The Little-Known 49-Star Flag
Back in the 1800s, the American Flag changed every couple of years. Every time they added a new state, they added a new star. By the twentieth century however, Manifest Destiny had run its...
Category: Nonfiction
Tom’s Diner: An Influential Song
It’s such a simple little song, a two-minute ditty about a woman sitting in a diner. Eight simple notes played in several variations, with a catchy a capella “doo doo doo doo doo doo...
5 Best New Arrested Development Characters
I’ve loved “Arrested Development” ever since the first episode. I remember watching it on Fox, hoping the TV network would keep the show going. I was disappointed, but unsurprised, when they canceled and doubled...
Birth Control and Equality
There are many technological advances that have made our society was it is today. Steel and concrete make our cities grow taller while cars and trains make them wider and better connected. The internet...
Exit Signs in America
Here in the US, we do things differently than most countries. While just about every other nation on Earth uses the metric system, we stick to our pounds and inches. And while other countries...
Intelligent Videos on YouTube
I grew up watching PBS. I loved Sesame Street and Mister Rogers. When I got older, we got cable TV, and I started watching documentaries on the History Channel, A&E, the Discovery Channel and...
Anatomy of a Bad Joke
How does one acquire a sense of humor? A good sense of humor? I’d really like to know. Despite having worked as a stand-up comedian, I seem to tell some pretty bad jokes. Awful...
The Problem with Casinos
Math. That’s the problem that I have with casinos. Once I realize how badly the odds are stacked against me, it’s hard to have much fun. To me, a slot machine is really just...
Decimal Currency in America
The metric system has never caught on in the U.S., but when it comes to decimal measures, there is one place where America has been a pioneer. We were one of the first countries...
Atchafalaya: The Future Mississippi River
Right on the southwest corner of the State of Mississippi, there is a confluence of rivers. The Red River, which separates Texas from Oklahoma, meets up with the Mighty Mississippi. A mile to two...
