Logo of the United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Part 2: College, binge drinking and more   What are the consequences of college drinking? Depending on your own life experience, you may already be aware of the consequences of college drinking, or...Read More

Just play it cool, boy… Real cool!    Stephen Sondheim Part 1: College, binge drinking and more Cool students on college campuses…and more “Cool” is an interesting word. As a society we’ve used this word in a number of ways. Here is a great definition: calmly audacious or impudent! Every generation finds a way to latch...Read More

Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert in 1970, donated by Roger Ebert. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) “I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.” Roger Ebert Empathy vs. sympathy Do you remember how old you were when you came to understand that there is a difference between empathy and sympathy? Dictionary.com offers an illustrative explanation:...Read More

Sometimes news headlines seem to collide…Part 1 This week it seems news items about alcohol use are or should be juxtaposed. Simply put, there are four items we are sharing with you this week, two today and two tomorrow. Each could provide an impetus to start a conversation about how we view alcohol use and...Read More

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word CHESS? Probably most people immediately think of the board game, a few people (more than likely structural engineers) think of a plank that makes up a floating bridge, or musical theater aficionados may recall the beautiful musical CHESS. Today we saw...Read More

Headline: USDA Announces Support for Mental Health Facilities in Rural Areas If you saw this headline would you click on the link to read the story? We were curious because we did not immediately see the connection between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and mental health.  The USDA’s press release was issued December...Read More

Senator Gordon Smith R–Oregon ’97–’09 Grandparent was Jesse Udall (Photo credit: Wikipedia) It really is OK to talk about “it”… There are a lot of families gathered together this week to celebrate the Christmas and New Year Holidays. Grandparents, parents, siblings, children of all ages, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends will find themselves enjoying a...Read More

English: collection of many energy drinks (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Do you drink energy drinks? It is a simple question. Many people really enjoy energy drinks; there are those who do not like the taste of coffee so they get their caffeine boost with either caffeinated sodas or energy drinks. We often think of energy drinks...Read More

English: “The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth” (1914) By Jennie A. Brownscombe (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The holiday season is about to begin with Blackout Wednesday… The 2013 holiday season is about to get underway tomorrow, November 27th. It is true that many people really feel that the autumn holiday season begins with Halloween and lumbers along...Read More

Do you remember the game telephone? For those of you who have never played telephone here are a few details provided by Wikipedia on how the game is played. …a game played around the world, in which one person whispers a message to another, which is passed through a line of people until the last...Read More