Leonardo da Vinci, who was born in Vinci, near Florence in 1452, is known for his visionary ideas.  He made sketches of scissors, the parachute, helicopter, airplanes, and engineering designs, some of which came into use 400 years after his death in 1519. But his notebooks never provided an explanation on the mechanics of his [...]

The “fact” that Al Capone evaded justice numerous times and was finally indicted for income tax evasion is partial myth. Capone was apprehended and served time in prison prior to his conviction for tax fraud. In the 1920s, the FBI was not authorized to investigate gangsters and organized crime. Capone’s first arrest – by the [...]

In the period known as the “Old Kingdom” in Ancient Egypt, from 2600-2100 BC, all professions were open to men and women, including the clergy, business, and medicine. In fact, records show that there were more than 100 prominent female physicians in Ancient Egypt, with Peseshet as their director. She was known as “lady overseer [...]

At around 500 BC Greek philosopher Hiraclitus wrote that “the only constant is change.” Not much has changed since. Good prevails. Movies with strong sexual or violence content usually bomb at the box office, as we pointed out in More Movies. Even video games outsell porn videos (and, in fact, all videos/DVDs). And if you [...]

If you’re experiencing some vocational unrest and are worried you’re unqualified for anything other than what your university degree directly prepare you for, don’t discredit the possibility of a career shift. Switching jobs and even industries is becoming more common due to new economic conditions and the increase in adult and continuing education programs. You don’t [...]

Edward the Confessor grew up in Normandy, France while his half-brother Hardicanute was ruling England. At Hardicanute’s death in 1042, Edward took the throne and surrounded himself with his Norman favorites. In 1051, he named William, Duke of Normandy, heir to the English throne but it was taken by Harold II in January 1066. Nine [...]

Major airlines are required by law to employ flight attendants for the safety and security of their passengers. Passenger safety is the flight attendant’s first priority. Seeing to the comforts and whims of passengers is a secondary priority for the the flight attendant. A challenging task, in the least, considering the needs of the 2 [...]

John F Kennedy made love in a closet while telling his mistress about another president who did the same. That President being Warren G. Harding, whose hysterical wife was attacking the secret service agent outside the White House office at the time. Franklin D. Roosevelt had an affair with the first lady’s personal secretary. Lyndon [...]

The Tudor dynasty in Britain came to an end when Elizabeth I died in 1603. The crown was passed to James of Scotland, heralding the Stuart line rulers. The new king was called James VI in Scotland and James I in England. James was the son of Mary, queen of Scots, and her second husband, [...]

Members of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) rejected 47 proposal before selecting the current Emmy statuette in 1948. ATAS founder Syd Cassyd first suggested to call the symbol “Ike”, a nickname for a television iconoscope tube. But being similar to that of war hero Dwight D Ike Eisenhower, the Academy rejected the [...]