In one of his poems, the late, great Charles Olson praised “lovers of the difficult.” He didn’t mean that in some sadomasochistic sense; he wasn’t cheering on people who perversely enjoy suffering. Rather, he meant to express his admiration for those whose lust for life drives them to seek answers to the knottiest questions. He …
Iran made a strong overture of peace to the United States in the spring of 2003. According to *The Washington Post,* the Iranians offered to recognize Israel, promised to stop supporting terrorist groups, and asked for diplomatic talks concerning their nuclear technology. Tragically, the Bush administration ignored the proposal, missing a chance to cool down …
When you obsess on your adversaries, you risk becoming like them. The more you shape your life through your responses to things you don’t like, you invite them to define your destiny. You’ll have to be on guard against falling prey to this mistake in the coming weeks, Aquarius. While I don’t suggest that you …
During an outdoor concert, ’80s pop star Cyndi Lauper experienced a rare event that every singer dreads. As she belted out a long, booming note, a bird flying overhead dispensed a blob that zoomed into her wide-open mouth. Lauper’s grandmother later assured her that this was a stroke of good luck, and the singer herself …
The group Reporters Without Borders evaluates how well the world’s nations respect freedom of the press. Finland, Iceland, and the Netherlands are the top three, while North Korea, Cuba, and Burma are at the bottom. Canada is ranked tenth. The U.S. is 137th (of a total 167) in terms of the press freedom that it …
As far as the astrological powers-that-be are concerned, you have permission to play hooky. Whether their authorization will carry any weight with your boss and the people who depend on you, I can’t say. But the pure cosmic fact of the matter is that you should devote as much time as possible in the coming …
In the course of most pregnancies, there is a moment when the fetus first moves in such a way that the mother-to-be can feel it. It’s often a kick or a punch. I predict that an analogous quickening will occur for you in the coming week, Aquarius. You’ll arrive at a threshold where a rite …
Your power animal is the queen bee, which lays up to 2,000 eggs a day in the spring. Like her, you are stupendously fertile. In fact, you’re capable of so much creative expression that it could take months for you to ripen all the new life that you’re now spawning. Just because you have this …
Albert Lexie has shined shoes at Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital since 1982. From the beginning, he has taken portions of his meager earnings and contributed them to a fund for sick kids who are poor. Recently his donations topped the $100,000 mark. He’s your role model, Aquarius. The astrological omens reveal you will have everything going …
In high school I got all A’s in science and math, and scored in the top one percentile on the math section of the SATs. I’ve studied calculus, used logarithms, and love biology and astronomy. Still, I’m not aligned with the growing chorus of political leaders, corporate executives, and scientists who want schools to teach …