December 2010 Archives

Writer Jane E. Brody has an article out in today's New York Times on how a man with macular degeneration discovered, via the Veterans Adminstration's advanced care vision centers, that he could still lead a productive and independent life.  You can access this uplifting article by clicking here.  But please note that these rehabilitation services offered by the VA are available to veterans only, and that, as the article notes, "neither Medicare nor private insurance" covers services like these for nonveterans with visual impairments. 

If you feel such services as described in this article should be, with proper insurance coverage, made available to nonveterans, contact your state's representatives and senators.  Click here to see whom to contact. 

(12/23/10 UPDATE: The bill got passed!   Happy Holidays to everybody!)

Tomorrow (Wednesday, December 22), the Senate is expected to vote on a scaled down version of a bill that would aid sick and disabled first responders that helped clean up and search for victims at the World Trade Center after the horrific attack on September 11, 2001.  The bill was shot down last week, prompting Daily Show host Jon Stewart to speak out against the senators who voted against it.  Stewart followed that with an interview with four of the rescue workers, which you can watch here:

After nine years, it seems unthinkable that anybody for whatever reason could deny these men and their colleagues decent medical care.  If you would like to do something for these people, contact your state senators (Connecticut's are listed here; others can be located on this site) and let them know (nicely) that you want this bill passed. 

"Good Morning America"'s Tory Johnson outlines the various ways job seekers can use Linkedin to organize and fine tune their job search in this article and accompanying video.  Among the tips she gives are how to make connections with potential employers and upgrading your resumes.  You can read the article (with video) by clicking here.

In lieu of a book or film review this week, I thought posting the eleven minute preview of HBO's upcoming A Game of Thrones series (based on the "Song of Ice and Fire" books by George R. R. Martin, which we carry; click here to see) might be more fun.  It runs about twelve minutes and is very interesting.  Enjoy:

The series premieres on HBO in April.   Check my Twitter feed for updates.  

George R. R. Martin's 1979 short story/novelette "Sandkings", which won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, has been anthologized in several collections including the recent Dreamsongs Volume One, whose cover is seen on the left, as well as having been adapted as an episode of the late nineties Outer Limits series.  It's still one of the most frightening science fiction/horror thrillers ever written.