Archive for December 2017

The Walking Man on New Year's Eve. What is Ahead?

The Walking Man was outside again this morning, his bulky winter coat casting a Michelin Man shadow on the suburban snow. Another frigid day, but he trudged down the street, a knit cap pulled tightly against his scalp. His gloves were massively thick, his matching muffler pulled tight across his face. Bulky wireless headphones arched... Read more »
By lesraff,
December 31, 2017 at 4:10 pm • 

Are We Kissing Friends Now? Seven Rules for the Unsure.

A Kiss is Still a Kiss As Time Goes Bye Herbert Hupfeld, 1931 Would Larry David diss me as a “kisser-greeter?” I never want to harass.  I don’t want to spread germs.  But I don’t want to be a cold fish either. So I never know. When do I go for the hug with a... Read more »
By lesraff,
December 28, 2017 at 8:06 am • 

Seven Words Pathologists Shouldn't Use Any More. Number 6 Says It All.

George Carlin set the standard. His “Seven Words You Can’t Say on TV” has lasted for more than four decades as both a comedy classic and as a listing of what American eardrums are too sensitive to hear being broadcast. Yes, there have been some breaks in the wall,  and cable subscribers have moved well... Read more »
By lesraff,
December 18, 2017 at 9:26 am • 
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It Is The Chocoholiday Season. Do You Love Chocolate Too?

I know this is the time of year to party. And that means eat and drink. Diets, be they caveman or Weight Watchers, go out the window. Champagne gets popped, in a morning Mimosa or a midnight toast. Rising hemoglobin A1C courses through bodies, riding on a chariot of elevated blood glucose. A time for... Read more »
By lesraff,
December 15, 2017 at 8:57 am • 

Six Real Life Slides. Which Ones Show Prostate Cancer? Can YOU Make the Diagnosis?

A friend and I were reminiscing the other night about our high school biology class at Sullivan High with Mr. Dubin. That course was the first time I ever used a microscope. Believe me, I had no idea that staring at magnified pieces of tissue would be the basis of my future career. What crosses... Read more »
By lesraff,
December 13, 2017 at 6:48 am • 

Our Biggest Fan Is Moving On, But Because Of Him We Will All Keep Blogging

The ChicagoNow Blogger Community has a little monthly ritual. On the last Wednesday of the month, Jimmy Greenfield, the Community Manager — the guy who keeps ChicagoNow clicking — announces a topic and gives all the participants one hour to write and publish a blog. He calls it Blogapalooza, because nothing is really big unless... Read more »
By lesraff,
December 8, 2017 at 2:59 pm • 
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"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"--"Mad Men" For Jews, and for Gentiles Too.

After reading some great reviews and hearing Laury tell us how wonderful it was, Barb and I sat down last night and watched the first two episodes of Amazon Prime’s new streaming series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Oy vey, did it feel good. Mad Men set the bar for recreating the mood and atmosphere of the early... Read more »
By lesraff,
December 6, 2017 at 11:00 am • 

Volvo Pledges No Fatalities. Ten Other Pledges for 2020 I Would Like to See.

Recently Volvo, the safety-first Swedish car manufacturer, has been advertising its safety pledge; by 2020, no one will die in a new Volvo automobile. Quite a bold promise to make! I applaud the manufacturer’s gumption, but question the likelihood of success.  Especially since I despised the one Volvo I owned — one electrical failure after... Read more »
By lesraff,
December 4, 2017 at 8:18 am •