2013 was a banner year for our company. Our revenues increased 49% over the prior year to a record $87.9 million. This growth occurred in all sectors of the company — from consumer, school, international and affiliated label sales, to divisions such as Educational Resources — and was achieved primarily through the release of new […] Read more

Jan. 8, 2008 — Another Da Vinci code is emerging from Leonardo’s masterpieces, according to a forthcoming book by group of Da Vinci theorists who believe that biblical images are hidden within the master’s artworks. Worthy of a Dan Brown novel, the claim identifies Leonardo’s mirror writing as the key to unlocking the code. The […] Read more

I stood in the shadows of a deserted shop front across from The Blood and Brew Pub, trying not to be obvious as I tugged my black leather pants back up where they belonged. This is pathetic, I thought, eyeing the rain-emptied street. I was way too good for this. Apprehending unlicensed and black-art witches […] Read more

Don’t get side-lined by illness, injury or disease. If you’re like most men, a visit to the doctor isn’t on your priority list. But, even though you may “feel okay” it is vitally important to schedule preventive health checkups on a regular basis. A once-a-year preventive checkup is typically all it takes to keep your […] Read more

Long after their time is up, movie stars live on through DVDs and cable reruns. But the stars on this list died before completing a project, leaving directors in an emotional and logistical bind, and forever attaching a dark footnote to a movie’s history. In some cases the movie was canceled, or the star was […] Read more

The largest national park south of Alaska, Death Valley is known for extremes: It is North America’s driest and hottest spot (with fewer than two inches/five centimeters of rainfall annually and a record high of 134°F), and has the lowest elevation on the continent—282 feet below sea level. Even with its extremes, the park still […] Read more

One evening, a platoon of soldiers arrived at a small village after a long hike. The next morning, being Sunday, several of the men went to church. A sergeant commanded the boys to kneel and after the chaplain had read the prayer, the text was taken up next. Those who had prayer books took them […] Read more

On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence in a near-unanimous vote. On that day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival” and that the celebration should include “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires […] Read more

By mid-1940, the German Army had conquered all of western Europe. Hitler was tightening the noose around Britain. In the Atlantic, German U-boats were decimating Allied convoys, threatening to cut off Britain’s only lifeline. But Churchill had a secret weapon, the strangest military establishment in the world. Crossword fanatics, chess champions, mathematicians, students and professors, […] Read more