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There’s something majestic about the very oldest of trees and how they witnessed the rise and fall of numerous civilizations. Who hasn’t heard about General Sherman – the largest known living single stem tree in the world – or Old Tjikko – the Earth’s oldest (9,550 years) living individual clonal tree? I find Julian Hight’s [...]

If you grew up American, like me, then your typical idea of “Tropical Fruit” was bananas and the occasional kiwi. When I was a kid, Pineapples were something you rarely saw in a grocery store and mangos were something mentioned in movies or songs and I just assumed they didn’t exist for real and I [...]

Motivational posters are commonly used in companies, schools, and other instituions. Famous inspirational quotes and motivational posters seem to haunt every wall, but do they really work? Some might be inspired and encouraged by them, many won’t even notice their presence. “If they’re part of a broader campaign, with clearly outlined goals and a commitment [...]

Any soccer fanatic knows that this sport has a way of rousing the emotions within us—either while talking about the sport, watching it on television, or most commonly, while playing it. Though this may be far truer for some of us than others, we’ve all experienced these feelings, ranging from elation to rage, or have [...]

Crime does not pay, so the old saying goes, but take a look at the top ten crimes in the world today and the amounts involved and you have to admit why some decide it is far too lucrative to be bad. There are some illegal activities you will not find surprising, such as the [...]

At the beginning of every year, the entertainment industry, the connoisseurs of the seventh art and film lovers from all over the world turn their attention to the Oscars. The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences honors and recognizes outstanding cinema achievements since 1929. The greatest motion picture artists and professionals determine the [...]

In war, there are winners and losers. Sometimes an army is defeated because they simply faced a larger and more powerful foe. Other times they lose because of some bizarre set of circumstances no one could have foreseen, or because they were simply outwitted by a cunning adversary. Sometimes an army is even dealt a [...]

Thanks to their sheltered lives and the adverse effects of inbreeding, a lot of history’s kings, queens, and other royals became known for their eccentricities. There was Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who delighted in torturing her servants and was even rumored to bathe in the blood of virgins; there was Gian Gastone of Italy, who was [...]

Halloween is one of the creepiest times of the year.  The holiday was molded from ancient Celtic practices, religious rituals, and European folk traditions.  Halloween is a time for celebration, candy, and ghostly superstition.  The day has long been thought of a time when the dead come alive and watch over the land.  These spirits [...]

As any film aficionado will tell you, the world of film noir is a vast expanse that can be intimidating to dive into.  There are so many films that are considered “classics” that it can be difficult to decide where to begin exploring the genre.  Some films have been cemented in time as quintessential examples [...]