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Author Archives: Jim deMaine
Judge John Hodgman on a Married Couple’s Bigger Bed
From the NYT: “Jeff writes: My wife and I sleep on an old full-size bed and are in need of a new one. I would like to buy another full because I am afraid if we start allowing space between … Continue reading
A polarized halloween – 2 views, neither accurate
A Republican Halloween: “We give the first 1% of kids to our door all the candy and trust that they will give adequate shares to all of the other kids…” Or is it a Democrat Halloween, “where you confiscate from … Continue reading
The longevity gap
Costly new longevity drugs could help the wealthy live 120 years or more – but will everyone else die young? From Aeon: “The disparity between top earners and everyone else is staggering in nations such as the United States, where … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Man suing assisted-living facility over unanswered call for help
A Mercer Island assisted care facility has been in the news in an unfavorable manner. Apparently their call light system didn’t function properly. A resident was down in his bathroom for the whole day! It appears timely that Skyline has … Continue reading
Posted in Aging Sites, Health
2 Comments
One reason for “health care” inflation
How can this happen? Well for one, Medicare is forbidden by law to negotiate with big pharma! Thanks to the lobbyists and big pharma. Click here for Bernie Sanders Takes on Big Pharma as California Eyes Drug Price Limits
Posted in Health
3 Comments
Dudley Moore “does” Beethoven
“In this clip from the 1950’s-60s British comedy group “Beyond the Fringe,” Dudley Moore plays a very funny but also very musically well-done parody of a Beethoven Piano Sonata, using the famous whistling tune from “Bridge Over the River … Continue reading
Worry begets worry as the news cycle dominates
How much do we worry? Likely more than is healthy. And worry often is simply ineffective. A well known Bible story emphasizes worry’s futility: in Matthew 6 “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouse or … Continue reading
Blocking the Bread Aisle – Turning Shopping Experience into Art
From the New Yorker: “Some years back, Brendan O’Connell had a revelation at a Winn-Dixie. He was in his sophomore year at Emory University, and was spending the summer working at one of the company’s stores, in St. Augustine, Florida, … Continue reading
Posted in Art
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AT&T CEO confronts racial tension
“Randall Stephenson runs AT&T. If shareholders, and ultimately regulators, approve, he is also going to run Time Warner after buying the entertainment conglomerate for more than $80 billion. “So you should probably know who he is. Here’s one way to … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Essays, Race, Social justice
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Remember the 50’s?
Now for a bit of 50’s nostalgia, click here!
Posted in History
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Beautiful chemistry
This video isn’t just for the scientists. “Eight types of beautiful chemical reactions are presented in this short video, including metal displacement, precipitation, chemical garden, crystallization, color change, bubbling reactions, dancing fluorescent droplets, and smoke. This video won an Experts’ … Continue reading
Posted in Nature, Science and Technology
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Spirituality at the end of life
There’s a wonderful web site from Australia that has an eclectic collection of essays. One recent one is on “being – not doing – makes space for spirituality in dying.” “Two of the great 20th-century theorists of care for the … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Spiritual
5 Comments
A lethal injection
I entered the exam room as an intravenous catheter was being inserted expertly. The procedure had been explained to me. I wanted to be there to comfort my friend in his last moments. Life had been getting difficult and the … Continue reading
Posted in Essays
3 Comments
A visitor in the operating room
It was Trevor’s first weekend to relax since moving to Seattle. He was out in a park walking Bailey, his year old lab, when his pager unexpectedly beeped. He called in to the operating room office, where the frantic head … Continue reading
Posted in Essays
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How the yo-yo put a troubled young man on the path of playful salvation
From Aeon: “Growing up in a poor, violence-stricken section of Baltimore in Maryland, Coffin Nachtmahr was bullied for having a stutter and not fitting into ‘any specific molds’. In high school, he was angry, prone to fights, and struggling with … Continue reading
Posted in Essays, Social justice, Sport
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Senate candidate assembles an AK 47 blindfolded
In a contested Senate race in Missouri Jason Kander, Democrat, assembles an AK 47 blindfolded – to drive home the point that background checks and some limits are needed even when supporting Second Amendment gun rights. Going on line, I … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Social justice
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Thoughts and experiences with VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking)
There is increasing public discourse and debate about the ethics of ending one’s life “in a dignified manner” when entering its terminal phase. But what if one is not terminal, yet finds themselves in an intolerable condition and wants to … Continue reading