The Californian from Salinas, California • 20

2D MONDAY, January 4, 1999 Livinc Companies use medical records By BJ Wotfe km M.we than a thud of all Fortune companies acknowledge using medical records when deciding to hue. fire or promi4e employees, according to a survey by David Linowes. prufesst ememuv of political economy and public policy at the Inivcrsuy of llluuus. AnJ live percentage of smaller companies nusuong access to medwol records is prcfably even higher, he sow! Dtwlors generally are coot nos about sharing their paiients record, The Oath of p(swrales. whwh d1ors ule.

states, "tt1ioicer I shall see or hear ui the coune of my profession I will never divulge, bidding such things lo he holy secrets." Still, a conihtiuiina of trends is end prevent fraud in appeal tons for fe insurance. To fud out whedter youre in die MSB files, write MIB. Inc, PO Box 05 Essex Station. Boston. Mass, 02112 1 call (6I7J 426.5144) aid adt he die "Request for Disclosure" hem and invoke You can also dow load die necessary hems from die bureau Web sue at www nubcum.

Moil the completed hem. akeig wuh an 58 fee. to the bureau Your private medwol data can pass over multiple desks as it travels liven die victor's office to an insurance cvenpany. AccieJmg lo Beth Givens, dueche of die Privacy Rights CleonngNxive in San Diego, as many as Ml lo 120 employee in an HMO nugle have access to a patient medwol reueds, "People talk, people spreoJ things RECORDS Continued from Page ID whether youve got arthritis or something Employ er can't ask such questions as Have you ever been Heated for menial illness?" Still, as sponsors of iheir employees' insurance plans, many companies do have access to medical records and they sometimes go fishing through that information, according to Lrnowes. Once die records are available, it's a Imle too templing nor to use those records." he said The legal homers intended to protect employees are really "permeable walls." Aarrl said "Even if there's a prohibition againsi it.

information in reality gets di.kcd quite readily A to.4 for better health care, or a dangerous invasion of privacy? Thai's die debate over a proposed national datahae of medical records, The federal "Health Insurance PortaNlity and Accountability Acl of 191(1" was touted as a way to ensure that employees would tk4 lose their insurance coverage when changing jobs But die act also called for creation of a national database of healthcare information, with a unique II) number for each American AJsocates say such a system would save lives by nuking medical information quickly accessible in emergencies, For evample. if you were in an auto accident and were rushed to the emergency room, doctors would he able to check quickly to find whether you had allergies to medications or other problems that could affect treatment The Clinton administration has pul the proposed system on hold until can find ways to make sure such medical information would not get into the wrong hands. But privacy advocates say such a system could never he secure "This really would he a terrible intrusion into the medical privacy of every American." said Jotui Roberts, evevuuve director of Use American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which opposes the plan. "The infrastructure for a notional medical dotohase is already created," Arocl said. "It will no( take that much more effort lo permit almost unregulaied access to ones health information, and the patient would have no way of knowing who accessed it Such Mil is alarmist, said Dr, Melinda G.

Kowe. director of the Jefferson County Health Department in Louisville. "I don'l belittle the point. I definitely agree that we've got to find a way to protect patient privacy." she said. Hut with modem computer security provisions, I ihmk were intelligent enough folks to figure out a way to pm eel patients' privacy Record access might come from thumb prints or retinal nans, making them much more difficult for unauthorized access.

On the oilier hand, medical records stored only in a dctor office are vulnerable to fires and floods Patents move from one part of the country lo another and lose important immunijiion records for their children. Security and privacy in a national medical record rejxssitory might n4 he easy, hut "I think its possible." Rowe said Others say theres no real need he the nationwide system, that medical information is already available quickly hy phone or fax. records-search around, and Ms disturbing that these kinds of dungs ore going to he avail-aide." Mocfatlane sad Givens lists cases in whwh medwol staffs appear n4 lo have n4 lived up lo die Hippocratic ooih, One woman, the wife of an undercover polwe offwer. went to the hospital to have a hahy and repeatedly told the staff me to release her hsene addirss to anyone ee security reasons. she vnd.

use only the couple pot -office box number. Just three days after reluming home, die wonun said, she began receiving mail at her Nmc address from companies veiling hahy products anJ cervices A man who had gone to die hospital he licaimenl of prostate cancer soon received mail from a pharmaceutical company selling a medica-twei used lo treat prostate cancer mtornation. cal Dana at 675-0641. Monterey Bay PC Users Group (MBUG-PC): Windows 9598 special Merest group meeting from 7 to 9 at Archer Park Center, 542 Archer Si Monterey Focus on Windows 98 Group leader is Jan Anway For mors mtormaton. cal 825-5818 Tuesday, Jan.

5 Active Seniors Ballroom dancing horn 7 to 10 at 100 Harvest Si Salmas Live munc by Joe Ingram Trio Also, kne dancmg led by Jake Nelson from 9 10 10 30 a For more information, cal 424 5066 Monterey Cnbbage Club: Enjoy toe rejuvenation of true Pd English game at 6 30 at the Oidemeyer Center. 996 Hiby Avo Seasfoe Nme games For more information, cad Ross Njaa at 422 2024 or Mel Ashley at 683 0963 Take Off Pounds Sensibly; TOPS weekly support group meeimg is horn 10 to 11 45 am or 7 to 8 45 pm at Saunas Community Center. 940 Mam Si Salmas For mote mforma-bon. cal 449-4544 Monterey County Vegetarians; Vegetarian pottodv at 7 pm the community room at Crossroads shopping center, Carmel Bong a vegetan-an dsh to share, kst of mgredents, place settmg a candle or flowers tor toe taPe and a beverage Do not park on Crossroads Boulevard For more mtormabon. cal Beulah TnsJ at 622-7427 Wednesday, Jan.

6 Active Seniors setose tor the mature adult bom 10 to 1 1 a at 100 Harvest Si Salmas Evercrscs ted by Akce Kramer Cal 424-5066 C.E.A. Compulsive Eaters Anonymous meets at 7 to ksten to a speaker at St Ansgar Church. 72 San Joaqum. Salmas For more mformaiion. cal 675-0641 Disabled American Veterans Chapter 101: Luncheon is served al noon every Wednesday at 270 Rianda St Salmas Different detoous entree each week Members and thee guests are welcome Cost 55 For more mformahon.

cal 422-9774 National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE): Meeimg at 2 at Salmas Mumopat Airport Restaurant Members who come early wil be ottered lunch at a special puce For more information, cal 758-4888 Programs Auditions; Auditions tot member-Ship me Camerata Singer of Manteiey County wu be hold It's weel et Jan 4 Openings afl sections tor etpenenced cNyal ungei For an afpomiment. C4 Dr Astanmn at 494 1218 Heirloom Button-mailing workshop: Haney Nehimvg if teaching her Putton maiung technique horn 1 to 4 pm Jan 10 at 1121 Soquel Ave. Santa Our Cost if S3S. includes Supplies Registration is required N-to Jan 9 For moe information, cal Sen Worsshop at 420 0180 Time management workshop; A Oai Canege Training workshop. Whee Does as the Tene Go? A Time Management Workshop mil take place horn 6 to 9 Jan 21 at McCormick Co Ttanmg Facility.

1311 Schilling Place. Salmas Speaker Ga4 Turner Cost 555 per pane pant and reservations ae required For more formation, Cal 38 S244 little League meeting: Continental lime League is holding a mandaiory n-eeimg at 6 30 Jan 7 at the Community Center tor a people mter-ested managing or coachmg a Lithe league team tor me 1999 season The league also needs volunteers lor umpires Sign-ups tor players wot Pe NHd horn 9am to 3 Jan t6. 23 vj 30 at Kammann Park and Irom 6 to 8 me cafeteria at me tooow-rg schools Jan 2llJuieood. Jan 25. Kammann.

Jan 28, Boronda For more mtormalon. cal 444 6315 or 7810385 lu'au and Polynesian Show The 2 annual Evening at Paradse wi take place Saturday at Hartnell College The snow features Darnel I to. Ke Kai Huia Onana. cant muse and dance pertormances Doors open at 5 dinner is at 5 30 and show begins at 7 General admis-son is 525 For mor mtormstion or to purchase bctort. cal 784-1310 or 442 0329 Today, Jan.

4 Free seminar Epandmg Horizon and Chuck Bookstore. 248 Mam St times IS ohermg a tree seminar horn toe International Development Institute 7 with Chuck Sickier D-Kusson tocus on money, working capital, retirement funds, surviving fbanoaity the commg years, helping our tnends and tamrfy business growth and opportunities For more mtorms-tmn. cai 796-0522 Knights of Columbus Council 5410 A business meeting wil take pace at 7 30 at 920 OW Stage Road. Salmas Active Seniors Ouiltmg. sewmg.

knitting, etc. from 9 a m. to 2 pm at 100 Harvest St Salmas Bring your lunch and gather around the luncheon table For mom information, cal 424 5066 Beginner's Alanon: For anyone whose hie has been affected by alcohol. Meeting is at 8 pm. at St.

Ansgar's Church. 72 E. San Joaquin. Salmas For more information, call 754 1246. C.E.A.- H.O.W.: Compulsive Eaters Anonymous meets at 5 30 m.

tor the big book study at St. Ansgar's Church. 72 E. San Joaquin, Salinas. For more Sometimes fim runs into a brick wall By Aaron Curtiss fc kngomt I xrc Eew brand names enjoy ihc worldwide recognition and love that Lego docs.

So when the perfectionist Danish toy maker puts us moniker on software, expectations naturally run high But three new lutes -Lego Chess" "Lego Creator" and "Lego Loco" otter a decidedly mixed bag. Although all three carry the label of Lego Media. Lego's internal software division, they were designed hy different development house. Only two of the teams really capture the spin! of Lego toys, and just one manages to deliver a game that comes close lo matching the bricks in terms of creative fun. Even then, the bricks win by a pretty wide margin.

Legos strategy is simple. Its traditionally low -lech backs face competition he attention from all sorts of high-tech toys. Fie some kids, sitting over a pile of plastic backs letting their imaginations run wild just doesn't cut it anymore. I pity those kids, but I understand where Lego is coming from. It's try ing to extend its name, anj its business, lo new arenas, which may or may not have anything lo do with building.

In my mind, that dilutes rather than enhances the brand. "Lego Chess." he instance, features Lego minifigs small Lego people with cylindrical heads, fm-ger-lcss, cupped hands and perpetual grins as the pieces of a chessboard. But the only building going on is the construction of strategy as players piece together the fundamentals of chess through a chatty tutorial, A king who must think hes Llvis blathers through lessons that could use a little editing hut otherwise ate fun and informatise. Young players learn aNmt each piece and its strategic potential. Because the tutorial is interactive, players can leant moves through trial and error.

For instance, the introduction of each new piece is billowed hy a simple game of moving a pawn to the lop of the Nurd with help from whatever piece was just discussed. After aNnil an Nhit of learning the rules, players are ready and can choose Nurds based on historic Lego themes, such as cowNiys or pirates. The screen is adorned with various Lego backgrounds. and mimfigs fill in for the pieces. Rooks are little guys with cannons in the cowNiy scenario: bishops have alligators in the pirate scene.

Animation accompanies each move. The minifigs walk or ride to their next position. Short movies follow the capture of pieces, but they are easily skipped with the space bar. As computer chess games go, "Lego Chess" is not at all had. For players who need a little help during the game, clicking on a piece reveals its possible moves with subtle suggestions aNut what to avoid.

Bui it's more chess than Lego. Lego Creator" is what it sounds like: a building program that ing pal wot privacy, I adore include uwreaed scrutiny of mrdwol claims by health nuinimaiwe organization insurance companies anj Use growing me of nrtwoiied computers sieving medwol records, "The insurance companies want lo know all Use Imle details of ymir life, whwh before they didn't have lo know." Louisville. Ky, un4ogtl Dr MwhoelT Mac lot lone sawl Life insurance companies can also sieve information duough die Medwol Information Bureau, whwh contains files on 20 percent of all Americ ans, tec oids conum information such as height aid weight, hld pressure, ckvtocoidiogfain readings aid LNv rabey lest results It also may contain nonmedwal inhemation such as an haJ dining record anj participation hazardous eporu The bureau was begun in I '12 lo enables users to construct models wiiNhiI regard lo pesky- piece limits or. often, the laws of physics It's a novel idea, and it con he fun for a while. But "Creator" points up Ihc limits of virtual space, especially when it tries to duplicate a tactile pastime such as Lego building.

Recognizing that creating with Lego involves all the senses, designers stuck a few nice touches. When looking for a piece, for instance, players hear the unmistakable sound of Lego being sifted. And Nicks lock into place with a satisfying "click But there ore problems. The building area is large, hut users can see only a small part of it at a lime. Scrolling doesn't make it much easier, And the interface could use some wink.

True, part of the joy of building with Lego is the search for the right piece through an unsoricd collection. Nit one would think programmers would sort virtual pieces into easy-to-find groups. No such luck. That complaint aside. "Creator" enables would-hc architects lo build plastic cities no parent or spouse would ever allow in the living room.

Skyscrapers can rise dozens of stories a feat that would require a few hundred bucks worth of plastic lo pull off in real life. Once a building is up, players can paint it in colors unknown to the traditional Lego palette of blue, red. ill III III III 111 NOW SHOWING 449-9101 Momwott showing tom "The Perfect Holiday Gift! mimaiu kamo mrwotua Stfpmom YYYuw.sony.com NOW SHOWING NO PASStS, COUPONS Ofi DISCOUNTS BNOMHftlDtili (11:20 2:20 5:00) 7:40 10:20 oocby white, yellow and block. Another cool feature is the ability lo explore buildings once they're up Lvcr wonder Nm the world looks lo a Lego person? Now its easy to find out. "Lego Loco" is a mew.

The intent wav to give kids a virtual railroad lo build and run. What they get is a game that made me want lo tie myself to the tracks. As in the Lego world, where most of the explaining is done through piclograpfis. "Loco" attempts lo guide players witNiut the benefit of language. The conductor who is supposed to help with problems pops onto the screen spewing gihhcnsh.

The pictures that are supposed lo represent functions ore unclear. So lakes awhile just to understand whats supposed lo happen. When it docs happen, its pretty lame. Flayers can lay track and pul a few buildings on the screen aJ then build a four-car tram lo run along the rails. Whew.

Theres more, but its worse. Perhaps "Loco" is the perfect game for kids obsessed with useless details and pointless effort, hut I imagine most have far better things lo do. Oh. and the cool train on the front of the Nix? You can't build it with "Loco." But you can ith good old plastic bricks. li; II II III ill E3 (11:30 1:50) 4:30 7:20 9:45 oovar bbestTromanti Tom Hanks lies Ryan NOW SHOWING (12:00 2:40 5:10) bOXtHXIDGt aw On 9 Scr OOkSV Zelda ups standard of excellence for the console gaming industry MMStapflu Tropical Fish Thursday, Jan.

7 Whats Initial financial meeting from 7 30 to 9 m. Must cal for location. Cal 648-4698 Parent Support Group: The group meets at 7.30 m. every Thursday at St. Ansgars Church.

72 E. San Joaquin St Salmas. For more information, cad 443-2075. Youth group: Meets from 6 to 7 m. at Victory Outreach, 155 Bardin Road.

Salinas. For more information, call Brother Jerry or Brother Ruben at 753-9443 S.P.R.S.I. Salinas Council No. 46: Meeting at 1 pm. at Salmas Elks Lodge conference room.

Lunch at 1 1 .30 a m. Nominations tor new term officers. General information The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Nintendo Ages: Everyone Requirements: Nintendo 64 Cost: $69.95 Difficulty: Medium Rating: Four stars (Excellent) of the most creative villains yet seen in a video game. But while enemies are plentiful and often difficult, you'll need a lot more than might if you want to conquer the world of Zelda. The heart of the game lies in its numerous puzzles.

As you make your way through countless villages and dungeons, you'll be faced with a bevy of challenges that range from the simple to the complex. Each solution yields a reward in the form of weapons, knowledge or inventory items that you'll need to finish out your quest. This is not even to mention the games span of seven years. Imagine the varying gameplay youll experience as you visit the same villages as a child and then as an adult. Complementing the gameplay are magnificent graphics that take full advantage of the Nintendo 64s power.

While series dichards will delight in the games riches, newcomers will have little trouble becoming immersed in this epic gaming Supplies HARDEN RANCH PLAZA (Next to Horn Depot) THfc FACULTY (R) On I SoMm It 24-410)1 OM 1 10-3 00-5 30) 7 50-10 15 I JACK FROST IPO) 1 1 1 407 45) TIMM IMF RUGRATS movie 101 Ml 1 4 7 00 9 0(1 B8HeBg iwnyoijjEaiuiMjMoo PATCH ADAMS Ptt-U)( 1110-1 45-5 30) 750-10 30 PIPIT Al STBPMOM 1PQ-13) 1 11 20-2 30-5 001 7 40-10 20 Ixf -MMWO OO-foaT PGl 1 Smn 4M 8ABt A VS, 443-1873 iT. JZL-J enemy of thutah iR) 1 ioi 7 io jo ai WAItWSOY (TO-13) 0 OM AIM 50) 7 ZSIO IQ PK) IN THC CITY fQ) IS-? 30) PSYCHO IRII 5 001 7 30-10 00 nrr YTT mu STKXTXEK HSURR6CTWN1PGH 11 30-1 fl-110) 3GaB SUP'S UFS (0) 12 90-3 10-5 IS) 7 40-10 10 By James Bottorff Npwt Sevce With the recent release of The Legend of Zelda; Ocarina of Time, the console gaming industry has a new standard of excellence. This much-anticipated 64-bit version of the popular role-playing series will likely serve as the benchmark by which future video games are measured. For tho.se unfamiliar with the series. The Legend of Zelda roots date back to 1987 when the original version was released for the eight-bit Nintendo Entertainment System.

Since then, the game has gone through four incarnations, peaking with its latest release for Nintendo 64. Like past Zelda games. Ocarina of Time's story revolves around the heroic Link and his adventures in the land of ilyrule. In addition to our hero, the classic cast of characters, including Princess Zelda and the evil Ganondorf, return to make their 64-bit debut. This, however, is where the similarities with previous versions end.

Ocarina of Time is so different from any other role-playing game (RPG) that even comparing it to its siblings seems like an injustice. I For starters, the traditional turn-based battles have been replaced with real-time action. Rather than relying on hit points ind the your turn, then mine system, you are now thrust into live action, where survival depends on vour ability to wield a weapon with accuracy and quick reflexes. 1 Gamers will find themselves engaged in injgnse battles witjj some For great results, advertise in The Californian.