AFRO-NETS> Supercourse Newsletter, October 23 2003

[Ron LaPorte <super1+@pitt.edu>]

Supercourse Newsletter, October 23 2003
---------------------------------------
 
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/
 
Fear of Goblins, the Joy of Halloween
 
Halloween appears to be one of the best holidays for the Super-
course. We get to dress up as Goblins, and go out trick and 
treating. The last newsletter sparked an enormous collection of 
lectures. Eugene in Siberia has been extremely busy. But?we did 
it! We did it! We did it! We blew past the 1,500 mark, and hit an 
amazing 1,512 lectures. As they say in drag racing, we blew the 
doors off 1,500 lectures, and are on our way to 2,000! We owe 
this all to you, and our global team.
 
The Supercourse Winner:
 
We have chosen Shiv Chandra Mathur from India to be the 1,500th 
lecture winner. As reviewed by Faina last week, Shiv Chandra 
Mathur wrote four wonderful lectures concerning spouse abuse 
which has been little researched in developing countries. Shiv is 
also a great friend with the Supercourse. He is a public health 
specialist and Director of the State Institute of Health and Fam-
ily Welfare, Rajsthan, Jaipur India. He is one of the first to 
join the Supercourse many years ago. He has been unfailing in his 
support over these many years. We took a vote in our group be-
tween sending him the Silver Jaguar, and the autographed Super-
course CD, and the CD one by only one vote. We are sure that eve-
ryone would want a Supercourse CD more than one of those funny 
English cars (that is owned by Ford, anyways). We especially wish 
him a happy Diwali. Shiv not only develops fantastic lectures, he 
also writes wonderful poetry. We should all be as balanced in 
life and mind.
 
God has not promised
Skies always blue
Flower strewn pathways.
All our life through;
God has not promised
Sun with out rain,
Joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain,
But god has promised
Strength for the day
Rest for the Labor
Light for the way.
 
The touch, which you are holding would give enough light to the 
health professionals, interested in Preventive medicine that our 
discipline would achieve new heights at global platform.
- Shiv Chandar Mathur
 
Isn?t that beautiful, from a kind and brilliant man. We are proud 
that he wins the prize for the 1,500 lecture. Thank you so much 
Shiv, from all us world wide.
 
Grand Challenge:
Some rain and pain came into our lives, sadly we did not win one 
of the Gate?s grand challenges, despite we all putting enormous 
energy into this. However, we are not disappointed, as the 14 
grand challenges were all infectious diseases. Clearly infectious 
diseases are important, but in the year 2010, it is estimated 
that 73% of the deaths will be do to chronic conditions in devel-
oping countries, and >90% in developed countries. I am proud on 
how we all pulled together to hone a beautiful grand challenge. 
What we developed will be in place in the future.
 
Lecture of the week:
We received a wonderful set of lectures on environmental and oc-
cupational health topics from our good friend Tee Guidotti, MD, 
MPH. Dr. Guidotti is a Chair in the Department of Environmental 
and Occupational Health, The George Washington University Medical 
Center. This set of lectures has excellent overviews of environ-
mental health, toxicology, carcinogens, and other topics. These 
lectures will be opened in a few days. Please, do not miss them! 
If anybody is interested in further development of the environ-
mental and occupational health Supercourse, please e-mail us.
 
Ramadan Mubarak: We wish all our Muslim friends a happy Happy 
Ramadan. My good friend Ezzeldeen suggest that we create a Super-
course lecture on the health benefits of Ramadan.
 
Happy Diwali: All of us from the Supercourse team wish all of our 
friends a Very Happy Diwali. This "festival of lights" celebrated 
in India, signifies the harvest festival and the renewal of life.
 
Kofi Annan:
This week Kofi Annan presented in Pittsburgh, and some of the 
things he said reminded us of the supercourse. He discussed the 
concept of global cooperation which we have, and productive in-
terdependence. He overviewed the concepts of a collective system, 
collective action, collective answers, and the creation of a 
global discussion. The point out how health, nutrition, and peace 
are all intertwined for global development. He discussed the in-
terdependence of human kind. His speech was quite elegant, and we 
all felt that in many ways we are achieving this with the Super-
course.
 
 
Halloween joke of the day:
 
What do ghosts love to have for desert?
Iced Screams
 
 
Best Regards from Pittsburgh
 
Ron, Faina, Mita, Eugene, Soni, Tomoko, Akira, Abed, Rania, 
Wendy, Eugene, Julia, Casper, the Evil Witch from the West, Deb, 
Tom, Benjamin
mailto:super1+@pitt.edu

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