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“I’ve got bronchitis and my doctor gave me a Z-Pak.” I hear this from friends, from family members, and from my patient who went to the urgent care over the weekend. I smile and don’t say what I am really thinking: Bronchitis: noun - inflammation of the mucous membrane in the bronchial tubes. It typically causes bronchospasm and coughing Translation: a loose cough. This is one of the most common tricks we use as doctors: stating the obvious using a Latin or Greek word to describe the symptoms and call it the diagnosis. The suffix -itis refers to inflammation. Dermatitis...

In the late 1960s in Ruston, Louisiana, two Bulldog quarterbacks’ life paths diverged sharply. You might have heard of Terry Bradshaw, who went on to attain the top pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, a lengthy career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, four Super Bowl victories, a spot in the Hall of Fame and a second career in front of the camera. You might not have heard of Phil Robertson, who was ahead of Bradshaw on Louisiana Tech’s depth chart but gave up football with one year of eligibility remaining because the game and any future in it interfered with his...

BRYAN COUNTY, Okla. — A 12-year-old girl did what she had to do to protect herself from an intruder in her home on the Texas border. She hid in a closet and shot him when he tried to open the door. Authorities said the preteen was home alone when the suspect rang the door bell. When she didn’t answer, deputies said, the man went around the back of the house and kicked in the door. At that point the girl grabbed a gun and and hid in a closet. “He had worked his way all the way through the house...

DALLAS – A Southeast Oak Cliff resident shot and killed a burglary suspect who kicked in her door alongside an accomplice Wednesday afternoon. One suspect was taken to Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second escaped. Police cleared the area in front of the home at 7230 Concordia Lane, saying the suspect’s car had to be towed away. The vehicle had paper plates. Tweets sent from the official Dallas Police Department Twitter account said two suspects kicked in the door of the home at about 11:30 a.m. The resident was alone upstairs and heard the noise. She confronted...

I am the American dream. My mother had 4 kids. We all had different dads. Only 2 of us knew our dads. My mom did not have a high school diploma. We grew up in the projects of Columbia, South Carolina, Saxon Homes and Alan Benedict Court. We got government assistance, food stamps, free lunch and government cheese. My mom worked 2 or 3 jobs, 10 plus hour days 5 or 6 days a week. She never complained. She worked hard and encouraged us to work hard in school and get a part time job after school. She never complained...

The Democratic leadership is moving to include a motion in support of same-sex marriage in the official party platform for the first time in history. According to a Democratic official, the party's 15-person platform drafting committee voted to include language backing gay marriage during a weekend meeting in Minneapolis. A source at the meeting told Politico the decision to endorse gay marriage was ‘not controversial.’ Milestone decision: The Democratic Party has decided to include a pro-gay marriage motion in its official platform for the first time in history The language will not become official until the party’s full Platform Committee...

BLOOMINGTON - A man arrested for shooting at police officers while naked last week has been charged with attempted murder. Corey Hamersley was taken into custody Friday after he was seen shooting into the back door of a residence near the Indiana University campus, then turning the weapon on police after being ordered to drop the gun. He shot at officers twice before being shot two times by another officer. He sustained injuries to both legs and was transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital. Hamersley was naked during the incident. "He indicated that he thought about how cool it would...

JACKSONVILLE, N.C.– Two Camp Lejeune Marines returned home early Sunday morning to find two men in their house. The intruders didn't make it out of the house alive. 33-year-old, Maurice Skinner and 33-year-old, Diego Everette were identified by police as the men killed in the burglary attempt. Both men are from Jacksonville. Skinner and Everette were pronounced dead at the scene, but according to Jacksonville Police Chief, Mike Yaniero it is unlikely that anyone will be charged in the shooting. "The investigation is ongoing, however at this time there is no evidence to suggest that criminal charges be filed." Chief...

When nine-year-old Caine Monroy spent his summer vacation building an elaborate arcade out of cardboard boxes found in his father's used auto parts store, it was the sort of project that typically would have been remained a cute tale told at family gatherings. But then filmmaker Nirvan Mullick stopped by the east Los Angeles shop. He was looking for a door handle for his car, but was captivated by the world Caine had created -- and quickly became the first customer of Caine's arcade. Impressed with the elaborate setup, Mullick got permission from Caine's father to make a short documentary...

After years of administrative battle a military dog handler was finally reunited with her loyal friend. Former Marine Cpl. Megan Leavey was told in March that she would be allowed to give a home to Sgt. Rex, the german shepherd she spent two military tours serving with. On Friday night the two were brought back together again in an emotional ceremony at Camp Pendleton’s K-9 Unit which marked the end of Rex's ten-year service.

Meet Johanna Quaas, the lycra-donning granny whose muscular physique puts Madonna to shame. At 86 Quass, of Halle, Saxony, would be forgiven for wanting to put her feet up, which she does - over her head that is. And her gymnastic prowess is not the only trophy in her cabinet, she was once a member of the East German handball champion team, too.

Erika Faulk and her cousin, Gale Robinson, could have met up for a weekend spa retreat or planned a shopping excursion, but the two middle-aged, suburban moms opted for weekend learning to shoot guns, build campfires and track deer deep in the Ocala National Forest. Faulk, Robinson and about 100 other women were taking part in a three-day workshop called 'Becoming an Outdoors-Woman'. The program began two decades ago in Wisconsin and has spread to 40 states and Canada as a way to teach women the skills needed to enjoy outdoor activities.

DALLAS - An American Airlines flight bound for Chicago from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was returned to its gate after a disturbance on the plane ended with two flight attendants being transferred to a nearby hospital with injuries, the airline confirmed this morning in a statement. Early unconfirmed reports from people reportedly on the plane began flooding the Internet in the morning. Reports said a flight attendant became irate, warning passengers over the public address system that the plane was going to crash. Another attendant reportedly denied the claims over the PA, asking passengers to dismiss the announcement. "The last...

Our son is a CH-53 pilot in Afg. You can only imagine our thoughts at the news of the loss of our Marines yesterday. We still have our son and my heart hurts for those families that have suffered loss of their warriors. He did fly with all of these warriors earlier in the day and watched them take off on their final flight.... Please pray for strength for him and the rest of our men and women in the military including the families of those lost...... Thank you FReepers for your support of our military.....

I have never seen anything like this ....it mad me laugh and I thought y'all could use a good laugh.....enjoy

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." — Marcus Tullius Cicero

BFF: Best Friend Farted BMD: Bring More Depends CBM: Covered By Medicare CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center DWI: Driving While Incontinent FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers FYI: Found Your Insulin LOL: Living On Lipitor LWO: Lawrence Welk’s On OMSG: Oh My – Sorry, Gas. WAITT: Who Am I Talking To? WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again WTP: Where’s The Prunes? WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil WMDP: Where’s My Damn Phone? CYULF - Could you use larger font? ROFLACGU -rolling on floor laughing and can't get up. ATD -at the doctor GGPBL -gotta go, pacemaker battery low LMDO -laughing my...

NFL star, Peyton Manning, has become a father for the first time after his wife, Ashley Manning, gave birth to twins last week. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback welcomed a son, Marshall Williams Manning, and a daughter, Mosley Thompson Manning, into the world on March 31. Peyton, 35, and his wife have always gone out of their way to keep their family life private, and until just a few weeks ago, Ashley’s pregnancy had been kept a secret. A source close to the new parents broke their silence today when they told Radar online: ‘It is true, it is happy news...

When people sign on to become a member of the Military or become a teacher they have one thing in common, wages. They both realize they will not be making six figure salaries. There ends their common ground Obama is threatening to financially cut off our military and how is our military reacting? I can tell you what I don't see them doing. They are not leaving their duties to protest in Washington. They are not running ads hiring people to come to Washington to protest and they are not publicly threatening the lives of the elected. Our Military continues...

A Texas elementary school teacher was put on administrative leave earlier this week after being arrested for assaulting an elderly couple at an Arlington, Texas, shopping mall. The alleged assault happened Feb. 19 (a Saturday) at The Parks at Arlington mall as Brenda Jones Stafford, a fifth-grade teacher, escorted several of her A.M. Pate Elementary students out on a school field trip. An elderly couple — Carlton Morgan, 73, and his wife Bette Davis Morgan, 71 — were having coffee at the mall’s food court when Stafford approached them and tried to grab a chair Ms. Davis had her leg...