Todays Thought

Truth, in matters of religion, is simply the opinion that has survived. 

- Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900)

Todays Thought

He who has a why can endure any how. 

-Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900)

Todays Word

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

Language is an attic crammed with memories. What you find there are not just literal objects. Much of what’s stored away has meaning layered upon meaning.

A shell, for instance, may not just be a shell. It might recall that wistful afternoon on the beach when you met someone, shared a smile, and hesitated to ask for their number. (And now it is your regret-shell.)

Words, too, gather significance over time. This week, we’ll explore words that work double shifts. They mean what they mean, and then some. Use them any way you like: literally or figuratively (but figurative is more fun).

lace-curtain

PRONUNCIATION:

(LAYS-kuhr-tuhn) 

MEANING:

adjective: Aspiring to or pretentiously displaying middle-class respectability.

ETYMOLOGY:

From the lace curtains once fashionable in middle-class homes. Earliest documented use: 1824.

NOTES:

The expression arose in 19th-century America, often among Irish immigrants themselves, to draw a class line between the lace-curtain Irish -- those striving for middle-class refinement -- and the shanty Irish, who were poorer and lived in simple one-room cabins. The term has traces of both classism and ethnic prejudice from that era.

Today, the term survives as a light jab at anyone decorating their life a bit too finely while hoping no one peeks behind the curtain. Also see iron curtain.

USAGE:

“[Bill] Cunningham begins his story at his middle-class Catholic home in ‘a lace-curtain suburb of Boston’.”
Lucy Scholes; Style of His Own; The Independent (London, UK); Oct 14, 2018

Todays Thought

When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set. 

-Lin Yutang, writer and translator (10 Oct 1895-1976)

Bro Bro and Baby Girl

🎵 "Bro Bro & Baby Girl: The Good Dog Detectives" 🎵

(Verse 1)
Out on the block, there’s trouble in the air,
But two fuzzy friends are already there.
Bro Bro’s nose knows every clue in sight,
Baby Girl’s bark keeps the bad guys in fright.

(Pre-Chorus)
They’re waggin’ tails and on the case,
Four paws of justice all over the place.
No crook too sneaky, no thief too sly,
These canine heroes always find the “why.”

(Chorus)
Bro Bro & Baby Girl, saving the day,
Sniffin’ out the mystery, chasing crime away.
From the alley to the park, they’re keeping it safe,
Neighborhood heroes with a tail-wagging grace.

(Verse 2)
Lost cat poster? They’re on the run,
Finding Mittens before the setting sun.
Snack shop robbery? They caught the scent,
Tracked the crumbs ‘til the crook repents.

(Bridge)
Flash of fur, a bark, and a leap,
They’re the watchdogs of your street to keep.
Every mystery, they’re hot on the trail,
No case too big, no scent too stale.

(Final Chorus)
Bro Bro & Baby Girl, saving the day,
Sniffin’ out the mystery, chasing crime away.
From the alley to the park, they’re keeping it safe,
Neighborhood heroes with a tail-wagging grace.

(Outro)
If you see paw prints and hear a happy bark,
You’ll know the good dogs are out after dark.
Bro Bro & Baby Girl, we’re proud to say,
They’re the best good dogs in the whole darn bay.

give me a song about my dogs "bro bro" and "baby girl" solving crimes in the neighborhood and being good dogs

https://greekreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Prometheus-Unbound-painting-credit-greek-ministry-culture-1392x1740.jpg.webp

 “Prometheus Unbound” Masterpiece Last Seen 90 Years Ago Found in Greece

5 timeless habits for better health

Adopting a healthier way of life moves us beyond quick fixes and fads.

September 24, 2025

By Francesca Coltrera, Editor, Harvard Health Blog

• Reviewed by Wynne Armand, MD, 

A veritable avalanche of influencers, news headlines, and well-meaning friends and family offer conflicting advice on wellness. If you’re overwhelmed by fads and hype around wellness, read on. Dr. Wynne Armand, a primary care physician at Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham health care in Boston, recommends five simple habits to boost health and wellness in everyday life.

Five wellness habits for life

Quick fixes and fads may do little for our health, and some even prove harmful. Try to work healthy habits into your daily routines. If you’re a parent, sharing and modeling them can help children and teens embrace wellness, too.

Bring mindfulness into your day

Mindfulness and meditation are overlapping techniques proven to ease stress, improve sleep, and enhance concentration. “Anxiety and stress are very common issues in my practice,” says Dr. Armand. Worrying too often about the past or future is rarely helpful. The too-frequent release of stress hormones affects our heart, brain, and sleep, all of which have downstream consequences for our health.A veritable avalanche of influencers, news headlines, and well-meaning friends and family offer conflicting advice on wellness. If you’re overwhelmed by fads and hype around wellness, read on. Dr. Wynne Armand, a primary care physician at Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham health care in Boston, recommends five simple habits to boost health and wellness in everyday life.Practicing mindfulness — whether simply by appreciating birds and plants on a walk in green space, or using apps like Calm and Headspace — anchors you in the present moment. This can calm anxiety, improve focus and concentration, and amp up positive feelings. When applied to eating, mindfulness may help with weight loss by encouraging people to slow down to savor meals.

Meditation knits together body and mind by focusing on sensations, such as breathing, images, or a repeated word or phrase. One exercise that works equally well for adults and younger people is box breathing. The rhythmic pattern of breathing helps regulate the nervous system, reining in anxiety and stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and boosting focus. The rhythmic pattern of breathing helps regulate the nervous system, reining in anxiety and stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and boosting focus.

Prioritize sleep

Sleeping poorly can leave you feeling awful — snappish, foggy-headed, slow moving — and take a toll on your health over time. By contrast, getting sufficient, restful sleep supports the immune system, helps control weight, and aids physical well-being, mental well-being, memory, judgment, and other cognitive functions. It may even extend longevity.

But how much sleep do you need? That varies with age and other factors: most adults need at least seven hours per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, sleep quality (a measure of refreshing, uninterrupted sleep versus tossing and turning) may be more important than nailing seven hours. And it’s worth noting that too much sleep — nine hours or more in one analysis of multiple studies — is linked to higher risk for early deaths, too.

Be aware that sleep patterns and circadian rhythms that help rule sleep and wakefulness change over time. Good sleep hygiene can help. Tips include getting regular exercise, setting regular bedtime and wake-up times, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening and large meals and alcohol before bedtime, and turning off screens at least 30 minutes before going to bed.If you have trouble falling asleep, wake repeatedly at night, or often feel tired during the day, talk to your doctor about ways to improve your sleep. In some cases, sleep apnea, which can raise risk for many health issues, or another sleep disorder may be preventing restful sleep.

Eat real, whole foods

A wealth of evidence shows that diets rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes and pulses like lentils, peas, and beans, and minimally processed foods support longevity and vitality. Plant-based and plant-forward dietsare better for our health: research links them to lower rates of heart disease, certain cancers, and chronic illnesses like diabetes and obesity. They’re better for the planet, too.

When foods are processed, their health and nutritional value often decline, partly due to additives. “Industries are adding ingredients like excess salt, sugar, artificial sweeteners, colorings, and other chemicals that may be unhealthy or trigger reactions in the brain to keep us craving more,” says Dr. Armand.

Move more, sit less

The hurry of life often short-circuits opportunities to be active. So, swap out the thought “What saves me time?” for a healthier one: “What keeps me mobile, flexible, and functioning well within my world?” Polishing off exercise requirements through a 30-minute block once daily is great, but you may reap even greater health and well-being benefits if you seek out ways to stay active throughout the day.

“Stop thinking about efficiency and think instead about pleasurable or creative ways to keep your body active,” suggests Dr. Armand. Combine exercise with work or pleasure: instead of meeting on Zoom, walk and talk. Instead of sitting with friends for a meal, socialize over coffee followed by a walk.Of course, many people experience mobility challenges due to age, illness, or accident. Look for opportunities that suit your needs or move beyond your comfort zone, possibly through adaptive sports.

Protect your body from everyday toxins

Air pollution, microplastics, and forever chemicals known as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are difficult to dodge in modern life. Breathing in tiny particles (called particulate matter, or PM10, PM2.5, PM0.1) or ingesting microplastics and harmful chemicals affects your health in many ways.

For example, notes Dr. Armand, tiny pollutant or wildfire smoke particles travel deep into the lungs and may escape into the bloodstream, thus reaching tissues and organs throughout the body. This contributes to heart attacks, strokes, lung problems, and other health conditions. The use of gas stoves, which create nitrogen dioxide and release airborne PM2.5s, irritates lungs and is linked with higher risk for childhood asthma. Microplastics have been found in foods, water, cosmetics, and nearly everywhere in the human body. Their health impact is being investigated and may include raising risk for cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and respiratory and vascular problems.

These tips can help you reduce potentially harmful exposures at home:

• Use a water filter to reduce your exposure to PFAS, microplastics, and other contaminants.
• Swap out kitchen plastics with glass (such as inexpensive mason jars or glass food containers), stainless steel water bottles, and lead-free dinnerware.
• Run a correctly-sized air purifier with a MERV 13 or higher filter when wildfire smoke or pollution affects air quality near you. Local news reports can help you understand when air quality is in an unhealthy range, particularly for people who are most vulnerable, such as children, older adults, people with lung disease, and people who work outdoors.
• Vent gas stoves when cooking. Opening windows can also help. Better still, cook as much as you can using electric or induction appliances.

  About the Author

  

  Francesca Coltrera, Editor, Harvard Health Blog

  Francesca Coltrera is editor of the Harvard Health Blog, and associate editor of multimedia content for Harvard Health Publishing. She is an award-winning medical writer and co-author of Living Through Breast Cancer and The Breast Cancer …See Full Bio

  View all posts by Francesca Coltrera

  About the Reviewer

  

  Wynne Armand, MD, Contributor

  Dr. Wynne Armand is a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she provides primary care; an assistant professor in medicine at Harvard Medical School; associate director of the MGH Center for the Environment and Health; … See Full Bio

  View all posts by Wynne Armand, MD