DRIFTWOOD DRIFTER

Old Settler's Music Festival Announces Partial Lineup

2010-01-14T14:21:00.000-08:00

Festival Dates are Thurs-Sun, April 15-18, 2010.

The Joe Ely Band -- known for their amazing live performances -- plays on Friday while enchanting songsmith Patty Griffin and band anchor the Saturday night. Among the 30-some acts slated to perform include 7 Walkers featuring the Grateful Dead's Bill Kreutzmann and Crescent City funkster Papa Mali, Fred Eaglesmith, The Gourds and Band of Heathens. Bluegrass is in abundance with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Blue Highway, Alison Brown with Joe Craven, Bearfoot, and The Travelin' McCourys.
Online ticketing is available now by going to our ticketing page. Buy before January 31st and you can save about 30% over prices at the gate.

How Can Countries Encourage Organ Donation?

2009-12-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

By CATHERINE RAMPELL

by Magnus D

Israel will soon become the first country in the world to give people who agree to become organ donors priority treatmentif they should require an organ transplant themselves.

Officials hope the incentive will increase the supply of available organs — of which there is a shortage across the world, but especially in Israel, where only one in 10 adults carries a donor card.

This is sure to be a closely watched change, as most countries have tried different measures to increase willingness to donate organs. Here’s a rundown of some of those efforts, which include (1) creating markets for organs; (2) making all citizens organ donors by default, unless they explicitly exempt themselves; and (3) investing in more health care infrastructure.

Some countries have proposed legalizing the sale of some organs for money, as is the case in Iran. But such policies are controversial, and not just because people have moral qualms about putting a price tag on an item as precious as a healthy kidney. Some scholars have written about the fear of “crowding out” altruistic motives for donating organs.

Offering a newly bereaved family a fat check upon the sudden death of their daughter might seem crass, and discourage the relatives from donating the girl’s liver because it is the “right” thing to do.

Many countries have also put in place “opt-out” organ donation systems, known as “presumed consent” systems.

Under such policies, citizens are considered organ donors upon their death unless they have explicitly stated otherwise (as opposed to an “opt-in” system, where people are organ donors only if they explicitly sign up to do so, as is the case in the United States). The purpose of switching this “default” organ donor status is to expand the pool of organ donors, and to help change social norms about the appropriateness of organ donation.

Spain, which has very high organ donation rates, is perhaps the best-known example.

Proposals to change the organ procurement systems in the United States and Great Britain to “presumed consent” have frequently provoked ethical objections. Critics worry that such a system would effectively coerce people into donating organs, even over the wishes of the next of kin.

Ethics aside, it’s also not clear that such programs actually produce more donations.

Sweden, which has an “opt-out” system, has a relatively low rate of donation in comparison with other developed countries, and the United States has one of the highest rates.

Perhaps this is because — as Kieran Healy, a sociologist at Duke University has found — “opt-out” and “opt-in” systems are really not that different in practice. In both, doctors still typically defer to the wishes of the deceased’s family, whatever the official donor status of the deceased.

In a 2006 article in the DePaul Law Review, Professor Healy argued that presumed consent laws didn’t seem to be the key to improving cadaveric organ donation rates. Rather, infrastructure investments did.

Countries that experienced the biggest donation increases in recent years, like Spain and Italy, were those that hired more transplant coordinators, started public awareness campaigns, installed 24-hour organ retrieval teams at hospitals and improved training for doctors who talk to grieving families.

He concludes:

Arguments about altruism versus self-interest and disputes over presumed and informed consent together constitute a good portion of the public discussion about organ donation. Yet neither debate helps us explain why some countries have many more organ donors than others. As best we can tell, countries with high procurement rates do not owe their success to any distinctive legal conception of consent, nor to any special way of institutionalizing exchange in human goods. Rather, more fine-grained organizational differences– specifically in logistics and process management — are responsible for their success.

As mentioned above, Israel’s new strategy for incentivizing organ donation is as yet untried. Presumably the success of such a program depends on how vulnerable people feel they may be to organ failure themselves, and my hunch would be that most people underestimate the likelihood of such rare catastrophes.

Old Settler's Music Festival On Sale

2009-12-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

"Early Bird Tickets for the 23rd Annual
Festival Dates are Thurs-Sun, April 15-18, 2010.

Get your taxes done early and join us for one of the best gatherings on the planet. You'll hear the great music -- from bluegrass to blues to Americana -- Old Settler's has become synonymous with an eclectic batch of national, regional, local and new performers. Camping and jamming, performance workshops, youth competition, kids' activities, and much more all surrounded by beautiful Onion Creek. Online ticketing is available now by going to our ticketing page. Buy before January 31st and you can save about 30% over prices at the gate. Lineup, you ask? A partial lineup will be available soon and you can bet it's a good one."

Marcus du Sautoy: Symmetry, reality's riddle

2009-12-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

Rachel Armstrong: Architecture that repairs itself?

2009-12-01T13:28:00.001-08:00

Great local band Driftwood Moon

2009-11-16T15:50:00.000-08:00

DRIFTWOOD MOON, because simply put, these guys can sing their harmonic asses off !!!
DRIFTWOOD MOON, these guys can sing their harmonic butts off !!!
Check out the website for sample cuts and great bios!
http://driftwoodmoonband.com/

Nutty Brown Cafe needs your help!

2009-10-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Nutty Brown Cafe needs your help!

Hi there, everyone

I'm writing you on behalf of Nutty Brown Cafe because there is an active petition in front of the TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Comm) to revoke Nutty Brown Cafe's liquor license (due to noise complaints from a handful of their residential neighbors), which would in effect close them down. To help them keep their doors open, please send an email to nuttybrownmanager@yahoo.com stating your support along with your name and mailing address.

More on the situation ... Nutty Brown has passed every single TABC audit they've ever had with zero tax due. Plus, they have NEVER been cited for serving a minor or an intoxicated patron. They have a 100% spot-free record in almost 8 years of operation, which is UNHEARD of for the kind of volume they do.

They have been measured for sound more than 500 times and have NEVER been over 80 decibels at their property line which is the self-imposed limit the owner Mike Farr chose for them. That is 5 decibels lower than City of Austin and so far below county regs it is ridiculous. County limit is 85 decibels at point of complaint. Basically ... at the person's house. They would have to be broadcasting at over 100 decibels to get there.

99% of their shows are on Fridays and Saturdays.

And their charitable contributions annually total over 30 THOUSAND dollars a year!

I'm hoping those of you who are live music patrons and/or Nutty Brown fans will take it upon yourselves to send an email to the address above AND forward this to your friends and family for their consideration.

Thank you for helping us spread the word!

Amazing work with Toothpicks

2009-09-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

A miniature city made out of millions of toothpicks
It took Stan Munro (38) 6 years to build this toothpick city. He used 6 million toothpicks and 170 liters of glue. He can spend until 6 months to create a building and each of his creations is built to 1:164 scale. He works at the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse, New York (USA). Look at the amazing works of one of the most patient men in the world.

Click here >>Check This out!!!!!

Michael Pritchard's water filter turns filthy water drinkable

2009-09-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

Wii White Board for Classrooms

2009-09-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

Medical Breakthrough for Infections

2009-09-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Free monitor cleaner

2009-09-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

The 'bearings in your computer are a silicate-based material, and gives off potentially damaging 'dust' that accumulates on the internal side of your screen and could w/a spontaneous electromagnetic spark create a serious situation with your computer. Therefore, Norton has made this free cleaner available for it's loyal clients!

It is really hard to clean the inside of your screen so here is an easy way to do it. Just click on the underlined word: here. Sit back and it will be taken care of.

And they want to run health care???

2009-09-19T23:48:00.000-07:00

Murtha International Airport

A unique view of The Piaristenkirche Church Maria Treun in Vienna

2009-06-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Click Here

Don't search for that!

2009-06-29T21:27:00.001-07:00

Don't search for that! | Marketplace Scratch Pad | Marketplace

Shared via AddThis

Protect your cell phone

2009-06-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

Your cell phone can be secretly hijacked and used against you

The future of cell phones is just around the corner

2009-06-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

$8+ prescription eyewear - Zenni Optical

2009-06-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Really cheap glasses - the only problem is you really need to know your facial size - but you can actually go to an eyeglass store, get measured and then go online to choose your glasses. Sunglasses, No-line Bifocal, Scratch Resistant finish etc.
This site has been getting rave reviews. They are made in China but no downside yet.
Shipping is a flat $5 for all orders.

http://www.zennioptical.com/

3 Tenors, The past is in good hands

2009-06-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

DRIFTWOOD Estate Winery Events

2009-05-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Mother’s Day Luncheon
Sunday, May 10th ~ 1 to 3 pm

Sunset, Live Music & Wine
Saturday, May 30th

Sunset Dream Dinner at Driftwood Estate Winery
Saturday, June 6th

Father’s Day Luncheon
Sunday, June 21st ~ 1 to 3 pm
Brazilian Churrascaria Barbarcue

http://www.driftwoodvineyards.com/winery_events.html

2009-05-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

NUTTY BROWN JULY 4TH CONCERT WITH JAMEY JOHNSON

2009-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

BUY TICKETS HERE:
JAMEY JOHNSON

The 113th Camp Ben McCulloch Reunion will be held June 19-26 at Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood, Texas

2009-05-06T10:19:00.001-07:00

http://www.campben.com/
Jason Allen - Saturday, June 20th
Jason Allen's current single, "Jenny Lee" is currently # 14
on the Texas Music Chart.

Wimberley EMS is once again having its famous Duck Race in conjunction with National EMS week!

2009-05-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

Date: Saturday, May 23rd
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Blue Hole Recreation Area on Old Kyle Road (left at the Baptist Church)
Cost per Duck: $5.00 bucks a duck
http://www.wimberleyems.com/duck.htm

Election returns in Hays County April Election

2009-05-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

Election returns in Hays County
See link to download voting results
http://www.elections.co.hays.tx.us/ElectionReturnsTotals/tabid/109/Default.aspx