I invite you to begin your journey through the Museum, to awaken the naturalist within you, and to discover the glorious and fascinating richness of the world and the universe in which we live.
—Ellen Futter, President, American Museum of Natural History

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States of America, was a dedicated naturalist and a great friend of the American Museum of Natural History. These quotations are inscribed inside the Roosevelt Memorial Rotunda at the Museum.

And the following, The Man in the Arena, was part of a speech given by Roosevelt on April 23, 1910:

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive valiantly; who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spend themselves in a worthy cause; who at the best, know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt

Delight in the quest for knowledge, truth and vision with the American Museum of Natural History.

Meet one of the men behind the Museum who continues to inspire naturalists today.

It's 3:15 on the corner of Broadway and Viola... opening program is just getting started. School is back in session and that means it's time for the UrbanPromise AfterSchool program. Three sites will be operating this fall in Eastside, Downtown and South Camden, providing homework help, arts & crafts, field trips and a solid Christian fellowship. Want to know more?...

Today's the day. The interns have arrived. Each fall, 10-20 college students commit to one year of service at UrbanPromise to assist in the day-to day operation of the year-round programs. From ministry and devotions to community service and academics, the opportunities to learn and grow along with the life of UrbanPromise are nothing short of life changing. More about internships...

Go to celebrate red apple pickings and go to harvest ripeness of dreams; The moon is hanging in pear-tree branches like a golden boat...
—Zuzanna Ginczanka (Jewish poet, 1917-1944)

Saturday, September 7, 2002 is start of the Jewish year 5763. The Jewish holiday, Rosh HaShanah, actually begins today at sundown. This particular start of the new year, one of several new years celebrated in the Jewish calendar, marks the 6th day of creation when God created man; a birthday of sorts for the people of the world. The festival originates from the idea that God becomes a king over man (Adam) on this day, so it is considered a "coronation ceremony" with both a solemn and joyful attitude.

The name "Rosh HaShanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday. The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom HaZikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25. More information.

Instead of the Gregorian calendar, the Jewish calendar follows the lunar phases, as calculated and introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar. The system proved so popular that it remained a fixture well beyond fall of the Roman Empire. Catholic Europe used it for 15 centuries and Protestant England for an additional 200 years, while the state of Israel and its descendants continue to follow the Julian system today.

Go stargazing tonight: there's a new moon, so the stars will be more visible and brilliant. Visit StarDate to find out why 1752 AD was the shortest year in England.

Learn more about the upcoming month of Tishrei.

Baking soda doesn't burn. Heating it releases carbon dioxide which doesn't burn either. That's why baking soda is sprinkled on grease and oil fires to put them out.
—Don Herbert (aka Mr. Wizard)

Fresh from Chronicle Books, it's The Worse-Case Scenario Survival Handbook. Here's the one guide we all need for those sticky situations that make your hair stand on end. Or at least that's what it seems like when we're at the movies. From breaking down a door to jumping rooftops like in the Matrix, this is one set of Boy Scout tips that won't disappoint. See for yourself.

1. Hang onto the reins, but do not pull them back hard to stop the camel. (Yanking on the reins can tear the camel's nose or break the reins.)
2. If the camel has sturdy reins and a head halter, pull the reins to one side to make the camel run in a circle.
3. Hold on until the camel stops. (Whether the camel is running in circles or straight, it will not run very far. Simply hang on until the camel slows and sits down.)

This is serious stuff. So the next time you need to jump from a building into a dumpster, survive a riptide or remove a leech, you'll know the proper technique for any situation (respectively: land flat on your back, swim parallel to shore and detach the anterior and posterior sucker from the skin). Just thought you'd like to know.

Reserve your afternoon jaunt (or run) for the next time you're visiting the House of Saud.

Discover another miracle guide to life's quirky challenges, Hints from Heloise.

I've just accepted a position at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. As of Monday, September 23, I'll be a production assistant in the National Center for Science Literacy, Education and Technology. Find out more...

"I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close." —Henry David Thoreau

Alan Webber and William Taylor are up to something. Issue #62 of their brainchild, Fast Company, came onto this month's newsstands with a vengeance... not to mention a major facelift, both in the focus of its design and content. Here's what they had to say:


Back in 1995, when we launched Fast Company, our most valuable asset was our originality. Today, nearly seven years later, the conversation about business has changed, which is why we are making some exciting changes. The issue that you hold in your hands represents the most important creative development at the magazine since its debut.


Webber and Taylor went on to explain the full extent of the stuff that changed (new logo, cover strategy, departments and columnists) and the stuff that stayed the same (value system, coverage philosophy, innovation). That's the watered-down, cliffnotes version of what they said. Here's some nominees for best highlights of the September issue:

• Best Department Makeover: Next, the artist formerly known as RFTF (starts page 35)
• Best Photograph: Geof Kern's 9/11/02 (page 59)
• Best Column: husband and wife team Anne Kreamer and Kurt Andersen (page 76)
• Best Advice: #8. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but be sure to fix them faster than you make them (page 116)

Pick up a copy for the full effect, or read the whole thing online.


Contrast moving forward with FC's alter-ego, F***ed Company, the "Onion" of the business world.