Topic: Culture & Society

Edmund Hillary, who passed away last month, was the first person to climb Mount Everest. He's now being honored by having the motion picture "Back From The Edge" dedicated to him.

Canadian businessman, Werner Berger, is the oldest North American to have summitted Mount Everest, and the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents (known as the Seven Summits). Berger credits famed mountaineer, Edmund Hillary as the inspiration for overcoming "the impossible." In 1953, along with his climbing partner Tenzing Norgay, Hillary climbed up the now famous, "Hillary Steps" and reached the summit of Mount Everest.

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Edmund Hillary on the summit Of Everest.

Matchmaking experts share 10 tips on making your Valentine's Day the best yet.

As February unfolds with all its red-hued glory, focusing on one's own personal state of romance is hard to avoid. And, as many would agree, waiting for serendipity to strike or for Cupid's bow to hit the target of your affection is hardly the best or remotely realistic way to amp up your love life.

A new study of eyewitness reports published in assassinationresearch.com has revealed a major discrepancy between the actual sequence of events these witnesses observed and the sequence presented in home movies of the assassination known as the Zapruder film and the Nix film. The witnesses reported that a motorcycle patrolman rode forward to the lead car to advise the Chief of Police that the President had been shot. Neither film shows it.

The editor of Assassination Research, James H. Fetzer, Ph.D., has announced the discovery of new proof that the home movies of the assassination of JFK known as the Zapruder film and a second known as the Nix film are fakes. (The Nix film was taken from the opposite side looking toward "the grassy knoll.") Both were subject to extensive alteration to fabricate evidence of the crime and keep the truth about the sequence of events in Dealey Plaza from the American people. Fetzer, McKnight Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, observed that the films are authentic only if the visible events they record correspond to the actual sequence of events at the time. "This proof is based upon the convergent testimony of motorcycle patrolmen, members of the Secret Service, and the Dallas Chief of Police," said Fetzer. "That it contradicts the official account of the assassination recorded in the films qualifies as a major breakthrough."

On Dec. 26, 2007, Amy Gold of http://www.allbutforgottenoldies.net interviewed author and photographer Deborah Chesher by telephone about her recent book, Everybody I Shot Is Dead.

Editor's note: We were saddened this week by the death of "the fool on the hill," Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. To be honest, our grief was brought on not so much by the fact that he was a pioneer in the movement to bring Eastern style meditation to the West, but because he was so much a part of our 60s counter-cultural history. We would like to imagine that the Maharishi and George Harrison are somewhere in Nirvanaland, blissfully meditating together.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2008, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi died at the age of 91 (most qualified estimation, as Maharishi never did officially confirm his birth date). Born around January 12, 1917 in Jabalpur, India, Maharishi became a disciple of the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math in the Himalayas in his early twenties. This led him onto his creation and ongoing development of the world famous "Transcendental Meditation" technique and the "Maharishi Vedic Science" (his scientific commentary and translation of the ancient Vedic scriptures).

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Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the front cover of
Time Magazine on October 13, 1975.

Body piercings and tattoos are becoming more common, particularly young people. But both current and prospective employees may want to think twice before revealing body art in a professional setting.

The brow, lip, nose or tongue – piercings are becoming more common, and likewise, tattoos are more prominent. But both current and prospective employees may want to think twice before revealing body art in a professional setting.

At least in the U.S., people are spending more time surfing the web or playing video games and less time enjoying nature.

From backyard gardening to mountain climbing, outdoor activities are on the wane as people around the world spend more leisure time online or in front of the tube, according to findings published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

These little trivia articles are a guilty pleasure of ours. Here you'll find more than you wanted to know about kissing.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, here is some kissing trivia compliments of Elisa Mello, DDS, clinical assistant professor at NYU College of Dentistry and a partner in New York-based NYC Smile Design, a practice that specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry:

"Heart of the Beholder," the movie that Reverend Donald Wildmon's National Federation for Decency doesn't want anyone to see, will be used as a fundraising tool for the St. Charles (Missouri) High School's Drama Department.

The St. Charles (Missouri) High School's Drama Department is raising production and theater renovation funds with the help of the controversial movie Heart of the Beholder. Heart of the Beholder has won more Best Feature Film awards on the independent film festival circuit than any other indie movie ever, but distributors are afraid that it is too controversial for the general public.

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Although the Dems won't be playing much of a role in the Florida primary, we all learned in 2000 that The Sunshine State can make or break you in national elections. Besides, there are other states where the demographics skew old - so we might as well learn how to act.

While much attention has focused on getting out the youth vote, especially in places like Iowa and Michigan, in the upcoming Florida primary the focus of the candidates needs to embrace and understand older Americans, according to Ann A. Fishman, an expert on the habits of different generations.