H.I.F. A few fun facts from the, um, “Interesting Facts” Twitter account: At Andrew Jackson’s funeral in 1845, his pet parrot had to be removed because it was swearing. 70% of murders in Detroit go unsolved. In 2012, the Smithsonian officially recognized video games as an art form. A flight from LA to NYC made […]
It’s New Years Eve, the beginning of the official end of the secular holiday season. For serious Catholics and traditional Protestants, the holiday season continues through Epiphany, but for the other 99% of the population, the holidays start to end tonight. And the 99% typically do a pretty good job of ending it. Exhibit A: […]
H.I.F. All lies, all the time: “The ACA was not designed to reduce costs or, the law’s name notwithstanding, to make health insurance coverage affordable for the vast majority of Americans,” says health care consultant Kip Piper, a former government and insurance industry official. “The law uses taxpayer dollars to lower costs for the low-income […]
From Bottom Line Personal: Just in time for New Years resolutions: “Goals Are for Losers and Other Success Secrets from “Dilbert’s” Creator Scott Adams.” Link. Bookmark it: del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg |
H.I.F. Retail sales of alcohol are up 10% over the past year. Link. That’s a pretty phenomenal number. Bookmark it: del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg |
Did you go see The Wolf of Wall Street? I thought about going to it, but after reading this open letter from the daughter of one of the protagonist’s partners in crime, I won’t. But let me admit something: I’m a sucker for good writing, and either this letter was ghostwritten or this woman could […]
H.I.F. I remember reading (5? 10?) years ago that 10% of Americans are ex-Catholics, so this is no surprise: “According to recent demographic surveys, it seems there are presently 30 million people in the U.S. who identify themselves as ‘former Catholics.’” Link. How could this be happening, fifty years after Vatican II reforms? Yes, of […]
H.I.F. “The halo effect discussed earlier contributes to coherence, because it inclines us to match our view of all the qualities of a person to our judgment of one attribute that is particularly significant. If we think a baseball pitcher is handsome and athletic, for example, we are likely to rate him better at throwing […]
Let me be as blunt yet precise about this as possible: If you are a Tolkien fan, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug sucks. I am not making an unqualified statement about the cinematic merit of the film. I am simply speaking as a long-time Tolkien fan. I bristled at The Two Towers when elves […]
BYCU The headline from this article appears to be the misleading: “Regular but moderate consumption of alcohol makes you healthier and happier than total abstinence.” I’m happy to see such a study, of course, but the headline states that only “moderate” drinkers are healthier, but the study apparently concluded that even heavy drinkers are better […]
H.I.F. 7 Foods and Herbs to Fight the Common Cold: Vitamin C, Kiwi, Apple Cider Vinegar, Ginger, Echinacea, Oregano Oil, Zinc. Link. It’s hard to say, but I think I’ve had success with zinc and echinacea. Bookmark it: del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg |
A Christmas Carol by G.K. Chesterton The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap, His hair was like a light. (O weary, weary were the world, But here is all aright.) The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast, His hair was like a star. (O stern and cunning are the kings, But here the true hearts are.) The […]
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