Archives for 2018

The Holiday Movie Special

December 17, 2018 by Bill McCormick

Back in 2012 I wrote a fun little blog about Holiday films everyone needed to see. Most people will point you to the classics like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, a fun story which reminds children that they’re all useless and will be shunned until they provide a service to their overlords, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, which seems like a pedophile’s wet dream today but was actually very sweet when it was first released (and is still a personal fave of mine since I’m not a pervert – well, not that kind of pervert), Frosty the Snowman, a fun story that reminds kids how much fun it can be to hop a freight train with a stranger, and, of course, A Christmas Story, the first holiday special to ever feature bad lingerie and guns. Certainly there are others, from It’s a Wonderful Life to Die Hard there are plenty of movies for the older viewers who need chronic depression and death with their holiday.

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Nazareth Updated

December 13, 2018 by Bill McCormick

Back on December 19, 2012, I took some time to talk about the Gospel according to Luke. I have updated the original article to correct a minor factual error; while there was a large enough portion of Jews who were literate the word “most” would not have applied. That quibble aside there are those who think that pointing out the historical inaccuracies in Luke render it obsolete or useless. I’m not among that number. The story of Luke, an educated man – actually a doctor, who followed Jesus even though he was not the intended audience (i.e., not a Jew), speaks volumes to the power of Jesus’ message. It resonated so deeply with Luke that he went to great lengths to share it with other non-Jews.

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FAKE NEWS

November 15, 2018 by Bill McCormick

An apple a day keeps the doctor away is a fun saying. And it has some elements of truth in it. Apples are a good source of vitamin C, moisture, and fiber. But they are not a cure-all. Sadly, and this won’t shock you, there are people who take the adage literally. They become completely flabbergasted when they fall ill. Then they stress more than they should and get sicker still. Quite honestly, unless you’re a pirate trying to avoid scurvy, there’s no additional benefit to eating an apple over any other fruit. And there’s no fruit that prevents all diseases.
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Just a Walk in the Park

September 28, 2018 by Bill McCormick

How cool is walking when you couldn’t do it before?

Once upon a time being paralyzed was a slow, painful, death sentence. In some cultures (HI KLINGONS!) killing such a person was deemed merciful. As recently as ten years ago all science could do was make life a little more bearable for the inflicted. Comfortable beds and wheelchairs seemed to be as far as science could go. But then things started changing. On April 13th, of this year, I updated several earlier posts about how science was dealing with paralysis. In Australia, they’d come up with a spinal implant that showed promise. A university in California developed a cap that stimulated synapses and helped people regain movement. In 2016 the Keck Institute developed a method using stem cells to help patients regain full mobility. That link will take you to the full article and has contact info if you, or someone you know, may be eligible for the ongoing trials.
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Go Not Quietly

September 20, 2018 by Bill McCormick

Back on June 7, 2018, a more innocent time, I wrote about the advances being made in fighting aging. To the point wherein it may become necessary for people to figure out when they wanted to die rather than worry about living longer. Scientists were looking, now, at aging as a disease. One they could conquer. I noted, back in those halcyon days of yore, that the advent of extreme longevity would change many things. Your 401K? Not actually built to last that long. Til death do us part? Do you really want the same partner for centuries? You need not answer out loud. I know you’d rather not be divorced before you finish reading this article. Retirement? Why? You’re healthy, able-bodied, and there’s no excuse for you to be lazing around after a mere fifty years of work. Get off your dead ass and get back on the assembly line. [Read more…]