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The Quick 10: 10 Facts About the Golden Age of Looney Tunes

1. In the beginning, Tweety was pink. He was also named Orson. His first appearance was in the 1942 short A Tale of Two Kitties, in which he showed down two hungry cats named Babbit and Catstello (based on Abbott and Costello). In his second short, Birdy and the Beast, he was named Tweety; the yellow feathers were drawn on later in response to criticism of the originally naked bird. 2. The Looney Tunes cast have been spokespersons for nearly everything: cars, DSL, cereal, the Yellow Pages, auto... READ ON

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The Quick 10: 10 Things You Didn’t Know Had Names

1. You know how it smells after it rains? That clean, greenish smell when rain lands on dry ground? That’s petrichor, from the Greek petra (stone) and ichor (the blood of Greek gods and goddesses). The term was coined by two Australian researchers in 1964. 2. Originally, a zarf was a metal chalice keep the heat from your coffee from burning your fingers. The name for the fancy cupholder has morphed into the modern-day cardboard sleeve that comes wrapped around your hot coffee. 3. Chanking:... READ ON

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The Quick 10: 10 Celebrity Zoo Residents

With the recent popularity of the Bronx Zoo Cobra, I thought it was a good time to check out some other zoo animals that received celebrity status during their heydays. I don’t know if any of their Twitter feeds could have competed with the Cobra’s nearly quarter of a million followers, though! 1. Knut the polar bear, the Berlin Zoo. Everyone knows Knut – he was the subject of a worldwide craze just a few years ago. His 2006 birth was a big deal because it marked the first time a polar bear had... READ ON

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The Quick Nine: Nine Food Trucks

Like the ice cream trucks of yesteryear (I hear they're still around, but not in my neighborhood), food trucks roam around cities bringing delicious goodness right to people. Only they've grown up since we were kids - these days they deliver things like grass-fed beef, lobster rolls, Chinese buns and grilled cheese. OK, maybe they haven't totally grown up. Flavorwire delivers an awesome list of the some of the best food trucks the U.S.; here are a couple of my favorites. Coolhaus. Coolhaus has trucks... READ ON

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The Quick 10: Boston Marathon Facts

I'm out again next week, and once again, the lovely Adrienne Crezo will be keeping you entertained and educated. I know - it's awfully close to my last vacation, but it's actually just a trip postponed from last year. My sister-in-law ran her first Boston Marathon in 2010, you see, but I was too pregnant to go. So there's no way I'm missing it this year. I've been researching it just so I know what to expect - here are some of the interesting tidbits I found out. 1. It's not really called "The Boston... READ ON

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The Quick 10: Everybody's Looking Forward to the Weekend, Weekend

It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday. If you don't hate me just for even typing those words, you will when you go through today's Quick 10. There have been so many spoofs of Rebecca Black's disaster-slash-smash hit that I decided to round up some of the best ones in one convenient spot for you. If you're still singing "Friday" on Monday… well… I'm sorry (a little bit sorry). 1. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, with special guest Taylor Hicks. 2. "Bob Dylan." Or shall we... READ ON

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The Quick Seven: Seven Sandwich Stories

Next time you're getting ready to order a fabulously unhealthy lunch at your favorite diner, take a second to look over the menu. There are stories behind a lot of those classic dishes - here are just a few of them. 1. Monte Cristo. Its name remains somewhat of a mystery, but most sources seem to think it was named after Alexander Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo and its resulting movies. Before it received its literary nickname, this fried sandwich made with ham and gruyere cheese was simply... READ ON

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The Quick 10: 10 of the Most Expensive Desserts Ever

For me, there's nothing better than warm chocolate chip cookies out of the oven to satisfy a sweet tooth. If your tastes run a little more expensive, don't worry - there's something for you, too. 1. Golden Opulence Sundae. Long touted as the most expensive sundae in the world, this sweet treat from Serendipity 3 in New York will set you back $1,000. Instead of toppings like sprinkles (jimmies, to some of you) and cherries, Serendipity serves up candied fruits, gold-covered almonds, chocolate truffles,... READ ON

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The Quick 10: The 10 Worst Sports Logos Ever

Think the Memphis Grizzlies have a terrible logo? Scratching your head about the Tampa Bay Rays' completely unintimidating sunbeam? Those logos are amazing compared to these 10 from InventorSpot.com. Taking the top spot is a crudely-drawn feline that represented the Detroit Tigers from 1927-1928. Hmm, wonder why they got rid of it after only a year? The number five slot goes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' pirate who was maybe a little too jaunty to be much of a threat to other teams. I feel like... READ ON

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The Quick 10: 10 Trademarked Colors

Thinking about starting a chocolate company and using a rich purple hue for the wrappers? Think again - there’s already a lock on that color. If you’ve ever seen something like, “The color puce is a trademark of Puce Panther” stamped on a product and wondered how a company can call dibs on a chunk of the rainbow - well, they can. Sort of. You can paint your house Tiffany Blue with T-Mobile Magenta polka dots (though I wouldn’t recommend it) and neither company would have a leg to stand on in... READ ON