The most recent 20 comments posted to Making Light by Laurel Krahn:

Excellent article. I actually skipped the first page the first time through when I saw it included descriptions of the condition of those left in the car; you still get a lot out of the article if you skip that graphic bit.

Oprah did a show on this topic last September which got a lot of people talking about how easy it is to make tragic mistakes in the car or at home.

I think it'd be great if there was some relatively cheap gadget that parents could buy to help them remember that their baby is in the car. Could be sold with car seats or required as they are. Heck, memory tools like that could work for a number of applications. Rituals help too-- I can't close the car door without my keys in my hand.

I do agree it might be overkill to have a safety device in cars to aid with this, but it depends on the type of device-- there might be some easy cheap additional gizmo that could help.

After reading stats on drunk driving recently, I sympathize with people who think breathalyzers in cars aren't a bad idea. I know it's not practical and don't recommend it, but I'm floored that so many people get into cars after drinking. I'm not sure what can be done there, but many more deaths result from folks who drink and drive than by folks who forget kids in cars. There's no way to prevent everything, but after something touches your life or you read an article like this one, it's hard not to want to find some way to prevent the bad stuff.

The concert is on again tonight in primetime and late night on HBO (and HBO is free this weekend from most cable & dish companies). 7pm and 11:30pm Eastern time.

It will also be available on the HBO website ( http://www.hbo.com/weareone/ ) at those times.

If any of you have DirecTV, you might want to check out channel 352 which is a special "2008 Election Mix" which shows eight channels on screen at once: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and BBC America. They've been using audio from ABC while I've had it on.

Useful for getting a look at what's going on and then switching to the channel you think has the most interesting coverage at a given moment.

We're going to have a jar (or something) for donations on the bar at Convivial 3 this weekend, will pass along money raised next week.

Those looking for more info on how Soren is doing should check the comments in the other thread about Scraps here at Making Light; you might also check the Livejournals of fimbrethil, coyotegoth, and (of course) roadnotes.

Kip,

The CPAP shouldn't interfere with his sight; as I understand it he's not able to wear his glasses right now and that's why he can't see.

Still so shocked and worried. He and all those dear to him are in my thoughts and prayers.

Scraps was a dear friend to me and more when I really needed one. He introduced me to some music and authors I hadn't been exposed to before; we'd also talk for hours about every damn thing.

I'm with the folks who wanted to punch that doctor in the nose. The fact that Scraps is recognizing people and interacting with them is an encouraging sign-- I hope it's the first of many.

Wow, I'm surprised I've never heard of this before (Vial of Life, putting stuff in fridge) given how much research I did on medical alert bracelets a few years back. And how many ailing relatives I've dealt with. Good to know.

I always try to remind people that if they have sleep apnea, they should wear a medical alert bracelet that notes it or at the very least have a laminated card in their wallet that says so.

When I got my first MedicAlert bracelet just a few years ago, "sleep apnea" wasn't an option you could select for your bracelet and on the default forms so I had to call and request that they put that and the appropriate details on there.

It just seems like most people don't know how important it is to have this noted so one can be closely monitored in certain situations (post-op is particularly dangerous for folks with sleep apnea if the nurses don't know to keep a close watch on them).

In a Vial of Life, you'd want a piece of paper with relevant prescriptions, a note on what pressure setting one uses (and what kind of machine). Might as well also list mask and machine specifics while you're at it.

I loved the show from the first time I saw the pilot, was the rare person who told people to watch it when it debuted (it debuted opposite this little show called Lost).

I think they screwed some things up at the end of season one. And then there was lameness at the start and middle of season two, but the payoff at the end of season two rocked my world and for that reason alone-- I kinda almost maybe like it better. Or at least I liked the season finale better.

Will have to see how I like the seasons when I revisit them, it's a whole different experience watching episodes from a season in a short span of time, as opposed to spread out over the course of a season.

Season three . . . the less said, the better. Though there were cool bits in there, of course.

Oh, excellent! A great moderator for a great site-- truly a great idea. Congrats!

Yes, four of the eight lanes were closed.

Traffic on that bridge usually moves at a rather brisk pace (at least in my experience), but with half the lanes closed, it was bumper to bumper, reportedly traffic was going about 10 miles per hour.

Some people did avoid that bridge because of the construction and fewer lanes, but it was still darn slow.

It is the busiest bridge in MN, a couple years back they said 140,000 vehicles went across it in a single day, that number's gotta be higher now. Except when lanes are closed.

I've now gathered all the links I've posted in one place with more to come I'm sure.

I must say, the press conferences from both Hennepin County Medical Center and from the Minneapolis police are very impressive. People seem to really know their stuff and be covering every angle I can think of (and then some).

Neil Gaiman's been listed as "okay" on the check-in page for quite some time. We're still awaiting word on some local fans.

For those interested in this stuff, Shaun Kelly has been posting his observations from listening in on the radio chatter in his LJ: kalikanzeros.livejournal.com

And Nancy McClure posted a good picture to give you a better idea of where the bridge is located:
http://www.hand2mouse.com/mcclure/bridgecollapse.jpg

It was really great to have you both back at Minicon-- I've missed you!

Thanks again for the fab Tor music party and for being on so much programming (wish I'd been able to make it to more of it). Was also great to hear Patrick play with Charles & Mary Ann at their concert and to hear him in the music parties.

Words fail, all I can do is cry.


I'm really going to miss him.

Bottled water has been extremely popular at recent Minicons (both in the consuite and at room parties). Cider seems to be as popular as beer these days, if not more so.

As more and more fans are diagnosed with diabetes, water and diet pop are becoming increasingly popular; I think diet or sugar-free options go the fastest at Minn-StF parties these days or at the least are even with the "regular" stuff.

People seem to appreciate it if you have diet caffeine free, regular caffeine free, diet with caffeine, and full on sugary caffeinated stuff all represented. It gets more complex as people become more opinionated on the Nutrasweet vs. Splenda issue, but of course you can't cater to everyone.

Carrying different drinks than the consuite, especially if your party is located near the consuite, is often appreciated. Though if the consuite doesn't carry Dr. Pepper and you do, you might suddenly have a lot of new Pepper-loving friends. Ditto with root beer.

My favorite is the one I helped put together, but I feel safe in mentioning it because my contributions were just a few of the 300 pieces posted at http://www.teevee.org/

Teevee cranks out great AFD stuff year after year.

Thanks, Mike.

I have been trying to take timeouts to watch some fiction on TV, to go outside and look at the yard, to work on wedding stuff and my website. Hard to do, but (as you said) well worth doing.

Doing a little bit helps me feel better about stepping away from it too; I've donated a little money, I've volunteered to take in a homeless dog or two, I've tried to post useful links where all can see them.

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