Monthly Archives: April 2013

QOTD: Adam Smith on Self-Interest

Posted on April 27, 2013 | Comments Off on QOTD: Adam Smith on Self-Interest

“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.”

—Adam Smith

Comments Off on QOTD: Adam Smith on Self-Interest

Posted in Quote of the Day

Tagged , ,

Want to Save a Bundle On Your Heart Surgery? Consider India

Posted on April 26, 2013 | Comments Off on Want to Save a Bundle On Your Heart Surgery? Consider India

Does $800 sound about right? Last I checked, it was $50,000 in the U.S. Details are at Business Insider. A snippet:

What if hospitals were run like a mix of Wal-Mart and a low-cost airline? The result might be something like the chain of “no-frills” Narayana Hrudayalaya clinics in southern India.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-indias-no-frills-hospitals-where-heart-surgery-costs-just-800-2013-4#ixzz2RaF3s2KQ

Comments Off on Want to Save a Bundle On Your Heart Surgery? Consider India

Posted in Uncategorized

Spring In the Sonoran Desert of Arizona

Posted on April 25, 2013 | Comments Off on Spring In the Sonoran Desert of Arizona

One of Boy Scout Troop 131’s scouts did hid Eagle rank project at Pinnacle Peak Park in Scottsdale, Arizona, a few weeks ago. I took pictures of plants on the trail.

Steve Parker MD, Sonoran desert, Arizona

Strawberry hedgehog

Steve Parker MD, Sonoran desert, wolfberry bush, Arizona

Wolfberry plant, perhaps related to the goji berries of China

Arizpona, Sonoran desert, wolfberry , Steve Parker MD

Wolfberries: the largest are 7 x 10 mm

Steve Parker MD, Arizona, Sonoran desert

Banana yucca. Most years these don’t bloom. Looks related to the Joshua Tree, doesn’t it?

Comments Off on Spring In the Sonoran Desert of Arizona

Posted in Boy Scouts, Hiking

Tagged , , , , ,

Infamous QOTD: George W. Casey, Jr., on Diversity

Posted on April 25, 2013 | Comments Off on Infamous QOTD: George W. Casey, Jr., on Diversity

In response to the workplace violence murders of soldiers at Fort Hood by Major Nidal Hasan:

“As horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.”

—Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr.

Comments Off on Infamous QOTD: George W. Casey, Jr., on Diversity

Posted in Quote of the Day

Tagged , , ,

Resting Heart Rate Predicts Life Span

Posted on April 24, 2013 | Comments Off on Resting Heart Rate Predicts Life Span

Slower is better than faster.

Lots of other variables to consider, obviously.

Comments Off on Resting Heart Rate Predicts Life Span

Posted in Longevity

Tagged , ,

QOTD: Downtown Josh Brown on Twitter and the Evening News

Posted on April 24, 2013 | Comments Off on QOTD: Downtown Josh Brown on Twitter and the Evening News

The evening news has become men in suits and women in pearls reading Twitter to your grandparents. Twitter is faster than print media, more in depth than television, and compared to the traditional newswire, its real time reaction to events news and headlines.

                —Josh Brown, @ReformedBroker

Comments Off on QOTD: Downtown Josh Brown on Twitter and the Evening News

Posted in Quote of the Day

Tagged ,

Even the Experts Can’t Define the Healthy Mediterranean Diet

Posted on April 23, 2013 | 2 comments

…but they have some good ideas as to the healthy components, according to a report in MedPageToday. A snippet:

Through a subtractive statistical technique, the EPIC investigators calculated that the biggest chunk of the health advantage — 24% — came from moderate alcohol consumption (predominantly wine).

The other relative contributions were:

  • 17% from low consumption of meat and meat products
  • 16% from high vegetable consumption
  • 11% from high fruit and nut consumption
  • 11% from high monounsaturated-to-saturated lipid ratio (largely due to olive oil consumption)
  • 10% from high legume consumption

Here’s my definition of the Mediterranean diet.

Reference:
Sofi F, et al “Ideal consumption for each food group composing Mediterranean diet score for preventing total and cardiovascular mortality” EuroPRevent 2013; Abstract P106.

2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,

Light Alcohol Drinking in Pregnancy May Be Safe After All

Posted on April 21, 2013 | Comments Off on Light Alcohol Drinking in Pregnancy May Be Safe After All

…according to a study reported in MedPageToday.

“Light” drinking was defined as no more than 2 units of alcohol a week, where a unit was half a pint of beer, a glass of wine, or a standard measure of spirits.

I may have to revise this old post about the dangers of alcohol and list of who shouldn’t drink at all.

Comments Off on Light Alcohol Drinking in Pregnancy May Be Safe After All

Posted in Uncategorized

Conscientiousness: One Key to Longevity

Posted on April 13, 2013 | Comments Off on Conscientiousness: One Key to Longevity

…according to an article at US News-Money. Unfortunately, conscientiousness is personality trait that likely has a strong hereditary component. The article quotes the authors of “The Longevity Project”:

“It was not cheerfulness and it was not having a sociable personality that predicted long life across the many ensuing decades,” she and Friedman wrote in their book. “Certain other factors were also relevant, but the prudent, dependable children lived the longest. The strength of this finding was unexpected, but it proved to be a very important and enduring one.”

The authors discount the role of modern medical technology.

Take the test to see if you’re conscientious.

Comments Off on Conscientiousness: One Key to Longevity

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged ,

Abdominal Fat May Prevent Fractures in Older Women

Posted on April 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Abdominal Fat May Prevent Fractures in Older Women

…according to an article at MedPageToday. The study involved Australian women. The trade-off may be a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. Pick your poison.

Comments Off on Abdominal Fat May Prevent Fractures in Older Women

Posted in Uncategorized