Posts from — July 2008

I’ll take a break today from my customary posts to introduce you to an unwelcome family guest.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (lim-fan-gee-o-lyo-myo-ma-toe-sis), better known as LAM, is a progressive lung disease that typically strikes women in the prime of their lives - most often during their childbearing years. Unfortunately, most women and many health care providers, including pulmonary specialists, are unaware of its existence or symptoms.

LAM is characterized by an unusual type of smooth muscle cell that grows uncontrollably and invades the tissues of the lungs, including the airways, and blood and lymph vessels. The accumulation of LAM cells form cell clusters and cysts, which destroy healthy tissue. Over time, the LAM cells create holes in the lungs, preventing the lungs from providing oxygen to the rest of the body and making breathing a daily battle.

The exact number of people living with LAM is not known. Though just 1,500 cases of LAM have been identified, scientists estimate that as many as 250,000 women may be going undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because of the commonality of the symptoms, which typically are similar to those of asthma, bronchitis or emphysema. Other symptoms include lung collapse which strikes my youngest sister, Kim Lash Gillespie, with frightening regularity. Last night, she suffered her fourth collapse since the onset of the disease last Fall and has been hospitalized. Surgery to reattach the lung is the likeliest intervention.

The shock of this happening to a family member is understandably depressing. However, it is more difficult to accept that this disease is now the burden of a world-class athlete who was captain of her tennis team at Georgia Tech and is former North Carolina state woman’s tennis champion.

Although there is currently no treatment or cure for LAM, there is hope. The LAM Foundation is urgently seeking an effective treatment, and ultimately a cure, for LAM through advocacy and the funding of promising research. They are the chief sponsor of the first-ever clinical treatment trial for women with LAM and are now enrolling patients.

In addition to keeping Kim and her husband William in your prayers, your gift to The LAM Foundation directly supports women with LAM and their families. More than 70% of funds raised are directed toward research that will help find a cure. Please make a tax-deductible donation today.

The muscle behind this blog is Wordpress. It is the most popular of a class of programs known as web-based content management systems or CMS. A CMS, in its most basic form, is software that conveniently allows people to update the content on their websites without requiring a programmer.

I use Wordpress partly because of its popularity but mainly because it’s loaded with the right stuff and it’s free. It is a thoughtful product, extremely easy to use with many features. Importantly, it is open source. What matters most about open source is that there is a huge community developing solutions for Wordpress, from interface designs to functions, and that makes my job building this blog much easier.

Although I’m a relatively new user of Wordpress, I’ve outgrown the ’software jitters’ and now embrace my inner programmer. Well, not actually a programmer. I only know of a bit of CSS, xHTML and PhP, requisites in the blog world. It’s more accurate to call me a ‘designer ’slash’ usability expert ’slash’ implementation specialist’. Regardless, because of its ease of use, Wordpress encourages me to explore.

For instance, a new version of Wordpress was made available earlier today. Brimming with confidence and, without reading a single release note, I downloaded and installed the upgrade in a matter of minutes. Was I successful? Well, I survived to write this post. Honestly, I used a solution from the Wordpress developer community to upgrade my installation. The Wordpress Automatic Upgrade plugin worked amazingly fast.

1. It backed up all my blog files.
2. Backed up my database.
3. Downloaded the latest version from Wordpress.
4. Put the site in maintenance mode.
5. Deactivated all active plugins.
6. Upgraded the Wordpress files.
7. Reactivated my plugins.

All I had to do was give Automatic Upgrade access to my website. Using the plugin, it took less than 3 minutes to upgrade my blog to the new platform.

A shout out to Keith Dsouza of Techie Buzz for making Automatic Upgrade free to Wordpress users. Keith is a member of that large developer community. Remember, they have my back.

I mentioned before that I work nights part-time. I work Customs for UPS Heavy Freight at UPS Worldport here in Louisville. As an employee, I enjoy a number of amenities including great benefits, substantial discounts from retailers and an education stipend. Additionally, my employer subsidizes two late night municipal bus runs to and from Worldport, so the 12-mile commute is free (except on those rare Fridays when the bus runs late and I’m forced to drive). These buses run through uptown Louisville, near the campuses of the U of L and Jefferson Community College and through the neighborhoods of the West End and Portland where I live.

It was on the ‘99′ bus that I was inspired with the idea for ‘The Practical Internet’, a course designed for the ‘underserved’: Net neophytes, old-schoolers and the ‘poor’, those who stand to gain the most from it. It all started when I overheard Miss Linda lamenting to Dolores about how she dreaded ‘getting paid tonight and spending it all tomorrow on bills’. I interrupted. “Um-huh, I know, paid today, gone tomorrow.” “Wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to stay up, go to the bank to deposit my check, then take the bus to pay my water bill and light bill, before they cut ‘em off. I’ll probably won’t get home before 2 o’clock.” I thought for a few seconds then replied, “You got cable?” “Yeah.” “You got Internet?” “Yes, but that’s for my grandson and nephew to play their games with. I know nothing about the Internet.” “Ok, you know, I got to pay bills tomorrow too. But I’m going to roll outta bed ’bout 11, make a cup of coffee then pay bills online, in my pajamas.” Miss Linda just looked at me and didn’t say a word. But the next night on the bus, she asked me how I made this happen.

“It’s easy, if you have a few things in place. You already got cable and a computer. I assume you already got a checking account since you deposit your UPS check.” “Yes.” “Then the hard part is done. I recommend setting up direct deposit and getting a debit card. Let me write down these steps and in no time you can be paying your bills from home and no more running around all day spending money to pay money.”

I gave her my to-do list. She thanked me in that way people do when they’re being polite and I was certain that was the last I would hear about it. Imagine my prideful surprise when, about a month later, she announced she’d been paying her bills online.

…to be continued.

At 60 years old, Grace Jones should an inspiration for many of us closing in on that number. She’s fine, elusive, but damn if I didn’t get a few straight-up chills watching this video. I’ve watched it twice now. The first time I found it unsettling: you know, “Wow! Grace Jones! She’s still rockin’! Nice beats but, oh snap, sinister visuals…she’s scarier than ever.” The second time, I analyzed the lyrics: “Corporate Cannibal…hmm, I get it…feeding on consumers. But she wants to feed on what? Your meat is sweet…WTF!” Not sure there will be a third viewing, but tell me what you think.

video peep courtesy of Undercover Black Man and Ernest Hardy

I’ve been in need of some serious chill time lately. Ask anybody. Working nights has destroyed my rhythm. Hard to keep fresh when you work from midnight to 4am, come home, get in that first shift of sleep, get up, do chores, exercise, nosh a bit, blog, sleep a second shift, get up, shower, then head out to do it all over again. What am I going to do when graduate school starts in six weeks? Uh, did I mention that I’m a baby boomer? Or, that this is my likely schedule for the next three years? Not only is this going to get old fast but I’m going to get older, faster.

Subsequently, I covet my chill time. Typically, my schedule only allows me to reserve Saturdays for rest and recovery. Don’t call me or come by the house. Listen, I’m so old school, I still consider cell phones intrusive. If you must interrupt me it better be for a good damn reason. I need REM sleep and I can’t get that if I’m talking to you. Though I guard my chill time religiously, I’m not a complete isolationist. I can be reached by phone but I route my public number through Grand Central which does a great job of handling my calls. Unless you’re in my inner circle of family and friends and privy to my direct number, the best option is to email me and be patient. I’ll get back to you soon enough.

Thus Saturdays are sacrosanct. Sleep is king. If I do anything during daylight hours, it’s reading, a little prayer or scoping the Net. Only after sundown do I do things remotely normal. I’ll catch up on the news online (BBC, CNN, NPR, various blogs, local outlets). I might throw in a load of wash, try out a new recipe for the wok or grill or watch sports or a movie. It was last Saturday, post-chill and during the mindless pursuit of broadcast TV, that I happened on one of the funniest commercials I’ve seen in years.

If you haven’t seen Nike’s Hyperdunk Recovery Center, feast your senses on this snippet. It reminds me of the life I knew before my knees gave in to more sensible pursuits. After watching this video, my former GF suggests that Nike should hire ‘Zen Master’ Phil Jackson as an HDRC therapist during the offseason, or at least, a guest lecturer. Heads up, Nike. Are you listening?

Sure, I been dunked on. But I done the dunkin’ too. More later. It’s time to get in that two-hour nap before work. That’s how I do.