Preaching to the Choir

I used to think that there was something wrong with me, mostly because of the people who told me I wore my heart on my sleeve too often and that I should just take care of myself.

Even those who didn't say it showed me that material things mattered more than happiness: they worked jobs they hated where they didn't contribute anything worthwhile to society, but hey, they had new cars and big TV's out of the deal.

I came up with Tampa Do-Gooder over a year and a half ago so I could focus on that giving side of myself and others, and I'm still surprised when I come across true do-gooders. I may have the heart and the desire, but I spend more energy frustrated and not knowing how I can best help than actually doing. Intentions are great motivators but they fade like dreams when you fail to act upon them.

I look up to those who are doers. In 2003 Todd Gitlin wrote Letters to a Young Activist, but the book found its way into my hands just last week. I already knew that I'm on the right path for myself, but when his words congratulated me for having left "the path of least resistance" I was reminded that I'm not on a new path, nor am I on it alone.

"Facing the world's travails, you aren't content to stop at taking notice or bearing witness. You aren't satisfied to deplore, weep or yell. Your response to the day's bad news is not, Isn't that awful? but What am I - what are we-going to about that?"

Another great do-gooder I recently came across is Victoria Hale, a pharmaceutical chemist profiled this month in The Scientist, who started a nonprofit drug company in 2000 to "make drugs for all of humanity—drugs that don’t necessarily pull a profit."

This was all news to me, but after a quick search I saw that she was one of Glamour's Women of the Year in 2007 and NBC's John Larson also made a Making a Difference segment out of her story:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Now this is the kind of gal I'd like to see strutting down red carpets, accepting fancy awards, and having little girls dream of wanting to be like when they grow up.

Science Diet

In high school I had the self esteem of a Twizzler. When my 8th grade algebra teacher called me stupid my response was getting my first (ever) 'F' in his class, flunking out, then having to be in remedial math the next two years. I guess I showed him.

That experience helped put me on the path towards becoming a mass comm major (where at least I was resourceful enough to get a scholarship to a college with no math requirement), but I was permanently damaged. Not only did I never pass math beyond the 10th grade level but my love of science was tarnished forever.

Or so I thought. My interest in reading food labels in junior high grew into a hunger to learn all I could about about nutrition and the body, aging, mental health, addictions, and more. I love how science explains so-called mysteries and overturns conventional wisdoms. Working as a health care journalist has become one of my pipe dreams and has brought me back to my love of science.

Which leads me to The Scientist, one my favorite online magazines. I just got an email from them saying they're opening up their archives:

For a limited time, The Scientist has opened its premium content to all of our readers. Dating back to 1986, our archives contain over 15,000 articles from 23+ years of issues.

While the site is open, you do not need to log in to view our award-winning content*, but we strongly encourage readers to register to receive our eNews, monthly Table of Contents e-mails, and other announcements.

Although I barely got through college astronomy because of my math handicap, I flourished in biology which had less math. Post-college, though, I thought I would never be bothered by math again, until it became clear to me that my easy boredom demanded usage of a part of my brain that I had always previously ignored.

It never occurred to this occasional literacy tutor how important math is. I see the obvious tragedy in a high school grad who can't read, but being math illiterate has always been more acceptable.

Other science-y sites I like are Physicians News, Explorations with Michio Kaku, NPR's Science Friday, and anything by Atul Gawande. Lemme know if you know of any other science sites I should be checking out.