Whether you call him Papa, Daddy, Father, Baba, or an equally endearing title, your Dad most likely deserves rewards for being there when you need him most. As a toddler, he helped steer your first bike. As a pre-teen, he probably gave you lame advice about the opposite sex, and once you reached adulthood, you came to realize that whether you need a short-term loan…
Guidepost blogger Megan Cherkezian makes no apologies for being head-over-heels in love with the month of June—and not just because it’s traditionally the most popular month for weddings. She’s not planning one, so her take on why June is special has less to do with rice, bouquets, and veils than it does with the fact that she’s a romantic and she celebrates ordinary things that…
The notion of “re-charging” has undergone quite the evolution over time, say lexicologists. The word’s original meaning comes from 15th-century France where the verb was used to designate the process of reloading vessels and then applied to the invention of the battery in 1876. It took until 1921 for the concept of recharging to make the figurative pivot defined as the restoration of fitness and…
You may not realize how important continuity is when you assess yourself and the world, but in fact, the ability to count on other people, institutions, and systems are the backbones of successful societies as well as human accomplishments. “We all need to have the sense that things in our lives remain stable through time,” writes Harry Readhead in his essay published on Medium. “Continuity…
The British Broadcasting System (BBC) tends to feature programs that are classical, educational, and rich in photography, thus readers of the BBC website may have been confused by the headline that shouted, “Shopping a sale gives you the same feeling as getting high.” Reporter Alina Dizik was curious about what goes on in the brain and body when “enticed by a sale.” She cites the…
No matter the ages of your family members, they’re likely familiar with today’s buzziest acronyms. Your teens probably experience FOMO (fear of missing out) regularly, and thrifty grandparents know the value of BOGO (buy one, get one free) when they shop. Let them all know that there’s a new acronym on the scene: JOMO (the joy of missing out). Writes Richard Sima for The Washington…
Have you ever wondered where the concept of the sweepstake originated? We checked with Dan Jahn whose post on the Probability Works website gives browsers a fascinating explanation of what we often think of as a modern marketing strategy. Sweepstakes were first held in Shakespeare’s day when Middle English speakers introduced the “swepe stake” that consisted of games played, after which the winner was invited…
If a beauty contest for crustaceans was held today, odds that a lobster would be named most attractive are very low. Lobsters don’t produce pearls like their oyster cousins, but they do have a distinction that makes them unique, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): “researchers have discovered that lobsters [aren’t scavengers]. They catch mainly fresh food (except for bait) which includes…
Once upon a time, couples wouldn’t dream of setting wedding dates outside the month of June, but like all trends, things have taken a turn, say Bride’s magazine trend trackers. And given news surrounding odd weather patterns and increases in temperatures, many brides are taking a pass on the months of July and August as well. May remains an extremely popular choice for couples. According…
The word gateway is fraught with symbolism and applies to so many aspects of our lives, it’s a wonder we don’t use it often. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that gateways allow us to achieve desired goals, while techies are more likely to refer to a gateway when trying to explain a network node that connects two communications protocols. Those who consider themselves religious point to…