Where Did “That’s All She Wrote” Come From?
When we think of a person saying “that’s all she wrote,” we usually picture someone who’s disappointed for some reason.
Read moreMonth: April 2006
The Golden Opportunity Is In Yourself Alone
The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck
Read moreWas J. Edgar Hoover a Transvestite
In “Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover,” author Anthony Summers quotes Susan L. Rosenstiel as saying she once observed Hoover in a black dress and high heels at the Plaza Hotel. The story isn’t very credible. Rosenstiel’s husband was involved in organized crime, and Susan was once convicted of perjury in an unrelated case. Additionally, why would the head of the FBI put himself in a position to be easily blackmailed?
Read moreThe Great Opportunity Is Where You Are
Burroughs is trying to remind us that its easy to look far away and imagine great deeds we could accomplish, but the important thing is to be in the here and now, and make something of the current situation.
Read moreWhy We Bless Sneezers
The origin of the “bless you” tradition is not entirely clear. The urban legend experts at Snopes.com list an impressive number of possibilities. One involves the (hopefully) mistaken belief that a human’s soul might escape through a sneeze. Saying “God bless you” wards off Satan while the soul is temporarily vulnerable. I’ve also heard that it was thought, in Biblical times, that a sneeze was an attempt to rid the body of a demon.
Read moreWhy Do Beans Give Us Gas?
Kidz World explains that beans contain sugars the human body simply cannot digest. Once these sugars (called oligosaccharides) reach a person’s lower intestines, “the bacteria go berserk, start feasting, and make loads of gas.” Before you know it — toxic fumes.
Read moreMake the Circumstances You Want
George Bernard Shaw was a freethinker, defender of women’s rights, and advocate of equality of income. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He most certainly knew his share of failures, but continued on to become one of the leading literary figures of his time.
Read moreStuck At The Airport
I am due to fly into Atlanta this evening. About 3pm a friend advised me to turn on the news
Read moreWhat is The Longest Film Ever Made?
According to anecdotage.com, the aptly titled “Cure for Insomnia” is the longest film ever. It runs about 87 hours and features L.D. Groban reading a really looooong poem. Just in case you find that kind of boring, according to IMDb, the film slices in pornography and music video footage. Probably not the best “date movie.”
Read moreHonesty Pushes You Forward
Sugarman is basically saying that honesty is the best policy. He’s stating his belief that if you are truthful in your dealings with others, you will improve your chances of success.
Read moreIf Skin Sheds, Why Do Tattoos Last Forever?
If human skin comes and goes like dust in the wind, why do tattoos stick around? The explanation is simple. The top layer of skin is called the epidermis. This page from A Moment of Science explains that while the epidermis is always regenerating, a tattoo needle actually penetrates through to the dermis, the second level of skin. It’s here that the tattoo makes its home for the rest of your natural life.
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