We all know that the “power nap” has a long and honorable history. Most of us experienced our first official ones at an early age – generally 4 or 5 […]
The Lighter Side
Weird Fitness
I confess I’ve had a lifelong obsession with weird weight control/fitness gear. Maybe that’s because when I was 10 years old, I rode my bike to the little strip mall […]
The End of the Pandemic?
While I “pondered weak and weary” by the flickering light of … a Bic disposable I was using to light a postprandial cheroot – Relax: I was alone and outdoors […]
Pranks In The Age of Telehealth
Way back in the 1930s, a guy named Chester Gould created a hard-boiled comic strip detective named Dick Tracy. It was a big hit. In 1946, Gould gave Tracy a […]
Are you SAD or GLAD as Seasons Change?
When Antonio Vivaldi wrote his classic concerti, “The Four Seasons,” back in the early 1700s, he broke new ground musically to represent the unique aspects of winter, spring, summer and […]
Advice on Pain …. Straight from the Shoulder
Sometimes we suffer more than we need to, all in the name of managing our aches and pains. About 100 years ago, I knew a guy who had a whole […]
Stretching Beyond the Imagination
Took a walk around my neighborhood the other day, the sun just starting to massage my shoulders with its warmth, dispelling the morning chill. What a treat to be able […]
Don’t Judge a Doctor By Their Cover
Ever wonder whether you got better medical care if your doctor wore a traditional white coat or more casual attire? The editors at the Journal of the American Medical Association […]
Would You Like A Salad With That?
When Shakespeare coined the expression “salad days,” he meant youthful ardor and zeal, not the time for us to eat chopped lettuce on a dainty plate. At “casa Duke,” “salad […]
Assume: It Makes a ‘You know What’ Out of You and Me
I’m not a huge fan of “big box” stores. Too many things to see that you don’t need; too few that you do. Plus there’s that one lone remaining shopping […]
The Age-Old Primary Care Doctor
Today, we know a lot about primary care doctors, and just about all of us have one. But once upon a time, boys and girls, there wasn’t any such thing […]
Spring Cleaning
We’ve celebrated Easter and Passover. The vernal equinox is behind us. It’s spring once again! For me, that means spring cleaning, a task I attack with as much gusto as […]