You asked how we were. We were good. The Chinese tourists headed home, traffic abated, pollution dwindled and the crowds died down, to the point that one could scratch in the elevator. Then the smoke started. Fires along the hills started by locals to clear the forests for the wild mushrooms Chinese treasure. The air …
I roll in my bed, unable to sleep. I listen to BBC talk about the craziness that took over the world, preoccupied with this one question. What question? It’s not: “Why, Corona?” For that, I already have more answers than I want. Scientists say that COVID19 is an animal virus. It spread to humans from …
1. Take it easy. The worst part of all this is the fear. More people die from the flu, car accidents, or guns. As of Saturday, March 7th, 19 Americans had died from Covid19, compared to 1177 every week from the flu, 746 from car crashes, and 294 from gunshots. 2. Wash your hands like …
I’m glad you’re looking at a career in medicine. I hope you will be happy with your choice forever. To help you out, these are a few myths I wish somebody told me about when I was in your shoes. 1. You’ll be rich. You likely won’t. After two decades or so of med school …
Stay away from my ER: An excerpt. I’m an ER doc. I care for patients. All patients: Those who need to be in the ER; those who don’t; those who wouldn’t be there if they knew better. For them, for you and for fun, I’ve got some tips to keep you happy, safe …
It\’s that time. Christmas music, shoppers looking for deals on things they don\’t need and can\’t afford, an orgy of eating and drinking ruining a year\’s worth of healthy living. Tis\’ the season to be jolly – never mind your bank account, your scale or your liver. After all, you only live once. Moreover, this …
Like many other mornings, yesterday I walked the back roads to the Tha-nin market. It\’s a good two miles through Thai-only neighborhoods. I always get to see exciting things. Monks collecting alms, well-dressed cats, ninja street cleaners, spirit houses with refreshments and gifts. I love markets almost as much as I love museums, especially …
People are again dropping like flies in Dr. Steele\’s ER. She is facing another string of unexplained deaths, but this time it\’s even harder. Why? Because she doesn\’t mind seeing them dead. They are the worst of the worst: wife beaters, child abusers, pet killers, and downright psychopaths that the law failed to punish. …
Our long trip east is over. After ten exciting days in Paris and Greece, then cruising East for seven weeks with 600 of our best friends, we\’re back in Thailand. On the way, we stopped in Israel, Jordan, Oman, Emirates, Qatar, India, and Indonesia to explore. We walked the streets, ate the food, bargained and …
Athens, the second stop on our long trip east, isn\’t Paris. Just as Paris is profoundly Western in its gallic snotty attitude, rich flavor and fastidiousness, Athens belongs to the East. The sun is hotter, the streets narrower, the decibels roar. Neighbors shout at each other from across the street, motorcycles rev their stinky engines, …
