Who said you have to be celebrity to name your kid something weird? Mental Floss has document 6 very weird names. Imagine being named Eclipse Glasses Banda or having a last name that means “pisses.” It happens, all over the world.
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Original post by Jill Harness
Did you know that the Empire State Building was a built in a race between Chrysler
and General Motors on who could build the taller building? Or that when
the Sydney Opera House design was selected, the technology to build it
hadn’t existed yet? Here are the origins of 5 of the world’s most iconic
buildings:
Empire State Building
Building the Empire State Building, by Lewis Hine (1930): "Old-timer,
— keeping up with the boys. Many structural workers are above middle-age."
The Chrysler building can be seen in the background.
As it turns out, […]
Original post by Alex
National anthems: we’ve all sung them in school or at sporting events
… but what do you really know about them? Did you know that The Star-Spangled
Banner got its tune from a drinking song? Or that the Dutch national anthem,
"Het Wilhelmus" was once co-opted by the Nazi? Read on:
Great Britain: This One’s for Hymn!
In
most languages other than English, the word for what we call a "national
anthem" translates roughly to "national hymn." And, to
be fair, that’s probably an accurate portrayal of these songs, which pay
solemn homage to one’s country and leaders in a style that isn’t […]
Original post by Alex
Long before Prince Charles proved that love
is blind by cheating on his beautiful wife with Camilla Parker-Bowles,
blue bloods had already proudly renounced monogamy. Over the centuries,
they’ve coveted their neighbors’ wives countless times, sure, but what
about their neighbors’ livestock? It’s time to separate the perverted
facts from the perverted fiction about royal sex lives.
1. Catherine the Great (1729 - 1796)
The
reign of Catherine II, the German-born czarina of Russia, began when she
overthrew her alcoholic, incompetent, and purportedly impotent husband,
Frederick (the not so Great), in 1762. If there was one […]
Original post by Alex
Call it a power nap. Call it a break. Whatever
you call it, don’t assume that somebody who sneaks in a few winks in the
middle of the day can’t also take care of business …
1. Thomas Edison: Highly Inventive Napping
Prolific inventor Thomas Edison didn’t like to go to bed at night. In
fact, he didn’t like to take his clothes off or change into pajamas because
he thought it somehow interfered with his creativity.
The solution? The "Wizard of Menlo Park" chose instead to sleep
a few hours at night - often no more than three - then catch naps in the
lab around the clock, whenever […]
Original post by Alex
Even before the Gulf War and the Iraq War, the Middle East has seen a lot of
tension and conflicts. Here are three of battles that took place there
well before the start of the Middle Ages:
1. The Battle for Mecca
Unlike
Jesus or the Buddha, Muhammad founded a religion and a political
party. As the leader of the early Islamic community in Mecca, Muhammad
found himself at odds with his clan’s pagan leaders. Facing annihilation,
Muhammad and his followers fled Mecca for Medina in 622 CE.
Over the next eight years, the Muslims periodically engaged in bloody
battles over Mecca (in […]
Original post by Alex
How well do you know your NFL helmets? In today’s Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss, try to match the “eye” to the helmet it’s found on. Oh, I scored 25%. If you are totally unfamiliar with the teams (as I am), finding an eye that looks like the team name is not easy! Link
Original post by Miss Cellania
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