Antibiotics are overused in many countries, including the U.S., in part because patients insist on them even when they have an illness, such as a viral illness, that can’t be helped by antibiotics. Doctors sometimes justify this to themselves as … Continue reading
An 85-year-old man going to get his taxes done happened to see a dance studio in the same building. He had for decades dreamed of taking tap dancing lessons, and despite the fact that he was a bit unsteady on … Continue reading
Alvaro Saumet and Lya Battle are a married couple who operate a large no-kill shelter for hundreds of stray dogs in Costa Rica. It’s called Territorio de Zaguates (roughly “Land of Mongrels”) where the dogs are spayed or neutered, given … Continue reading
Emily Blunt’s character is amoral and manipulative but also rather naïve, so much so that when she sells bad guy Rupert Everett a fake Rembrandt for £900,000, she doesn’t anticipate his getting upset with her. Billy Nighy is an elite … Continue reading
Here in the U.S. we spend about the same percentage of the gross domestic product on Medicare alone as other advanced countries spend on all healthcare put together, from all sources — government, private insurance, and out-of-pocket spending by patients. … Continue reading
Here’s yet another piece from John Oliver, this one from February but with content that’s very much still relevant. As usual, Oliver somehow manages to be entertaining while offering up a lot of valuable information on a very serious subject. … Continue reading
The latest from pediatrician and researcher Aaron Carroll: Link: https://youtu.be/OISl9NvrSuo In brief, numerous controlled trials have been done to test whether taking vitamin D supplements makes people healthier, and that research suggests it doesn’t, not for osteoporosis or osteoarthritis or … Continue reading
Once in while I hear someone insist that the expression “half moon” is incorrect, that one should say either “first quarter” or “third quarter.” But “half moon” is established usage and very descriptive, and the terms “first quarter” and “third … Continue reading
A very popular YouTube video (included in this previous post) matched 66 clips of dance scenes from classic films to the song “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars. Someone in France has created a similar mashup, this time … Continue reading