COVID-19 Has Killed 675,000 Americans

COVID-19 has now killed about as many Americans as the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic did — approximately 675,000. The U.S. population a century ago was just one-third of what it is today, meaning the flu cut a much bigger, more lethal swath through the country. But the COVID-19 crisis is by any measure a colossal […]

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Delta Variant Challenges China’s Lockdown Strategy

The Delta variant is challenging China’s costly strategy of isolating cities, prompting warnings to Chinese leaders that a less disruptive approach is needed to try to keep the coronavirus out of the country. As the highly contagious variant pushes leaders in the U.S., Australia and elsewhere to renew restrictions, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s government is […]

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The “Green Thing”

We Didn’t Have the “Green Thing” Back In My Day In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, we didn’t have the “green thing” back in my day.     That’s right, they didn’t have the […]

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The Benefits of Video Games

In addition to understanding the many real concerns that today’s parents have with video games, it’s also worth considering the benefits and positive aspects that contemporary interactive entertainment choices provide. Certainly, many popular titles today are M-rated and intended for discerning adults, given the average age of today’s gaming audience. But the vast majority of […]

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Benefits of Playing Video Games

Complex, challenging, and ambitious, video games have come a long way since the simple arcade titles of the 1970s—and evidence is mounting that the benefits of play go well beyond entertainment and improved hand-eye coordination. Here are some ways games are programming better people. THEY’RE PRODUCING BETTER SURGEONS. While you may think you want your […]

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Oldest American

The New Jersey woman who is the oldest American is another year older. Adele Dunlap received balloons, and fellow residents at the Country Arch Care Center in Pittstown on Monday sang “Happy Birthday” to the 114-year-old. Dunlap didn’t appreciate the fuss. Asked what she was thankful for, Dunlap said, “Gee, how should I know?” As […]

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Millions of Bees Dead

On Sunday morning, the South Carolina honey bees began to die in massive numbers. Death came suddenly to Dorchester County, S.C. Stressed insects tried to flee their nests, only to surrender in little clumps at hive entrances. The dead worker bees littering the farms suggested that colony collapse disorder was not the culprit — in […]

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The Benefits of Play

In our hectic, modern lives, many of us focus so heavily on work and family commitments that we never seem to have time for pure fun. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we’ve stopped playing. When we carve out some leisure time, we’re more likely to zone out in front of the TV or computer than […]

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Laughter Therapy

What Happens When We Laugh? We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues. People who believe in the benefits of laughter say it can be like a mild workout — and may […]

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Stay Healthy All Summer

Ah summer! Who doesn’t love long days of backyard barbecues and walks on the beach? If you’re like us, you don’t want to spend even one of those days either sick or injured — —or let’s face it— — worrying about getting sick or injured. So here’s our guide to summer hazards, including ones that […]

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