January 2026

The Mandela Effect By Linda Stowe Today I came across a term I had never heard before: the Mandela Effect. Google says “The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people collectively share the same false memory about a past event or detail. It is named after the false memory of Nelson […]

Part Two. The Odd Earth.A continuation from yesterday. Yesterday we looked at some of the world’s unusual corners.Today, let’s pick it up with even more weird spots on Earth. First, let’s go to Spain’s Rio Tinto River. It is a swirling ribbon of rust-red water so acidic it can reach a pH of 2. (The

Part One. The Odd Earth.The world is full of places. All sorts of places. Here on Earth, we have balmy beaches, bustling cities, and mountain ranges that look like paintings. But every so often, the planet gives us something just a little bit weird. Maybe even a bit uncanny. These are the places that make

Are good manners slipping? It seems to me that they are. They’ve been on the decline for quite some time now. There was a time when people addressed one another with sir or madam, and when people called each other by last names only. Mr. Smith. Miss Johnson. These days, people do not show the

I’ve been on a word kick lately. I can’t help myself. It might be because some words feel like tiny gifts. One of those is serendipity. It is just a little bit of wonderful. It feels good to say out loud, and it carries that spark of magic we all secretly hope for. Technically, serendipity

My Catch-All Diagnosis By Linda Stowe I blame a lot of my everyday ailments on my sinuses and for all I know my sinuses have nothing to do with it. Nevertheless, whenever my nose is stuffy or I have a headache, I just say I have a sinus infection. It’s my catch-all diagnosis. Whatever my

I know we just talked about words yesterday. They are wonderful and necessary. They make up so much of our lives. But sometimes those words can be complicated. I’ve been trying to spell ever since I started to talk. But the thing is, the English language can be difficult. It looks simple enough until it

How Do We Know How To Speak By Linda Stowe How do we know how to speak? We learn by listening to others and trying to translate what they say into something meaningful. There is no one-size-fits-all guide that we receive at birth. If that were the case, just think about how large it would