Johnny Appleseed

JULIE BURCHILL: This isn't a redemptive riches-to-rags tale in which I end up broke and humble. When I was 25, I stopped watching price tags, and at 63, nothing has changed - if I want something, I'll have it. My nearest and dearest will tell you that I am many things, punctual, spiteful, am amusing, but that none of them would ever say I was intelligent. Particularly when it comes to money. For a large portion of my adult life, I have been in the red, preaching the simple-come, easy-goal theory of financial abundance; it has been a rollercoaster for my financial journey. But as the fast ride comes to an end, I'll look back and marvel at how fortunate I've been. Why did I never go bankrupt?Why aren't I living on the streets? It could have been so straightforward. I wasn't born into money: my parents were factory employees, but they were very generous. After an experiment in which more than 200 'players' could choose to keep the money or give all or part of it to another, anonymous, player, a research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered that there is a 'generosity gene.' Following DNA analysis, it was discovered that those who had a variant of the AVPR1a gene received more money than others. Scientists describe the sensation that people get after giving time and/or money for the benefit of others as 'givers' glow,' which occurs when a portion of the brain is flooded with dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins.

The plaque depicting a Ku Klux Klan member (left) was ordered to be demolished by the Naming Commission, which was an arm of the Department of Defense that is charged with reviewing and upgrading military assets that honor Confederate figures. Although the plaque's fate is uncertain because the Naming Commission has no information regarding non-Confederate figures and the US Army has declined to say whether or not they'll follow the order, West Point defended the monument. The plaque, according to a prestigious academy, is only a small part of a larger bronze mural (right) depicting both the good and evil of American history. Laura Gardin Fraser (inset), an American sculptor who was hired to design the panels and wanted to create art that represented the principal events of that time, thereby capturing both tragedy and triumph in our nation's history.'

The engraving at the prestigious military academy, which is located in Upstate New York, 50 miles north of New York City, is part of a massive mural depicting various aspects of US history on one of the country's oldest campus buildings. The sprawling display, which was carved into three bronze plaques that adorned the structure's entrance, features a variety of images associated with Americana, including photographs of Civil War-era plantations and the Founding Fathers. The installation, which was more than a half-century old, was one of hundreds of structures flagged in a report issued by the Congressional Naming Commission on Monday, which was a task force established by Congress last year to send suggestions to the Department of Defense (DOD) on renaming US military installations associated with the rebel army. The paper was primarily devoted to Confederate markers at both West Point and the US Naval Academy in Maryland, and officials quoted over a dozen buildings between both bases, most of which depict Confederate figures such as Robert E. Lee. However, the commission has decided that it would not request the removal of the KKK decoration, which decorates the entrance of the Bartlett Hall Science Center, just months after the Civil War, and therefore falls outside of its jurisdiction. Rather, the commission has simply recommended that it be taken down. The sentiment has since sparked outrage around the world, with Americans pointing out the absurdity of a group that can freely nix names connected to their nation's history but not have the authority to remove an explicitly racist artifact. Despite being built in 1937, DailyMail.com shows the other aspects of the plaque, which also includes non-racist photos of important abolitionists and historical female figures, such as Clara Barton and Susan B. Anthony.