The Imp of the Perverse

The Imp of the Perverse

Edgar Allan Poe wrote a short story called “The Imp of the Perverse,” in which the narrator identifies his urge to act recklessly as caused by a creature he calls Imp. This is a radical and primitive impulse within all humans. The Imp is the little fellow who advises...
I Hate Spam

I Hate Spam

I really hate spam phone calls and one of my weaknesses is that I’m really rude to unsolicited calls. Recently I picked up a call from an unknown number and growled, “Call me again and I’ll slit your throat and throw your headless body in the lake.” After a very...
How You Die

How You Die

There are many ways to die. You could be impaled by a swordfish, brained by a coconut or crushed under a falling pile of coffins at your mortuary business. You could eat yourself to death like King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, or you could drink a lethal amount of...
Family Motto

Family Motto

My family always chooses a motto for the year, such as “always act on a generous impulse,” or “how you do one thing is how you do everything.” Our motto for this year was from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” A motto is a...

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