Archive for the ‘Bizarre’ Category
Who Built the Pyramids?
February 11th, 2011 |Who Built the Pyramids of Egypt?
The Pyramids of Egypt were built some 4,500 years ago in many different locations on the West Bank of the Nile river. Though the most famous pyramids are the ones at Giza, several of which are still among the largest structures ever built, there are Egyptian pyramids to be found from Djoser to Abu Sir.
Because there are so many different pyramid sites and because little is known about some of them, it is impossible to point at one person or group of people and say “They built the Egyptian…
Who Built Stonehenge?
February 9th, 2011 |Who Built Stonehenge?
Something about Stonehenge inspires people’s wildest imagination. Though there are tons of myths and legends about Stonehenge, the true story of its creation may be even more amazing. Who built Stonehenge?
You may have heard any number of explanations of how Stonehenge came to be. False rumors credit any number of people with building the strange collection of stones–the Danes, Romans, Saxons, Greeks, Egyptians, and even Merlin himself have all been called the true creators of the landmark. In one old English legend, giants were turned into stone, resulting in the strange position of the stones we…
Who Built the Golden Gate Bridge?
February 8th, 2011 |Who Built the Golden Gate Bridge?
The answer to this question depends on your definition of the word “built”–do you want to know who physically put the bridge itself together or who was responsible for the building of the bridge? Maybe you’re more interested in who designed the bridge itself. Good news–I can tell you all three.
Who Designed the Golden Gate Bridge
This question has two or three different answers.
Traditionally, it is said that Joseph B. Strauss should get credit for “building” the Golden Gate Bridge, although the idea of a single guy building a bridge is downright…
How to Become a Spy
December 19th, 2010 |How to Become a Spy
Becoming a spy is just a matter of fulfilling the requirements of the intelligence agency in your country.
In America, this agency is called the CIA, or Central Intelligence Agency. Requirements to join the CIA are quite strict.
Tests to Get Into the CIA
1. Medical examination: Really, the CIA medical test is intended to expose drug use. The CIA has the strictest drug policy in the country, and while “past drug use” doesn’t necessarily keep you from working for the CIA, drug use within the past year will look suspicious. The CIA uses the…
How to Tell a Rooster from a Hen
December 15th, 2010 |How to Tell a Rooster from a Hen
Keeping a “backyard chicken” or two is gaining in popularity in America. Chickens make good pets and if you play your cards right you’ll have a free source of fresh eggs. Don’t forget that chickens are excellent pest control animals, eating fleas, mosquito eggs, and all sorts of backyard pests. For a pet that helps keep the yard clean and puts food on the table, look no further than an egg-laying hen.
As people get into the backyard chicken business, it is not uncommon for them to have difficulty telling…
How to Stop Thinking
December 14th, 2010 |How to Stop Thinking
Too much of anything is bad–even good things. Too much water can drown you, too much sex can cause a heart attack, and too much thinking can actually get in the way of our plans. Learning how to stop thinking is the best way to free up some mental room to get the results you want from any area of your life.
But how does someone actually stop thinking? How do you know how much thinking is the right amount?
Thinking About Thinking
The old joke about self-help books is that if any of them…
What Is a Cauliflower Ear?
September 17th, 2010 |What Is a Cauliflower Ear?
Cauliflower Ear is a medical diagnosis involving permanent scarring and damage to the external appearance of the human ear.
Also known as hematoma auris, perichondrial hematoma, and Traumatic auricular hematoma (say those three times fast), this condition is most common among certain types of athletes. Cauliflower Ear can be seen in the facial structures of wrestlers, boxers, rugby players, and a few other athletes whose ears are exposed to damage.
What does Cauliflower Ear look like?
Let’s just say the name of the condition is quite descriptive. Cauliflower Ear makes the human ear…
Astrology.com
July 1st, 2010 |Astrology.com Daily Horoscope
As you would expect from a site named Astrology.com, this astrology and psychic website offers the most complete list of astrology readings. Astrology.com offers both Chinese and Vedic Astrology, like most of the other websites out there, but Astrology.com also offers Mayans astrology. With the coming of December 21, 2012, and the end of another 5,000 year Mayan cycle on that date, the public has become more interested during the last few years in what the Mayans had to say about our future.
Be the best you can be with The New You in the…
Where Is the Best Place to Find Meteorites?
April 22nd, 2010 |Where Is the Best Place to Find Meteorites?
The best place to find meteorites is any area with a dry climate, such as a desert or dry lake bed.
When a meteoroid hits the surface of the Earth it leaves behind meteorites. These are exciting pieces of geology because they originate in outer space and end up right here on the surface of our planet. Finding a meteorite is like finding a piece of another world.
What Do Meteorites Look Like?
When most people think of the word “meteorite”, they think of a chunk of iron — the most readily…
Is It Illegal to Be High?
March 8th, 2010 |Is It Illegal to Be High?
Yes, it is illegal to be high.
Here’s the situation — you and your buddies were sitting around listening to The Dark Side of the Moon and enjoying a joint or two. The night’s over and it is time to head home. On the way back to your house, you get pulled over for speeding. You know you don’t have anything illegal on you, and you haven’t been drinking, but still you gotta wonder — can the cop bust you simply for being high?
Drug Test got you worried? CLICK HERE
Who Is Glenn Beck?
November 20th, 2009 |Why Is Everybody Talking About Glenn Beck?
Glenn Beck is a conservative talk radio show host, author and tv commentator on FoxNews.
While Glenn Beck had been for years a solid second-tier radio personality in the tradition of Rush Limbaugh, with a show on CNN and Headline News and his nationally syndicated Glenn Beck Program on the radio waves, it was the move to Fox News and the airing of the Glenn Beck Show that made Beck a household name.
On a cable channel known for outrageous characters and wild-eyed opinions, Glenn Beck soon stood out from the crowd with…
Fun Questions to Ask Strangers
October 22nd, 2009 |Fun Questions To Ask a Stranger
Talking to strangers can be one of the hardest things to do, if you’re introverted or unsure of yourself. Thinking of a decent ice-breaker that might interest a stranger, but not appear to be a come-on, is hard to do when you’re sitting on a bus or in the waiting room at some office. Even when you’re at a party where everyone presumably arrived to have a good time and get to know other people better, asking fun questions to a stranger can seem, well, strange.
Sometimes, though, off-the-wall questions break the ice and…
Who Is the World’s Oldest Person?
September 11th, 2009 |Who is the World’s Oldest Person?
The world recently lost the “oldest person” known to still be alive.
Gertrude Baines, who famously lived on a steady diet of delicious foods (bacon fried in fat, fried chicken and ice cream among other foods) and clean living, died today at a nursing home where she had been for the last few years. She was 115 when she died peacefully in her sleep.
Baines was quoted when she turned 115 last year that she “enjoyed life so much she wouldn’t mind living another 100 years”. Emma Camanag, head administrator at Western Convalescent…
How to Fend Off a Shark Attack
September 11th, 2009 |How to Fend Off a Shark Attack
So you’re in Australia on your dream vacation. One minute you’re snorkeling with the family, wondering what you’ll eat for dinner, not thinking about work, maybe you’re even a little bit happy. Suddenly, below you, the distinct outline of a shark appears. Before the hair on the back of your neck has time to settle, three more sharks appear. This is not good.
If you know how to fend off a shark attack, you’ll be less likely to soil your wetsuit should you find yourself in this scenario.
The best way…
Barney Frank Wants You to Smoke Marijuana
September 7th, 2009 |Barney Frank Wants You to Smoke Marijuana
There are currently two pretty major pieces of legislation before the Federal government related to marijuana. From the political right comes a motion by an Illinois congressman named Mark Kirk. Kirk wants to make the sale of a particularly potent new strain of marijuana (known as “kush”) punishable by fines up to $1 million and a prison term up to 25 years long. I went to college, and I’ve been to my share of parties after those heady years at University, and I’m a bit familiar with this “kush” strain — yes,…
What is Newspaper Carrier Day?
September 4th, 2009 |What is Newspaper Carrier Day?
Today is September 4th, and you know what that means — International Newspaper Carrier Day!
Today’s the day that people around the world celebrate that most harried soul, the paper boy. But regardless of whether you get your paper delivered by a traditional paper boy on a bike or a grownup paper carrier tossing papers out their window before the sun comes up, you should take a moment to thank the people who bring you your local news and sports page.
In America, Newspaper Carrier Day is always celebrated on September 4th although the…
Who Is Ray Kurzweil?
August 19th, 2009 |Who is Ray Kurzweil?
My first exposure to Raymond Kurzweil, better known as Ray, came while reading Rolling Stone magazine earlier this year. In the January 2009 issue, Kurzweil appeared in David Kushner’s article “When Man and Machine Merge”. Kurzweil’s words in that article stuck with me. Ray Kurzweil said in Rolling Stone that he wanted to clone his dead father via an exact genetic copy obtained from DNA in the father’s grave. That’s right — Kurzweil expressed an honest desire to build a copy of his dead dad by inventing special nanorobots that could enter his father’s grave…
What Was the Pittsburgh Shooter’s Motive?
August 7th, 2009 |What was the Pittsburgh Shooter’s motive?
The man that police say entered a fitness center in Pittsburgh, turned off the lights and opened fire has a name — George Sodini.
A systems analyst who was well known for his hatred of women, Sodini left behind plenty of written material to tell law enforcement authorities the story of his crime from development to action. Pieces of his diatribes about his personal life and his plans to get even with women are slowly but surely creeping onto the Internet.
In fact, Sodini kept a private blog to record his thoughts in…
Why Are Russian Submarines Patrolling the United States Coast?
August 5th, 2009 |Why are Russian submarines patrolling the United States coast?
If reading that headline gave you an 80s flashback, you’re not alone. People are surprised to find out that two Russian attack submarines have been spotted this week within a stone’s throw, submarine-wise, of the United States. The sighting of the two nuclear subs represents the first major sighting of Russian submarines since the days of the Cold War
The Pentagon has confirmed — two Russian attack submarines have been “patrolling the waters” off the East Coast of the United States in the past week, including one submarine that came…
Are Tanning Beds a Cancer Risk?
July 29th, 2009 |Are tanning beds a cancer risk?
International cancer experts have determined, once and for all, that the use of tanning beds and any other device that transmits any kind of ultraviolet or UV radiation do cause cancer. How have they done this? By moving up tanning beds, sun lamps, and similar devices to “the highest risk category”, the same as very dangerous poisons, such as mustard gas.
The new classification for these devices is more than just a symbolic gesture. It means that there is now medical support for the belief that tanning beds and UV rays definitely cause…
Are Computer Games Addictive?
July 28th, 2009 |Are computer games addictive?
I remember my first personal computer — it was 1987 and my uncle gave us his old Apple IIe. What was then a 3 year old computer system seemed to me a playground unlike any other. Looking back, it was a simple machine. Kids wear more complicated devices on their wrists now and call them watches. “Programs” (read Games) ran off floppy disks and the monitor displayed a dizzying mix of toxic green and charcoal gray.
And I was something of a computer game addict. There was nothing more engaging to me than repeated journeys…
How Was ESPN Reporter Erin Andrews Filmed while Undressing?
July 23rd, 2009 |How was ESPN reporter Erin Andrews filmed while undressing?
It has become one of the hottest search terms of the year — millions of people entering Erin Andrews name into web crawlers looking for a video that is shocking, disturbing, and downright wrong.
Erin Andrews was filmed in various states of undress, without her knowledge, in hotel rooms recently. The video, which appears to have been filmed in at least two different locations, is available on the web for viewing. However, you have to understand that this woman is going through hell — use the Golden Rule here, people,…
Why Was Henry Louis Gates Arrested?
July 23rd, 2009 |Why was Henry Louis Gates arrested?
Recently, Harvard professor and the director of Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African-American Research was arrested while “breaking in” to his own home.
The backlash from this event has brought up issues of race and ethnicity that many thought buried for years. Even President Barack Obama has found his way into the controversy — it doesn’t help that he is a friend of Henry Louis Gates or that he is the first African-American president. Obama spoke out about the arrest of America’s most prominent black scholar, and in doing so…
What Are Vibram Five Fingers?
July 23rd, 2009 |What are Vibram Five Fingers?
When a piece of footwear occupies the top spot in Google’s web search trends, it may be time to pay attention.
I’ve been hearing about Five Fingers shoes for about a week now. First, a friend of mine (who does a lot of cross training) shows up for a short run wearing what look like river shoes. Before I have a chance to ask him what the heck he’s wearing on his feet he offers up an explanation — “They’re Vibram Five Fingers”. He extended his foot and wiggled his toe. The strangest shoes…
What Charges Will Ben Roethlisberger Face?
July 22nd, 2009 |What charges will Ben Roethlisberger face?
Ben Roethlisberger’s lawyer spent all day yesterday with any news source he could find denying adamantly any of the allegations that have been made against the Steelers quarterback. Big Ben, as Roethlisberger is known, is one of several men who have been named in a lawsuit by a woman accusing the men of sexually assaulting or contributing to her sexual assault last summer.
Roethlisberger, whose rise to fame in the NFL is the stuff of legend, has cancelled a news conference that was scheduled for today, perhaps to circle the wagons and have…
Bill Gates: Hurricane Killer?
July 16th, 2009 |Bill Gates: Hurricane Killer?
It may sound like the twisted plot of a comic book or the ramblings of a James Bond villain, but this week’s oddest tech story is based on a patent filed by Bill Gates himself — controlling the weather. Bill Gates and a litany of other inventors have come together to form a plan to “kill hurricanes” while they’re over open ocean and before they can hit land and wreak havoc.
Gates’ idea sounds simple enough — send barges to pull cold deep ocean water up to the surace to create a virtual road…
Was Steve McNair Murdered?
July 7th, 2009 |Was Steve McNair murdered?
On the Fourth of July, the stunning news of the death of former NFL quarterback Steve McNair broke, though few details were known.
Since that time, it has become clear that McNair was murdered, and that the body of the woman found next to him is that of his suspected murderer — a 20 year old waitress who purchased the gun that led to McNair’s death. Though Sahel Kazemi, the woman in question, seems guilty, we can only report that she is a suspect.
Steve McNair was found with multiple fatal gun shots, including one…
Why Did Sarah Palin Resign as Governor of Alaska?
July 6th, 2009 |Why did Sarah Palin resign as Governor of Alaska?
When a politician makes a surprise resignation announcement there’s usually something more going on behind the scenes.
When that resignation is made on a major national holiday such as the fourth of July, you can bet there’s more going on than what we’ve been told.
If Sarah Palin, who is still technically the goveror of Alaska until the end of July, made her bombshell announcement on the fourth of July in an attempt to bury the story, her tactic failed. The day of her announcement wasn’t exactly a slow news…
What Medications May Have Led to the Death of Michael Jackson?
July 1st, 2009 |What medications may have led to Michael Jackson’s death?
It has been widely reported that Michael Jackson used the painkiller Demerol (generic name meperidine) for back trouble. While no one is insinuating that Jackson was an addict, reports of his use of Demerol could be a clue to his cardiac arrest. Long term use of Demerol can cause all sorts of nasty side effects, including the buildup of a chemical called normeperidine — a toxic metabolite of meperidine that normally causes no harm in short term use. Over time, however, the buildup of normeperidine is known to cause cardiac…
Who Will Get Custody of Michael Jackson’s Kids?
June 29th, 2009 |Who will get custody of Michael Jackson’s kids?
Though Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson’s 79 year old mother, filed for and won temporary guardianship of his three children, and made some moves to take over his estate according to sources, she may not end up as the final guardian of both the estate and the children.
The three children, Michael Joseph Jr.(12), Paris Michael Katherine (11), and Prince “Blanket” Michael II (7), could inherit millions of dollars, depending on the settlement of the estate. The three children, virtually unknown to the public, have been living a secluded and sheltered life…
What Will Happen to Mark Sanford?
June 25th, 2009 |What will happen to Mark Sanford?
There was nothing on television yesterday as riveting as Mark Sanford’s lengthy and awkward confession that yes, he’d been having an affair for some time.
What did we learn? Governor Sanford, a Republican from South Carolina, explained his recent disappearance, taking back his first confession (that he was “hiking on the Appalachian trail”) and admitting that he’d been engaged in an affair with a woman in Argentina. His sometimes tearful confession ran the gamut from spiritual talk to attempts at political concessions. Sanford ended the press conference saying he would be stepping down…
Whatever Became of the Craigslist Killer?
June 22nd, 2009 |Whatever became of the Craigslist Killer?
Just a couple of months ago the internet was buzzing with the news of the so called “Craigslist Killer” — an unknown man whose method of murder involved hiring “massage therapists” on Craigslist and then assaulting, robbing, or even killing them.
The Craigslist Killer made such a splash in the news and in the public eye that Craigslist, the popular private retail and real estate website, was forced to shut down that part of their business that advertised “Sexual services” such as massages and exotic dancing.
The man accused of being the Craigslist…
Why Did Kodak Stop Making Kodachrome Film?
June 22nd, 2009 |Why did Kodak stop making Kodachrome film?
Paul Simon’s song about Kodachrome was a huge hit in 1973. In the song, Simon extolled the virtues of the world’s first mass market color film.
“Kodachrome, they give us those nice bright colours / They give us the greens of summers / Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day.”
The world’s a little less sunny today, as the Eastman Kodak Company announces the end of Kodachrome film. Eastman’s Kodachrome film was the first commercially available color film that achieved success. First developed in 1935, Kodachrome film was long the…
What Is Bloomsday?
June 16th, 2009 |What is Bloomsday?
Every June 16th, people gather in Dublin, Ireland to celebrate the life and works of Irish writer James Joyce. The day, known as Bloomsday, is a chance for fans of Joyce and his novel Ulysses to relive the events of that novel, all of which took place on June 16th in Dublin in the year 1904. The name “Bloomsday” comes from Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of the novel Ulysses. Interestingly enough, June 16th was also the date of Joyce’s first lengthy date with his future wife Nora Barnacle. On June 16th, the young couple walked to…
What Is the Harvard Racist Test?
June 3rd, 2009 |What is the Harvard racist test?
Apparently, I’m a little bit racist. That’s right — up until today, I thought I was a fairly even keeled guy with very little in the way of racial preference. Turns out, I’m just another George Wallace in sheep’s clothing. Thanks a lot, Harvard.
A little backstory — I’m a white male in my late 20s. I grew up as a minority — in fact, in the high school I graduated from there were maybe a half dozen other white graduates. I had no problem with this. I’ve never thought of myself as…
Is There Cocaine in Red Bull Cola?
May 26th, 2009 |Is there cocaine in Red Bull Cola?
Red Bull Cola has recently been released here in the United States — it is not considered purely an “energy drink” like the more familiar Red Bull product, but is sold as a “Cola”. About a year ago, the makers of Red Bull, the famous caffeine and sugar loaded “energy drink” decided to develop a soda. The “Red Bull” brand would hopefully imply the same big kick to drinkers of the cola beverage. But could the cola’s boost, which is advertised on the can and by the makers as “100% natural”, come…
Who Is Elizabeth Munro?
May 19th, 2009 |Who is Elizabeth Munro?
Elizabeth Munro is a British woman who recently announced she is pregnant. She received successful in vitro fertilization treatments in the Ukraine and plans on raising the child by herself. None of this would be newsworthy if it weren’t for Ms. Munro’s age. She will turn 67 just after delivering her first child.
Needless to say, there is plenty of public outrage. Doctors and clinical professionals worry about the health of the child — it is well known that children born to older mothers are more likely to have health problems. Others worry about the…
What Is the Montauk Monster?
May 14th, 2009 |What is the Montauk Monster?
The Montauk Monster is the nickname given to an unidentified corpse that washed up near Montauk, New York in July, 2008. Recently, the Montauk Monster has been in the news again, as another suspected “Montauk Monster” has washed ashore and been “captured” by a couple interested in the phenomenon. The couple allegedly have the new corpse in a garbage bag in a freezer at their New York home.
The Montauk Monster defies description. The corpse appears to have characteristics from several different animals, including a short and skinny tail, long legs in proportion to…