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The Man Responsible for the Modern Frisbee Design and the “Father of Disc Golf” was Cremated and Had His Ashes Molded Into Frisbees

September 6, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the man responsible for the modern Frisbee design and the “Father of Disc Golf” was cremated and had his ashes molded into Frisbees to give to friends and family. While man has been throwing Frisbee-like objects around for many thousands of years, the Frisbee itself is something of a modern “invention”. The tale of the Frisbee […]

The Cotton Candy Making Machine That Made Widely Consumed Cotton Candy Possible was Co-Invented by a Dentist

September 2, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the cotton candy making machine was co-invented by a dentist, who later became the President of the Tennessee State Dental Association. Coincidence? While candy floss / cotton candy-like spun-sugar confectioneries have been around since at least the 15th century, if not earlier, it’s only been recently that cotton candy has been something practical to make and […]

Why are Women Called Sluts, Dames, and Broads?

August 31, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Rinni asks: Why are women sometimes called “sluts”, “dames”, and “broads”? Where did these words come from? Origin of the Word “Slut” “Slut” originally didn’t mean at all what it means today. For instance, in a diary from 1664, Samuel Pepys writes, “Our little girl Susan is a most admirable slut, and pleases us mightily, doing more service than both […]

The United States Doesn’t Have an Official Language

August 29, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the United States doesn’t have an official language. President Theodore Roosevelt stated in 1907, “We have room for but one language in this country, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house.” […]

Birds Won’t Die if They Eat Rice

August 28, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Myth: You shouldn’t throw rice at weddings because birds’ stomachs will rupture if they eat it. In fact, birds can eat as much rice as they want (and some do, such as the bobolink, waterfowl, and shorebirds) without any internal problems. This shouldn’t be too surprising given rice is just a seed and birds eat a lot of seeds with […]

A Man Once Tried to Raise His Son as a Native Speaker in Klingon

August 25, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out a man once tried to raise his son as a native speaker in Klingon. The man in question is computational linguist Dr. d’Armond Speers. Speers is actually not a huge Start Trek fan himself. Indeed, many Klingon language enthusiasts aren’t, contrary to popular perception. They tend to be language lovers fascinated by constructed languages, of which […]

Stephen King’s Children of the Corn was First Published in Penthouse Magazine

August 24, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the Stephen King short story Children of the Corn was originally published in Penthouse Magazine. While to date Stephen King has managed to sell about 350 million copies of his novels, he started out with quite humble beginnings as an author. After graduating from the University of Maine with a degree in English in 1970, Stephen […]

Many Public Toilets Used to Be Pay as You Use

August 23, 2012 Eddie Deezen

Today I found out many public toilets used to be pay as you use. Or, for those of you like me who’ve been around for more than a few decades, “Today I found out what happened to pay toilets.” Going to the bathroom might be the one and only activity in America that’s cheaper than it used to be. Pay […]

The James Bond Movie Goldfinger was Once Banned in Israel

August 20, 2012 Eddie Deezen

Today I found out the James Bond movie Goldfinger was once banned in Israel. Ask most any James Bond fan to name his or her favorite James Bond film and chances are they’ll reply with “Goldfinger”. (Steven Spielberg has even called it his favorite Bond film). Goldfinger is also quite probably the most widely seen of any Bond movie. It […]

There Once was a Major League Baseball Player Who Stole First From Second

August 18, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out there once was a MLB player who stole first from second. We’ve all seen the occasional child playing football accidentally run the wrong way on the field, and if you watch enough T-ball, you might even occasionally see a kid run the wrong way on the base paths. It turns out, there was once a Major […]

Origin of the Word Lukewarm

August 17, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the origin of the word “lukewarm”. You’ve probably wondered why we have the word “lukewarm” for describing something that is only slightly warm. Why not “stevewarm” or “beckywarm”? Well if you didn’t before, hopefully you’re wondering now. It turns out, while today using “luke” to mean “warm” has gone out of fashion, possibly due to the […]

Difference Between a Donkey and a Mule

August 15, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the difference between a donkey and a mule. Put simply, a donkey is the descendant of the African wild ass (of which there are only about 500 left in the wild today). Donkeys are a different species than a horse, but in the same family. They were originally bred in Egypt or Mesopotamia around 5,000 years […]

Origin of the Olympic Flame Tradition and the Nazi Origin of the Olympic Torch Relay

August 12, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the origin of the Olympic Flame tradition and the Nazi origin of the Olympic Torch Relay. The Olympic Flame tradition has its origins in the Ancient Greek Olympics where a fire was kept burning at an altar dedicated to Hera in a sanctuary in Olympia. Other fires were also lit in Zeus’ and Hera’s temples to […]

From 1860-1916 the Uniform Regulations for the British Army Required Every Soldier to have a Moustache

August 11, 2012 Guest

Today I found out that uniform regulation in the British Army between the years 1860 and 1916 stipulated that every soldier should have a moustache. Command No. 1,695 of the King’s Regulations read: The hair of the head will be kept short. The chin and the under lip will be shaved, but not the upper lip… Although the act of […]

The Origin of the Olympic Rings

August 10, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the origin of the Olympic Rings. The Olympic ring symbol was designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1912. The idea of using rings intertwined with one another came from the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA), which had two interlaced rings as their symbol and which Pierre de Coubertin was for a time […]

The Official Olympic Salute Stopped Being Popularly Used After WWII Due to Strongly Resembling the “Heil Hitler” Salute

August 8, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the official Olympic salute strongly resembles the “Heil Hitler” or “Nazi” salute. In this Olympic salute, your right arm should be held out, slightly to the side, and pointing in an upward angle. Likewise, your palm should be out and your fingers touching. The Nazi salute is more or less performed the same way, except it […]

The First Olympic Flag Went Missing for 77 Years After the 1920 Games Until a 1920 Olympian Revealed He’d Had It In His Suitcase The Whole Time

August 4, 2012 Daven Hiskey

Today I found out the original Olympic flag was missing for 77 years until 1920 Olympian Hal Haig Prieste revealed he’d had it the whole time. The year was 1920. The Summer Olympics were being held in Belgium in the city of Antwerp. At the end of the Olympic Games, the flag suddenly went missing. Fast-forward to 1997 and 101 […]

John Lennon Once Almost Beat a Man to Death

August 1, 2012 Eddie Deezen

Today I found out John Lennon once almost beat a man to death. Was John Lennon gay? “Why are you bringing up such a ridiculous question? Who cares if he was gay? I thought this article was about John Lennon almost beating a guy to death.” Well, it is, it is, keep reading and you will see all the pieces […]

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