I grew up around dogs always owned by individuals. Dogs I knew were always attached to an owner primarily following him or her and strongly integrated into a human family. As dogs live much shorter lives, men generally outlive them and there is bereavement that comes at the death of an animal which is where…
Ever since I took my intro anthropology course in college I’ve been counting the ways humans differ from other animals. Tool making was the big issue of that time. Even then, we noticed that other animals make tools. The message was human differ from animals only in degree. Sure animals make tools but they ordinarily…
As a lover of orchestral music I’m always wanting to conduct. Loving to listen to music especially what I call big music with an orchestra as large as possible along with choral forces and soloists, music as big as it gets (don’t get me wrong I do like intimate chamber music, not as much) like…
hummingbird8152015backyard When my wife set up bird feeders in our backyard we got visits from hummingbirds. When she added a hummingbird attractor with sugar water, one particular beautiful green variety came around. I found out what remarkable animals these tiny fellows are. As a hospital clinician have been interested in what can be learnt from…
Seems nuts to say this in the season of Republican debates, but I steer clear of political commentary. That doesn’t mean I’m not opinionated. It’s not about politics. I was always quick to launch my opinions and their passionate defense which too often, on reflection, I might have been wrong. Besides I’ve found that type…
Having music in my head almost all the time certain works buzz around over a period of days or weeks. If I am talking to you I’m usually engaged but I start to hear music as soon as I walk away. Lately Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring has been one of those musical pieces. There…
Just published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Persistence of Ebola Virus in Ocular Fluid during Convalescence, Varkey, JB et al online May 7, 2015) is the story of finding Ebola in the left eye of a physician patient thought to have been cured of the disease. I marvel at the men and women…
China is a land with many hands whereas in the US we lack labor. Be not deceived by the US unemployment rate. Too many oldsters have retired. We need younger folks to support them and our economy. We are troubled being unable to match skills with available work. Through American economic history we have always…
Those who believe in a literal Bible mistakenly take Adam and Eve of Genesis as the first human couple. It isn’t abundantly clear that Adam and Eve were the only living humans at the time. For instance when Cain murders Abel and was to be shunned by other humans he was saved from being immediately…