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I started drinking coffee when I was in high school. Back then, it was either instant coffee or percolator coffee. One Christmas when I was in college, my parents gifted me a coffee grinder and Melitta drip coffee pot and ceramic filter holder. That’s what I’ve used ever since. Turns out, it was a health addiction. “ Moderate daily consumption of caffeinated coffee or tea was tied to reduced dementia risk and better cognitive function over time, a prospective study of health professionals showed.   “Over a median follow-up of 36.8 years, health professionals in the highest quartile of coffee drinking had an 18% lower risk of dementia compared with those in the lowest quartile (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.76-0.89,  P <0.001), reported Dong Wang, MD, ScD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues.   “Top coffee drinkers also showed a reduced prevalence of subjective cognitive decline (prevalence ratio 0.85, 95% CI 0.78-0.93,  P <0.001) and modestly better c...

Just like the ICE paramilitary wilding has nothing to do with public safety, the RFK Jr attacks on mRNA vaccines have nothing to do with public health. “The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, already has imposed some limits on access to Covid vaccines and has rescinded recommendations for some routine childhood shots. “Several of the panelists have said — contrary to scientific consensus — that they believe the Covid shots are dangerous and should be taken  off the market .   “In an interview with The New York Times, Dr. Robert Malone, one of the panelists, claimed that the Food and Drug Administration was “hiding” data on the risks of Covid vaccination and had refused to share it despite multiple requests.”   This is transparently bullshit on stilts.  “But the F.D.A. addressed these misconceptions  in a letter  to Dr. Ladapo in 2023, calling the notion of DNA contamination “quite implausible” and “misleading.”   “With over...

The Scalia SCOTUS determined that the founding fathers meant for each American to be their own personal militia. So, for me, this isn’t surprising: “ At around 12:13 a.m., officers responded to a call about a person with a gun at 309 Linden Street, the Bristol district attorney’s office said.     “Officers said they found Nigel Vaughn, 40, outside the address in a dark SUV. When three officers attempted to frisk him, he violently resisted and opened fire.   “One officer was hit in the elbow, and another was struck in the abdomen but protected by his bullet-resistant vest, officials said. Officers returned fire, fatally wounding Vaughn, who died at a hospital shortly after. Both officers were treated and released by morning.” *snip* “ The suspect was wielding a Glock that was modified with a switch, a small device that “made the weapon fully automatic, capable of firing multiple rounds with one trigger pull,” officials said.” Yep. Automatic weapons in the hands of civilian...

I had measles as a child, before the vaccine. I survived with no discernible sequelae. My daughter got the vaccine, along with all the other childhood vaccines, also with no discernible sequelae.     Now, thanks to the anti-vaxxer propaganda and the RFK Jr policy of sowing doubt about the benefits and safety of vaccines, the population of unvaccinated kids is growing. In red states like South Carolina, which is seeing a surge in measles cases, the government is part of the problem.  Here’s a South Carolina physician “ One of the most frustrating aspects of this outbreak to me has been the reluctance of state leaders, large hospital systems, and institutions to speak clearly and publicly about what is happening. Silence during a public health crisis has consequences.  Our governor  and  lieutenant governor's statements  have focused on avoiding mandates and stressed measles vaccination as a personal choice, rather than emphasizing the benefits of h...

Back in the 1960s, college antiwar protests included protests against ROTC and other military training programs. Now I see where “Whisky Pete” Hegseth also wants to shut down graduate military education on university campuses. “Beginning next fall, the Defense Department will discontinue graduate-level professional military education, fellowships, and certificate programs at Harvard, according to the Pentagon News, a Defense Department-run information  service." *snip* “ In the same video, Hegseth said the department would next “evaluate all existing graduate programs for active-duty service members at all Ivy League universities and other civilian universities . . .” This is a bit of a flip-flop by Hegseth. “When Hegseth was a Harvard University master’s degree candidate at the Kennedy School of Government, he backed “equality, diversity, and accessibility,” and emphasized the importance of working with Democrats.   ““Our country and state must strive for equal opportunity fo...

Jeff Bezos is richer than God. He owns The Washington Post, formerly an icon of objective journalism. “Jeff Bezos could float almost limitless news organization losses forever and barely notice. What we’re seeing is something that should be familiar to any close of observer of the news over the last generation. Let’s call it the formulaic billionaire white knight press baron doom cycle.   “Our guy comes in as a White Knight. He solves every problem because money is no issue. The readers and the staff are happy and, because of that, the billionaires happy. The press watchers at the universities are happy. Everybody’s happy. It’s a for-profit operation and the buyer doesn’t want to lose money but it’s not a money-making purchase. The operation is purchased as a kind of public trust. He’s signed up as the protector and custodian of a public asset.” The WaPo isn’t a slow-motion suicide. It’s murder. What newspaper kills its sports section? Bezos killed the WaPo sports page. I don’t eve...