pep talk

A few months ago news circulated about a significant contribution supporting the work of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UTMB, a community outreach effort led by Dr. Michelle Siepina offering those over age 55 an opportunity to grow intellectually and socially, and have a good time doing it. I was glad to hear it; I’ve followed OLLI’s good work several years, and have always been impressed by what they do and by what their senior students have to say about them. Registration’s open now for the summer sessions. I’m not 55 yet (getting closer every day), but if you are or know someone who’s got a little time and curiosity, it’s definitely worth taking a look…

Here’s what Dell has for us this month:

Dell EPP Celebrates Grads & Dads with June Specials for UT Medical Branch
Just click or visit: www.dell.com/healthcarespecialoffers 
Or call 1-800-695-8133 to receive assistance with a professional sales representative.

Here’s the offer from Dell for May in the Employee Purchase Program. may2x2_050108.pdf   

It pays to shop carefully right now, and to weigh all your options. I’ve been saving my pennies (actually, my car payments, as I recently finished paying off my 2004 Honda Element) to buy a laptop for my daughter on her upcoming birthday. I shopped a bunch, and ended up buying a Toshiba (big and chunky but with a reputation for being tough). Five minutes later, I found essentially the same model on the same web site for $50 less, and in frustration I canceled my order (It was about 1 a.m.). I ended up with a very nice little HP from Best Buy for under $600; I went back two days later and the same laptop had been jacked up $150. I can’t figure out the logic behind retail pricing strategies. My suggestion: know what you want and look around a bunch.

Dell builds a nice machine. I’ve used the same Dell laptop, and hauled it all over every day, for four years. It looks beat up but works great. I’d welcome another Dell pc into my home, at the right price. Employee purchase might help you get there.

As an academic health center, we at UTMB like to think we do our share to keep the grim reaper at bay—although in the end, he always has the last say. One might quip about the tax man with equal dread and disdain, a dark figure who strips us not of life’s breath, but rather, of cash…the hard-earned fruit of our toil and trouble.

Alas, here too, UTMB seeks to lend a helping hand, through the efforts of some kind volunteers and a program called “VITA.” For those of your who don’t troll the UTMB home page, a recap:

The UTMB Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site opens today and will remain open 5:30–7:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays through March 27 at the Moody Medical Library, second floor, Room 238.  Those with an income of $50,000 or less can participate in this free service. Bring valid ID, Social Security cards and birth dates, as well as all documents necessary to file your taxes, such as wage and income statements. Bring your bank information for direct deposit. If you want to file electronically, both you and your spouse must be present to sign the forms if filing jointly. For information, contact Maggie Pinson at (409) 747-8827 or see the flyer for details.

Here are a couple of interesting film viewing opportunities coming up this month:

UTMB’s Institute for the Medical Humanities is co-sponsoring a sneak preview of The Business of Being Born with the Bay Area Birth Center. It’ll be at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at Levin Hall South. Dr. Cheryl Vaiani will facilitate a Q&A panel after the film, providing perspectives from midwifery, maternal/fetal medicine, and law.

The synopsis: Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to examine and question the way American women have babies. The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal. Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?

There’s also a film series being sponsored by the Office of Diversity and International Affairs as part of Black History Month. It’s a four-part film, Slavery and the Making of America. The first part will be shown Feb. 7, from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. in the second floor dining room at Levin Hall. You can see the full schedule of events for Black History Month and information about the film on the Diversity Council’s web site…

How does this sound: 27 new homes, middle of town, 3-4 bedrooms, averaging 1,100 to 1,450 sq. ft., appraised from $140-$155K, yours for as little as $80,000?  

If you thought owning a home might not ever be possible, a development called The Oaks—at 45th and Sealy—might change that. To be eligible, you have to live or work in Galveston and have been employed fulltime for the past two years. There are some income restrictions; as an example, a family of five has to have a minimum annual income of $30,000 but make no more than $52,700.

The Grace Corporation, a tax-exempt affiliate of the Galveston Housing Authority, is hosting a special information session for employees of UTMB and ANICO on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008, at 5:30 p.m. in the community room of the Island Community Center, 4700 Broadway. Good luck on your house hunting… 

Has anyone ridden the trolley these past few weeks as part of the “Holiday Express Trolley” service? We did a big push last year to get ridership up, and the city, UTMB, Strand merchants and others  brought the promotion back again this year. I like the trolley; I like to see it clanging its way up Market, letting loose a whistle in front of John Sealy. Maybe it takes me back to my Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood days. Do I ride it? Not often. Usually it takes too long to get me anyplace, or, as is the case now, when they run the trolleys hard, they seem to break down. In their place, Island Transit is running its “rubber wheel trolleys,” a cute name for a bus dressed up to look like something old, not unlike the shuttles you seen running around downtown Austin and the San Antonio Riverwalk. The bus-trolleys are probably a quicker and smoother ride to the Strand, so if you want to get a group down there for lunch or to do a little shopping, this is the last week of the special holiday promotion. Check out the special offers if you get one of the “doubloons” the trolley/bus drivers are handing out.