Are Snipes Real? Absolutely. Should You Go Snipe Hunting? We Advise Against It.
Are snipes real? Discover the truth behind the bird, the bizarre tradition of snipe hunting, and why this classic prank has fooled generations.
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Breaking Out of Jail is Completely Legal in These Countries
Read more: Breaking Out of Jail is Completely Legal in These CountriesBreaking out of jail is always a crime, right? Think again. There are some countries where a jail break will not get you into legal trouble.
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Meet F.D.C. Willard, the Cat Who Co-Authored a Scientific Paper
Read more: Meet F.D.C. Willard, the Cat Who Co-Authored a Scientific PaperF.D.C. Willard: Cuddly, Cute, and Co-Author F.D.C. Willard was 7 years old when he became a published researcher. As you might expect with someone so gifted at such a young age, there were some difficulties in coping with fame. His personality was sometimes described in less-than-flattering terms. Some called him aloof, frustratingly-independent, and almost-obsessive about…
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Learn How Two Grandparents Hacked the Lottery and Made Millions
Read more: Learn How Two Grandparents Hacked the Lottery and Made MillionsDespite all the advertisements telling us about the lavish lifestyle that comes to the winners of the lottery, most of us know that buying lottery tickets is just a less efficient means of throwing away money. The odds of actually winning a pretty low, as we have pointed out in this article. There was one…
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O’Rourke’s Alternative to Term Limits
Read more: O’Rourke’s Alternative to Term Limits“In our brief national history, we have shot four of our presidents, worried five of them to death, impeached one and hounded another out of office. And when all else fails, we hold an election and assassinate their character.” — P.J. O’Rourke Read more great quotations. Read more fun facts about politics.
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A Typo on the Australia $50 Banknote: The $50 Million Proofreading Fail You Won’t Believe
Read more: A Typo on the Australia $50 Banknote: The $50 Million Proofreading Fail You Won’t BelieveThe Reserve Bank of Australia introduced a new $50 banknote featuring Edith Cowan on February 15, 2018. However, the word “responsibility” was misspelled as “responsibilty” in a quotation, remaining unnoticed for six months, leading to 46 million faulty notes being circulated. Help in proofreading may be advisable.
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Two Hotheaded Boys and Two Patient Mothers
Read more: Two Hotheaded Boys and Two Patient MothersDavid and Leslie had a couple of things in common: each had volatile tempers, and both of them had mothers who believed those tempers could and should be controlled. David was known to get so enraged as a boy that he would punch his fists repeatedly into the trunk of a tree until his knuckles…
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Cayo Blanco Del Sur : I Gave East Germany An Island, and All I Got Was This Lousy Teddy Bear!
Read more: Cayo Blanco Del Sur : I Gave East Germany An Island, and All I Got Was This Lousy Teddy Bear!Learn how Cuba gave the island of Cayo Blanco del Sur to East Germany and only got a stuffed animal in exchange.
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Exploding Pants: The Baffling Mystery that Plagued New Zealand’s Farmers
Read more: Exploding Pants: The Baffling Mystery that Plagued New Zealand’s FarmersDiscover the baffling phenomenon in New Zealand where farmers were plagued by exploding pants.
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Piercing the Penguin Poop Projectile Predicament
Read more: Piercing the Penguin Poop Projectile PredicamentIf we at Commonplace ever find ourselves at a loss for something to write about, the Ig Nobel prizes are sure to be a goldmine of inspiration. One of the 2005 laureates provides just the fodder for those whose interests include a mixture of animals, mathematics, physics, and middle school boys’ toilet humor.
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The Town With a Population of 1
Read more: The Town With a Population of 1If the prospect of knowing everyone who lives in your community appeals to you, you might consider moving to Monowi, Nebraska. Getting to know all of the residents won’t be too difficult. The population of Monowi consists of a grand total of one person.
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This is the King, and I’ll Be Your Pilot Today
Read more: This is the King, and I’ll Be Your Pilot TodayWhenever you fly, you expect your pilot will have the highest qualifications. You take it for granted that he or she has the appropriate pilot’s license and training for that aircraft and has the experience and skills to safely navigate you to your destination. If you fly with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, there’s a chance…
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The Scam to Search for a Country that Didn’t Exist — And What Was Discovered Instead
Read more: The Scam to Search for a Country that Didn’t Exist — And What Was Discovered InsteadBob was a con man. That’s not how he would have described himself. He would have told you that he was a visionary and hero — someone who sought out new frontiers to make life better for everyone. But that’s what you would expect a con man to say, isn’t it. The fact is that…
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George M. Cohan’s Lessons on Friendship from the Man Who Owned Broadway
Read more: George M. Cohan’s Lessons on Friendship from the Man Who Owned BroadwayGeorge M. Cohan (1878-1942) racked up an amazing number of accomplishments in his lifetime. As a spectacularly-successful singer, dancer, actor, playwright, composer, lyricist, and theatrical producer, he rightfully earned his reputation as “the man who owned Broadway.” His 8-foot bronze statue in Times Square is the only statue of an actor on Broadway. In 1940,…
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The Hoover Free Flight Fiasco: The Unbelievable Marketing Campaign that Sank a Company
Read more: The Hoover Free Flight Fiasco: The Unbelievable Marketing Campaign that Sank a CompanyThe Hoover Free Flight Fiasco tells the story of a company that was once a market leader. It suffered a dramatic downfall after an ill-conceived promotional campaign in the early 1990s offering free flights with purchases. Learn more about this disastrous marketing campaign.
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Smoky and the Army Airborne
Read more: Smoky and the Army AirborneThanks to Pacific Paratrooper for this great story of an animal that shaped history. Be sure to check out Pacific Paratrooper for more fascinating stories about one of history’s greatest battles for freedom.
