For part 176, click here.
Late German actor Udo Kier:
Last member of the Cars, Benjamin Orr:
09Aug
2026
Separated at Birth, part 177
15Jul
2026
Let’s Talk About Cyclosporiasis
Since May 1, 2026, thousands of people across at least 34 U.S. states have become ill with cyclosporiasis, a diarrheal disease. The CDC has confirmed over 1,600 laboratory-confirmed cases and is investigating thousands more suspected infections, making this an unusually large and geographically widespread event
The exact source has not yet been identified. Investigators believe the outbreak is linked to fresh produce, but they have not been able to pinpoint a single food item, grower, or distributor. The evidence so far suggests there may actually be multiple overlapping outbreaks involving different foods in different regions rather than one contaminated product. Michigan investigators are reportedly focusing particularly on lettuce and bagged salad products. So, in any event, this ain’t over yet.
While more than 140 people have been hospitalized so far, thankfully (at the time of writing this article), no one has died. (more…)
15Jul
2026
Nominated for the Guyana Prize
It was sometime in 2000, back when I was months away from defending my PhD, and working full-time for the Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit in Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. My publisher called to tell me that my first published book, my short story collection Sweet Like Saltwater, had won the Guyana Prize, which is the national book award of Guyana, the nation of my birth.
I was shocked and elated. And the adventure that would unfold in the coming months, as I traveled to Guyana for the first time as an adult, is a complex story that I have always intended to put to paper. But I will not do so now.
Because it has almost happened again. My latest collection of short stories, A Memory of Flowers and Coconut, has just been announced as one of the three finalists for the Guyana Prize this year.
18Jun
2026
The Most Influential Book in History?
Earlier this week, a prominent “public intellectual”, who shall remain unnamed for reasons of relevance, posted the following:
Regardless of how I might feel about the person making the claim, the sentiment got me thinking. I’m not a Christian, nor do I harbour any particular ill will toward Christians. But there’s no denying that the Christian Bible is indeed on the short list of the world’s most “influential” books.
But what are the other contenders? And how can we assess this systematically? Let’s take a stab at it. (more…)
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