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Personal Ancient History
The essay below is a blog post I wrote way back in 2010. I was a mid-career consultation-liaison psychiatrist in a university hospital. And I’d always been a writer by inclination. It was one of my first posts and after that, blogging was something I never really pulled away from. I tried to give it…
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Dr. Jim Fitness Test
I thought I would share my personal fitness test. I’m pretty regular, especially in the last couple of months since I found out I gained 20 pounds after I retired from my job as consulting psychiatrist to University of Iowa Health Care. Sena and I both exercise and we’re being careful about our diet (kale…
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Getting Enough Sleep for the Most Important Person in the World: You
So, what’s on the menu for Mental Health Awareness today? It’s what some experts call sleep hygiene and there are all kinds of lists on the internet telling you how to get enough sleep. I think you’re OK with focusing on helpful tips that seem right for your age, your temperament, and your life and…
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Mental Health Affirmations for May 6, 2026
Today is May 6, 2026 and the Mental Health Awareness affirmation for today (from the Mental Health Awareness calendar) is about Affirmations: “Affirmations can improve people’s overall well-being, help them feel better about themselves, and reduce anxiety. Pick a supportive phrase and repeat it today.” I picked one from the list of suggested affirmations: “I…
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John Heim aka Big Mo Retiring from the Big Mo Blues Show
We were listening to the KCCK radio Big Mo Blues Show last night when John Heim aka Big Mo announced he’s retiring as of May 15, 2026. Iowa musician Ed English (Uncle Ed of the Beaker Brothers band) was also in the studio and remarked that he’ll be taking over the show sometime after that.…
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What Questions Should We Ask on MLK Day?
I ran across this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in my notes: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. This week we’ll be getting the two biographies of…
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Glue Myself to My Biography
There’s a reason for why I so often tell Dad jokes. In keeping with my post from yesterday about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s biographies: I glued myself to my autobiography. You may not believe it, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. We’ve ordered a couple of biographies about Dr. King. One…
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Shoveling Through Retirement Thoughts
I was just musing on Philip Rivers. You know about him. I blogged recently about his coming out of retirement to play quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. I guess you already know this, but he retired again. Unlike Philip Rivers, I’ve not even considered coming out of retirement since I left my position at The…
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Thoughts on Comebacks
I watched the first half of the Colts vs 49ers game last night and I thought Philip Rivers didn’t look half bad for a 44-year-old guy who’s been out of the game for five years. Did you know he has 10 kids? OK, now that I’ve got that out of my system and that would…
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Profound Thoughts on Topological Brain Changes
I ran across this article in the news about topological changes that happen in our brains as we age. You can try to read the original open access paper published by the author Alexa Mousley. The topological changes in the brain that occur in the brain are linked to the structural connections that are made…
Go Retire Psychiatrist 