2.13.2011
A great series about living and traveling on the cheap.
<<< The frugal traveler >>>
Worth a look for those whose idea of seeing the world involves a beat-up backpack and sticking your thumb out every once in a while.
<<< The frugal traveler >>>
Worth a look for those whose idea of seeing the world involves a beat-up backpack and sticking your thumb out every once in a while.
2.04.2011
A potential advancement for ALS research
Read an interesting article in yesterday's NYTimes about a neurologist at the Beth Israel who was recently awarded a hefty prize for developing a reliable method for tracking the advancement of ALS. According to the article, the $1,000,000 prize is the largest ever awarded for tackling a specific medical challenge.
<<< $1,000,000 to inventor of ALS tracker >>>
A few excerpts from the article:
The winner, Dr. Seward Rutkove, showed that his method could cut in half the cost of clinical trials to screen potential drugs for the disease.
Each year, doctors diagnose about 5,000 new cases of A.L.S. in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. Despite decades of clinical trials, the diagnosis remains a death sentence. It paralyzes and suffocates patients while their minds remain intact.
A few patients live for decades — the physicist Stephen Hawking is the best known — but most survive only three to five years after they first notice symptoms. And riluzole, the only A.L.S. drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration, costs about $10,000 a year and typically extends life by just a few more months.
The high cost of clinical trials limits drug companies' ability to test potential treatments. Researchers must recruit hundreds of patients and run trials that last as long as two years just to eliminate a drug from the running.
One executive told us, "For the cost of one A.L.S. drug I can develop two multiple sclerosis drugs, so obviously I go with M.S."
Dr. Doug Kerr, associate director of experimental neurology at Biogen Idec, which is working on an A.L.S. drug, said more sensitive testing methods "will allow us to test more drugs, more patients, and get an answer earlier." He called Dr. Rutkove’s method "a powerful new part of the armament to study A.L.S."
<<< $1,000,000 to inventor of ALS tracker >>>
A few excerpts from the article:
The winner, Dr. Seward Rutkove, showed that his method could cut in half the cost of clinical trials to screen potential drugs for the disease.
Each year, doctors diagnose about 5,000 new cases of A.L.S. in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. Despite decades of clinical trials, the diagnosis remains a death sentence. It paralyzes and suffocates patients while their minds remain intact.
A few patients live for decades — the physicist Stephen Hawking is the best known — but most survive only three to five years after they first notice symptoms. And riluzole, the only A.L.S. drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration, costs about $10,000 a year and typically extends life by just a few more months.
The high cost of clinical trials limits drug companies' ability to test potential treatments. Researchers must recruit hundreds of patients and run trials that last as long as two years just to eliminate a drug from the running.
One executive told us, "For the cost of one A.L.S. drug I can develop two multiple sclerosis drugs, so obviously I go with M.S."
Dr. Doug Kerr, associate director of experimental neurology at Biogen Idec, which is working on an A.L.S. drug, said more sensitive testing methods "will allow us to test more drugs, more patients, and get an answer earlier." He called Dr. Rutkove’s method "a powerful new part of the armament to study A.L.S."
1.29.2011
El Salvador: The Sequel
Well, we're into week two and honestly things couldn't be going better. As I was just telling one of my former bosses, it is positively kickass being here and not having the usual stress of being a Peace Corps volunteer. Well, it's not stress per se, but more like this constant awareness of Peace Corps' rules that sort of bounce around the back of your head during your service. Those rules, combined with my own personal drive to make good use of my service, definitely kept my nose to the grindstone.
So now that the books are officially closed on my service, it's refreshing to be here, no longer obsessing about my community's health projects or sweating the small stuff. It's like I gave myself to the job, did what I could, and now it's time to turn it over to someone else. I'm also enjoying the other perks of being back in country as a non-PCV, including, but not limited to, riding around on motorcycles, renting cars, chilling for days on end in San Salvador and grabbing drinks with my bosses.
As most of you know, I'll be here for a few months while I'm waiting to hear back from grad schools. I applied in January and was on a flight down here just two days afterwards. Gotta be honest, pretty excited not to be concerned with snowy winter commutes or blowing $100 a week on delicious, delicious micro-brewed beer. That last part actually sucks, along with missing my friends and family, but my consulting gig with a local NGO organizing school recycling programs is providing me with enough cash to treat myself to a nice beer in the capital every so often.
The job should also occupy just enough of my time to keep me from shacking up at a surf hostel for a month in my lifelong quest to master a short board. Sidenote: anything shorter than a 10 footer I like to call short boards. Also, swap the word "master" for "stand up on" and that's probably closer to reality.
So now that the books are officially closed on my service, it's refreshing to be here, no longer obsessing about my community's health projects or sweating the small stuff. It's like I gave myself to the job, did what I could, and now it's time to turn it over to someone else. I'm also enjoying the other perks of being back in country as a non-PCV, including, but not limited to, riding around on motorcycles, renting cars, chilling for days on end in San Salvador and grabbing drinks with my bosses.
As most of you know, I'll be here for a few months while I'm waiting to hear back from grad schools. I applied in January and was on a flight down here just two days afterwards. Gotta be honest, pretty excited not to be concerned with snowy winter commutes or blowing $100 a week on delicious, delicious micro-brewed beer. That last part actually sucks, along with missing my friends and family, but my consulting gig with a local NGO organizing school recycling programs is providing me with enough cash to treat myself to a nice beer in the capital every so often.
The job should also occupy just enough of my time to keep me from shacking up at a surf hostel for a month in my lifelong quest to master a short board. Sidenote: anything shorter than a 10 footer I like to call short boards. Also, swap the word "master" for "stand up on" and that's probably closer to reality.
1.19.2011
Back in the campo
After an epic day of traveling, I'm back in The Savior, and man it feels good.
Apart from the heat, I'm readapting well. Thanks for the emails. But I'm not sure which is worse: sweating uncontrollably from shoveling out your car, or sweating uncontrollably from simply being in El Salvador. At least with the shoveling you can just put down the shovel.
Apart from the heat, I'm readapting well. Thanks for the emails. But I'm not sure which is worse: sweating uncontrollably from shoveling out your car, or sweating uncontrollably from simply being in El Salvador. At least with the shoveling you can just put down the shovel.
1.15.2011
Another year of kicking ALS' ass and taking names
As you may know, last year our fledgling cycling team raised over $20,000 for ALS research in only its fourth year, totally blowing away our goal of raising $14,000. And the Tri-State Trek as a whole brought in a whopping 500,000 bucks for ALS research. Incredible numbers.
To celebrate the two accomplishments, Team America organized a small gathering at the Cambridge Brewing Company, a chill night just to share a few beers, make a few toasts, and motivate the team for this year's fundraising campaign and ride.
About 30 people came, no doubt attracted like moths to the glow of free apps and towers of microbrewed beer. We even had our first sign-ups from people willing to put their money where their mouths were.
A typical reserved Mearns and Z at the registration table.
We also reactivated our fundraising page so anyone who won the lottery recently or is feeling extra generous today should visit our Team America fundraising page.
Thanks in advance!
To celebrate the two accomplishments, Team America organized a small gathering at the Cambridge Brewing Company, a chill night just to share a few beers, make a few toasts, and motivate the team for this year's fundraising campaign and ride.
About 30 people came, no doubt attracted like moths to the glow of free apps and towers of microbrewed beer. We even had our first sign-ups from people willing to put their money where their mouths were.
A typical reserved Mearns and Z at the registration table.
We also reactivated our fundraising page so anyone who won the lottery recently or is feeling extra generous today should visit our Team America fundraising page.
Thanks in advance!
12.20.2010
An update and a few long-overdue thank you's
Well a lot's changed since my last post. All of it good.
I've officially moved back to Boston, painfully realized my blood thinned more than I expected (I used to scoff at 20 degrees!) and we just sold our house of over 30 years.
There's too much I could write about the house and, to be honest, it's not what this blog is about. But I will say that from its death came a rebirth of sorts. I'll explain...
Many of you know that back in July, we held a small fundraiser for children's scholarships in El Salvador at our favorite neighborhood watering hole, Doyle's. What we lacked in attendance, we more than made up for in sheer numbers. We held silent and live auctions and, in that one night, we raised something on the order of $3,000, well beyond what I had expected. It was also a chance to catch up with old friends and for me to answer any questions people had about my work in El Salvador.
Well this past Saturday we were fortunate to improve on those numbers even more. Thanks to a successful (and impromptu) moving sale, which again far exceeded our expectations, we are now up to a whopping $4,500. Woohoo!
But what does $4,500 even mean? What does that money go towards?
For starters, it means a hell of a lot to the nine students who rose to the top of our selection process and received scholarships. Books and uniforms can cost as little as $10 a year. Not that much, right? Well, unfortunately, that's enough to stop a family from allowing their son or daughter to attend classes for the year.
This money ensures that every one of our kids can continue their studies no matter how much the price of coffee drops or what the bean harvest brings. It eliminates one more excuse for parents insisting that only their eldest son attend school or continue studying on to the 6th grade, the average grade level attained in my community.
Below is a great moment from one of our Saturday study sessions. It was about 90 degrees in the shade that afternoon, yet there we were, hanging out and trying to write essays despite the oppressive heat. We eventually gave in, calling off the afternoon session so we could all pass out in our respective hammocks. I think the younger kids darted off to the river for a quick dip, while I headed to my neighbor's to see if she had any frozen mangoes.
You'll note that not all of the students pictured here made it to the final rounds and received scholarships. As much as I wanted to help every student, I stressed personal responsibility and attendance and had to let them make their own decisions and live by them.
And here's Jimbo, our essay-writing guru imparting a few pointers on making their essays pop.
I love these shots. So "Peace Corps." Ha ha ha.
For those who don't know how our scholarship fund works, every dollar we raise gets deposited in an account managed by a non-profit out of California called Aid El Salvador. The organization focuses on scholarships for Salvadoran youth and most recently, disaster relief and mitigation, as a direct result of the November 2009 landslides.
So whenever we raise funds, whether it be through an event or direct donations made through the organization's website (hopefully specifying "El Carmen," the name of our community), the money gets deposited into a Citibank escrow account, which an Aid El Salvador representative personally accesses and distributes to our scholars, typically twice a year, assuming they maintain a minimum GPA and complete a certain amount of volunteer hours. Oh yeah, and there are still funds in the scholarship account (cough, cough, hint, hint). Ha ha.
After the school years concludes, students have to reapply for the scholarships to reaffirm their commitment. If all those conditions are met (GPA, volunteer hours), and assuming they want to continue studying, funds are available up through the university level.
The girls receiving their first payment and signing their contracts.
Betty and Henry signing theirs.
After months of sacrificing their Saturdays for essay-writing workshops and clearing an untold number of hoops and hurdles, I'm proud to introduce our Aid El Salvador scholarship recipients!
Betty and Henry, both bright, responsible kids, will be the first in their families to earn a college degree. You can tell they're pretty excited about it.
I can't thank you all enough for your support and, above all, your generosity. Have a happy holidays and know that you have made a huge impact on the lives of these youth. MuchÃsimas gracias!
I've officially moved back to Boston, painfully realized my blood thinned more than I expected (I used to scoff at 20 degrees!) and we just sold our house of over 30 years.
There's too much I could write about the house and, to be honest, it's not what this blog is about. But I will say that from its death came a rebirth of sorts. I'll explain...
Many of you know that back in July, we held a small fundraiser for children's scholarships in El Salvador at our favorite neighborhood watering hole, Doyle's. What we lacked in attendance, we more than made up for in sheer numbers. We held silent and live auctions and, in that one night, we raised something on the order of $3,000, well beyond what I had expected. It was also a chance to catch up with old friends and for me to answer any questions people had about my work in El Salvador.
Well this past Saturday we were fortunate to improve on those numbers even more. Thanks to a successful (and impromptu) moving sale, which again far exceeded our expectations, we are now up to a whopping $4,500. Woohoo!
But what does $4,500 even mean? What does that money go towards?
For starters, it means a hell of a lot to the nine students who rose to the top of our selection process and received scholarships. Books and uniforms can cost as little as $10 a year. Not that much, right? Well, unfortunately, that's enough to stop a family from allowing their son or daughter to attend classes for the year.
This money ensures that every one of our kids can continue their studies no matter how much the price of coffee drops or what the bean harvest brings. It eliminates one more excuse for parents insisting that only their eldest son attend school or continue studying on to the 6th grade, the average grade level attained in my community.
Below is a great moment from one of our Saturday study sessions. It was about 90 degrees in the shade that afternoon, yet there we were, hanging out and trying to write essays despite the oppressive heat. We eventually gave in, calling off the afternoon session so we could all pass out in our respective hammocks. I think the younger kids darted off to the river for a quick dip, while I headed to my neighbor's to see if she had any frozen mangoes.
You'll note that not all of the students pictured here made it to the final rounds and received scholarships. As much as I wanted to help every student, I stressed personal responsibility and attendance and had to let them make their own decisions and live by them.
And here's Jimbo, our essay-writing guru imparting a few pointers on making their essays pop.
I love these shots. So "Peace Corps." Ha ha ha.
For those who don't know how our scholarship fund works, every dollar we raise gets deposited in an account managed by a non-profit out of California called Aid El Salvador. The organization focuses on scholarships for Salvadoran youth and most recently, disaster relief and mitigation, as a direct result of the November 2009 landslides.
So whenever we raise funds, whether it be through an event or direct donations made through the organization's website (hopefully specifying "El Carmen," the name of our community), the money gets deposited into a Citibank escrow account, which an Aid El Salvador representative personally accesses and distributes to our scholars, typically twice a year, assuming they maintain a minimum GPA and complete a certain amount of volunteer hours. Oh yeah, and there are still funds in the scholarship account (cough, cough, hint, hint). Ha ha.
After the school years concludes, students have to reapply for the scholarships to reaffirm their commitment. If all those conditions are met (GPA, volunteer hours), and assuming they want to continue studying, funds are available up through the university level.
The girls receiving their first payment and signing their contracts.
Betty and Henry signing theirs.
After months of sacrificing their Saturdays for essay-writing workshops and clearing an untold number of hoops and hurdles, I'm proud to introduce our Aid El Salvador scholarship recipients!
Betty and Henry, both bright, responsible kids, will be the first in their families to earn a college degree. You can tell they're pretty excited about it.
I can't thank you all enough for your support and, above all, your generosity. Have a happy holidays and know that you have made a huge impact on the lives of these youth. MuchÃsimas gracias!
12.06.2010
Tradition revisited
Another turkey day in the books. And this year didn't disappoint. But with 15 members of the Abrams, Cohen and Leadholm clan in Tucson, how could it?
So I don't think I'm going out on a limb in saying that Thanksgiving is arguably the most traditional of traditions. A day crafted around a single meal that seldom varies. On what other day of the year do we know exactly what we're going to see when we sit down at the table? Sure, I guess you could argue International Ice Cream Sandwich Day (August 2), Gazpacho Day (December 6) or Waffle Day (March 25), but you get my point.
We did our best, however, to uphold those traditions yet turn them on their collective head. A grilled chipotle turkey? Why not! Mole sauce on your mashed potatoes and stuffing? Hell yeah!
It was an unusual Thanksgiving, yet in the end, what more do you need than a comfortable setting, a room full of good food and family? Oh, wait. Booze! Copious amounts of booze.
After a week of golf, gin and tonics, and desert hikes, the party unfortunately came to an end and the clan disbursed.
I, on the other hand, was not as eager to dive headfirst back into a northeast winter and stayed a few extra days with my friend Christina from El Salvador who, as luck would have it, lives in Tucson. Small world.
Christina and her friends went out of their way to show me what you might call the "real" Tucson, a mix of university hang outs, authentic mexican restaurants and your typical psychotic, sexual biker bars where patrons brave enough to get branded by the owner receive 50 cents off drinks for life. I wish I were joking.
<<< The Meet Rack >>>
Wow.
We also had the chance to hang out with Christina's stepdad Phil who, as you'll see below, happens to be a 30 year member of the Tucson Glider Club...
It was great reconnecting with the not-so distant branches of our family tree and meeting the fast growing army of budding acorns.
Those little rascals are growing up fast and being able to see them before they're old enough not to give a shit who I am was worth the jet lag alone.
So I don't think I'm going out on a limb in saying that Thanksgiving is arguably the most traditional of traditions. A day crafted around a single meal that seldom varies. On what other day of the year do we know exactly what we're going to see when we sit down at the table? Sure, I guess you could argue International Ice Cream Sandwich Day (August 2), Gazpacho Day (December 6) or Waffle Day (March 25), but you get my point.
We did our best, however, to uphold those traditions yet turn them on their collective head. A grilled chipotle turkey? Why not! Mole sauce on your mashed potatoes and stuffing? Hell yeah!
It was an unusual Thanksgiving, yet in the end, what more do you need than a comfortable setting, a room full of good food and family? Oh, wait. Booze! Copious amounts of booze.
After a week of golf, gin and tonics, and desert hikes, the party unfortunately came to an end and the clan disbursed.
I, on the other hand, was not as eager to dive headfirst back into a northeast winter and stayed a few extra days with my friend Christina from El Salvador who, as luck would have it, lives in Tucson. Small world.
Christina and her friends went out of their way to show me what you might call the "real" Tucson, a mix of university hang outs, authentic mexican restaurants and your typical psychotic, sexual biker bars where patrons brave enough to get branded by the owner receive 50 cents off drinks for life. I wish I were joking.
<<< The Meet Rack >>>
Wow.
We also had the chance to hang out with Christina's stepdad Phil who, as you'll see below, happens to be a 30 year member of the Tucson Glider Club...
11.15.2010
Saying goodbye to Latin America
Modern art museums, hipster vegetarian bars, a great metro, dollar beers, an obsession with recycling. Medellin was a vibrant city and the perfect place to say goodbye to Latin America.
Drinks with Chucho, our gracious host for the week. How gracious was he? Well, he and his girlfriend actually flew to Bogota for the weekend and left us the keys to their place. Man, what a kickass couchsurf.
On our final day, we treated ourselves to paragliding in the hills above Medellin. Hell of an experience.
A quick video of the end of my paragliding experience, where my guy informs me we'll be crash landing in a field instead of back up at the top of the mountain. Greeeat. But at least as a final bribe, he spun us like crazy.
Now I'm in that weird limbo between not wanting the experience to end and feeling good about the prospect of some TLC back home. A hot shower and some clean clothes after living out of my backpack for two weeks sound amazing.
Drinks with Chucho, our gracious host for the week. How gracious was he? Well, he and his girlfriend actually flew to Bogota for the weekend and left us the keys to their place. Man, what a kickass couchsurf.
On our final day, we treated ourselves to paragliding in the hills above Medellin. Hell of an experience.
A quick video of the end of my paragliding experience, where my guy informs me we'll be crash landing in a field instead of back up at the top of the mountain. Greeeat. But at least as a final bribe, he spun us like crazy.
Now I'm in that weird limbo between not wanting the experience to end and feeling good about the prospect of some TLC back home. A hot shower and some clean clothes after living out of my backpack for two weeks sound amazing.
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