jjablkowski's blog

Humor is the tendency of experiences to provoke laughter, or at least some amusement. People of all ages and cultures respond to humor of one kind or another. The word comes from the Latin for “body fluid” and its origin has some connection to the Greek theory of humoral balance required for health. Neurophysiologists today think that perception of humor comes from engagement of the temporo-occipital-parietal areas of the brain detecting and resolving incongruity, as well as the dopaminergic system and the amygdala, which are the key structures for reward processing. 

I met her 66 years ago. I was in my fourth year of medicine and lived in the old North Vancouver hospital with two classmates. We wrote patients’ histories for next day’s surgeries—sometimes five or six tonsillectomies, a gall bladder, perhaps a couple of hernias, maybe a hysterectomy. We received room and board and as much medical lore as we could listen to, along with getting to provide the occasional assist at a surgery. 

Running records continue to be broken beyond expectations, but is there a limit to human speed?

Foot racing became popular in England in the 17th century, when masters would wager on the race results of their footmen. Accurate times were first recorded in the 1850s when precisely measured running tracks were built. 

We British Columbians pride ourselves on being the most inclusive and accepting province in a country that is known as being pretty nice overall. But the fact is that we are inclusive and tolerant until we aren’t. While we won’t tolerate bigotry and discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation, we’re still accepting of discrimination against people who suffer from obesity.  

One thing that endears me to the BCMJ is the editor’s page. DRR writes thoughtful, often funny comments about the world around us. His December editorial, “Sleep, when it no longer comes naturally,” was a bit of a departure from his usually joyful character, and reading it filled me with concern and empathy for him. It revealed his struggle with anticipatory anxiety insomnia, wondering each night if sleep is going to come to him.