James R Coffey Writing Services & Resource Center

Every Hippie's Sweetheart, Carly Simon

2012-01-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

If you were a child of the 60s living in America, then you were most likely introduced to Carly Simon with the release of her popular 1971 hit, “Anticipation” from the album of the same name. Although she’d received marginal success with “That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be” from her first album, Carly Simon, it was Anticipation’s “I’ve Got to Have You” (written by song legend Kris Kristofferson) and “Legend in Your Own Time” that helped establish Carly as a cool Hippie chick who could write beautiful lyric, sing with a sweet yet powerful quality, and on top of it all, was sexy as hell. But what really sealed her legacy in American pop-rock culture was her phenomenally popular “You’re So Vain,” her first commercial breakthrough hit, appearing on the 1972 release, No Secrets. Read more . . .

Dean Martin: The Life and Times of the "Coolest Man Who Ever Lived"

2012-01-22T12:48:00.000-08:00

Christened Dino Paul Crocetti, Dean Martin was initially interested in becoming a drummer when he dropped out of Steubenville High School in the tenth grade at the age of fifteen. After working at numerous odd jobs including becoming a part-time amateur welterweight boxer using the name "Kid Crochet," Dean flirted with criminal activity for a time, working as a bookie and card dealer at local gambling joints and “running” liquor across state lines during the prohibition. Then at seventeen he began his show business career as a singer in nightclubs near Steubenville; clubs owned by the criminal element with whom he'd become acquainted. Read more . . .

Great Love Affairs That Changed the Course of History, Part Three

2012-01-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

Queen Isabella I of Castile (born April 22, 1451), and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (born March 10, 1452), were medieval Catholic monarchs of two neighboring kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain). Following several coerced betrothals by Isabella's brothers aimed at uniting their kingdom with one of the neighboring kingdoms, Isabella announced that she was in love with Ferdinand of Aragon. However, since Isabella and Ferdinand were second cousins and stood within the “degrees of blood-relative” prohibition, their marriage wouldn’t be possible unless a dispensation from the Pope was granted. Finally, with the help of Rodrigo Borgia (later, Pope Alexander VI), Isabella and Ferdinand were granted a Papal Bull by Pius II authorizing Ferdinand to covertly marry within the “third degree of consanguinity,” making their marriage seemingly legal. Finally on October 19, 1469, they were married in the Palacio de los Vivero in the city of Valladolid. Read more . . .

Great Love Affairs That Changed the Course of History, Part Two

2011-12-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

In 1894, Marie met Pierre Curie, a noted French physicist and chemist eight years her senior and Professor at the School of Physics at the Sorbonne. Immediately bonding over their mutual interest in physical magnetism and their fondness for cycling, they began what many historians describe as “an extraordinary partnership and love affair that would earn them international renown and influence generations of scientists.” Marrying a year later in Sceaux, France, they invested the money they received as wedding gifts to buy new bicycles, and were often seen taking long, romantic rides together through the French countryside. Read more . . .

Great Love Affairs That Changed the Course of History, Part One

2011-12-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

After Julius Caesar’s murder in 44 BCE, Rome fell into civil war, a situation temporarily resolved by the formation of the second Roman Triumvirate comprised of Octavian (Caesar’s great-nephew and designated heir), Lepidus (a Roman statesman), and Mark Antony, who upon assuming administration of Rome’s eastern provinces, summoned Cleopatra to Tarsus in Asia Minor to answer charges of aiding his enemies. Intending to seduce Antony as she had Caesar, Cleopatra arrived on a magnificent river barge dressed as Venus, the Roman God of Love. Instantly smitten, Antony followed Cleopatra back to Alexandria, pledging to protect her life as well as Egypt. Read more . . .

The Legendary Elephant Graveyard: Does It Actually Exist?

2011-11-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

Popularized in films such as Trader Horn (1931), Tarzan and His Mate (1934), and referred to in more recent films like Walt Disney’s The Lion King (1994), the general premise surrounding the "elephant graveyard" involves greedy fortune seekers who attempt to locate the legendary graveyard to abscound with its vast assemblage of priceless ivory waiting there for the taking. But, is there evidence that such a place actually exists? Read more . . .

Thanksgiving: A Day of Thanks? The History Behind the History

2011-11-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

In the United States, Thanksgiving is often traced to 1619 Virginia, where colonists are said to have prompted a celebration on the anniversary of the colony’s settlement. Historic accounts show that in 1621, a feast of thanksgiving was also observed at Plymouth to acknowledge the Wampanoag Native Americans who’d helped the Pilgrims survive by providing food and seeds, and teaching them how to hunt and fish. However, according to several modern scholars, the first official "Thanksgiving Day," held in 1637, had little to do with giving thanks for a prosperous year. It actually celebrated the massacre of 700 Native American men, women and children attending their annual Green Corn Dance at what is now Groton, Connecticut. Read More . . .

Dr. Sex: Alfred Kinsey, His Life and Times

2011-11-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

It can be said to have all begun with bugs. Following a childhood fascination with insects, Alfred Kinsey chose a study of the gall wasp for his Doctor of Science dissertation after completing his degree in biology from Bowden College in Brunswick, Maine. Upon arriving at Harvard’s graduate school of biology in the fall of 1916, Kinsey set his sights on the social and reproductive habits of these tiny oak tree dwellers, eventually collecting several hundred thousand specimens. But more than just amassing a world-class collection of bugs, by the time of its completion, Kinsey had succeeded in establishing a remarkably meticulous methodology for assembling and analyzing data, a propensity for digging into a subject some characterized as “bordering on obsession,” and a personal conviction to prove that science is the ultimate link between humanity and truth. Read more . . .

Nymphomania: The Insatiable Need for Sex

2011-11-06T04:05:00.000-08:00

In 1948 the famous sex researcher Dr. Alfred Kinsey provided an element of scientific realism to the subject of nymphomania with the publication of his landmark studies of male and female sexuality (Kinsey Reports), describing a nymphomaniac as “someone who has more sex than you.” Kinsey basically concluded that terms like “nymphomania,” “over-sexed," and “hypersexuality,” had no scientific basis, contending that rates of sexual activity naturally vary widely among humans and that there is no readily distinguishable point past which the frequency (or infrequency) of sex becomes pathological (a disease). Read more . . .

South West Australia: Spotlight on Historic Deanmill

2011-10-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

At the turn of the 20th century, much of South West Australia remained little more than unexplored frontier. Although a budding settlement had been established near the coast at Perth in 1829, and numerous communities to the south had added to the burgeoning Swan River Colony, many settlers found the isolation and harsh conditions of frontier life too challenging, eventually deciding to go back home. While several industrious individuals had recognized the potential for fortunes to be made from the region’s sprawling hardwood forests, most who attempted it failed miserably. It wasn’t until the late 1870s when Maurice Coleman Davies succeeded almost single-handedly in creating a market and efficient lumber industry for karri and jarrah hardwoods, subsequently erecting sawmills at Coodardup, Karridale, Boranup, and Jarrahdene. Read more . . .

Snake Handling: Seeking God Amongst the Serpents

2011-10-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Snake handling (or serpent handling), is a religious ritual practiced today in a small number of Pentecostal churches of the US (predominantly but not limited to Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Ohio) and a few areas of Canada, that first became popularized in the early 20th century in remote areas of the Appalachian Mountain region, which then spread to regional coal mining towns. (Practitioners, or self-described “sign-followers,” prefer the term “serpent-handling” to “snake-handling” noting that they incorporate poisonous reptiles, not common snakes, into religious worship.) Though snake handling plays only a small part in the religious services of such churches, the fact that followers routinely handle rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins and other highly venomous snakes, has come to define them and their religion. And while always controversial, and in many areas illegal, the practice of snake handling shows no signs of disappearing from the traditional Appalachian landscape. Read more . . .

Herbs That Promote Prostate Health

2011-08-22T04:18:00.000-07:00

What do these well-known men all have in common? Actor Bill Bixby, poet Robert Frost, novelist Langston Hughes, 1960s counterculture icon Timothy Leary, poet Pablo Neruda, actor Jerry Orbach, Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, guitarist Johnny Ramone, actor Telly Savalas, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau, and musician Frank Zappa. Yes, they all died from prostate cancer.
Although cancer of the prostate is certainly not a new disease (though until recent years was rarely openly discussed), many specialists in this field note what they believe to be a sharp increase in incidence of this often-deadly illness. Read more . . .

Herbs That Boost Testosterone

2011-08-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

From the time of birth, testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as the testis and prostate, as well as contributes to behavioral patterns and sense of individuality. In adolescence, testosterone is responsible for promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle, bone mass, penis and gonad size, sperm development, facial and pubic hair, a deeper voice, and of course, sex drive. Read more . . .

Kosher, Iodized, Sea: What's the Salty Difference?

2011-08-07T04:34:00.000-07:00

“Kosher” salt, (a term recognized as primarily American in usage), is a variety of edible salt with a much larger grain size than that of most common table salt. Like common table salt, kosher salt consists of the chemical compound sodium chloride, but unlike table salt, kosher salt typically contains no additives such as iodine–although some brands include anti-clumping agents in small amounts. (The Salt Institute, located in Alexandria, VA, claims "Kosher salt contains no additives".) Read more . . .

Herbs That Promote Ear Health

2011-07-19T02:34:00.000-07:00

A middle-ear infection is one of the most common and troublesome childhood health issues, and is often a baby’s first significant illness. Often seeming to establish a life-long trend, chronic ear infections can plague many individuals, leading to a near-endless succession of doctor visits and medications. With ear illness and hearing problems exacerbated by exposure to loud noises, high fever, nerve damage, infection, drug use, and smoking, more and more herbalists, nutritionists, and medical specialists are advocating the use of particular herbs known to cure common ear ailments, maintain good ear health, and prevent or reduce the progression of hearing loss. Read more . . .

Herbs That Promote Eye Health

2011-07-19T02:19:00.000-07:00

For at least 2000 years, various herbs have been utilized throughout the world to promote eye health–consumed regularly to prevent failing eyesight, and prepared as topical infusions to treat everything from common eye strain to glaucoma. While there is little modern evidence to support many of the documented and anecdotal claims concerning some of these traditional herbal remedies, others have gained considerable supported from the medical community in recent years, scientifically recognized as containing healthful substances that can indeed prevent or treat eye ailments, and support overall eye health. Read more . . .

Popeye: Cartoon Icons of American TV

2011-06-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Created by American cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar, Popeye (also Popeye the Sailor) first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929, billed as a Betty Boop cartoon. (According to the official Popeye website, Popeye is 34 years old and was born in a typhoon off Santa Monica, California.) In 1933, Fleischer Studios adapted the Thimble Theatre character and his cartoon buddies into a series of Popeye the Sailor animated shorts for Paramount Pictures shown in movie theaters. These first Popeye shorts introduced the now-famous "I’m Popeye the Sailor Man,” song written by Sammy Lerner (loosely based on the "Pirate King" song in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, The Pirates of Penzance, that would eventually become Popeye’s theme song). Read more . . .

Erectile Dysfunction: Current Options and Answers

2011-06-24T04:22:00.000-07:00

As most adults are aware, treatment for men unable to achieve a natural erection took a giant step forward when the first oral erectile dysfunction (ED) medication, Viagra, hit the market in 1998. Easy to use, fast-acting, and predictable, Viagra–and now a whole host of similar drugs–has added an entirely new dimension to the sex lives of the many men who’d thought that sex would have to remain just a pleasant memory of younger days. But as effective as Viagra is for countless men, it is not the answer for all men suffering erectile dysfunction--for a wide variety of reasons. And it is for those reasons that science continues to explore other options; vastly improving less effective options from the past, while seeking new approaches that may be effective for every man in the future. Read more . . .

The Enteromammary Pathway: A Baby's Secret Weapon

2011-06-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

While for several decades breastfeeding and the importance of breast milk fell out of favor across much of the world with the advent of baby formula, few have ever denied the many health benefits mothers’ own milk provides. Recognized as the biological and sociological norm for humans, experts today emphasize that breastfeeding is the superior, species-specific nourishment for infants; one that cannot be artificially replicated or replaced. And no sooner would we expect an elephant to feed its offspring horses’ milk, nothing–not cows’ milk nor prepared formula–can do what a human mother’s own breast milk can do for her baby. Read more . . .

Bugs Bunny: Cartoon Icons of American TV

2011-06-19T04:28:00.000-07:00

The brainchild of cartoon director Tex Avery, Bugs Bunny is a world-famous cartoon character who starred in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated films produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became Warner Bros. Recognized by his trademark carrot, quick and often ironic whit, and his love for costumes, Bugs Bunny has been part of American pop culture for over 70 years, voted the "greatest cartoon character of all time" by TV Guide. Starring in 167 film shorts during the Golden Age of American animation (as well as appearing in several non-animated films including Space Jam and Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Bugs evolved from a less developed character who first appeared in the 1938 Warner Brothers cartoon Porky’s Hare Hunt. Read more . . .

The Pros and Cons of Male Circumcision: the Debate Continues

2011-06-13T13:39:00.001-07:00

If you’re one of those who thinks the need for male circumcision is a forgone, scientific conclusion, think again. In fact, the issue of male circumcision is as controversial as it ever was, with a wider and wider gap forming between those health professionals who advocate it and those who don’t. And while there are well-known religious, social, and medical reasons why circumcision is often recommended, most major medical societies have now taken an impartial view of the procedure, neither recommending nor renouncing the practice. Read more . . .

The Practice and Method of Shrinking Heads

2011-06-10T06:20:00.000-07:00

Thought to harness the spirit of an enemy and compel him to serve the desires of the “shrinker,” the practice of shrinking heads originally held a spiritual significance. While head "hunting" is a practice documented in many areas of the world including ancient China, Mesoamerica, India, Japan, the Amazon, and various parts of Africa, the only known head shrinkers are a group of indigenous people from the northwestern region of the Amazon rainforest (Ecuador and Peru) collectively known as the Jivaroan peoples. Their most notorious tribe, the Shuar, live at the headwaters of the Marañón River. Read more . . .

Female Herbs: Herbs Just for Her

2011-06-07T02:41:00.000-07:00

Through the centuries, various cultures around the world have not only discovered that plants fall into categories in terms of their biological sex (with male and female plants often having completely different curative properties from one another), but that plants can also be categorized by which sex they best serve: female or male. Thus, certain herbs are routinely designated as “female herbs.” The following herbs have traditionally been singled out by many societies around the world as having curative and medicinal properties especially geared to a woman’s body; herbs specifically effective in treating female reproductive conditions for a wide range of women regardless of age, ethnicity, or cultural heritage. Read more . . .

Share Our Strength: No Kid Hungry

2011-06-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Share Our Strength is a national non-profit organization whose primary mission is to end childhood hunger in the United States (by 2015) and abroad by mobilizing industries and individuals, and by creating community wealth to promote lasting and permanent change. To this end, Share Our Strength holds annual culinary events, solicits individual donations, and utilizes social media in efforts to raise funds for long-term solutions to the hunger problem. Founded in 1984 by brother and sister Billy and Debbie Shore, Share Our Strength initially focused on looking for long-term solutions to what they deemed “seemingly eternal problems.” During those early years, Share Our Strength focused almost exclusively on fundraising, and granted its funds out entirely to other nonprofit organizations who would then do the actual charitable work. Read more . . .

Abandoned Towns and Cities of the United States

2011-06-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

If you stray from the beaten path while traversing America, you’ll undoubtedly come across one of the country’s thousands of abandoned towns and cities, what many call “ghost towns,” hidden within the forgotten fabric of the land. An especially prominent feature of the American West, abandoned towns constitute forsaken ideas and ideals, misguided ventures and adventures, untold natural disasters, and the end result of changing times and shifting timelines. Indeed, these ghostly remains of what once was serve as stark reminders of the physical realities of our not-to-distant past, while directing us to consider the future. Read more . . .