A Brief History On February 2, 2020, we celebrate yet another Groundhog Day, a day in which Winter weary people find out if we are in for 6 more weeks of Winter or if we are facing the joy of an early Spring.  As implied by the name of the day, an actual Groundhog is “consulted” for his (or her) “prediction.”  But…. This year the animal rights organization, PETA, is recommending we immediately end this act of animal cruelty (?) and replace our beloved Marmots with (gasp!) animatronic replicas of Groundhogs!  A discussion of why this plan is “stupid” is…

A Brief History Anyone who was alive a few decades ago will remember the excitement around the space race. As a key part of the history of the Cold War, the space race was a prime example of countries competing to get there first – even when ‘there’ was the surface of the moon. The US managed to achieve this goal in 1969, with Neil Armstrong’s famous “one small step for mankind” marking a key moment in both human and space history. These days, space flight is different. The desire to get to the moon has faded, and now all…

A Brief History On January 31, 2020, European Union member the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will no longer be a member of what amounted to a “United States of Europe.”  Back in the day, Napoleon Bonaparte dreamed of a “United States of Europe,” a collection of nationalities united in a common cause (presumably led by him, of course!) as the premier “country” in the world.  This dream was (sort of) realized in 1993 when the Maastricht Treaty went into effect, but now has suffered an enormous blow to its power, prestige and population. Digging Deeper…

A Brief History On January 30, 1969, the Fab Four, sometimes referred to as “The Beatles,” conducted their last public concert when they played for 42 minutes from the roof of Apple Corps headquarters on Savile Row, London, England (no connection to Apple the computer company, but perhaps better known as Apple Records).  Along with Billy Preston, songwriter, keyboardist and vocalist rocker, the Beatles conducted an impromptu event with no prior notice to the public or authorities.  In a lucky break for posterity, the event was filmed and later appeared in the 1970 documentary film Let It Be.  Audio of…

A Brief History Nowadays, it seems that everybody wants to enjoy better health, but when changing your lifestyle, it is all too easy to take on too much and get overwhelmed. These simple changes are easier to implement and you can make them one at a time. Although they might not seem like much, if you stick with them, you’ll soon notice an improvement in the way you feel. Digging Deeper Walk to work Getting a bit of exercise makes a huge difference to your long-term health and it does not have to be rigorous – regular walking is a…