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Tag: hand

Big Tech, Big Brother and a Bigger God

Sun, May 26, 2019 Published by

George Orwell’s novel, 1984, was so successful at creating an imagined yet potential future reality that seventy years later, one of its most famous phrases ‘Big Brother is watching you’, continues to be used when describing the potential for governments and business to use technology to intrude into our daily lives via technology. This past week, that phrase was used by many journalists writing about another breach of technological security. This time, the text messaging service WhatsApp had been hacked by people who had installed spyware, turning users’ cell phones into a surveillance system by activating its camera and microphone, tracking users movements and extracting information from messages that were sent. As Orwell envisioned, that potential in the hands of those seeking to cause harm or to control others has some very serious consequences and implications. If someone hacked my phone, I suspect the most interesting thing they would find would be my wife and I discussing our dinner plans, but the incident is another reminder of how much we value our privacy. Technology has created a double bind. It facilitates communication to an amazing degree. We can send a message to anyone, anywhere, anytime. But it seems to be coming with an increase in surveillance that makes private communication risky. What are we to do? Throw away the phone and return to sending letters with the Pony Express? I hope not. In Psalm 139, traditionally attributed to King David, we hear a half-complaint and half-rejoicing in the truth that he is unable to escape the omniscient God. ‘Where can I hide from your spirit?’ he asks. He answers his own question by saying that he can’t and that perhaps it doesn’t matter. He knows that God’s gaze not only penetrates the rock of the cave in which he hides, it sees into his very soul. God is able to read his life, decrypt it end to end. To use a modern idiom, David knows he has been soul-hacked. The idea of being soul-hacked would be appalling if the one knowing the secrets of our hearts was a malignant force out to mine the data of our lives and use the information for their own ends to crush and oppress us. But as the Psalmist goes on to say: ‘Your eyes have seen my unformed substance.’ ‘Created my inmost being.’ The God who cracks the encryption of our hearts, created that heart and gives us the code to open it. The One who is watching us, in this instance, is not against us but for us.

One Wild and Precious Life

Mon, May 20, 2019 Published by

Much-loved poet, Mary Oliver, died recently at her home in Florida at the age of 83. She lived for many years in Provincetown, Mass., with the love of her life, the photographer Molly Malone Cook. Oliver got a lot of her ideas for poems during long walks — a habit she developed as a kid growing up in rural Ohio. She wrote about one such walk in her poem “The Summer Day”:

Who made the world?

Who made the swan, and the black bear?

Who made the grasshopper?

This grasshopper, I mean-

the one who has flung herself out of the grass,

the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,

who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-

who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.

Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.

Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.

I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?

A friend of Oliver’s described her as “a visionary poet, and she’s also the quintessential tough old broad who finds traces of awe in, for example, scooping out the shining wet pink bladder of a codfish, or getting down on all fours with her dog out in the woods and, for an hour or so … see[ing] the world from the level of the grasses.”  What I particularly appreciate about Mary Oliver is that she knew the rewards of paying attention.  As Jesus encouraged, she seriously considered the lilies of the field how they grow. Her essay called “Staying Alive,” is about escaping from her difficult childhood into nature and literature.  Her work speaks directly to us as human beings in lines such as: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” In her poem, When Death Comes, she beautifully says, “When it’s over, I want to say all my life I was a bride married to amazement.” Writer Ruth Franklin says her work is infused with a deep spirituality. “The way she writes these poems that feel like prayers, she channels the voice of somebody who it seems might possibly have access to God. I think her work does give a sense of someone who is in tune with the deepest mysteries of the universe.”  As we move into the dog days of summer, I look forward to reading more of Mary Oliver.  What will you be reading?

Hand Arthritis workshop

Sun, July 15, 2018 Published by

Have you ever realized how important your thumbs are in your everyday life? Join us for a FREE Hand Arthritis Workshop. Try out simple gadgets and practice techniques to reduce the strain on your joints, making everyday activities easier. In addition, learn about an exciting research opportunity. Open discussion Q & A forum with Dr. Cindy Ivy, Certified Hand Therapist from Mayo Clinic.  By the end of the workshop, you will give yourself, Two Thumbs Up! Join us this Friday, July 20th at 1PM in Agelink Room 1.*

 

Hand Protection on the Job

Mon, August 22, 2016 Published by

Tara and I recently went to an OSHA 10-Hour General Industry which went over many work place hazards and OSHA regulations. It was very eye opening how many terrible things could happen to just your hands in the work place.

Safety, it’s in your hands. Whether you’re a machine operator, a lab technician, or an office worker, your hands are one of your most important “tools”. By recognizing hand hazards, following download (1)established safety guidelines, and using protective guards, shields, gloves and other personal protective devices as needed, you can save your hands from injury.

Be alert around machinery at all times. Cutting, puncture and crushing hazards can be avoided by:

  • Using “helpers” such as push sticks and brushes to avoid placing hands in dangerous areas.
  • Never removing or tampering with safety devices such a guards or kill switches.
  • Disconnecting power when adjusting, cleaning or repairing machinery. Follow proper lockout/tagout procedures.
  • Removing watches and other jewelry before working with machinery, Don’t wear gloves around moving machine parts. Never wear gloves containing metal around electrical machinery.

Chemical hazards are a common cause of dermatitis (inflammation of the skin). Signs include sores, blisters, or dry skin that gets infected easily. For protection against chemical hazards:

  • Wear gloves and other personal protective equipment that are appropriate for the hazards you face. Remove gloves last, after taking off other protective clothing.
  • Wash hands often, especially after exposure to irritating substances and before eating, smoking or leaving the workplace.
  • Use appropriate cleaners to wash hands.
  • Clean or change work clothes as often as necessary.
  • Read the labels and Safety Data Sheets for any chemicals you use. Follow recommended safety precautions.

There are seven types of hand protection. Choosing the right type of glove for hand protection is important. Cover up all exposed skin, make sure it fits snugly, and use additional protection such as barrier creams or gloves liners when necessary. Proper glove selection varies, depending on the nature of your work:

  • Metal mesh – for those who use knives or cutting tools
  • Insulated –  protect against electric shock
  • Leather – protect against sparks, rough surfaces and bruises
  • Lead-lined –  protect against exposure to radiation
  • Rubber or vinyl – protect against corrosive chemicals
  • Cloth – protect against moderate heat and moderately sharp edges
  • Disposable plastic – Guard the wearer and/or the substance handled (i.e, food server)

Hidden hazards: repetitive motion injuries. Long-term exposure to regularly repeated movements may cause repetitive motion injuries. These injuries can be overlooked as they often occur during routine work activities such as lifting, twisting, hammering, pressing or pulling. Symptoms include:

  • Numbness of fingers or palms
  • Tingling sensation, soreness or pain; weakness
  • Pale skin or skin that turns cold
  • Difficulty moving fingers, shoulder, elbow or wrist

If you have any of the above symptoms, advise your supervisor. You may need additional follow-up with a health care provider.

If you see hazards around the campus please talk to your supervisor or report it to Facilities. If you know of potential risks you can report it to the safety committee. To learn more about the safety committee or to join please stop by Human Resources.

For more information about hand safety or other safety tips please visit www.copperpoint.com.