I've lost a grandmother and a stepmother to breast cancer, and a close friend squeaked through. I've already resolved that if a lump ever appeared, my breasts are gone. They've had a good long run and often they are simply a hindrance. I am more than my sexuality.
I look forward to old age. I adored my grandparents, and I view the roadmap of wrinkles as evidence of a life well-lived. I've enjoyed working for a local native band, which preserves their honoring of elders in their constitution.
I like statistics. There's something solid about them that can be trusted beyond ideology. I am very unhappy with our Canadian conservative government, which is eliminating statistics collection on some key areas, and making program decisions based on ideology rather than fact. So we have the ridiculous situation where more prisons are being built (ideology), while crime rates drop (statistics), resulting in budget cuts in personnel.
Statistics are best when they tell their own story, not supporting one ideology or another. I like the UN's Human Development Index, which is measuring key factors of a country's well-being. You would not be surprised at all at the low scorers.
I love the presentations of Hans Rosling, a passionate statistician, and his site, www.gapminder.org. Mr. Rosling makes a compelling case that reducing infant mortality and increasing the health, wealth and security of a nation will result in a corresponding drop in family size. This is true no matter what the stated beliefs of the nation. The US has an embarrassing rate of teen pregnancy. The solution? Improve conditions for the poorest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo
