Notes from the Electronic Cottage 6/8/17

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Google users know that Google tracks what they do online across computers, smartphones, personal assistants, etc. Now Google has unveiled a new plan called Google Attribution which will follow users offline right into brick and mortar stores to track individual’s purchases through their credit card receipts so that advertisers can tell that their Google advertising works. What could possibly go wrong?

Healthy Options 6/7/17

Producer/Host: Rhonda Feiman
Co-Producer: Petra Hall
Engineer: Amy Browne

Update on Tick-Borne Illnesses, Lyme Disease and Co-infections: Prevention and Treatment

What is Lyme Disease, and why is it spreading?
What are co-infections and tick-borne illnesses, and what are the signs & symptoms?
What are the best ways to prevent tick bites, and how can we protect ourselves against these illnesses?
Are there effective tests and treatments for tick-borne illnesses?
What are some common misunderstandings about diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease?

Guests:
Dr. Beatrice M. Szantyr is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American College of Physicians, and is board-certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics. She currently participates on the State of Maine Vector-borne Disease Work Group, and is a member of the Maine Medical Association, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), and serves as a medical advisor for MaineLyme, a non-profit dedicated to decreasing Lyme and related tick diseases in Maine. Dr. Szantyr has lectured on Lyme disease and related tick-borne disorders, to professional and community groups throughout New England, and has given testimony before the Maine Legislature concerning Lyme disease in the State of Maine.
Constance “Happy” Dickey, RN is a founding member and board member of MaineLyme, a non-profit dedicated to awareness and prevention through education and advocacy. She facilitates support groups for people with Lyme, both in-person in Maine, and online, and she is also an advocate for patients with Lyme disease. She has traveled extensively with Dr. Szantyr, educating medical personnel -and the public- about Lyme disease.

Websites of interest:

MaineLyme
www.mainelyme.org

ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society)
www.ilads.org

Lyme Disease Association (About Lyme —great pictures of ticks and rashes) www.lymediseaseassociation.org

Lymedisease.org (Formerly CALDA) www.lymedisease.org/

Tick Encounter Resource Center www.tickencounter.org/

Insectshield sells permethrin-treated clothing, blankets, hats, etc, or will dip your own clothing, uniforms, etc. Will last the life of the garment. www.insectshield.com

Dog Not Gone is a Maine company using goods made in the USA makes dog and horse vests that are permethrin treated. They are also making people vests, hats, and gaiters. www.dognotgone.com

Maine Currents 6/6/17

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Will Maine’s New Ranked Choice Voting Law Survive the State Legislature?

The Ranked Choice Voting law passed by Maine voters in November may soon be repealed by the legislature, based on a word that was changed in the state constitution back in the 1800s. The word “plurality” was substituted for “majority” after a contentious gubernatorial race in 1880. As a result, some races in the state can be (and often are) won by candidates who have the support of far less than a majority of the voters. The court’s opinion pertains to only some of the races that would be covered by the new ranked choice voting law. The remaining races could also be conducted via ranked choice voting if the state constitution were amended to read “majority” again rather than plurality. But some in the state legislature are taking the opportunity to throw out the new law entirely – and according to an analysis by Michael Shepard in today’s Bangor Daily News (bangordailynews.com/2017/06/06/the-point/maine-lawmakers-have-five-options-on-ranked-choice-voting-signs-point-to-repeal/), they may succeed, as some Democrats are considering voting with the Republicans.

On Friday a public hearing was held on 2 competing bills- LD1624 which proposes to amend the state constitution to allow implementation of ranked choice voting, and LD1625 which would repeal the new ranked choice voting law altogether. The hearing drew an overflow crowd to the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee and testimony lasted more than 4 hours. Not a single member of the public spoke in support of overturning ranked choice voting. We’re going to listen in on some of the testimony today- as much as we can squeeze into an hour.

UPDATE: As we went to air work sessions for these bills were posted. They will take place on Thursday, June 8th at 1pm. FMI: legislature.maine.gov/bills/phwksched.html?CODE=VLA&snum=128


Maine Currents- independent local news, views and culture, every Tuesday at 4pm on WERU-FM and weru.org