Life models many aspects of nature, don’t you think? This week has been marked by some extremely high tides and, in concert, I felt tides rising around me: My good friend found out she is faced with some severe health problems. I received word that my family’s farm in the Midwest was pummeled with grapefruit-sized…
Category Archives: Science
Nearing Half Way
I realized today that we’re lightening close to midyear. When the realization hit me, I started thinking about my highs and lows for the first half of 2010. Since I try not to focus on low points, even though they have their purpose in life, I decided to highlight some of my highs for 2010…
RAOKA: Laughter
March Theme: Laughter (chosen by me) Let’s start with a 30-second giggle, an animated cartoon. (I love these shorts blasts of laughter.) Click on the image below and it will take you to The New Yorker website—come back after you’ve had a laugh! If you’re viewing this via RSS, click here. There’s something about chicken-and-egg…
Your Body is a Fortress, Part 9 – Neuron Bench Presses
[This post is geared toward those newly diagnosed with MS or for people who love people with MS. However, these strategies could apply to anyone striving for a healthy brain and body. Still here? Welcome aboard! Photo by Me.] All too often, someone approaches me—a family member or a friend, or someone who has happened…
Front Porch: My Sensory Deprivation Tank Experiment
If you follow this blog, you know I host the Front Porch series where I write about everyday stories, just stories that folks talk about on front porches, back yards, or in break rooms in snippets during the day. I recently read a book, sent to me by a dear friend, called “Surely you’re joking,…
I Love Your Mind
Our Amazing Brains! I spend a lot of time in awe and amazement thinking about our amazing human body: the physical component of our human body, and the emotional and spiritual side. I love the body so much I earned my B.S. in nutrition and Ph.D. in molecular biology so I could understand it better….
Panglossian Effulgence
I’m not sure how or when my logophilia took hold. Two favorite words I’ve recently discovered comprise this post’s title. In case you’re like me and have no idea what these words mean, I’ll save you a trip to the dictionary: Panglossian • \pan-GLAH-see-un\ • adjective : marked by the view that all is for…
The Harvard Psychedelic Club: Another Piece of the Puzzle
[photo credit afgooey74] LSD = D-lysergic acid diethylamide When I was asked to review The Harvard Psychedelic Club, authored by Don Lattin, the request couldn’t have come at a better time. Plus, Mr. Lattin was formerly the religion writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, right in my own geographical backyard. Coolio! I was born in…
Your Body is a Fortress, Part 8 – Go Nuts!
[Photo courtesy Athena's Pix] An easy way to build a stronger body fortress is to pay attention to what you eat. OK, stop it. Stop it right there. I can hear what you’re thinking! (Seriously, I really can.) “Do you have to take us there!? This is so boring. I’m going to eat what I…