E-Borne Newsletter : Dec, 2004
Roger P. Freeman, D.D.S., Editor Roger@iAwareables.com
Dear friends and colleagues,
Welcome to our shamelessly promotional but pathogenically correct Xmas Edition. This being the season to spread good cheer (and flu, colds, et al) why not quarantine your inner grinch and just "wear 'em, don't share 'em!" The Awareables are coming at you once more, for '04!
YONDER LIES...
- SCIENCE TO DESIGN
- CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
- OH, CANADA
- NPR INTERVIEW & OTHER MEDIA MADNESS
- CONFERENCE SCHEDULE EARLY 2005
1. SCIENCE TO DESIGN
Our most FAQ at conferences: "How do you go about developing your designs?" Here's the short version - actually, the most stimulating part of the process:
First, we identify and connect with a credentialed source of the science - often a prominent authority in the field. Once we have access to scientific images, we transmit them to our very talented artist, Darren Nelson, along with some basic concepts about presentation. Darren then incorporates the images into a basic design, which we then colorize in various combinations until something strikes our fancy. And voila, a new Awareable is born. Here's a STAPHOLACIOUS sample:
Over the years, we have continued to evolve (some would say, mutate) from our infectious inception to all manner of topical and thought-provoking scientific subjects. Wait'll you see what's in store for next year!
Watch for Winter E-Borne NL sometime...well, in winter.
2. CREDIT, WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
We owe so many people a continuing debt of gratitude for their help in creating our designs. Below is only a partial "who's who" of IA contributors. Thanks again to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for providing access to many of their images. It's easy to slam the gov' for this 'n that, but the professionals at this agency do an incredible job, not only with the fleas in your birdbath, but literally all over the world. Thanks again to the committed professionals who have helped us reach tens of thousands of Aware-o-philes who continue to spread high-impact messages of awareness about very serious stuff.
Thanks to...
... PURDUE UNIVERSITY STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY group for West Nile images. Also at Purdue, the not-too-serious folks at CERIAS,the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security, who provided inspiration for our new My Doom Cybervirus. (We crashed our binaries here in Encino not long ago. Being able to just "untie" this worm is sweet revenge!) Note the Boilermaker gold and black. A painful concession for this Northwestern alum.
WEST NILE & MY DOOM
... Dr. Frederick Murphy for his original micrograph of the Ebola virus, as seen in The HotZone. How can such a nasty varmint look so cool on silk?
... Dr. Hal King, while at Emory University, for his original TB slides, so clear that "even his young son could recognize it."
and
... Dr. Rick Fairhurst, whose images of malaria in red blood cells took to the silk like a parasite on a 'skeeter. Very accurate, down to the signet ring configs within the RBCs. Now on a scarf, too.
By the way, contributors receive no fees for their participation. Instead, we invite them to select a recipient for our annual donations to research and education, based on sales proceeds.
3. OH, CANADA...Northern and Southern Exposure
The mounties to the rescue! Finally!! Help is on the way to make Awareables contagiously - and conveniently - Canukian. Watch for announcement of Canadian distributor early '05. Australian distributor already on-board!
4. NPR, "ALL THINGS CONSIDERED"
Both the ICAAC (Antibiotics and Chemotherapy) and APHA (Amer. Public Health) meetings in Washington, D.C. Oct 28 -November 10 were great successes. Two weeks in DC was exciting, mingling with 25,000 committed medical, scientific and health care professionals. We even participated in a short NPR interview that aired Saturday, November 13. The reporter, Jule Rovner, appeared surprised (stunned?) at the many creative approaches to health promotion (a rubber prostate?) displayed at APHA. Then she found us...
More Media: we've had the privilege to work with great people at Infection Control Today magazine (www.infectioncontroltoday.com) over the past few years. However, as the "Voice of Authority in Infection Control" they apparently lost all sense of reason, and published a number of articles authored by yours truly. If you're really interested, you can review the damage in our new website section called "My Turn": www.iawareables.com/news/index.htm
5. CONFERENCE SCHEDULE FOR EARLY 2005
No rest for the Awareably active.
February Experimental Biology - Long Beach, CA
March PittCon (Analytical Chemistry) - Orlando, FL
April Biophysical Society - San Diego, CA
Anybody have ANY idea what these folks do?
So, onward Donner and Blitzen, enough of this pre-St. Nikfest clatter. Now in our eighth year and going strong, we at IA want to thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm. Here's wishing you, your friends your family - even your reindeer - a contagiously happy holiday season. Until Mil + 5,
Awareably yours,
RPF
Roger P. Freeman, D.D.S., and THE IA TEAM
