Suppose you were walking in your hometown and you came across a bundle of cash lying on the sidewalk. What would you think? For the past six or so years, residents of Blackhall Colliery, England haven’t known what to think. They have been finding neat packages of 20-pound notes, worth as much as $2,600, in
I’ve seen several warnings — when you write this year in a date, don’t abbreviate it. Sometimes it takes me a while to catch on, but now I understand. Simply writing “20” is an invitation to tampering. For example, you’ve just borrowed money. On the contract, you wrote the date as 1/8/20. If you miss
We are a mobile society. In fact, some would say we are addicted to our cars. Our interstate highway system is one of the engineering marvels of the modern age. And yet… Controlled-access multi-lane, and especially elevated, roadways cause serious collateral damage. They split neighborhoods and upend property values. But as our highways are getting
Tomorrow is the start of another year, in fact, another decade. Since this is a good time to reflect upon our lives, not to mention a good excuse to party, many traditions have arisen over the millennia to stimulate our celebrations. If you’ve ever wondered how some of these traditions have originated, The Writer’s Almanac
If you have trouble with dates and are not quite sure if this really is Christmas, remember you can always check the Is It Christmas? website (https://isitchristmas.com/). This site has been around for years now, and is the simplest website I’ve ever found. Merry Christmas, and no matter what day it is, have a good
Nobody likes to lose a job. But if this did happen to you, where should you be living? Some think its Sweden. This Nordic nation has a system designed to not only find people a new job, but a better one. That’s due to a nationwide private welfare service for workers who have recently been laid
If you are a circus fan who is also concerned about animal welfare, there is good news — Germany’s Circus Roncalli is using holograms in place of real animals. These include twenty-foot-tall elephants, horses and fish(!), all projected with laser technology and seamlessly integrated with live performers. The explanation is (of course) on YouTube as “Holographic
If you think women in our society have had a tough time gaining equal rights and opportunities, consider this: December 8, 1660 was one of the earliest known times a female actress actually appeared on the English stage. The performing theater goes back to ancient Greece. Of course there were plenty of female roles even
If you are uncomfortable meeting people, have trouble remembering names, and want to make better first impressions, I’ve just found an article that lists five simple ways to make you more likable from that very first moment of contact. 1. Show genuine enthusiasm. You don’t have to force this, just be your natural self. 2.
On December 1, 1913, the Ford Motor Company unveiled the assembly line. Up to that time, each car was built one at a time in the same spot on the factory floor. Cars got built, but at a high cost and Henry Ford wanted his Model T, introduced five years earlier, to be transportation for