Voices of the Uninsured Forum is tomorrow

Who are the uninsured persons in Greater Cleveland? We'll hear firsthand tomorrow at the "Voices of the Uninsured Forum" beginning at 8:30 a.m. at The Intercontinental Hotel on the Cleveland Clinic campus as 250 people gather for a frank discussion.

This important event brings together uninsured persons and medical respresentatives from all four health systems (yes, there are four)--Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals. Participants also include staff from Neighborhood Family Practice and The Free Clinic. Planning included particpation of UHCAN Ohio, Community Advocate, NEON, Cleveland Jobs with Justice, Ohio Association for Community Health Center and the May Dugan Center.

Free and open to the public, this forum explores the challenges and opportunities in access to health care in Greater Cleveland, health care reform efforts, facts and myths about Medicaid and the biennial state budget implications on Medicaid and the importance of finding a "medical home."

Keynote speaker is Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley who lead the efforts on CincyCare, a pilot program to provide low-cost health care to residents who live and work in the city, don't qualify for government health care programs and who lack employer-sponsored health care.

This event is sponsored by We Are the Uninsured, which is funded by the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, and Neighborhood Family Practice.

Catalyst magazine wants to know: What do you think of Gov. Strickland's proposal for cabinet-level education director?

Weigh in on Ohio Governor Ted Strickland's proposal to appoint a cabinet-level director of the Ohio Department of Education and relegate the superintendent of public instruction and state school board to the roles of advisors.

What are the pluses? What are the minuses? Who wins and who loses? How will it contribute to or detract from improved teacher quality and student achievement?

Take the Catalyst quiz.

"This talk is about living your life...it's for my kids"

You owe it to yourself to watch this lecture. It is pure joy and inspiration. Unfortunately, Randy Pausch passed away this morning. He was 47.

A gift in today's snail mail

A few weeks back I letter arrived to me via the Christian Science Monitor from a tutor out in Palo Alto, California. She wrote to tell me that her eighth-grade pupil, Alex, had used my Monitor story on John Boyd to learn new vocabulary words (six!) and content and style. Her student wanted to know what happened in the election.

I called her the day after I received her letter to tell her that Boyd lost the election, handily, which is when she told me that her student had written a short essay based on my story. While it's certainly flattering to have a grown-up tell me they enjoyed reading my story, I find it awesome indeed that I received such praise from a 14-year-old boy. Cooler still is that my article was used educationally. 

So I asked her if she would be kind enough to send me a copy. She did along with this short, handwritten letter:

Dear Wendy, 
Sorry to be so long getting back to you! I went to my tutoring student's file (Alex) & found I did have the article and his essay! I have sent him a letter with your kind and timely response and info. I was thrilled with your call—so thanks. This makes it all so real for my student. God bless journalists who write or call back. You are a rare but wonderful breed.
Gratefully,
Julie Freeman, CSM reader

And here is Alex's essay based on the story. 

Prison to City Council Profile
This article is about a man named John A. Boyd and a place called Cleveland, Ohio, Ward 6. John A. Boyd is running for Cleveland City Council, except he's been convicted of 2nd degree murder, theft, and forgery, as well as possession of drugs.

Ward 6 is mentioned often in this article. Although it has prestigious museums and clinics, it also has many poor areas. One of the reasons Boyd is running is because he wants to help Ward 6. He says that because he had no relationship with his father, he ended up doing the things that brought him into prison.

Now, Boyd is a social worker running against the current councilwoman Mamie Mitchell. Although he has fewer supporters, he has inspired many, despite his record. He may be behind, but he could get supporters and be elected.

The article does a good job of showing the conditions that cause bad decisions. It also shows both sides of the debate if he can hold office. I thought this article was interesting to read. It is amazing how people can turn their lives around.

Can't think of a better way to end an extraordinarily hectic week.

Pedaling for peace

"I believe in women taking a role to make peace in the area," Youssef adds. It's a perspective shared by most in the group: that dialogue by people like themselves, and not politicians behind closed doors, is the key to improving relations between countries and laying a foundation for peace.

From "Women on two wheels: A Middle East dialogue tour" in today's Christian Science Monitor.

Word of the day
buoyant: capable of maintaining a satisfactorily high level

Clay Shirky on cognitive surplus

Check this out from Web 2.0 Expo. The video is about 16 minutes, but well worth the time.



The entire presentation in couched in the context of a conversation he had with a TV producer pre-screening him for an appearance. His point: media targeted at you but not including you may not be worth sitting still for. Just ask your nearest preschooler.

Word of the day
audacity: the quality or state of having intrepid boldness

Diane Rehm in Cleveland Oct. 30

Diane Rehm is coming to town. Several of us are going. Anyone interested in joining us? It's free.

An Evening with Diane Rehm
The Dean’s Lecture
Tuesday, October 30, 7:30 pm
Free and open to all
Diane Rehm is an internationally recognized radio host, journalist and author. She is also an Episcopalian and, earlier this year, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary.

For more than 25 years, her program, The Diane Rehm Show, has provided thoughtful conversations on the topics of the day with world leaders, authors, public figures, and ordinary people who call in each hour to take part in what the show terms “a civil exchange of ideas.”

Now heard nationally and internationally by more than 1.6 million listeners on NPR and NPR Worldwide stations, The Diane Rehm Show’s recent guests have included former president Bill Clinton, General Tommy Franks, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Toni Morrison and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. In Cleveland, The Diane Rehm Show is broadcast each weekday on WCPN.

During her visit to Cleveland, Diane Rehm will also give the President’s Lecture at Cleveland State University and appear on 90.3 WCPN.

Sponsored by Trinity Cathedral and Cleveland State University with support from 90.3 WCPN.

Read more here.

"My" pet peeve

Several years ago I was talking to a dynamic young student journalist who had this incredibly annoying habit of referring to everyone on her school paper's staff as "my reporters," "my copyeditors" or "my photographers." It was the "my" thing that really grated on my nerves.

I doubt she even realized she was saying this, but I found it patronizing and a not-so-subtle play for power.

The reason I bring this up is that on some of the freelance forums to which I subscribe, there are freelancers who describe "my editor" at various national pubs as if they worked with them exclusively. I see it as their not-so-subtle way of grabbing for power when in reality freelancers have little power in that relationship.

Having spent nine years of my life as a magazine editor working with freelancers, I am keenly aware that the power lies with the editor. If someone was a pain the neck, I just didn't hire them again.

Bearing that lopsided dynamic in mind, I prefer to refer to a magazine editor as "the editor I've worked with" as opposed to "my editor."

The exception to this rule is if you are on staff or have an ongoing contractual arrangement with a specific editor — as in "my" book editor.

Starting a writing group

For a few weeks now I've been toying with the idea of starting a Writer's Group, a cohort of serious writers who are looking for a place to share ideas and the joys and challenges of being a professional writer.

I've tested the waters with a few people I know and have gotten a tepid response. I know this kind of thing isn't for everyone. I know that some people prefer to be very quiet and independent about their work. But for me, the collaboration and brainstorming with other writers can be invaluable to my work, not to mention my mental health. Discouragement is hell.

Early this morning while I was reading Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance I realized that I wasn't just being needy. Author Julia Cameron writes that, "creativity occurs in clusters." Think Bloomsbury or the Lost Generation.

"Friends … help us to sort out when criticism has a point and when it is pointless. They help us to tell the difference between being bludgeoned and feeling bludgeoned."

When I hear stories of successful writers, many credit writing groups with simultaneously getting them on the right track and carrying them through the tough times. Given the writing goals I've set for myself in the coming year or two, I believe that kind of support system could be empowering not only to me but to other writers who are open to such a group.

Anyone interested?

"On Faith" is a disappointment to dialogue

It would be nice to give On Faith, the attempt at religious coverage by Newsweek and the Washington Post a fair shake, but I'm pretty skeptical of this type of coverage. Why? Because what it does is little more than pit people with strong religious convictions either for or against one another with little effort at achieving broader understanding and tolerance.

There is no end to people who practice and evangelize their religion with verve. What is lacking in this country is understanding of and tolerance for other ways of viewing God, including not believing.

Can we create opportunities for learning from episodes of misunderstanding? Can we break through our ignorance and respect forms of religious practice while not relinquishing our own? Can we truly learn to respect each other's differences and recognize that we are all ascribing to some form of a good life?