Season 2, Episode 1 of What I Learned on NPR Today: Suicide

In 2009, deaths from suicide in America began to exceed deaths from auto accidents for the first time. In 2010, there were 38,364 suicide deaths, and 35,000 people killed in car crashes. While suicide rates among the elderly and the young didn't change much, there was a 28% increase in the suicide rate among middle-aged Americans. Specifically, there was a 48% increase among white men in their 50s.

Also mentioned: more people die from overdosing on prescription opiates than from cocaine and heroine combined.


Source: "New CDC Report Finds Stunning Suicide Increases Among Middle-Aged Americans," PBS Newshour, May 3, 2013  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june13/suicide_05-03.html

For more info, see "Suicide Among Adults Aged 35–64 Years — United States, 1999–2010" in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 3, 2013  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6217a1.htm?s_cid=mm6217a1_w

Words No Longer Allowed in My Presence #1: double-down

When did "double-down" become the favored word of every political and social commentator ever? Can I blame KFC's disgusting heart attack-inducing variation on a sandwich for my misery? STOP USING THIS PHRASE! You don't sound "cool," "young," or like you actually play poker. You don't even sound like you know what the phrase means anymore. Just stop and talk like a grown-up when you opine on grown-up subject matter (even if the actors on the subject are acting like little boys, ahem, *cough-politicians-cough*).

Suggested alternatives:

• increase one's commitment
• take on additional risk
• strengthen or reinforce one's initial dedication to an idea or strategy
• compound one's short-sighted and/or single-minded mistake
• commit to a single tactic, strategy, or goal while abandoning other priorities

What You Will Find Here

I felt my Facebook page was getting crowded, so I decided to move my uninvited thoughts to a blog. Things will mostly be numbered contributions to ongoing lists.

Lists to be included:

• What I Learned on NPR Today
• Words No Longer Allowed in My Presence
• Tips for Crazy Cat Lady Living
• Advice for Being a Good Citizen of Planet Earth (or, How to Be a Better Tree-Hugging Dirt-Worshiping Hippie)
• Minor Irritations That Make Me Want to Gulp Handfuls of Ativan (I haven't started this one yet, but it sounds like a list that might be useful)
• Cool Gross Science Stuff
• People Who Are Way Smarter Than Me

and any others I deem useful. I'll try to label them all so you can find your way around in this sea of great wisdom.