Growing up, most kids have that one friend with the incredibly strict parent. You know the one—the mom or dad who instills fear in everyone so that no one ever misbehaves around them, ever. There might also be a lot of yes ma’ams and no sirs involved. Well, it’s easy to joke that these parents are as strict as military officers. But in reality, not everyone …
Bright and breezy? You’ve got serotonin to thank. Gloomy and grumpy? A big ol’ hug and a burst of oxytocin will perk you up. As it turns out, there’s a chemical side to happiness and positive mental health. Lifestyle factors and genetics certainly play a role in this—the latter accounting for 50 percent of your high spirits, research says. Still, how happy you are is …
“America the Beautiful” isn’t the United States’s national anthem (that honor goes to “The Star-Spangled Banner”), but it’s arguably just as well loved. The song promotes the idea of a bountiful country with spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountains majesty, and a fruited plain. But do you know which scenic lands inspired author Katharine Lee Bates to write the immediately popular lyrics? Or, …
Like clockwork, we hear the presidential oath of office every four years. Thirty-five words that basically give the incoming Chief Executive the keys to the proverbial car. And the nuclear launch codes. The National Museum of American History says that Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution “requires that before presidents can assume their duties they must take the oath of office.” Once the incoming …
Children are often concerned with issues of fairness: who has more, who was first, and who is best. That’s not fair, they clamor at the first hint of any sort of inequality. Of course, some concepts related to equality can be difficult for children to grasp—but many of these concepts continue to pose thorny problems for us as adults making and enforcing policies and laws. …
As we celebrate the winter holidays and the ending of another year, one word always seems to get left off of the guest list: exult. Despite this, exult is as tough as its cousin resilient and keeps coming back for more. So, let’s clear the dance floor and shine the spotlight on exult and see what kind of a good time it brings to the …
Salt-N-Pepa would approve of this list. But even if their song is stuck in your head (you know you’re singing “Let’s talk about sex!” now) actually talking about sex is anything but easy. It’s overwhelming to have “the talk” with your kids, which is why experts suggest having an ongoing conversation on the topics of sex, consent, and reproduction as they grow instead of having …
Before getting on stage to audition for the school play, Monica needed to believe in herself and reflect on her talent. But as she peeked out into the auditorium, where the judges were sitting, her self-esteem started to waver. At that point, was Monica feeling less confident than she was while singing in the shower? Or was she struggling to remain confidant? Or, what about confidante? …
What comes to your mind when you see or hear the word Dracula? Probably vampires, right? But what about ruthless Romanian royalty … or dragons? It’s time for the story of Dracula—the word. Where does the character Dracula come from? We dress up as vampires on Halloween and watch dramas like True Blood thanks in large part to Irish author Bram Stoker, whose 1897 Gothic …
In 2012, as Halloween quickly approached, a Frankenstorm was sneaking up on the East Coast. Forecasters were calling the hurricane headed for New York, New Jersey, and as far inland as Ohio, “Frankenstorm” because (like the monster in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus) this storm was stitched together from three different weather systems, Hurricane Sandy from the Caribbean, a western early winter …
Nobody wants to come down with a case of the Mondays. But the second day of the week—and the first day of the traditional work week—doesn’t exactly have the best reputation. Monday isn’t named after an ancient, one-handed Norse god like Tuesday is, and it doesn’t take its name from a powerful god who fashioned the human race like Wednesday does. Monday does, however, reference …
You probably hear countries like the United States or France referred to as democracies. At the same time, you probably also hear both of these countries called republics. Is that possible? Are democracies and republics the same thing or different? We don’t blame you for confusing these two terms. With a major and heated US election underway, it’s the perfect time for some Government 101. …