It might seem bizarre to you and others. In fact the story appeared not in mainstream news columns but in the offbeat and quirky news sections of major media outlets. But for Mark Giorgio it was not all that bizarre. It seemed perfectly reasonable to him.

He was walking across the US 41 Bridge over the Manatee River in Central Florida counting his money. Apparently he was short on funds. A puff of wind lifted a $20 bill out of his hand and blew it over the rail. As it floated downward on the wind currents towards the river Mark Giorgio looked on with alarm.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Hundreds of world leaders and diplomats gathered at the United Nations in New York City to share their perspectives on world conditions and the needs of countries around the world. It is a global stage where small and large countries alike get air time to share their perspectives and political ideologies.

There is the clicking of champagne glasses, the laudatory comments and all the posturing for visibility and influence that so often marks the halls of power and politics. Often differences between leaders are obscured by fuzzy diplomatic language. For the most part, leaders and diplomats treat each other with a measure of respect – at least while the cameras and microphones are on. But there are definitely other occasions when the gloves are off and leaders lash out at each other.

[Read the rest of this article...]

In 2004, the Economist magazine identified Ireland as the best place to live in the entire world based on a “quality of life” assessment. But assessments can be misleading. Statistics from Google reveal that the residents of Ireland sit at their computers and type in the word ‘lonely’ more often than in any other part of the world. Dublin topped the city list for ‘lonely’ searches in the world.

[Read the rest of this article...]