I have been a compulsive talker. To some, it might be my greatest asset; to others, my biggest flaw. Value judgments aside, it’s fair to say the Amazon Queen’s bestowing upon me the nickname Jabber Jaw is perfectly justified. Certainly, I’m almost never at a loss for words. In fact, ...

Jeane Dixon, arguably America’s most famous “psychic,” hit the spotlight by predicting JFK’s assassination. OK, so she didn’t honestly predict it — instead, she did it in perfect “psychic” fashion: In a 1956 Parade magazine article she wrote that the 1960 presidential ...

“I’m tellin’ ya, Dope, this is gonna be a mess like no one here has ever seen,” he said. “And like they ain’t ever gonna see again either.” He took another slurp from the bottle, dribbled some, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and went on. “And don’t go ...

While you probably have no idea who Jean Robert-Houdin was, you might think there’s something remotely familiar about his name. And there is, since that’s who Houdini (born Erich Weisz) took his stage name from. So who was Jean Robert-Houdin? He was a 19th century French magician, ...

Q: Since the major things in my life — family, friends, health — are A-OK, what could I possibly complain about? A: The minor things, of course. Ultimately, I know I can handle all the big disappointments, reversals and losses. Sure, I’ll pay some dues, but I will get back on track, ...

When I was in my 30s, given the arrogance of Youth, I thought all the good things in my life would last forever, the bad things would be gone as soon as they came, and I had an infinite amount of time left. As I said, arrogant. Now, 40-plus years later, my attitude has changed more than a ...