In ancient times, the body was said to be controlled by four humours, related to the body fluids blood (sanguine/red), phlegm (phlegmatic), yellow bile (choleric), and black bile (melancholy). In addition to predisposition to certain diseases, an excess of one or another humor was associated with a particular appearance, personality, and/or personality disorder. While the theory is long discredited, the descriptions carry through to today: a sanguine personality is friendly and outgoing; a phlegmatic one, slow-moving or lazy; a choleric one, quick to anger; and a melancholic one, prone to sadness, discontent, or depression. (Interestingly, I haven't been able to find a relationship between diabetes — either major type — and an imbalance of one or more humours.)

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There are so many fantastic diabetes-related toys to choose from this holiday season for your little T1. But hurry, these toys are quickly flying off the shelves! Here are a few that will definitely be under our tree this year.

Operation (Diabetes Version)

Perform an islet cell transplant on a 47-year-old woman from Cleveland. Carefully inject enzymes to isolate islets from pancreas. One slip and you'll get buzzed as the woman's insulin pump lights up red.  It takes a very steady hand to attach islets to new blood vessels.  Watch out! Draw a "transplant rejection" card or a "blood clot" card and you'll lose a turn. Fun for the whole family! For added challenge, game comes with both the deceased donor's body and the recipient's body. $29.99

Life (With Diabetes)

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The following filk developed last weekend in the thick of Christmas Cookie baking. You may appreciate the irony of "healthy cookies"...

Oatmeal, the Raisin Cookie

With apologies to Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, Kris, Burl, and the Singing Cowboy, himself...

There are Cardamom Spice Rounds, and Cheese Straws, and Spritzen
Chocolate chippers and others with mix-ins
But even at Christmas we bake
The "most healthy" cookie, by Jake!

Oatmeal, the Raisin Cookie
Had a very bumpy top
And once you bit into it,
You would never, ever stop

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Back by no particular demand, I bring you diabetes headlines.

Eat slowly, stay away from diabetes - Times of India

Don't look directly into its eyes, no sudden moves and for heaven's sake, keep your distance

Ontario Optometrists Help People with Diabetes See into the Future

"See" into the future. Get it???

DIABETES IS WEIGHING HEAVY; Obesity epidemic feeding a national crisis - Daily Examiner

"Weighing heavy." Get it???

Landmark Group opens registrations for 'Beat Diabetes' - KWT

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Sometimes, the weirdest things can set us off. Earlier today, Sara tweeted that she'd written a letter in rhyme, saying she was "#outofcontrol". I asked whether it was Alexandrine, Limerick, iambic pentameter, or something else, and that set my mind to composing "random diabetes limericks"...

Starting with...

A woman who had diabetes
Says her doc told her, "Never eat Wheaties.
The starches and fructose
Will spike up your glucose
And violate national treaties."

After coming up with the starting couplet of

A man who had lived with Type 1
For more years than the Earth saw the sun

it took me a while to finish it with (READ MORE)

It's been a long time since I've done one of these. In the past, I've wondered how certain movies would be different if the central character had diabetes. We've covered Luke Skywalker, Charlie Bucket, The Grinch, George Bailey and the shark from Jaws.

Why hasn't Pixar created any characters with diabetes? What would it be like if Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story had diabetes? We pick up our story in Andy's room. Buzz has just arrived.

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