Jason Plautz

Jason Plautz started as an intern for mentalfloss.com in 2007 and now does quizzes and posts about politics, sports, movies, and anything else that crosses his radar.

articles

The Toddlers' Truce: Why You Couldn't Watch British TV at 6pm Until 1957

Turn on the TV at 6:00 this evening and you’ll find the local news, SportsCenter, or perhaps an old Seinfeld rerun. But until this day in 1957, British TVs at 6:00pm wouldn’t show a thing. Thanks to a post-war BBC policy known as the “toddlers' truce,” stations would not broadcast between 6:00 and 7:00 in the evening to give parents a chance to put their children to sleep before the evening programming. The thinking went that if the television programs stopped, it would provide a nice end to the... READ ON

articles

Why the CIA got in the Animated Film Business (and other D.C.-Hollywood Tales)

Thanks to a request from Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), the Department of Defense and CIA have officially opened an investigation into Kathryn Bigelow’s movie about the killing of Osama bin Laden. King and others were concerned that the White House had leaked classified information to the filmmakers for the movie and wanted the CIA on the... READ ON

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Three More Coaches Who Lied About Their History

By now, you’ve probably heard the story of Yale football coach Tom Williams, who resigned this week for lying on his resume. He claimed to have been a Rhodes scholar candidate, and was even cited as a finalist during several stories about quarterback Patrick Witt’s Rhodes application. However, a New York Times investigation revealed that, while he was interested in the scholarship, he hadn’t even applied. He had also lied about being a member of the San Francisco 49ers on his resume. Williams is... READ ON

articles

Why Utah Loves Seagulls (but not crickets)

Drivers out West may have experienced the terror of swarming Mormon Crickets, which can overwhelm roads all at once and make streets so slick that drivers lose their grip. The threat of the crickets -- who swarm because their natural cannibalistic tendency creates chaos during mass migrations -- is so great that drivers say they've even seen the roads turn red with blood from the crushed insects. But those swarming crickets also explain why Utah loves its gulls, and how the Mormon Cricket got its name,... READ ON

articles

Is This Really the Busiest Travel Day?

So far, it seems that airport delays and other inconveniences have been minimal today, a good sign for millions of Thanksgiving travelers. That especially bodes well after the traditional hand-wringing about the busiest travel day of the year. But is today actually the busiest travel day of the year? That depends how you're going, but for airlines the answer is a clear no. And it's not even close. Federal statistics found that in recent years, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving didn't rank in the top... READ ON

lists

11 Reasons Athletes Change Their Names

Lakers star Ron Artest made waves this summer when he announce he was changing his name to Metta World Peace. Although it's one of the more extreme moves, it's far from the first time an athlete has adopted a strange name. Here are 11 great (and not-so-great) reasons athletes make the switch. 1. To get more... READ ON

articles

Horror Movies For Holidays Other Than Halloween

With only a week left until Halloween, the window for prime horror movie season is closing. Luckily, you don't have to confine your horror movie viewing only to October -- Hollywood has ensured that almost every holiday, no matter how mundane, has gotten a slasher or monster movie tie-in. Thanksgiving: Home Sweet... READ ON

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The Grand Slam Single and Other Home Runs That Didn't Count

After Nelson Cruz’s dramatic walk-off grand slam on Monday, there’s been a lot of talk about whether or not it was really the first walk-off slam in postseason history. You see, Robin Ventura also hit a home run with the bases loaded to end Game 5 of the 1999 NLCS, in the 15th inning no less. However, he was never credited with a home run because as he rounded first base, teammate Todd Pratt (who had been on first base) turned around and hugged Ventura. As the rest of his Mets teammates poured onto the... READ ON

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Yelp Reviews For Places You Can't (or shouldn't) Go

With its user-generated reviews and recommendations, Yelp can be great for trying to find a fun spot for dinner. But there are plenty of profiles that aren't so helpful, and not just because of the quality of the reviews. Pages have sprung up for fake restaurants, jokes from Onion articles and even websites. Check out these strange Yelp reviews and be sure to chime in in the comments with your most bizarre Yelp sighting. "Great sea urchin ceviche" Dorsia, in New York's Flatiron district, is one of... READ ON

articles

Five Potentially Great Power Couples (and why they never made it)

1. Bobby Fischer and Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand, the future Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner, actually attended the same Brooklyn high school as Bobby Fischer, who at the time was already competing in and winning international chess tournaments. Streisand later confided that she had a crush on the chess player, saying that he "was always alone and very peculiar. But I found him very sexy." And how did Fischer feel about her? In an interview with a Japanese radio station, Fischer said, "I... READ ON

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9 of the Biggest Trades in Baseball History—And How They Worked Out

Danny Groner

The Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins pulled off a blockbuster deal on Tuesday night that sends Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, and others to Toronto in exchange for several young players an

10 of History's Most Power-Hungry Cats

19 Old-Timey Slang Terms to Bolster Your Vocabulary

10 Hotel Secrets from Behind the Front Desk

The Pig Latins of 11 Other Languages

Why Is the NBA Shot Clock 24 Seconds?

Ethan Trex

The NBA’s 24-second shot clock was invented in 1954 by Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone, who wanted to force teams to pick up the pace of games.

10 of History's Most Power-Hungry Cats

19 Old-Timey Slang Terms to Bolster Your Vocabulary

10 Hotel Secrets from Behind the Front Desk

The Pig Latins of 11 Other Languages

Running The NYC Marathon: Bad Idea Or Worst Idea?

Erin McCarthy

Shortly after this was posted, there was an UPDATE, 5:26 PM: The NYC Marathon has been canceled.

10 of History's Most Power-Hungry Cats

19 Old-Timey Slang Terms to Bolster Your Vocabulary

10 Hotel Secrets from Behind the Front Desk

The Pig Latins of 11 Other Languages

10 Former Professional Athletes Currently Serving Time

Danny Groner

Photo Courtesy CheckOutMyCards Former Yankees' standout pitcher Brien Taylor is widely accepted as one of the biggest disappointments in Major League Baseball history.

10 of History's Most Power-Hungry Cats

19 Old-Timey Slang Terms to Bolster Your Vocabulary

10 Hotel Secrets from Behind the Front Desk

The Pig Latins of 11 Other Languages

Jim Thorpe: The Man, The Myth, the Small Pennsylvania Town

Matt Soniak

If I say the name Jim Thorpe, most of you will probably think of the Native American baseball player/football player/Olympian.

10 of History's Most Power-Hungry Cats

19 Old-Timey Slang Terms to Bolster Your Vocabulary

10 Hotel Secrets from Behind the Front Desk

The Pig Latins of 11 Other Languages

Why the NFL Can't Play on Friday and Saturday (and Other Times Congress Interfered with Football)

Jason Plautz

This season, the NFL added a weekly Thursday night game, which puts professional football on TV three nights a week.

10 of History's Most Power-Hungry Cats

19 Old-Timey Slang Terms to Bolster Your Vocabulary

10 Hotel Secrets from Behind the Front Desk

The Pig Latins of 11 Other Languages

1-Up: Ohio State Marching Band Rocks Video Games

Chris Higgins

In this stunning 9-minute video, the Ohio State University Marching Band performs a halftime tribute to video games during this weekend's game against Nebraska.

10 of History's Most Power-Hungry Cats

19 Old-Timey Slang Terms to Bolster Your Vocabulary

10 Hotel Secrets from Behind the Front Desk

The Pig Latins of 11 Other Languages

The Non-Football Jobs of 12 Coaching Legends

Ethan Trex

Most coaches spend their entire lives coaching in some capacity, but a few of the all-time greats have gotten some interesting paychecks outside of football.

10 of History's Most Power-Hungry Cats

19 Old-Timey Slang Terms to Bolster Your Vocabulary

10 Hotel Secrets from Behind the Front Desk

The Pig Latins of 11 Other Languages