Author: Ian Fortey

Every day, each one of us has to negotiate through a world that could kill us a thousand ways. From household chemicals that could poison you to bacteria in your food, accidents in the home, accidents on the street, diseases, violent attacks and unexpected acts of God, every day is a cornucopia of potential chaos.…

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The world is full of unnatural things that humans have created for better or worse reasons. We make plastic; we make Pepsi; we make poisons. Some of the unnatural substances we create make the world a better place, like medicines. Others, like your average chemical or nuclear weapon, are devastating. Good or bad, however, there…

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Spite is a powerful motivator in life, even if it’s often employed with little thought or consideration and, in hindsight, comes across as something closer to ignorance. Nothing combines all of those elements better than our penchant, as a species, to childishly rename a thing if we become angry with whoever is most associated with…

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What’s the most remarkable thing you ever did in a single day? Your proudest achievement, if you will. Many of us accomplish great things in our lives but they’re often the result of a process. The first person in your family to go to college. Writing a novel. Traveling the world. There are all kinds…

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They say the human brain has a storage capacity that is in the range of 2.5 million gigabytes. That said, our memory can be rather selective. Fresh things are easily accessible. Over time, those memories, especially less significant ones, fade away. For instance, you can probably remember any of the conversations you had yesterday fairly…

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It’s always impressive when something record breaking happens. The hottest day on record. The most expensive hamburger ever made. Even a personal record can be remarkable, whether that’s running your fastest mile ever or beating your taco eating record. And while these onetime achievements are very interesting, there’s something to be said for a sustained,…

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A trademark is something used to confirm and secure your intellectual property. You make up a delightful cartoon mouse that captains a boat; you trademark it so no one can steal it and then build an empire. It’s easy. But sometimes those who want a trademark have issues with what exactly constitutes intellectual property and…

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In movies, war is often depicted in a very straightforward and well-regimented way, at least in terms of how it’s planned and implemented. Things get terrifying and intense on the field of battle, but behind the scenes it seems like there’s a well oiled machine driving the force.  In reality, war is remarkably unpredictable, and…

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The American Kennel Club recognizes 195 dog breeds. The French equivalent, the Federation Cynologique Internationale, recognizes 360. So it’s safe to say, no matter whose guidelines you follow, there are a lot of dogs in the world. And that’s just dogs. There are anywhere from 40 to 70 breeds of cats, depending on who you…

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There’s something to be said for having the skill, the drive and the tenacity to track something down even when it’s remarkably hard to do so. Once upon a time your ability to hunt and track may have been the difference between life and death. These days it’s less important for most of us, but…

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Some people say money is the root of all evil but few of us would deny that having money makes life easier. That said, getting money involves moving it from where it was to where you are. This happens millions of times per day all over the world with small, barely noteworthy amounts of cash.…

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An idiom is an expression that has the curious affectation of not making sense, strictly speaking. The meaning of an idiom can’t be derived from what the words in it say. In other words, the literal meaning is different from how it’s commonly used. For instance, if computer coding is easy for you, you might…

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Naming things is harder than you might think, at least for some people. The internet is rife with tales of dubious veracity claiming baby name consultants are being paid tens of thousands of dollars to help rich people name their children.  And even if they aren’t real, there are a plethora of sites that exist…

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Taste is a very subjective thing. Some people love pineapple on pizza, some hate it. Some folks are happy to eat a vegan diet, others are practically full-time carnivores. But what accounts for those foods that can change their taste over time. Is that you and your personal tastes changing over time, or is the…

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The United States has had 45 different Presidents up to and including Joe Biden, who is the 46th President. How can he be 46 if there were 45? Because Grover Cleveland was elected to two non-consecutive runs and is considered both the 22nd and the 24th President. That was a first! But it was far…

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