Ancient

I'm not sure why, but today I thought about two people who lived here when we first moved in sixteen years ago. Although Millie and Henry were not a couple, if you saw one you almost always saw the other. Millie lived on the first floor and Henry lived on the third floor, just a couple doors down from us. When we arrived, they were the oldest people in the building. In the complex for that matter. I don't know how old they were but both were very close to ninety. Now, as far as I can figure, there is only one person here who is older than me. If you don't think that's a strange thing about which to think, wait until it's your turn. Normally, I don't think about my age, but with my rapidly failing health, it's on my mind more and more. Although, having said that, I don't think age is a major factor regarding health. A lot of older people just sort of slip quietly away, not because they're sick but simply old.  Death, especially my own, is weird to contemplate, but I must confess a morbid curiosity.  I find myself frequently wondering what it's like to die and to be dead.  I don't know about anyone else, but it's difficult for me to imagine not existing in some form on some level.  If you haven't figured it out yet, I do not believe in religion.  It only makes sense for people who desperately need something to which to cling to get them through each day.  The whole purpose of religion is believing that you'll die and spend the rest of time sitting next to Jesus saying, "Hey Jesus, you da man!"  That's not my idea of a life, either before or after.  So what the hell IS the purpose of life?  Is there a purpose?  Or are we no more than the plants that come and go each spring and winter?.

Lab mice at Children's Hospital Boston have accidentally developed freakish self-regeneration powers

How to keep a human heart beating—forever

Nearly 80 percent of antibiotics consumed in the United States go to livestock farms

Boys are hitting puberty earlier, and that's creating a shortage of sopranos in boys' choirs

10 giant corporations control virtually everything we buy

Dumb Law of the Week: In Richmond, Virginia: it is illegal to flip a coin in any eating establishment to determine who buys a cup of coffee.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

Late Again

So here I am again fresh out of the hospital after another surgery. This is getting to be a nasty habit. In the hope of blocking the air leaks in my lungs, they put in four stents. To get to my lungs, they put a large tube down my throat. I don't remember a thing about it because they somehow put me under, though I don't remember them giving me anything. I'm sorry to report the stents didn't make much difference because they couldn't find the main area of leakage. I was really hoping to get rid of the chest tube, but I guess it wasn't meant to be and it's still there. It's not painful, it's just a pain in the ass. They kept me overnight for observation and I was released on Tuesday around noon. The closest thing to pain is a sore throat, and even that is pretty much gone now. The doctors seem to think it's going to be a waiting game to see what, if anything, they can do to get the tube out of my chest. I was supposed to call and set-up an appointment with the doctor, but I keep forgetting. Maybe tomorrow.

The world’s experiencing a major wine shortage

 Microsoft researchers invent sign language translator

 Drug Reduces Gambling Behavior In Slot Machine-Loving Rats

 Scientists show Sars started in bats

In Vermont: It is illegal to deny the existence of God.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

Surgery

Monday should be an interesting day. I have to go back to Holy Cross at 06h00 for a surgical procedure. I 'think, but I'm not certain, that the chest tube is coming out and they are going to try to place some kind of "valve" on my lungs. It seems to be somewhat of a guessing game; let's try one here, if it doesn't work, we'll try another place until we find the one, or more, that works.

A Beautiful Photograph Of Saturn

Deep-Space Engines

Photos and videos from Berlin's dazzling Festival of Lights

Sleep boosts brain's self-cleaning system

Dumb Law of the Week: In Utah: A husband is responsible for every criminal act committed by his wife in his presence.


À la prochaine, mes amis.

NUTS

I like nuts. Cashews, pecans, brazils, peanuts, hazelnuts. You name it. I used to buy a pound container at our local supermarket, Publix. Then they raised the price from ten dollars to sixteen dollars. I willingly paid it. Then they stopped selling them altogether. The other day I suddenly got the urge for nuts but Publix was not selling them. I decided to check out the internet and found a website where they sell bulk amounts. I'm not sure why, but I bought four pounds of mixed nuts! That's a lot of nuts. Luckily, I have two containers that will hold the entire four pounds. Actually, I've almost finished one of them. I will definitely buy more from this place because even with the shipping charge, it only came to ten dollars a pound and the nut selection is great. Normally, when you buy mixed nuts, they're mostly peanuts. Not this one. And as a bonus, this one includes a lot of pecans. If you're interested, it's Nuts in Bulk (http://www.nutsinbulk.com/). They have a lot of other good looking items also, including fruits and cakes.

Scientists closer to Alzheimer's cure

New, Incurable Botulinum Strain Has Top Secret DNA

The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Bat Song

castAR augmented reality glasses switch to true VR with a clip

Dumb Law of the Week: In Texas: The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned because it contains a formula for making beer at home.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

OVERDUE

This is long, long overdue but I just couldn't pull together the necessary momentum to get going with it. The last time we saw "our hero" he had just been released from Holy Cross Hospital where he was treated for a collapsed lung. Within a couple hours of writing about that episode, he was rushed back to Holy Cross where it was determined his condition was three times worse than the first. I was assigned a surgeon who placed a tube in my chest to re-expand the lung. The wild thing about that is when the tube entered my lung, I was immediately relieved. Not a couple minutes later, but immediately! Three or four days later, that tube was taken out and another, smaller one replaced it. It is still there as I write this and I'm not sure how long it needs to stay there. Holy Cross is a very good hospital and the staff if excellent. But it is a hospital and it's a lot like being in jail, or some other restrictive place. I left the hospital Monday night, after waiting four hours for the oxygen I needed to get home and the wheelchair I needed to get me to the car. I am currently on oxygen 24/7 and when I have an appointment (as I did today) I have to pull an oxygen tank along with me. I met some nice people in the hospital and some who were not so nice, but generally they were alright. There were a couple of amusing incidents and a couple of scary moments, but I seem to be responding fairly well.

Neural stem cells pulled from rat's brain using magnet

  

News in Brief: Altered wine chemical helps kills cancer

Thirteen-Year-Olds Hack Their Way Into Space

The UK Is About to Connect an Entire Highway to the Internet

  

Dumb Law of the Week: In Tennessee: It is illegal to use a lasso to catch a fish.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

HOSPITAL

It has been a while (well, a couple of weeks). I suffered a collapsed lung and, after stupidly waiting for five days, finally called 911 and had myself taken to Holy Cross Hospital. In the ER, they did the usual work-up with X-Rays and blood tests, and they gave me a couple of breathing treatments. It all seemed to help a bit. The ER doctor decided I was fine and was going to send me home, but I didn't feel right about that decision so I told them I wanted to stay over night. That was a good move on my part because when my PCP came in the next morning, he told me that the X-Rays showed the collapsed lung. No one seems to know how it happened, but it was real, why the ER doctor could not see that remains a mystery. I hate being in the hospital; they won't let you sleep, you can't get any rest and it's colder than the damned North Pole. I am home now, but I don't feel any better and suspect that I will be returning to the hospital very soon!

Can we still dream when the mind is blank? Sleep and dream mentations in auto-activation deficit

Protein Found to Extend Youth 

Videogame May Help Rejuvenate Elderly Brains

When the Dying Breaths of Ancient Stars Align

Dumb Law of the Week:  In Rhode Island: It is illegal to throw pickle juice on a trolley.

À la prochaine, mes amis.

Cobia and Cava

Dinner at Candela. When we go to Candela, they automatically bring us a bottle of cava. This time, Armando, the chef and owner, recommended a fish dish that he claimed would pair perfectly with the drink. A fish named Cobia. I have heard of it, but I have never eaten it. It was a huge piece and was quite tasty, served with a generous portion of arugula and assorted veggies. We started with a beet and cheese salad, which I also liked a lot. Another first for us was a second bottle of cava.  We will NOT be doing that again! When we arrived, there was only one other couple. Later, two other couples arrived, but that's a small group for a Saturday night. Maybe it had something to do with the holiday.

Life on earth 'began on Mars'

The first human brain-to-brain interfacing has been used to play a video game

  

Genomes Reveal Roots of TB Drug Resistance

South Korea tests world's first 'electric road'

  

Weird! Tiny Frog Uses Its Mouth to Hear

  

Dumb Law of the Week: In Pennsylvania: It is illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors.

À la prochaine, mes amis.