News

In all the years I’ve known my aged Uncle Mort, he has made few observations about horses, if any at all. For the past few days, he has spoken of little else, what with the news that the City of Dallas hardly knows what to do with one of its storied landmarks.

DOTHAN, Ala. – After spending years as a registered nurse, Marteen Lewis decided to change how she helped people.

Prescription medications are a major component of the American lifestyle. According to the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 49% of Americans took at least one prescription medication in the past 30 days, 24% took three or more, and 13% took five or more. In nearly 70% of physician office visits, the main purpose has to do with prescription drugs, and one of the most prevalent prescriptions is blood pressure medication. ❚ There is no doubt that prescription medications for blood pressure are effective and can greatly reduce the risks of stroke and heart attack. Even so, and with all the emphasis placed on the importance of prescription medications in our health care system, patient adherence is abysmal. According to recent research studies, adherence, which means not only taking your medications but also taking medications exactly as prescribed, is as low as 50%. ❚ So, what can we do?

All these years, I thought peas and carrots were exclusive culinary soul mates, a match better than two peas in a pod. Carrots and peas are fine when cooked together, but turns out raw carrots have a salty affinity for peanuts.

As we move through a world of disposable things, it’s easy to forget that previous generations kept nearly everything. • Furniture was made to last. Pieces of crystal or china were investments passed down from parent to child to grandchild. Even mundane items could remain in use for decades: The same Corningware bowl and General Electric mixer might churn out birthday cake batter for a generation and more. • Many of these items still exist, nestled under layers of yellowing newspaper in cardboard boxes or shrouded by dust-laden sheets. America’s attics, basements and garages are filled with hand-me-down home decor and household goods waiting to be unearthed.

There is a rhythm to everything that is natural and healthy. The seasons of the year, the sleep/wake cycle of every animal on the planet and the cycle of contraction and relaxation in a beating heart. There are even cycles within cycles.

To accomplish great things, one must be willing to perform great work over a great span of time. Rice University in Houston, which has come to exemplify such glory, has in its century of life become one of the most respected universities in the nation. The college started from nothing, except for the dream and generous donation of its founder. It was the job of its first president, Edgar Lovett, to make that dream a reality. With years of hard work and determination, Lovett built the institution and set the direction for greatness for its students and the college itself.