Confetti translates as “sweetmeats,” originally having been sugar coated almonds and fruit that were thrown at Italian carnivals. In order to make that which was being tossed cheaper, the edibles were replaced with small plaster pellets. Then in 1876, a man who could not afford to buy these things, cut up paper into little triangles… Continue Reading Have you ever eaten confetti?
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, got his name from a photo. “When I was a little boy in school, I had to dress up as a bunny, and there’s a picture of me with an annoyed face … I don’t look mad, but I know, I remember that I was mad … It’s… Continue Reading How did Bad Bunny get his stage name?
In 1930, Grant Wood created an iconic image of a couple in front of a farmhouse. This slice of Americana shows a solemn man holding a pitchfork, staring straight ahead; a younger woman, possibly his daughter, is looking into the distance. The models for this painting, American Gothic, were Wood’s sister and his dentist. The… Continue Reading What famous American painting features a dentist?
America’s Research station in Antarctica is located on Ross Island in the Ross Archipeligo. Also on that island is Mount Erebus, an active volcano. It is one of the few volcanos in the world with an active lava lake. The lake has been continuously active since at least 1972, releasing gases and steam. Sometimes the… Continue Reading Where is it too hot to go in Antarctica?
Before 1878, doors were secured with latches or leather straps that fastened onto wooden hooks. But 16-year-old Oswald Dorsey, who was born a slave and freed when he was 8 months old, had a better idea. He created and patented the doorknob. The mechanism in this device moved a rod that slid into the doorframe.… Continue Reading What 1878 invention by a former slave do you use every day?
Restaurants covet receiving Michelin awards. But they are not just for upscale restaurants. Three Philly cheesesteak spots recently received Bib Gourmand awards, a category for casual restaurants: the venerable Dalessandro’s Steaks & Hoagies and two well-regarded upstarts, Del Rossi’s Cheesesteak Co. and Angelo’s Pizzeria. The Bib Gourmand rating is named for the Michelin company’s puffy… Continue Reading What is the Michelin Man’s name?
The song may refer to a white Christmas, but snow can also be pink and is sometimes called watermelon snow. The coloration is caused by a species of ice-loving algae, Chlamydomonas nivalis. This organism contains chlorophyl (green), but also has a carotenoid, which is reddish (think carrots). When the snow melts, the algae activates the… Continue Reading Were you dreaming of a pink Christmas?
Some people are afraid of snakes, others are afraid of clowns. But people suffering from christougenniatikophobia are afraid of Christmas. A specific type of heortophobia (fear of holidays), the word stems from Greek, meaning “Christ-birth-related-fear.” It is often rooted in childhood trauma, financial stress, or negative associations with traditions like Santa or family gatherings, causing… Continue Reading What is Christougenniatikophobia?
While in Paris in 1891, Tchaikovsky discovered a newly invented instrument, the celesta. He had it shipped to Russia and used it in The Nutcracker Ballet’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. It has been used in recordings by artists from Fats Waller and the Beatles to Pink Floyd and Fiona Apple. And it is… Continue Reading What does a sugar plum fairy sound like?
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