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The USA Unsung Heros

Postmistress Josie – Nature’s way of telling you to slow down

I imagine every small town has their Josie, the woman (or man) who benevolently staffs the window at the post office, who recognizes everyone with unreserved kindness. Josie never hurries. Her speech syrupy, she savors each and every vowel. Thirty-five years ago my economics teacher shocked the class by observing that “Death is nature’s way […]

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Animals Corporations Diet Environment Health Care

50 Million Casualties – Bird Flu Comes a Calling

As if we needed one more reason to boycott factory-farmed animal products, here comes another horror story. It all started earlier this year when the Department of Agriculture began issuing warnings to the poultry industry. H5N2 was knocking wild birds out of the sky, birds sick with highly pathogenic avian influenza. Within a few months, […]

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Drugs

Oxycontin, the New Gateway Drug

Sometimes a news story piques your interest and you have to dig around a little. On my (ten minute) commute from work the other day, I heard an NPR story about a rise in heroin use sparked by prescription drugs. From meds to needles in 3, 2, 1… Prescription drugs have long been a cleverly disguised […]

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Diet

Five-pound Spread

Damned squirrel on the bird feeder,” I thought as I got up to raid the refrigerator, “Always looking for easy calories.” Oopsy! Just like me. You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I struggle with my weight. I’m a compulsive nibbler, a secret snacker; convinced that cold leftovers eaten over the sink have […]

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Happiness Health Care

Screen Test

As part of Self-Care month and inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s “Better than Before.” I decided to tackle the habit of staring at my laptop screen for hours at a time. The first step was to get a feel for how many minutes, hours actually, I am tapped into my browser. This was easily done by […]