The Roman Empire was the most powerful, far reaching, and longest-running empire of the last 2000 years. It once stretched from North Africa to Scotland, from the Atlantic well into Asia. It was centered in modern-day Europe and ended with the abdication of Francis II in 1806 – following nearly a millennium of rule in Europe.

Public comments that spark outrage in the Muslim world are nothing new. But when the comments come from the spiritual leader of more than one billion Catholics, the world sits up and takes notice – as well it should.

Picture a boy dangling from meat hooks, his flesh torn by the hooks jabbed into his backside. This shocking image could come straight from Dante's Inferno, or from a woodcut depicting prisoners tortured in the deep, dark dungeons of a medieval castle. But this modern young man's wounds are self-inflicted — a bizarre example of the new-age art form of self-mutilation.

Hospital emergency rooms all across the United States are in crisis, according to a National Public Radio segment aired on June 15, 2006. In many overcrowded emergency rooms, sick and injured people not in imminent danger of death may sometimes await treatment for hours – or even days. What is the cause of this problem, and what should you be doing to prepare for a health emergency?

The entire world is abuzz about the blockbuster book by Dan Brown, and the movie version, which recently hit theaters worldwide. Critics have excoriated the film, but people seem to be fascinated by it and are attending in droves.

Recently, as I waited for a laboratory technician to take care of some lab work, I overheard her chatting with another patient. The patient asked:

"Have you read the DaVinci Code?"

"Yes," she replied, "It was fascinating!"

"Will you go to see the movie?" he asked.