Most candidates for political office have lofty goals for the betterment of society. They put themselves through the ordeal of a campaign with aspirations of influencing policy and making a difference. John […]
Each year 1-3 million people die from malaria. Another 1 million annually succumb to AIDS. You don’t need to be a physician to realize both of these diseases are pretty bad. Anyone […]
It seemed that Christian Ludolf was destined for musical greatness. His father was a choreographer, and Christian was dancing as soon as he was able to walk. When he was ten years […]
Some people face hardships, concede that they are inevitable, and deal with them. Others can see the same difficulties and be pummeled into defeat or paralyzed into inaction. Then we have the […]
When the sentence of death is carried out, it is always noteworthy. Mary’s execution was no exception. This particular use of capital punishment attracted even more attention than usual. People gathered from […]
“I’m strong to the finish ‘cuz I eat my spinach.” With those words, Popeye the Sailor inspired generations of kids to suppress their gag reflex and eat all the spinach on their […]
To be successful, you need to find something you do well and get people to pay you to do it. As demonstrated by a fellow known as Oofty Goofty, it’s possible to […]
When you think about gladiators, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of movies such as Spartacus, Ben-Hur, or Gladiator. Most of us have some awareness of the fact that gladiator games […]
EDITOR’S NOTE: Special thanks to the office of Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (4th District, Missouri) for providing the legislative history on the American Hippo Bill. Who doesn’t enjoy a good ol’ slab of […]
In the 1939 classic film The Wizard of Oz, Scarecrow is mortally afraid of fire. Ironically, fire should have been the least of his concerns. Scarecrow’s costume, as well as one of […]
Guardians of the Galaxy is a 2014 movie by Marvel Studios. It features some entertaining-but-implausible characters. An anthropomorphic raccoon, sentient tree-like creature, and green-skinned alien woman travel throughout the galaxy, alternately fleeing […]
The English language is amazing. It is also weird. Whether you grew up with English as your first language or you are picking it up later in life, you will never exhaust […]
It is almost impossible to imagine Christmas without thinking of all the songs that go with the day. There are enough holiday tunes to fill the season, and many are so beloved […]
Two parallel universes exist side-by-side. In each, a battle continually rages, pitting the forces of good against those who wish to destroy everything. Both realms are protected by warriors whose deeds, powers, […]
Political campaigns and popular music seem to go together. Whether it is “Happy Days Are Here Again” in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 campaign, John F. Kennedy’s use of “High Hopes” in 1960, […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 