misc

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THE Y-FILES, Part II: More Answers to Help Shut Your Kid Up!

I keep my office like I keep my coffee: dark. So when the door creaked open, and the light streamed in, I knew it was trouble.The dame walked toward me and started firing off questions. She was the pushy sort, and she shot "˜em off rapid-fire: "Why's the sky blue? Why are tennis balls fuzzy? Why do llamas spit? Why? Why? Why?" The gal was merciless, and she didn't take "go ask mom" for an answer. This was a four-year-old who needed explanations, and she needed... READ ON

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How Climate Change is Messing with Sports

We've all heard about the dangers of global warming and climate change. It's going to make the oceans rise, drown our cities, kill plants, cause hurricanes and ruin the Earth for our grandkids. But that's all secondary to the real effects of global warming; it's wreaking havoc on the sports world. Here's a look at seven ways climate change is messing up sports. Marathon... READ ON

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Last Call with Michael Stusser

Hello again! Michael Stusser, here, with my final day of Blogstery! Several notables bit the dust on this day in history: Robert E. Lee in 1870, country crooner John Denver in 1997 (note to self: never fly experimental planes solo"¦), and the only man to ever score 100 points in a pro basketball game, Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain, who, in 1999, died at the age of 63. Our recently deceased friend Luciano Pavarotti was born on this day in 1935 (RIP big fella). A few years earlier... READ ON

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You know him, you love him... Michael Stusser!

Good day! Michael Stusser, here, with another This Day in Blogstery! Plenty of history went down on this day, most of which you learned in 9th grade, then purged to make room for that flippin' chemistry chart and the 206 bones in the human body. In 1689, Peter the (Not So) Great became tsar of Russia. In 1868, Thomas Edison patented his very first invention (he'd go on to file 1,000 more) "“ the electric voice machine. (Not surprisingly, he had no messages.) In 1936, the first radio... READ ON

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Guest Blog-star: Show Michael Stusser Some Love!

Good day! Michael Stusser, here, with another This Day in Blogstery! All kinds of important events occurred on this date in history: In 1846, Neptune's moon Triton was discovered by William Lassell (though if we wait long enough, they may both be moons). In 1886, the first dinner jacket was worn to the autumn ball at Tuxedo Park, New York, and no one has ever looked at a penguin in the same way. In 1975, Liz Taylor wed for the 6th time (marrying Richard Burton for the 8th time"¦), In 2006,... READ ON

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Profiles in Carnage: 4 Fictional Bullies

I stole this short trip down magazine lane from Volume 3, Issue 4's Scatterbrained section on Bullies. Thought you guys might enjoy. OUR FAVORITE FICTIONAL BULLIES Name: Nelson Muntz (from "The... READ ON

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Four (former) Interns and the Employers Who Won't Rehire Them

My days as a mental_floss intern are over. My adoring fans may have noticed that the "Intern" has been dropped from my byline and my workload has decreased to "occasional contributor" status. Unlike these guys, though, I left my internship on my own terms and Mangesh and Jason appreciated my work enough to let me stay on. Here's a look at four interns who didn't do as well during their employment. The Employer: Roseanne... READ ON

List

The Curious Origins of 9 Delicious Phrases

1. The Cold Shoulder Believe it or not, there was a time when giving someone the cold shoulder didn't just mean publicly snubbing them, it actually meant handing them a cold shoulder, as in a cold shoulder of beef. During the Middle Ages, the easiest way to hint to guests that they'd overstayed their welcome was to serve them a heaping mound of cold cow parts. A few platters of nothing but shoulder were supposed to drive away even the most persistent of guests. 2. Humble... READ ON

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Sports' Most Miserable Fans

Every sports fan has their share of misery, but I think mine takes the cake. I grew up cheering for any team from Cleveland, an unfortunate bunch that collectively hasn't won a championship since 1964. Voted the most miserable sports city by ESPN, Cleveland's despair is unmatched: we've got The Catch, The Drive, The Fumble, The Collapse, The Shot, Game Seven and, of course, The Move. College wouldn't bring any more joy; I go to Northwestern, where most would rather spend their... READ ON

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6 Sports Too Deadly for Gym Class

Dodgeball takes a lot of knocks in gym class for being dangerous, but it's got nowhere near the death rate of these sports. Here's a look at six sports you wouldn't want your kids playing in gym class. 1. Pakistani Kite... READ ON