Recently I got word that a relative has been diagnosed with cancer. A rather scary type. It's too early for exact prognosis, treatment options, etc. - but it does get one's attention.

On the +6 hr drive to visit aforementioned relative I had my MP3 player and was listening to a few very engaging shows which happened to cover some end of life ethics issues. I don't know if the timing was providential, and I certainly don't agree with all of the viewpoints posed- but it did get me thinking deeper about the ethics involved.

-The Sci Phi show: Suspension of Belief #4 - Biochauvanism and Mind-Machine Interface
-The Seanachai - Scott of the Antarctic


Of course, dwelling on cancer in a loved one gets pretty heavy emotionally. I happened to have with me some good road-trip distractions. Of particular note was:

-The Seanachai - Road Trip
-The Seanachai - A Good Morning
-Aesop's Fables
-How To Succeed in Evil


Upon hearing the diagnosis, the first thing I did was spend a few minutes googling the type of cancer that the doctor diagnosed. It occurred to me that I had instant access to more information than most doctors have in their head. (It also explained why I could only understand every other sentence of some of the more technical sites.) We live in a time of instant information gratification. There is no excuse for leaving the statement "I wonder..." unsatisfied.

It was a good trip. Lots of good conversation, and a few real, meaningful conversations. We talked about the elephant in the room, and we talked politics. I left feeling good. I was glad I made the trip.

So anyway, here's to our information age. And here's to good distractions when we need them.