A few miles from Miami Beach there is a newly constructed artificial reef. What makes this reef worth mentioning is that some of the cement/concrete formations in the reef are made from the ashes of cremated people who paid special fees for the peculiar burial.

Some disturbing news: There are evidently millions of heroin addicts in Russia. Statistics indicate that Russia leads all other nations in heroin consumption.

Historians and literary doyens (real word) claim that Herman Melville’s Moby Dick was based on actual events involving a particular sperm whale that repeatedly attacked and sank boats by ramming with his head. I might mention that the head of an adult sperm whale typically makes up almost one-third of its total weight (the mammal can exceed 90,000 pounds) – a formidable weapon.

Most of my readers are aware that I never intend to alarm, but I must inform that our moon is shrinking. Scientists claim that they have irrefutable evidence that our natural satellite has shrunk hundreds of feet in diameter during the last billion years. Our nearest astronomical body is not losing mass, but it is contracting due to core cooling.

Do any of your local streets have large potholes that can cause driving to be a dangerous undertaking? I should imagine that your local street problems pale when compared to what began as a “noticeable depression” in Guatemala City. On May 30, 2010 the depression collapsed and left a cavity more than 100 feet deep and almost 70 feet across. The Director of City Work Crews promised to put the street repair on his “to do” list. Signs and barricades are likely already in place.

Are you considering a new career? Some say it is never too late. Vincent van Gogh was 27 years old before he began to draw or paint. Famous artist Grandma Moses had given birth to ten children and was in her 70’s (she did not recall the exact age) when she first started painting. You should be so fortunate as to own a Vincent van Gogh or a Grandma Moses work of art today.

Long before Alfred Nobel became noted for his explosives, an Italian chemist named Ascanio Sobrero (in 1847) produced what must have been nitroglycerine. The awesome power of the mixture horrified Ascanio and he stopped all work on the discovery. Well, you may want to get out tonight and gaze upon our moon before it gets any smaller, but in any case – have a great week.