Please note that I am not saying all of these dumb laws are still in effect (or even were). But they’re examples reported for various states in the U.S. and some international laws as well. Maybe they’ll make more sense to you than to me. Or perhaps you’ll also find them good for a laugh.

1. In Pennsylvania it’s illegal to have more than 16 women live in the same house — doing so makes it a brothel.

I wanted to kick things off with an example of a dumb law from my own home state. I’m not sure if the specifics reported are right, or if it’s still the case (as opposed to an old law). But I do remember the topic coming up periodically when I was in college. It was a concern for sororities where groups of “sisters” would share a sorority house.

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2. In Sweden it’s claimed that it’s illegal to paint a house without a painting license from the government.

Well, if that’s the case I’m glad I don’t live in Sweden. I just painted my place this spring, and am planning to do some more paint touch-ups soon. While this sounds like a pretty stupid law, I could maybe understand it if it’s outdated and became law out of concerns over lead-based paint or something.

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3. It’s reported that in San Antonio, Texas it’s illegal to use your eyes or hands while flirting.

Why not just ban flirting altogether? Outdated, still on the books — I don’t know. But this is one where I can’t even begin to understand the logic if it’s true… not even in a historical context. You?

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4. Don’t send the kiddies trick-or-treating on Halloween in Virginia.

It’s reported that doing so is illegal. Again, I’m not sure if this is legit or current. But the idea doesn’t really surprise me. I know where I live Halloween trick-or-treating is very different than it was when I was a kid. They’ve put strict limits on the time kids can go out, and I seem to remember them deciding trick-or-treating should be a different day at some point — maybe if Halloween was on a school night. So no, if this is true, it wouldn’t really surprise me. Just for curiosity’s sake, have you seen changes in trick-or-treating since you were a kid too? Or do I just live in a dud of a town?

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5. In Singapore, oral sex is illegal (unless it leads to the real deal).

Let’s be honest here. Sex laws can sometimes be the funniest. It’s usually a case of them being outdated, based in times when public opinion was quite different. And when it comes to international sex laws, I’m pretty “forgiving,” because I certainly don’t understand every culture out there. What sounds crazy to me might be perfectly normal there. But this one? I really hope it’s just a joke or at least off the books now. Oral sex is illegal, unless you use it as foreplay. Why do I suspect only a man could come up with that idea?

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6. While we’re talking about Singapore, tourists take note: it’s also illegal to pee in an elevator.

Because apparently we need a reminder….

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7. Way to go Fairbanks, Alaska! (They cleaned up filthy moose sex on city streets!)

This is one of those reported laws that’s so incredibly stupid I can’t help but hope it’s true (because that makes it all the funnier). As if animals give a moose’s behind what our laws say. If it works, maybe my local officials can write a law that would stop those damned birds from crapping on my car.

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8. In Canada, it’s reported that it’s illegal for clear and non-dark sodas to be caffeinated.

Ironically, just this morning I was talking to someone about caffeinated beverages (yes, my life is so relevant to my work!). I never actually knew that Mountain Dew had caffeine (haven’t had it in years either). It was pointed out to me that it’s indeed one of the most caffeinated sodas here in the U.S. So when I saw this stupid law I immediately thought of Mountain Dew. And I just had to look it up — is Canadian Mountain Dew different from “real” Mountain Dew? And it seems that it is (or at least was)! I don’t understand why the law was created in the first place, but I found it to be one of the most interesting. Yes. I find soft drinks fascinating. Shut up.

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9. In Washington State, it’s illegal to use x-ray machines to find the perfect shoe fit.

The hilarity of this dumb law is in its specificity. Sometimes when you read about stupid laws, they’re actually just taking general laws and twisting them to sound silly (like a ban on large animals such as big dogs on a beach being twisted to say you can’t take a polar bear to the beach). But this one isn’t one of those. The law specifically mentions shoe fittings, and you can see the actual text of the law in the source for this one. I could completely understand a law banning any non-medical use of x-ray equipment because of the radiation involved. But to specifically call out shoe fittings? What were they thinking? I just can’t imagine so many people in Washington State trying to do this that they felt it necessary to make it illegal.

[source]

10. In New Jersey, it’s illegal for a murderer to wear a bullet-proof vest while committing that crime.

Well, I guess if you can’t get him on the other charges….

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Sometimes though, we become so enamored with our own burdens that we lose sight of hope. Perhaps the following stories of brave, albeit unfortunate souls will help relieve these burdens by reminding us that things could always be far worse.

CHINA

The Horny Grandma

Granny Zhao — as she is formerly known — is an elderly lady from Zhanjiang who sports her own horn. According to her family, the horn appeared approximately 3 years ago as just a tiny mole; but unlike a mole, it never stopped growing.

It now juts out from the middle of her forehead, which in turn has affected her vision: “It causes me no discomfort, but blocks part of my view.”

The Over-Sized Fingers

Meet Liu Hau from Jiangsu. Since birth, Hau’s left hand has been plagued with a ridiculously over-sized thumb, index finger, and middle finger. This condition is formerly known as macrodactyly, and is a form of local gigantism.

Hau underwent surgery at a Shanghai hospital in late 2007, during which approximately 5.1kg of flesh & bone were removed.

The Tree-Trunk Leg

Chen Zongtao has never once performed a squat; yet, his body houses a leg that weighs over 150 pounds just by itself. The growth originally began on Chen’s right foot when he was just a child, but soon spread to his entire right leg. Years later and the colossal leg has left Chen unable to get up, let alone just walk through his own home.

Doctors say that he suffers from neurofibroma, a nerve-based tumor that is typically benign. It is not known for certain whether he ever received treatment for his condition.

The Chinese Elephant Man

Pictured above is Huang Chuncais, better known as the ‘Chinese Elephant Man.’ He suffers from a form of elephantiasis that has over the years morphed into a giant 15kg tumor so heavy that it pulls his facial skin downward.

After a long and troubling life that has made it difficult for Huang to just sip on some soup, he was finally offered free assistance from the doctors at the Fuda Cancer Hospital in Guangzhou.

Below is a picture of Huang taken in January 2008 after his second surgery.

INDIA

The Man With A Twin

One might suspect that Nagpur resident Sanju Bhagat is a serious alcoholic with an enormous beer belly; but that, I assure you, is far from the truth. Throughout his life, the 36-year-old farmer just figured he was the victim of a tumor.

During an evening in June 1999, however, doctors attempting to remove the bulge discovered that Sanju’s stomach contained the dead body of his barely developed twin brother instead.

The Human Octopus

The bundle of joy pictured above lying by her Mother is Lakshmi Tatma, a charming young damsel who was born with 4 legs and 4 arms. The condition came about when her ‘parasistic twin’ stopped developing in her mother’s womb. Lakshmi’s body absorbed the remaining limbs, resulting in her being born a human octupus, per se.

Many in India were shocked to the core by her birth, as they believed her to be the reincarnation of the eight-limbed Hindu God Lakshmi. After two years, she finally received surgery for her condition, and now lives her life as a normal child.

INDONESIA

The Tree Man

The Indonesian Tree Man known as Dede suffers from a combination of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and a genetic disorder. The result has been a nonstop growth of bark-like warts that have gradually been taking over his body.

Despite being constantly taunted, losing his job, and having his wife desert him, Dede has continued on as the proud father of two children. This dedicated Papa was finally rewarded for his perseverance by an American doctor who promised a cure.

VIETNAM

The Gigantic Face

Little Lai Ti Dao is a petite girl who suffered from a Schwannoma tumor, which initially began as a mere lump in her throat, but then blew up into an over-sized tumor that threatened to kill her.

Not only was it so large that Lai could barely walk, but it was gradually cutting off her airway as well. Thankfully, she was flown out to Miami in 2008 and finally, after a 10-hour surgery, freed of 10 pound tumor.

The Conehead

Nguyen Xuan Minh was only 5 years old when the picture above was taken at the Tu Du Hospital in 2005. His unknown condition features an elongated head with bulging eyes, but has doctors baffled as to why.

Most people believe that Nguyen is likely an unfortunate victim of the defoliant Agent Orange, which was used by American forces during the Vietnam war.

Due to his parents’ exposure to the chemical, Nguyen was born deformed and will likely live the rest of his life as such.

The Stunted Fingers

Le Thi Hoa is yet another young soul deformed from exposure to Agent Orange. She was born with stunted fingers; that, however, has not stopped her from writing with ‘excellent penmanship.’

Sadly, both Le and Nguyen are two out of hundreds of thousands of victims who must deal with the long-lasting effects of Agent Orange. For more details, please view the video below.

1. How the Slinky got stuck between a cult and a mid-life crisis

In 1943, naval engineer Richard James invented the Slinky. When a spring fell off of his workbench and began to “walk” across the floor, he figured he could make a toy out of it. His wife Betty agreed, and she came up with the name Slinky. Introduced in 1945, Slinky sales soared (say that three times fast), but that wasn’t enough to satisfy Richard James.

By 1960, despite his success, Richard James was suffering from a serious mid-life crisis. But instead of falling for fast cars, dyed hair and liposuction, Richard James went a different route, and became involved with a Bolivian religious cult. He gave generously to the religious order and left his wife, six children and the company to move to Bolivia.

Stuck with the debts left by her husband and a company that desperately needed her leadership, Betty James took over as the head of James Industries. A marketing savant, Betty James was responsible for additions to the Slinky line including Slinky Jr., Plastic Slinky, Slinky Dog, Slinky Pets, Crazy Slinky Eyes and Neon Slinky. It was great for boys and girls around the world that Betty James didn’t suffer a midlife crisis. In 2001, she was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, and perhaps even more laudably, her Slinky dog was forever immortalized in Disney’s Toy Story movies.

2. Why Lincoln Logs are the most deceptively named toys in the business

Standing beside his father (Frank Lloyd Wright) and watching the construction of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, John Lloyd Wright was inspired. Interlocking beams in the hotel’s basement were designed to handle the little “earthquake problem” that the hotel could encounter. John Lloyd thought, “What if children had a toy version of those beams, shaped like notched tree trunks to build little log homes?”

The architect’s son followed through on his inspiration and the John Lloyd Wright Company manufactured and sold Lincoln Logs from the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The sets even came with instructions on how to build Uncle Tom’s Cabin as well as Abe Lincoln’s log cabin. The Lincoln Log construction and figure sets came in two sizes available for $2 or $3 dollars.

But here’s the strangest part: the naming of the toy wasn’t a tribute to Honest Abe. It’s a homage to his father. Here’s the scoop: Frank Lloyd Wright was born Frank Lincoln Wright, but he legally changed his name when his parents split. So, Lloyd Jones was his mother’s maiden name and Frank’s name change was to honor her. In any case, whichever Lincoln the toy was honoring, we’re pretty sure Honest Abe would have gotten a kick out of the little logs.

3. Captain Kangaroo saved Play-Doh

Back before it was Play-Doh, everyone’s favorite squishy clay was actually a wallpaper cleaner used to clean soot off of walls. But when people switched from using coal burning furnaces to oil fueled ones in the ‘40s and ‘50s, demand for the product evaporated. Kutol, a manufacturing company in Cincinnati, was watching their sales dwindle when the son of the company’s founder, Joe McVicker, started looking for ways to turn the business round.

His sister-in-law Kay Zufall suggested using the wallpaper cleaner as a child’s craft item, and McVicker was willing to try anything. He formed a new division, Rainbow Crafts, and began selling the re-branded product as Play-Doh. Sales were okay, but then McVicker came up with a way to sell a whole lot more. He contacted Captain Kangaroo (A.K.A. Bob Keeshan) and offered him 2% of sales if the good Captain would feature Play-Doh on his show. He did. Ding Dong School and Romper Room soon followed suit, hawking the crafty compound to kiddies everywhere and Kutol made plenty of Doh (er, Dough) in the process.

While the company has changed hands a few times since (Rainbow Crafts was purchased by Kenner Toys and Kenner was purchased by Hasbro), that’s hardly impeded sales. More than two billion cans of Play-Doh have been sold since 1955.

4. Etch-a-Sketch used to be played like an Atari

Believe it or not, the original Etch-A-Sketch was operated with a joystick. The invention was the brainchild of Andre Cassagnes, a French electrician tinkering in his garage. Conceived in 1950, the drawing toy made use of a joystick, glass and aluminum powder. Dubbed the Telecran, the toy was renamed L’Ecran Magique, and made its debut at a European Toy Fair in 1959. Fascinated by the invention, American Henry Winzeler, founder and president of the Ohio Art Toy Company, licensed L’Ecran Magique and introduced it to America in 1960.

Amongst Winzeler’s innovations were replacing the joystick with two white knobs in the left and right corners of the screen. The idea was to make the toy look like the hot new adult toy…television.

As for how the knobs work, the two Etch-A-Sketch handles control a stylus that’s attached to strings. The stylus is designed to move up and down and left and right “etching” an image in the Aluminum powder that clings to the glass with static electricity. Amazingly, clever Etch-A-Sketch artists can maneuver the stylus to make what looks like curves and angles creating some spectacular pictures. In fact, the Ohio Art Etch-A-Sketch Gallery actually contains a “Hall of Fame.”

5. Why Trivial Pursuit almost never happened

In 1979, Canadians Chris Haney and Scott Abbott (along with business partners Ed Werner and John Haney) decided to create a game that combined their love of all things trivia and their basic competitive nature. Their company, Horn-Abbott, funded the initial production run of 1,000 pieces and sold them to retailers for $15.00 in 1981. At the time, $15.00 was by far the most expensive wholesale price for a board game. But that was a downright bargain when you consider the first pieces cost $75.00 each to manufacture. To the retailer’s surprise the game was a hit even at the heady price of $30.00 at retail.

Realizing that they lacked the funding to bring the game to its full potential, Horn-Abbott licensed Trivial Pursuit to Canadian game manufacturer Chieftain Products. Chieftain had a major hit in Canada in 1981 and contacted their American partner, Selchow and Righter. Amazingly, Selchow and Righter analyzed the game and found that it was: a) too expensive to manufacture, b) it took over an hour to play, c) the best players had to have impressive knowledge of trivial subjects and d) they assumed adults didn’t play board games. Selchow and Righter passed, but Chieftain was persistent and in 1982 the game was introduced to America at the New York Toy Fair.

Initial sales were worrisome. However, through a solid PR campaign and great word of mouth, sales skyrocketed. Sales peaked in 1984 at 20,000,000 games in North America alone. It was the best of times and the worst of times for Selchow and Righter because in 1986, facing huge debt brought on by an abundance of inventory, Selchow and Righter was sold to Coleco. In 1989, Coleco filed for bankruptcy and the rights to Trivial Pursuit were acquired by Parker Brothers. Today Chris Haney and Scott Abbott’s little game has been made into over 30 “Editions.” It’s available in 26 countries, been translated into 17 different languages and has sold approximately 100,000,000 copies since its inception. Not bad for a game that almost wasn’t.

6. Why the guy behind the Erector Set Saved Christmas

Because of the market pressures of World War I, the United States Council of National Defense was considering a ban on toy manufacturing. Amazingly, one man’s impassioned speech successfully stopped that from happening.

Alfred Carlton Gilbert was known as “Man Who Saved Christmas.” (There’s even a movie starring Jason Alexander in the title role.) But Gilbert was more than just a gifted orator, he was truly a renaissance man. He was an amateur magician, a trained doctor, an Olympic Gold Medallist (in the pole vault), a famous toy inventor and Co-Founder of the Toy Manufacturers of America. Most famously, however, he was the man behind the Erector Set.

Introduced in 1913 with the catchy name The Mysto Erector Structural Steel Builder, the toy was based on Gilbert’s observation of how power line towers were constructed. The quickly retitled Erector Sets sold well and were limited only by a child’s imagination as to what could be built.

But “The Man Who Saved Christmas” (who also held over 150 patents) wasn’t a one-trick pony. His other inventions included model trains, glass blowing kits (think about the liability today!), chemistry sets (one chemistry set was even designed specifically for girls) and in 1951 (during the cold war) he even introduced a miniature Atomic Energy Lab with three very low-level radioactive sources and a real working Geiger counter. Now there’s a toy even a real patriot could love.

7. How Mr. Potato Head became a political activist

Two very special things about Mr. Potato Head: 1) he was the first toy to be advertised on television, and 2) he was the first toy that featured real produce. That’s right the original toy came as a collection of eyes, ears, noses, a body and accessories that you’d “force” into a real potato. To be fair to Hasbro, Mr. Potato Head’s creator, did include a styrofoam “potato” but it wasn’t much fun.

In 1964 a molded plastic potato body became part of the toy. But back then, Mr. Potato Head also had friends including Carrots, Cucumbers, Oranges, Peppers and a love interest, Mrs. Potato Head. With Brother Spud and Sister Yam there was an entire Potato Head family, and all of the packaging carried the slogan “Lifelike Fruits Or Vegetables To Change Into Funny, Lovable Friends.”

What’s most amazing, however, is that Mr. Potato Head’s appeal has garnered him many “spokespud” gigs.

In the American Cancer Society’s annual “Great American Smokeout” campaign he handed his pipe to then Surgeon General C. Everett Koop and swore off the tobacco, he got up off the couch for the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, and he even pitched in with the League of Women Voters for their “Get Out the Vote” initiative.

Of course, he’s been involved in plenty of straight marketing campaigns, too: in 1997, he shilled for Burger King’s “Try the Fry” introduction of their new French fries.

If you don’t wait an hour after eating before you go into the water, you’ll get stomach cramps and drown.
False. The idea behind this is that when your blood rushes to your stomach to help you digest food, you wouldn’t have enough circulation to keep your arms and legs working properly. The tale likely gained popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, when kids enjoyed local pools and lakes with far less lifeguard supervision than we have now. As a result, parents conjured up a way to keep kids at bay after lunchtime while they got some rest in. But according to HowStuffWorks, we have plenty of blood to keep all of our other parts running just fine after a meal. Some competitive swimmers even eat something immediately before a big meet to give them the energy they need to perform well. Also, during exercise, our bodies produce adrenaline that actually helps deliver oxygen to the muscles that need it most.

Don’t sit too close to the television or you’ll go blind.
False. Though you might walk away with a serious headache, you won’t lose your sight sitting too close to the tube. You can suffer from eye fatigue, however, just as you might after reading under dim lighting. There’s also the faint possibility that you might develop photosensitive seizures from certain flashing images. (Think videogames, parents!) Let’s not forget the Pokemon incident of 1997, when several hundred kids in Japan suffered such seizures during one of the children’s cartoon episodes. Better to be safe than sorry, say experts, so sitting back at least four to five feet is recommended.

Don’t crack your knuckles or you’ll get arthritis.
False. This is one of those warnings you might wish was true, if only to stop people from doing it. But according to WebMD, there is no evidence that cracking your knuckles—caused when the bones are pulled apart to form a gas bubble and break the adhesive seal in the joint—inflames the joints and leads to arthritis. About a quarter of the people in the United States engage in knuckle-cracking, which can cause reduced grip strength or weaken the fingers. So while it doesn’t cause arthritis, it’s not the healthiest habit either.

Drinking coffee will stunt your growth.
False. I totally bought into this as a kid, but research shows that I can only blame genetics for my short stature. Caffeine had been considered an osteoporosis risk factor for years, but a New York Times article reports that the Creighton University study linking consumption to reduced bone mass was inaccurate; the study had been conducted on elderly people with low calcium diets in general. Yet another study conducted on eighty-one adolescents over a six-year period also failed to prove the theory. But before you give your child that mocha over an herbal tea, remember: caffeine is still a strong stimulant.

Don’t pee in the pool or it’ll turn red and expose your mess.
False, but urine in water can cause irritations like red, puffy eyes or an itchy throat or cough. When swimmers sweat or urinate in pool water, the bodily fluids combine with the chlorine and create chemical compounds known as chloramines, according to the CDC. So you might be able to relieve yourself without getting busted, but please … don’t.

It takes seven years for gum to leave your digestive system after you swallow it.
False. This urban legend’s roots are hard to pinpoint, but Snopes found that the “warning” likely stems from gum being labeled “indigestible.” It may not break down in the digestion process, but gum will definitely pass out of your system as quickly as everything else.

Don’t go outside with wet hair or you’ll get sick.
False. This is the kind of forewarning that will prevent you from being uncomfortable more than becoming ill. According to Dr. Rob Danoff of MSN’s Health and Fitness Web page, the only thing that can make us sick is exposure to a virus, plain and simple. The most common way to catch a cold is by inhaling airborne viral particles released by the cough or sneeze of an infected person. Danoff also suggests not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed fingers that may have come into contact with a virus.

Eating sugar/candy/food before bed will give you nightmares.
True. It may have sounded like an excuse to rob us of dessert as children, but there is some truth to it. Studies have shown that going to bed on a full stomach can stimulate brain waves, which trigger nightmares. Epicurious.com cited another study which implied that unhealthy foods produce even scarier nightmares. And an article in the Journal of the Mind and Body focused on a ten-person study conducted in 2000, where people were fed ice cream, sandwiches, and candy bars thirty minutes before going to bed; seven of the participants had nightmares while sleeping. After the study, the nightmares dramatically subsided for four of the participants. Just goes to show you that mom wasn’t always feeding you baloney!

So, what have we learned? Most of those little nuggets of Mom-wisdom have been debunked, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer any value to children. It may not remain in your system for seven years, but is swallowing gum really the best idea? And why does a kid need coffee in the first place? They’re embellishments, yes, but in the end, mom was just trying to do right by us.


By: Danielle Samaniego

1. In-N-Out Burger’s “secret menu” isn’t so secret these days – in fact, they’ve posted it on their website. But in case you’re not in the habit of surfing fast food sites, here’s the skinny on the rather un-skinny items: ordering something “Animal Style” at In-N-Out means you’re going to get it with lettuce, tomato, a mustard-cooked beef patty, pickles, extra spread (it’s sort of Thousand-Islandy) and grilled onions. You can even get your fries Animal Style. “Protein Style” is a burger wrapped in a lettuce leaf instead of a bun. A Grilled Cheese is two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato and spread on a bun (grilled onions if you so choose). And you can get just about any combo of meat and cheese that you want if you order it like you’re ordering lumber: 3×3 gets you three beef patties and three slices of cheese, 4×4 gets you four of each, and so on. It doesn’t stop there – one gluttonous patron requested a 100×100 at an Las Vegas store a couple of years ago. One item not listed on the website secret menu: the Flying Dutchman, which is two slices of cheese sandwiched between two patties, hold the bun.

2. If you’re at Starbucks and in need of just a little caffeine, don’t worry – there’s a tiny option for you. It’s the Short size, and they don’t advertise it. It’s like a little baby cup of coffee. It also comes in handy when you’re scrounging for change and don’t have enough for a tall… not that that has ever happened to me.

3. It’s a good thing we don’t have Jamba Juice here in Iowa, because I would be all over candy-inspired smoothies. Because it’s considered a health-food chain, Jamba Juice doesn’t officially list these on their in-store menus, but Mighty Foods assures us that the secret flavors exist. The ones they confirmed with the company’s headquarters include Strawberry Shortcake, White Gummy Bear, PB&J, Various flavors of Starbursts, Fruity Pebbles, Push-Up Pops, and Skittles. Other tantalizing flavors that are rumored to exist: Chocolate Gummi Bear, Apple Pie, Sourpatch Kid, Tootsie Roll, Chocolate-covered strawberries, and Now and Later.

4. Chipotle has a whole secret menu that is limited only by your imagination – they have a store policy that says that if they have the item available, they will make it for you. Things that have been tested include nachos, quesadillas, taco salads and single tacos. Some stores are testing out quesadillas as a regular menu item, however, so maybe someday soon you won’t need a super-secret handshake to order one.

5. If you’re at Wendy’s and you’re really hungry – like, three-patties-just-won’t-cut-it hungry, go ahead and order the Grand Slam, which is four patties stacked on a bun. It’s also known as the Meat Cube. Gross.

6. Several places, including McDonald’s and In-N-Out, will serve you the Neapolitan milkshake. It’s just what it sounds like – chocolate, vanilla and strawberry shakes layered in a cup. This gives me a great idea… I wonder if they would make me a mint-chocolate shake when they have the Shamrock Shake in March. Hmmm. Picture from Flickr User Mrjoro.
7. Feeling a little health-conscious at Popeye’s? If you are, you really should have gone somewhere else. But there’s a little hope for you – ordering “naked chicken” will get you breading-free poultry. The word is that this is on the menu at some Popeye’s, but not all of them, although it is an option at all of them.
8. Like Chipotle, Taco Bell will make you just about anything within reason as long as they have the ingredients for it. Since most of the food at Taco Bell is made out of the same basic items, that means you can probably ask for most discontinued items and get them. One “secret,” though, is that they have a not-advertised green chili sauce at most locations, and apparently it’s excellent.

9. Some Subways will still make you the popular pizza sub from the ‘90s. Once the chain decided to make their focus healthy eating, the pizza sub disappeared from the menu in most places (the word is that Canadian and Mexican Subways still offer them on a regular basis). But if you ask, lots of places will still make it for you. Be warned, though – Jared would not approve of the nine slices of pepperoni and copious amounts of cheese slathered in marinara sauce.

10. This one might be my favorite. At Fatburger, you can order a Hypocrite – a veggie burger topped with crispy strips of bacon.

Know any cloak-and-dagger menu items? Or have you had luck actually ordering one of these? Let us in on the secret in the comments.

1. Dentistry. The dentistry badge first entered the scene in 1971. To earn the badge, Scouts have to study the tooth structure, write about what causes dental decay, arrange an educational visit to a dentist’s office to help make teeth casts and get experience with some of the instruments, and finally, assist a dentist in performing a root canal. OK, I made that last one up. No root canal required – just an essay on fluoride (or something similar).






2. Cinematography. As you might suspect, this is a fairly modern badge and was introduced to the system for budding filmmakers. To earn this patch for their sash, Boy Scouts have to learn to use a tripod, pan a camera, frame a shot, select an angle and proper lighting, and learn how to shoot a handheld. And, with your parent’s permission, of course, you should try to visit a film set to see how production work is done. Pretty cool!






3. Fingerprinting. Not surprisingly, this one originated in the ’30s, just as Eliot Ness and the Untouchables were making detective work cool. This one, of course, involves taking prints and identifying all of the unique characteristics of each one – loops and whorls and all of that fun stuff. But they also require Scouts to get into the science of fingerprints and why they form the way the form.

4. Nuclear Science. Yep – horsemanship, firebuilding, canoeing and Nuclear Science. The Scouts are seriously sophisticated – and socially responsible (which is a duh statement, I suppose). Scouts dig deep into the effects and dangers of radiation, report on people who have contributed to the field of atomic energy, use a radiation meter, build an electroscope or a build a model of a reactor. That’s some pretty heavy-duty stuff!






5. Railroading. I love this one because my dad’s a railroader and I love that railroads are still relevant to the Scouts when they could be earning badges in aerospace engineering and space exploration. The railroading badge requires being able to differentiate between different types of railroad cars, understand railroad safety, and then complete a project that can include taking a trip on the rails and reporting on what was seen, building a model railroad or visiting a railroad museum and checking out the history. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Or am I just a total geek? OK, maybe don’t answer that.

6. B Extreme! Girl Scout group 24 observed that if a girl was into an extreme sport such as snowboarding or spelunking, she was kind of out of luck when it came to earning a merit badge in that area of interest. So they suggested “B Extreme,” which allows girls to become accomplished in the extreme sports arena, even if they live in the desert and want to learn about white water rafting. Simply researching and reporting on the sport is enough to earn a merit badge. A skateboarding suggestion includes learning the physics behind some of the tricks: “Consider Newton’s First Law of Motion, which states that an object in motion will stay in motion and an object at rest will stay at rest unless the object is acted upon by an outside force. What outside forces are at play while doing an “ollie”?”

7. Couch Potato. This Girl Scout badge might sound like it’s all about watching Gilmore Girls reruns and snacking on Doritos, but it actually can end up being an in-depth analysis of gender portrayals in the media, or a careful consideration of the nutritional value of some of the snacks we mindlessly consume while wondering exactly why we continue to watch The Hills.






8. CyberGirl Scout Badge. OK, minds out of the gutters, this one is actually about Internet safety, among other things. To earn this one, kids can research why they might need to use the Internet with a parent or guardian and an Internet scavenger hunt for the answers to Girl Scout-related trivia. This one is for Girl Scout Juniors – grades four and five.

9. Hi-Tech Hide and Seek. Geocaching – hiding some sort of a treasure in a public place and then giving clues to people over the Internet as to where the goodies can be found – and it has become so popular that it now has its own merit badge. “Letterboxing” is the same thing, except Geocaching makes use of a GPS and the finder usually gets to keep the geocached treasure. The prize in a letterbox is usually just a logbook that people sign when they discover it.

10. Sew Glam. This goes far beyond the simple sewing buttons and darning socks our moms might have earned sewing badges for back in the day. “Sew Glam” introduces girls to the world of creative solutions when it comes to a needle and thread (and glue gun and pinking shears and bleach pens and sequins…). The Required Activity asks Scouts to take a pair of jeans – Target, thrift-store finds, or already-owned ones – and make them their own. No iron-ons are allowed, but basically anything else goes.

But the fact is, golf would be a lot better if there weren’t so many golfers. What should be a relaxing weekend day away from the rut of life can quickly turn into frustrating, club-snapping aggravation thanks to some of the yahoos out there who treat the course like an extension of their living rooms.

We’ve all seen them. We’ve all been stuck behind them. We’ve all wanted to drive them over with a golf cart.

Me, I’ve kept a list of them. And better yet, I’ve given them nicknames:

Marvelous Marvin Waggler: This is the guy who spends an hour and a half at the tee box going through a pre-shot routine that would make Nomar Garciaparra proud. Between getting his feet settled, a half-dozen practice swings and 23 waggles of the club and his butt, you could easily knit an afghan or get through a few chapters of One Hundred Years of Solitude. What’s worse, his deathly painful slowness often forces you to speed up in order to compensate, which usually screws up your game, too.


Zippy McZig-Zag: Some people shouldn’t be given the keys to a golf cart. Zippy is the guy who drives up to his ball on the lefthand side of the fairway, hits it 10 yards, drives to the opposite side of the fairway so his partner can hit, and then zips back to the left for his next shot. He gets to take in every inch of the course … literally. The end result is a dead cart battery at the end of a round and a five-hour day for the group behind him. Thanks a lot.


Hawkeye: This is the guy who never watches the landing of his own ball, and goes about shouting for its whereabouts to everyone in his group, regardless of where they are or who might be addressing the ball on an adjacent fairway. Dude, if you can’t find it yourself, toss another one out and actually pay attention next time.


The Weekend Warrior: This guy looks like he should be in the PGA in terms of wardrobe and equipment, but he sure doesn’t play like it. He’s spent $2,000 on Titleist blades, the latest TaylorMade drivers and a Tiger Woods shirt, but golf lessons? Bah. Worst of all, you end up getting dirty pulling his endless errant shots out of the bush because he’s apparently afraid to scuff those new FootJoys.


The English Impatient: So you’re in the middle of the fairway waiting for the group ahead of you to putt out, and suddenly a ball goes bounding past you. I guess this is The English Impatient’s way of showing you how great a driver he is, but it’s flat out rude to hit into a group when there’s nowhere to go anyways. What are you going to do, drive ahead of us to your ball and wait for us to play through? My rule of thumb with The English Impatient is that I let him get away with it once. The second time, I’ll mush his ball into the turf. The third time, either the ball is going back or I’m going back to feed him my driver.


PGA Putz: A close relative of Marvelous Marvin Waggler, this is the guy who spends 15 minutes lining up his putt as if sinking it means winning the U.S. Open. He looks at the putt from all four directions, he’s down on all fours, he’s straight-arming his putter. And he doesn’t start this routine until it’s his turn to putt, making everyone else stand and watch the entire production. When it’s a 60-footer for a seven on the scorecard, by the third hour of watching it you’re ready to gnaw on a sand rake.


Ronald Reagan: This is in reference to “the great communicator,” and is the nickname of the guy who just can’t shut up when you’re addressing the ball. I’m not sure what’s so important to yak about while I’m swinging, but it had better be a plea to Gorbachev to “tear down that wall.” Worse yet is Stuttering Reagan, who stops talking in mid-sentence to allow you to swing and then resumes right after contact. How you’re supposed to mentally block out the tail end of that sentence while you’re taking your backswing is a talent I have not mastered.


Dial-A-Cliché: This is the guy who has no real insight to contribute beyond the same, tired lines we’ve all heard a thousand times, including such gems as “That’s on the short stuff,” “You got all of that one,” or my personal favourite: “You’re on the dance floor.” Geez, thanks for the riveting observations there, Johnny Miller.

You see, like driving a car and sharing the road, we’ve all got to share a golf course. So we all need to be a little less self-centered and more observant and respectful of those around us.

It’s a simple game. There’s a ball, a club, and a giant piece of grass between you and the hole. If we focus on the task at hand it makes for a much better experience and lets us all get back to enjoying the precious summer day and that warm sun’s embrace.

#2. Martha Mansfield (actress): The beautiful silent film era actress Martha Mansfield met her end, on November 30, 1923, while filming the movie The Warrens of Virginia. After shooting her scenes, a cast member carelessly threw a match that accidentally struck her civil war costume dress. Unknown to her that she had been struck, she returned to her car where her dress ignited into an inferno – severely burning her and her driver. Despite efforts to save her, the 24 year old died hours later as a result of the burns she suffered. Mansfield is interred at the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, NY.

#3. Owen Hart (wrestler): Thirty-four year old W.W.F. wrestler Owen Hart (aka “The Blue Blazer”) had the unfortunate experience of an untimely death, on May 23, 1999, at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO. In a stunt, during the Pay-Per-View event Over the Edge, viewed by thousands, Hart was to be lowered into the ring from the rafters of the arena at an estimated height of 78 feet. An equipment malfunction resulted in his fall into the ring where he died. Cause of death was internal bleeding due to blunt force trauma. Hart is interred at the Queen Park Cemetery in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

#4. Jack Daniel (distiller): While many people have died in various ways as a result of drinking, Mr. Daniel’s odd death came when he was stone cold sober. According to Daniel’s history, Jack arrived at work early one morning to a locked safe. Frustrated that he could not remember the safe combination, a recurrent problem for Jack, he kicked the safe resulting in a broken toe. As a result, infection set in and blood poisoning soon took his life on October 10, 1911. The distillery likes to remind people that Jack left 2 lessons with his passing; his Tennessee whiskey recipe, and the motto “never go to work early.” Daniel is interred at the Lynchburg Town Cemetery in Lynchburg, TN.

#5. Leo Ryan (congressman): California Congressman Leo Ryan was shot and killed in office on November 18. 1978. Now a typical shooting of someone isn’t really a strange way to die, however the circumstances surrounding the shooting is what makes his death strange. Ryan was shot and killed, in an airstrip ambush, while trying to board a plane in Port Kaituma, Guyana, by Peoples Temple cult members acting on orders by their leader, Jim Jones. Ryan had been in Guyana to investigate whether US citizens, who were Peoples Temple members, were being held their against their will. The attack on Ryan, and his entourage, precipitated the mass suicide at Jonestown where 909 followers of Jones died. Congressman Ryan is interred at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, CA.

#6. Tennessee Williams (playwright): It seems the famous American playwright who gave us such classics as; The Glass Menagerie, Streetcar Named Desire, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is also a member of the strange death club. While in his New York City hotel room on February 24, 1983, Williams was performing a ritual that was all too common for him – applying eye drops. Williams routinely applied eye drops by opening the bottle, placing the cap in his mouth, leaning back, and applying the drops to his eyes. That night however, he choked to death when the bottle cap became lodged in his throat. Williams is interred at the Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.

#7. Isadora Duncan (dancer): Thought of by many to be the “mother” of modern dance, Ms. Duncan was known not only for her contributions to the arts but also for her charismatic and over the top lifestyle. No stranger to public drunkenness, scandalous bisexual love affairs, and financial disaster her death would prove to be just as interesting. A fan of long flowing scarves, Ms. Duncan set out for a drive on September 14, 1927, in Nice, France, wearing a long flowing Russian silk scarf. As a back seat passenger in the open car, her free flowing scarf managed to get caught in the rear spoke wheels of the car. The sudden tightening force of the incident threw her from the car into the pavement nearly decapitating her. Duncan was cremated and her ashes are interred at the Pére Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.

#8. Vic Morrow (actor): Staying with the decapitation theme (see Sagal & Duncan) actor Vic Morrow who played in such film and television shows as; The Bad News Bears, Charlies Angles, Magnum PI, and Fantasy Island also met his death by the helicopter’s whirling blades of death. On the morning of July 23, 1982 while filming a Vietnam scene, for Twilight Zone – The Movie, Morrow was escaping a pursuing helicopter with two Vietnamese child actors in tow. Multiple pyrotechnic explosions cause the helicopter to lose control and crash onto the three actors, resulting in Morrow and one child being decapitated and the second child fatally injured. Marrow is the father of actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. He is interred at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, in Culver City, CA.

#9. Jon-Erik Hexum (actor): Actor and model Jon-Erik Hexum met his early demise by his own hands. Not suicide, but a tragic work related accident. On October 12, 1984 while on set of his show, Cover Up, Hexum placed a .44 magnum pistol loaded with blanks to his temple and pulled the trigger. What Hexum didn’t know was that blanks use paper wadding to keep the bullet’s gun powder in its shell. When Hexum pulled the trigger the wadding was propelled with such force that is broke a piece of his skull causing a massive brain hemorrhage. Six days later, on October 18, 1984, he was declared brain dead and many of his organs were harvested for donation. Hexum was cremated and his ashes were scattered in California by his mother.

#10. Christine Chubbuck (news anchor/talk show host): Sarasota news person and talk show host Christine Chubbuck began her WXLT daily talk show, Sun Coast Digest, on July 15, 1974 in a way she had never before – reading news copy. For the first eight minutes of the news cast she covered three national news stories, and a shooting at a local restaurant from the day before. The story of the restaurant shooting experienced technical problems when the film footage jammed and wouldn’t run, Chubbuck shrugged it off and replied with the following statement: “In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first — attempted suicide.”Chubbuck produced a .38 caliber handgun from her purse and shot herself behind her right ear on live television. She violently fell forward and her body began to twitch. Chubbuck was rushed to Sarasota Memorial Hospital where she remained in critical condition until her death, 10 hours later. After examining her news copy she read that day on air, it was found that she had a complete script for the days program that included her suicide. Station manager Mike Simmons confirmed she had written something like “TV 40 news personality Christine Chubbuck shot herself in a live broadcast this morning on a Channel 40 talk program. She was rushed to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where she remains in critical condition.”Chubbuck was 29 at the time of her death. She was cremated and her ashes scattered in the Gulf of Mexico.

For these 10 people their deaths were as unique as they were. Do you know of any strange but true deaths? Leave a comment and let me know!

It is not uncommon for websites to go through revamps on an ongoing basis. Some of your favorite social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, and Digg to name a few are much different looking nowadays then they once were. Below we have compiled screenshots of 15 top social networks outlining the drastic changes some of them have made since first launching.

Old Badoo Homepage

Current Badoo Homepage

Old Bebo Homepage

Current Bebo Homepage

Old Digg Homepage

Current Digg Homepage

Old Facebook Homepage

Current Facebook Homepage

Old Flickr Homepage

Current Flickr Homepage

Old Flixster Homepage

Current Flixster Homepage

Old Friendster Homepage

Current Friendster Homepage

Old Hi5 Homepage

Current Hi5 Homepage

Old Linkedin Homepage

Current Linkedin Homepage

Old MySpace Homepage

Current MySpace Homepage

Old Ning Homepage

Current Ning Homepage

Old Orkut Homepage

Current Orkut Homepage

Old Reddit Homepage

Current Reddit Homepage

Old Twitter Homepage

Current Twitter Homepage

Old YouTube Homepage

Current YouTube Homepage

Advertising really is everywhere…EVERYWHERE. It seems like you can’t escape it no matter where you go in our modern world.

Public restrooms have become the new hot spot for grabbing people’s attention and pocketbooks.

It seems anywhere a person looks is a perfect spot for an ad to appear. Here are my picks for some the best and most creative:

Let’s start with the door handles…

This use of guerrilla marketing will definitely make you think twice about washing your hands.

Source: Ads of the World

Obviously urinals are key ….

1. ESPN Play Soccer Urinal (Brazil).

Source: Ads of the World

2. The Piss Screen Video Game (Germany)

The Piss-Screen – a pressure-sensitive inlay set within urinals, enabling users to play while they pee. We installed this newfangled creation in male restrooms across Frankfurt, teaming up with a variety of bars, clubs and cafés.

The game itself was displayed on a screen above each urinal, and would automatically start as soon as someone began to pee. The player could then control the car whilst relieving himself – if they wanted the car to go right, they simply peed to the right (and visa versa).

There is a whole site about this project, check out the videos: http://www.piss-screen.de/

Source: Ads of the World

3. The Pissing Mini Cooper Race Course.

Source: Ads of the World

4.Pissing Playstation (Istanbul)

Source: Adverblog

5. Piss and Tell – Web MD.

Make sure everything is coming out OK, right in the restroom.

Source: Pritdamle

Moving on to mirrors …

1. You Look Good – Jewelry Store (Sao Paulo).

Source: Adverblog

2. Pay Attention – Schizophrenia Awareness.

Public restrooms are even being used to create awareness of more serious issues.

Source: Ads of the World

3. Check How You Look – Polaroid (Brazil).

Polaroid actually replaced mirrors with cameras to promote the instant photo.

Source: Ads of the World

4. Tongda Detergent (China).

To show the power of the cleaning product in creating a "stainless reflection."

Source: Ads of the World

Even sinks are being used…

This one was used to advertise skate lessons.

Source: Frederik Samuel

And paper towel holders…

This paper towel holder was used for the Save the Trees awareness campaign (Shanghai).

They changed the covers on these holders every other day to show the damage begin done to trees by using paper towels.

Source: Frederik Samuel

Even toilet paper and toilet paper rolls…

1. Veloblitz Courier (Switzerland)

Source: Ads of the World

2. Infojobs.net

Source: Ads of the World

3. Save the Trees (China)

Source: Ads of the World

4. Green Peace (China).

Source: Ads of the World

Last but not least, and in my opinion the oddest of them all…

Urinals for Women – P-Mate (Canada).

Source: Ads of the World

This stunt was for P-Mates a disposable, biodegradable product that makes it possible for women to pee standing up. To drive trial where the product was most needed (i.e. dirty public toilets), we reversed the men¹s and women¹s washroom signs at a local bar.

Stepping into the washroom, women were met with signage on the floor, over the sink, the urinal and in the stall. With free P-Mate samples mounted on the signs and trial offer coupons printed on nearby toilet paper, it only took a few brave women to spark a chain reaction that spilled out of the washroom, onto the street and into neighboring bars.

Weird…

Now, I’ve pretty much covered every possible place in a public bathroom that can be advertised in and on. Did I miss anything? Is there anyplace your eyes can rest that the advertisers have not covered with advertising?