The historical information in this essay is mostly culled from Bill Bryson’s book on human anatomy and physiology, The Body. For most of human history, scratching your arm on a rusty nail could be a death sentence. The scratch wasn’t the…
For most people, the rule of thumb is to stick to what you’re good at. But there are those rare individuals who can’t seem to stick to anything and are good at everything. Joseph Paxton was one of those people,…
It was hot, I was trapped, and it was getting hotter. I fidgeted uncomfortably in my seatfor a few minutes, and then I unbuckled myself and starting moving around my littleprison. Inevitably, as a normal seven-year-old, I soon found myself…
Moskva, Moskva, Moskva… The 900-year-old city sitting astride the Moskva River, with its torturous and at times glorious history, is now the most populated city in Europe. The capital of the largest country in the world, it is the cultural,…
We crossed into Egypt at the Taba Border Crossing around midnight. I was exhausted, dirty, and bone weary after two utterly crazy days in Jordan, but I trudged up to passport control with resigned indifference. If it were up to…
Bigger is not always better. Robert Wadlow, the tallest man ever on record, would surely tell you that. He was born on Feb. 22nd, 1918 to Addie and Harold Wadlow of Alton, Illinois at a normal weight of eight pounds,…
From the time he was seven, everyone knew that Jonah was going to be a lawyer. He could argue his way out of culpability for any backyard tussle, and he could easily persuade even the most hardened babysitter that he…
I don’t know why the avocado industry has not been able to create the National Avocado Dayyet. I know that September 14 th is the National Guacamole Day and November 14 th is NationalSpicy Guacamole Day, but there is still…
West Texas Intermediate sounds like a school for sixth to eight graders in a county where people wear cowboy boots to their wedding, their work, and their wake, but it actually describes a kind of oil. Even slightly more confusing…
“Mommy,” calls my eight year old as he heads down the stairs, “What’s for dinner?” Evidently, a few seconds of foreknowledge makes all the difference when it comes to the dinner menu. “Lasagna, salad, and fresh fruit,” calls back my…