While no one’s totally sure exactly when or why the fashion rule of wearing white only during the summer became a thing, the most probable reason is that it was due to late 1800s snobbery. Following the Civil War, mega-rich guys’ wives ruled over high society with an iron fist. But, as more & more…
Why is Labor Day Monday a day off for many Americans? And why does it land on a Monday each year? If you’re one of the lucky ones who get to enjoy a 3-day Labor Day weekend, you can thank activists & politicians for that. Labor Day goes back to Tuesday, September 5, 1882. That’s…
Anyone who’s ever had or used a set of Venetian or mini window blinds (y’know, the ones made of horizontal wood, aluminum, or plastic slats), has, at one time or another, wondered whether the blinds should be turned so that they’re either facing up or facing down. Convex (curved) blinds look more uniform when they’re…
Polka dots are a fashion staple, and have been for a while. But why do we call them “polka dots”? Polka dots originated around the same time as polka music & dancing. The term “polka” comes from the Czech word for “half” (as in, the half steps you would do to perform the dance), which…
Our bodies are scientific marvels…that also produce tons of gross stuff through the process of just being alive. Think: belly button lint…boogers…and earwax, that weird material that can sometimes reduce your hearing & make you dig into your ear canal to get it out. So, what is this earwax stuff, really? Medically, it’s known as…
Ever notice how coffee seems to make some people sleepy? Why is that? I mean, with all the caffeine that’s in coffee, providing coffee with its reputation as a way to jolt yourself into staying awake, feeling sleepy after a cup of coffee doesn’t really make sense. But plenty of people swear their afternoon espresso…
You’ve probably noticed that there are three main differences between carrots & baby carrots. Baby carrots are smaller, obviously…they often come in a bag…and they’re almost always wet. Which begs the question, why are they always so wet? Well, the experts at Dollar Shave Club looked into it, and it all goes back to how…
Any dog lover who’s ever suffered allergies has probably heard that certain dog breeds are “hypoallergenic”. Some folks believe that that comes down to whether the dog has fur or hair. But is that really true? Is there a difference between dog fur & dog hair? Yes, there is! But the difference lies in their…
Your Social Security card is super important, but it’s also super flimsy. Laminating it would seem like a good way to keep it from gradually deteriorating over the years, right? But should you laminate your Social Security Card? NO WAY, absolutely not! (At least according to the Social Security Administration.) And it’s not because you…
With all of us in lockdown during the pandemic, chances are you probably played a card game or two (hundred). So, be honest: have you ever played a card game where you actually used the joker cards? And I’m not talking about using them as stand-ins for missing cards. There just aren’t hardly any games…