A Slightly Morbid Interlude

I don't often talk about matters of life and death in this blog. Except for the upcoming election.  But be that as it may, and at the risk of being a bit morbid, let's talk for a few moments about the ways we die.

According to this interesting summary, the life expectancy for an average man in 1901 was 47 years; for an average woman, it was 50. The top causes of death in 1901 were:

The top causes of death today, by comparison, are:

How about accidents? These were the top causes of accidental death in 1901:

I haven't been able to find a similar summary of the top causes of accidental death today, but this interesting chart breaks out the top ten causes of death by age group in 1914 (click to embiggen it, or go to the CDC website on Injury Prevention and Control: Data and Statistics for much more detail):

I think this is a fairly comprehensive list, but I'd add a few other causes of death to it:

- Politically-Induced Cranial Fulmination*.

- Electro-optical Cerebral Deliquescence**.

- Fecal Encephalopathy*.

- (Men Only) Accidental death from broken neck caused by rapid head snap to observe an attractive woman.

What do you think are some other under-reported causes of death today? Leave a comment.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Head explodes as a result of cognitive distress induced by available choices of presidential candidates.

** Brain dissolves from excessive watching of "reality" TV shows.

*** Shit for brains. Common among supporters of Donald Trump.

Wee, Wee, Wee All the Way Home

As part of my ongoing quest to share vital information with you – information that you might not receive from other sources – I call your attention to this interesting article from CNN: The Pee Color Spectrum – What It Means.

You may not have known, or paid much attention to, the color of your urine, but it provides you and your doctor vital information about the state of your health. Here is a summary of the colors and what they mean, summarized from the article:

Clear. You’re drinking plenty of water. No problem, unless you are getting tired of spending too much time in the bathroom.

Pale Yellow. This is normal. No need to call your doctor unless you see it running down your leg at unexpected times.

Bright Yellow. This indicates you have an excess of B vitamins in your system, not that you are a coward. It’s normal, and is just your urine’s way of telling you you’re packing too much riboflavin.

Brownish-Yellow. If your pee is this color, it’s carrying a high concentration of the evil stuff urine is supposed to remove from your body. You should probably drink more water.

Brown. A brown color can indicate the presence of myoglobin, a protein found in muscle, in the urine. It can indicate rhabdomyolysis (sometimes shortened to "rhabdo"), which is a form of muscle damage that causes muscle fibers to die and leach into the bloodstream. If your pee looks like your poop, call your doctor.

Greenish-Blue or Orange. Certain medications can result in urine that’s one of these colors. If you’re not taking any medication, you may want to consult your doctor.

Pink or Red. You may have eaten too many beets. Or you may have blood in your urine, which is a bad thing. Or you just might be one of those damn socialists the Republicans are worried are taking over the country from Real Americans.

There are lots of useful charts available on the Internet to help you evaluate the meaning of your urine's color ... here's one that relates urine color to your degree of hydration:

And the guidelines may be easier to remember with a slightly different approach to color:

Drink up, Dear Readers, and - like the little piggy - you can cry "wee, wee, wee!" all the way home.

Have a good day. Stay hydrated. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo