It’s April Fool’s Day as I write this, and for the first time in memory I didn’t find any celebrations of this day of pranks until 10 pm tonight (although the main reason is quarantine). This is more proof that the coronavirus is having a profound impact on our society. We shouldn’t let an opportunity
I have been following the recent storyline about an unplanned pregnancy in the clever comic strip For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston (https://www.fborfw.com/) through our local newspaper. Of course, I have no idea what it’s like to be “with child.” All I know is the process ranges from sickness to discomfort to very
I’m certainly not an expert on relationships, so I’m always open to new ideas. But I was surprised to read “When living apart keeps you together” by Julia Sklar (https://www.curbed.com/2020/2/12/21133847/couples-living-apart-together-lat-benefits). Is this the secret to a healthy union? I have heard of couples separated because of work; a promising career sometimes comes before being together
Sometimes you have to read a headline twice to fully comprehend it. “‘Living Funerals’ Offer Wake-up Call Without Trauma” by Danae King (https://www.pressreader.com/usa/dayton-daily-news/20200206/281943134876311) is the most recent to catch my attention. Occasionally a funeral for someone believed deceased is a plot device in fiction; I recall the service the town gave Tom Sawyer and his
If you like to solve puzzles, go to the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, VA. In the courtyard sits Kryptos, a sculpture with a copper scroll containing an encoded message of punched letters in four parts. In its almost 30-year history, three parts have been decoded. But the fourth part is still
If you’re wanting to eat healthier, but are having trouble resisting the allure of junk food, there is good news. A new study in the Journal of Marketing Research says that being exposed to the scent of junk food for at least two minutes can help you make healthier choices. It seems counter-intuitive, but this research suggests
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