The NYT Errol Morris Blog

A fascinating story about a dead Civil War soldier and the photograph he clutched as he lay dying. Morris's past posts are really interesting, too, especially the one from last year about the Abu Ghraib photograph of the dead prisoner and the smiling guard.

Caffeine for sports

The author of this NYT article is in love with caffeine. I'm reading it thinking-- yeah, but what about the health detriments... are there any? The article eventually gets to health by explaining that even though caffeine can increase your hr + bp and make you urinate more often at first, with regular use over a couple days these effects are habituated. It's hard to think anything can have so many benefits (not forgetting the holy antioxidants) without being bad. I often worry coffee will be our generation's cigarettes. But no evidence for that at all.

Seedless Tomatoes & Medicine

The newly added Food Network Widget linked me to an article originally reported in Pittsburgh's Post-Gazette. Seedless tomatoes-- big deal, right? That's what I thought until I read, "The seedless tomato, he says, will benefit those suffering from diverticulitis and people recovering from surgery." That sentence tells me I have a LOT to learn in med school!