Something Happened

By Dr. Jim Ferguson Historians were intrigued to learn that on July 4th 1776, King George wrote in his diary that “Not much happened today.” I’ll cut the King some slack because there was no internet, nor phones or even telegraph in the 18th century.  It would be...

Awakenings

By Dr. Jim Ferguson These days, the prospect of spring is tantalizing. This time every year I’m glad to see February exit and begin to embrace the promise of winter’s end. Knoxville is fortunate to have four seasons. About the time we are sick of the heat of summer we...

Ennui

By Dr. Jim Ferguson The French have a term for feeling listless, weary or dissatisfied. Americans might say they have the blahs or the doldrums. Since English is an amalgam of many languages and cultures, the French word ennui is now part of our English lexicon. I’m a...

The law

 By Dr. Jim Ferguson Medical decisions are relatively straightforward because they emerge from facts and reason rather than emotion. We all have emotional and rational aspects of our personality, but errors often result when important decisions are driven by...

Hacking

By Dr. Jim Ferguson The flu continues to rage, and the spittle keeps flying. You may find this a  disgusting statement, but I assure you it is a valid observation. Years ago I watched two friends talking in front of a window as the morning sun streamed in. Just as...

Rhetoric

By Dr. Jim Ferguson Do you believe or trust what you hear these days? Admittedly, I have become a skeptic about climate issues and politics. And I no longer trust the media who, like Chicken Little, preach everyday that the sky is falling – at least since Trump...