No professional NCO Corps. A Russian sergeant is just a private with six months of additional training. In the U.S. Armed Forces, NCO’s provide the day-to-day leadership for the training, support, morale, and health of the rank-and-file troopers.

Doing that well only comes with years and years of dedication and experience.

A conscript army means every citizen has skin in the game, but in every conflict other than the global, a professional army is the way to go.

He's strong, he's capable, and he's the President we need right now. But I keep my fingers crossed for him throughout his speeches. I want to tell him: "You've got this, Joe."

Finally, a satisfying day in clinic.

I love you all…

I guess I'm to that age now. I thought I'd dislike the reminder that I'm getting older and succumbing to the frailties of aging.

Truth is: I love my reading glasses. They're great for gesturing with. I get to whip them off dramatically sometimes like a Hollywood actor. And if I'm irritated at someone, I can just lower my reading glasses and glare at them. Fun.

Okay day in clinic. Now it’s time to chill.

I love you all…

explaining the principle of cause-and-effect.

I can't count how many patients I have had complaining of coughing and shortness of breath. I ask them if they smoke, and when they say 'yes', I ask them how they could possibly be surprised at the resulting symptoms, or so confused about how to make them go away.

I tell you, the Big 7 have to be the greatest salespeople in history: "Hey! We would like you to pay us to poison you to death. But before you die, you, your breath, your car, your home, and your clothes will smell bad, your lips and fingers will turn yellow, and most people won't want to be around you. How does that sound?"

These are almost always the same people who come dashing to the clinic begging for antibiotics when all they have is just a mild viral sinus infection.

Kind of like the patients who tell me: "I have a high pain-tolerance" right before asking me for Percocet.