Stories: Old West & Beyond 02.11.25
“The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it .” —W. M. Lewis _____________________________________ 1. THE OLD WEST: TELLER OF TALL TALES Calamity Jane spun many wild stories during her life, most of them untrue. But many consider her a unique member of America's memorable Wild West family. Read all about “The Mysterious Calamity Jane.” _____________________________________ 2. THE OLD WEST: VINDICATION When Annie Oakley retired, she was shocked one day to read newspaper headlines calling her destitute, a druggie, and a thief. She fought back and achieved "Vindication." _____________________________________ 3. DIGITAL MAGIC: HOW NOT TO CHOOSE A PASSCODE Four-digit pins occupy our lives today—for online banking, ATMs, wireless phones, and other services. I was shocked that many people still use 1-2-3-4 and 0-0-0-0 as pins. _____________________________________ 4. SELF-HEALING: THINGS THAT GO BUMP NIGHT & DAY Most everyone hates potholes—whether we’re driving a car or pedaling a bike. Researchers in Britain and Chile have brainstormed how to fix those annoying potholes before they develop. _____________________________________ 5. FICTION & NONFICTION: THE MOST READ BOOKS OF 2024 Readers rank their favorite fiction and non-fiction reads of the previous year. _____________________________________ 6. AN ARTIST’S GIFT: IMAGES OF THINGS LOST The memories of homes lost during the Los Angeles wildfire are being kept alive through the drawings of 27-year-old Maya Brattkus. She gives homeowners images of their lost homes to help them deal with grief. Here’s a nice story from Nice News. _____________________________________ 7. KIT KAT AND LEGO: SHARING CREATIVE SPACE Sometimes, art is about experimentation. Artist Jaime Sanchez created unique 3D combinations of candy and household items. _____________________________________ 8. JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE: A BLUE MARBLE Blue Ghost is the name of a lunar lander hired by NASA to deliver scientific equipment to the moon. ____________________________________ “Whenever people talk to me about the weather, I always feel certain that they mean something else.” —Oscar Wilde _____________________________________ |