“How often do you exercise,” asks the doctor.  Don’t you despise that question?  Unless you’re hitting the gym on a regular basis, you’re embarrassed to answer.  I don’t think my doctor appreciated my sense of humor when I was asked that question a few years ago.  My answer to the exercise question was “every day,… Read More »

At the mouth of the Hudson River and located between New York and New Jersey is Ellis Island.  From 1892 to 1954, it served as an immigration reception center, processing over 12 million people1 who came here from Italy, Russia, Ireland, Austria-Hungry, Germany, the UK, Greece, Poland, and many other places.2  Nearly 3 million of… Read More »

In yesterday’s devotional, I mentioned the quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin:  “Nothing is certain in this world but death and taxes.”   Well, we’ve already dealt with taxes.  Let’s deal with death as we “celebrate” today’s National Day Calendar event.  This is National Healthcare Decision Day, and the day focuses on your advance health care directives… Read More »

A number of years ago, there was a commercial featuring a camel walking through an office, asking people what day it is.  With reluctance, they would say, “Hump Day,” to which the camel would excitedly say in a way that I cannot type, “Hump Day!  Hump Day!”  You just have to hear the camel say… Read More »

It was on this day in 1865 that John Wilkes Booth shot our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln.  Nine hours later on April 15, President Lincoln would be dead, claiming the unenviable title as the first president to be assassinated.  What we may not realize is that there could have been a second victim that evening.… Read More »

Medical doctors are like any of the rest of us.  There are things about their jobs that get under their skin.  So, what ails a doctor? In a forum published by the Faculty of Medicine for Doctors and Medical Students, several patient comments are shared that push doctors to the edge.  Have you ever said… Read More »

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was the son of a musician.  Galileo chartered a different course for his life, desiring to become a doctor before changing his focus to mathematics and philosophy.  His interests broadened to astronomy and physics.  Hearing about an invention called the telescope and without ever seeing one, Galileo created his own which was… Read More »

Do you love the sound of a barbershop quartet?  If so, you are going to love today’s celebration.  This is National Barbershop Quartet Day.  Barbershop quartets are defined as a group of four singers where the “emphasis is on close, carefully arranged harmony, synchronization of word sounds, and the use of such devices as variation… Read More »

On Friday, March 13, AccuWeather’s Anna Azallion gave a weather report that seemed bizarre at best.  “A blizzard, dumping up to four feet of snow, tornados, damaging winds, hail, flooding.  It’s all coming from one storm.  A potential bomb cyclone this weekend into Monday is set to impact over 200 million people.”1  How could we… Read More »

Today’s National Day Calendar celebration is both joyous and sad.  This is National Former Prisoners of War Day.  It’s a day to recognize and honor those who were once POWs but were rescued or escaped.  It’s also a day where we should remember that there are more than 81,000 who are still POW/MIAs.1 “Since World… Read More »