The coldest winter I ever spent
Archive for 2016
Please Don’t Vote For Trump
America doesn’t need a xenophobic, racist, misogynistic, pants on fire liar leader who’s main tactics are fear, uncertainty and doubt , bullying, and bankruptcy courts. The competition, Hillary has her faults but they are the typical foibles of a career politician, not of a dangerous demagogue.
Eye Problems
Two weeks ago I noticed difficulty seeing out of my right eye. I couldn’t read text on the computer or on paper, it was too blurry. After two visits to the UC Berkeley Meredith Morgan Eye Center and a battery of blood tests to rule out underlying issues, I’ve been diagnosed with non-ischemic central retinal vein occlusion with mild macular edema. The doctors have been saying “You’re too young for this disorder”. But, except for some risk factors that I don’t have, this disorder is idiopathic, which means that no one knows why I got it. And there’s no treatment for the main symptoms. Just wait and hope it gets better. My doctor, an expert in the field, told me today that 1/3 get better, 1/3 stay the same, 1/3 get worse.
I’ve occasionally been bumping into things on my right side. I can’t read with my right eye… I’m typing this keeping my right eye shut. Moving around takes more energy because I have to focus more on where I’m going. My depth perception is much worse, and my ability to discriminate objects at a distance is reduced. This sucks.
I’ll be going for an eye treatment soon to address the macular edema. Please wish me good luck.
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Some details about how it started: on Thursday October 20th I woke up and stumbled around the bedroom more than usual. My right eye was seeing spots and my vision was a lot darker than my left. I assumed that I had rolled onto my right eye with my pillow and went on with my day. Friday the same thing happened. Saturday wasn’t as bad in the morning but at around 9:30pm I was reading on my computer, and thinking something was wrong, I closed my left eye. I noticed several places in my vision that were hazy. It was like I was looking through a glass pane with several water drops drizzled across it. Within a few minutes, I called the 24 hour line at Meredith Morgan Eye Center.
Looking for Book / Magazine Recommendations for 2-5 year old!
What are some good magazines for my almost 2 year old daughter?
Maybe you could comment on these suggestions…
To start off the list…
– Games Magazine Junior Kids’ Big Book of Games
– High Five
– Highlights for Children
– Ranger Rick Jr
If you’re a friend and would like our new address, please write to me!
We now live in a two-bedroom apartment in a four apartment building in North Berkeley, California. The house sits at the end of a long driveway, making it pleasantly secluded in a great neighborhood. We have our own private patio and we open the back fence to a communal 1/4 acre back yard with grass, trees and bocce court!
We live just a few blocks away from a great grocery store (Monterey Market), and a row of stores with a meat market, fish market, cheese market, bakery, Chinese restaurant, pizza place, wine store, coffee shop, and plant nursery! The neighborhood is full of kids under three years old, and just four blocks away is a large playground with everything from tennis courts, swings, and a public pool. We were very cramped in our one bedroom apartment with very few friends or neighbors to talk to.
Right now the place is full of boxes but we are rapidly making headway! We’ll be having a house-warming party soon.
We’re all well. Abigail is growing, drawing, climbing, and telling us about her world all the time. Megan is chilling at home now that her school year has ended. And Lee’s school fieldwork is a refreshing change, with fewer hours and a much more gentle commute.
Lee, Megan, and Abigail
I’ve been experiencing tinnitus for the last two years or so… There is ALWAYS a ringing in my ears. It sounds a lot like cymbals that just never stop. Ba da bump, Tsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss…
It occurred to me that my 5 hour/day public transit commute to school might be contributing to the problem so I got the best earmuffs I could find.
I got these earmuffs for my commute. They are the highest noise reduction I could get:Howard Leight by Honeywell Impact Pro Sound Amplification Electronic Earmuff (R-01902)
I like them because when I put them on I don’t hear anything else. If you talk at a normal volume 5 feet away, I MIGHT notice that you are standing there. It’s nice for when I need to concentrate on something.
The music headphones on these earmuffs are too quiet to be useful. Maybe that’s a safety feature but it totally sucks. So when I want to play music, I put in earbud headphones and then the earmuffs on top. It works but it’s a big bother. I tried several music players and I exchanged the earmuffs to find the same problem.
Here is a second earmuff that might be better for a long commute. I don’t have this next pair but this second pair is supposed to be designed for playing music. They block less sound (25 NRI instead of 30 NRI), but it should be good enough for the train. And they are less expensive.
Howard Leight 1030110 Sync Noise-Blocking Stereo Earmuff
Enjoy. If you get either, I’d love to hear what you think.
In the next few years, I will personally know at least 1 in every 420 OTs in America. So if you were to ask if I knew your random OT friend, there’s actually a chance I’d say “yes”!
There are 115,000 OTs in the US
I personally know 270 (30 current occupational therapists, 80 students in my cohort, 100 students in the previous cohort, 60 students in the next cohort) 270 / 115,000 = 0.0023 . . . . 0.23% of the OTs in America, that’s 1 in every 420 OTs in America!
It is very important to not burn professional bridges!
When you want an icon that refers to medicine, use the rod with one snake, called the Rod of Asclepius. For commerce (and some other things, see below) use the winged staff with two snakes, called the Caduceus. These two symbols have very different meanings!
Rod of Asclepius, Medicine
The Rod of Asclepius (displayed to the left) is the symbol for the Greco-Roman god Asclepius, known for his connection with medicine. It is a rod with one snake. The symbol is used today to represent the medical profession. You can commonly find this symbol on ambulances and everywhere medical symbols or logos are needed.
Caduceus, Commerce
The Caduceus (displayed to the right) is the symbol for the Greco-Roman god Hermes or Mercury. It is a staff with two snakes and wings. Hermes is known for being a messenger of the gods, protector of merchants, guide to the dead, shepherds, gamblers, liars, and thieves. The Caduceus is generally used today as a symbol of commerce.
Why is there confusion in the U.S.?
In 1902 the US Army Medical Corp chose the Caduceus as their insignia. Most scholars regard this as a flat-out mistake. The US Army writes that the Caduceus represents “the non-combatant status of military medicine on the battlefield”, which is to say they fully admit they are not using it as a medical symbol. The Encyclopedia Britannica notes, “Among the ancient Greeks and Romans [the Caduceus] became the badge of heralds and ambassadors, signifying their inviolability.” So maybe the US Army was thinking the symbol would convey a sense of “… Hey, hey, hey, don’t kill me, I’m just a messenger delivering the wounded to the hospital!” or some such. That is quite a stretch; I think somebody just used the wrong symbol. Today, military ambulances use the red cross and and civilian ambulances use the Star of Life, which prominently features, you guessed it, the Rod of Asclepius.
So why shouldn’t a medical provider use the Caduceus? Oh, let me count the ways! Being the symbol of Hermes, at best, it implies the medical professional is either selling or delivering something. The closest you’ll ever get to it being the right symbol is for a palliative care setting where medical professionals carefully “transport” those in their care into the afterlife. It goes downhill from there; it may imply the medical provider will kill you (Hermes is the guide to the dead!), feed you to the dogs (shepherds!), hock your jewelry (gamblers!), and tell your mom they haven’t seen you in a week (liars and thieves!). It is generally not a reassuring medical symbol. If you are a medical provider, please do not use the Caduceus!
Academic research on the subject is very clear. The Caduceus is not a medical symbol, the Rod of Asclepius is. 
The best research can be found in the 1992 book The Golden Wand of Medicine a History of the Caduceus Symbol in Medicine by Walter Friedlander
Dr. Friedlander spends 181 pages meticulously reviewing the history of the two symbols from their origins to the present day. It is very well researched, with lengthy bibliographies. He nails down with all the certainty that can be mustered by the best academician that the Caduceus is the wrong symbol to represent medicine. Read the final sentences of the book read (bold is mine):
It seems most likely that the caduceus became associated with medicine because of two errors: confusion of Traditional Hermes with other Hermes, and lack of recognizing or knowing the difference between two distinct serpentine objects, Traditional Hermes’ caduceus and Aesculapius’ staff. The result is that present day medicine, particularly in the United States, often shares the same symbol with merchants and commerce. Although, unfortunately, many lay people may think this is appropriate, it seems unlikely that most medical people, if they understood the underlying meaning of this object, would find it suitable. – page 158
Here are some scans of the first page and the concluding pages of The Golden Wand of Medicine.
There are a plethora of other resources I welcome you to explore. They all say the same thing. “Use the rod of Asclepius as the medical symbol”. Here’s a few articles from highly regarded sources to get you started:
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Here is the full text from the US Army Medical Department Office of Medical History Frequently Asked Questions page, retrieved 10-31-20: (bold is mine)
Why does the Army Medical Department use the Caduceus, which represents the Greek god Hermes and the Roman god Mercury, instead of the Staff of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing?
The Army Medical Department uses both the Caduceus (Mercury’s/Hermes’ Staff) and the Staff of Asclepius as symbols for the Army Medical Department (AMEDD). The Staff of Asclepius, or Aesculapius, symbolizes the medical mission of the AMEDD, and is included on the AMEDD Regimental Crest (the staff with one snake entwined around it). The Caduceus, two snakes around a winged staff, symbolizes the non-combatant role of the AMEDD. The Caduceus was first used on enlisted men’s uniforms in 1851, over a decade before the establishment of the Red Cross as a symbol of non-combatants. In 1902 the Caduceus was chosen to replace the Maltese Cross insignia on Medical Corps officers’ collars. In 1907, the Army Nurse Corps – the only other officer corps in the AMEDD at that time – began wearing a Caduceus with the letters ANC superimposed over it. Since that time, all new officer corps have been represented by a Caduceus specific to their corps, worn on the collars of their officers. After the First World War, many medical professionals left the army and returned to civilian practice. When they did, they took with them the Caducei they had worn proudly as members of the Army Medical Department. Over time, the Caduceus became associated with medicine in America, even in medical practices that had no association with the Army. Originally, though, the Caduceus did not stand for medicine, but represented the non-combatant status of military medicine on the battlefield.
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Notes:
“Asclepius” is also spelled Asclepios or (Latin) Aesculapius
The Rod of Asclepius image above was created by David Khai, distributed by The Noun Project. The fine folks at the Noun Project were a great help when I brought this issue to them, fixing hundreds of their catalog listings appropriately! Thank you!
This is to memorialize Rafael Bejarano. His gift to Megan and I at our wedding was magical.
He played the didgeridoo for Megan and I at our wedding and … well, there was this moment when he put the instrument right up to my head and the sound revealed this amazing connection to the universality of music and love. Megan and I experienced it both. Thank you Rafael.
Here is a memorial web page that talks about Rafael Bejarano’s music and life better than I.
In September 2015, he was “accidentally murdered” by the Egyptian military while on vacation.
(via the New York Times)
The Latest: Family, Friends Identify Mexican Killed in Egypt
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEPTEMBER 14, 2015The latest developments after Egyptian troops mistakenly opened fire on a group of Mexican tourists on a safari in the country’s western desert. All times local:
___8:20 p.m.
Friends and relatives of a Mexican man killed in a mistaken attack by Egyptian security forces in the Arab country’s western desert have identified him as Rafael Bejarano, who has given classes in spirituality and concerts in Mexico and the United States.
The identity of the other Mexican who died in the attack has not yet been confirmed.
Bejarano’s business partner, Rachel Stewart of San Clemente, California, says the Egyptian trip of about 15 friends was organized by Bejarano’s mother, Marisela. Stewart says Marisela, who also took part in the trip, was recovering from wounds suffered in the attack.
Stewart said Monday that the trip was planned as a sort of spiritual retreat, and that Marisela regularly organized similar trips.
The 41-year-old Bejarano had lived in San Clemente for about three years and was a self-described shaman, faith healer, and player of the didgeridoo – a long, wooden horn-like instrument from Australia.
Stewart says he “touched everyone with his heart, with his music, with his soul.”
Bejarano’s sister Gabriela Bejarano disputed government reports that the groups was not authorized to be in the area. She says she herself has been on the trip twice, and that “the controls are very strict.”
___
5:30 p.m.
A hospital spokeswoman says two Mexicans wounded when Egyptian forces mistakenly fired upon tourists on a desert safari are dual American citizens.
Twelve people were killed in the incident, including two Mexican citizens, and a total of 10 people were wounded.
Mona el-Bakri, the spokeswoman for the Dar al-Fouad hospital where the wounded were being treated, says two of the seven Mexicans receiving treatment also hold American citizenship.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Brian Shott said officials are looking into whether an American citizen was involved in the incident.
___
4:15 p.m.
Mexico’s Embassy in Cairo says it’s cancelling its independence day celebration scheduled for Tuesday at the mission in the Egyptian capital.
The cancellation followed the deadly attack late Sunday that killed at least two Mexican tourists and wounded six in Egypt’s western desert.
The brief message was posted on the embassy’s website.
Mexicans traditionally celebrate their independence with a ceremony on the evening of Sept. 15 and morning of Sept. 16.
___
3:35 p.m.
Mexican Foreign Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu says Mexicans wounded in a mistake attack in Egypt have told Mexico’s ambassador to Cairo that they were subject to an aerial attack from aircraft. She confirmed that at least two Mexicans were killed in the attack and six were wounded.
Ruiz Massieu spoke at a news conference on Monday in Mexico City.
She says the wounded Mexicans said “they had suffered an aerial attack with bombs launched from an airplane and helicopters.”
She also says Egyptian officials have promised to form an investigative committee headed by the country’s prime minister and pledged “an expedited investigation in depth.”
Mexico has sent a diplomatic note expressing “profound dismay” and demanding an investigation.
___
2:30 p.m.
Ibrahim Mehleb, Egypt’s acting prime minister has visited several Mexican citizens injured by Egyptian security forces in Egypt’s western desert. Mehleb, whose government resigned last week but who remains in his post until a successor can be chosen, visited the wounded in Dar el-Fouad Hospital in suburban Cairo on Monday.
“We are standing next to the Mexican people in their tragedy. The circumstances surrounding the incident are part of Egypt’s fight against terrorism. The Mexican side is receiving the best care and we will take care of the Egyptian victims,” Mehleb said after his visit. “This is a painful incident and I give my deepest condolences to the Egyptian people and our guest the Mexicans, and I have spoken to the Mexican ambassador and relayed my condolences.”
___
1:00 p.m.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zaid says acting Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry spoke by telephone Monday morning with his Mexican counterpart Claudia Ruiz Massieu and explained to her the circumstances that surrounded the incident, saying the tourists were in a restricted area and the army and police were chasing militants who were in SUVs similar to those used by the tourists.
Shoukry assured Massieu that the Interior Ministry is investigating the incident and that the Egyptian government will extend all possible assistance, including medical treatment for the injured and transporting the bodies of the dead back to their home country.
___
9:15 a.m.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is condemning the deaths of Mexican tourists after Egyptian troops mistakenly opened fire on a desert safari convoy.
In a statement on his Twitter feed Monday morning, Nieto says his government “condemns these acts against our citizens” and demands a thorough investigation.
The attack killed at least 12 people and injured 10. The victims are Mexican and Egyptian.
Egyptian authorities say the four-car convoy had entered a restricted area of the desert without permission and without informing authorities.
© 2015 The New York Times Company

I was selected to present my research poster at the OTAC Convention (Occupational Therapy Association of California) in Pasadena October 27-30!
My big final research paper in school was about the relationship between stress and life satisfaction among
occupational therapy graduate students. I created a poster to highlight the important points and I presented it at a poster session last month. I applied to present the poster at the OTAC conference in October and the committee selected it!
I am finished with the academic portion of my Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at San Jose State University!
On May 27th I walked with my cohorts wearing cap and gown in a convocation ceremony.
In the coming months I will do two three-month fieldworks: a skilled nursing facility in Alameda and at a community senior center in San Francisco. In January or February I will take the NBCOT (the occupational therapy certification test) and start as an occupational therapy professional!
See Thank-you’s below the photos!
Here is the Acknowledgements section of my research paper:
The Relationship Between Stress and Life Satisfaction Among Occupational Therapy Graduate Students
Acknowledgements
Firstly, I have thank my loving wife Dr. Megan Flom for helping to make this grand project a reality. She has been there, supporting me from the beginning to the end. Great thanks also go to my brother-in-law Walt Flom for sharing his passion and helping me to appreciate and understand it.I offer my gratitude to my research professor, Dr. Megan Chang for guiding and supporting this effort. I am also grateful for every professor and every student I have encountered at San Jose State. This has been a period of great growth.
I offer grateful thanks to my parents, Lee J. Sonko and Marlene M. Sonko for a lifetime of continued love and encouragement to follow my passions.
The person I need to thank the most can’t read this note… yet. I must thank my wonderful daughter Abigail for helping me every morning by reminding me of the joys of life and learning. As she says so excitedly, “Book-a-book-a-book-a-book-a-book!”
Lee Sonko
May 2016