The gods of Greek mythology could be brutal when angered. Of all the punishments given by the gods, the one given to Sisyphus stands out above the rest. Sisyphus was a king and a trickster. He was so clever that he actually cheated death – twice! As punishment for his hubris, he was forced to push an enormous boulder up a mountain for eternity. Again and again, he would struggle under the weight of the rock only to watch it roll back down. The punishment was a recipe for meaningless frustration. According to behavioral economist Dan Ariely’s research, the Greek gods must have known something about the human psyche.
A Prescription For Soul Medicine
Va Meng Lee is a shaman who works with spirits to heal people and protect their souls. This sort of work usually gets short shrift by western medicine, but Lee works at a hospital, right alongside doctors. Lee is a shaman and he works at Mercy Medical Center in Merced, California. This hospital was one of the first in the U.S. to formally recognize the role of traditional healers.
What’s In A Name?
What’s in a name? Well quite a lot if you’re the Washington Redskins football team. In 2013, former US President Barack Obama suggested the historic team should change theirs. He said it was offensive to the Native American community. The team defended the name as honoring Native Americans. Others called it a ‘sad reminder’ of a more bigoted and racist past. In 2014, the US Trademark Office ruled the team’s trademark should be cancelled.
Titanic Survivor Branded A Coward For Not Dying
When the Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic in 1912, it took 1,517 women, men and children to a watery grave. Masabumi Hosono was not one of them. Masabumi was the only Japanese person to survive the Titanic’s sinking. He was one of the lucky few who escaped on a lifeboat. He did not feel so lucky when he returned to Japan. He was called a dishonorable coward for not falling on his own sword.
Saving Human History From Space
Khalid al-Assad lost his life protecting the history and culture of his country. This 83-year-old scholar was retired, but still an active expert at the museum that he used to run in Palmyra, Syria. On July 13th, 2016, ISIS demanded he tell them where all the cultural treasures were hidden. Fearing that ISIS would destroy, steal or sell them, al-Assad refused to help them. A month later he was dead. An acquaintance, Abu Ahmad, said, “He knew they would kill him, but he said, ‘I’m not going to leave the city. I’m staying.’”
Van Gogh’s Ear Is Reborn
On a cold winter night in 1888, Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear with a razor blade. He wrapped it in a cloth and brought it to a brothel. He gave the bloody ear as a token of love to a prostitute named Rachel, who fainted when she saw it. Van Gogh returned home and almost bled to death. This is the most common story of Van Gogh’s famous fit of madness, but there are competing theories.
Pro Football Player Called Un-American
U.S. professional football player, Colin Kaepernick, has recently caused a controversy by refusing to stand for the American national anthem. Kaepernick is an African-American. He is protesting racial oppression in the U.S., especially the many killings of young black men by white policeman in recent years.
Man Offers $128 Million To Turn His Gay Daughter Straight
The tradition of mixing money with marriage dates back to the beginning of recorded history. In some cultures, the woman’s family pays the man’s family. And in other cultures, the wealth flows in the other direction. While these traditions might seem anachronistic, they are alive and well in many countries around the world.
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