Russian authorities accused a U.S. diplomat of spying. Nabbing him and an arsenal of covert tools, they were surprised to find that his spy kit looked more like Austin Powers' than James Bond's.

Among the items confiscated by Russia's Federal Security Service were a couple of really hairy wigs, which would make a spy stand out among the crew-cut Russian population. But even if he sticks out like a sore thumb in the street, a great big wig could help hide his face from security cameras. They also found several pairs of sunglasses, none of which were equipped with any high tech Things like cameras or listening devices.

The diplomat also had a map of Moscow in his possession. A paper map. But if you think about it, the paper map makes sense if you don't want to use a smart phone to inquire about sensitive installations in the city. And since he clearly wasn't using GPS to find his way to secret locations, he also had an old fashioned compass.

Authorities also found a recruitment letter and piles of cash. Keeping the cash I can understand: after all, you can't just drop a huge load of foreign currency in your bank without a few eyebrows being raised. But why hold onto the recruitment letter? A souvenir? Was he going to frame it and hang it in his study when he came home? Some Things might turn out to be a bit higher tech than the Things in Austin Powers' spy kit after all. The diplomat also had a couple of untraceable SIM cards, a keyholder with a what seems to be a radio scanner, an RFID shield and some pepper spray, which might have been a defense against aggressive stray dogs that roam the streets of the city.

Except for the letter, I'd say it would be hard to prove the diplomat a spy. After all, I own most of those Things myself. And so do some of you!

See you next week,
Bobby

Every Friday before Mother's Day, there's a little-known holiday that I believe everyone should know about. It's Military Spouse Day. These are the unsung heroes that keep the home front together while their soldiers - our soldiers - are stationed in faraway places.

Being a military spouse means spending a lot of time without your partner by your side. It means being responsible for home and family essentially by yourself. It means waiting and watching for the next leave. It means watching the news with anxiety and dread while trying to keep Things at home as normal as possible.

A friend of mine calls it "being married to the military" because her life is directed by the needs of the country first. She's moved six times and her husband has been stationed in some of the hottest fighting zones in the world over the last decade. Now he's about to retire and come home to stay. She is, of course, overjoyed. But if you ask her if she regrets the long nights of worry and waiting, she simply says, "This is how I serve my country."

To me, she and all the people married to the military are heroes, too. They work and raise the family and wait and watch and worry. Their sacrifices are enormous and go mostly unnoticed. So the next time you see one of these homebound heroes, raise a salute to the Things they give so that their soldiers can give all.

See you next week,
Bobby

Today is the day when all true believers are encouraged to share experiences and beliefs about paranormal activity. Do you believe in ghosts? UFOs? Magicians (of the Merlin variety)? Seers and psychics and prophets? If you do, you are not alone. About half the people in the U.S. believe in someThing inexplicable -- Things we group together under one big umbrella called the "paranormal."

Para means "alongside, contrary, irregular," and normal means "typical, common, in conformity with rule," so paranormal means, literally, anyThing outside the norm. The word was coined at the beginning of the 20th century, perhaps to fit an ever more complicated culture in which the very reality of every single Thing from a common stone to the human soul was in constant debate while science and technology took giant leaps forward again and again.

Today most people use the word paranormal to describe Things that science can't explain. Seems to me that's a pretty big area for one word to cover. Because there are a wide variety of Things that science can't explain. Some will eventually be understood. Like UFOs. And then they won't be paranormal anymore. But some Things might not be penetrable by science. Like ghosts. So they'll stay spookily outside the norm forever.

I love science and I love it when a new theory yields a new understanding of the universe. But I also like the idea that we can't - and probably never will - understand every single Thing. I like believing that UFOs travel here from distant worlds, soaring from galaxy to galaxy on some unimaginably advanced technology. And that ghosts are spirits of beings that inhabited this world before me. And that psychics really can see someThing the rest of us can't. I won't be crushed if science explains all these Things away, but until it does, I'm glad we have Paranormal Day to celebrate all Things "alongside, contrary and irregular."

See you next week,
Bobby

Sitting at a desk can be mind-numbingly boring. After only a couple of hours, your brain craves either a nap or a little recreational stimulus. But sleeping and/or wandering the corridors to see what your coworkers are up to can get you in trouble with your boss. To break the tedium of staring at your unfinished work, I found five Things everyone should have on their desks.

1. A good puzzle: Cubebot is a new take on a cube puzzle. Constructed of wood and elastic bands, you can pose Cubebot in a stance that says, "Hey, come on in for a chat!" Or in a forbidding posture that warns, "I'm having a bad day, go away!" And if your boss catches you playing with Cubebot, just tell her you're busy "thinking outside the box."

2. SomeThing to stare at: Our Tornado Fountain is just the Thing for mesmerizing yourself and your visitors. Water swirls in the glass container, creating a little tornado on your desk. All you add is some water and a vacant stare for hours of desktop fun.

3. Bugs: It's always fun to watch others work, especially a whole colony of others. With the ingenious Ant Farm Revolution, you can watch the busy little bugs go about their day just as in any other ant farm. The twist here is the projection light that lets you lean back and relax in your chair while you watch them labor on your ceiling.

4. A good clock: When it seems like the comfort of your couch is light years away, the last Thing you want to miss is quitting time! But that doesn't mean you have to put some boring old clock on your desk. The Galaxy Clock is powered by hidden magnets which move the planets around the sun. If you're going to watch the clock, why not ponder the mysteries of the universe at the same time?

5. SomeThing to make you laugh: The Humerous Funny Bone is cleverly named and armed with corny, but hysterically funny jokes. It's activated by a simple clap of the hands. If you're bored out of your skull, just clap your hands for some instant relief. It's also good for long, boring meetings. Just stand up, put your hands together and let Funny Bone end the meeting for you!

Hope this helps you entertain yourself at work. I have to run now. The universe tells me it's time for lunch and my stomach agrees. See you next week!
Bobby

The Man of Steel is celebrating his 75th birthday. He made his debut in DC's "Action Comics," No. 1 on April 18, 1938. The cover price was ten cents and back then Superman was the only superhero on the scene. So what is the world's first superhero going to do to celebrate his birthday? Release a new comic and movie, of course!

"Superman Unchained," drawn by DC co-publisher Jim Lee and written by Scott Syder, is a new take on an old hero. The story's mystery confounds both Clark Kent and Superman and introduces a new super villain. Snyder says our hero faces psychological and emotional forces equal to the physical forces that are “ready to almost split the Earth." I can't wait to read it!

The comic book will be released two days before the new movie, "Man of Steel," which premiers June 14. The trailer alone generated so much buzz it's tough to dig through the all the news items and blogger speculations to find the important Things about the new Superman film. Like this article explaining "five mysteries" presented in the three-minute preview -- without any real spoilers that might ruin our big screen fun.

I'm pretty excited about the new Superman. It seems the writers have found that Kryptonite isn't the superhero's only weakness. In fact, his true weakness is one he shares with most of humanity. But I don't want to be a spoiler, so that's the only Thing I'll say about that!

See you next week!
Bobby

I'm addicted to CBS' reimagining of Sherlock Holmes in the hit series "Elementary." It casts Johnny Lee Miller as Sherlock, a recovering heroin addict and the delectable Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson, his sober companion. The two serve as consultants to the New York Police Department, helping the police solve crimes with Sherlock's uncanny deductive reasoning skills and Dr. Watson's medical experience.

The stories twist and turn and twist again, presenting the viewer with something completely different than the garden variety TV mystery, which I can usually solve within the first five minutes of the show. No, "Elementary" doesn't let us off that easily. Just when you think the professor's battered wife and her lover killed him, you find out he staged his own murder to get back at the adulterers for their affair. Or when you think Sherlock has no friends, no attachments and no emotions, he kidnaps one of Moriarty's minions to avenge the death of the woman he loved.

In keeping with the Holmes legend, Sherlock is part detective, part magician and part criminal. His observational and deductive skills are superhuman. He can escape any bonds, pick any lock, crack any safe. In recent episodes, Dr. Watson decided to leave her work as a sober companion to become a detective herself. The show is so compelling, it nearly makes me want to do the same. And I probably would...if only I could apprentice with Sherlock Holmes!

Observe the details. See you next week,
Bobby

It's motorcycle season and whether your a rider or not, you've got to be ready. Soon there will be a lot more bikes on the road and drivers have to be ready because it's harder to spot motorcycle than a car. During riding season, we really have to remember to watch for them. Driving Today has some great tips on getting ready for motorcycle season here.

But safety is important for bikers, too. Your bike should be in good working order. That means in addition to the oil change and wash and wax, we need to make sure all of our lights are working, inspect our brakes for wear, check the chain or belt and have a look at those tires. And don't forget to check all the nuts and bolts to make sure your bike is tight and ready to ride!

Now that safety is taken care of, time to get your riding gear on and find somewhere to go! Motorcycle Rides is my favorite web site for finding great riding roads. In addition to the common roads, I found this little-known ride. It starts in Vero Beach and ends at the Cherry Pocket Fish Camp, which I had never even heard of! You can search for great rides by state and distance and they even have international riding roads.

Happy riding and be safe out there. See you next week,
Bobby

Gadgets are good. But good gadgets are even better. You can buy Things that do almost anyThing these days. Tell you when the lint screen in your dryer needs cleaned. Or remind you to change the water filter in your fridge. Or countdown to some momentous event you're looking forward to. But true gadget lovers know that the really useful Things are the ones that help you achieve a goal of total laziness.

Like this Thing that lets you control your computer from across the room. No more getting up to change a playlist or pause a movie. Nope. Just plug the infrared sensor into a USB port on your computer and laze the day away, surfing the internet, watching movies, playing music. AnyThing you can do at your keyboard, you can do with this remote. Except work. Well, you could do that too, but why?

And while you're relaxing, you want to make sure you don't bother others who might be trying to sleep or even work while you're lounging the day away with movies and music. These wireless headphones can receive signals from your television as far as 50 feet away. With a built-in FM radio and net chat features, you can channel surf, station surf and web surf without ever making a sound.

And, when your long day of laziness is done, turn out the lights without leaving your comfy couch or bed. The Zmart Switch is a remote control for your light switch. It's easy to install, so none of your leisure time is wasted trying to decipher a user's manual and it lets you turn lights on or off from up to 30 feet away.

So find your favorite sweats, hit that couch, gather your gadgets and let's get down to some serious laziness!

I'll see you next week,
Bobby

Most people don't like sharks. At least not getting up close and personal with them. There are places where you can swim with sharks "safely." Uh-huh. People do it. But people do lots of crazy Things. I do lots of crazy Things. But I think it's fairly safe to say that swimming with sharks will never be one of them. Still, I like sharks in theory and at a distance. They're dinosaurs, you know. The sharks you see today evolved about 64 million years ago. Ruthless predators and savvy survivalists, sharks somehow survived whatever killed the rest of the dinosaurs.

With the recent announcement that the Great White is being considered for the Endangered Species List, the people of Pacifica Beach, California are launching an effort to save the ancient creatures. They're asking people to get educated about the shark's role in our ecosystem, to "Take a Bite Out of Litter" on beaches and in the water and to reduce pollution.

But why would we want to save a predatory beast that enjoys pretty equal footing with us on the food chain? (We might hold the top spot on land, but below the waves sharks are number one!) Because, once we get past the fear of being eaten alive, we might find a few Things to love about sharks. So let's try to dispel a few fears: Did you know that only about 100 people are bitten by sharks annually? Less than 10% die of their wounds. Your chance of being killed by airplane parts falling from the sky is higher (1 in 10 million) than your chance of being killed by a shark (1 in 300 million). If you're still scared, you can always stay out of the water. After all, you're 1,000 times more likely to drown in the sea than be bitten by a shark.

And what might we learn if we study these resilient leftovers from the dinosaur age? For example, sharks rarely get tumors. Could we push human cancer research forward by peeking at the shark's genetic code? Sharks can smell one drop of blood in a million drops of water. Could learning to understand that mechanism help us sniff out pollutants and other dangers lurking below the water? Sharks can also sense electrical fields and water pressure changes from the tiniest prey movements in the water.

It seems to me that the shark is a pretty special fish. It has skills we might learn from and a biological makeup that could help us understand disease in our own species. It has thrived while thousands of other species perished on land and in the sea. We humans might have been the biggest threat the shark has ever faced. Ironically, it's now up to us to save them. But in doing so, we might just save ourselves!

I'll see you next week,
Bobby

Monday was National Napping Day. It happens every year on the Monday following the switch to Daylight Savings Time, when we all need a nap to make up for that lost hour of sleep. The brainchild of Boston University Professor William Anthony and his wife, Camille, the psuedo holiday was created back in 1999 to illustrate the many health benefits of a good nap.

The Anthonys have scientific evidence to support their claims. After conducting exhausting research with "thousands of nappers and would-be nappers," the team proved that a short sleep "enhances mood and performance." Mid-afternoon naps have been an integral part of human culture for thousands of years and even figured into the workday. In many countries people still work in the cool of the morning and evening, reserving the heat of the day for the family meal and a nap.

The Anthonys also discovered that sleep-deprived people could perform routine repetitive tasks well enough, but needed forty winks to engage their creativity and critical thinking skills. Your boss not the type to let you sleep on the job? Businessweek magazine points out that a twenty minute nap can yield measurable gains in productivity.

There are so many reasons to grab a midday snooze. Napping improves your mood and your health, significantly reducing stress and your risk of heart attack. It makes you more creative and alert. It improves your memory while increasing your ability to learn. And it just feels good.

So go get some guilt-free sleep. I'll see you next week,
Bobby