstances surrounding Deng Jiazheng's death are suspicious. Although the government claims that he had a heart attack, many believe that he was killed in a violent scuffle in a rather gruesome way, simply for peddling watermelons without a governmental license.
On the article's rhetoric, it begins with a classic anecdotal opening that many are now familiar with. It leads the reader into the topic at hand by describing the settings and situations of Deng Jiazheng's death before exploring its impact, effects, and what it means. The writer also makes his viewpoint on the stance rather clear. For instance, take a look at this line: "the hand-wringing that occurs at the upper echelons of the Communist Party over incidents like Deng's death - not because someone has died, of course, but because such things come perilously close to threatening the Party's legitimacy." It is evident from the language he uses that he views the Chinese government as poor and disapproves of its actions towards its citizens.
Overall, it was an interesting article, and I personally feel terrible for Deng Jiazheng's wife and especially his children. I cannot imagine what pain they must be going through. They don't deserve for this to happen to them, to have a family member possibly murdered.
This article also made me consider what life in China must be like. China, of course, is Communist, and I really have no idea how different it is over there. I hope that China will figure out a better system like this for urban management, and happenings like this will not reoccur.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Thoughts on Egypt
MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013
Those of you who have been following along on my blog may have noticed my aversion to current events. For example, the last two posts were on issues like science and health. The reason why is because I feel like the nature of "real" news is highly cumulative, and when I sit down to read an article, it only confuses me. It's kind of like opening a novel to a random page and beginning to read. It doesn't interest you - it only confuses you.
The article Egypt turmoil: Interim cabinet sworn in from BBC is no exception. Simply reading the title puzzled me. What in the world is an interim cabinet? Continuing to read, I found myself only asking more questions rather than finding more answers. Who is Mohammed Morsi, and why is he important? They keep mentioning the Muslim Brotherhood; what is that? And where does the Egyptian military fit in? What?
I wish the author had elaborated more on each of these topics. However, this may be more of a failure on my part as a reader for not keeping up with the Egypt story, rather than a failure on the author's part. So I did some research and decided to answer my questions.
In a nutshell: Egypt recently had a revolution, where the military and the upset citizens overthrew President Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was really more of a dictator than a President. "Interim" means temporary or in the meantime.
This, of course, is hardly a comprehensive summary of Egypt's politics, and I recommend watching this video if you want to know more. I then reread the article.
Now that I understand the situation a bit more, I'm rather glad that Egypt is taking steps towards being a democracy and eventually finding stability, and I hope that in the future, they will reach their goals. At the same time, I worry for the country. Currently, this revolution seems to have only caused more instability, more problems and violence. It's rather eye-opening to know that while the US worked out most of its political issues centuries ago, there are still countries that are struggling with this. So I worry for Egypt, and I also hope that everything will work out in the end.
Those of you who have been following along on my blog may have noticed my aversion to current events. For example, the last two posts were on issues like science and health. The reason why is because I feel like the nature of "real" news is highly cumulative, and when I sit down to read an article, it only confuses me. It's kind of like opening a novel to a random page and beginning to read. It doesn't interest you - it only confuses you.
The article Egypt turmoil: Interim cabinet sworn in from BBC is no exception. Simply reading the title puzzled me. What in the world is an interim cabinet? Continuing to read, I found myself only asking more questions rather than finding more answers. Who is Mohammed Morsi, and why is he important? They keep mentioning the Muslim Brotherhood; what is that? And where does the Egyptian military fit in? What?
I wish the author had elaborated more on each of these topics. However, this may be more of a failure on my part as a reader for not keeping up with the Egypt story, rather than a failure on the author's part. So I did some research and decided to answer my questions.
In a nutshell: Egypt recently had a revolution, where the military and the upset citizens overthrew President Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who was really more of a dictator than a President. "Interim" means temporary or in the meantime.
This, of course, is hardly a comprehensive summary of Egypt's politics, and I recommend watching this video if you want to know more. I then reread the article.
Now that I understand the situation a bit more, I'm rather glad that Egypt is taking steps towards being a democracy and eventually finding stability, and I hope that in the future, they will reach their goals. At the same time, I worry for the country. Currently, this revolution seems to have only caused more instability, more problems and violence. It's rather eye-opening to know that while the US worked out most of its political issues centuries ago, there are still countries that are struggling with this. So I worry for Egypt, and I also hope that everything will work out in the end.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Thoughts on Hospital Care
edit as of 7/18/13: It has come to my attention that blogger is time-stamping this as being posted on July 11. This is not the case. I started drafting this on July 11, but I didn't post this until July 17. From now on, I'll write a little message in front of these alerting you of what date these articles are for. I'm sorry for any confusion caused.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013
Sifting through the articles on BBC, the articles Dementia patients 'miss key tests' and Dementia care: Hospitals 'must make improvements' both immediately caught my attention with such headlines. Reading through them, the content captured my attention immediately.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2013
Sifting through the articles on BBC, the articles Dementia patients 'miss key tests' and Dementia care: Hospitals 'must make improvements' both immediately caught my attention with such headlines. Reading through them, the content captured my attention immediately.
The two articles both share the same topic and illustrate the same problems. Dementia patients are not getting the care they need. Even if the services are safe, they lack proper communication and staffing, causing myriad issues. Although both articles seemed to treat this revelation as shocking, I wasn't. Let me explain why.
Certainly, the statistics are rather extreme. According to the article, fewer than half of the hospitals had a process in place for sharing information with families, and fewer than a third of the staff felt that they had sufficient training.
However, as someone who's unfortunately spent a good amount of time in a nursing home, it seems as if issues with communication and staff training is very common among care for the old. Recently, my grandmother had a stroke and is now partially paralyzed on one side. She currently resides in the Buena Park Nursing Center. Granted, a stroke is very different from dementia, but I see the same staff failures. My mother, who spends a lot more time in the nursing home as I do, complains that the nurses are not dedicated enough. In addition, it seems as if many of them only work short-term.
The truth is, people like my grandmother and dementia patients are, well, "old." And the entire way we view the elderly - and care for the elderly - is wrong. I'm ashamed to say that I was a bit repulsed to see my grandmother so helpless and without makeup. We don't view the elderly - even if they are just as helpless - the way we view puppies or babies. It's actually very sad when we think about it that way.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Singing from the Heart
Having sung in a couple choirs before, the article Choir singers
'synchronise their heartbeats' from
BBC News captured my interest immediately.
First off, before I go on to
discuss content and such, can I just say that I adore British spellings?
The article can basically be
summarized in one quote, "Choir singers not only harmonise their voices,
they also synchronise their hearbeats, a study suggests." The article has
scientific theories on how coordinating breathing synchronizes heartbeats,
overall slowing down the heart rate. I thought this was fascinating because our
choir director is always telling us how singing in a choir binds us, but I
always wondered how true that could be, especially since our school choir is
rather big. It's amazing to think that I am somehow linked to people simply
because I have sung with them, even if I don't interact with them in any other
way. (Of course, that's assuming that we're a choir that can actually harmonize
well. Which, um, is debatable?)
The article also mentions at the
end on how research is being done to see how singing could be beneficial to the
health. Similar to yoga breathing, guided breathing has long term effects on
blood pressure. In my personal opinion, I definitely believe this is true.
After a good rehearsal, I’m always in better spirits. Choir is a way to relieve
stress. Also, as I don't exercise nearly as much as I should, it's nice to
think that something as simple as singing in a choir helps my health.
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