Issue Contents

Nov-Dec 2005: What's the Difference?

Cover Story:

What's the Difference?

Remember the time you asked that racewalker why he was jogging so funny, and he mocked you? Or the time you played a bluegrass tune when everyone wanted country, and they mocked you? Or the time you called that idiot a moron, and he mocked you? If you’re tired of being mocked (especially by racewalkers, country aficionados, and idiots), you’ve definitely picked the right magazine! Lucky for you, our What’s the Difference? cover story is jam-packed with quick tricks to help keep big feet from getting caught in small mouths.

Features:

Hail Caesars! 4 Great Caesars Who Didn’t Need a Throne

By Michael A. Stusser
To paraphrase Shakespeare: Some men are born Caesar, some men strive to be Caesar, and some men have Caesar thrust upon them. In this issue, however, we’re just concentrating on the first batch. From Cesar Chavez to Caesar Rodney, we were shocked to find that not all of them sported sandals and a toga. Michael Stusser has the lowdown on four unique guys who may have shared a name, but never their fashion secrets.

War Torn: Making Sense of Six Global Atrocities (Part I)

By Steve Wiegand
Sure, we’ve heard words like “Darfur” and “Kosovo” bandied about in the media. And we know about the atrocities that have gone on there—vaguely. But, truth be told, we’re more likely to nod in agreement than expose how little we know about these conflicts. That is, until now. In the first of a two-part series, journalist Steve Wiegand proves that while the situations might not get any simpler, they can be easier to understand.

When Hell Froze Over: How the Hells Angels Conquered Canada

By William Marsden
We’ve exported many a fine U.S. product over the Canadian border—from car parts, to computers, to ... outlaw biker gangs? It’s true! Since the 1970s, the Hells Angels have been causing a ruckus in Canada and wreaking more havoc than a rabid moose at a maple syrup festival. And while they seem to act like little angels on this side of the border, William Marsden explains why Canada’s government is eager to put them in time out.

scatter_brained:

Candy Bars

By Kelly Ferguson and Laurel Mills
We hate to point out that the authors of Scatterbrained are from Alabama, but this month’s edition is kinda like a box of chocolates. More specifically, it’s like a box of chocolate bars. From delicious facts on the Three Stooges (a.k.a., 3 Musketeers), to semi-sweet facts about pregnant pirates (Bounty), to a mouthwatering look at why Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and Dante’s Inferno might just be the same place, we’re packing so much dark and sweet in here, you’re going to want seconds. But try to pace yourselves, kids. We know how giddy you get when you learn too much.

left_brain:

How Going Over Niagara Falls Works

By Chris Connolly and howstuffworks.com
There are easier ways of getting a thrill than stuffing yourself into a barrel and dropping off the edge of a giant waterfall. But please, if you’re going to be a drain on everyone else’s insurance premiums, at least do it right. Bone up as we reveal the brainy tricks to making your Niagara fall a success, plus the scientific slip-ups that will leave you all wet.

spinning_the globe:

50-Cent Tour:

Canada

Separation Anxiety: Why Quebec’s (Potential) Departure Is Driving Canada Nuts

Martin Lewis

right_brain:

Six Degrees of Ken Jennings:

Pope Benedict XVI and Benedict Arnold

By Ken Jennings

Masterpieces:

Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia

By Elizabeth Lunday
In the age of the Victorian gingerbread, Antoni Gaudí was something of an architectural fruitcake. His unorthodox forms and artistic flourishes earned him both rabid fans and fierce detractors. But in the 21st century, he’ll probably be best remembered for Sagrada Familia, the whacked-out, sky-scraping cathedral he obsessed over for the majority of his life. Read on as Elizabeth Lunday explores one of Barcelona’s most celebrated (and most incomplete) masterpieces.