10 Common Word & Pronunciation Mistakes
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Why the Monopoly Player Pieces (Thimble, Top Hat, Etc.) are What They Are
What do a thimble, a sack of money, a battleship, and a top hat have in common? Not much, other than that they are among the eleven playing tokens you receive in a standard Monopoly set. And don’t forget the wheelbarrow, which you’ll need to carry all that cash you are going to appropriate from your hapless opponents. The history […]
Read moreThe Only Mother and Son to Each Have #1 Records
In November of 1966, The Monkees‘ first single, “Last Train to Clarksville”, went to number one on the charts two months (to the day) after The Monkees TV series premiered. The Partridge Family (a series about a fictional singing family/rock group) actually beat that mark. The Partridge Family premiered on ABC on September 25, 1970. The Partridge Family single, “I Think I Love […]
Read moreThe Curious Practice of Execution By Golden Shower
Humans have invented a variety of amazingly cruel and unusual ways to kill or maim one another (often for shockingly arbitrary reasons). And, of course, wars tend to bring out the worst in people; so it’s not surprising that war-time executions can occasionally be among the most bizarre and cruel. On that note, I was recently reading the first volume […]
Read moreWhen the Beatles Were Pelted with Jelly Beans
It was to be one of the strangest chapters in the storied history of the Beatles. In most Beatle controversies, John Lennon, the most outspoken and controversial Beatle, was usually at the bottom of it, but not this time. George Harrison “The Quiet Beatle” brought on the 1963-64 Jelly Bean controversy that was to drive the Beatles batty. In a […]
Read moreWhy Coke Tried to Switch to “New Coke”
Trevor A. asks: Why did Coke try to switch to “New Coke”? It turns out there was actually (if you squint at the problem hard enough), a semi-good reason for doing the switch. It didn’t work out, of course… But then, it kind of did work out amazingly well at the same time, as you’ll soon see. Now, before I […]
Read moreHow “The Birdman of Alcatraz” Got His Name
The real name of the “Birdman” was Robert Franklin Stroud. Seattle born Stroud ran away from home at the age of 13 and was first arrested in 1909 at the age of 19 after turning himself in for murder. He shot and killed a bartender, F. K. Von Dahmer, who had allegedly failed to pay a prostitute for whom Stroud was […]
Read moreIs White Chocolate Really Chocolate?
Felix K asks: Is white chocolate actually chocolate? That depends on who you ask, but on the whole most chocolate connoisseurs would say no. Chocolate is a range of products made with chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa solids, among other ingredients. Depending on the proportions of the cocoa, there are several types of chocolate like dark chocolate, milk chocolate, […]
Read moreThe Longest Game by Innings in Major League Baseball History
It was a cloudy, overcast Saturday morning on May 1, 1920. Pitcher Joe Oeschger (pronounced esh-ker) didn’t even think the game would be played, as it had rained most of the morning. And even if it was played, he didn’t think he would be the starting pitcher. “Manager (George) Stallings usually pitched me on Sundays because I went to church”, […]
Read more10 Myths Dispelled Part 7
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Read more18 Interesting Twinkie Facts
Hostess announced today that they’re shutting down operations and selling off their assets owing to a worker strike that resulted in them having to file for bankruptcy. This means, for a little while at least, we’ll have to say goodbye to Twinkies and other delectable Hostess products. Although, it seems highly unlikely that it will be for very long on […]
Read moreWhy Do Mentos and Diet Coke React?
Steph B. asks: Why do Diet Coke and Mentos react with each other? If you’ve ever wondered why Diet Coke and Mentos react so strongly to one another, well, wonder no more. To start, it should be noted that it’s not just Diet Coke and Mentos that “react”; other carbonated beverages will also readily respond to the addition of Mentos. […]
Read moreThe Beatles Song Named for a Woman that was About a Man
The Beatles were famous for their beautiful, inspired love songs dedicated to women- “Michelle”, “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Julia”, “Lovely Rita”, “Lady Madonna”, “Dear Prudence”. Even other Beatles’ classics, not graced with titles using proper nouns: “She Loves You”, “She’s a Woman”, “Girl”; and of course “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, “Love Me Do”, “P.S. […]
Read more15 Famous People Who’ve Spent Time in Jail
1) Mark Wahlberg: Wahlberg, born the youngest of nine children all living in a three bedroom apartment, dropped out of school around the age of fourteen and joined a gang. During this time, he was reportedly in trouble with the law around 20-25 times for dealing drugs and various other offenses. Things came to a head when he was 16 […]
Read moreAbraham Lincoln the Animal Lover
Perhaps the most popular and beloved U.S. President, Abraham Lincoln is famous for many of his great and historic deeds. As these have been frequently documented, there seems no reason to repeat them here. But few know and realize President Lincoln’s great love for animals. Like many young boys, Lincoln would sometimes do cruel things to animals, but Lincoln quickly […]
Read moreWhy Do People Tell Actors to “Break a Leg”?
John asks: Why do people tell actors to “break a leg” before a performance? The term, of course, means “do well” or “have a great show” and is typically used before a stage performance, a show, or an audition. (I have never heard it used before filming a movie on any of the movies I’ve been involved with, but I […]
Read moreWhere the Term “Jackpot” Came From
Today I found out the origin of the term “jackpot”. Jackpot originally popped up around the 1870s and was from the poker game “Jacks or Better”. This is much like traditional five card draw, except in this case, if a player does not have a pair of “jacks or better” in the first round of betting, he has to pass. […]
Read moreThe First Person to Use the Temporary Insanity Defense was a Congressman Who Murdered the Son of the Composer of “The Star Spangled Banner”
You might think the temporary insanity defense was a relatively new thing. I mean, maybe it began in the 1940s or possibly the ’30s. What with all the psychobabble around in those times. But, no. It was actually much earlier. It all started with a guy named Daniel Sickles. Sickles (1819-1914) was a U.S. Senator and later a Congressman, as […]
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