It is Memorial Day Weekend. The unofficial start of summer. Societal summer, not meteorological summer. There are a lot of people on vacation right now, which means it is a terrible time to go anywhere.
For me, summer starts when it gets warm and stops when it gets cold. Anytime might be a good time to go anywhere.
With summer here, news stories keep reporting the statistic as fact that even one sunburn in childhood doubles the risk of skin cancer. This might be true; I've yet to see this reported with any link to a credible study backing this up. The other statistic I keep seeing is 5 sunburns through young adulthood increases skin cancer risk by up to 80%. Again, this might be true and at least there are hints this comes from research, hopefully peer reviewed. I should point out that both of these being absolute facts is mathematically impossible. Both of these statistics keep referring back to a handful of dermatologists. I'm sure they are brilliant practitioners.
Somewhere around 1996, SO went to a new dentist. She came home with a list of treatments that were urgently required and with a cost that could have bankrupt us. A few days later, a coworker was almost in tears wondering how she was going to pay for dental work required by her new dentist. The required work was eerily familiar. It was, predictably, the same dentist. Neither SO nor Coworker got the imperatively needed dental work. Both are fine.
In 2007, Dr. Stokes was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for scamming money through unneeded surgery as a dermatologist. Legalities aside, not all doctors are ethical. I actually think I might have known Stokes' kid at one time? Probably not. More than likely, I'm confusing names from a long time ago.
And if a statistic is reported often enough, it eventually becomes true. 72% of the population knows this.
Last year for a few weeks in August, the news repeatedly reported that flossing has no benefit. Children everywhere rejoiced. The news got it almost right; reporters often get things wrong. A much more accurate reporting would be that studies looking at the effectiveness of flossing were not rigorous - so the benefit is not conclusive. This doesn't make as clicky of a headline. The AP, when dryly reporting, gets it right more often. Flossing may still be either a critical health habit or a phenomenal waste of time.
I don't like gunk in my teeth - I will continue flossing. Sunburn hurts - I will continue to wear sunscreen.
Work has been a bit slow this week. This may be partially due to people's vacation. It is sometimes astounding how various tasks spontaneously become less urgent during weeks common for vacation. There are really only two big things going on and both of them are disorganized clusters. Motivation is predictable.
Too often recently, I think I really want to sell everything - everything - and travel on the cheap for the rest of my life. Maybe I really want to, or maybe I do like my stuff. After a few frustrations this week, it seemed like it wouldn't have taken much...
Niue here I come. I shouldn't have looked at flight costs online, I could get to Niue for around $1000(US). One way.
If one sunburn doubles the risk of cancer and 5 sunburns increases the risk of cancer by 80%, what is this relative to?
I don't believe I've ever met anyone who hasn't had a good lobster boil sunburn at least a few times. Sunburns were a rite of passage for 1980's summer Michigan. SPF5 was seen as overly cautious while suntan oil took up copious shelf space in the drug stores. The day after spending a sunny day on the shores of Lake Michigan ... skin so biting that wearing pants at work was excruciating ... peeling so bad a few days later that noses look like egg rolls and foreheads look like old onions...
"Boy, I'll tell you I'm the luckiest son of a bitch on Earth. Sorry, we're closed." - Sam Malone, Cheers final scene
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