If you send many Christmas cards, this is the time of year when several are returned to you because of an out-of-date address. In the United States, the average person moves 11.7 […]
Why A Boat in the Detroit River Has Its Own ZIP Code
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The English language is amazing. It is also weird. Whether you grew up with English as your first language or you are picking it up later in life, you will never exhaust […]
Is Your Printer Spying on You?
Your printer is spying on you, you say? Uh huh. Right. Sounds like you may be suffering from a deficiency of niacin, buddy. That was our reaction when we started to get […]
Law & Order – Hammurabi’s Code Division
In Babylon’s criminal justice system, the people were governed by a code of justice and the king who wrote that code. These are their stories. Welcome to Law and Order: Hammurabi’s Code […]
How a Full Bladder Started a Bloody War
Not to be indelicate, but there are some things we just can’t control. After all, when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go. While it is true that some of us […]
The Ungovernability of Cheese Lovers
Charles De Gaulle had more than his share of frustrations during his tenure as President of France. He summed up the difficulties of the job when he asked, “How can you govern […]
Reagan Reflects on Reason for Christmas
“Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel and reindeer, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a […]
Merry Christmas!
Skye, the official Commonplace Fun Facts Canine Consultant, Contributor, and Commander-in-Chief has remained vigilant throughout the night to safeguard Santa’s passage down the chimney.
What Would it Cost to Give the Gifts in The 12 Days of Christmas?
There is no such thing as a “one size fits all” when it comes to selecting gifts for those on your Christmas list. Some of your acquaintances may warrant nothing more than […]
The Unlikely Origin of One of the Best-Loved Christmas Songs
It is almost impossible to imagine Christmas without thinking of all the songs that go with the day. There are enough holiday tunes to fill the season, and many are so beloved […]
Finland’s Reflecting Reindeer Plan … And How It Turned Out
Once upon a time, there was a reindeer. It was a very special reindeer because part of its body glowed brightly in the night. If it weren’t for that unnatural light source, […]
Everyone Dreams But Not Equally
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the morning to find that their dreams were nothing but vanity: but […]
How One Man Destroyed One of the World’s Oldest Banks
Barings Bank was a survivor. Founded in 1762 during the reign of George III, it endured through seven more kings and queens, two world wars, the Great Depression, and countless geopolitical upheavals. […]
Beware Mad Honey Disease
Do you like honey? Are you just mad about it? There’s nothing wrong with having an affinity for the taste of honey, but if your obsession approaches the level of madness, you’d […]
Costume Thief Crossover Connects Marvel and DC Universes
Two parallel universes exist side-by-side. In each, a battle continually rages, pitting the forces of good against those who wish to destroy everything. Both realms are protected by warriors whose deeds, powers, […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 