A Brief History On March 16, 2018, fans of the video game super heroine Lara Croft will be treated to a reboot of the movie version of the franchise, this time starring Swedish actress Alicia Vikander in the title role made iconic by Angelina Jolie. As expected, the film provides eye candy and lots of action, a worthy successor in the series. Digging Deeper Vikander is now 29 years old but looks much younger (married to Michael Fassbender since 2017), and brings a fresh, engaging personality to the character of Lara Croft. Not as much the “superwoman” as played by…

A Brief History On March 16, 1995, Mississippi became the last state to ratify the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the amendment that outlawed slavery in the United States. With decades of Affirmative Action and other forms of perceived reverse discrimination, we take a moment to remind Americans how recently some of the outlandish discriminatory laws and practices against Americans because of race have finally been put to rest. Millions of adult African Americans were alive when some of these most egregious slights were in effect, so a certain amount of wariness about declaring the end to racism in the…

A Brief History On January 1, 2013, the first marijuana “club” for private marijuana smoking (no buying or selling, however) was allowed for the first time in Colorado. Digging Deeper There is no such thing as a typical weed smoker.  Every single one has their own personal story of how and why they ever started, and unique motivations for maintaining the habit; however, those who decide to quit smoking weed for good can all benefit from these useful tips to help make the journey to recovery and freedom a one way trip. Get real During these lazy, hazy, smoke fueled…

A Brief History On March 15, 44 BC, the Dictator of the Roman Republic (contrary to popular belief, he was not the Emperor, as that post did not exist at this time), Gaius Julius Caesar, was assassinated by Roman senators and political rivals (as many as 60 of them!), brutally stabbed to death. Prior to his assassination, Caesar is said to have been warned by a seer that he would be assassinated not later than “The Ides of March,” what the Romans called March 15th. Since then, we have frequently heard the cautionary phrase, “Beware the Ides of March,” and…

A Brief History On April 1, 1861, the municipality called East St. Louis was established.  At its peak East St. Louis, Illinois, was a great city. Built on the wetlands across from St. Louis after the Civil War the city forced itself on land the Mississippi River often tried to reclaim. East St. Louis survived and even thrived, with a booming industrial and commercial base. In the 1950s it reached its zenith of 82,000 people and was named an all American City, an honor proudly displayed on a billboard-sized sign in a park. Digging Deeper But alas, soon East St.…