Author Archive

While it's true hair is sometimes shinier after a hot oil treatment or a beer rinse, the switching shampoos theory seems to be a tangle of marketing hype. Because unless the suds are prescription or for dandruff, most shampoos have the same active ingredients...

Fireworks have been entertaining the easily entertained since the Han Dynasty of ancient China (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.). So it's difficult to figure out exactly who invented (or "discovered") the finger-maiming explosives. However, we can explain why they're so big on Independence Day...

Examples of managers successfully browbeating umpires into changing calls, though rare, do exist...

You can find a Big Mac on every continent but one -- Antarctica. You can get a Maharaja Mac in India, a Croque McDo in France, a McFiesta in Guatemala, and Kosher beef in Israel. While it seems like the golden arches are everywhere, 98 countries aren't "lovin' it."...

This saying has word experts as befuddled as a bunch of zoo wardens trying to coax primates out of a large wooden container...

We asked ourselves this question and our inner voice answered, "Sure they do." We're normal (almost) and if we do, everyone else must too. Do we need more proof? A voice tells us "Yes."...

The chef's hat, or toque blanche (French for "white hat"), has been around for more than 400 years. Back in the 16th century, artisans (including chefs) were among the "free thinkers" who were often persecuted, imprisoned, or executed because of their views. To escape this treatment, some chefs hid in monasteries and wore the same type of clothing as the priests, including tall hats. However, chefs wore gray, while priests wore black...

First off, let's set the record straight on the expression itself -- it's actually "scot-free." And contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with Dred Scott or the Scottish...

It's a familiar dilemma, especially for cheapskates. Even though we may not want more soda, we ask for it just to "get our money's worth." The question really boils down to whether we're receiving relative value for the soda purchased. The answer depends on...

Bohemian Grove is a 2,700-acre redwood forest in Sonoma County, California. Owned by the Bohemian Club, it's apparently set up for camping, but that's where things start to get a little fuzzy...