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Morbid: A book review

There are few things I enjoy more than a sound debunking. A few years ago, I was asked to review a book on “the science of near-death experiences.” The guy who requested the review was the author, who is also the editor of Missouri Medicine. I wrote a review that expressed my deep skepticism in the gentlest terms I could summon, and it was published in Missouri Medicine. My only Amazon product review is of a book published by a colleague in the history department, and I was far less gentle with that embarrassing publication*.     I just finished reading “Morbid: Debunking modern longevity science” by Saul J. Newman. Newman is a skeptic of longevity/aging research as marketed in the popular press and pharma industry. Along the way, he takes on the claims of telomere length as a driver of aging, a field I’ve followed closely and written about. He also takes on popular nostrums like resveratrol and young blood transfusions. He explains the distinction between longevity and aging ...
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Inheritance taxes

Here’s   United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby  on inheritance taxes: “ Wealth inequality has become a danger to our society, and we need to address that. We should have a national wealth tax — it won't work by state because people will just move. And I think we should have inheritance taxes that get close to 100% at some level. I would pay them." I’d be fine with that. If you want to avoid the inheritance tax, give the money to your kids *before* you die. Currently, you can gift $19,000 tax-free to each child. If you’re married, each of you can gift $19,000/child/year. If your child is married, you can also gift their spouse $19,000/year. At the very least, inheritances should be taxed as income from the first dollar. Yes, I know that money was already taxed. So was the money I’ve paid sales taxes on. We tax every time money changes hands. Why should inheritances, which the recipients don’t have to work for, be any different?   https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/article/united-...
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Quote of the day

If you want to shift public opinion, you need to bring the most egregious act to the table. And bit by bit, the mainstream narrative will move toward the next, slightly less egregious thing. It’s worked, because everybody is talking about whether Nidal Hasan’s execution should be livestreamed, but nobody’s talking about why he is being executed in the first place. And in doing so, it has made a future livestreamed execution a much more realistic possibility. ~  Dr Asim Qureshi
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Time’s up

In reality, changing the clocks doesn’t create or destroy daylight. It only changes what we call it. If you want more daylight in the winter, you need to move closer to the equator. Changing the clocks twice a year is a nuisance. It’s also unhealthy. “The switch itself does real harm. In the days after we spring forward, heart attacks rise.   One analysis   found a 24 percent jump in heart attacks on the Monday after the change.   Strokes ,   traffic crashes , and   workplace accidents climb , too. Ending the switch is worth doing. The only question is which time we keep.” But locking in Daylight Savings Time isn’t the answer. “. . . morning light and evening light are not interchangeable. Our bodies run on internal clocks that are set by the sun, not the clock on the wall. Morning light is the master signal: It resets our internal clocks each day and tells the brain to trigger a surge of cortisol. Cortisol, a hormone released by the adrenal glands, is the ...
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Massachusetts politics

I live in Rhode Island, about a mile from the Massachusetts border. Massachusetts Is a real state, while Rhode Island is more of a toy state.   Massachusetts has a recent history of electing moderate Republican governors—Willard “Mitt” Romney* and Charlie Baker come to mind. So I wasn’t completely surprised when MA GOP gubernatorial candidate Michael Minogue did the reasonable thing and called on his lieutenant governor running mate to end his campaign after Shawn Oliver was arrested and jailed for OUI after he drove into five parked vehicles late Saturday night, flipping his own vehicle. “Minogue said earlier Sunday that beyond calling on Oliver to end his campaign,   he would “formally ask for his resignation” should both he and the New Bedford city councilor be elected Nov. 3.” Both Minogue and Oliver are way behind in the polls. I’m glad Minogue did the right thing. *I hear you snickering, but “Obamacare” was really Romneycare. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/10/18/m...
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Quote of the day

  From a comment thread over at angrybearblog.com: "Seven different AI LLM’s were asked to determine president’s IQ, based on transcripts from his interviews, responses to questions, and speech patterns. Two declined; the remaining five ranged IQ’s between 80-110. Gemini, who assessed his IQ at 85-95 was asked if AI could be safely guard-railed by someone with his intellect and responded: ‘ start stockpiling canned goods.’"
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The beginning of the end of dollar dominance?

The US dollar has been the world’s reserve currency for decades. This has meant more favorable lending conditions for America. Now, it looks like China is making a play to displace the dollar. “ Zambia is set to accept the Chinese yuan for some copper exports starting next year, marking a significant move away from US dollar dependency.   “This innovative payment approach could lower transaction costs and minimize currency exchange risks for Zambia’s crucial copper trade with China.   “China’s push to internationalize the yuan is gaining momentum, as seen in recent yuan-based energy and mineral transactions worldwide.”   China is struggling with overproduction of goods that can’t be consumed internally. Until they get their economic house in order, they won’t displace dollar dominance. But Trump is actively eroding internation trust the US good faith and credit.   https://www.facebook.com/businessinsiderssa/posts/zambia-is-set-to-accept-the-chinese-yuan-for-some-copp...
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