At some time in our lives, we all need to be told we’re good or shown the way. A simple story about giving kids from Oakland’s toughest neighborhoods a chance to rise above the violence in their communities strangely touched me and compelled me to write. As I do this, I am not that far from Oakland. I have heard enough to tell you that the culture of violence described is not exaggerated. Patients who see me for marijuana permission are happy and delighted they do not have to drive there.
So there are children who grow up in a culture of violence. I see adults. Not too long ago, I was seeing adults for social security evaluations in Los Angeles. Many of them had been caught in crossfire, perhaps shot on their way to the supermarket or even in front of their own homes. They told me they did not know why or by whom, and sometimes they still had bullets in them somewhere. Other times it was just a memory that so overwhelmed them that the quality of their post-traumatic stress disorder was like the sort of thing that you see in Vietnam veterans. Read more on It Takes So Little…
Filed under Family, Government, News, PTSD, Violence by on Jan 25th, 2013. Comment.
It is not just that Fox missed “fair and balanced” with a recent headline about why women gain weight after menopause. This is out and out false advertising.
I am glad that someone is figuring out genetic predisposition to visceral fat in mice. I actually own a significantly overweight Minnie Mouse stuffed toy. She needs to know about this. Oversimplifications of science in order to get folks to listen to or read news stories is worrisome, tedious, and all sorts of things. Read more on Misleading Headline about Postmenopausal Weight Gain Lets Me Plug My Book…
Filed under eating disorders, Education, weight by on Jan 28th, 2013. Comment.
Prez and first lady painting a bookcase? Service day may be a good idea, but this is a little bit much the “photo opp” for my taste. I think the idea of helping others is wonderful, and the idea of putting group survival ahead of self-survival even better. I always thought this was good for any species. I remember quite a while ago how touched I was when I saw crows get food for an injured crow. Good for us folks, too, although we have a tendency to build hospitals and charge for services.
What is good for our species as well as for others is putting the group ahead of the individual for both us and others. The use of mathematical modeling to do this, although the subject is wonderful, is open to debate still, although there is to me a certain romance in pure intellect predicting actions around us. Read more on Seen On Jan 19th – The Day Of Service…
Filed under News, politics by on Jan 29th, 2013. Comment.
Waylon and Willie said it best. “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to play football.” Wait, maybe they said cowboys.
Actually, it was a soccer player who came to visit me regarding chronic pain of the knee and ankle on one side, from soccer injuries. He was only semi-pro, but so loved the game he could not and would not stop playing. I suggested marijuana balm, instead of just knocking himself out with smoking. He did have to work at his customary job as some sort of electrician on most days and could not “medicate” with marijuana until he got home. This produced some pretty painful days. Read more on When Will the Footballers Ever Learn About Concussion?…
Filed under Brain, Brain Damage, prescription drugs, Sports by on Jan 30th, 2013. Comment.