Amadeo P. Giannini was proud of the Italian heritage he inherited from his immigrant parents. Although born in California as an American citizen, Giannini was raised to value the culture of his […]
Banking on Italian Values and the American Dream
One Order of Meatballs, Please — Hold the Meat
Government regulations in the food industry generally require truth in advertising about a product’s ingredients. It makes sense that a company should not be able to advertise its product as “100% fresh […]
This Is Why Teens Generally Don’t Get to Choose Their Names
In 2008 19-year-old George Garratt legally changed his name to “Captain Fantastic Faster Than Superman Spiderman Batman Wolverine Hulk And The Flash Combined.” He said he wanted to “be unique.”
Something Old and Something Neuf
The oldest bridge in Paris, France is Pont Neuf. The name means “New Bridge.”
“The Fork” Dishes Up Colorful Insult
Søren Kierkegaard earned the nickname “The Fork” in his youth, due to his ability to identify an opponent’s weaknesses and stick it to him. Generally this took the form of surgical strikes […]
I Tawt I Taw a RNAV (GPS) Approach to Runway 16
Pilots use agreed-upon geographic locations as reference points for navigation. Many times, these points have no distinct visible features, but they have been designated as points on a map so pilots can line […]
When Insanity Campaigns, Undisguised
You have to admire someone who can go through the rigors of a political campaign, lose, and be able to shake it off and get on with life. What about a man […]
Behold the Power of Buffy, the Jedi Master
When George Lucas created the Jedi Master Yoda for The Empire Strikes Back, he originally intended that the character’s name would be Buffy. source
What’s in a Name? A Whole Lot of Letters, If You Are This Guy
Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff, Sr. (a.k.a. Hubert B. Wolfe + 666) is the short version of the official given name of a typesetter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His full, unabbreviated name is Adolph Blaine Charles David […]
Matlock Goes After Sheriff Andy Griffith
Andy Griffith as attorney Ben Matlock (left) and as Sheriff Andy Taylor (right) Andy Griffith (1926-2012) was well known as the actor who played Sheriff Andy Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, […]
I Know Who I Am
Ronald Reagan had been successful in motion pictures and television, but he still struggled with name recognition when he was campaigning for President in 1976. His campaign managers had him going door-to-door […]
2 D’s, or Not 2 D’s…
President Abraham Lincoln liked to joke about the well-to-do background of his wife’s family. “The Todds spell their name with two d’s, which is pretty impressive, considering one d is good enough […]
Did His Parents Hate Him?
Parents should be held responsible for the decisions they make when naming their children. An authority on this subject would be none other than Dr. Whet Faartz. Anyone happen to know what […]
He Should Have Considered a Name Change
The city of Goiânia, Brazil once had a chief of police named Hitler Mussolini. See this video of the unfortunately-named law enforcement officer. It seems that Goiânia just can’t get a break. Read how […]
President Who?
Harry Von Zell is remembered as the long-time announcer of the Burns & Allen radio and television programs, but he also has the dubious distinction of being responsible for one of the first […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 