He was known to be a hooligan. Technically, he was a “Hooligan” with a capital H. Known by the locals as Happy Hooligan, Fred was one of the more colorful characters of […]
The Unexpected Hero Found in an Unmarked Grave
A Sailor, A Prayer, and a Purposeful Life
Lieutenant King heard the alarm and rushed to duty. It was December 1944. His ship was facing its biggest battle of World War II. The mighty USS Monterey had been in service […]
The Face Behind the Most-Famous Self Portrait
Take a close look at the face of the man in the picture above. Do you recognize him? Look again. You have seen his face more times than you can count, but […]
The Ghosts That Haunt the White House
They say that the house is haunted. Ridiculous, you say? No educated person believes in ghosts! Before you utterly dismiss the claims, however, you would do well to consider the credentials of […]
Measuring By the Meter, Foot, and Smoot
If you are accustomed to the metric system, imperial units can be perplexing. There is logic in the fact that there are 1,000 meters in a kilometer or ten centimeters in a […]
Human Memory Began on Thursday, July 6, 1189
“Time immemorial.” That’s the term we use to describe anything that has been around for so long that no one knows when it started. It is older than human memory. It refers […]
How a Young Actor Rose Above Dirty Tricks
The young actor was excited to learn he had been cast alongside a Hollywood legend. He was still trying to find his place in the entertainment world. Appearing next to one of […]
Beware the Unintended Consequences of the Cobra Effect
Incentives. We love them. Without our parents’ offer of a cash bonus for good grades, we probably would have totally blown off Mrs. Smethels’ Home Economics class in 8th grade. The incentive […]
Fugitive Charlie’s Fearful Flight
Charlie was a fugitive. He had been running for a long time. It felt as if everyone had turned against him. He was at one of the lowest points of his life. […]
How to Recognize a Logical Fallacy — Part 1
Reasoned, civil discourse is increasingly a thing of the past. Rather than analyze disagreements through some rational filter, social media seems to encourage the debate strategy of screaming loud enough to drown […]
How a Multi-Talented Actor Is Mainly Remembered as a Monster
Ted Cassidy was different from other boys his age. Yes, it’s true that his physical appearance made him stand out from everyone else, but that wasn’t the only thing. Physically, intellectually, and […]
Big Brother Keeps an Eye on Orwell Home
George Orwell’s novel 1984 took the world by storm when it was published in 1949. It told the story of a dystopian future where the government maintained control by keeping a close […]
Avoid Shadows and Face the Sun
For a woman who spent her life without the ability to see, Helen Keller had a profound way of expressing the appropriate outlook on life. “When you face the sun,” she said, […]
Warhol’s 8-Hour Movie of the Empire State Building
Hello, faithful reader. How was your weekend? Did you see any good movies? Let us tell you about the movie we watched. We’ll try not to give away any spoilers. Admittedly, the […]
Honoring Our Fallen on Memorial Day
“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.” […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 