"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming: I'm back from my long holiday break, which was very low-key. A lot of interesting news happened while I was incommunicado, but I'm sure you managed just fine on your own. I hope your holiday break was as peaceful as mine! And now, back to the blog ...

Hmmm, surgeon or auto mechanic, surgeon or auto mechanic?: I love numbers, as the title of this blog suggests, and here are some good ones on what being a surgeon (in a state with no caps on damage awards in malpractice lawsuits) can pay. I'm liking my job more today just because of this! (via Doc Searls' excellent blog)

"...take small bites, chew well and drink a lot of liquid...": Six elderly Japanese New Year's celebrants died, and 25 were hospitalized, from eating rice cakes. "Every year, a handful of mostly elderly Japanese suffer after getting 'mochi' rice cakes stuck in their throats." What is it about the Japanese that makes them want to eat things that will kill them?

My own special pet peeve: The use (and misuse) of the spoken and written English language in the U.S. This nifty site is devoted to errors and non-errors of the English language. I have always battled inside myself over descriptive vs. prescriptive grammar, so the site provokes a lot of thought from me. I agree with most of the site's conclusions and recommendations. A few I have trouble with: preventive vs. preventative (how do you preventate something?), till vs. 'til (till is what you do to soil), and a couple others. A good site for the descriptivist.