-
Autumn Miracles
We saw the miracles of autumn the other day, out on the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area. It was quiet, only a light breeze set the flowers and grasses swaying. There were almost no birds out. No ducks were out on Sand Lake. On the other hand, I guess there were birds, sort of. We greeted…
-
Thoughts on Jack Trice
I was outside doing yard work the day before yesterday and my neighbor across the street walked over to say hello. We got to talking about sports and football came up. His wife stopped watching football because it was so violent—but then switched to watching hockey. He wondered when the Iowa Hawkeye vs Penn State…
-
Stop Me If You Heard This One Before
I saw one of my favorite X-Files episodes the other night. It’s titled “Monday.” Mulder goes through the day repetitively doing the same things, including fumbling his chance to thwart a bank robber who blows up the bank and everyone in it, including Mulder. See the Wikipedia for a full spoiler alert but I’m going…
-
This is National Suicide Prevention Week
Thanks to Dr. H. Steven Moffic for his Psychiatric Times article, “A Psychological Autopsy on My Only Patient Who Died by Suicide.” In it he describes his own experience with a patient who committed suicide. He also reminded us that this is National Suicide Prevention Week. It’s also National Suicide Prevention Month. The quote I’m…
-
22nd Anniversary Commemoration of 9/11 Attacks
The 22nd Anniversary Commemoration of the 9/11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center will be observed today. I remember where I was on September 9, 2001. I was climbing the stairs at the hospital on my way back to my office. I was on duty on the psychiatry consultation service. I happened to glance…
-
Should Doctors Be Funny?
I ran across an interesting Medscape article, “Should Doctors Be Funnier? These MDs Are Real Comedians.” I don’t know if they should be funny, but it probably wouldn’t hurt. I think a sense of humor is a good thing for anyone to have and it’s probably not that hard to develop. There’s even a Wikihow…
-
Another Blast from the Past
Today is Labor Day, and I was looking at some of my old blog posts from my previous blog The Practical Psychosomaticist. I found one that I think I haven’t reposted on my current blog called “Going from Plan to Dirt.” It’s a funny post, at least I think so. It draws a comparison between…
-
The AARO Finally Has a Website And is it Part of a Zero-Sum Game?
The All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) finally has a website—more than a year after it was formed. It looks like there’s an intriguing message in the section “Coming Soon: US Government UAP-Related Program/Activity Reporting.” It says AARO will accept reports of UAP from current government employees who know of any programs or activities related to…
-
Why Can’t I Wear Blue After Labor Day?
I have a few thoughts on the upcoming Labor Day weekend. It occurs to me that Labor Day often evokes images of blue-collar workers. On the other hand, I think in a broader view of the holiday, most of us can think of ourselves as working toward improving our society no matter whether our jobs…
-
“I Have a Dream” Speech 60 Years Later
Today is the 60th anniversary of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. I was too young to remember it. However, I have a deep appreciation of the meaning it has not just for Black people, but for all of us. It’s not…
Go Retire Psychiatrist 