The Saturday Evening Post articles from November 2003

The Saturday Evening Post archives from November 2003

Be safe with AEDs.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I recently had the opportunity to read one of your magazines, and I was impressed. The articles on safety, including AEDs [May/June '03], were informative for your readers. AEDs have been proven to save lives of persons suffering from sudden...

And now you know ... the rrrest of the story!(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... My wife and I enjoyed the Paul Harvey story very much. We both listen to his broadcast daily, as we have been doing for years. We also are native St. Louisans, having been born and raised there in the '20s, '30s, and '40s. We remember very well...

Looking for Paul Harvey.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Received Sept./Oct. copy yesterday, and I was so happy to read about Paul Harvey. Years ago I used to hear his program while driving, and later I lost track of his program. I looked for radio listings in TV Guide, but cannot find his program...

Coronary gene therapy trial resumes.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... The "Coronary Gene Therapy Trial Launched" article in the Sept./Oct. '03 issue sounded very promising. If I am interested in participating in the coronary gene therapy AGENT trial, whom should I contact? Joe Duncan Chicago, Illinois...

Coming home to Gaither music.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... This is the first time I have written to the editor of a magazine. First, I've always enjoyed getting the Post magazine, and second, I really enjoyed the story on Paul Harvey. It was really interesting, but the story on Bill Gaither was even...

Music and its charms.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I really enjoyed reading Dr. Benson's and William Proctor's article entitled, "Triggers for a Happier Life." [July/Aug. '03] I would like to expound on music, which is one recommended by Dr. Benson. Music is really my favorite trigger, as...

Leonard's haul.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Enclosed is a picture of my oldest brother, Leonard Hutson, taken in front of Jack's Newsstand in Hope, Arkansas, in 1915 when he was nine years old (above). Leonard had sold the amount of Posts and Country Gentlemans shown in the...

The benefits of magnesium.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I am an avid fan of the Post. I first learned about magnesium chloride (Slow-Mag) through your magazine. My experience and success with magnesium chloride may help some of your readers. For years I have suffered from fibromyalgia and have...

How much is too much calcium?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... This question should go to Dr. Patrick Walsh, but I don't know how to contact him. In his article "PSA + DRE" in the Sept./Oct. issue of the Post, he said that too much calcium could cause men to develop advanced cancer. I need to know what...

Apron hoops as gifts.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I meant to order the apron with the hoop rings. I thought I had saved the article (Nov./Dec. '02), but I didn't. I have two nieces who work in elderly homes, and this would be a super gift for them to give. Please be kind enough to send me a...

Why not help Canada?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... In reference to "O, Canada! Where Low Drug Prices Are Costly To Your Health" [Sept./Oct. '03]: U.S. medical research may be keeping the rest of the world healthy, but do we have to pay for that, too? Maybe the stockholders could donate back all...

Poetry and posterity.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Enclosed is my entry for the [May/ June '03] Limerick Contest sponsored by the Post. I had recently finished looking through photos from my husband's childhood in the 1950s that featured many cowboy outfits he wore, so this illustration (above)...

Dixie Chopper.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I have received my first issue of the Post in many, many years. I decided to try it again, and I was delighted with the July/August 2003 issue. I saw an article, "The Mower Mogul," about Art Evans and his Dixie Chopper model. I would love...

Greg Smith.(Post People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... While most of his contemporaries are sizing up seventh grade, 14-year-old Greg Smith is deciding which of his four master's degrees to tackle. Much has changed since the ten-year-old arrived at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia in 1999. He's...

Lance Armstrong.(Post People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... "It's a dream, really a dream. It's incredible to win again," said Lance Armstrong in celebrating his fifth straight victory at the famed Tour de France competition. "I love cycling, I love my job, and I will be back for a sixth." ...

Chip Davis.(Post People)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... He started playing piano at age four and wrote a four-part chorale (about his pet dog) at age six. His 18th century music became famous around the world. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? No. We're talking about Chip Davis, whose "18th century rock 'n'...

Tips for vibrant health and beauty at every age.(Look Good, Feel Good)
November 1, 2003... Makeup Dos and Don'ts Useful suggestions from dermatologist Zoe Diana Draelos of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, can help women make good choices when selecting cosmetic products. * Choose...

Masters of irony.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... "I lift the same weights I did when I was young, only now I can't put them down." "You didn't tell me you were dating a tackle box!" "All of our representatives are busy. Please stay on the line and your call will be disconnected in...

The wit and wisdom of Benjamin Franklin: his enduring wisdom leads us to a higher appreciation of his genius.(Poor Richard Speaks)
November 1, 2003... One good Husband is worth two good Wives; for the scarcer things are, the more they're valued. Fine linnen, girls and gold so bright, Chuse not to take by candle light. There are three faithful friends--an old wife, an old dog, and...

Taking control of high blood pressure: a new campaign focuses the spotlight on the national crisis of hypertension and sheds light on simple measures that you can take to reduce risk.(Heart beat: the healthy heart report)
November 1, 2003... Last spring, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) issued new recommendations, representing a major shift in federal guidelines on what is considered "normal" blood pressure. About 45 million people with blood pressures of 120...

Focus on digestive diseases: an interview with Barry Marshall, M.D.: certain digestive disorders can place you at higher risk for developing cancer of the esophagus and stomach.
November 1, 2003... Acid indigestion affects some 60 million Americans regularly, according to the American Gastroenterological Association, Each day, countless individuals cope with frequent, persistent pain of heartburn caused by irritation of the esophagus due...

Ode to Ogden.(Post Scripts)(Ogden Nash)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... I think that I shall never see humor so "Ogden Nash-ery."

A bald-faced truth.(Post Scripts)(baldness)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... What's the hidden advantage to baldness? No matter how many gray hairs you get, you always have fewer than your friends.

Economic epitaph.(Post Scripts)(Poem)
November 1, 2003... Here I lie, safe from the clutch of Visa, MasterCard, and such. All that I had on life's hard road or even hoped to have, I owed. Remember me when you invest. I died from ...

Out standing in his field.(Post Scripts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A young man who graduated from agriculture school with the lowest grades in the class was voted the most likely to "sack seed."

True blue devotion.(Post Scripts)(Poem)
November 1, 2003... He says he'll love me When my hair starts to turn gray. After all, he's loved me Through three colors, anyway.

The game of the name.(Post Scripts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Officer: What's your name, Mister? Motorist: My name is Aloysius Alsalia O'Luineachaine, sir. Officer (pocketing ticket pad): Now don't let me catch you speeding again.

The game of the name. <T>Running the numbers.(Post Scripts)(Poem)
November 1, 2003... Long ago as bride and groom, we never would have guessed that over time we'd disagree which numbers are the best. He likes to rise at 6 a.m., but I don't wake 'til 8. His snore's a roar by 10 p.m., ...

Slip of the lips.(Post Scripts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... I was washing my face, just as my husband had to leave for a meeting. After I gave him a damp, slightly soapy good-bye smooch, he wiped his mouth. "Don't worry," he said. "I kept the good part."

Taking the Mickey.(Post Scripts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... One of my wife's favorite sayings is the following: "Are you a man or a mouse? Squeak up!"

Pride Goeth before ...(Post Scripts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A very pompous admiral prided himself on never changing course. One night in a blinding fog, he saw some lights coming right at him. He flashed the message, "Get out of my way. I'm a battleship." Came the reply, "You get out of the...

Time flies.(Post Scripts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Children are a great comfort in your old age-and they help you reach it faster.

A question of priorities.(Post Scripts)(politicians and statesmen)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A politician worries about the next election; the statesman, about the next generation.

The lowdown on the glycemic index: by cutting back on consumption of starchy foods that cause a spike in insulin, you may reduce your risk of developing diabetes or its complications.
November 1, 2003... The glycemic index (GI), which ranks food from 0 to 100 depending on how quickly food raises the body's blood sugar levels, may explain why obesity and type 2 diabetes continue to rise dramatically throughout the Western world, in spite of a...

Seabiscuit: Horatio Alger hero of the turf: there should be a lesson to two-legged animals in a four-legged one which was whipped so many times by humble opponents and still went on to beat the best there were.
November 1, 2003... One of the most heralded heroes in America this year was not a man or a woman but a horse by the name of Seabiscuit. The subject of a best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand and a hit movie from Universal Pictures, Seabiscuit gained fame and...

The doctor is in: America is going to medical school via a new series on the Discovery Channel called "Second Opinion.".(Television Program Review)
November 1, 2003... Are you the world's expert on your own body? Do you feel empowered to guard your own health because NO ONE else will do this as well as you? It's a scary thought, but it is the same challenge physicians undertake in order to become your trusted...

A Norman Rockwell Christmas.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... In his 40 years of painting Post Christmas covers, from 1916 to 1956. Rockwell may have captured better than any other artist the mystery, beauty, joy, and spirit of our favorite holiday as only Americans see it.

Taking on trans fats: the FDA is now mandating that food manufacturers list the trans fatty acid content of foods--a move that health advocates applaud.
November 1, 2003... Move over saturated fat; there is a new villain in town. For decades, saturated fat has been the proverbial "bad boy" of health, but scientists believe that a man-made fat, called trans fatty acid, may play a major role in the escalating rates...

Keeping fit with fiber.(The heart of the matter: cardiovascular news at a glance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Most Americans need to bulk Up--their diets, that is. Studies show that the average person consumes only about half the amount of fiber recommended to help fight obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. There are two types of the...

Aspirin helps the heart.(The heart of the matter: cardiovascular news at a glance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... For more than a century, aspirin has been used to relieve headaches and other minor aches and pains. More recently, research shows that the powerful pill provides potential cardiovascular benefits as well. Some of the clinical findings...

Know your cholesterol ratio.(The heart of the matter: cardiovascular news at a glance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The ratio of LDL (bad) to HDL (good) cholesterol appears to be a better indicator of the risk of heart disease than LDL levels alone, according to reports published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Doctors...

Turn on in Africa: hundreds of thousands of sub-Saharan Africans live without electricity and cook on wood fires. Now an American mission is lighting up their homes and lives.
November 1, 2003... In January 2001, on a flight to Nairobi, Kenya, from Amsterdam, John Coors looked out the window and saw something unexpected-total darkness. It was night, and below him stretched the continent of Africa. "I stared down for hours," he...

The art of procuring pleasant dreams: more than 200 years after it was written, there is still good advice to be found in Benjamin Franklin's charming letter to a young Englishwoman.
November 1, 2003... Illustrated by Don Trawin INSCRIBED TO MISS SHIPLEY, BEING WRITTEN AT HER REQUEST As a great part of our life is spent in sleep during which we have sometimes painful dreams, it becomes of some consequence to obtain the one kind and...

Good reading for the holidays: Christmas shopping? The perfect gift may be as close as the nearest bookstore.(Book Review)
November 1, 2003... Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson 590 pages, Simon & Schuster, $30 After completing his first draft of the Declaration of Independence on June 21, 1776, Thomas Jefferson sent the document down the street to let...

Can you name this picture?
November 1, 2003... ... contest: The Saturday Evening Post will award $100 to the author of the winning limerick for this picture. Your limerick must contain exactly five lines. Send your entry on a postcard. Entries will not be returned. Enter as many times...

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa: the most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.
November 1, 2003... Her whole name was Mrs. Laura Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas. She earned a master's degree from Columbia University and a doctorate from Fordham, and she had a long and distinguished career as a teacher and administrator in the New York City school...

Where do you think you are?
November 1, 2003... East, West, North, or South, each of the areas above appears on the map of a single city, state, or province. In terms of routes, state parks, mountains, and memorials, there is, as the saying goes, "no place like it." Can you identify these...

You be the judge.(invasion of privacy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Sam billed Maizie for repairs to her car. She refused to pay, claiming the job was unsatifactory. Sam finally wrote her boss about it. Maizie thereupon sued Sam for "invasion of privacy." "He knows my boss hates deadbeats, and he wrote that...

Find the right long-term care policy.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... According to the Health Insurance Association of America, one in two Americans age 65 or older will need long-term care, typically lasting three years, at an average cost of over $55,000 per year. The expense can be devastating. The solution?...

The amazing power of broccoli.(Medical Mailbox)(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... "To pour forth benefits for the common good is divine." -Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1756 During our interview with Dr, Barry Marshall, the researcher who discovered Helicobacter pylori causes stomach ulcers and the majority...

Concerned about rapid heartbeat.(Medical Mailbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I was diagnosed about two years ago with supraventricular tachycardia. I was told by my internist that it was a small problem. I wore a Holter monitor, was given a monitored test and. later, a king of Hearts monitor. I...

Restylane smoothes skin without surgery.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: My dermatologist is very high on the future of Restylane injections for wrinkles. He said the treatment results are immediate end can lest from six to 12 month. Is there any news on when it might be available? Ann...

Reader links blepharitis to eyedrops.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: Concerning your letters about blepharitis, I wonder how many of these people had the onset of it after receiving mydriatic eye drops at the eye doctor. That's what happened to me. Also, is it contagious? Lucille Guyer...

Dandruff solutions.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I am writing to perhaps help that woman in Flowery Branch, Georgia, who has a bad case of dandruff after chemo treatment. I had the same problem. Like her, I tried all shampoos. My daughter bought Head & Shoulders...

Herb tea for shingles.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: After reading your article on shingles in the July/August issue, I just have to write to tell you about a case my mother-in-law had a few years back end what we did. An elderly neighbor brought my wife & bunch of...

Coping with rheumatoid arthritis.(Medical Mailbox)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Studies show that taking an active role in managing arthritis can help reduce pain and disability. Mayo Clinic doctors offer these strategies to cope with the inflammatory joint disease: * Use the strongest muscles and favor large joints....

Homocysteine dilemma.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: For the past, 15 years, I have been treated for prostate cancer with hormone injections. After reading the article in the Post emphasizing that cancer cells have a voracious appetite for folate, I stopped taking folic...

Pros and cons of removing ovaries.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I am a 51-year-old female scheduled to have a hysterectomy. My doctor recommends removing my ovaries. However, another ob-gyn I saw for a second opinion suggested that I leave the ovaries. I have heard that many women...

Irritating gas linked to salty taste.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: This letter is in response to the woman in Mississippi who has been experiencing a salty taste from her lips and fingers. I had a similar problem ten years ago. After complaining for some weeks that everything tasted...

His sternum won't heal after heart surgery.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Deer Dr. SerVaas: I am a 78-year-old male. I wonder if anyone has had the same experience as I have had. I had a three-way bypass heart operation two and a half years ago. I had three operations in one week. After the first, the wires that...

Removing unwanted hair.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: I have used electrolysis to remove hair from my chin. I must have too much testosterone because I seem to grow more hair. I don't want to use anything that peels off all the hair because I don't want a smooth chin...

Bright's disease.(Medical Mailbox)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Dear Dr. SerVaas: You have been very helpful in the past; perhaps you can answer this question: What is/was Bright's disease? Sometime between 1930-45, my grandmother (now deceased) was diagnosed with Blight's disease. We would like to...

Happy holidays.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... "I never did thank you for mailing all those Christmas packages." "My wife is shopping. I'm in wait-training." "... and, of course, a rawhide bone is a good gift for almost any occasion." "What do you mean you 'can relate' to this...

Little ones.(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... "They have disposable diapers and disposable baby bottles. Now if I only had some disposable income." "We spend the first 12 months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next 12 years telling them to sit down and...