Every Hippie's Sweetheart, Carly Simon

If you were a child of the 60s living in America, then you were most likely introduced to Carly Simon with the release of her popular 1971 hit, “Anticipation” from the album of the same name.  Although she’d received marginal success with “That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be” from her first album, Carly Simon, it was Anticipation’s “I’ve Got to Have You” (written by song legend Kris Kristofferson) and “Legend in Your Own Time” that helped establish Carly as a cool Hippie chick who could write beautiful lyric, sing with a sweet yet powerful quality, and on top of it all, was sexy as hell.  But what really sealed her legacy in American pop-rock culture was her phenomenally popular “You’re So Vain,” her first commercial breakthrough hit, appearing on the 1972 release, No Secrets.  Read more . . .

Dean Martin: The Life and Times of the "Coolest Man Who Ever Lived"

Christened Dino Paul Crocetti, Dean Martin was initially interested in becoming a drummer when he dropped out of Steubenville High School in the tenth grade at the age of fifteen.  After working at numerous odd jobs including becoming a part-time amateur welterweight boxer using the name "Kid Crochet," Dean flirted with criminal activity for a time, working as a bookie and card dealer at local gambling joints and “running” liquor across state lines during the prohibition. Then at seventeen he began his show business career as a singer in nightclubs near Steubenville; clubs owned by the criminal element with whom he'd become acquainted.  Read more . . .

Dr. Sex: Alfred Kinsey, His Life and Times

It can be said to have all begun with bugs.  Following a childhood fascination with insects, Alfred Kinsey chose a study of the gall wasp for his Doctor of Science dissertation after completing his degree in biology from Bowden College in Brunswick, Maine.  Upon arriving at Harvard’s graduate school of biology in the fall of 1916, Kinsey set his sights on the social and reproductive habits of these tiny oak tree dwellers, eventually collecting several hundred thousand specimens.  But more than just amassing a world-class collection of bugs, by the time of its completion, Kinsey had succeeded in establishing a remarkably meticulous methodology for assembling and analyzing data, a propensity for digging into a subject some characterized as “bordering on obsession,” and a personal conviction to prove that science is the ultimate link between humanity and truth.  Read more . . .

Popeye: Cartoon Icons of American TV

Created by American cartoonist Elzie Crisler Segar, Popeye (also Popeye the Sailor) first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929, billed as a Betty Boop cartoon.  (According to the official Popeye website, Popeye is 34 years old and was born in a typhoon off Santa Monica, California.)  In 1933, Fleischer Studios adapted the Thimble Theatre character and his cartoon buddies into a series of Popeye the Sailor animated shorts for Paramount Pictures shown in movie theaters.  These first Popeye shorts introduced the now-famous "I’m Popeye the Sailor Man,” song written by Sammy Lerner (loosely based on the "Pirate King" song in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, The Pirates of Penzance, that would eventually become Popeye’s theme song).  Read more . . .

Bugs Bunny: Cartoon Icons of American TV

The brainchild of cartoon director Tex Avery, Bugs Bunny is a world-famous cartoon character who starred in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated films produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became Warner Bros. Recognized by his trademark carrot, quick and often ironic whit, and his love for costumes, Bugs Bunny has been part of American pop culture for over 70 years, voted the "greatest cartoon character of all time" by TV Guide.  Starring in 167 film shorts during the Golden Age of American animation (as well as appearing in several non-animated films including Space Jam and Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Bugs evolved from a less developed character who first appeared in the 1938 Warner Brothers cartoon Porky’s Hare Hunt.   Read more . . .

The Flintstones: Cartoon Icons of American TV

The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American TV series that ran from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on the ABC network.  Produced by the team of Hanna-Barbera, The Flintstones follows the lives and adventures of two working-class Stone-Age families, the Flintstones and the Rubbles.  Though telecast in black-and-white during its first two seasons, it was filmed in color from the start.  A clever juxtaposition of modern everyday concerns in a Stone Age setting, The Flintstones takes place in the "modern" metropolis of Bedrock.  (In some of the earlier episodes, it was referred to as "Rockville.”)  In this fantastic vision of the ancient past, dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers, woolly mammoths, and other long-extinct animals co-exist with barefoot cavemen who drive cars.  Read more. . .

Cartoon Icons of American TV: Beany and Cecil

Beany and Cecil is an animated cartoon series created by director Bob Clampett who initially worked for Warner Brothers.  Credited with other TV classics such as The Daffy Doc, Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs, Corny Concerto, and Porky in Wackyland, Clampett had always been interested in puppetry, so on February 28, 1949, two years after leaving Warner Brothers, his “Time For Beany” television puppet show first appeared in Matty’s Funday Funnies.  Originating from Paramount’s KTLA-TV studios in Hollywood, CA, the characters introduced on the first telecast included Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent, Captain Horatio K. Huffenpuff (commander of the good ship "Leakin’ Lena"), Huffenpuff’s nephew Beany Boy, and the dastardly, Dishonest John.  Read more . . .

Cartoon Icons of American TV: Heckle and Jeckle

Heckle and Jeckle are popular cartoon characters created by artist Paul Terry, and released by his own studio, Terrytoons, for 20th Century Fox.  Their names were inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novella, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  Combining the wit of Bugs Bunny and a mischievous streak reminiscent of Woody Woodpecker, Heckle and Jeckle are a pair of identical magpies who calmly outwit their numerous foes in each adventure.  (Many viewers mistakenly think they are crows.)  In many episodes, however–“Moose On the Loose,” “Free Enterprise,” “The Power of Thought,” and “Hula Hula Land," their foes inevitably come out on top.   One magpie–Jeckle–speaks with a distinguished British accent, while Heckle, a Brooklyn, New York dialect. Heckle frequently refers to Jeckle simply as ‘chum’ or ‘pal,’ while Jeckle refers to Heckle as ‘old chap,’ ‘old boy,’ and ‘old featherhead’– indicating the close friendship between them.  Read more . . .

The History of Gambling: Tools and Games

Just as gambling evolved from divinatory practices of early societies, so too did the tools of gambling evolve from ritualized objects–stones, sticks, nuts, shells, and bones.  Small bones, particularly knucklebones (astragali) became the direct predecessors of modern dice.  Astragali have irregular, non-symmetrical shapes, with four large sides and two more-or-less rounded ends.  When thrown, an astragalus will land on one of its four big sides, delivering a seemingly random outcome of the throw.  Over time, the sides of an astragalus were given value and markings; the lowest value “1” assigned to the largest side of a concave shape because of a higher chance that the bone will rest on it, the highest value “6” given the smallest side of a convex shape for its greater odds–thus "Roll ‘em bones!"  Read more . . .

Beyond Magic Slippers and Poison Apples: The Dark Truth Behind Our Favorite Disney Fairy Tales

For those who grew up under the wondrous cinematic spell cast by master cartoonist Walt Disney, the world of faery tales and fables appears to be a veritable wonderland created just for kids.  Indeed, the happily-ever-after realms of Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella, make it easy to imagine that the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Anderson were born to create wondrous realms where children could simply let their imaginations run wild.  But what most parents and children are unaware of is that most of these beloved classic stories were in fact not written for children at all, and many of those that were, were meant as cautionary tales designed to frighten children into obeying their parents.  Read more . . .

La Leche League International: Mothers Supporting Breastfeeding

La Leche League International (LLLI) (la leche, Spanish for "the milk") is an international nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that promotes breastfeeding throughout the world.  Founded in 1956 in Franklin Park, Illinois, by seven mothers (including Mary Ann Cahill, Edwina Froehlich, Mary Ann Kerwin, Viola Lennon, and Betty Wagner) who had breastfed their own children and were motivated to help mothers who had difficulties with breastfeeding, La Leche League is now a presence in sixty-eight countries, dedicated to providing education, information, support, and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed.  All women, especially pregnant and nursing mothers, are welcome to attend their meetings.  The name, La Leche League, was inspired by a shrine in St. Augustine, Florida, dedicated to “Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto,” meaning “Our Lady of Happy Delivery and Plentiful Milk.”  Read more . . .

Why are Leprechauns Associated with St. Patrick's Day?

Leprechauns have been known since ancient times as part of a group of “wee ones” called luchorpans (or lobaircin), and are in many of Ireland’s Fairy-tribe legends.  Although leprechauns are frequently referred to in Irish literature dating back as far as the 16th century, their exact character does not seem to have been fully understood until more recent times.  Usually described as old men of small size who wear cocked hats and leather aprons, they are makers of brogues by profession (a type of low-heeled shoe).  Leprechauns prefer to live alone in remote places and spend their time making shoes.  In most of the stories about them, it is the noise of their hammering that ultimately gives them away.  Read more . . .

Witch Hunts in America: America's Time of Darkness

As most everyone knows today, during the three centuries of witch hunts in Salem and in many other parts of the American colonies, hundreds of innocent men, women, and even children, were put to death.  According to official documents available to the public, once the accusation of "witch" was made, a process began during which the accused was confined and tortured, and it was only a matter of time before they were ultimately strangled, drown, or burned to death.  Once branded a "witch," tests were administered to prove guilt and allow the accused the opportunity to confess.  Among these tests were swimming, strappado, thumbscrews, the boot, and the Black Virgin.  These methods represent by far the more humane tactics used to extract confession, the more severe involving the tearing off of women's breasts, penetration of women's anal cavities, and spreading of the vagina using metal torture devices designed especially for this purpose.  Read more . . .

Edgar Allan Poe: Master of the Macabre

American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic, Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts.  Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the first American writers to utilize the short story format, is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre, and is credited with contributing to the success of the emerging science fiction genre.  One fact making him especially unique in the literary field is that Poe is said to have been the first well-known American writer popular enough to earn a living exclusively through his writing in his lifetime--though not until late in life.  Read more . . .

The Anatomy of Fear: Why We Enjoy Being Scared

Are you someone who enjoys being scared?  Do you love the works of Edgar Allan Poe?  Do blood-curdling screams and the thought of gushing blood excite you like nothing else can?  Are horror films your favorite kind of entertainment?  This article is about you!  Read more . . .

America's First Serial Killer: H. H. Holmes (Herman Webster Mudgett)

Herman Webster Mudgett was born in 1861 in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, to an affluent family that was the first White settlers in the township.  Although Herman enjoyed a privileged childhood, he was ruled by a mother with strict religious ideologies and an authoritarian father who routinely administered harsh discipline.  And while Herman excelled in school–a boy of unusual intelligence, ambition, and drive–he was constantly bullied and abused by his classmates, causing him to spend his boyhood friendless, isolated, and alone.  Showing an interest in human anatomy from about the age of ten, Herman naturally gravitated toward the study of medicine after high school, and was accepted at the prestigious University of Michigan Medical school in 1882, the first university-owned hospital in America.  Read more . . .

Lizzie Borden: Murder in Fall River

Lizzie Borden came to public prominence when she became the prime suspect in the hatchet murders of her father and stepmother on August 4th, 1892. The murders, trial, and notoriety of the incident has not only become part of American pop culture, it has made Lizzie a veritable icon of evil and treachery.  Although acquitted, (no one else was ever arrested or tried), Lizzie remains notorious in American folklore as the woman who “took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks, and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.”  Read more . . .

Gibsonton, Florida: "Freakville" USA

For over two centuries, circuses, carnivals, traveling wild west shows, and street fairs were common fixtures of Americana.  Touring the countryside from spring to fall, they brought their unique–and often, bizarre–line-up of fire-eaters, contortionists, lion tamers, and high-wire acts to the far reaches of America.  For many living in rural areas of the nation, these rolling venues elicited the excitement of a rock concert, Disneyland, and a trip to Time Square all rolled into one.  And while for many it was the Big Top headliners most deserving the “oohs” and “ahhs” and adulation, for others it was the sideshows, or second acts, that offered the greater fascination.  These so-called “freak“ shows, as they came to be commonly known, provided onlookers a glimpse of the world’s oddities; those individuals most unlike themselves (or so they appeared).  These strange individuals–billed as having come from the far corners of the Earth–came in two general types: natural born freaks, and man-made freaks.  But the one thing most so-called “freaks” had in common was that when they weren’t on the road, they spent the winter months in one place: Gibsonton, a small town in Hillsboro County, Florida, long referred to as Showtown, USA.  Read more . . .

Angels Watching Over Us

The word angel comes from the Greek, angelo, which mean “messenger.”  For thousands of years, thousands of translations, countless written descriptions and oral accounts speak of divine winged messengers draped in pure, white robes, underscoring humankind’s ageless belief and fascination with angels.  Fundamental to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, the concept of angelic beings is very similar in all three faiths: spiritual beings created by God before the world was created, whose role is to glorify God, minister to God, and particularly, to act as God's messengers to humans in matters of great importance (such as the announcement to Mary in Christianity and the revelation of the Qur'an in Islam).  Read more . . .

Frankenstein

One of the most popular and recognizable monsters of all time, the creature known only as “Frankenstein’s monster” was the invention of a bored young woman of eighteen named Mary Shelly who is said to have set out to write a ghost story one rainy day while visiting Switzerland.  Frankenstein, often subtitled, “The Modern Prometheus,” was first published anonymously in 1818, becoming an immediate success, with Shelly’s name appearing on the second edition. Today it is regarded as a genuine masterpiece of Gothic Horror and one of the first ventures into science fiction.  Read more . . .