Author Archives: Jim deMaine

Will this symbol stand?

Thanks to Pam P.

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Scott Pelley speaks to 2025 graduates

Thanks to Mike C. Good morning, everybody. What a beautiful day. What a beautiful North Carolina day for a graduation. Incredible. Thank you, President Wente, Provost Gillespie, members of the Board of Trustees and Katy Harriger, my faculty sponsor, for … Continue reading

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The Unfolding Catastrophe Emanating From DC and Its Implications for Everyone’s Health – Tuesday at 2:30 PM in the MBR

Paul Pottinger, MD, DTMH, FACP, FIDSA, is a board certified physician and Director of the Infectious Diseases & Tropical Medicine Clinic at UW Medical Center – Montlake and a Professor in UW School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine, Division of … Continue reading

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There’s never an end to Zucchini commentary

Thanks to Ed M (and to Gary Larson!)

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May we remember

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We Are Not Being Asked to Run Into Cannon Fire. We Just Need to Speak Up.

By Drew Gilpin Faust in the NYT Ms. Faust is the author of “This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War” and a former president of Harvard University. Frederick Douglass thought Decoration Day — the original name for Memorial … Continue reading

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Kipling’s “When Earth’s Last Picture is Painted”

Ed note: I was talking to Mike C. at dinner about our early education and how, at times, we were required to memorize poetry. This is one poem he still recalls. We discussed the value of memorizing things in childhood, … Continue reading

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When you have nothing else to do!

Thanks to Bob P.

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I’m A Psychologist Who Specializes In Narcissists. Here’s What We Need To Do To Stop Trump.

By Jocelyn Sze in the Huffington Post (thanks to MaryLou P.) The Trump administration is planning a June 14 military parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army — and the president’s 79th birthday. When your sense of self-exaltation requires … Continue reading

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Silencing the CDC

A recent study by the CDC showed how to prevent the most common cause of hospitalizations in babies. Why haven’t we heard about it? Paul Offit (thanks to Ed. M) Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of … Continue reading

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Joe Biden Has a Chance to Do Something Astounding

By Patti Davis in the NYT Ms. Davis is the author of “Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory and the America We Once Knew.” She led a long-running support group for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s. On Nov. … Continue reading

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Is There a Least Bad Alcohol?

We all know about the health risks of drinking. But if you’re going to partake, it’s natural to want to minimize the damage. By Caroline Hopkins Legaspi in the NYT Q: I’ve been trying to cut back on alcohol lately, but … Continue reading

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Prostate Experts See Familiar Scenario in Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis

Ed note: The article below relates the common misunderstandings about the benefits of screening for prostate cancer. The great majority of prostate cancers that are common in old men behave in a benign fashion, so most of us die with … Continue reading

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Remembering those words

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Medicaid cuts proposed for 8.6 million people. Impact will differ across states.

From The Epidemiologist A recent study found that, since 2010, Medicaid expansion has reduced the mortality of the low-income adult population by 2.5%. In other words, Medicaid expansion saved more than 27,000 lives. Deaths fell not only among older enrollees (who are … Continue reading

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These stunning photos show how nature came back after the world’s largest dam removal project

by BY Adele Peters thanks to Pam P. It’s been less than a year since the world’s largest dam removal project was completed along 420 miles of the Klamath River, near the border of Oregon and California. But if you look … Continue reading

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Maja Sereda: Back to the Wild

Ed note: You can find more about Maja — her art, teaching and wildlife advocacy at her website https://majasereda.biz/. Maja Sereda is a multidisciplinary artist who immerses herself in the world of abstraction, fiber arts, and highly detailed drawings. Throughout … Continue reading

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The Second Poem the Night-Walker Wrote

Thanks to Bob P.

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Bruce Springsteen’s opening comments

May 14, 2025 MANCHESTER (thanks to Pam P.) Tonight, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band opened their Land of Hope & Dreams Tour in Manchester, England. Bruce launched this run of shows with three statements about the situation in … Continue reading

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Corruption, habeas corpus, emoluments and more

Heather Cox Richardson The biggest news over the weekend was silence: the silence of Republicans. They refused to disavow White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s statement that the administration is looking at suspending the writ of habeas corpus, … Continue reading

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What Paris and Skyline will have in common!

Thanks to Deborah C.

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Josh Hawley: Don’t Cut Medicaid

By Josh Hawley In the NYT. Mr. Hawley is a Republican senator from Missouri. Polls show Democrats down in the dumps at their lowest approval level in decades, but we Republicans are having an identity crisis of our own, and you can see … Continue reading

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Design lab invents first-of-its-kind 3D-printed wheelchair for kids — and will give them away for free

from Good Good Good – thanks to Pam P. The average pediatric wheelchair can cost thousands of dollars. And when children grow and their needs evolve — or a wheelchair gets damaged — those costs multiply. So, the team at MakeGood … Continue reading

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Finding your mother!

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A mother without the title

by Heather Cox Richardson Ed Note: I hope you’ve had a chance to read Erma Bombeck’s book, “Motherhood, the Second Oldest Profession.” It’s a wonderful wise, funny and poignant collection of essays. Those of us who are truly lucky have … Continue reading

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