Throughout man’s existence, he has been plagued by, as well as profited from, the things that have happened around him.  All that he has learned to further his survival fall under the general term, “facts.” The dictionary defines fact as something that truly exists or happens.  That definition reminds me of an anecdote I heard […]

Don’t run!  This article is not about getting screwed by a government that manipulates figures to its own advantage and the detriment of its constituents.  This is a fascinating little game of sorts that hinges upon the year and the number 2011. This year, we’ve seen and will yet see a string of ones in […]

Recently, we have been saddened by the disaster in Japan, the violence in Libya, and the deaths of some very notable people.  But, for every gray cloud, there is a silver lining.  The good news is that seven people have won $312 million dollars in the Mega Millions lottery! That is an astounding amount of […]

As Americans move forward in their search for eternal life, more and more manufacturers of food products extol the virtues of their wares.  Targets of these massive advertising campaigns, more Americans than ever before are consuming the touted products, particularly those labeled Heart Healthy. When these foods are purported to be high in fiber, you […]

When it comes to names, the name Adolf Hitler sends shivers down many a spine.  We have come to associate that name with evil incarnate, with demons that inhabit a fiery hell, and a monster that unleashed a plague upon humanity. Strangely enough, however, Adolf Hitler actually had many admirers the world over.  Before his […]

From time immemorial, many, many people have fallen upon hard times. Society has named these people, “the poor.”  Webster’s Dictionary defines the word poor as, “lacking possessions or wealth,” among other things. In the process of living, people have been known to experience poor health, poor eyesight, poor judgment, and other things to describe the […]

“When you’re tired of living in New York, you’re tired of living!” As much as I’d like to attribute this insightful quote to the proper individual, I can’t.  All I remember is that its originator was an octogenarian quoted years ago in New York magazine.  Every once in a while, I trot that quote out […]

As we ponder the origin of things, aside from “The Word,”* we sometimes wonder how the various States of the Union came by their names. When England decided to colonize America, noteworthy citizens received grants from the King, in order to develop what later came to be known as the United States of America. William […]

The term “obesity” describes human body weight considered to be unhealthy  according to certain clinical parameters.  Based upon body mass charts, these parameters are calculated using the heights and genders of non-obese individuals as standards for good health.  When a human being ingests food, the body converts it into glucose (a form of sugar), which […]

And, it almost wasn’t! Alabama-based The Legendary Shots (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Legendary-Shots/236911282021) was attempting the longest basketball shot ever made.  High atop a platform near the top of Birmingham’s Vulcan monument 134 feet from the ground, Evan Sellers of the group tried shot after shot.  10 minutes before the two hour limit the monument’s staff had allotted, Evans […]