In 1927, Charles Lindbergh received acclaim for piloting The Spirit of St. Louis across the ocean — the first non-stop transatlantic flight between New York and Paris. Yet two weeks before, French aviators Charles Nungesser and François Coli also attempted the journey in an effort to win the Orteig Prize. Strapped into their byplane L’Oiseau […]
First, the lawn. According to noted biologist Edward O. Wilson, “Lawns are a monoculture of alien species, a rapacious consumer of water, and require toxic chemicals to maintain which eventually make their way into aquifers and stream headwaters.” Now, Kim. According to the tabloids, “Kim Kardashian has had fat transferred from less desirable areas and put […]
Henry Bergh? Who is that, you ask? Here’s a hint: This man with the drooping mustache was a dog’s best friend. And a cat, horse, gerbil, parakeet… Any animal you could possibly grow attached to owes a debt of gratitude to Henry for his dedication to their well-being. For on this day in 1866, The […]
They who dream by day are more cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only at night. – E.A. Poe* We have written about dreams before, and for good reason. What else in life can offer so much pleasure and escape from the confines of reality, yet not cost a dime or leave […]
We are raised to believe that there is “good weather” and “bad weather.” So we learn to say 80 degrees and balmy is good, and 33 degrees and rainy is bad. Above 90 degrees is “miserably hot,” below 20 degrees is “freezing cold,” and what we are experiencing now with the polar vortex is just […]
“Explain why you decided to walk across the United States barefoot.” “Explain your inspiration for spending 10 years in a Nepalese cave.” “Explain what motivated you to jump your motorcycle over the Snake River Canyon.” “Explain why there’s no amusing illustration on this page.” The world is filled with bystanders who question the event but […]
While we’re all familiar with government-mandated holidays, thanks to corporate interests, every day of the year now constitutes a celebration of sorts. Surely you’re aware of National Corn Chip Day, National Personal Trainer Awareness Day, and National Static Electricity Day? All can be found in our current month.* But we can think of no day […]
New day, old patterns? If you find yourself making an effort to bust out, yet already backtracking on this promise to yourself, you are not alone. But rather than being pulled by the forces of same old same old, perhaps it’s time to deprogram yourself once and for all. “But wait!” you might say. “I’m […]
Lots of people play it safe as they age, and for good reason. “Safe” seems to be a wiser choice than “sorry.” But could it be that we actually have that backwards? Adhering to a predetermined routine means you know pretty much what each day is going to bring, even before you live it. In […]
Happy holidays! Here at SuperOptimist headquarters, we favor meditation as a way of detaching from the madness of the material world and connecting with the universal truths that transcend trade wars, social media, and the quandary over wishing someone a “Merry Christmas” vs. a “Happy Holiday.” To that end, in the U.S. a person interested […]