The Saturday Evening Post articles from March 2008

The Saturday Evening Post archives from March 2008

Speak down, please!(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... A comment on "The Sound of Silence" article [Nov./Dec. 2007]: In 2005 I received my first set of hearing aids, and the sounds nearly drove me insane. We went right back to the audiologist and had him turn the sound down to where I could handle...

On the move.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I loved "A Moving Experience" by Rose Madeline Mula in your Nov./Dec. issue. After having moved 24 times in as many years, I wrote the following poem. My last move was 7 years ago, and there are still unpacked boxes in my garage! The...

Shopaholics.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Now wait just a doggone minute, Twit Trussell; you need to explain degrees of oniomania. I can think of three levels of this, uh, addiction. There's your "shopaholic" as the top level, but then you would segue downwards through "packrat,"...

For the young and young at heart.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I just received my magazine, Jan./ Feb. 2008. I love this magazine! The updating of medicines, medical procedures, letters shared, artwork, articles, and humor all made for a "get to it as soon as it arrives." Keep up the good work with...

Dancing and Health.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I just finished reading your article in the Jan./Feb. issue titled: "Dancing For the Health of It," and it sure is true! I began line dancing in March 2002 at our local town center. In September we resumed our classes after the summer break. In...

Laughs and marriage.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... In your article on "TV's Mr. Nice Guy" [Nov./Dec. '07] there is no doubt that Bob Newhart has kept America laughing for almost half a century, and I think that it's still funny. As for the fact that a comedian's comedy can lead to a successful...

More valuable than inheritance.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... "Inheritance Can Be Challenging" by Valentino Sabuco in the January/February issue of The Saturday Evening Post caused me to appreciate our decision when our five children were young. We promised them help in whatever education they desired and...

[Cartoon].(Cartoon)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The jury has not reached a verdict, your honor; but we have decided which tabloid we're selling our story to."

Mothers and daughters.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I truly enjoyed reading the article "You're Wearing That?" by Deborah Tannen in the October 2007 issue. I was astonished by the accuracy the author had when it came to the conversation between a mother and a daughter. Reading this article...

Golden words of love.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... In the Jan./Feb. 2008 edition of the Post, John McCollister wrote a touching and beautiful "remarks on a golden wedding anniversary" titled "Fifty Years Is." This brought tears to our eyes and many memories of our years together--57 this month....

The rest of the Banting story.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Re: Too Much Sugar, Too Little History, Sept./Oct. 2007. My grandfather's sister, Margaret Grant, married William Thompson Banting. They had six children--the youngest was Frederick, born November 14, 1891. Dr. Martin has written a...

[Cartoon].(Cartoon)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "We'd like to hire you for our customer service department. It's practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry."

Tracking America's rails.(Now and Then)
March 1, 2008... In 1934 in "The Articles of Progress" by Garet Garett, the Post proudly announced the world's fastest passenger train, the Super-Streamlined Burlington Zephyr, that crossed a third of the American continent from Denver to Chicago in a little...

Fainting spells.(Heart Health: Ask Dr. Zipes: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(Medical condition overview)
March 1, 2008... Q: Can you tell me anything about vasovagal syncope? I have been suffering with this for years. I have handled it by lying down wherever I am, and I'm OK in just a few minutes. Doctors seem to think it's my heart but never find anything wrong...

Pain might be angina.(Heart Health: Ask Dr. Zipes: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Q: I turned 79 on Jan. 2, but no one can believe it. I've been having neck pain behind my left ear that at times runs down my neck, shoulder, arm, chest, and back. My heart flutters and quivers. The pains come and go. I also have mild PAD in...

Advances in heart care.(Heart Health: Ask Dr. Zipes: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Q: I thoroughly enjoy your discussions on heart topics, and wondered if you could address one of sudden interest to me. It concerns ejection fraction. Echocardiograms indicate that mine has dropped from approximately 43 percent to an alarming...

Hypotension syndrome.(Heart Health: Ask Dr. Zipes: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Q: Is there any known cure for hypotension syndrome? After a very sudden onset, I have been experiencing sporadic episodes of near fainting for three years. Fludrocort seems to help but not eliminate the problem. The term you use,...

Low BP, low energy.(Heart Health: Ask Dr. Zipes: A noted cardiologist answers your questions)(blood pressure)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Q: My problem is low blood pressure: a week ago was 80/60, today 100/60. I feel my BP needs an upward adjustment. Though I feel well, I am somewhat lethargic and tire easily. I am 93, have had three heart attacks and two minor strokes. I live...

Saving time saves lives: update on early-defibrillation programs and emerging technology.
March 1, 2008... Two-Minute Warning: Defibrillation delays may cost some hospitalized patients their lives. In a paper published in the January 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers report that defibrillator-equipped personnel took...

Writing is easy! There's really no trick to being a writer, as long as you live in sunny California and avoid dank places like South America or Czechoslovakia.
March 1, 2008... Writing is the most easy, pain-free, and happy way to pass the time of all the arts. As I write this, for example, I am sitting comfortable in my rose garden and typing on my new computer. Each rose represents a story, so I'm never at a loss...

A comedian's memoir: Steve Martin looks back at a person he used to know.(Born Standing Up )(Book review)
March 1, 2008... Born Standing Up by Steve Martin, 224 pages, Scribner, $25.00 "Are you that boy who was on the Tonight Show last night?" a woman asked Steve Martin after his groundbreaking appearance on the show in the 1970s. "Yes," Martin answered....

Twilight at Monticello.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2008... Twilight at Monticello by Alan Pell Crawford, 322 pages, Random House, $27.00 New information about Thomas Jefferson comes to light in Alan Pell Crawford's latest book, Twilight at Monticello. Working from letters and writings of...

Drinks to your health.(Food in the News)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Coffee Perks Up DNA People who drink coffee daily seem less likely to suffer from liver and colon cancer. Recently, researchers at the Medical University of Vienna's Institute of Cancer Research in Austria...

Vegetables: raw may not be better.(Food in the News)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The common belief that cooking deprives vegetables of their nutrients is not necessarily true. Investigators at the universities of Parma and Naples found that cooking often enhances the nutrition of vegetables because it softens them up,...

Omega-3 update.(Food in the News)(fatty acids)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Fish Oil Helps Fight Fat The health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from fish continue to emerge in studies worldwide. * Type 2 diabetes patients in France experienced significant reductions in body fat after taking just 1.8 grams of...

The wit and wisdom of Benjamin Franklin: his enduring wisdom leads us to a higher appreciation of his genius.(Poor Richard Speaks)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Laziness travels so slowly that Poverty soon overtakes him. If you would have guests merry with cheer, be so yourself, or so at least appear. If you would keep your secret from an enemy, tell it not to a friend. Hear no ill of a...

Prostate: new light on laser therapy: for the millions of males living with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a new laser treatment is proving a promising alternative to more invasive surgery.
March 1, 2008... Like 40 percent of men in their mid-50s, John Fitzgerald successfully coped with the symptoms of an enlarged prostate, known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). "I had all the classic symptoms," admits Fitzgerald, who for six years kept...

Enough water to sail the plane: you don't have to be a math whiz to know that 10-ounce bottles of water multiplied times 60 bladders exceeds the capacity of one small bathroom wedged behind row 20.(Personal account)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When you have 60 passengers in an airplane idling on a snowpacked runway for two hours, it would seem the last thing you'd want to do is start handing out bottled water. But, hey, what do I know?. I'm the mother...

Active coping for chronic pain: simple steps to make the shift from patient to person.
March 1, 2008... It's a common scenario: People with a terrible backache watch a movie and afterward find that their pain has decreased. This doesn't mean their pain isn't real or is "all in their head," says psychologist Dennis Turk, Ph.D., a professor of...

Do we really need cursive writing? With the rise of electronic communications, even less time is being devoted to teaching handwriting in our schools. The written art may be an endangered species.
March 1, 2008... Second-grade teacher Diane Arciero waves her hand--draped in a homemade, white bunny puppet--from side to side in time to "If You're Happy and You Know It" playing on her classroom's CD player. As the song reaches its familiar refrain, the 24...

FAQS: Volunteering.(Living Well: LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD.)(frequently asked questions)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dr. Marie Villa of the American Geriatrics Society answers some "frequently asked questions" about volunteering: * How much time should I volunteer? Opportunities range from a few hours a week to several hours a day, depending on one's...

Password savvy.(Living Well: LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Be careful when choosing a computer password. Modern "hackers" use elaborate programs to try every word in every dictionary in every language on Earth--even every dog's and cat's and goldfish's name imaginable, says David Ripley, researcher at...

Look out for ladders.(Living Well: LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... As to-do lists fill with spring yard work, cleaning, and painting, keep in mind that thousands of injuries occur each year as a result of mishaps around the house. Fails from ladders, a leading cause of spring cleaning-related accidents, are...

Web surfing for health.(Living Well: LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD.)(Website list)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Now that you have a good password, use your home or library computer to access the following free websites for keeping active and living well: * TrackandFitness.com * Womenetcetera.com * USA.gov (click on "Seniors") To access...

[Cartoon].(Cartoon)
March 1, 2008... "For failing to make profits for the company, you're going to get what's coming to you--$134 million in severance!" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Your honor, 'the whole truth and nothing but the truth' would give away the ending of my...

The planting bird: when it's time to work the garden in the early spring, nature sends a winged messenger to tell us how to do it.(thrasher)
March 1, 2008... I can't remember a spring when I wasn't ready to embrace it, meet it head on. Maybe it's because we've all been sick since early February; maybe it's the long-term sleep deprivation+ that comes as part of the package with a new baby. Maybe it...

Do wrinkle products work? Advertisements promise younger, more beautiful skin. Here's what we know and don't know about wrinkle reducers.
March 1, 2008... Wrinkles! They're every mature woman's nightmare. Many women are scouring drugstore shelves and taking notes on TV beauty ads, searching for a facelift in a bottle. TV commercials are flashing models pushing formulas that promise to make...

What's fat got to do with it? In an excerpt from You On a Diet, America's trusted doctor team offers useful insights about unhealthy body fat.(Excerpt)
March 1, 2008... It doesn't matter whether you're just trying to shave a few inches from your waist or trying to morph your slushy belly into an ice-hard one, the fact remains: It's hard to forget about body fat. You see it when you get dressed, get washed, and...

The best of both worlds: you've heard of Tony Bennett, the international singing phenomenon who has charmed audiences for six decades, but have you met Anthony Benedetto, rising star of the art world?(Interview)
March 1, 2008... Tony Bennett credits the late Duke Ellington with giving him a piece of advice that has kept him on the pop charts for 60 years. Ellington, who turned down an art scholarship to the prestigious Pratt Institute in favor of a career in jazz,...

Steering clear of investment scams: a few simple rules can help you avoid scam artists taking you to the cleaners.
March 1, 2008... In June of 2000, Phillip Ferguson of Summitville, Indiana, was charged with swindling 600 people out of an estimated $30 million. Ferguson, a well-known businessman in the community I grew up in, went on the lain as federal and local...

Starting strong, finishing strong: sticking with simple, easy-to-implement steps, you will greatly increase your chances of maintaining superior physical and mental function throughout life: an interview with Drs. Kenneth & Tyler Cooper.(Interview)
March 1, 2008... Dr. Ken Cooper is a man on a mission. The internationally recognized "father of aerobics" has logged in some 38,000 running miles, authored numerous "runaway" bestsellers, conducted rigorous research studies, and, perhaps most important,...

Our great train ride: the American illustrators hall of fame.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By some novel arrangement of the stars, the golden age of illustration and the golden age of train travel ran fortuitously on parallel tracks, and those tracks run right across the covers of The Saturday Evening...

Romancing the rails: hop on board to experience the utmost in train travel and explore the beauty, romance, and history of the scenic western frontier.(Travel narrative)
March 1, 2008... As I was growing up in the 1950s, my family went on vacation by car. I often enjoyed the trip more than the destination. I was always fascinated by trains and longed for a different kind of adventure. Finally--many years later--the...

Do you believe that outfit?! Thanks to our democratic way of dressing, we all have the right to look cheap, regardless of our social standing.
March 1, 2008... Come on, people! Does anyone really believe that shirttails hanging below sweaters and vests are attractive? When did that look suddenly go from "sloppy" to "chic"? Apparently none of the former fashion rules apply. Today you can wear a...

Stick with fish! reel in the bountiful benefits of fish for optimum functioning of body and mind.(Heart Beat)(Recipe)
March 1, 2008... To gourmet chefs and health experts alike, seafood reigns king. Rich in taste, lean protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, sensational seafood, such as salmon and halibut, is considered quite simply a nutritional powerhouse. In study after study,...

Protecting your home: no one is immune from break-ins, but you can take precautions.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the biggest enemies of home security is thinking "It won't happen to me." Although we all know that prevention is important, most people don't take the steps they need to protect their home and family. Whether...

Good vibes.(Research Front)(getting lean while on vibrating platform )(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Brief stints on a vibrating platform appear to make mice leaner by slowing the formation of fat cells. Lead researcher Clinton Rubin, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook...

Sleep testing comes home.(Research Front)(diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A home sleep test can help detect obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in some adults, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The portable device consists of a small recording device with sensors worn as people sleep...

Hot topic: autism.(Research Front)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... In general, rising temperatures due to climate change are expected to harm rather than promote health. One bit of conflicting evidence relates to children with autism spectrum disorder. Over the past several decades, parents and clinicians have...

An inside look.(Research Front)(Human Microbiome Project)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Mapping the human genome was a major breakthrough. Now a new study is zeroing in on the trillions of microorganisms that live together with human cells in our bodies. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Human Microbiome Project...

Are your bones healthy?(Research Front)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A noninvasive test to detect "silent" spinal fractures may help identify women over 50 who need osteoporosis therapy to protect their bones. Data from the 15-year study led by University of Pittsburgh...

Chasing diabetes around the world: using ancient foods and medicines to treat a 21st century disease.
March 1, 2008... They say history repeats itself, and it may be doing just that at the University of Toronto, where a group of medical researchers are looking for new ways to treat the growing epidemic of type 2 diabetes. Toronto's medical school emerged as the...

[Cartoon].(Cartoon)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I can clain a 70-inch plasma TV as a business expense because my accountant said it's important to look at the big picture." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Video games aren't everything. Billy--you've got to learn...

Easter flowers: "they came before the first wake-robins lifted white among rotting leaves near the river.... Something wonderful happened when the windflowers began to blow upon those hills.".(Short story)
March 1, 2008... The night that Dutch DeHoke came to the Renn house, Aunt Jennie filled a wooden tub with warm water and gave Dutch a bath. The unfamiliarity of the whole business--mellow lamplight, ministering hands, a smell of bacon and ginger cake in the...

You be the judge.(blood test while unconscious)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While Jack lay unconscious after a car collision, a police surgeon took a blood sample that indicated Jack was intoxicated. The grand jury indicted him on the strength of the sample. At the trial Jack's lawyer...

The perfect squelch.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wealthy Mrs. Brown loved nothing better than exhibiting her carefulness as a shopper. She usually spent half an hour picking out some item before spending another thirty minutes worrying loudly over its qualities....

About "belly" fat.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I'm 5'5" and weigh 140 pounds. My stomach is huge. It does not sag and is as though I'm pregnant. Exercise does not reduce it. If anything, my stomach got bigger after doing abdominal exercises for 45 minutes three times...

Alternative therapy for joint pain.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I recently read an article on prolotherapy and wonder if you know anything about the treatment and its safety. My son (age 55) and daughter (age 57) have rheumatoid arthritis. As the mother of these two ailing children, I...

Mucus misery.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, Please advise me what can be done about sticky mucus in the mouth. I have to chew and then either swallow or spit it out. Is this postnasal drip? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lorraine McGrail Hampton, New...

Leg pain relief is often elusive.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, The bottoms of my feet have been numb for three or four months. My toes are stiff, too. Is it part of getting old? Perhaps someone else has this problem. Mrs. C. Carr San Bernardino, California A thorough...

Omega-3s and eye health.(fatty acids)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I would be very interested and pleased if one of your consultants could provide me with some information on the following: I was told by a patient that she has been taking oral flaxseed for "dry eyes" and was pleased by...

Teas not created equal.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, In 2002, I tried the Lipton Brisk tea diet as suggested in Medical Mailbox. I lost 40 pounds over a two-year period and have maintained it the three years since. I have told many about this, but the problem is we cannot...

Prostate cancer options.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I am 83 years old. Recently, my doctor discovered I had prostate cancer. His comment was, "We don't operate on old men." He shot me with hormones, and I've been living with hot flashes at least every hour ever since. He...

Arm swelling after cancer surgery.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, Five years ago, I had breast cancer. The lump was removed (as well as 15 lymph nodes), followed by chemotherapy and radiation. My problem is that my right arm swells badly. Some days it aches. I tried massage and an...

Vitamin K: pros and cons.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I take medicine to thin my blood. A doctor once told me never to take a dally multivitamin with vitamin K, since it thickens the blood. However, it is very difficult to find a product without it. Any suggestions? You...

A letter of gratitude.(MEDICAL MAILBOX)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, In the September/October 2007 issue, Dr. Douglas Zipes graciously responded to my question about being afraid to drive. When I showed the reply to my cardiologist, he referred me to a neurologist who advised that I do not...

Reader remedies to lower triglycerides.(MEDICINE MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, Your health pages are the first ones that I read. I was interested in the letter from Maxie Lear concerning her high triglycerides. A friend told me about red yeast rice. I take two 600 mg tablets dally. After about three...

More to learn about lysine.(MEDICINE MAILBOX)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I have had serious acid reflux problems for several years, and an x-ray showed a large hiatal hernia. About a month before my last doctor's visit, I started taking extra lysine to ward off cold sores. When I went to...

Stop the drip.(MEDICINE MAILBOX)(nasal drip)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, I read the letter from Bob Canaday concerning a clear fluid dripping out of a nostril. This was a problem with my aging father, my aging brother, and me. My family doctor prescribed a nasal spray to use twice daily. It...

She now sees in color.(MEDICINE MAILBOX)(Janice Den Hartog)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Dear Dr. SerVaas, In regards to the inquiry on cataract surgery: In 2007, I, too, was apprehensive about having the surgery. No amount of assurance helped calm me. But since the alternative was the possibility of going blind, I put my...

From the Pharmacy.
March 1, 2008... Editor's Note: Pharmacists are an integral, and sometimes untapped, part of the healthcare maintenance team. If you have a question about medications, write to: Cara Acklin, Pharm.D.; From the Pharmacy; 1100 Waterway Blvd.; Indianapolis, IN...

Final exam.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Four college friends were so confident that the weekend before finals, they decided to go to Dallas and party with some friends up there. They had a great time. However, after all the partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back...

Patience, please.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Mammograms and prostate screens, Sagging chests and bellies, Ebbing hairlines, drooping jowls, Muscles firm as jelly. Nothing new, the whole world through People age without a fuss, But please forgive us our complaints: This is the first time...

The soul of Whit.(POST SCRIPTS)(Whit Perry's joke for Kemmons Wilson)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... In the 1970s, when Whit Perry worked at the Holiday Inn headquarters in Memphis, he had occasion to write a speech for Kemmons Wilson, legendary founder of the hotel chain. After laboring over the "long, tortured speech" as Whit called it,...

Jump shot.(POST SCRIPTS)
March 1, 2008... Bumper sticker on the car ahead of me: "If at first you don't succeed, bungee jumping isn't for you!"

I feel a change coming on.(POST SCRIPTS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... After shopping and loading my car with groceries, I suddenly realized I didn't have my purse. I hurried back inside. At the checkout, the elderly clerk was holding up my purse. "Is this yours?" she asked. "It is," I replied. "Thank...