Hello, friends.
This is the inaugural edition of a new feature called Sunday Sentiments. According to Merriam-Webster, a sentiment is a thought, opinion, or idea that is heavily influenced or colored by an emotion.
I am going to do my best to leave my political opinions out of my sentiments. Outside of politics, you can expect my thoughts, opinions, and ideas on a broad range of subjects. The tone will be low-key—maybe even light-hearted. My goal is to make you smile and think about something you normally would not consider on a Sunday afternoon. (For those of you residing outside the United States, just imagine it is Sunday afternoon!)
Here we go!
I think all politicians should be connected to a lie detector and fact-checking device when speaking publicly. Any ideas on appropriate punishment when caught not speaking the truth?
Linda is a bit under the weather today, so she is sleeping late. I was craving French toast. Our eggs had a “best by” date of September 23. After consulting AI and my sister, LeAnne, I decided I needed fresh eggs. I am glad Alzheimer’s has not screwed with my ability to cook.
Did you know that today in 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million (approximately $162,963,243.24 today)? The price amounted to about two cents per acre. Reportedly, the popular dessert Baked Alaska was created to celebrate the acquisition of the territory. I bet you want Baked Alaska now. Here is a recipe. You can thank me later.
The 2026 STAT Summit was held in Boston last week. This annual two-day conference focuses on the latest happenings in health, medicine, and the life sciences. One panel discussion consisted of three former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chiefs. They discussed the critical loss of “institutional knowledge” due to DOGE staff reductions. “DOGE will go down as one of the biggest disasters in American history,” Robert Califf, former FDA commissioner, said. Sounds like a bit of an exaggeration to me. Apparently, the FDA is begging and bribing former staff to return to the agency. I will have the full story tomorrow in Greg Rowland’s Alzheimer’s Research Report.
Friday afternoon, I went to a Wells Fargo bank to make a deposit. My hands were trembling, making writing difficult. I was struggling to endorse a check. With a line of customers behind me, I became a tad anxious and embarrassed. The teller quietly said, “Take your time.” What a wonderful act of kindness. I think we need more acts of kindness.
Last week, someone posted the photo above on LinkedIn. The accompanying article describes Alzheimer’s research for a “breakthrough treatment (that) works by repairing the brain’s own defense system—the blood-brain barrier.” The person who posted the photo and article said, “While this is early-stage research, it represents a paradigm shift.” The research is an investigative project in China. I have studied the project, and the results are mixed. Best of all, the study subjects are mice. Stories like this piss me off. The photo alone gives hope to Alzheimer’s patients. Frankly, I think it is irresponsible to post preliminary treatment information on social media. Am I right that LinkedIn is social media?
The article is approximately 150 words. The word “mice” appears twice.
My last sentiment is for those of you who are United States citizens. Please go vote early. Linda and I are voting tomorrow. There may be chaos and shenanigans at the polls on November 3. Avoid the drama and vote early.
Time for a cat nap.
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