Of course, if it’s an emergency call 911 and let the concierge know of your call (or have them call 911). But often, it’s not a 911 issue. What about having a concern about COVID symptoms or a urinary infection or other non-emergent concerns? It’s 10 AM on a Sunday morning and your doctor’s office recording advises you to go to urgent care (which may be at Northgate or University Village).
One resident recently solved the problem by having a home visit from an In Home Urgent Care provider called DispatchHealth (click on the link to visit the web site). She was visited by a nurse practitioner, had an on site quick lab test and a specimen taken for culture. Her insurance was billed and she had a co-pay of $35. The cost is similar to a visit to urgent care and much much less than an ER visit. The DispatchHealth visit can be booked by phone or on-line.
I have no personal experience with DispatchHealth and would appreciate any comments from others who have used them.
Scientists have uncovered a genetic mutation that makes it dangerously difficult to distinguish a black bear from a grizzly.
A cinnamon-colored black bear in Glacier National Park in Montana.
By Sam Jones in the NYT
Black bears have black fur, right? It’s there in the name.
“In the eastern part of North America, where I grew up, we have American black bears, and they’re only black,” said Emily Puckett, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Memphis.
People are even warned with a color-coded aphorism about how to behave during a bear encounter: “If it’s black, fight back; if it’s brown, lie down; if it’s white, say good night.”
The American black bear, Ursus americanus, did not get the memo when that saying was circulated: It comes in a variety of shades, including blond and cinnamon. The cinnamon bear is a U. americanus that wears a reddish brown coat and can look strikingly similar to grizzlies and other brown bears of the species Ursus arctos.
Recently, Dr. Puckett and colleagues uncovered the mutation that gave rise to this cinnamon situation millenniums ago, which potentially gave some bears an evolutionary edge. The scientists also discovered a mutation responsible for the amber coat of the grizzly. Their findings were published inthe journal Current Biology on Friday.
To find out what genetic change or changes could have led to the cinnamon coat, the researchers sequenced the genomes of nearly 200 U. americanus bears and identified a mutation in the gene for the protein TYRP1, known to be involved in melanin pigment production. The same mutation causes a form of albinism in people. The researchers uncovered a different mutation, also in TYRP1, in U. arctos.
The researchers suspected that a mutant version of TYRP1 would be enough to produce a lighter colored coat. To test this, they introduced the U. americanus and U. arctos mutations — separately — into pigment-producing cells, and they did indeed find that those cells produced little to no pigment.
They then calculated that the TYRP1 mutation first cropped up in U. americanus over 9,000 years ago in western North America, where it is still most common. Scientists have proposed that a lighter coat mimicking that of grizzlies would be advantageous in the west, where American black bears and grizzlies share territory and resources. A lighter coat also absorbs less heat, potentially benefiting a bear in the warm southwest.
Ed note: if you happen to use Amazon, please consider using AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop , you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice.
This is your quarterly AmazonSmile donation notification. Your chosen charity, Skyline at First Hill Residents Association, recently received a quarterly donation of $165.61 from AmazonSmile. To date, Amazon has donated a total of:
$1,122.19 to Skyline at First Hill Residents Association
Over $400 million to all US charities
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The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Seattle and surrounding areas from 7:00 PM Monday through 7:00 PM Tuesday. Snow accumulations from 2-8 inches are possible. Heavy accumulating snow will likely impact the morning and evening commutes on Tuesday, making travel very difficult. Avoid or delay travel if possible. If you must travel, check road and transit conditions before beginning your trip and prepare for possible delays. Take winter travel safety precautions: keep an extra flashlight, food, water, warm clothing, and a way to communicate with you and in your vehicle in case of emergency.
Extremely cold weather will continue through this week, with low temperatures well below freezing and potential wind chills in the single digits. These temperatures are dangerous. Emergency warming spaces are available for people without shelter and their pets. All residents should keep pets indoors during extreme cold.
Ed note: This essay from the current issue of the New England Journal reminds us that we, as patients, have choices. Our providers may or may not agree, but making our wishes known in the way Josephine did engendered a respect and understanding from her doctors–even though she was setting limits on their care and advice.
Ed note: I suspect that looking back 90 years from now, our current legislators may look as silly, but hopefully not as racist as those of1933.
From HistoryLink: On December 22, 1933, amid growing fears over the perceived threat posed by that relatively new fad, jazz music, Washington State Representative William A. Allen submits his proposal (House Bill 194) to establish a commission that will study the presumably dangerous and deleterious effects that the largely African American art form might be having on the general public. Allen’s bill never comes to a vote, but it exemplifies a long tradition, which will be repeated a generation later for rock ‘n’ roll, of efforts by authorities to clamp down on new trends in music.
Fear of Music
In countless instances over the centuries, new forms of music have been forbidden by rulers, religious leaders, and other societal and governmental authorities all across the globe — often because music is seen as a potentially destabilizing force. These authorities’ various angles of attack have included condemning songs for their beats, tempo, chord structures, instrumentation, volume, associated dance moves, or what they consider offensive lyrical content.
This fear of music is, however, not completely without merit as songs can have the ability to convey new ideas; to explore shockingly innovative chordal, melodic, and rhythmic terrain; to introduce radical instruments and their sounds; and to inspire new sensual body movements by dancers. The historical record reveals that most attempts to formally ban such things have failed. But not all — and when jazz music arose about a century ago (as with rock ‘n’ roll music, five decades later), its detractors were legion.
Ed note: With apologies to pet dogs. Very sorry if this article ruffles some fur 😊.
If you’ve noticed guide dogs walking with their chests poofed out a tad more than other dogs and their noses a few degrees higher in the air, you’re not mistaken.
A recent study from Ruffs University found that guide dogs are 99.7% more arrogant than their more carefree, unemployed counterparts because they have actual jobs and believe they’re higher in the chow chain.
The study surveyed 4,000 dogs nationwide. According to lead researcher Jonathon Hound, one reason cited for their arrogance was that, unlike regular dogs, guide dogs are not available for people to freely pet whenever they choose.
“Guide dogs realized they were unique when they noticed people had to ask permission from their owners to pet them,” he said. “They started gaining a superiority complex. I mean, you don’t just go pet the president or king either.” He added that their arrogance is further compounded by the fact that blind or visually impaired people revere guide dogs for helping them navigate situations and restoring their independence.
We interviewed some guide dogs for their take on the study.
“I can’t deny or confirm that us highly esteemed guide dogs are more arrogant,” barked Garmin, who has been a guide dog for five years. “But we are highly focused, and we don’t have time to do silly, mindless things like play or snuggle all day. We have an extremely important job to do, and we only play after a hard day’s work when the harness is off.”
North, another guide dog, who’s been on the job for the past three years, agreed. “Did you know only 45 to 50% of dogs make the grade to be a guide dog?” woofed North, puffing his chest out and polishing his claws. “Our training is intense! We’re held to really high standards and if you didn’t already know, I am a part of that exclusive group. I mean there’s a whole month dedicated to us. It’s obvious we’re pretty darn special.”
The Americans with Disabilities Act states that service dogs like guide dogs are allowed any place a person can go. This freedom afforded to them only makes guide dogs’ arrogance levels skyrocket even more, according to Hound.
Garmin confirmed this. “Yup, I am a world traveler, and I only fly in the plane cabins with humans, not trapped in those claustrophobic carriers or the cargo hold. That’s soooo beneath us. And, I get to board first like royalty,” he yapped with attitude. “I also get the honor of entering any restaurant or building; we’re not chained outside like those other lazy, pathetic canines who just live to get their bellies rubbed. Tsk.”
Hound’s next really important study is on guide dogs’ GPS skills and their amazing ability to read traffic signals. North and Garmin will not participate in the study; they did not deny or confirm if it was because of their egocentricity.
Posted inAnimals, Humor|Comments Off on Study Shows Guide Dogs More Arrogant Than Pet Dogs Because They ‘Have a Real Job Unlike Lazy Sparky Over There’
Thanks to Ann M. for this reminder and for the Art of the Month on-going project
Residents will remember our Art of the Month display, “Confrontation at the Selma Bridge,” painted by Jacob Lawrence in 1975. A signed print of the painting was loaned by Christian and Joyce Zobel in January, 2020 for our monthly art display on the 4th floor. John Lewis is honored as a leader of the civil rights group attacked by Alabama Law Enforcement on the bridge in 1965.
Posted inArt, History|Comments Off on Confrontation at the Selma Bridge
Civil rights giant and former U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who spent decades fighting for racial justice, will be honored with a postage stamp next year.
In a Tuesday announcement, the U.S. Postal Service said the stamp “celebrates the life and legacy” of the leader from Georgia, who risked his life protesting against segregation and other injustices in the violent Jim Crow-era South.
“Lewis spent more than 30 years in Congress steadfastly defending and building on key civil rights gains that he had helped achieve in the 1960s. Even in the face of hatred and violence, as well as some 45 arrests, Lewis remained resolute in his commitment to what he liked to call ‘good trouble,'” USPS said in a news release.
In March of 1965, then-25-year-old Lewis led a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery alongside other civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. The peaceful protest calling for equal voting rights came to be known as “Bloody Sunday” after Alabama State Troopers descended on the non-violent demonstrators in a brutal attack that left Lewis with a cracked skull.
His public service career spanned nearly 60 years. As a young student he joined lunch-counter protests; later, he became a member of the Freedom Riders; and at 21, he was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington. After serving on the Atlanta City Council, Lewis was elected to Congress where he spent more than 30 years representing the Atlanta area in the House of Representatives.
He died at age 80 in 2020 after suffering from advanced-stage pancreatic cancer.
Posted inHistory, Law, Race|Comments Off on U.S. Postal Service honors the late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis with a stamp
by David B. Williams (author and son of resident Jackie Williams)
The other day when it was snowing, my wife and I took a short walk from our house. We headed north two blocks, then east over I-5, and up a slight ridge. In doing so, we passed through a phase changing temperature gradient. At our house the snow was not sticking to the sidewalk. At the apex of the ridge, the snow stuck. Total elevation change was about 100 feet.
Depending on which website one trusts, with every 1,000 feet in elevation we could have risen, we would have lost between 3.5 and 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Since we ascended only 100 feet, the temperature only dropped between about a third and half a degree, but still just enough of a nanohabitat change to allow snow to remain on pavement.
Several years ago, I also passed through a similar temperature gradient in a downtown building. I had ridden up to the 47th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower and done a bit of research. When I looked out a nearby window it was snowing but when I got down to the ground floor it was raining. Dropping more than 470 feet, I had gone from snow cold air to rain warm air. It was pretty darned nifty, what you might call urban snow virga, or snirga, if I may coin a portmanteau.
Virga, in which rain doesn’t reach the ground.
The subtle variation we experienced on our walk is one of the challenges in snow forecasting in Seattle. When it snows here, it generally happens right around the freezing point. Combine the mutability of topographic temperatures with our big bodies of water—Lake Washington and Puget Sound—which hold heat longer than pavement and it’s very challenging to provide a definitive snow accumulation forecast for the entire city. So be nice to forecasters, they’re people, too.
But, of course, there’s even more complexity. On our walk snow accumulated in a hodge podge of patterns. The most obvious was the difference between grass and pavement, primarily because grass retains less heat than a sidewalk, and provides a cooler surface where snow can collect. More beautiful was how leaves looked like snow whisperers, as if they had charmed the snow to land only on them. This would be a very wonderful and novel phenomenon but alas has to do with the leaves also providing a cooler surface than the pavement.
Shrubs and trees also play a part. Not surprisingly, less snow accumulated under leafy and well-needled vegetation but the same happened with bare trees. I wonder if, in addition to capturing the snow, the branches changed the flow of air enough to alter accumulation. Considering that I got a 16 percent on a physics test in college, you probably shouldn’t trust any ideas I write that have anything to do with physics.
Proximity to walls also influenced where snow remained. Solar radiation bouncing off south facing walls added enough warmth to sidewalks to keep them bare. There were also many areas with no discernible reason for where snow wasn’t. Were there sewer pipes with warm water heating pavement, geothermal deposits, or not very good snow sweepers?
It looks like the car provided a bit of warmth that kept the sidewalk bare?
So what does all this mean? Some climate change skeptics say that we don’t need to worry about one or two degrees of temperature increase. They are wrong. As I witnessed with the minimal temperature variation I experienced, little is required to alter what happens with snow. In addition, what I saw is predicted to play out in our regional precipitation patterns: climate change induced warming will mean that the mountains of the PNW should get less snow and more rain. Precipitation is expected to rise but because of warming temperatures snow will arrive later in autumn and stop falling earlier in spring. The impacts on salmon, recreation, and urban water supply will be dramatic.
Our planet, our neighborhood, each is sensitive to temperature change. As I walk the streets around my home, I cannot help but be fascinated by the beautiful effects of small variations and worried about the detrimental effects of the big changes we are inflicting on our planet.
Last week I wrote about the old Chamber of Commerce Observatory. Here’s a link to a video I made from another great downtown location with a view. It is the public viewing space on the Seventh Floor Patio of the Fourth and Madison Building, one block north of the former Observatory. The elevator to reach it is in the southwest corner of the main lobby floor, sort of hidden away. Ask at the front desk if you need help.
Ed note: I’ve been asked on occasion how one can find an advocate when they have no one close to them who can be their power of attorney or assist with health care navigation. HealthAdvocateX is a national non-profit organization committed to helping you transform into an active participant in your care. It’s a consortium of advocates you can hire for navigating health decisions, doctor’s visits, insurance, end-of-life planning, etc.
When you are overwhelmed with a diagnosis (or a lack of one), are facing surgery or long-term treatment, or are unsure of your medical expenses and your insurance options, it might be time to call a professional Health Advocate. Health Advocates can assist you with a variety of things, including health care navigation, eldercare, insurance, billing and administrative issues regarding long-term or brief but severe care needs.
Posted inAdvocacy, Health|Comments Off on WHAT ARE TYPES OF HEALTH ADVOCACY SERVICES?
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