Category: Uncategorized

Passover is Coming, and I Burnt Carrots!

Passover. The holiday of escape from slavery and a march to freedom. From the voice of God in the Burning Bush to the roar of Moses to let his people go. It is a heroic story full of bravery and miracles. And like all Jewish festivals, it is celebrated with food. Lots and lots of... Read more »
By Les Raff,
Friday at 6:18 am • 

Ten Things at the Bottom of that Black Hole. Can You Guess Number 6?

By now you have heard the news. Scientists are expected to release the first picture of a black hole, the incredibly dense spots in the universe with so much sucking gravity nothing can escape their pull. Einstein’s relativity theories predicted them, Hollywood made films about them, and Soundgarden sang grunge songs about them.  We know that if you... Read more »
By Les Raff,
April 9, 2019 at 5:36 pm • 

Learning Scott's Law the Easy Way or the Hard Way.

Driving down Half Day Road in Lincolnshire last spring. One friend in the passenger seat next to me, another in the back row. We’re chatting about baseball, and house closings, and prostate biopsies. I’m in the right lane, anticipating the ramp to the Tri-State a mile ahead. There is an Illinois State Patrol car on... Read more »
By Les Raff,
April 2, 2019 at 10:04 am • 
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Precrastinate? Procrastinate? I Like to Be "Crastination-Fluid."

The start of a new month is rolling around. April Fools Day for some, for me it is time to compile and review the lab statistics for the previous month. How many cases did we see, how many biopsies were benign, how many biopsies were malignant, and how many times were we just not sure.... Read more »
By Les Raff,
April 1, 2019 at 10:30 am • 

Bagels and Bologna, Any Way You Slice It

So Twitter was apparently atwerp the other day with a tweet about slicing bagels from top to bottom “like a loaf of bread,” something designated as the “St. Louis Way.” Lots of responders chimed in saying this was blasphemy, anti-semitic, and probably subject to an independent counsel investigation.  As a lifelong Jewish Chicagoan, I can... Read more »
By Les Raff,
March 28, 2019 at 9:56 am • 

How Do You Get Your Cruise News? Keeping the US Postal Service Afloat.

Mr. Mailman: Please stop delivering all these cruise ship brochures! Cruising hits the news every season or so. There is the annual launch of the new superships. When it’s not supererships it’s often superbugs taking residence in the buffet line with all the subsequent distress. There have been incidents of international terrorism and occasional massive... Read more »
By Les Raff,
March 27, 2019 at 10:15 am • 
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It's Up To You! Be Scared by "Us," or at the Edge of Your Seat for "Free Solo".

Barb and I saw two movies this weekend, one in the recliners at the local Cineplex, and the other in the comfort of home, pooch at our feet. One scared me to death. It is not the one you would expect. The critics love “Us.” Director Jordan Peele’s 2nd horror film is a sensation. The New York... Read more »
By Les Raff,
March 25, 2019 at 5:51 am • 

Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline Added to National Recording Registry. Are You as Happy as Barb?

Barb fell in love in an instant. Before she crushed on Kevin Costner, before she swooned for Bradley Cooper, hell–before she married me, there was Neil.  Neil Leslie Diamond: Grammy Award winner, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2011, Kennedy Center Honoree, movie star actor, and writer and performer of the song Sweet... Read more »
By Les Raff,
March 21, 2019 at 10:01 am • 

How Much Joy Does It Spark For You? And Does It Matter?

“None of the dresses in my closet spark joy.” That was the posting on a friend’s Facebook feed. Does it spark joy?  Sooner or later that question will find you, either online, or on TV, or from a friend who is taken by the bug. It’s based on the techniques of Marie Kondo for reducing... Read more »
By Les Raff,
March 20, 2019 at 9:29 am • 
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If Camaraderie Keeps You Healthy, How Many Groups Do You Have? Here Are 10 Of Mine.

UroPartners’ Prostate Cancer Support Group invites prostate cancer patients and their families to join the group for “Information, Education and Camaraderie.”  We all know what information and education are. But what exactly is camaraderie? Merriam-Webster describes camaraderie as “a spirit of friendly good-fellowship” or “a feeling of good friendship among the people in a group.”... Read more »
By Les Raff,
March 15, 2019 at 6:48 am •