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Category Archives: Holidays
Paying to Be Terrified: The Curious Case of “Safe Fear”
There’s something deeply odd about human beings: we actively seek out fear. No other species on the planet does this. You’ll never see a deer buying tickets to a prance though a predator habitat or a raccoon strapping itself into … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
Tagged adrenaline, dopamine, fear, fight or flight, Halloween, horror, neuroscience, psychology, risky behavior, scary things, thrill seeking
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Because Rescue Starts with Compassion: A Reflection for National First Responders Day
The Calm After a Search The quiet always feels good. The search is over. The headlamps are off. When the radios go silent and the trucks pull back into the bay, there’s a moment of stillness, a pause between one … Continue reading
Black Cats: They’re Just Purr-fectly Normal
October 27 is National Black Cat Day and let’s be honest, these sleek, shadowy companions arrive with more baggage than a globe-trotting rock star, mostly thanks to some terribly outdated press. For centuries, black cats have had a PR problem. … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Holidays, Society
Tagged adoption, black cats, cats, Halloween, melanism, National Black Cat Day, pets, superstition
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Take the Extra Minute: Don’t Let Your Costume Hide You
Halloween brings laughter, candy and a parade of superheroes, witches and ghosts filling the streets, but it also brings one of the riskiest nights of the year for pedestrians, especially kids. Darkness, excitement and costumes that limit visibility all combine … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays, Search and Rescue
Tagged costumes, danger, Halloween, kids, preventative SAR, safety, search and rescue, TakeTheExtraMinute
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The Undiscovered Country of Stupid Questions: A Guilty Confession
Many years ago, when planning a trip with my wife to Missouri’s cave country, I connected with a member of the National Speleological Society. He was a great guy and helped me with the information I needed. He was so … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays, Humor
Tagged awkward moments, caves, curiosity, holidays, humor, National Ask a Stupid Question Day, speleology
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Shiver Me Timbers, It Be Talk Like a Pirate Day! And Our Motto? Well…
Ahoy, ye landlubbers and salty dogs! Today be the one day o’ the year when we cast off the shackles o’ proper English and embrace the glorious tongue o’ the buccaneer! So hoist the Jolly Roger (metaphorically, unless ye got … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Holidays, Humor, Language
Tagged adventure, celebration, high seas, Jack Sparrow, philosophy, pirates, pop culture, satire, swashbuckling, Talk Like a Pirate Day
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Freedom, Fireworks and Founding Fathers
As the calendar pages turn towards July, a familiar tension begins to build in my solidly middle-class neighborhood. It’s not the anticipation of barbecues and parades, not entirely. It’s the low, rumbling dread of what’s to come: the unofficial, unsanctioned … Continue reading
Mom: The Friend You Never Knew You Needed (Until You Grew Up)
There’s something almost magical about reaching a point in life where you can sit across from your mom, coffee in hand, and just talk. Not about chores or curfews or why your laundry always smells like gym socks, but about … Continue reading
The Annual Mother’s Day Panic: A Survival Guide (with a Hint of Sanity)
Mother’s Day. That glorious Sunday where we collectively try to repay a lifetime of scraped knees, questionable fashion advice (remember those neon windbreakers?) and the unwavering belief that we are, in fact, capable of emptying the dishwasher correctly. The pressure … Continue reading