Weird November “Holidays” You Ought to Celebrate
November boasts Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and, of course, Absurdity Day. Here are other November holidays to add to the list.
History
Two of the World’s Most Famous (Unhaunted) Pet Cemeteries
Stephen King made animal graveyards super freaky when he published Pet Semetary in 1983. Many of them are really quite pleasant, however, and you’re unlikely to come across any resurrected corpses while strolling past their tombstones.
The Year’s Most Interesting State Ballot Measures
Voters in 42 states will vote on a total of 158 statewide ballot measures on Election Day. Here are some of the most intriguing ones we found.
Ask Uncle John Anything: This One Gets a Thumbs Up!
What’s the origins of the thumbs up? In the days of gladiator battles in ancient Rome, the losing gladiator would be then put to death…unless the emperor in attendance saved him by holding out a fist with his thumb extended upward. (A down-pointing thumb meant the death penalty stood.)
Vote Vader!
The midterm elections are about to go down in the U.S., but in the Ukraine, voters are trying to decide if they should cast their votes for a certain Sith lord.
Ask Uncle John Anything: Blue By You
Where does the phrase “blue haired ladies” or “blue hairs” to describe prim and proper older woman come from?
No, you weren’t born so late that you missed a time period in which senior citizens dyed their hair strange, shocking, or unnatural characters like they were punk rockers or Marge Simpson. From the 1930s through to about the mid-1970s (or so), it was common to see women with silver hair streaked or dotted with blue.
Happy Columbus Day?
How groups around the country are revamping a very controversial holiday: Columbus Day.
A Few Festive Oktoberfest Factoids
It’s everybody’s beer-soaked holiday! (Next to Cinco de Mayo and St. Patrick’s Day.) Here are some Oktoberfest facts to share after clinking your beer steins.
Flushing History Down the Toilet
A recent exhibit in the central pavilion of Vienna’s Giardini della Biennale museum is using toilets to teach its visitors about the development of society through the ages. It’s all part of Venice’s 14th annual International Architecture Exhibition.
The Amazing Tale of the North Pond Hermit
Who was breaking into homes in a small town in northern Maine. Teenagers? Animals?
The Weirdest Place in Portugal
We recently told you about some really creepy places in Venice and Transylvania. Your turn to freak us out, Portugal.
An Expatriate Fourth of July
Just because you’re an American and you’re not in America doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate America’s Independence Day.
It’s Canada Day!
On July 1, 1867, three North American colonies united to form a country, under the realm of England. They called it…Canada. Here are some weird things you might not know about the Great White North.
You’re Saying It Wrong! Card Sharp vs. Card Shark
“Card sharp” dates back to the 1880s, the time of Wild West saloons and card rooms, but had evolved into “card shark” by the 1940s, long before Card Sharks could have solidified the change. Oddly enough, both “card shark” and “card sharp” make sense in their usages.
This Blog Post Has Cooties
If you’ve ever been accused of having cooties…this blog post is for you. Today we explore the question, “What are cooties?”.
Fast Flag and Flag Day Facts For Flag Day
Say that three times fast, and then read these flag facts before Flag Day on June 14th.
- Remember that line in “The Star Spangled Banner” that remarks that the “flag was still there,” meaning the U.S. flag survived the battlefield? Well, in real life, the flag that inspired that line is “still there.” Francis Scott Key wrote the song about the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. A few swaths of the 15-star, 15-bar flag are on display at the Smithsonian.
Wanna Buy Dracula’s Castle?
We recently told you about Poveglia, the haunted Italian island up for auction. Also hitting the market: Bran Castle in Transylvania, the one-time home of the real-life Dracula.
The Governor Saved My Life!
Sure, politicians can save lives by ordering a stay of execution, or allocating funds to hunger-fighting programs, for example. These two stories are a little more direct.
