Iserotope Extras - Issue #11

JJ has been treated since infancy at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington. She’s about to learn why. Reporter John Woodrow Cox takes his time telling this poignant story, which is the right thing to do. The result is sensitive and delicate.

Nearly 20 years ago, I took my first Myers-Briggs test, which told me I was ISTJ (George Washington, Jeff Bezos, Richard Nixon). Now I’m apparently INFJ (Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Osama bin Laden), defined as “quiet, private people who like discussions and care intensely about helping others.” Is it possible to change? As this article suggests, maybe the whole point is the process of finding ourselves.

Two weekends ago, I attended a friend’s wedding in New York and got to see Hamilton the day before. (Thanks, Peter!) It was phenomenal. Based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, the musical is equal parts American history and social commentary (especially on race and class). The soundtrack came out last week, in case you’re interested. Start with “My Shot.”

My friend and former colleague Dave Keller is a teacher in the East Bay. He works all day and drives for Uber at night to make ends meet. Working a second job is common for teachers, especially in the Bay Area. The Teacher Salary Project recently highlighted this phenomenon in a short film. I appreciate Dave’s piece because it states the problem clearly without eliciting a sense of martyrdom.