On November 1, 2006 Alexander Litvinenko, a former lieutenant colonel of Russia’s Federal Security Service, suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized. Three weeks later, he was dead, a victim of a toxic substance identified as polonium-210, a radioisotope that caused a...
Have you noticed how noisy it has become lately? It isn’t simply the noise and din of traffic, the roar of jet engines, and the blare of radio, TV, and stereo players. There’s the noise of people, the endless chatter of meaningless conversation, and the weariness of...
Will you allow me a bit—just a tiny bit—of self-indulgence? I love to sing. Always have. Always will. I'll probably be eternally singing. And that's no joke. But read on. In high school, circa nineteen kopong-kopong (a long long time ago), I dreamt of being a Broadway...
What stops you right now from succeeding? Is it the fear or uncertainty of your strengths and capabilities? Are you the type of person who always questions yourself if you are good enough and deserving to be successful in life? That is exactly what happened to me when...
Our brains are not wired to keep us happy. Instead, it is designed to keep us safe by looking out for possible and potential threats. The thing it cared most about is our survival. For instance, if you were to walk too closely to the edge of a cliff to have a closer...
Adam Bischoff, 15, was riding his bicycle with a friend when he was swept into a flood channel that had been swollen to overflowing by rains. When the alarm was sounded, rescuers frantically tried to save the lad, who was holding onto a log, screaming, "Help me! ...
The English word “misery” comes from the Greek word miseo which is translated “to hate.” Yes, we know what hatred is, and with all due respect to what psychologists can do, I’ve never met anyone whose heart was filled with hatred for someone who was a happy person. A...
Information. They're right up there, swirling in the internet etherworld—accessible with just a few clicks on your smartphone. Type your keywords and voila, any topic you want to research pops up. They’re so many you'd have a hard time deciding which to explore. FB...
Growing up in a traditional Asian home, I was taught to be polite, quiet, shy, humble, and deferential. Conformity to expectations is often emphasized, and emotional outbursts are discouraged. Failure to meet the family's expectations could mean bringing shame and...
Some folks measure time by years--January 1 to December 31. Some folks keep track of it by birthdays. Some by how long it is until they can finally draw retirement benefits and kiss work goodbye forever, or how many weeks or years stand between them and getting...