Gotta Peeve? Share it Here

by Madeleine Kolb July 14, 2011

Photo of unannounced tearing up of sidewalk outside my home office as I was writing this post  From time to time, I feel an overwhelming need to lighten up, to write about something other than the world epidemic of Type 2 diabetes or what promising treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease has been shown to be utterly ineffective. Over breakfast, I comb [...]

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Diabetes: Getting Worse Every Day in Every Way

by Madeleine Kolb July 6, 2011

What could be worse than a disease which affects over 300 million people throughout the world? A disease which doubles the risk of a stroke or a heart attack. Which is chronic, meaning that there’s no cure, and progressive, meaning that it gets worse and worse over time, unless it’s well-managed.  Long-term damage The disease is [...]

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Changing Aging: Dr. Bill Thomas at TED

by Madeleine Kolb June 21, 2011

Dr. Bill Thomas is a geriatrician who is leading a movement to change aging as we usually think of it. It’s a movement to fight ageism, as the civil-rights movement fought racism and the women’s movement fought sexism in the U.S. A fundamental idea of changing aging is that the final stage of life is not marked [...]

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It’s Never Too Late to Change Your Career

by Madeleine Kolb June 14, 2011

I started this blog because—as I grew older—I couldn’t help but notice that a lot of the grim and dreary things we all hear about aging didn’t seem to be true. The stereotypes just didn’t fit me or most of the people I know. One of the most depressing myths of aging is that “You [...]

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Open Letter to my Daughter on Turning 30

by Madeleine Kolb May 26, 2011

Dear A., I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately because last month was your birthday. Not just another birthday, but a milestone birthday—you turned 30. That got me thinking about a couple of things I want to say to you. Maybe “repeat” would be more accurate because I’ve said some of this before. And the [...]

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Over 50? It’s Never Too Late

by Madeleine Kolb May 13, 2011

The subject of age and aging abounds with myths and assumptions which are questionable—to put it politely. Myths such as “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Or the assumption that—when people reach the age of 50 or 60— they start thinking about retiring from work and taking up a life of Perpetual Puttering. Myth [...]

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Aging, health care & illegal immigrants: searching for a win-win

by Madeleine Kolb May 9, 2011

The political scene in the U.S. has become exceedingly polarized and unyielding. At the start of discussion of the budget deficit, one Congressman remarked that there was no room for compromise. After all, as he put it, “Your principles are your principles.” And this is the view on issues which require action, such as deficits and [...]

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My Brain’s So Last-millennium, But, Hey, It Works

by Madeleine Kolb April 27, 2011

The human brain is a powerful organ. It’s so powerful that when you’re young or middle-aged, you don’t pay much attention to it. You don’t have to. It’s there when you need it, helping you learn all sorts of complicated new stuff and remember things—even coming up with dazzling solutions to problems when you least expect it. Facing [...]

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Illegal Immigrants: Problem or Solution?

by Madeleine Kolb April 19, 2011

In these uncertain times, there are so many targets of collective hostility: elected officials, same-sex couples advocating  for the right to marry,  and illegal (or undocumented) immigrants to name a few. The latter group provokes particular outrage. This is the case even for those illegal immigrants who were brought to this country as infants or toddlers, [...]

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Why You Should Take the Diabetes Risk Test Now

by Madeleine Kolb April 1, 2011

The numbers are alarming: ***One in every three Americans is at risk for Type 2 diabetes. ***Nearly 26 million Americans have it. ***Every 17 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes, and within the next 24 hours, it will claim the lives of 200 people. ***Type 2 diabetes doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke. But perhaps the [...]

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