Last month, China conducted its first space walk. This week, India launched its first spaceship to the moon. Space seems to be the place for nations to advance science and nationalism, but it's a place for music too. Outer space muses struck terrestrial musicians long before any rockets left the earth. In addition to creating intergalactic song lyrics and spacey sound effects, a few artists pay tribute to space travelers and share their own extraterrestrial adventures through music. They may... READ ON
Dark Knight recently became the fastest movie to earn $400 million. Opening weekend, the flick filled seats for 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. screenings and fans on Craigslist were paying two, four and ten times more than face value for tickets. At just over two and a half hours, the movie even tops other Batman movies in length! Despite all this success, though the Dark Knight cannot win it all. Here are a few records it won't be breaking: 1) Summer revenue abroad The Mummy is burying Dark Knight in weekly... READ ON
As Barack Obama and John McCain mull over their vice-presidential picks, they might consider things like experience and issues, when maybe they should focus on names. Taking a lesson from the New York State senate and congressional campaigns, here are a few names of actual candidates and how the elections turned out for them. 10 (OK... 15) Politicians With "Interesting" Names Ten Losers: 1. James A. Tranquill 2. Burton G. Trick 3. Francisco Spies 4. Reginald Callus 5. Ryan J. Confusione 6.... READ ON
Vacations aren't for everyone. Do you miss the tapping of keyboards, or the cozy comfort of your cubicle? Do you long for a bit of break room chatter? Lucky for you, a few websites offer the perfect virtual fixes. Here are a few staples every office junkie should bookmark right now. 1. Authentic desk... READ ON
In New York City, celebrity sightings happen on street corners and even on street signs. You can play a tune on Duke Ellington Boulevard or read the headlines on Peter Jennings Way. In Champaign Illinois, you can rock out on REO Speedwagon Way, and in Augusta, Georgia, you can find your soul on James Brown Boulevard. Historians Benardo and Weiss write in their book Brooklyn by Name: How the Neighborhoods, Streets, Parks, Bridges and More Got Their Names that, "Street names function as a... READ ON
By Sydney Beveridge We're not huge deal spotters here at the 'floss, but we just couldn't resist telling you about this penny-saving quick pick: You have LESS THAN 7 HOURS* to bid for your own automated public... READ ON
A third person climbed up the New York Times building last week, forcing the Times to make adjustments to the structure. This trend is similar to the common backyard problem of squirrels scaling birdfeeders. Maybe the NYT can learn from some of these tips to keep critters from climbing up and pillaging the seed: 10 Ways To Stop People from Climbing the New York Times... READ ON
Political battles can dictate what we call our food and friends, and even what games we play. During WWI, sauerkraut was popularly rebranded Liberty Cabbage. When anti-French sentiments began to build a few years ago, "French Fries" were rechristened "Freedom Fries." (Nevermind that Thomas Jefferson may have been the one to first rave about the delicious side item in the U.S.). And while most patriotic terms fade, places like Berlin, Iowa, and Germantown, Nebraska, have ended up... READ ON
Last year, I started using the AP Stylebook for proper news writing. First published in 1953, the volume contains rules and explanations for grammar, capitalizations, abbreviations, official titles, and much more. According to the Elements of Journalism, Thomas Cahill said that one could tell "the worldview of a people... the invisible fears and desires... in a culture's stories." You can tell something about a culture from its grammar and style rules too, though there is no entry for "love,"... READ ON
With the credit crisis continuing and tuition prices increasing, students scramble for more financial aid. A number of unconventional scholarships are available... maybe one is right for you. 10 Unconventional Scholarships 1. $1,000 from Tall Clubs International for an essay about what being tall means. 2. $250 to $1,000 from the Little People of America Foundation for a student with dwarfism. 3. $1,000 from the Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship for being left-handed. 4. $500 Klingon... READ ON
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Fatherly Advice
5 Questions: Nervous "Rex"
How Many Vice Presidents Can You Name in 10 Minutes?
John Adams drank a tankard of hard cider each day and had the occasional beer for breakfast.
