Dispatches.

As much as I missed blogging while I was away, I haven't been able to get back into the groove since I've returned. There's just so many things going on around here that I literally can't set aside the hour or so it would take to just post a quick catch-up riff. I finally decided to just suck it up and use my lunch hour to blog from work; I don't have the time to get into any of the stuff that happened in California, but I can at least provide a little fresh content for the (treasured!) handful of loyal readers who keep coming back to the same headline every day.

So without further ado, here are a couple of stories that caught my eye while I was away:

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Reimburse living organ donors in Canada: commentary

Compensating living organ donors makes financial sense and can save lives, doctors say in a commentary published Tuesday.

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Dr. Scott Klarenbach, a kidney specialist and health economist at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, thinks the financial burden is one reason more people aren't coming forward to donate kidneys and livers.

The entire CBC story may be read here (will open link in a new window).

Given the enormous cost incurred by organ donors, this seems like a no-brainer. Granted, any attempt to create more expenses for an already-taxed health care system will be met with resistance; but considering the paper's claim that each donated kidney saves the government $100,000, there doesn't seem to be any firm rationale to continue imposing unnecessary burdens on donors.

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On the subject of cultural innovation, the government of France took a huge step toward legitimating video games as an art form:

France has elevated three video game creators to its prestigious Order of Arts and Letters, the first time electronic games artists have achieved France's highest award for culture.

Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres honoured three game creators on Monday – Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, Ubisoft's Michel Ancel and Frédérick Raynal, director of the original Alone in the Dark game.

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The Order of Arts and Letters was established in 1957 to recognize eminent artists and writers and people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world.

Complete CBC article here.

While I'm not familiar with Ancel and Raynal, Miyamoto is a living legend -- a titan in his field (and, AFAIK, not a French citizen). To be recognized by France in this way is a nice feather in his cap and, more importantly, sets a beautful precedent. Maybe next time they'll even nominate a woman or two, hm?

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While in San Francisco, I'd wanted to visit some of the many amazing exhibits being held in the city's galleries and museums. Home to a vibrant and ever-changing art scene, San Franciscio's many exhibit halls have always been a siren's call for me during my visits. Unfortunately, I was kept too busy during my trip to visit more than a couple of small galleries. One exhibit that I'd really wanted to catch was A Brief History of the "Clenched Fist" Image, held at the gorgeous Intersection for the Arts.

Tracking this "persistent symbol of resistance and unity" throughout its storied history, the artist offers a comprehensive study of a powerful emblem of struggle. Take a quick look.