ASK THE DOCTORS
Maybe it was fake news — I can't believe I actually typed those five words — but it was important news nonetheless. It shook the political world, comforted the Donald Trump campaign and, even among the disbelievers, should have been for Democrats what Thomas Jefferson described, in an 1820 letter following the Missouri Compromise, 'as like a fire bell in the night, (that) awakened and filled me with terror.'
As Rep. Matt Gaetz mounted his successful campaign to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, he accused his rival of making a secret 'side deal' with Democrats to fund Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion.
October and its arrival heralds fall, everything suddenly becoming available in pumpkin spice, and Halloween offering colorful street urchins going door-to-door or downtown begging for candy during Trunk or Treat.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm 28, and I live in a small apartment complex where everyone knows each other. My neighbor, a gentleman in his 50s, saw me smoking a cigarette the other day and decided to take it upon himself to lecture me on the dangers of smoking. Although I appreciated his concern, his lecture was unwelcome. I intend to quit smoking at some point, but I don't need my neighbor to intervene. I fear that the next time I bump into him, he will give me another lecture. What can I do to make him understand that his unsolicited advice is not helping?
Dear Doctors: If my doctor won't order a PSA or other screening test, can I pay for it myself ? We are always told about the importance of early detection. So why aren't screening tests recommended for seniors? I get a more comprehensive overview of my car's health when I get an oil change!
Last week, President Joe Biden's German shepherd Commander bit a Secret Service agent. That marked the 11th time — yes, the 11th time — that Commander had bitten one of the agents and other Secret Service officers who guard the president. Some of the attacks left wounds requiring medical attention, and at least one required hospital care for Commander's victim.
There's one type of seafood that's affordable, nutritionally dense and even helps improve the environment: mussels. According to the National Library of Medicine, mussels are a great source of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids, and they produce far less greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to other protein sources such as beef, lamb and pork. Plus, they are 'filter feeders,' which means they remove impurities in the water around them. What a win-win!
At bottom, Trumpism is about resentment. In large part, it's the lower half of the high school class rebelling against the honor students: the ones with all the fancy degrees who can't change a tire. The girly men and the homely women. The ones who think they're better than you.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have three friends who have suffered strokes in the past year. It has been devastating to see them struggle to heal. At first this got me motivated to take better care of myself, including eating smarter and becoming more active. Then I sort of slipped back into my old ways of being — working all the time, not always watching my calorie intake ... same old, same old. I know better, but I also realize it is hard to change my behavior.