Page 1802 – fakuto

November 23, 2016

Newsletter Item for (86279): Why Do We Close Our Eyes When We Sneeze?

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Why Do We Close Our Eyes When We Sneeze?

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Today’s Big Question: Why do we close our eyes when we sneeze?

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Big Question

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Why Do We Close Our Eyes When We Sneeze?

November 23, 2016

Newsletter Item for (88912): Take a Virtual Tour of the Real Hogwarts Library

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Take a Virtual Tour of the Real Hogwarts Library

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Did seeing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them inspire you to revisit Harry Potter’s wizarding world? Take a 360-degree tour of the real Hogwarts library.

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Movies

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Take a Virtual Tour of the Real Hogwarts Library

November 23, 2016

Newsletter Item for (88904): For Your Next Vacation, Take a Pop Culture-Inspired Road Trip

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For Your Next Vacation, Take a Pop Culture-Inspired Road Trip

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If you’re a pop culture junkie with a thirst for the open road, consider a Walking Dead, Gilmore Girls, or Game of Thrones themed road trip for your next vacation.

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Infographic

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For Your Next Vacation, Take a Pop Culture-Inspired Road Trip

November 23, 2016

Newsletter Item for (89146): The Abandoned ‘Dark Crystal’ Sequel Is Being Turned Into a Comic Book

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The Abandoned Dark Crystal Sequel Is Being Turned Into a Comic Book

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Fans of Jim Hensen’s The Dark Crystal have been waiting 35 years for a sequel. They’re about to finally get their wish—in the form on a 12-issue comic series.

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Comics

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The Abandoned 'Dark Crystal' Sequel Is Being Turned Into a Comic Book

November 23, 2016

Newsletter Item for (58895): The 16th-Century Dance Plague

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The 16th-Century Dance Plague

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When an entire town started putting on its dance shoes, the medieval community realized something was out of step. This is the story of the dance plague that hit Strasbourg, France, in 1518.

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History

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The 16th-Century Dance Plague

November 23, 2016

Newsletter Item for (88889): 9 Breathtaking Images of the Botanical World

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9 Breathtaking Images of the Botanical World

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A new book traces how people have depicted flora from ancient times through the modern era. The images are nothing short of spectacular—check them out.

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Pretty Pictures

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9 Breathtaking Images of the Botanical World

November 23, 2016

Over 1 Million More People Than Last Year Will Travel for Thanksgiving

Abbey Stone

filed under: holidays, traffic, travel

Image credit:

Michael Gil via Flickr // CC BY 2.0

Taking off for Thanksgiving weekend? According to AAA, you’ll be joined by 48.7 million Americans—over 1 million more people than traveled for the holiday last year. And the vast majority—more than 89 percent—will be hitting the road.

“Most will travel on the tried and true holiday road trip, thanks to gas prices that are holding at close to $2 per gallon,” AAA president and CEO Marshall Doney said in a statement. Thanksgiving gas prices are the second-cheapest they’ve been in a decade, and Americans have saved an estimated $28 billion on gas this year compared to 2015.

Perhaps because they’re saving money at the pump, Thanksgiving travelers are willing to shell out more for luxe accommodations during the holiday weekend. According to hotel chain STR, luxury hotels saw the highest occupancy rates (62.8 percent) over Thanksgiving, while economy hotels were less than half full. Tis the season to treat yourself.

For more statistics about Thanksgiving travel, check out the infographic created by Hotel News Now below.

November 23, 2016 – 1:00pm

November 23, 2016

Amazon’s Great Wednesday Deals Get Closer to Black Friday

Smart Shopping Team

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, November 23.

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!

November 23, 2016 – 9:18am

Amazon Product Id:

B00QIUBPA0

November 23, 2016

20 Vintage Photos of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

A look back at 90 years of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Jennifer M Wood

Wednesday, November 23, 2016 – 12:00

Rich Title:

20 Vintage Photos of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

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This year marks the 90th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. To celebrate a near-century of the beloved Turkey Day tradition, we’re looking back at parades past.

November 23, 2016

All the Presidents’ Pardoned Turkeys

Stacy Conradt

filed under: History, holidays, Lists, presidents

Image credit:

whitehousehistory.org

Later today, as many presidents before him have done, President Obama will pardon a couple of turkeys. “The office of the presidency—the most powerful position in the world—brings with it many awesome and solemn responsibilities,” Obama said in 2013. “This is not one of them.”

Gifting a turkey to the president is certainly nothing new. The tradition dates back at least to 1873, when Ulysses S. Grant benefited from the poultry present. But until the past couple of decades, the presentation of a bird was more or less a private photo op for representatives of the Poultry and Egg Board or the National Turkey Federation. And—surprise, surprise—the presidents typically ate the birds, with the exception of Kennedy.

The whole pardoning event is fairly new, though, and giving the fortunate turkeys monikers is even newer. Here’s what we know about the names of those lucky suckers:

1863: Jack, allegedly. As one story goes, Abraham Lincoln’s son, Tad, became a little too attached to the gift that was destined to end up on the dinner table, naming him Jack. His father agreed to let the turkey live, and Jack ended up as part of the menagerie the Lincoln boys had at the White House.
1873: The Vose Turkey. Turkey farmer Horace Vose formally started the tradition of presenting the president with the main entree for his meal. We’re sure Grant was grateful.
1987: Charlie
1994: Tom (how original)
1999: Harry
2000: Jerry. You can see Bill Clinton dutifully performing the pardon here:

Beginning in 2001, two turkeys were always on tap—the one that would look best on camera, and a backup in case the first choice got skittish in front of the crowd. Traditionally, both the main turkey and the understudy have been pardoned.

2001: Liberty and Freedom, in the wake of 9/11.
2002: Katie and Zack, named after the children of the chairman of the National Turkey Federation.
2003: Stars and Stripes, which narrowly won over Pumpkin and Cranberry in an online poll.
2004: Biscuits and Gravy
2005: Marshmallow and Yam
2006: Flyer and Fryer
2007: May and Flower
2008: Pumpkin and Pecan
2009: Courage and Carolina
2010: Apple and Cider
2011: Liberty and Peace
2012: Cobbler and Gobbler
2013: Caramel and Popcorn
2014: Mac and Cheese
2015: Honest and Abe

The 2016 turkeys, Tater and Tot, come from Storm Lake, Iowa; their names were suggested by the classmates of the children of Chris and Nicole Domino, the turkey farmers who raised the birds. Tater and Tot will live out the rest of their days at Virginia Tech, in a specially built enclosure called Gobblers Rest.

You can read more about the history of the presidential turkey pardon here. Whether or not you agree with John Oliver that this is a particularly ridiculous American tradition, we can all be thankful that at least we’ve come a long way from the Nixon era, when one doomed bird had his feet nailed to the table because he wouldn’t behave for the press.

November 23, 2016 – 11:45am

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