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Mental Floss
During tonight’s NBA draft, commissioner David Stern has been shaking hands with the league’s newest crop of rookies, welcoming them into a life of luxury and a potential lockout. If there is a work stoppage, Stern will manage just fine financially. Here’
Scott Allen|
In the early morning hours of April 29, 1945, Adolf Hitler married his longtime girlfriend Eva Braun in the map room of his underground bunker in Berlin. Municipal councilor Walter Wagner performed the ceremony, and Minister of Propaganda Josef Göebbels a
Matt Soniak|
There’s not much we can say with certainty as Thursday's NBA draft approaches. Some team will get a terrific bargain in this draft. Some team will burn its pick on a colossal disappointment whose name will be whispered in the same breath those of uber-bus
Ethan Trex|
The rims on U.S. dimes, quarters, half dollars and some dollar coins are called reeded edges. They’ve been on American currency almost since day one as a way of keeping people honest.
Matt Soniak|
If you grew up in the pre-MP3 era, chances are you had at least one go-round as a member of Columbia House’s mail-order music club.
Ethan Trex|
June 22nd marks the 70th anniversary of Operation Barbarossa, Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union -- the biggest military adventure in history, which led directly to the downfall of Adolf Hitler’s murderous regime. Together with the Holocaust that
Erik Sass|
Despite its status as a "dead" language, pretty much anything can be translated into Latin. Here are a few modern classics that might make Latin class more fun.
Andréa Fernandes|
The notion of the starving artist is nothing new, and whether it was because they toiled in obscurity, were swindled or the victims of financial mismanagement, some of the most famous contributors to culture sadly perished in poverty. 1. Vincent van Gogh
Allison Keene|
Every Seinfeld fan remembers the scene in which Elaine broke out her best Australian accent and dingo theory. Are dingoes really known for eating small children? And what was she referencing with the accent?
Ethan Trex|
Whether it was a lackluster crowd or weak material, performers love trading stories about the night they absolutely died while doing their shtick. Here are 10 examples of performers that actually did die onstage. On the bright side, they did shuffle off t
Greg Sabin|
He's unbelievable! He's some dog! He's a lifesaver! That's what l'll call him, too! Ol' Lifesaver! That will be your name! -Navin R. Johnson in The Jerk Dogs are wonderful. They are goofy and fun and smart and dedicated. Most of the time, they are just fu
Miss Cellania|
These lakes, pools, and beaches should be approached with caution—or not approached at all.
Adrienne Crezo|
Patricia Loring, a research associate at Carnegie Mellon University, presses tiny blue dots on my fingers and the back of my hand. She tells me to adjust the keyboard as she maneuvers three webcams. On a monitor, I see a split screen, displaying images of
Meghan Holohan|
Take a look back at the tiny tomes with the gold foil spine that have helped generations of kids learn to appreciate reading.
Rob Lammle|
You spend hours with it each day. Your fingertips know it intimately. But how familiar are you with your keyboard's
Leah Welborn|
In the opening chapter of his book, On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recounts the time a reporter asked him what profession he would have chosen if he hadn’t become a pro basketball play
Scott Allen|
BlöödHag is a death metal band from Seattle who perform, among other places, in libraries. Their songs are "Edu-Core," and focus on science fiction authors and literacy -- check out some lyrics here. In fact, what the heck, I'll just quote their classic
Chris Higgins|
When Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970, she left behind a will that included an offbeat stipulation: $2500 to fund a hard-partying wake in her memory.
Ethan Trex|
The quadruple-double is one of basketball’s most elusive feats. Only four players have managed to rack up double-digit totals in four major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) in a single game since the NBA began tracking st
Ethan Trex|
Stacy Conradt|
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