The Autobahn: Fast but not Furious
The world’s fastest highway network has a fatality rate lower than the U.S. Interstate System. Continue reading The Autobahn: Fast but not Furious
George Washington, King of American whiskey
Settling into retirement, the Founding Father lived off the profits of an entirely different Spirit of ’76. Continue reading George Washington, King of American whiskey
The modern Japanese sport of samurai swimming
Classical Japanese swimming, also known as Nihon Eiho, is composed of several centuries-old aquatic activities, which include writing calligraphy while treading water and swimming in a 40-pound suit of armor. Continue reading The modern Japanese sport of samurai swimming
The Order of the Pug: Meet Bavaria’s bizarre secret society
It is 1738, and the Catholic Church has just banned its members from partaking in freemasonry. How are freemasons in a region known for its love of secret societies to react? Against this backdrop, the Order of the Pug was formed. The Order of the Pug retained many of the conventions of masonry, but used a different name in order to skirt the Catholic Church’s … Continue reading The Order of the Pug: Meet Bavaria’s bizarre secret society
When the brother of John Wilkes Booth saved Lincoln’s son
Both thespians, the Wilkes brothers played drastically different parts off-stage. Continue reading When the brother of John Wilkes Booth saved Lincoln’s son
Congratulations on another successful trip around the sun: Why do we celebrate birthdays?
As we get ever closer to the guillotine of 30 hanging over our youth ready to drop and condemn us entirely to adulthood and “maturity,” the question arose – where do our birthday celebrations come from? Like many of our celebrations, birthdays originated from pagan roots. Early Christians did not celebrate birthdays and Jewish tradition measured birthdays for milestones, but did not celebrate birthdays themselves … Continue reading Congratulations on another successful trip around the sun: Why do we celebrate birthdays?
A very happy birthday to… Bugs Bunny!
On July 27th, it will have been 80 years since Bugs first appeared in movie theaters. The character’s longevity is remarkable. A 2018 YouGov poll found that Bugs Bunny was the most popular cartoon in the United States, nearly three generations after his first appearance. The origins of Bugs Bunny are complicated. A similar prototypical version of the character first appeared in the 1938 cartoon … Continue reading A very happy birthday to… Bugs Bunny!
Understanding opportunity cost: How much does that avocado toast and Starbucks actually cost me?
So called financial gurus tell you that if you want to be rich, quit eating avocado toast and drinking Starbucks. Admittedly, this does remove expenses that may add up over time. However, that frugality alone won’t make you “rich.” Rather, understanding the ideas behind the “avoid paying $10 for avocado toast and $5 for coffee” is what will make you handle your money better and … Continue reading Understanding opportunity cost: How much does that avocado toast and Starbucks actually cost me?
The Bullet Journal Method: The ultimate planner, to-do list, and everything else system.
I struggle to buy planners. Every time I find the “perfect system” I want something different a short time later. Then, I stumbled upon the Bullet Journal. The Origin? In the 1990s, Ryder Carroll was a college student studying design. He struggled with attention deficit disorder, so he started working on a system to help him overcome his “learning disabilities.” This system became the Bullet … Continue reading The Bullet Journal Method: The ultimate planner, to-do list, and everything else system.
No student loan interest: Take advantage of this opportunity!
The CARES Act The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, suspended principal and interest payments on federally-held student loans from March 13 through September 30. Right now, your interest and payments are suspended automatically. However, this only applies to federal loans, not private student loans. Other loans, such as those Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program are owned by private companies; however, those … Continue reading No student loan interest: Take advantage of this opportunity!
