No. 170 March 1997
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LAW AND NO GUNS Public Law 103-322, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 has an interesting Title XI, --Firearms; Subtitle D--Domestic Violence. Subtitle D, Section 110401 (of PL 103-322) reads: "Prohibition against disposal of firearms to, or receipt of firearms by, persons who have committed domestic abuse". (United States Statutes at Large, V.108, pages 2012-2015, AE 2.111:108) The content of this section says that anyone who has been committed any domestic violence offenses such as stalking, harassing, or threatening their intimate partner or the child of the intimate partner is not allowed to carry firearms. What I DO NOT see are any exceptions to this rule. Does this law mean that a policeman or soldier who is has committed one of these crimes has to turn-in his gun? How many husbands and wives, whose occupations involve carrying a gun and have committed any acts of domestic violence, are supposed to turn in their guns? As of this date Public Law 104-208 which has not been released (in print) yet and somewhere in this law is supposed to be a revision of Section 110401 which will remedy our current "domestic abuse" and "gun prohibition" dilemma. I will let you know where to find further information after PL 104-208 is released.
GRANDPA AND THE MACARENA I image there are some grandpas who do the Macarena and some grandmas who do country line dancing. Grandpa and grandma can be as young as 34 years old and some who are 84 can be in the physical condition of one who is 34. Many aged individuals who are over 62 (that is the lower retirement age) still like music even if it is not the Macarena. Bessie Morris, 106 years of age and other frail elderly sing "A Song to Set Me Free" from the real and perceived limitations of aging and disease! You might want to read: A Song To Set Me Free, A model for the use of music therapy and music related activities for the benefit of the Frail Elderly. (HE 1.1002:M79/2) This 1995 final report of 142 pages with eight chapters tells you how to start a program, hire a music therapist, and introduces you to music therapy as to nature, goals, and benefits for t he elderly. The music therapy process is explained and activities discussed. The author even gives seven appendices of songs, music, forms, materials, organizations, suggested readings, and a video/manual order blank. There is also a Reclaiming Dignity and Enhancing Abilities Through Therapeutic Stimulation, …Final Report, (Sept, 1995; HE 1.1002:M 97/3) and Reclaiming Dignity and Enhancing Abilities Through Therapeutic Stimulation,..Projects Briefs Report issued September, 1995 (HE1.1002:M97/3/P ROJ) which contains more background information and shows even the elderly will still rock and roll!
MOVING FOR THE WEATHER Many people move to Florida to avoid the cold winters of the northern United States. These individuals move south where it is warm, but some people move to Arizona and the West where it is warm and dry. Denver is known for its dry climate, but it is also snowy and cold in Denver because it is so high (i.e. exactly 5282 feet above sea level). To get a very good picture of the Normals, Means, and Extremes of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine, rain, ice, snow, fog, clear days, heating days, cooling days, aggregate station pressure, etc, etc, etc., you should read the Denver Colorado page 50 in Climatic Averages and Extremes for U. S. Cities (C 55.281/2:C 61/4). This 1991, 270 page National Climatic Data Center volume includes all the states but does NOT cover every city. The only cities included were those which have a National Weather Service Station. In Kentucky, only Jackson, Lexington, Louisville, and Paducah are included. The Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) International Airport has a(n Ohio) weather station (which qualifies it for inclusion) but the Airport is actually located adjacent to Florence Kentucky. This Northern Kentucky location of the Airport weather station that means a weather picture for the city of Florence and most of Northern Kentucky. This "out of state" location of an airport weather station location is not unique. Thus one can still find the weather data for cities adjacent to some airports and overcome the geographic limitations of this volume. If you are moving to a city which is not included in this volume and is not near an airport (with a weather station) call your local librarian.
YORICK: YOURS AND MINE You may recognize the name Yorick from Shakespeare's Hamlet in which Yorick was the King's fool. Others may recognize Yorick from Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shanty. How many of you know Yorick the CDRH (FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health) bionic skeleton? I have a picture of him hanging in my office. You will find him in Yorick: the CDRH Bionic Skeleton in the 1989 tri-fold brochure issued by the CDRH (HE 20.4602:Y8). Yorick is in an 8 1/2 x 11-inch picture displaying more than 45 implant devices, as they would appear inside the body. Yorick was created for use as a teaching device and the brochure says to contact the CDRH if you would like Yorick to visit you (I assume for appropriate educational purposes). Did you ever see a: cranial plate, silicone ear, infusion port, gel filled chin, total elbow, jewett nail, and many more? The more important aspect of this topic is the number of people who make use of one or more implants. Use of Selected Medical Device Implants in the United States, 1988 (HE 20.6209/3:191) which was issued in February 1991 will show you to what extent many of the medical device implants are used. A useful source of information and tool for the Yorick- related health professionals is Classification Names for Medical Devices and In Vitro Diagnostic Products, March, 1995 edition (HHS Pub. FDA 94-4246). This CDRH freebie is 333 pages of medical device identification information laid-out in a keyword index which makes use very easy. Wouldn't you consider Yorick, when left to his own devices, quite educational?
ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE Keeping the spirit and methods of our move toward an electronic and paperless society, we have an electronic development that dates back to 1991. That is when Comptroller General's Office Decided that the Electronic Signature was legal and binding. I wonder if the Comptroller's Office signed it electronically? Originally intended as a legal entity to accompany the execution of government contracts, which are done electronically, the electronic signature, is a cryptographic mechanism that performs a similar function to a written signature. It is used to verify the origin and content of a message. For example, a recipient of data (e.g., an e-mail message) can verify who signed the data and that the data was not modified after being signed. This also means that the originator (e.g. sender of an e-mail message) cannot deny having signed the data. This the answer to "What is an Electronic Signature?" found in Section 19.2.3 Electronic Signature, on page 228 of Computer Security, An Introduction to Computer Security: The NIST Handbook, October, 1995, NIST Special Publication 800 -12 (C 13.10:800-12). The Comptroller General s Decision: Matter of: National Institute of Standards and Technology--Use of Electronic Data Interchange Technology to Create Valid Obligations, December 13, 1991 (7 pages) GA 1.5/a-2:B-245714 . ( Comptroller General Decisions, V. 71, pages 109-114) also has a good explanation preceding the actual decision. Is my/your electronically signed e-mail, done with the signature you can create with Eudora, Pine, and similar e-mail software, an official electronic signature? Just in case it helps, electronic signatures are also called digital signatures, ...now wasn't that helpful??
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March, 1997, revised March, 2000