Studies have shown that keeping mentally active can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. The best way to accomplish this is to adapt a lifestyle of learning. How do we do this? I’ll show you what I have done. Hopefully you can springboard from these ideas to other ideas that may work for you. Games [...]

Another baseball season is finally upon us! I follow baseball with a passion that borders on addiction. Well, perhaps it’s beyond the border. The internet is a great place to get information. I have compiled a list of some of my favorite baseball sites. I have focused on sites where most of the content is [...]

Monk and Psych I don’t watch much mainstream (i.e. non-sports) TV, so you’re not going to see a lot of TV shows reviewed in this blog. Two of the few shows that rank as appointment viewing are Monk and Psych, detective shows on the USA Network. They are on cable, and they get stuck in [...]

In the expensive sport of NASCAR racing, team owners depend on sponsors. Sponsors pay millions of dollars to have their logos emblazoned on the side of cars. Many NASCAR fans are intensely loyal not only to their driver, but also to the brands he endorses. I have been a fan of Tony Stewart for as [...]

I’m a fairly new subscriber to Archaeology, which is a pretty cool magazine. It cost $22 for a one year subscription (6 bi-monthly issues). Archaeology has stories various aspect of archaeological discoveries – the culture of the society that left the artifacts, the mechanics of the digs, and even stories about artifact trafficking. My interest [...]

Note that this post contains statements that are allegations. Allegation should not be construed as proof of wrongdoing. The Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier and AM 1630 KCJJ radio (Iowa City) were sources of information for this post. One of the big local stories this week is about the state of Iowa shutting down a group home [...]

Many people choose their checkout line based on how many people are in line. This may give you a rough idea of how long it will take to check out, but if you want to be an expert line analyzer, use these handy tips: Lucky 13: Your first glance should be to aisle 13. My [...]

Some people are going to think that I am trying to defend A-Rod. Let me be perfectly clear about this. A-Rod’s decision to use steroids was wrong, period. At the same time, I am concerned about the actions of the MLBPA (the union) and whether they served the best interests of their members. My concern [...]

The Casebook of Forensic Detection and Murder Two: The Second Casebook of Forensic Detection by Colin Evans I have an interest in true crime (murder in particular, especially serial killers) and my bookshelf has a very interesting assortment of crime books. These two books by Evans are among the best. The casebook of forensic detection [...]

I got a phone call last night. Here is the gist: Me: Hello? TVG: Can I speak to Melonie? Me: Who? [wanting to verify that I heard them correctly] TVG: Melonie. Me: Oh, you mean MeloDy. Is this a telemarketer? TVG: No, I’m not a telemarketer. I’m with TV Guide. Me: We’ll resubscribe when we [...]