Just when we thought we had run out of utterly bizarre things to report about North Korea, something else presents itself. The nation may be financially bankrupt, but as far as entertainment […]
Haircuts in North Korea Are a Big, Fat, Hairy Deal
The Most Expensive Hyphen In History
It has been called the most expensive hyphen in history. That is a bit of a misstatement. It was actually the most expensive overbar in history, but since most of us have […]
The Postmaster General is the Second-Highest Paid Person in U.S. Government
If the importance of a position is measured by the paycheck, it makes sense that the President of the United States draws the biggest salary of federal government officials. Using salary as […]
Berlin’s Modern Airport That Has Never Seen an Airplane
Airports are for airplanes. Airports are for aviation passengers. Airports are complex logistical partnerships of commerce, transportation, and technology that pump life into the economy. With its reputation for top-notch efficiency, Germany […]
Welcome to the Museum Where Nothing Can Be Seen
UPDATED June 3, 2021 to include the recent sale of an Italian invisible sculpture. Perhaps it is only the unsophisticated among us who look at some examples of modern art and ask, […]
The Time Politicians Messed With Time to Prevent Anyone Messing With Time
There have been situations where politicians have thought themselves capable of legislating against nature itself, such as the time Indiana considered changing the value of pi, or the Norwegian town where it […]
The Indiana Pi Bill and the Attempt to Redefine Mathematics Through Legislative Fiat
Do you remember when you first learned of the concept of π? Have mathematics always been at least a little bit difficult for you? Haven’t you wished you could just pass a […]
Chairman Mao’s Disastrous War Against Sparrows
Mao Zedong (1893-1976) disliked pests. Rats, bed bugs, and flies (not to mention as many as 30 million people who got in his way) were, at various times, the focus of Chairman […]
Quirks and Madness at the IRS
As previously noted here, the IRS has a contingency plan for collecting taxes in the event of the end of the world as we know it. Curiously, this is not the strangest […]
Tax Strategies for the Apocalypse
By some miracle, you have survived the disaster that has ushered in the apocalypse. Perhaps it was a nuclear war, asteroid strike, pandemic, or even zombies. Scarcely a month has gone by, […]
The Day Sark Was Invaded by One Man
The island of Sark has many admirable features. It is beautiful, idyllic, and has some of the lowest-priced rental property in the world. Located between Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Islands, […]
Combining Childbirth With Amusement Park Technology
We are led to understand that the process of delivering a baby can be somewhat difficult. Fortunately, for expectant mothers everywhere, inventors George and Charlotte Blonsky have come to the rescue with […]
One of History’s Bloodiest Wars Was Fought Over a Bucket
Commonplace Fun Facts has documented a war fought over a pig, a war against emus, and another that was fought over spilled soup. None of this can quite compare to one of […]
The Odds — and Risks — of Playing the Lottery
Americans spend more than $70 billion each year on lottery tickets. That comes out to $300 per adult in the states where lotteries are legal. With Powerball or Mega Millions payouts reaching […]
A Penny Saved Is 2.06 Cents Spent
We are all taught the financial value of valuing and saving every last penny. This rule apparently does not apply to the U.S. government — at least, not to the U.S. Mint. […]
