This Week's Most Popular Stories

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

1. Symbolism & the $1 Bill, by Ethan Trex

(Quick aside before we get to the second-most popular story. We got a lot of hate mail after the dollar bill story landed on Yahoo.com. Most of it accused Ethan of being a government spy—we'll neither confirm nor deny that claim—but one message cut through the clutter. I don't know if he was joking about believing this, but I feel compelled to share: "Mr. Trex failed to mention the secret of the eye in the pyramid. Government officials have the power to spy on anyone through a microscopic camera installed in the eye dating back to the Kennedy administration. Why do you think I only use dollar coins? Please do your homework next time.")

2. 7 (More) Outrageous Items Spotted at the 99¢ Store, by David K. Israel

3. The Quick 10: 10 Pirate Myths & Surprises, by Stacy Conradt

4. 7 Movie Stars Who Really Were Heroes, by Mark Juddery

5. 6 Children's Book Characters Named for Real People, by Stacy Conradt

6. Strange Geographies: The Watts Towers, by Ransom Riggs

7. 6 Famous Folk Who Once Drove Taxis, by David K. Israel

8. 5 Famous Fights Between Teammates, by Ethan Trex

9. Why Do Shells Sound Like the Ocean, by Matt Soniak

10. 8 Retro Airline Commercials, by Kara Kovalchik