South Korea Does What the USA Has Struggled To Do. We Should be Embarrassed and Ashamed.

South Korean President-to-be Yoon; US President-that-was-Trump According to the New York Times, the presidential election was “so plagued by a series of scandals and marred by mudslinging between the parties that some in the electorate took to calling it a contest between two “unlikables.” Conservative vs. liberal, experience vs political neophyte. Soaring housing prices, gender... Read more »
By lesraff,
March 10, 2022 at 6:32 am • 

In Memorium: Duvall Hecht, The Man Who Let Me Listen

Duvall Hecht (1930-2022) Founder of Books on Tape. The man who has helped keep me sane and happy over the last 17 years passed away last month in Costa Mesa, California, at the age of 91. His name was Duvall Hecht and though I had never met him his creation has been my daily companion... Read more »
By lesraff,
March 7, 2022 at 8:08 am • 

Hotel California. A Classic or a Nightmare--What Do You Think?

Hey boomers–any idea of how many “classic rock” radio stations are in the USA? Wikipedia lists 496 stations using some variation of that moniker. Assuming all are 24-hour a day broadcasters, that is 496 X 24 X 60 = 714,240 minutes of air time per day that these stations have to fill. Let’s guess that... Read more »
By lesraff,
March 2, 2022 at 9:55 am • 
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Can We Use This Word? The New York Times and Wordle Say No But I Say We Must.

A lot of people are unhappy with the New York Times acquiring Wordle, the trendy daily word game. My great ChicagoNow fellow blogger Howard Moore reminds us that this is just a game, and not to get too worked up about how difficult the words seem to have become. I ran into a different issue... Read more »
By lesraff,
February 28, 2022 at 10:14 am • 

A Morning Moon Prayer

Preview in new tab The Morning Moon Glows Through the Clouds On Mobile phone or Tablet, scroll down please! The morning moon glimmers so low in the West, Before the sun rises, the sky to contest. What will the day bring, the moon seems to say. As all ‘cross the world, do the herky-jerky ballet.... Read more »
By lesraff,
February 16, 2022 at 8:18 am • 

A Valentine's Day List So That I Always Remember

Barb’s Handiwork I celebrate my Valentine’s Day with… A dog whisperer who can turn a 40 lb Labradoodle into a lap dog.A friend who charges nothing for interior design advice.A volunteer who can’t leave the healthcare environment behind.A chef who knows how to complement a delicious meal with a colorful plate.A Neil Diamond super fan,... Read more »
By lesraff,
February 14, 2022 at 6:30 am • 
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Lights at the End of the Tunnel. Of Moon Shots and Medicine.

As I glanced through the obituaries the other day (yes, I have reached that stage in my life) I noticed a death notice with funeral arrangements for an oncologist I worked with twenty years ago. Of course I was saddened to hear of his passing, but what immediately came to mind was a conversation with... Read more »
By lesraff,
February 7, 2022 at 8:39 am • 

We Save Lives (and I Apologize)

Photo courtesy Chicago Tribune Words have an impact. Whether the speaker is a politician, an entertainer, or a blogger, they must think about the words they choose–and choose carefully. I try to do that, but despite my scrupulous care, I made a blunder in my word choices in a previous blog and I want to... Read more »
By lesraff,
February 2, 2022 at 6:50 am • 

Pearls for the People From a Prostate Pathologist

A tray of prostate biopsy slides is ready for microscopic review. As my career in pathology heads toward the home stretch, some pearls I have picked up along the way, particularly during the last 17 years as a prostate pathologist. I Can Name That Surgeon in 3 Cores You all know that no two people... Read more »
By lesraff,
January 31, 2022 at 6:41 am • 
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Have You Done Your Wordle Yet?

Today’s score–what was yours? It is saturating. I have never been part of a trend that has spread this fast. Forget Ukraine, Voter’s Rights, the Goulding of Aaron Rodgers. This is all anyone wants to talk about. Just give me my Wordle and go away for ten or twenty or thirty minutes. I will let... Read more »
By lesraff,
January 25, 2022 at 9:15 am •