From the May 1st edition of The Writer’s Almanac — “On this date [May 1st] in 1840, the first official adhesive postage stamp was issued in Great Britain. Up until the late 1830s, the recipient of the letter was supposed to pay upon delivery. Rates were inconsistent: postage was calculated based on number of sheets of paper, and the distance
Here are some practical tips on collecting autographs from my days as an editor in the collectibles business. Who wouldn’t like to have a memento from their favorite movie star or sports hero? But the problem with collecting everyday items is verifying authenticity. If someone claims to have a shirt that once belonged to Elvis, how
I’m in the middle of a long-term substitute teaching job — six out of seven weeks, and it’s reminding me about all the little irritants that come with teaching. I’m not talking discipline. I’ve had discipline problems in the past, and there are none in the five classes I have in this current job. I’m
The Library of Congress was established on April 24, 1800. It was originally founded to provide a legislative library for members of Congress. In just over a decade, the collection had grown to over 3000 books. There was a major setback during the War of 1812 when the invading British burned the Capitol building and the
I know there are some people who simply don’t trust science. And there are times when mistrust is warranted. Remember cold fusion? Of course, there have also been outlandish-sounding theories that have turned out to be correct, like continental drift. That’s why there is the scientific method and research needs to be replicated multiple times
I’ve always liked animals, so I was intrigued by an article about horse trainer Monty Roberts. Monty has discovered a way to communicate with horses, and uses it to train them gently and without violence. When watching wild horses as a boy, he realized they were communicating silently with each other. He was able to learn this language
If you’ve seen today’s Google Doodle, you know it’s Earth Day. BTW, I took the quiz, and I came up Wolly Mammoth — technically extinct, but someday I could be cloned! Speaking of Earth Day, there is one project I’ve always wanted to try. I think it would be fun to have a butterfly garden. There
This is actually a story about expectations — how our expectations can affect people around us. For example, if someone is blind and they are allowed to grow up without preconceived notions or artificial limitations, how much will they be able to do? Can they get to the point where they can, for all intents
I was a latecomer to photography. In fact, I didn’t own a camera until I was past 30. But I have since then, and every once in a while, I see something that looks good to me, so I take a picture. I’m sure everyone knows of the National Geographic magazine’s reputation for photojournalism. Did
On Importance I saw an old friend yesterday. A high school classmate. We had a lot to catch up on. He’s doing very well, he says. He has a very responsible position. He makes major decisions all the time. People depend on his judgment. They call and ask his opinion: the plant manager, Vice President