My leaping tooth
About a month ago I was eating brunch at a restaurant with a bunch of relatives and bit my fork. You’ve probably done something similar at least a couple of times in your life. It’s hard to know why it … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Health
Iceland says down with Downs
With the advent of tests for Downs syndrome in utero and the availability of abortion, the future of Downs syndrome as a phenomenon has become a question mark. In the country of Iceland, for example, 100% of the women carrying … Continue reading →
The “double effect” of morphine at end of life: reality or myth?
The Netherlands euthanasia thread on Saturday generated a fascinating discussion in the comments section about the use of morphine at end of life, so I thought I’d highlight it here and expand on my remarks. First, a personal note. In … Continue reading →
The slippery euthanasia slope in the Netherlands
Euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002, and since then the incidence of such deaths has risen to become 4.5 percent of all deaths. What’s more, the number of people availing themselves of this form of death who … Continue reading →
The content of those leaked Trump phone calls (including New Hampshire, that “drug-infested den”)
What struck me initially about the leaked Trump phone calls published by the WaPo was the fact that they were even leaked and published in the first place. So till now, my posts on the subject were all about that. … Continue reading →
The law and Charlie Gard: parental rights in the UK vs. the US
As expected, the announcement has come of Charlie Gard’s death: Charlie Gard, the baby whose fate was the subject of a protracted court battle and made headlines around the world, has died, his parents have said… They abandoned their legal … Continue reading →
Scalise released from hospital
Excellent news: Rep. Steve Scalise has been discharged from MedStar Washington Hospital Center, the hospital said in a statement Wednesday, six weeks after he was shot at a congressional baseball practice. Six weeks is quite a while to be in … Continue reading →
Charlie Gard’s parents give up their court fight
A sad ending to a sad story Until today I hadn’t written about Gard’s parents’ legal battle to be allowed to fly him to the US for extraordinary experimental treatment for a very rare and destructive genetic disorder. The main … Continue reading →
John McCain diagnosed with brain tumor
John McCain is a controversial figure within the Republican Party. Although he was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008 (or maybe because of it), he’s disliked and even hated by many conservatives because he’s the quintessential RINO, the “reach across … Continue reading →
Erythromelalgia : hotfoot Part III
[Part I can be found here.] [Part II can be found here. You might want to take a look at them to refresh your memory on what on earth I’m talking about.] The years passed but I never found a … Continue reading →
The opioid epidemic
For anyone interested learning more about the opioid addiction epidemic, I strongly recommend this very comprehensive article. It’s long, but it covers a great deal of territory rather succinctly, and illuminates some of what was previously unclear. Rather than post … Continue reading →
News about cancer research that could be very, very important
As I get older, I have lost more and more people I love and care about to cancer—one of them very very recently. Others I’m very close to have had the disease and are (knock wood) okay so far. Anyone … Continue reading →