Month in Review: November's Most Popular Stories

Before we slip too far into December, let's recap what happened last month. In case you missed a day or two here or there, these are the top 10 stories originally posted in November:

1. The Late Movies: Dogs Welcoming Returning Soldiers
by Jason English

To commemorate Veterans Day, I posted a bunch of videos featuring overjoyed dogs greeting returning soldiers.

2. The Nautical Roots of 9 Common Phrases
by Mark Longo

"Slush fund"? "Clean bill of health"? "In the Doldrums"? Here's a look at 9 family-friendly phrases that likely came from the mouths of sailors.

3. 5 (Happy Little) Things You Didn't Know About Bob Ross
by Ethan Trex

Let's take a look at five things you might not know about the man who brought us so many happy little trees.

4. 9 Muppets Kicked Off Sesame Street
by Joe Hennes

Although we'll always have mainstays like Big Bird, Elmo, Bert and Ernie, many Muppets have been forgotten or deemed unnecessary. Here are a few Sesame Street residents who were evicted.

5. Toilet Paper History: How America Convinced the World to Wipe
by Linda Rodriguez

The ancient Greeks used clay and stone. The Romans, sponges and salt water. But the idea of a commercial product designed solely to wipe one's bum? That started about 150 years ago, right here in the U.S.A.

6. 12 Curious Facebook Fan Pages
by David K. Israel

There is an overwhelming number of pages you can "Fan" on Facebook. Here are 12 of the more curious examples we've stumbled upon recently.

7. 11 Body Parts Named After People
by Ethan Trex

Who is Paul Langerhans, and how did his islets wind up in your pancreas? Let's take a look at a few scientists and their anatomical namesakes.

8. R2-D2, GOB Bluth & Other Fictional Folks Who Stopped by Sesame Street
by Joe Hennes

Hundreds of celebrities have appeared as themselves on Sesame Street, but plenty of popular fictional characters have made cameos as well. From R2-D2 to GOB Bluth, here are some of our favorites.

9. 5 Classic Poisons and the People Who Used Them
by Miss Cellania

Long before our modern industries developed the cleaning products, industrial solvents, and drugs that can kill when misused, people used simple plants to murder each other. Some plants were especially effective.

10. Run Your Life With Flowcharts!
by Miss Cellania

Decisions, decisions—you make them constantly about big and little things. Daily decision making might be easier for you if you used these handy flowcharts.

[This was a particularly good month. I'll post a few more of November's greatest hits tomorrow.]

If you're new to mental_floss, here's what you missed in October, September and August.