The ‘Rule’ Against Ending Sentences With Prepositions Has Always Been Silly by John McWhorter in the NYT

Late last month, Merriam-Webster shared the news on Instagram that it’s OK to end a sentence with a preposition. Hats off to them, sincerely. But it is hard to convey how bizarre, to an almost comical degree, such a decree seems in terms of how language actually works. It is rather like announcing that it is now permissible for cats to meow.

There has long been a tacit idea that the pox on ending sentences with a preposition is based on some kind of principle — maybe linguistic or maybe aesthetic. Actually, it is based on essentially nothing. Like phlogiston, spontaneous generation and gnomes, the preposition rule started with an idea that felt right in another time but has no logical standing today.

The first person on record to declare opposition to ending sentences with a preposition was the poet John Dryden in the 17th century. But what really set the idea in stone was Bishop Robert Lowth’s highly influential “A Short Introduction to English Grammar” in 1762 and its direct descendant, Lindley Murray’s “English Grammar” in 1795. The two manuscripts had the same sort of influence in the 18th and 19th centuries as Strunk & White would have later. (continued)

Ed note: This poem was sent to me by a writer who is loosing her vision in one eye due to a malignant melanoma (successfully treated with proton beam radiation therapy). It raises the question–can we find new strengths in the losses of illness and aging?

Doctor, you say there are no haloes

around the streetlights in Paris

and what I see is an aberration

caused by old age, an affliction.

I tell you it has taken me all my life

to arrive at the vision of gas lamps as angels,

to soften and blur and finally banish

the edges you regret I don’t see,

to learn that the line I called the horizon

does not exist and sky and water,

so long apart, are the same state of being.

Fifty-four years before I could see

Rouen cathedral is built

of parallel shafts of sun,

and now you want to restore

my youthful errors: fixed

notions of top and bottom,

the illusion of three-dimensional space,

wisteria separate

from the bridge it covers.

What can I say to convince you

the Houses of Parliament dissolve

night after night to become

the fluid dream of the Thames?

I will not return to a universe

of objects that don’t know each other,

as if islands were not the lost children

of one great continent.  The world

is flux, and light becomes what it touches,

becomes water, lilies on water,

above and below water,

becomes lilac and mauve and yellow

and white and cerulean lamps,

small fists passing sunlight

so quickly to one another

that it would take long, streaming hair

inside my brush to catch it.

To paint the speed of light!

Our weighted shapes, these verticals,

burn to mix with air

and change our bones, skin, clothes

to gases.  Doctor,

if only you could see

how heaven pulls earth into its arms

and how infinitely the heart expands

to claim this world, blue vapor without end.

Lisel Mueller, “Monet Refuses the Operation” from Second Language. 

Thanks to Bob P.

Ed note – Recommend reading for lots of laughs: The one-hundred year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared

Ed note: Here’s an email notice sent out by co-Executive Directors of End of Life Washington

Today, March 5th, 2024, marks 15 years since Medical Aid in Dying became available in Washington State. Initiative 1000, otherwise known as The Washington Death with Dignity Act, passed on November 4, 2008, and went into effect that following spring. This is a day to celebrate – the first day Washingtonians were able to exercise their right to use Medical Aid in Dying, and a landmark day for bodily autonomy in Washington State. 

Earlier this year, we were going through old archives with two founding and foundational members of this organization, Midge Levy and Arline Hinckley. Sifting through old newsletters, we found a piece by Robb Miller, the executive director of End of Life Washington at the time, titled “How We Won I-1000″. The piece, included below, outlines Robb’s perspective on why I-1000 was so successful at the polls. As we enter 2024, we want to reflect on what’s changed during these last 15 years of access to Medical Aid in Dying in Washington and set our sights on what’s to come.   

The population of Washington has changed. Our population has grown at twice the rate of the rest of the United States, with over 1.3 million more people residing here than in 2009. Of those new residents, the fastest growing group has been people 65 and older, growing over 62 percent in the last 15 years. As our population grows, I am grateful to be living in a state with some of the best end-of-life care and support in the nation.  

Using this law, even with 15 years of progress behind us, remains difficult. People go to great lengths to access these medications and they often receive significant support to do so. For comparison, in 2009, the aid-in-dying medications were dispensed to 63 individuals, compared to 2022 where 452 received medications. Each year we see more requests for support, and we hear the same from our healthcare partners; more people want access and need support accessing this law.   

Last year, we updated the Death with Dignity Act, to include more qualified medical providers, improve medication delivery, and shorten the waiting period. The changes are not yet a year old, and we are seeing improved access and opportunities. The waiting period from a person’s initial request to them receiving a prescription has been shortened from 15 days to 7; Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNPs and Physician Assistants (PAs) are now allowed to participate as prescribing or consulting providers on a person’s request to use medical aid-in-dying; providers are allowed to file their required paperwork electronically instead of by mail; and a person’s life-ending medication can now be picked up by a trusted person instead of the dying patient needing to receive their medication directly from the pharmacist. All these changes have helped people across the state find peace in times of great suffering, while preserving the strong safeguards in the law that prevent abuse.  

As access has been improved, barriers to access continue to grow. Since 2009 we have seen a steady increase in hospitals merging with restrictive institutions. These restrictive systems limit access to end-of-life services, and the mergers mean that more providers across the state are barred by their employers from supporting their patients in accessing their full end-of-life rights. Since the law was passed 15 years ago there have been big healthcare mergers between Swedish and Providence (2012) and CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason (2022). As a result of these mergers, more than 50% of the hospital beds in Washington State are provided by restrictive systems and patients in those beds are not able to access this care without substantial effort and external support.  

What remains unchanged is the support and dedication of excellent social workers, physicians, volunteers, nurses, hospice staff, and clergy. People across the state, then and now, are working to improve end-of-life care. We have deep reverence for the helpers who make access to this law possible – thank you. 

As we reflect and look ahead this year, there is so much to celebrate. Thank you for being part of this community and for your commitment to end of life options. The right to choose at the end of life has come so far in this state, and yet it feels like we need your commitment to autonomy and care more now than ever. This work isn’t easy; every step forward takes all our effort and collaboration. This truly cannot happen without you. We are so glad you’re here with us and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the next 15 years.

Thanks to Mary Jane F.

Tap originated in the United States through the fusion of several ethnic percussive dances, primarily West African sacred and secular step dances (gioube) and Scottish, Irish, and English clog dances, hornpipes, and jigs. 

To enjoy this amazing duo, CLICK HERE! (If needed unmute the sound on the clip)

By Tyler Kepner in the Athletic

PEORIA, Ariz. — The matchup of slogan versus nuanced explanation is never a fair fight. The slogan always wins. So if the Seattle Mariners need buzzwords to energize their loyal but letdown fans, they could use these:

“This is our time,” Jerry Dipoto, the president of baseball operations, said in his Arizona office Thursday. “We have players just entering what should be the best seasons of their careers. And we think now our window is open and this is the group that can lead us there.”

Maybe it’s not quite Kurt Russell, as Herb Brooks in “Miracle,” challenging his young hockey team before the big game against the Soviets: “This is your time – now go out there and take it!” But it’s the best Dipoto can do to share the optimism and urgency that really do exist around the only franchise to never reach the World Series.

The Mariners look good — no, really, it’s true. Their starters are dynamic, durable, prime-age strike throwers. Their balanced, revamped lineup should sustain more rallies and score more runs. And if the members of the American League West keep taking turns as champions — the Houston Astros in 2022, the Texas Rangers in 2023 — this just might be Seattle’s time.

And yet, there’s lingering skepticism about the intentions and motivations of the front office, and Dipoto knows it’s his fault. Last Oct. 3 — two days after the Mariners’ only game in the last three seasons with no hope of making the playoffs — Dipoto refused to promise that his team would win a title.

The goal, he tried to explain, was to win at least 54 percent of the time over the course of a decade. The team, he added, was actually doing the fans a favor by asking for patience instead of pushing all in for a quick fix.

My, oh my.

Teoscar Hernández (left) and Eugenio Suárez combined for 48 home runs in 2023, along with 425 strikeouts. (Joe Nicholson / USA Today)

“I spoke in words that made sense to me — and clearly, I confused people,” Dipoto said on Thursday. “Our goal is not to be mediocre. Our goal is not to go out and win just enough to get over the line. There was more that was expressed in that thought that didn’t fit into a tweet. And unfortunately, the tweet version is the version that was conveyed, and that’s my mistake. I was talking long-form in a short-form world.”

Dipoto continued, and in the spirit of context, here’s what he said: (continued)

By Liz Szabo in the NYT

Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure — but only a quarter of those with hypertension have it under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

High blood pressure “is a smoldering public health crisis,” said Dr. Rishi K. Wadhera, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an author of new research showing that blood pressure screenings have not returned to what they were before the coronavirus pandemic.

High blood pressure can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, pregnancy complications and other health problems, but the symptoms are “often silent,” Dr. Wadhera said.

“I worry it flies under the radar for many patients,” he added.

Here’s what to know about the issue, and how to get your blood pressure under control.

What is blood pressure? And what’s a normal level?

Blood pressure is the force that blood exerts against artery walls in the heart, said Dr. Jim Liu, a cardiologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. You’ll always hear your blood pressure given as two numbers: The top number, known as systolic pressure, measures that force when the heart contracts. The bottom number, known as diastolic pressure, gauges the force when the heart muscle relaxes. It’s measured in units known as millimeters of mercury, or mm Hg.

You can have your blood pressure checked during a medical appointment or at a pharmacy, or you can check it yourself with a home monitor. The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology define normal blood pressure as below 120/80 mm Hg. The C.D.C. defines high blood pressure as 130/80 mm Hg or higher.

Very high blood pressure can cause symptoms including severe headaches, chest pain and dizziness. For many people, however, blood pressure increases too gradually for them to notice these issues, Dr. Liu said.

Why is high blood pressure harmful?

High blood pressure forces the heart to work harder to pump blood. Over time, the overwhelmed heart can slowly start to falter and struggle to pump blood out to the rest of the body, a condition called heart failure.

The force and friction of high blood pressure can also injure the delicate lining of the arteries, Dr. Liu said. Tears in the artery wall allow LDL cholesterol — also known as the “bad” cholesterol — to latch on and form clumps, or plaques, in these gaps. This can block blood flow and, in some patients, cause a heart attack.

Blockages in arteries that carry blood to the brain can lead to a stroke. Long-term damage to blood vessels in the brain can also lead to a condition called vascular dementia, Dr. Liu said.

What leads to high blood pressure?

All arteries stiffen over time, leading blood pressure to climb steadily as people age. By age 75, an estimated 80 percent of men and 86 percent of women in the United States have high blood pressure.

Multiple risk factors have been linked to high blood pressure, including smoking, heavy drinking, obesity and chronic stress. A lack of exercise and diets high in sodium and processed foods have also been associated with an increased risk of hypertension.

How can you reduce your blood pressure?

For some people, lifestyle changes can be as powerful as medication, said Dr. Martha Gulati, the director of preventive cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. She recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day and sleeping seven to nine hours a night, both of which are associated with lower blood pressure. Maintaining or achieving a healthy body weight can also reduce blood pressure, Dr. Gulati said.

Avoiding products that contain nicotine is important. Using nicotine drives up blood pressure, narrows blood vessels and may contribute to the hardening of arteries, according to the American Heart Association.

Some research suggests that following a low-sodium diet could reduce blood pressure by two to eight mm Hg for some patients, and that adopting the DASH diet — which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products — could reduce blood pressure by eight to 14 points. Abstaining from alcohol or limiting consumption to no more than one glass per day for women and two glasses for men could reduce blood pressure by two to four points.

People who can’t lower their blood pressure to normal levels through lifestyle changes will need medication, Dr. Gulati said. Water pills, or diuretics, help remove sodium and water from the body, bringing down blood pressure. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) both relax blood vessels, though they work in different ways. Calcium channel blockers help relax the muscle cells of blood vessels, and some slow your heart rate. People who can’t lower their blood pressure with these drugs may need additional medications. Doctors take a patient’s age, health and risk factors into consideration before deciding what medication to prescribe.

“Blood pressure is the most modifiable risk factor for heart disease and stroke,” Dr. Gulati said. “With lifestyle changes and medications, our patients can take control of it — and their heart health.”

Thanks to MaryLou P.

Thanks to Mary M.

Thanks to Ed M.

By Apoorva Mandavilli in the NYT

Americans with Covid or other respiratory infections need not isolate for five days before returning to work or school, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday, a striking sign of changing attitudes toward the coronavirus.

People with respiratory illnesses may resume daily activities if they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the aid of medications and if their symptoms are improving, agency officials said.

Acknowledging that people can be contagious even without symptoms, the C.D.C. urged those who end isolation to limit close contact with others, wear well-fitted masks, improve indoor air quality and practice good hygiene, like washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes, for five days.

Thanks to Bob P. Click here for more.

Thanks to Pam P.

Ed note: Have fun with our Washington place names! Make sure to read this aloud.

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Thanks to Mary M.

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Thanks to Mike C.

Renowned for its exquisite Cantonese dishes and a distinguished 95-item dim sum menu, Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant is poised to bring its culinary expertise to Bellevue, Washington. Marking its first venture into the United States, this Vancouver-based restaurant aims to replicate its Canadian success by catering to the diverse palate of Bellevue’s food enthusiasts. With anticipation building, the restaurant’s opening at the end of April is subject to final clearance from city and health department officials.

Strategic Expansion into the U.S. Market

After serving dim sum aficionados in Richmond, B.C., and Vancouver for over three decades, Sun Sui Wah’s expansion reflects a broader trend of Chinese culinary establishments venturing into new territories. Bellevue, with its vibrant food scene, presents an ideal launching pad for the restaurant’s U.S. journey. This move is not just about geographical expansion but also about testing the waters for further growth in the American market, with Seattle earmarked as a potential future location. The decision to expand south of the border comes after meticulous planning and market analysis, demonstrating Sun Sui Wah’s commitment to extending its culinary legacy.

Offering Authentic Cantonese Delights

At the heart of Sun Sui Wah’s popularity is its commitment to authenticity and quality. The upcoming two-story restaurant in Bellevue Marketplace shopping center promises to offer a culinary experience reminiscent of its Canadian counterparts. Diners can look forward to indulging in an array of Cantonese cuisine staples, including har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork and shrimp dumplings), and the much-loved roasted squab. With a menu boasting 95 dim sum items, the restaurant aims to cater to both traditional tastes and those looking to explore new culinary horizons.

Thanks to Pam P.

Are you tired of the tendency of the media to only report the ugly, sensational and violent news? If you want a break and find some good news, click on this site to relax your soul: https://informationisbeautiful.net/beautifulnews/

Thanks to Pam P.

Town Hall Seattle and Northwest Center for Creative Aging present

Clarence Moriwaki

Monday, March 18Time:

7:30 pm PDTCost:$5 – $25 Sliding Scale

Learn more about Sliding Scale tickets.

Get Tickets

VENUE

The Wyncote NW Forum1119 8th Ave (Entrance off Seneca St.)
Seattle, 98101 United States

Thanks to Ed M.

Older Americans Should Get Another Covid Shot This Spring, C.D.C. Says

By Apoorva Mandavilli

Americans ages 65 and older should receive an additional dose of the latest Covid vaccine this spring, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

The spring shot would be a second dose of the most recent iteration of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax vaccines introduced in the fall. People who are immunocompromised are already eligible for additional doses of the vaccine.

At a meeting of the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier on Wednesday, federal researchers presented preliminary data showing that the latest vaccines have an effectiveness of about 40 to 50 percent against symptomatic infection or hospitalization, although estimates against currently circulating variants were based on small numbers.

In October and November, adults who received a fall dose accounted for 4 percent of Covid-related hospitalizations. Those who got a booster in the fall of 2022, but not the updated vaccine this fall, accounted for 25 percent.

Still, a second dose this spring would not be cost-effective for adults 18 to 64 years old, who are at lower risk of severe illness and hospitalization than older adults, according to modeling presented at the meeting.

Older adults and those with weakened immune systems because of illnesses or medications would benefit the most from a spring dose, the advisers concluded.

“I was impressed with data supporting the need for an additional dose of vaccine for those 65 years and older,” Dr. Camille Kotton, a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the scientific advisory panel, said in an interview.

“Given the risk of severe, even life-threatening, disease, I would encourage those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised to take the opportunity for another dose,” she added.

Adults ages 65 and older accounted for two-thirds of all hospitalizations related to Covid between October 2023 and January 2024, and those ages 75 and older accounted for nearly half. Adults in this age group were also the most likely to have opted for the fall shot.

More than 43 percent of Americans aged 75 and older got the fall shot, compared with fewer than 10 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 years. Vaccination rates were lowest among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, and among those who lived in rural areas. Fewer than 13 percent of pregnant women opted for the vaccine.

Nearly half of those who did not plan to get the vaccine said they were concerned about unknown serious side effects, according to data from the National Immunization Survey in January.

Other reasons for the low uptake may be the lack of vaccine availability in the first few weeks following the C.D.C.’s recommendation, and confusion over insurance coverage for the shots.

The agency’s advisers met in September to discuss whether to recommend the shots, and for whom, but that allowed little time for vaccine manufacturing and distribution before the fall peak of infections, said Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos, an infectious disease physician and C.D.C. researcher.

Dr. Panagiotakopoulos presented a revised plan for a decision on next fall’s Covid shot, with the C.D.C. advisers meeting in June to make recommendations regarding who should get the vaccine. A meeting of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration, which must precede the C.D.C. guidance, is already scheduled for May 16.

At the meeting on Wednesday, C.D.C. advisers wrestled with whether to suggest that older adults “may” opt to get a spring Covid vaccine in consultation with their health care providers, or to recommend more emphatically that they “should” do so.

Some panelists said the softer recommendation would be more palatable to Americans, and less likely to contribute to vaccine fatigue. Others argued that stronger language would make it clearer to those at high risk from the virus that a vaccine would afford them protection through the spring.

The advisers ultimately voted to recommend that Americans ages 65 and older “should” receive a spring shot. Dr. Cohen, the C.D.C. director, accepted the recommendation later in the day.

“I hope that clarity of the need for a second dose may encourage vaccination and protection in both those who have not yet had a first vaccine and those who would benefit by a second vaccine,” Dr. Kotton said.

Tom Parker announced his plans to run for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court in Montgomery in 2006.Credit…Jamie Martin/Associated Press

By Rick Rojas in the NYT

In an Alabama Supreme Court decision that has rattled reproductive medicine across the country, a majority of the justices said the law was clear that frozen embryos should be considered children: “Unborn children are ‘children.’”

But the court’s chief justice, Tom Parker, drew on more than the Constitution and legal precedent to explain his determination.

“Human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God,” he wrote in a concurring opinion that invoked the Book of Genesis and the prophet Jeremiah and quoted at length from the writings of 16th- and 17th-century theologians.

“Even before birth,” he added, “all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory.”

Read the Alabama Supreme Court’s Ruling

The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos should be considered children.READ DOCUMENT 131 PAGES

Just as the case, which centers on wrongful-death claims for frozen embryos that were destroyed in a mishap at a fertility clinic, has reverberated beyond Alabama, so has Justice Parker’s opinion.

His theological digressions showed why he has long been revered by conservative legal groups and anti-abortion activists, and also why he has inspired apprehension among critics who regard him as guided more by religious doctrine than the law. (continued)