From The Archive

Schlock Jocks II: More of TV's Coolest Horror Hosts

Last week we discussed some of TV's coolest horror hosts, from Vampira to Count Gore De Vol. With all the great hosts out there, the topic demanded a sequel. 1.

Are Teenage Trick-or-Treaters Breaking the Law?

Beaker/Bunsen's Severed Head image courtesy of reader Lisa Kuchy We’ve already told you that your Halloween candy probably isn’t poisoned. Today let's focus on another great Halloween rumor, the one that says it becomes illegal to trick-or-treat once a k

Six Seriously Spooky Cemetery Stories

It's that time of year, when we look to graveyards for tales that scare the dickens out of us. Ghosts, unexplained phenomena, and even vampires figure in these stories of graveyards from all over. 1. Silver Cliff

5 Interesting Tributes to Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan on Mount Rushmore? Absolutely, if Grover Norquist has his way. As Chairman of the Reagan Legacy Project, Norquist believes that all 50 states should have a landmark of some kind named after the Gipper. At least 27 states already have somethi

Dietribes: Salt Water Taffy

• First, some mythology: as one story goes, in 1883 a huge storm hit Atlantic City (this isn't the spurious part!) and flooded the boardwalk and the shops, including a whole stock of taffy. When a young girl asked for some, shopkeeper David Bradley joking

Did John Smoltz Burn Himself While Ironing the Shirt He Was Wearing?

Any conversation about bizarre sports injuries eventually turns to John Smoltz, who supposedly burned himself while trying to iron the shirt he was wearing in 1990. The legend lives on in sports blogs and message boards, though Smoltz has been trying to d

8 Brilliant Halloween Costumes

Last week you saw 10 Brilliant Halloween Costumes, but there's more! Just look at the variety of ideas creative people come up with for the one occasion we can be anything we want. 1. Sputnik

Happy Boss's Day: 9 of the Worst Bosses Ever

It’s Boss’s Day, and while many of us have supervisors who have totally earned that “World’s Best Boss” mug, I bet lots of you at least briefly contemplated adding a little extra something to the cookies you brought in this morning. Even so, here are nin

Party with Frankie & Annette: The 7 Official Beach Party Movies

In the 1960s, a unique genre of movies came into the world: the "beach party movies."

6 Comic Con-troversies

With the New York Comic Con under way, we thought we’d remind you that these brilliant, geeky get-togethers can mean more than just costumes and coveted signatures on first-edition books. Here are a few of the scandals that rocked (or gently nudged) Comic

9 Essential Talking Points for the Arby's Enthusiast

Back in August, reader Tom Brandt made a request. A demand,

Happy 70th Birthday, Paul Simon!

To celebrate the birthday of one of our finest pop composers, we look behind the scenes of his classic song, “Bridge Over Troubled

Ten Terrific or Terrifying Treats for Halloween

All year long, we try to make food that is appetizing and pleasing to the eye. Then for Halloween, we reverse that and serve food that is ugly, scary, or otherwise appropriate for the holiday. While most of these treats are more cute than scary, they are

This Guy Holds More than 100 Guinness World Records

Trying to set the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to Hula Hoop 10k? You’re going to have to beat Ashrita Furman. Most jelly eaten in one minute, blindfolded with no hands? That’s Ashrita’s territory. Think you’re pretty good at spitting champag

Is Superman a Democrat? On Politics and Superheroes

Is Superman a Democrat? Is Batman a Republican? And more to the point, what’s up with spandex-clad superheroes dabbling in real-life politics? The short answer is it’s nothing new. Ever since Superman and his keister-kicking ilk hit newsstands in the la

10 Brilliant Halloween Costumes

Modern technology makes dressing up for Halloween (or any costume occasion) more fun than ever! Not only do we have materials to make special effects (affordably, with a little imagination), but the internet gives us access to some great ideas -plus, if y

The First Cereal Box Prize Ever

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes has been gracing breakfast tables since 1906 - and the idea of hiding prizes within the box of crunchy corn bits is almost as old. Kellogg’s was the first company to offer children’s prizes with the purchase of their cereal in an at

17 Vowel-Free Words Acceptable in 'Words With Friends'

Don’t be down about your next panel of consonants. Instead, take the challenge as an opportunity to show off your newly acquired vowel-free vocabulary. Three-Letter

Dietribes: Simply Radishing

• Radishes were so highly valued by the ancient Greeks that small replicas of them were made in gold; beets were shown in silver and turnips in lead. The Greeks of the third century B.C. wrote of the radishes of their day, and a Greek physician wrote a wh

The Mickey Mouse Gas Mask

As a father of two small children, I know that it’s always a little easier to get a child to follow a routine if one of their favorite characters are involved. Want you child to go to bed? Maybe you get some Elmo bed sheets. Having trouble getting your li

14 Wonderful Words With No English Equivalent

Earlier this year, Bill DeMain introduced us to 15 Wonderful Words With No English Equivalent. Now that you've integrated those into your vocabulary, here are 14

Big Money: Yap's Stone Currency

Photo Credit: Flickr user annamatic3000 If you wanted to be a bank robber on Yap, you’d need a forklift and a crane, along with an 18-wheeler to make your getaway. That’s because for centuries, the main form of currency on this tiny Micronesian island wa

Where Do Historical Reenactors Get Their Gear?

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. With all eyes on America’s historic battlegrounds, it’s going to be a big year for sutlers, too.Sutlers, historically, were civilian merchants who sold supplies to armies in the field an

Alanis Irony: Nobel Winner Dies Days Before Award Given

It's like something out of that Alanis song: An old man turned ninety-eight, He won the lottery and died the next day Dr. Ralph M. Steinman won a Nobel yesterday for his breakthrough work in immunology, but died last Friday, days before the announcement w

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