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 […]
Beware the Unintended Consequences of the Cobra Effect
Did an Indian King Use Rolls Royces to Collect Garbage?
Have you heard about the fabulously wealthy Indian ruler who was snubbed at a Rolls Royce showroom? When the salesman did not recognize the distinguished visitor and dismissed him as someone who […]
Police Arrest Coconut On Suspicion of Election Tampering
The integrity of democracy requires decisive action to prevent voter fraud. When Maldivian police received reports of possible election tampering, they rushed to the scene and took the suspect into custody. The […]
Contemplate the Variegated Cancerous Concoctions of the Asphyxiating Snare in the Escalating Venality of a 19-Year-Long Court Case
Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House introduced the world to the never-ending legal saga of Jarndyce and Jarndyce. In Dickens’ uniquely-descriptive words: Jarndyce and Jarndyce drones on. This scarecrow of a suit has, […]
I Can’t Come to Work Today — I’m Too Busy Being a Deity
The Human Resources Department of Commonplace Fun Facts thought they had heard every excuse for not coming into the office. “I can work just as well from home.” “The commute is too […]
Take a Page From the Book With the Longest Title
We have already delved into the longest sentence ever published in a book, the beloved children’s book written in response to a bet, and the shortest poem on record. Oddly, we have […]
Listen to the Song Written to Usher in the End of the World
In the movie Bill & Ted Face the Music, all of space and time is unraveling, but one song manages to correct the catastrophe and restore order. Alexander Scriabin was a composer […]
How About An Election Where You Can Vote for “None of the Above”?
In the 2007 Australian federal election, Geoff Richardson changed his full name to “Of The Above None,” running for the seat of Gilmore. His name thus appeared on the ballot as “NONE, […]
There May Be More Tigers in Texas Than Roaming Wild in the Rest of the World
If you want to find a lot of tigers, most of us would imagine a journey to India or western Asia. Few would think to plan a trip to Texas. Even so, […]
Some Brief Insanely-Long Remarks
India’s Minister of Finance, V.K. Krishna Menon stepped to the podium at the United Nations on January 23, 1957, to address his nation’s policies regarding Kashmir. Anyone who hoped to be hearing […]
The Submarine that Nearly Sank Because of an Open Hatch
When submarine captains go to school to learn how to command a multi-billion-dollar vessel, surely one of the first lessons is “Make Sure All the Hatches Are Closed Before You Dive.” For […]
From Plane Wreck to “Star Trek” — the Heroic Exploits of Gene Roddenberry
Fans of Star Trek are all too familiar with the scene: the ship is badly damaged, the helm is unresponsive, and everything seems to be going wrong. In moments like this, Captain […]
Take a Quick 6.5 Hours to Read the World’s Longest Poem
If your attention span for poetry only extends to the length of time it takes to read a limerick, you may find yourself challenged if you try to read the Mahābhārata.
Late Language Learner
Queen Victoria (1819-1901) took her responsibilities as Empress of India quite seriously. On her 70th birthday, she undertook lessons in Hindustani and got to the point where she wrote in Hindustani in […]
There Were So Many Bathers, Could They Find the River?
The Kumbh Mela is a tradition within the Hindu faith where the faithful gather for ceremonial bathing in a sacred river. On February 10, 2013, over thirty million people participated at Allahabad, […]
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