Stoicism (the name derives from the Greek word for ‘porch’ (stoa poikilê)- the place where members of the school congregated, and their lectures were held), was a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century B.C. Stoic doctrine was one of the most durable and influential philosophical traditions of the Hellenistic period, and it enjoyed the membership of many of the most educated people in the Graeco-Roman world (including such luminaries as Epictetus, Seneca and Marcus Aurelius). In modern times, the word ‘stoic’ has become synonymous with ‘philosophical,’ and has come to signify a preternatural courage and calmness in the face of physical, psychological, emotional and situational adversity.

Like most of the educated men of his day (and ours too, come to think of it), Zeno deeply admired the teachings and character of Socrates. Interpreting the Socratic model from the point of view of the Cynics, Antisthenes, Diogenes, and Crates of Thebes (of whom Zeno was for a time a disciple), Zeno was most impressed by Socrates’ strength of character and his ability to detach himself from the trivial concerns of the external world. From Zeno’s point of view, virtue resided not in external fortune, wealth, honor, and the like, but in self-sufficiency and a kind of rational ordering of intention.

Furthermore, the Stoics believed that ‘passionate’ emotions-such as fear, envy or romantic love-arose from false judgments and that a person who had attained a kind of moral and intellectual perfection (the ‘sage’) would not be swayed by them. Stoics were concerned with the active relationship between cosmic determinism and human freedom, and the belief that it is virtuous to maintain a will (called prohairesis) that is in accord with nature. Because of this, the Stoics presented their philosophy as a way of life, and they thought that the best indication of an individual’s philosophy was not what a person said but how he behaved.

Stoicism remained popular until the closing of all philosophy schools in 529 AD by order of the Emperor Justinian I, who believed that the pagan character of stoicism was at odds with the Christian faith.

A tampon (French from tapon, ‘plug, stopper’) is a plug of soft material (usually cotton, rayon or a mixture of the two), which is inserted into the vagina to absorb menstrual blood during a woman’s monthly period. While we tend to think of tampons as a relatively modern invention, the first tampon prototype was invented by the ancient Egyptians, which they fashioned out of “softened” papyrus (ouch!).

In the Fifth Century B.C., Hippocrates wrote about an ancient Greek version of the tampon, made out of lint wrapped around a small piece of wood (even louder ouch!). Even Physicians in the medieval Islamic world described the use of tampons, often for contraceptive purposes. Other materials that have been allegedly used in early tampons have included: wool, paper, vegetable fibers, sponges and even grass.

The modern tampon (with applicator) was invented in 1929 by Dr. Earle Haas, who had set out to invent a tampon that could effectively be mass produced. He obtained the patent on his tampon in 1931, and subsequently sold it to Gertrude Tendrich, who went on to found the Tampax Company for the mass production of the lengthwise expanding tampon.

Umami is one of the five discrete tastes-along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty- which is sensed by receptors on the human and animal tongue. It is a loanword from Japanese that means “flavor” and it refers to the ‘savory’ flavor of foods such as meat, cheese and mushrooms.

Umami was first discovered in Japan in 1908, when food scientist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda concluded that kombu, a type of seaweed, had a distinctive taste that was not present in most foods. He discovered that kombu’s uniquely delicious flavor was the result of its high concentration of glutamate. From there, he crystallized monosodium glutamate (MSG), the delicious seasoning that was sadly fated to become fear fodder for American hypochondriacs in the 1980s.

In 1996, a team of University of Miami researchers studying taste perception made another breakthrough; they discovered separate taste receptor cells in the tongue for detecting umami. Many Asian foods are packed with natural umami, especially Thai cuisine, which uses fish sauce, a.k.a. umami in a bottle. Unfortunately, in the United States, this awesome discovery has spurred snack food manufacturers to jump on the umami bandwagon. Hydrolyzed protein, an addictive and unhealthy sounding new additive, keeps bringing shoppers back to the junk food aisle (and probably doesn’t help the American obesity epidemic very much, but I digress).

A sinus infection, or sinusitis, is an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages that can accompany a viral, bacterial or fungal infection. A sinus infection can cause severe headaches and/or pressure in the eyes, nose and cheek area or on one side of the head. The sinuses contain natural defenses against germs. However, if a disruption occurs that affects the normal host defenses inside the sinuses, those defenses may allow bacteria, which are normally present in the nasal passages, to enter any of the sinuses. Once there, the bacteria may stick to the lining cells and cause a sinus infection.

Sinusitis usually follows a persistent cold, and symptoms include the following:

Bad breath or loss of smell;
Cough, often worse at night;
Fatigue and generally not feeling well;
Fever;
Headache — pressure-like pain, pain behind the eyes, toothache, or facial tenderness;
Nasal congestion and discharge; and
Sore throat and postnasal drip.

Acute sinusitis usually lasts less than 8 weeks or occurs no more than 3 times per year with each episode lasting no longer than 10 days. Antibiotics are usually effective against acute sinusitis. Successful treatment counteracts damage done to the mucous lining of the sinuses and surrounding bone of the skull. Sinusitis is characterized as ‘chronic’ if it lasts longer than 8 weeks or occurs more than 4 times per year with symptoms usually lasting more than 20 days.

“ … there is a big closet population of atheists who need to come out. ”
—Richard Dawkins.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s iconic American novel “The Scarlet Letter” (1850), tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman in 17th century Puritan Boston who gives birth after committing adultery and is forced to wear a scarlet badge with the letter ‘A’ (for adultery) as punishment for her ‘sin.’ In 1850, adultery was an extremely risqué subject, but because Hawthorne had the support of the New England literary establishment, it passed easily into the realm of appropriate reading. It has been said that this work represents the height of Hawthorne’s literary genius; dense with terse descriptions. It remains relevant for its philosophical and psychological depth, and continues to be read as a classic tale on the universal themes of sin, guilt and redemption.

The symbol of the ‘scarlet letter’ has come to represent prevailing social stigmas. Prominent atheist Richard Dawkins’s recently launched “Out Campaign” utilizes an “ironic scarlet letter,” to re-appropriate, in a humorous way, the social stigma that still persists against atheism. The campaign, however, encourages one to ‘OUT’ only oneself; it urges atheists to:

• Reach out and talk to others about atheism and help spread a positive view of atheism
• Speak out about their own beliefs and values without feeling intimidated, thus helping people realize that atheists don’t fit stereotypes and are a very diverse group
• Keep out, meaning to promote the idea that religion should be kept out of public schools and government, and that nobody’s religious agenda should be allowed to intimidate
• Stand out and become visible in their communities by becoming involved and by wearing the Scarlet A.

Throughout “The Scarlet Letter,” Hawthorne explores the themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. It is interesting to ponder whether he would approve of Dawkins’s appropriation of his scarlet ‘A’…..

A reflex is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. The reflex that the doctor checks when he taps on your knee during a routine checkup is called the patellar, or DTR (deep tendon reflex). Striking the patellar tendon just below the patella stretches the quadriceps muscles in the thigh, which activates stretch sensory receptors which trigger a muscle contraction of the femoris muscle (this causes the leg to kick). The absence or decrease of this reflex is known as Westphal’s sign. On the other hand, multiple oscillation of the leg following the tap may be a sign of a cerebellar disease.

This reflex is important in helping you keep your balance. When we stand up, gravity might cause a slight bend of the knee, which could make us fall if we didn’t have this reflex to straighten the knee and keep us standing upright. Moreover, a doctor often checks for DTRs to make sure that the nervous system is in order; aside from the knee, they can also be checked along the outside of the elbows, in the crooks of the arms, and at the wrists and ankles.

So next time you are at the doctor’s office, you can rest assured that your valuable insurance dollars are being well spent on all of those little rubber hammers….

In the United States, a signature is often colloquially called a “John Hancock,” after the first and most flamboyant signatory of the Declaration of Independence. According to legend, Hancock allegedly signed his name so largely and clearly so that King George could still see it without his glasses. Even thought killjoys debunked this tall tale long ago, it is a lot more fun (and completely harmless) to just go on pretending that it is true.

Despite enjoying widespread name recognition, John Hancock has suffered the strange fate of remaining an anonymous historical figure to most Americans. He was not only one of colonial America’s most ardent revolutionaries and philanthropists, but he also served as the governor of Massachusetts for nine-terms and was the president of the Continental Congress when the Declaration was signed. Born in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1737, he was orphaned by his biological parents and adopted by a wealthy merchant uncle who was childless. In 1763, his uncle died and John Hancock inherited what was said to be the greatest body of wealth in New England. He risked much of his fortune on the success of the revolution and took the risk of being hanged for treason by signing the Declaration (and so boldly too boot!).

Perhaps we know so little about John Hancock because his iconic signature says everything we really need (or want) to know about him: that he was bold, brave and thoroughly committed to the cause of an independent America. His bold signature set the standard for the rest of the Founding Fathers to follow.