You never know what secret passions people have, and where it will lead them. For instance, did you know Sir Isaac Newton invented the Cat Door? Oh yes – here are 5 Surprising Inventions From Famous People.
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Creepy setting to maximum, please: 10 Japanese Ghost Towns.
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Sometimes when things go south it can a good idea to be reminded that they could be worse. Feeling the Boss Blues? Here are 9 no good, very bad TV bosses that will have you possibly hugging your own boss come Monday morn.
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I’ve never heard of “Chat Roulette,” but either way this mini-movie about it is pretty interesting! Has anyone tried it? I don’t see myself doing this anytime soon (as in … ever).
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Fantastic Slate.com piece this week about the little-told story of how the U.S. government poisoned alcohol during Prohibition, with deadly consequences.
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Many of you out there are in snowy places right now, but perhaps none so beautiful as these spectacular ice caves (if you are in an ice cave or something like, I stand corrected!)
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From the Annals of Unexpected Traits: this amazing Wolverine-esque Newt cuts itself to use ribs as “concealed weapons.” Believe it.
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There are plenty of Do’s and Don’ts of Dating on the internet, but I think this tongue-and-cheek guide to the R. Kelly playbook makes for some humorous “advice.”
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From CollegeHumor, Fatal Decision 2. Sometimes the hardest choice is the choice you decide to choose.
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I asked for it, and you gave it! Flossy reader blog time: Jenn shares her blog, which is “all about stage combat, stunt arts, martial arts, other movement arts … and sometimes literature!” And links-contributor extraordinaire Sarah would like to share her Twitter that’s devoted to posting interesting videos and finds. (It’s probably like mine but updated way more often … other than when I’m tweeting ‘Lost,’ anyway). Have a cool blog to share? Send it on over and if the virtual shoe fits I’ll feature it!
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Special thanks this week to Jan who sent in a ton of amazing links, even outdoing her normally stellar contributions. Keep ‘em coming! Send all submissions to FlossyLinks@gmail.com, and have a great week!

In case you weren’t obsessively refreshing mentalfloss.com all week, here’s what you missed:

1. 10 Secrets of the Vatican Exposed, by David Goldenberg
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2. The Post-Olympic Careers of 16 Medal-Winners, by Ethan Trex
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3. The Quick 10: 10 Little-Known Second Verses of Children’s Songs, by Stacy Conradt
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4. 4 Earnest Instructional Videos, by David K. Israel
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5. Who Not to Marry: 6 Black Widows, by Miss Cellania
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6. Brother Against Brother: The Confederate Snowball Fight of 1863, by Ethan Trex
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7. The Quick 10: 10 Fictitious Entries, by Stacy Conradt
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8. The Quick 10: Adult Versions of 10 Children’s Songs, by Stacy Conradt
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9. Not Quite Medal-Worthy: 7 Olympic Demonstration Sports, by Ethan Trex
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10. The Quick 10: 10 Stonehenge Substitutes, by Stacy Conradt

Every Olympic city provides separate housing for the world’s media and an Olympic Village for the athletes, coaches and team officials.

By most accounts, Vancouver’s Olympic housing is a jewel. At the very least, what it clearly is not is a converted mental hospital. So that’s an upgrade.

Let me explain.

Sydney, Australia, 2000 Summer Olympics. A few weeks out, my boss informs me a mistake on the housing form means we will not have single rooms as we usually do at the Olympics. He knows three weeks is a long time to share a room with anyone, including Charlize Theron.

What can I say? It’s not as if I’m relegated to a double and he has somehow found a single for himself.

The room-sharing turns out to be the good news. My boss tells me he snores. I sleep so lightly I can hear a fly landing on Kleenex. Never one to think the worst, I immediately imagine a jet engine at takeoff with me strapped to the wing for three weeks.

If anyone doubted that Aussies have a ripe sense of humor, here came the clincher. In Sydney, the boss says, the media will be housed in a former mental hospital.

(more…)

It was seven years ago today that we lost Mister Rogers. Back in 2007, Mangesh put together a list of 15 reasons Mister Rogers was the best neighbor ever, which became one of our most popular stories. Here’s a video of the time he went to Washington to save public broadcasting. And when we held our ‘Readers & Their Famous Friends’ photo submission contest, Michael Geier’s picture with Mister Rogers won the gold (scroll down).

Rest in Peace, neighbor.

Looks like the blind cross-country skier we profiled this week won’t be competing in the Olympics after all.
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How well did you sleep last night? Did you hear a large, inexplicable crash around 3 a.m.? Don’t worry, it may have just been your head exploding (but it’s not what you think – thanks Sarah for the link!)
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Speaking of exploding heads, or eardrums, can you hear as well as a teenager? This audio test of a high-pitched frequency used to deter teens from certain areas will tell you the truth. Let us know if you passed or failed (and if you mind betraying your age!). I heard it loud and clear and I’m 25 … I’d like to thank all those pairs of earplugs at concerts for their assistance in this triumph!
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… Or treat your eats to something nice. Tired with your regular tunes? Flossy reader Jessica as suggested this very cool site The History of Pop Music: “A series of playlists that constitute a 1200 artist, 1200 song history of recorded popular music, with commentary, celebration, and apologia as necessary.”
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I’m not sure I understand it, but do I need to? Intriguing art (thanks Rachel for the find!)
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Part one of interesting “What If’s?”: What if Tim Burton did a remake of Weekend at Bernie’s? This spoof is dead on! (Pun, er, intended)
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Part two: What if the Disney Princesses ended up unhappily-ever-after? “Fallen Princesses” gives consideration to what those stories might be!
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Perhaps the world’s least convenient port-a-potty. (But when you’ve gotta go…)
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I’ve never been skydiving, (nor do I have a particular desire to) but I can respect and stand in awe of these 10 Sensational Skydiving Feats!
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I try to keep it light with the Weekend Links, but sometimes a link comes in that may offer valuable, if sobering advice! This week it comes from Merinda, who found the story “From Whole Foods to Food Stamps,” a cautionary tale of how easy it can be to go from being considered middle class to poverty, with a sidebar of ways to hopefully avoid this from happening!
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And back to the lighter side – are you up to date on your understanding of the FAIL meme? Whether that’s a yes or a no, this explanatory video is full of laughs.
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Stay tuned – a fresh batch of Weekend Links are coming your way tomorrow!

Our 9th annual ’10 Issue’ hits newsstands this week. To celebrate, here’s an article from last year’s edition.

By Maggie Koerth-Baker

Get ready for a little kiss and tell. From the smooch that changed a law to the peck that launched a religion, these are the most powerful kisses in history.

1. The Kiss of Judas: A Betrayal or Just Misunderstood?

Nothing ends a good bromance quite like flagrant, murderous betrayal. A long time ago, a wandering preacher named Jesus was doing pretty well for himself—building up a following and promoting religious teachings—until one of his buddies sold him out to the authorities. In exchange for 30 pieces of silver, Judas Iscariot kissed Jesus on the cheek and, by doing so, identified him to Roman soldiers.

Although Judas double-crossed his best friend for a paltry sum, some scholars argue that Judas is the secret hero of Christianity. The claim is based on a recent translation of The Gospel of Judas, a text written by Jesus’ followers a couple hundred years after his death. In 1978, a farmer discovered the mysterious text in Egypt and sold it to an antiques dealer. Years later, a National Geographic Society team got hold of it. They restored and analyzed the document, and in 2006, they announced that the text painted Judas as a man of valor. According to their interpretation, he was actually Jesus’ most trusted friend, because he agreed to fake a betrayal so that Jesus could die a martyr and then be resurrected.

Soon after the National Geographic Society released its findings, other scholars started picking the interpretation apart. (more…)

If you’re looking for some great facts on foods, the new 10 Issue (which hits bookstores this Tuesday!) has you covered. From a hilarious food fight between San Francisco and Los Angeles over the origin of the Fortune Cookie, to why Ray Kroc had no faith in the Egg McMuffin, we’ve got all sorts of great stories. But perhaps one of my favorites was this little known gem about Rice-A-Roni’s origins:

The Not-So Frisco Treat?

If you watched daytime television in the 1980s, you know that Rice-a-Roni is “The San Francisco Treat.” But don’t let that super-catchy jingle fool you—the product was actually based on an Armenian recipe consisting of rice, vermicelli pasta and chicken broth. In the 1940s, a housewife named Lois DeDomenico borrowed the recipe from her Armenian landlord and served the dish to her family, who happened to own a pasta company in San Francisco. After her brother-in-law Vince took a few bites, he said, “This would be great in a box,” and voila! Rice-a-Roni was born.

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Of course, that’s just one of the wonderful origin stories we’re covering. You can pick up the new 10 issue on newsstands on Tuesday. Or better yet, why not make our editors happy and order a subscription right here?

Reader-Submitted Quiz Week is coming to a close. Each day at 5pm, we’ve been posting a new quiz one of you suggested last week. The fifth person on the podium is Betsy Johns of Westbury, New York. Make her feel welcome!

According to Disney’s website (and the memories of various members of the mental_floss staff), there are 11 countries featured in the Epcot World Showcase. Can you name them all in 2 minutes?

Take the Quiz: Name the Countries in the Epcot World Showcase

[We're going to make 'Reader-Submitted Quiz Week' a monthly thing, so keep the good ideas coming under this post. We'll get to more of your quizzes the last week of March. Get excited.]

OK, it’s not exactly t-shirt weather. In some parts of the country, you’d have to wear two or three shirts underneath a sweater just to go outside.

In light of that, do we have a sale for you! When you buy two mental_floss t-shirts, you’ll get one free. Just head over to the mental_floss store, fill up your cart, and enter the code “getonefree” before checkout.

[Fine Print: Offer good through March 3, 2010, at 11:59 pm EST. "Buy 2" applies to regularly priced shirts only; offer cannot be used on outlet items or package deals.]