Rebecca OConnell – Page 5

filed under: shopping

Image credit:

amazon / istock

As a recurring feature, our team combs the Web and shares some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. Here’s what caught our eye today, February 10.

Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers, including Amazon, and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!

February 11, 2017 – 11:00am

February 10, 2017

Give Tea Time More Charm With a Hedgehog Tea Infuser

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: Animals, home, shopping

Image credit:

Perpetual Kid

Bring the hedgehog’s likeness to your next tea party with this hedgehog tea infuser. The food-safe, silicone kitchen gadget keeps loose tea in its stomach, while small holes allow the tea to seep into the mug just like a regular tea bag. So far, the infusers only come in brown, but we wouldn’t blame you for stocking up for any upcoming hedgehog-themed events you might be hosting. (By the way, a group of hedgehogs is called an array.)

You can pre-order your own on Perpetual Kid for $14.99. If you’re still browsing, we also have a full list of fun infusers to consider.

February 10, 2017 – 6:30am

February 9, 2017

When UFO Homes Were Almost Considered Ski Lodge Alternatives

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: architecture

Image credit:

Jumilla, Flickr // CC BY 2.0

When looking for a place to stay during a ski vacation, most people might think of rustic lodges with decor accents inspired by the pioneer days. Finnish architect Matti Suuronen had a different era in mind when he designed the Futuro Home in the 1960s: quirky, futuristic structures that looked like the flying saucers pictured in cartoons. At least 64 of these UFOs for humans can be found scattered across the globe, confusing passersby and intriguing lovers of retrofuturism.

The project to build these Jetsons-esque ski chalets was commissioned by Dr. Jaakko Hiidenkari, who was looking for buildings that could be built in Finland and relocated to rocky, mountainous areas. Taking inspiration from the alien-obsessed culture of the time, Suuronen decided to make round homes with built-in seating and a hatch entrance at the bottom.

Steve Rainwater, Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0

Despite the lack of corners or hard edges, each Futuro Home still has a bedroom, bathroom, fireplace, and living room. And although there’s only one bedroom, each home can reasonably fit eight people, if the guests are willing to sleep in the living room. The shape allows for an electric heating system to heat the home from -20°F to 60°F in half an hour, according to Curbed. There’s also a fireplace in the living room for extra warmth and ambience.

The small homes may have had some amenities and a space-age aesthetic, but the true selling point was how the design could be mass-produced quickly and cheaply; the first Futuro Home only cost between $12,000 and $14,000 to slap together, which made it an economically appealing alternative to ski lodges. Each structure is made up of 16 prefab pieces that can be transported and assembled on-site, similar to IKEA furniture. Raised legs—another distinct UFO feature—allow the buildings to stand up on all terrain.

Alexander Synaptic, Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0

Unfortunately, the oil crisis of 1973 proved to be a formidable obstacle—it caused a major spike in the cost of plastic, which is a key ingredient in the homes. With an inflated price tag, the homes lost their appeal.

Futuro Home production might have ended a long time ago, but that doesn’t mean people have forgotten about the charming lodging. TheFuturoHouse.com documents the locations of these homes. According to their website, at least 80 to 100 of these unusual buildings were created. Though some have been destroyed and others are still hidden, about 64 Futuro Homes are still around, and at least 15 of those are in the United States.

While this architectural wonder might not have taken off, you can see other attempts at capturing alien chic, like with these bauble homes in Holland.

Brent Moore, Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0

[h/t Curbed]

February 9, 2017 – 6:30am

February 7, 2017

Relax With Space-Themed Bath Bombs

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: design, fun, shopping

Image credit:

UncommonGoods / iStock

From bath bombs shaped like the Harry Potter sorting hat to bath bombs that resemble Pokeballs, the scented products can make the simple act of taking a bath more interesting. Some—like this set modeled after all the planets (and the sun) in our solar system—can even help you soak in a more out-of-this-world experience.

Each of the nine bath bombs features a colorful design that resembles that of its corresponding planet and is made natural ingredients. The “Sun” is made up of ginger and jasmine, “Mercury” makes use of Moroccan spices with activated charcoal, “Venus” includes guave goji, “Earth” smells like an olive grove, “Mars” incorporates rose and peony, “Jupiter” features saffron and honey, “Saturn” smells like lavender, and finally, “Uranus” and “Neptune” share black raspberry and vanilla.

The whole set of nine can be purchased on Uncommon Goods for $48.

February 7, 2017 – 6:30am

February 6, 2017

10 Science-y Valentine’s Day Gifts

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: geeky, shopping

Image credit:

Roxanne Bee / Society6

This Valentine’s Day, show your love with the help of science. These nerdy gifts take their inspiration from laboratories and science classrooms.

1. MICROBE BOUQUET; $50

Instead of giving your partner the standard assortment of flowers, give them this bouquet of plush germs. The pack includes cuddly chlamydia, herpes, and mono. There’s two of each, so you can share.

Find it: ThinkGeek

2. HEART NEBULA CUFFLINKS; $28

Way, way out in space (7500 light years from Earth), there is a very romantic nebula that gives off red gas and looks like a heart. Uncommon Goods put the aptly named Heart Nebula (which is part of the Heart and Soul complex) on a pair of cufflinks to create the perfect gift for astronomers and space enthusiasts.

Find it: UncommonGoods

3. THE SCIENCE OF KISSING; $20

Scientific minds like to break things down and examine them from every angle—including kissing. In this book, author Sheril Kirshenbaum looks into the history and science of smooching, from when humans first started puckering up to why men and women kiss differently.

Find it: Amazon

4. HEART COASTERS; $22

When this coaster set is stacked, it creates a full image of an anatomically correct heart. Each of the six coasters has a different slice of the heart printed onto a transparent slide.

Find it: Amazon

5. ‘I LOVE YOU’ BEAN PLANT; $7

This unique Valentine’s Day gift starts as a simple bean. Plant it, add a little water, and wait: After three to five days, the plant will sprout and eventually display the phrase “I love you.”

Find it: ThinkGeek

6. ANATOMICAL HEART PENDANT; $150

This anatomically correct heart takes a different approach to romantic jewelry. The delicate pendant is hand-cast in bronze and plated in rose gold.

Find it: UncommonGoods

7. PLUTO AND CHARON SHIRT; $24

Pluto might be out of the solar system, but at least it has its moon buddy, Charon. This T-shirt’s charming illustration depicts a happy relationship between the planet and moon. All the shirts are printed to order, which means you can’t return or exchange, so be careful when ordering.

Find it: Busted Tees

8. DOPAMINE NECKLACE; $32

The chemical dopamine is often associated with love, desire, happiness, and excitement. Hopefully you and your partner feel these things when you’re together, so celebrate the wonderful chemical with a 24-karat rose gold plated necklace.

Find it: Etsy

9. MISS FRIZZLE PRINT; $18

Miss Frizzle and The Magic School Bus helped a lot of children get interested in science. If your significant other loves science thanks to the iconic cartoon, get them a print of everyone’s favorite eccentric teacher. The design also comes on clothes, a clock, or a mug.

Find it: Society6

10. CHOCOLATE BRAINS; $21

Skip the cliché box of chocolates and go for something a little more … intellectual. These pink chocolate brains are perfect for studious individuals and zombie lovers alike. Each box comes with 12 individually wrapped brains.

Find it: Etsy

February 6, 2017 – 6:00pm

February 6, 2017

Listen to the Impossibly Adorable Sounds of a Baby Sloth

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: Animals, video

Sometimes baby sloths seem almost too adorable to be real. But the little muppet-faced treasures don’t just look cute—turns out they sound cute, too. We know what you’re thinking: How could you have gone your whole life without knowing what these precious creatures sound like? Well, fear not, because we have some footage of how the tiny mammals express themselves—and it’s a lot of squeaking. (Or maybe that’s you squealing?)

The sloths featured in this heart-obliterating video come from the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica. The institution rescues orphaned sloths, rehabilitates them, and gets them ready to be released back into the wild.

[h/t The Kid Should See This]

Primary image courtesy of Dave Gingrich, Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0

February 6, 2017 – 6:30am

February 5, 2017

On The Fast Track: 25 Ways to Learn a New Skill Quickly

Rebecca OConnell

Whether you plan to become fluent in a new language or finally tackle that home improvement project, picking up a new skill can seem overwhelming—especially if you have a time crunch. For the infographic below, “custom writing service” WriteMyPapers.org (note that here at mental_floss, we support writing your own papers!) compiled 25 helpful tips to save you time and frustration when learning something new.

February 5, 2017 – 12:00am

February 4, 2017

8 Insanely Lucky Flea Market Finds

the mag

filed under: the magazine

Image credit:

ThinkStock

More often than not, one person’s garbage is also another person’s garbage. These are the exceptions to the rule.

1. ITEM: FLOYD LANDIS’S BICYCLE – $5

Sold For: $8000

Although Floyd Landis was stripped of his Tour de France title, it didn’t stop him from cycling. In 2008, a gust of wind blew one of his bikes off the vehicle transporting it. It was found on the side of the interstate and sold to Greg Estes at a garage sale.

2. 17TH-CENTURY PAINTING “PREPARATION TO ESCAPE EGYPT” – $215

Sold for: $27,630

In 2007, a German student visited a Berlin flea market and came home with a new pullout couch. When she opened it, she didn’t discover loose change or a lost remote control—she found a Venetian painting.

3. PAINTING BY ANTHONY VAN DYCK – $660

Not yet sold: Estimated at $660,000

Father Jamie McLeod, a Catholic priest, bought the painting at an antique shop, but only for its gold frame. Later, Antiques Roadshow confirmed it was the work of the top court painter of King Charles I.

4. ANDY WARHOL CHILDHOOD SKETCH – $5

Worth: Estimated $2 million

Andy Fields bought five crappy sketches at a Sin City garage sale. One picture boasted Warhol’s preteen signature.

5. 11TH-CENTURY CHINESE BOWL – $3

Sold for: $2.2 million

In 2013, a New York family bought a dish no bigger than a cereal bowl at a garage sale. The piece was actually 1000 years old!

6. ORIGINAL COPY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE – $4

Sold for: $2.42 million

In 1989, a Philadelphia man bought a cruddy painting at a flea market. While he was investigating a tear in the canvas, the frame broke apart and out fell a small folded document. It was one of 24 surviving copies of the original 1776 Declaration.

7. ORIGINAL VELVET UNDERGROUND DEMO LP – $0.75

Sold for: $26,200

Roving a Manhattan flea market in 2002, Warren Hill found a sleeveless LP with “Velvet Underground … 4/25/66” scrawled on the label. It was the same demo disc Columbia Records had rejected!

8. ANSEL ADAMS NEGATIVES – $45

Worth, if authentic: About $200 million

Rick Norsigian bought these negatives depicting American landscapes at a Fresno garage sale in 2000. Some experts insist they belonged to Ansel Adams, while others think they were snapped by Earl Brooks.

February 4, 2017 – 12:00am

February 4, 2017

WWI Centennial: U.S. Breaks Off Relations With Germany

Erik Sass

filed under: war, world-war-i, ww1

Image credit:

The New York Times

Erik Sass is covering the events of the war exactly 100 years after they happened. This is the 265th installment in the series.

February 3, 1917: U.S. Breaks Off Relations With Germany

Germany’s fateful decision to resume unrestricted submarine warfare on February 1, 1917, allowing U-boat commanders to sink unarmed neutral vessels without warning, sent shockwaves around the world after it was publicly announced on the last day of January. Coming close on the heels of President Wilson’s offer to host peace talks, the new U-boat campaign was a slap in the face to the United States, which had twice threatened to break off diplomatic relations with Germany over this precise issue; there was now no way to avoid an open breach, setting the stage for America’s entry into the war.

This wasn’t for lack of effort by Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff, the German ambassador to America, who frantically tried to persuade Berlin to delay the U-boat campaign, dispatching a flurry of secret telegrams up to the very last moment. On January 26, 1917 he sent a message marked “Most urgent,” asking to be allowed time to consider Wilson’s proposals, or at least give the appearance of doing so:

After having had very important conference request most urgently postponement till my next two messages received… To begin U-boat war without previous negotiations regarding above proposals would among other things put us seriously in the wrong, and owing to Wilson’s personal sensitiveness, would make prevention of rupture quite impossible.

The following day, January 27, Bernstorff again warned Berlin:

If the U-boat campaign is opened now with any further ado, the President will regard this as a smack in the face, and war with the United States will be inevitable. The war party here will gain the upper hand, and the end of the war will be quite out of sight, as, whatever people may say to the contrary, the resources of the United States are enormous… At present, therefore, it is only a matter of postponing the declaration for a little while so that we may improve our diplomatic position.

On January 29, however, Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg brushed off Bernstorff’s warnings with the breezy assertion that Wilson’s proposal for peace negotiations came too late:

If his offer had only reached us a few days earlier, we should have been able to postpone opening of the new U-boat war. Now, however, in spite of the best will in the world, it is, owing to technical reasons, unfortunately too late, as far-reaching military preparations have already been made which cannot be undone, and U-boats have already sailed with new instructions… [I]n view of the life and death struggle which has once again been proclaimed against us, we cannot any longer delay the use of those means which appear to us best calculated to end the war quickly…

In short, the die was cast.

“Enemy Of Mankind”

The American reaction was exactly as Bernstorff predicted. Although Wilson and Secretary of State Robert Lansing had heard rumors that Germany was preparing to resume unrestricted U-boat warfare through diplomatic and intelligence channels, they may have been surprised by the lack of warning in the latest declaration, which opened the campaign immediately. In any event both men were outraged, and Lansing, who had long been sympathetic to the Allies, advocated an immediate declaration of war.

On February 2, Lansing sent Wilson a lengthy memorandum about “Germany’s broken promise and the crime of submarine warfare,” laying out several possible responses before making his own recommendation. First of all, he wrote, “I am firmly convinced that we must without taking any preliminary step break off diplomatic relations by sending Bernstorff and his suite home and by recalling [U.S. ambassador] Gerard and closing our Embassy at Berlin.

After this step, Lansing continued, the White House could attempt to minimize American casualties by advising U.S. citizens and merchant vessels to avoid traveling on the high seas – but he quickly pointed out that this would essentially mean the U.S. was submitting to Germany’s demands by severing its connections with Britain. In addition to undermining the Allied war effort and possibly handing Germany victory, tolerating the actions of an “outlaw” nation would be an obvious affront to American prestige (although Lansing didn’t feel the need to state this explicitly).

Thus Lansing recommended the second, more extreme course of action:

To follow up the severance of relations by announcing to Congress this action with a statement that Germany has forfeited every consideration by reason of her breach of faith, that the full criminality of her previous acts is revived and that no honorable course remains but for this country to employ every resource which it possesses to punish the guilty nation and to make it impotent to commit in the future crimes against humanity.

In other words, Lansing was pushing Wilson to declare war on Germany, and marshaled a number of arguments in favor of the second course of action, appealing to Wilson’s fervent belief in democracy (which Lansing shared): “It amounts to a frank declaration that an outlaw Government is an enemy of mankind, and will show that the present military oligarchy must be eliminated for the sake of civilization and the future peace of the world… It will give tremendous moral weight to the cause of human liberty and the suppression of Absolutism.”

On February 3, 1917 Wilson announced that the United States was breaking off diplomatic relations with Germany to a special session of Congress (top), by expelling the German ambassador and recalling the American ambassador to Berlin. For the time being diplomatic relations would continue with the other members of the Central Powers (in fact the U.S. didn’t declare war on Austria-Hungary until December 1917, long after it went to war with Germany, and never declared war on the Ottoman Empire).

The New York Times

Everyone understood that breaking off relations with Germany was the final step before a declaration of war, but Wilson remained understandably reluctant to embroil his country in the bloodiest conflict in human history; for one thing, in an age before opinion polls it was unclear where the American people stood, and he needed time to read the national mood. He may also have decided to wait for the first German U-boat attacks on American shipping in order to be able to present a firm case to Congress.

Unbeknownst to Wilson, British intelligence was about to make the task of convincing America to go to war much easier, with the disclosure of the Zimmermann Telegram.

See the previous installment or all entries.

February 3, 2017 – 11:00pm

February 4, 2017

20 Super Facts About the New England Patriots

Mark Mancini

filed under: football, Lists, Sports, Super Bowl

Image credit:

Billie Weiss/Getty Images

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no denying that the New England Patriots have established a dynasty of truly historic proportions. This team just clinched its record-breaking ninth Super Bowl berth and its seventh in the past 15 years. Here’s some fun trivia worth memorizing before they take on the Atlanta Falcons.

1. THEY WEREN’T THE FIRST PRO FOOTBALL TEAM TO REPRESENT BOSTON.

Massachusetts began flirting with pro football long before the New England Patriots came along. The Boston Bulldogs were created and dismantled in 1929. The Boston Redskins (originally the Braves) came next in 1932, but, after five years, they relocated to Washington, D.C.

2. THEY WERE FOUNDED AS THE “BOSTON PATRIOTS.”

The Patriots organization began as the “Boston Patriots,” and they were founded as part of the American Football League on November 16, 1959.

3. THEY WON THE AFL’S VERY FIRST PRE-SEASON GAME.

On July 30, 1960, the Patriots won the upstart American Football League’s very first pre-season game by toppling the Buffalo Bills 28-7.

4. A TRI-CORNER HAT USED TO ADORN THEIR HELMETS.

Modern Patriots may wear that star-spangled “Flying Elvis” logo, but their forebears spent the 1960 season rocking a much simpler helmet design—one which consisted of a tri-corner hat sitting atop each player’s number.

5. THEY MOVED A LOT DURING THE 1960S.

Between 1960 and 1971, the Patriots changed venues four times. Nickerson Field, Fenway Park, Harvard Stadium, and Boston College’s Alumni Stadium all took turns hosting the team during that stretch.

6. IN 1970, A FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE STANDS.

In 1970, the Patriots’ final game at Alumni Stadium was rudely interrupted when a popcorn machine beneath the bleachers caught fire, scattering a large section of the crowd. “Fortunately, nobody was hurt,” said radio announcer Gil Santos, “and it wasn’t a huge section of seats that were burned. After the fire was out, everybody found a seat, and the game continued. Popcorn sales, of course, went down.”

7. THEY WERE GOING TO BE CALLED THE BAY STATE PATRIOTS, BUT THERE WAS A SLIGHT PROBLEM.

Upon leaving for Foxborough, Massachusetts in 1971, they were re-christened as “The Bay State Patriots.” The name was rejected when people pointed out the abbreviation would be “The B.S. Patriots.”

8. IN THE EARLY YEARS, THEIR STADIUM HAD SOME TOILET PROBLEMS.

Schaefer Stadium (a.k.a. Foxboro Stadium) wasn’t exactly Buckingham Palace. In 1971, the Pats’ longtime residence just barely passed a mandatory “flush-off” test—wherein health inspectors flushed every single on-property toilet simultaneously. The test was ordered after hasty repairs were made when it was discovered that the plumbing was insufficiently prepared.

9. A SNOW PLOW OPERATOR BECAME A SPORTS HERO IN 1982.

On a harsh, wintry day in 1982, snowplow operator Mark Henderson became a New England folk hero when he cleared a patch of field for Patriots kicker John Smith, whose late field goal slew the visiting Miami Dolphins. Incidentally, at the time, Henderson was there on work release from prison.

10. THE 1990S DID NOT GET OFF TO A GREAT START FOR THE TEAM.

The year 1990 was unkind to New England football fans. Not only did the Patriots amass a franchise-worst 1-15 record, but in 11 of those losses, they never even led once.

11. THEY ALMOST MOVED TO ST. LOUIS.

When Missouri native James Orthwein bought the Pats in 1992, he had a single goal in mind: shipping them off to St. Louis. However, at the time, Foxboro Stadium was owned by Robert Kraft, who effectively nixed the idea and purchased Orthwein’s franchise two years later.

12. THEY ALMOST GOT SHIPPED OFF TO CONNECTICUT, TOO.

New England escaped relocation again in 1998. Businessmen from Hartford, Connecticut, attempted to lure Kraft’s Pats out of Massachusetts by offering a brand-new, publicly financed stadium. This blockbuster deal fell through when Kraft managed to secure $72 million from the Bay State, with which he eventually constructed Gillette Stadium—the squad’s current home.

13. TOM BRADY’S COLLEGE CAREER DIDN’T PORTEND HIS SUPERSTAR STATUS.

Getty Images

He may be a future Hall of Famer, but during his collegiate days, nobody would’ve mistaken Patriots QB Tom Brady for a big-shot. At one point, Brady was the seventh quarterback on the University of Michigan’s depth chart.

14. BRADY COULD HAVE PLAYED PRO BASEBALL INSTEAD.

Speaking of Brady: the Montreal Expos drafted him as a catcher in 1995. (He didn’t play.)

15. THE TEAM’S SUPER BOWL VICTORIES HAVE BEEN CLOSE.

Each of New England’s four Super Bowl victories was decided by four points or fewer.

16. THEY’VE GOT THE LONGEST WINNING STREAK IN PRO FOOTBALL HISTORY.

The franchise claimed 21-straight regular and postseason wins from 2003-2004, an NFL record.

17. IT TOOK NEARLY 30 MINUTES FOR EITHER TEAM TO SCORE IN SUPER BOWL XXXVIII.

Though the Pats eventually prevailed over Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII, viewers had to wait 26 minutes and 55 seconds before either team scored. However, the teams scored 37 combined points in the fourth quarter, the most ever in a single quarter of a Super Bowl.

18. VLADIMIR PUTIN MIGHT HAVE ONE OF ROBERT KRAFT’S CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS.

Getty Images

Vladimir Putin: jewelry thief? Kraft claims that, while visiting Russia, he had to bid one of his championship rings “dasvidanya.” Allegedly, President Putin had asked to hold it, remarking “I could kill someone with this ring.” Kraft complied, at which point the statesman pocketed the keepsake and left. Kraft later said it was a gift. Putin curiously said he has no memory of the event. “You know, I do not remember either Mr. Kraft or the ring,” he told AFP. “They handed out some sorts of souvenirs.”

19. GAME OF THRONES AUTHOR GEORGE R.R. MARTIN HAS LIKENED THE TEAM TO THE LANNISTERS.

Game of Thrones creator and Giants/Jets fan George R.R. Martin has said that, in his mind, the Patriots are the NFL’s Lannisters.

20. BILL BELICHICK RENAMED HIS BOAT AFTER THE 2015 SUPER BOWL.

Getty Images

Head coach Bill Belichick—who won two Super Bowl titles as a defensive coordinator with the Giants and four as head coach of the Pats—owns a boat he calls VI Rings. Up until 2015, it had been known asV Rings, but he renamed it in 2015, after the Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX. Who knows? After this Sunday, he just may have to re-christen it VII Rings. (We’re betting he wouldn’t mind the touch-up.)

Additional Sources:
Then Belichick Said to Brady…: The Greatest New England Patriots Stories Ever Told, by Jim Donaldson
The Patriot Way: The History of the New England Patriots
Patriots.com

February 3, 2017 – 8:00pm

GADGETS, TOYS, AND MEDIA

KITCHEN

HOME

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

OFFICE, SCHOOL, AND ART SUPPLIES

OUTDOORS, SPORTS, AND GAMES

ELECTRONICS

TOOLS

1. MICROBE BOUQUET; $50

2. HEART NEBULA CUFFLINKS; $28

3. THE SCIENCE OF KISSING; $20

4. HEART COASTERS; $22

5. ‘I LOVE YOU’ BEAN PLANT; $7

6. ANATOMICAL HEART PENDANT; $150

7. PLUTO AND CHARON SHIRT; $24

8. DOPAMINE NECKLACE; $32

9. MISS FRIZZLE PRINT; $18

10. CHOCOLATE BRAINS; $21

1. ITEM: FLOYD LANDIS’S BICYCLE – $5

2. 17TH-CENTURY PAINTING “PREPARATION TO ESCAPE EGYPT” – $215

3. PAINTING BY ANTHONY VAN DYCK – $660

4. ANDY WARHOL CHILDHOOD SKETCH – $5

5. 11TH-CENTURY CHINESE BOWL – $3

6. ORIGINAL COPY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE – $4

7. ORIGINAL VELVET UNDERGROUND DEMO LP – $0.75

8. ANSEL ADAMS NEGATIVES – $45

February 3, 1917: U.S. Breaks Off Relations With Germany

“Enemy Of Mankind”

1. THEY WEREN’T THE FIRST PRO FOOTBALL TEAM TO REPRESENT BOSTON.

2. THEY WERE FOUNDED AS THE “BOSTON PATRIOTS.”

3. THEY WON THE AFL’S VERY FIRST PRE-SEASON GAME.

4. A TRI-CORNER HAT USED TO ADORN THEIR HELMETS.

5. THEY MOVED A LOT DURING THE 1960S.

6. IN 1970, A FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE STANDS.

7. THEY WERE GOING TO BE CALLED THE BAY STATE PATRIOTS, BUT THERE WAS A SLIGHT PROBLEM.

8. IN THE EARLY YEARS, THEIR STADIUM HAD SOME TOILET PROBLEMS.

9. A SNOW PLOW OPERATOR BECAME A SPORTS HERO IN 1982.

10. THE 1990S DID NOT GET OFF TO A GREAT START FOR THE TEAM.

11. THEY ALMOST MOVED TO ST. LOUIS.

12. THEY ALMOST GOT SHIPPED OFF TO CONNECTICUT, TOO.

13. TOM BRADY’S COLLEGE CAREER DIDN’T PORTEND HIS SUPERSTAR STATUS.

14. BRADY COULD HAVE PLAYED PRO BASEBALL INSTEAD.

15. THE TEAM’S SUPER BOWL VICTORIES HAVE BEEN CLOSE.

16. THEY’VE GOT THE LONGEST WINNING STREAK IN PRO FOOTBALL HISTORY.

17. IT TOOK NEARLY 30 MINUTES FOR EITHER TEAM TO SCORE IN SUPER BOWL XXXVIII.

18. VLADIMIR PUTIN MIGHT HAVE ONE OF ROBERT KRAFT’S CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS.

19. GAME OF THRONES AUTHOR GEORGE R.R. MARTIN HAS LIKENED THE TEAM TO THE LANNISTERS.

20. BILL BELICHICK RENAMED HIS BOAT AFTER THE 2015 SUPER BOWL.