With Halloween just a couple of weeks away, I felt now would be a great time to begin spotlighting some of the many hotels across the United States that are purportedly haunted, much like I did last year. We begin with the Hay-Adams Hotel, a luxury hotel situated in Washington D.C. It occupies the site where the 1885 homes of John Hay and Henry Adams once stood at 16th and H Streets NW. The site soon became a bustling scene of intellectual activity, hosting stimulating discussions about art, science, literature, and politics. Famous guests included Mark Twain, Henry James, and Teddy Roosevelt. Hay had quite the resume. He served as a personal secretary to President Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and Secretary of State under Presidents William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt. Adams was a historian and Harvard professor, not to mention a descendant of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Both men were also accomplished writers. In 1927, Harry War...

I am so sick and tired of this blowhard. This egomaniac. This pathological liar. And it has nothing to do with his positions on the issues that matter most to the American people, from the economy to foreign affairs, which he fails to elaborate on regardless. I've just grown weary of seeing and hearing him every time I tune into Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and virtually every other news outlet. These stations are having a field day with this guy. They're ostensibly willing to give him all the exposure he craves in return for a ratings boost. He's nothing short of ubiquitous. They mention him on everything from awards shows like The Oscars to Saturday Night Live. And more likely than not, you've heard someone at work or at the local grocery store chatting about Trump. If we're sick of him now, the thought of seeing him in the Oval Office for four long years no doubt sends chills down our spine. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've never seen the medi...

On this day in 1784, future President Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) is born in Barboursville, Virginia. Surprisingly, despite Taylor's impressive resume, most Americans know little about him. A distant relative of America's fourth president, James Madison, Taylor served valiantly in the War of 1812, the Blackhawk War (1832), second Seminole War (1835-1837), and Mexican-American War (1846-1848), after which he ran for the presidency. The biggest controversy involving Taylor is the cause of his death, which continues to be debated to this day. On a searing Fourth of July in Washington D.C., he downed a large quantity of iced milk and cherries, followed by a few glasses of water. Some historians believe the water or milk may have been tainted with bacteria, causing him to contract cholera. (Outbreaks of cholera were common in Washington D.C. at time.) Others claim that he died of gastroenteritis, typhoid fever, or food poisoning. No evidence of foul play was ever found. Tay...

I live in South Florida, which is widely known for its scorching summers and relatively warm winters. Most people would agree that it feels like summer year-round here. One common complaint among South Floridians is that it never quite feels like Christmas, as people generally associate the holidays with cold weather. I would surmise that most people throughout the country yearn for whatever kind of weather they get little of. New Yorkers and Bostonians surely get tired of being inundated with snow, while heat-loathing Floridians like me yearn for the opportunity to dust off their sweaters and coats once in a while. Granted, I'm all for light snow, but heavy snowstorms -- the kind that keep people holed up at home and force them to shovel snow from their driveway for days on end -- are something I'd rather not deal with. If I have to choose between this and a blistering South Florida afternoon, I'd opt for the latter. (At least I can find respite from the heat in an air...