Seeking The American Dream In Other Places

by Blake Bachelor CNN     Drawn by sunshine or a lower cost of living, a growing number of Americans are choosing to live their golden years outside the US, in the hope that it will better suit their financial or lifestyle needs and wants.    While official numbers aren’t available, companies and organizations that specialize …

Time Outdoors, Just What The Doctor Ordered

by Good News Network    A hospital in south London opened a garden on its rooftop where critical care patients can spend hours in the fresh air and sunlight.    ICU patients visiting the rooftop garden receive “full life support” while experiencing the therapeutic benefits of the natural surroundings.    Located on top of the …

I Say This “Fly Tipper” Got Off Too Easy

by Kevin Burton    I am guessing you are like me and had no previous idea what “fly tipping” is.    Fly tipping is “the activity of illegally leaving waste or unwanted objects next to a road, in a field,  in a river, etc.” according to the Cambridge Dictionary.    According to wordhistories.net, here’s how …

Strangers Build Community Via Co-Housing

by Charlotte Cox BBC    When Nikki Little and John Porter retired, they considered buying a bungalow for just the two of them.    Instead, they invested in a one million-pound  ($1.33 million US) house tucked away on Devon’s rugged and remote Hartland Peninsula – and looked for a community of like-minded people to join …

‘Miracle Tree’ Removes Plastics From Water

by Angela Symons  Euronews.com    A millennia-old purification technique could be the cure for Europe’s microplastic-riddled drinking water.    In a recent study, seeds from the ‘miracle’ moringa tree were found to match or outperform their chemical counterpart in filtering out aged PVC microplastics – one of the most harmful plastic types for human health. …

Common Things Once Worth More Than Gold

by Dictionary Scoop    Many of the things we take for granted today were once the stuff of dreams for kings, aristocrats, and the wealthy few. From basic household staples to everyday technology, these now-common goods were once markers of status and privilege. Here’s a look at ten items that were once nearly unattainable luxuries. 1-Sugar    Once called …

“Cat Island” Japan And Other “Animal Towns”

by Dictionary Scoop    Traveling to foreign cities and towns is a great way to interact with different people and their cultures, but have you ever thought about visiting an animal town?    Scattered around the world, some of these places are the result of natural reserves set up to protect endangered species, while others …

Ten Surprising Foreign Language Enclaves

by Dictionary Scoop    Migrations, trade, and other historical events have contributed to the spread of languages to regions far from their origins. But sometimes, we arrive at a new location expecting to hear a particular language, only to be surprised by the use of a language we wouldn’t expect.    Here are ten places in …

What The British Mean When They Say ‘Sorry’

by Mike MacEacheran BBC    In the UK, sorry is not simply an apology, it’s a cultural reflex – a five-letter pressure valve used to soften requests, smooth over awkwardness, fill conversational gaps and avoid the national horror of seeming rude.    It is perhaps no coincidence that such famously polite characters as Paddington and …

Ten Words That Came From Nordic To English

by Dictionary Scoop    Romance languages, led by French, have had such a lasting influence on English that we sometimes forget that it is actually a Germanic language, and as such, a relative of the Nordic languages.    However, Nordic languages had left their mark on English centuries before the French-Normans even attempted to conquer England, and they …