(Mental Floss) -- Over the centuries, people have had some very good reasons to dress up like a member of the opposite sex. After record-setting Olympics athlete Stella Walsh died in 1980, it was revealed that she had indeed been a man. And I'm not talking about people who live this way out of personal preference, or those who dress up for theater and entertainment. Here are just five examples. 1. Cross-dressing to join the army Until recently, women have rarely been allowed to serve as soldiers. So what was a gal to do if she wanted to serve her country? Naturally, disguise herself as a man and join the troops. At least 400 Civil War soldiers were women in drag. These included Union Army soldier "Frank Thompson" (also known as Sarah Edmonds), whose small frame and feminine mannerisms (rather than causing suspicion) made her an ideal spy, as she could spy on the Confederates disguised as... a woman! She wasn't the first woman to don a male disguise and join the army, though. During the Revolutionary War, women fought as men on both sides. Hannah Snell, for example, joined the British army to find her husband, who had walked out on her to enlist. Once her true sex was discovered (thanks to a pesky groin injury), she became a national celebrity in Britain, and made a post-war career of performing in bars as the "Female Warrior." Mental Floss: The Confederacy's plan to conquer Latin America 2. Cross-dressing to keep a royal family together With all the power play that went on in the court, the French royal family would go to great lengths to avoid sibling rivalry. In one of the more extreme cases, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans (1640-1701), was raised as a girl to discourage him from any political or military aspirations. This would make things easier for his brother, the future King Louis XIV. Philippe wore dresses and make-up, enjoyed traditionally feminine pursuits, and was even encouraged towards homosexuality. A girly man he might have been, but he married twice and even had a mistress. When necessary, he could even lead an army into battle. (This is the nation, after all, that gave us that famous cross-dresser Joan of Arc.) A brave commander, he would go into battle wearing high heels, plenty of jewelry and a long, perfumed wig. One of his wives claimed that Philippe's biggest fear when going into battle was not bullets, but the possibility of looking a mess. He avoided gunpowder (with the black smoke stains) and didn't wear a hat, to avoid ruining his hair. Mental Floss: 11 weird & wonderful wedding rings 3. Cross-dressing to win Olympic glory Dressing in drag has been part of the Olympics (on and off) since ancient times, when women were banned from the bulk of the Games. The Greek historian Pausanias of Damascus said that if a spectator was uncovered as a woman in male disguise, she was duly escorted off the premises... and thrown off a cliff. In later Games, the athletes started performing naked, and the crowd was also ordered to disrobe. It has been suggested that this was to ensure that they were all men. In the modern Olympics, there has been less disrobing -- and not much cross-dressing, either. Gender tests have been normal procedure since 1966 (for athletes, not spectators), so they couldn't really get away with it. Before that time, one of the strangest -- and most controversial -- cases was Polish sprinter Stanislawa Walasiewicz (aka Stella Walsh), who set 11 world records in her career, winning the 100-meter Olympic finals in 1932 with what one official described as "long man-like strides." After she died in 1980, however, it was revealed that she had indeed been a man. So had he deliberately set out to fool everyone all that

What number of U.S. Civil War soldiers were women in drag?

Answer: At least 400 Civil War soldiers

Answer: Stella Walsh

Answer: At least 400

Answer: Civil War

Summary:
Cross-dressers have: Spied, joined armies, won Olympic medals, been royalty .
At least 400 U.S. Civil War soldiers were women in drag .
Spy disguised himself as woman to seduce attache in French Foreign Service .
Hindu women in Jodhpur, India, "go wild," dressing as men once each year .


(Mental Floss) -- Owning a professional sports franchise is my dream job. (I'm willing to relocate.) Of course, I could never afford my own team. There's a better chance I'll miraculously develop an unhittable slider, or learn to punt.

NFL team owner Robert Kraft got his start in the paper business.

You obviously must be exceedingly wealthy to become an owner.

Did you ever wonder how all these people made all that money?

I sure hope you did, because we went and did all this research.

Here's a list of nine billionaire owners and how they built their fortunes.

1. Rich DeVos, Orlando Magic (NBA)

In 1959, DeVos and high school friend Jay Van Andel started selling all-purpose cleaner.

Their business grew to become Amway, which now brings in $6 billion each year under the ominous-sounding Alticor name.

Whether you see Amway as an empowering direct sales company or a something resembling a cult, it sure was good to DeVos.

Forbes estimates his wealth at $3.5 billion, making the paltry $85 million he spent on the Magic in 1991 a minor investment.

2. Robert L. Johnson, Charlotte Bobcats (NBA)

Lower on my list of dream jobs is running a cable network that caters to urban youth.

So I'm all kinds of envious of Robert L., who founded BET and sold it to Viacom for $3 billion in 2001.

His fortune was depleted by an expensive divorce, but Johnson's estimated net worth is still $1.1 billion.

His resume is full of firsts  BET was the first African-American owned company traded on the NYSE.

He was the first African-American billionaire in the U.S. And, in 2002, he became the first African-American majority owner of a professional sports franchise.

3. Robert Kraft, New England Patriots (NFL)

I'd never given it much thought, but I'd always assumed Kraft bought the Patriots with big cheese money he'd inherited.

But Kraft got his start in the paper business. His wife, Myra, is the daughter of Massachusetts philanthropist Jacob Hiatt.

After Kraft finished Harvard Business School, he went to work with his father-in-law's packaging company.

In 1972, Kraft founded International Forest Products, which is now part of the Kraft Group -- a diversified collection of companies ranging from Gillette Stadium to the New England Revolution (Major League Soccer) to Carmel Container Systems (Israel's largest packaging plant).

Kraft is seen as a savior in New England -- before he bought the team in 1994, the Pats seemed destined for relocation to St. Louis. Plus he's made them really, really good, winning three Super Bowls this decade.

Another reason I'm so keen on owning a team is the access to foreign heads of state.

In 2005, Kraft met Vladimir Putin, who walked off with one of Kraft's Super Bowl rings.

Kraft now claims it was a gift, but that might just be what you say when a Russian leader steals your jewelry. Mental Floss: How ex-presidents and prime ministers make ends meet

4. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Seattle Mariners (MLB)

Despite America's strong resistance to Japanese ownership -- and despite his admitted lack of interest in baseball -- Hiroshi Yamauchi became majority owner of the Seattle Mariners in 1992.

Yamauchi is the man credited with transforming Nintendo from playing-card company to video game giant.

His 55-year tenure saw incredible growth. But that doesn't mean there weren't a few bumps along the way. Forays into instant rice, taxi service and short-stay hotels (also known as "love hotels") did not pan out.

5. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

Jerry Jones built an oil empire in the early 1970s, striking gas in the first thirteen wells he drilled. His father had given him a head start; Pat Jones sold the Modern Security Life Insurance Company for millions.

An undersized guard, Jones was captain of

Who found talented engineers for the aerospace industry and what did Russia's Putin walk off with?

Answer: one of Kraft's Super Bowl rings.

Answer: one of Kraft's Super Bowl rings.

Answer: who walked off with one of Kraft's Super Bowl

Summary:
The NFL's Malcolm Glazer got started as an owner of Florida trailer parks .
The Cleveland Cavaliers head was a pizza deliveryman and TV reporter .
Baltimore Ravens chief found talented engineers for the aerospace industry .
Russia's Putin walked off with NFL owner Robert Kraft's Super Bowl ring .


(Mental Floss) -- People have been eating pickles ever since the Mesopotamians started making them way back in 2400 B.C.E. Here are some even more important things you should know about them. Pickles have gotten credit for health and beauty and winning football games. 1. In the Pacific Islands, natives pickle their foods in holes in the ground lined with banana leaves, and use them as food reserves in case of storms. The pickles are so valuable that they've become part of the courting process, helping a man prove he'll be able to provide for a woman. In Fiji, guys can't get a girl without first showing her parents his pickle pits. 2. Cleopatra claimed pickles made her beautiful. (We guess it had more to do with her genes.) 3. The majority of pickle factories in America ferment their pickles in outdoor vats without lids (leaving them subject to insects and bird droppings). But there's a reason. According to food scientists, the sun's direct rays prevent yeast and mold from growing in the brine. Mental Floss: 8 disastrous product names 4. In the Delta region of Mississippi, Kool-Aid pickles have become ridiculously popular with kids. The recipe's simple: take some dill pickles, cut them in half, and then soak them in super strong Kool-Aid for more than a week. According to the New York Times, the sweet vinegar snacks are known to sell out at fairs and delicatessens, and generally go for $.50 to a $1. 5. Not everyone loves a sweet pickle. In America, dill pickles are twice as popular as the sweet variety. 6. The Department of Agriculture estimates that the average American eats 8.5 lbs of pickles a year. 7. When the Philadelphia Eagles thrashed the Dallas Cowboys in sweltering heat in September 2000, many of the players attributed their win to one thing: guzzling down immense quantities of ice-cold pickle juice. Mental Floss: 31 unbelievable high school mascots 8. If it weren't for pickles, Christopher Columbus might never have "discovered" America. In his famous 1492 voyage, Columbus rationed pickles to his sailors to keep them from getting scurvy. He even grew cucumbers during a pit stop in Haiti to restock for the rest of the voyage. 9. Speaking of people who get credit for discovering America, when he wasn't drawing maps and trying to steal Columbus' thunder, Amerigo Vespucci was a well-known pickle-merchant. 10. Napoleon was also a big fan of pickle power. In fact, he put up the equivalent of $250,000 as a prize to whoever could figure out the best way to pickle and preserve foods for his troops. 11. During the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, H. J. Heinz used pick-shaped pins to lure customers to his out of the way booth. By the end of the fair, he'd given out lots of free food, and over 1,000,000 pickle pins. 12. Berrien Springs, Michigan, has dubbed itself the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World. In early December, they host a parade, led by the Grand Dillmeister, who tosses out fresh pickles to parade watchers. Mental Floss: Curious, bizarre and storied state symbols For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com

Which sports team claimed pickle juice helped them win?

What southern state treat was in the article?

The average american eats how many pickles a year?

Answer: Philadelphia Eagles

Answer: 8.5 lbs of pickles a year.

Answer: Kool-Aid pickles

Answer: super strong Kool-Aid

Answer: a year.

Answer: 8.5 lbs

Summary:
Average American eats 8.5 lbs of pickles a year, according to Dept. of Agriculture .
Southern state treat: Dill pickles soaked for week in Kool-Aid .
Philly Eagles players said pickle juice helped them beat Dallas Cowboys in 2000 .
Christopher Columbus and Napoleon were fans of pickle power .


(Mental Floss) -- President-Elect Obama's mother-in-law will be moving to Washington with the first family, at least temporarily, his transition team has confirmed. Marian Robinson will be the latest in a line of presidential in-laws who, for good or ill, lived under the same roof as the president.

President Dwight Eisenhower and his mother-in-law, Elivera  Doud, pose for pictures with some of the grandchildren.

Here are four stories that confirm the old truism: While America can choose its president, the president can't choose his in-laws.

1. Ulysses S. Grant and 'The Colonel'

You would think that the Civil War was settled at Appomattox, and no question of its outcome would have been raised in the White House of Ulysses S. Grant, who, after all, was the general who won the war.

But you would be wrong, because living with Ulysses and Julia Grant was the president's father-in-law. Colonel Frederick Dent (his rank seems to have been self-selected) was an unreconstructed Confederate, a St. Louis businessman and slaveholder who, when his daughter Julia went to the Executive Mansion early in 1869, decided to relocate there as well.

The Colonel didn't hesitate to make himself at home. When his daughter received guests, he sat in a chair just behind her, offering anyone within earshot unsolicited advice. Political and business figures alike got a dose of the Colonel's mind as they waited to meet with President Grant.

When the president's father, Jesse Grant, came from Kentucky on one of his regular visits to Washington, the White House turned into a Civil War reenactment. According to "First Families: The Impact of the White House on Their Lives", by Bonnie Angelo, Jesse Grant preferred to stay in a hotel rather than sleep under the same roof as the Colonel.

And when the two old partisans found themselves unavoidably sitting around the same table in the White House, they avoided direct negotiations by using Julia and her young son, named for the president's father, as intermediaries, Betty Boyd Caroli writes in "First Ladies": "In the presence of the elder Grant, Frederick Dent would instruct Julia to 'take better care of that old gentleman [Jesse Grant]. He is feeble and deaf as a post and yet you permit him to wander all over Washington alone.' And Grant replied [to his grandson and namesake], 'Did you hear him? I hope I shall not live to become as old and infirm as your Grandfather Dent.'" Mental Floss: 5 feisty first daughters

The Colonel remained in the White House -- irascible and unrepentant -- until his death, at age 88, in 1873.

2. Harry S Truman and the Mother-in-Law from Heck

Harry Truman and Bess Wallace met as children. He was a farm boy; she was the well-heeled granddaughter of Independence, Missouri's Flour King. When they married in 1919, Truman was a struggling haberdasher, and Bess's mother, Madge Wallace, thought Bess had made a colossal social faux pas. Until she died in 1952, Madge Wallace never changed her mind about Harry Truman. Her Bess had married way below her station.

Madge had plenty of opportunities to let her son-in-law know it. The newlyweds moved into the Wallace mansion in Independence, and the three lived together under the same roof until the end of Madge's life.

When Harry Truman was elected senator, "Mother Wallace," as Truman judiciously called her, moved with her daughter and son-in-law to Washington. In the family's apartment, she shared a bedroom with the Trumans' daughter, Margaret. And when Truman became president, she moved with them into the White House, where she cast her cold eye on the new commander-in-chief.

"Why would Harry run against that nice Mr. Dewey?" she wondered aloud, as Truman was fighting for his political life in the 1948 presidential race, according to "First Mothers

Whose mother-in-law  scandalized by his firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur?

What did Eisenhower and his mother in law have?

Answer: Madge Wallace,

Answer: Washington

Answer: pose for pictures with some of the grandchildren.

Answer: pictures with some of the grandchildren.

Summary:
Several U.S. presidents had in-laws move into White House with them .
Pres. Truman's mother-in-law scandalized by his firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur .
Pres. Eisenhower and his mother-in-law had "mutual admiration society"
President Grant's father-in-law gave his opinion freely at the White House .


(Mental Floss) -- Since the dawn of time, people have found nifty ways to clean up after the bathroom act. The most common solution was simply to grab what was at hand: coconuts, shells, snow, moss, hay, leaves, grass, corncobs, sheep's wool -- and, later, thanks to the printing press -- newspapers, magazines, and pages of books. The average American uses 57 squares a day and 50 pounds of toilet paper per year. The ancient Greeks used clay and stone; the Romans, sponges and salt water. But the idea of a commercial product designed solely to wipe one's bum? That started about 150 years ago, right here in the U.S.A. In less than a century, Uncle Sam's marketing genius turned something disposable into something indispensable. Toilet paper gets on a roll The first products designed specifically to wipe one's nethers were aloe-infused sheets of manila hemp dispensed from Kleenex-like boxes. They were invented in 1857 by a New York entrepreneur named Joseph Gayetty, who claimed his sheets prevented hemorrhoids. Gayetty was so proud of his therapeutic bathroom paper that he had his name printed on each sheet. But his success was limited. Americans soon grew accustomed to wiping with the Sears Roebuck catalog, and they saw no need to spend money on something that came in the mail for free. Toilet paper took its next leap forward in 1890, when two brothers named Clarence and E. Irvin Scott popularized the concept of toilet paper on a roll. The Scotts' brand became more successful than Gayetty's medicated wipes, in part because they built a steady trade selling toilet paper to hotels and drugstores. But it was still an uphill battle to get the public to openly buy the product, largely because Americans remained embarrassed by bodily functions. In fact, the Scott brothers were so ashamed of the nature of their work that they didn't take proper credit for their innovation until 1902. "No one wanted to ask for it by name," says Dave Praeger, author of "Poop Culture: How America Is Shaped by Its Grossest National Product." "It was so taboo that you couldn't even talk about the product." By 1930, the German paper company Hakle began using the tag line, "Ask for a roll of Hakle and you won't have to say toilet paper!" As time passed, toilet tissues slowly became an American staple. But widespread acceptance of the product didn't officially occur until a new technology demanded it. At the end of the 19th century, more and more homes were being built with sit-down flush toilets tied to indoor plumbing systems. And because people required a product that could be flushed away with minimal damage to the pipes, corncobs and moss no longer cut it. In no time, toilet paper ads boasted that the product was recommended by both doctors and plumbers. Mental Floss: 5 times drug companies promised too much Strength of going soft In the early 1900s, toilet paper was still being marketed as a medicinal item. But in 1928, the Hoberg Paper Company tried a different tack. On the advice of its ad men, the company introduced a brand called Charmin and fitted the product with a feminine logo that depicted a beautiful woman. The genius of the campaign was that by evincing softness and femininity, the company could avoid talking about toilet paper's actual purpose. Charmin was enormously successful, and the tactic helped the brand survive the Great Depression. (It also helped that, in 1932, Charmin began marketing economy-size packs of four rolls.) Decades later, the dainty ladies were replaced with babies and bear cubs -- advertising vehicles that still stock the aisles today. By the 1970s, America could no longer conceive of life without toilet paper. Case in point: In December 1973, Tonight Show host Johnny Carson joked about a toilet paper shortage during his opening monologue. But America didn't laugh. Instead, TV watchers across the country ran out to their local grocery stores and bought up as much of the stuff as they could. Also

What did a U.S. man design in 1857?
U.S. buys what?
Who joked about toilet paper shortages?
Ancient Greeks used?
What did the Greeks use clay for?

Answer: aloe-infused sheets of manila hemp

Answer: Toilet paper

Answer: Johnny Carson

Answer: clay and stone;

Answer: to wipe one's bum?

Summary:
Ancient Greeks used clay,stone; Romans, sponges and salt water as toilet paper .
U.S. man designs aloe-infused sheets of manila hemp  in 1857 .
Johnny Carson joked about toilet paper shortage, people bought out stores .
U.S. buys $6 billion of toilet tissue annually -- more than any other nation .


(Mental Floss) -- Starting a legitimate business is hard, boring work. There's paperwork to fill out, employees to hire, and all sorts of other drudgery, not to mention the biggest hurdle of all: providing a product or service for which customers are willing to pay. President Ulysses S. Grant foiled a gold scam. In all likelihood, it would be much easier to just stumble upon some clever scam to line your pockets. Or so it would seem. As many aspiring scam artists quickly learn, when a business scam fails, it tends to fail in rather grand fashion. Just ask any of these four teams of not-so-smooth operators. A corny sea story Xenothemis and Hegestratos may not have been the world's first white-collar criminals, but they were certainly noteworthy for their incompetence. In 360 B.C., the pair stumbled upon what seemed like a killer plan to make some quick cash. Shipping was extremely risky at the time, and boats went down at sea with alarming frequency. To exploit this uncertainty, Xenothemis and Hegestratos devised a plan in which they would receive a cash advance to ship a load of corn from Syracuse to Athens. Due to the dangers associated with shipping, the buyer would take on full risk if the shipment didn't make it to Athens, so if the boat sank Xenothemis and Hegestratos could keep their cash. Instead of loading the ship with expensive corn, the conniving pair made a plan to sail an empty ship out to sea for a few days, then sink it and escape in lifeboats. Since the boat itself was insured, this plot seemed airtight, and the potential profit was great. Unfortunately, though, the boat's other passengers allegedly caught wind of the scheme during the attempting scuttling of the ship. These passengers were understandably a bit peeved at Hegestratos' attempts to drown them for his own financial gain. Hegestratos panicked and jumped overboard, at which point he drowned. Unable to sink the ship by himself, Xenothemis had to sail on to the port, at which point the buyer, Protos, wanted to know why his shipload of corn was empty. A legal battle followed, and although the verdict has been lost by history, it's safe to say that the late Hegestratos regretted the scam. When Friday went black Despite his prowess as a general, Ulysses S. Grant's presidency didn't go so smoothly. Ones of its most notable scandals occurred in 1869, when a group of speculators upended the U.S gold market. The plan started when financier James Fisk and robber baron Jay Gould formed a group of speculators with the goal of cornering the gold market, which would give the group the ability to manipulate the price. Of course, one can only corner the market if there's a fixed quantity of gold available. Otherwise, the government could just sell large quantities of gold, and the cornering effort would be an expensive failure. In an effort to avoid this fate, Gould and Fisk brought President Grant's brother-in-law Abel Corbin into their fold. Using Corbin's influence to get an audience with the President, the pair would argue to Grant that selling gold was a terrible idea that the government should avoid at all costs. The wily pair also used their influence at the White House to secure a position as assistant treasurer of the United States for Daniel Butterfield, who would warn them if the government started to sell gold. With their connections in place, Fisk and Gould started buying up gold in September 1869, quickly driving the price of gold up by around 30 percent. Once Grant and his advisors got wise to the situation, though, the government quickly sold off $4 million in gold to break the corner, effectively killing the inflated prices on September 24. As investors scrambled to get rid of their overpriced gold, the price plummeted sharply, and many involved in the scam lost huge amounts of money. Fisk and Gould managed to avoid big losses due to their connections in the treasury, but what would be known as Black Friday didn't earn them a huge windfall

what was the scam created by president grant?

Answer: foiled a gold scam.

Answer: President Ulysses S. Grant

Answer: gold

Answer: Xenothemis and Hegestratos devised a plan in which they would receive a cash advance to ship a load of corn from Syracuse to Athens. Due to the dangers associated with shipping, the buyer would take on full risk if the shipment didn't make it to Athens, so if the boat sank Xenothemis and Hegestratos could keep their cash.

Summary:
When a business scam fails, it tends to fail in rather grand fashion .
360 B.C. scam: Sink ship and collect insurance on goods .
President Grant foiled a gold speculation scam .
Moving company founder goes to prison for bait-and-switch pricing .


(Mental Floss) -- Students, we know you may not be all that ecstatic about seeing your teachers -- and the homework they assign -- as the school year starts up. Pay attention in class, though; you never know what hidden talents your teachers might have. Just look at all of these famous former teachers: After teaching and performing music, Gene Simmons is now starring in his own reality show, "Family Jewels." Gene Simmons: The tongue-flicking bassist of Kiss taught sixth grade in Harlem before he became the world's most famous bass-playing demon. Simmons later revealed in interviews that his superiors canned him for replacing the works of Shakespeare with Spiderman comics, which he thought the students were more likely to actually read. Alexander Graham Bell: The telephone pioneer got his start teaching Visible Speech at the Boston School for Deaf Mutes. He developed a bond with a student named Mabel Hubbard, and when she was 19 the two married. Sting: Before he became a star with The Police, Sting taught English, music, and soccer at St. Catherine's Convent School. Sting later said of working at a convent school, "I was the only man on the faculty. In fact, I was the only teacher not in a habit." Mental Floss: How 10 celebrities picked their stage names Robert Frost: Like King, Frost worked as a teacher to supplement the income from his fledgling literary career. Frost worked as both a farmer and teacher at the Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. His students called him "the Hen Man" because the poet was afraid of chickens, and Frost allegedly had trouble remembering to milk the school's cows on time. Lyndon Johnson: The future president got his start as a principal at the Mexican-American Welhausen School in Cotulla, Texas. He later finished his teaching degree and landed gigs teaching public speaking at Pearsall High School in Pearsall Texas and Sam Houston High in Houston. The debate team he coached at Sam Houston lost the Texas state championship by a single point; Johnson supposedly had to vomit backstage before he could bring himself to congratulate the winners. Art Garfunkel: We can't speak for Paul Simon, but at least half of Simon and Garfunkel was really, really good at math. Garfunkel nearly earned a doctorate in the subject and was teaching math at the Litchfield Preparatory School in Connecticut when "Bridge Over Troubled Water" soared to the top of the charts. John Adams: The second president of the United States spent a few years working as a schoolteacher in Worcester, Massachusetts. Teaching didn't suit Adams, who thought his students were nothing more than a "large number of little runtlings, just capable of lisping A, B, C, and troubling the master." He eventually gave up the job to go to law school. Mr. T: It was hard for Chicago students to be fools when it came to gym class in the mid-1970s. You'd pay attention if Mr. T told you to do jumping jacks, wouldn't you? Sylvester Stallone: Did you know you were watching a matchup of tough-guy teachers when Stallone and Mr. T battled in "Rocky III?"  When Sly was attending the American College in Switzerland during the 1960s, he worked as a gym teacher to earn extra spending money. Mental Floss: Sly Stallone pudding and other unique celebrity products J.K. Rowling: The Harry Potter author worked as an English teacher in Portugal as she plotted out the early adventures of her young wizards. Andy Griffith: Before he was a sheriff, before he was Matlock, Andy Griffith was a teacher. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, Griffith taught English at Goldsboro High School. Billy Crystal: The comedian worked as a junior high substitute teacher on Long Island while he waited for his career to take off. Among the classes he subbed for: girls' gym, which must have been a great source of material. Kris Kristofferson: The country star was a Rhodes Scholar who studied literature at Oxford before joining the Army and rising to the rank of captain

What did the famous people try to do first?

What was Garfunkel's occupation at the time "Bridge Over Troubled Water" became a hit?

Who was teaching when they became famous?

Answer: Gene Simmons:

Answer: teaching

Answer: teaching math

Answer: English

Answer: got his start as a principal at the Mexican-American Welhausen School in Cotulla, Texas.

Answer: Gene Simmons

Answer: math

Summary:
Some people who became famous, tried their hand at teaching first .
President Lyndon Johnson taught public speaking, coached debate team .
Art Garfunkel was teaching math when "Bridge Over Troubled Water" became a hit .
Authors Stephen King and J.K. Rowling and singer Sting all taught English .


(Mental Floss) -- Sure, you know these five creatures as stinging, biting merchants of death. But isn't it time we put aside our differences and embraced the positive? A creepy crawler from this guy's family could save your brain from cancer some day. 1. Poison dart frogs: The heart-healthy choice It could kill you: You know an animal is bad news when its sweat was once considered a state-of-the-art military technology. Meet the poison dart frog, which secretes a highly dangerous neurotoxin, called batrachotoxin, through its pores. In fact, various Latin American tribes used to collect the stuff (carefully) to poison the tips of their arrows for hunting and warfare. Interestingly, however, the frogs don't produce their own toxin. They get it from eating insects that most likely pick up the poison from the plants they consume. The same frogs, if raised in a laboratory rather than the rain forest, aren't poisonous at all. But it just might cure you: Before batrachotoxin stops your heart, it speeds it up. Consequently, medical experts believe it might be possible to tweak elements of the frog's toxin to bring patients out of cardiac arrest and potentially save lives. And because it also deadens nerve endings, batrachotoxin has potential as an ingredient in anesthetics.  Watch how gator blood may be become super drug » Studies into other uses of the toxin are still in the early stages, but the frog's medical benefits bolster the argument for preserving the rainforest. Most scientists believe we've only just begun to grasp the pharmaceutical possibilities of some of the world's rarest and deadliest creatures. 2. Scorpions: Leading the battle against brain cancer It could kill you: For the most part, scorpions use their toxins to capture prey, ward off competitors during mating season, and defend themselves against larger predators. Unfortunately, humans count as larger predators. A sting by some species can leave you with any number of potentially deadly conditions, including heart and lung failure. But it just might cure you: Medical researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered a new use for scorpion venom -- cancer medication. Each year, some 9,000 Americans are diagnosed with malignant glioma, a form of brain cancer that kills about half its victims within a year of diagnosis. Glioma cells work a lot like cockroach muscle cells. And while that fact is pretty disgusting, it also got UAB researchers thinking about the giant Israeli scorpion, whose venom is harmless to humans but deadly to its cockroach prey. Doctors found that when they injected a drug derived from the venom of giant Israeli scorpions into cancer-infected human brains, the poison destroyed the glioma cells and left surrounding, healthy cells alone. The treatment is still in the early stages of development, but researchers remain optimistic. 3. Cone shell snails: Little creatures tackling big pain It could kill you: Thanks to their unique colors and intricate patterns, cone shells look like they'd make great beach souvenirs. But watch your fingers; they're actually home to one of the world's deadliest creatures. Cone shell snails come equipped with an extendable "arm" -- complete with a sharp, venomous tooth -- that they use to immobilize and kill prey. And while the venom certainly helps the slow-moving hunters from going hungry, it can also paralyze, or even kill, victims. The good news: Death by cone shell is completely painless. But it just might cure you: Cone shell venom, called conotoxin, has incredible potential as a painkiller, with one added bonus: Unlike many current anesthetics, conotoxin isn't addictive. In 2005, Ireland-based Elan Pharmaceuticals became the first company to market a drug made from the venom. Called Prialt, the drug is pumped into the fluid around a patient's spine to relieve chronic pain and is believed to be up to 1,000 times more powerful than morphine. Meanwhile, at the University of Melbourne, a research team headed by Professor Bruce Livett is currently developing another conotoxin-based painkiller called

What deadly creature can help brain cancer patients?

What do scientists hope can save humans?

Answer: Scorpions:

Answer: A creepy crawler

Summary:
Scientists hope deadly creatures can save humans .
Gila monster venom stimulates insulin production in humans .
Snake venom lead to treatment for millions with high blood pressure .
Scorpions may help patients survive brain cancer .


(Mental Floss) -- The legend of Jack Daniel reaches all the way back to the moment he was born. Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly when that was. Jack Daniel believed the more memorable his image, the more memorable his whiskey. Some records show that Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel came into the world on September 5, 1846. His tombstone, however, says 1850. Strange, because his mother died in 1847. All of this might not normally matter, but Jack's birth date is important to his overall legend, which proudly proclaims him "the boy distiller." So perhaps it's best we begin when Jack was first introduced to whiskey, which we know was early in life. Leaving home at a young age, Jack struck out on his own with nothing more than a handful of items valued at $9. He ended up at the home of Dan Call, a preacher at a nearby Lutheran church and the owner of a general store. There, Reverend Call also happened to sell whiskey that he distilled himself. Jack quickly became determined to learn the craft. In fact, many storytellers claim the boy wonder bought the still from Call and began pursuing the business full-time at the ripe age of 16. If that legend is true, then Jack began selling his own Tennessee whiskey only three years later; the famous black labels on the company bottles proudly pronounce, "Established and Registered in 1866." In reality, no documents support that myth. Jack may have been a teenage moonshiner, but he didn't register his business with the federal government until 1875. And by then, Jack would have been the more booze-appropriate age of 29. The maker makes his mark Whatever legends exist, one thing is certain: Jack Daniel had a brilliant mind for marketing. Even as a youngster, Jack understood that if people remembered him, they would remember his whiskey. To that end, he decked himself out in a formal knee-length coat, a vest, a tie, and a wide-brim planter's hat, and was never caught out of "uniform" again. Jack also established the Jack Daniel's Silver Cornet Band -- a 10-member outfit solely devoted to promoting his whiskey across the countryside. With uniforms and instruments from the Sears & Roebuck catalog and a specially designed wagon for traveling, Jack made sure the band played every saloon opening, Fourth of July celebration, and political rally around. But perhaps Jack's most brilliant decision concerned how to present his whiskey. From the beginning, Jack had been one of the first sellers to stencil his distillery name on his whiskey jugs. Next, he upgraded to round, custom-embossed bottles. But when a glass salesman showed him a prototype square bottle in 1895, Jack realized he'd stumbled upon something unique. The new bottles not only stood out from the crowd, but also had a shape that would prevent them from rolling around and breaking during transport. In addition, the square look reinforced the idea that Jack was a square dealer who put honest work and high standards first. Whatever effort Jack Daniel put into his marketing, he never let quality slip. In 1904, the distiller decided on a whim to enter his whiskey in the taste competition at the St. Louis World's Fair. It came as little surprise when he won. Lucky No. 7 Perhaps Jack's greatest coup was the name he gave his high-quality product -- Old No. 7. Naturally, nobody seems to know why. The official historian at the Jack Daniel Distillery today says it's the most oft-asked question on factory tours. As you might imagine, many theories have been advanced. Jack had seven girlfriends. Jack believed the number seven was lucky. Jack was honoring a merchant friend who owned seven stores that distributed Jack's liquor. Jack misplaced a batch of whiskey for seven years and, upon finding it, labeled it "Old No. 7." None of these stories, however, makes as much sense as the less-than-sexy explanation from Jack

Who died from complications of gangrene from an injury to his foot?

Who knows exactly when Jack Daniel was born?

Answer: Jack Daniel

Answer: formal knee-length coat, a vest, a tie, and a wide-brim planter's hat,

Answer: formal knee-length coat, a vest, a tie, and a wide-brim planter's hat,

Answer: September 5, 1846.

Answer: nobody knows exactly when that was.

Summary:
To this day, nobody knows exactly when Jack Daniel was born .
Daniel's "uniform": formal knee-length coat, vest, tie, and a wide-brim planter's hat .
Origin of "No. 7": Daniel was assigned a district tax assessment number of 7 .
Daniel died from complications of gangrene from an injury to his foot .


(Mental Floss) -- There have been presidential daughters almost as long as there have been presidents. (George Washington had no children.) President Warren Harding made child-care payments to his mistress for years until his death in 1923. What these women did -- both under the influence of and independent from their influential fathers -- make fascinating stories. Here are five you might not have heard: 1. Sarah Knox Taylor Davis She packed a lot of drama into her 21 years. The second daughter of future U.S. President Zachary Taylor, Sarah also was the first wife of future Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Her parents gave her the middle name Knox after Fort Knox, in pre-state Indiana, where her military father was stationed and where she was born in 1813 or 1814. Sarah was often called Knox or Knoxie. The life of an army brat was certainly more dangerous in the early 19th century. During Taylor's posting in Louisiana, Sarah and her two sisters came down with "bilious fever," now thought to be malaria. Sarah survived, but her older and younger sisters died. The Taylors were stationed at Fort Crawford (now Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin) in 1832, when Sarah met and fell in love with a young officer named Jefferson Davis. Zachary Taylor opposed the relationship, and accounts vary as to why --because he didn't want his daughter to continue to be exposed to the hardships of army life, or because he and Davis didn't get along. Or both. Davis was transferred, so he and Sarah conducted a long-distance relationship for two years. They even planned their wedding by mail. The ceremony took place in June 1835, in Louisville, Kentucky. Sarah's parents did not attend. Once again there is disagreement over why they were absent. The newlyweds immediately headed south, and they visited Davis's relatives in Louisiana. Sarah, mindful of the family tragedy the last time the Taylors traveled those parts, wrote home, "Do not make yourself uneasy about me, the country is quite healthy." But while staying with Davis's oldest sister at "Locust Grove" in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, the couple fell ill with malaria. Jefferson Davis recovered, but Sarah died, barely three months into her marriage. Mental Floss: 5 memorable White House weddings 2. Elizabeth Harrison Walker Her life straddled the Gilded Age of her father, President Benjamin Harrison, and the Television Age, when accomplished women were just beginning to enter in numbers into the mainstream of public life. Elizabeth was born in 1897, four years after her father left office. A widower with two children by his first wife, Harrison had married Mary Scott Lord Dimmick, and Elizabeth was the couple's only child. She was just 4 when her father, the last of the bearded presidents, passed away. If Elizabeth's dynastic 1921 marriage to James Blaine Walker -- grandnephew of her father's secretary of state and onetime Republican presidential nominee James G. Blaine -- was conventional, much of the rest of her life was not. By the time of her wedding, she had received several academic degrees, including a law degree from New York University Law School, and was admitted to the bar in New York and Indiana at age 22. After her marriage, she began publishing a monthly newsletter, "Cues on the News." Geared toward women, it offered economic and investment tips, and was distributed nationally by banks. Her expertise led to appearances on radio and, later, television, where she spoke on economic issues pertaining to women. She died in 1955, at the age of 58. Mental Floss: Quiz: Post--White House lives of presidents 3. Margaret Woodrow Wilson Thirty years before the Beatles went to India to sample and popularize its spiritual wonders, another musician and political activist, Margaret Woodrow Wilson, had already been. It was the final chapter in the peripatetic life of the eldest of President Woodrow Wilson's three daughters. Margaret was born in 1886, in Gainesville, Georgia. During her father's presidency,

Who did President Taylor's daughter marry?

Where was President Hardling's daughter conceived?

whom did President Taylor's daughter marry

Whio married future president of an enemy power?

Answer: Jefferson Davis.

Answer: Fort Knox,

Answer: President Warren Harding

Answer: Jefferson Davis.

Answer: Sarah Knox Taylor Davis

Answer: Margaret Woodrow Wilson

Summary:
President Harding's illegitimate daughter was conceived on couch in Senate office .
Review of Harry Truman's daughter prompted presidential threat against reporter .
President Taylor's daughter married future president of an enemy power .
Woodrow Wilson's daughter followed a guru to India .


(Mental Floss) -- They say a lot of artistic expression is motivated by self-loathing. But not for these folks! Long before the Material Girl ordered papa to stop preaching, these six puffed-up virtuosos knew darn well how to strike a pose.

Alfred Hitchcock didn't leave people in suspense about how he felt about actors.

Here's to the creative types who managed to raise egotism to an art form.

Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchcock was, without question, one of the towering geniuses of cinema. And, like many greats, he wasn't exactly the best collaborator.

Hitchcock was particularly trying for screenwriters, who felt he never properly credited them for their work. But he was notoriously hard on actors.

He was once quoted as saying, "Actors are cattle" -- a quip that stirred up a huge outcry (actors can be so touchy). In response, he issued this correction: "I have been misquoted. What I really said is, 'Actors should be treated as cattle.'"

Although it began accidentally (when he was short an actor for the film "The Lodger"), Hitchcock soon made it his egotistical trademark to appear in his own films, amassing a total of 37 cameos throughout his career.

Ayn Rand

The egotist's egotist, author Ayn Rand (born Alissa Zinovievna Rosenbaum) is the patron saint of Thinking You're Better Than Everybody Else.

Her most famous novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, are massive dramatizations of Objectivism, her self-spun Oscar-the-Grouch philosophy for success. Objectivism champions ego and accomplishment, shuns all religion as folly, and condemns any form of charity or altruism as counterproductive to society.

Rand's novels often focus on protagonists (invariably men) who are shunned by others because of their genius, but then persevere over the foolishness of morons to prove said genius and emerge triumphant.

Not surprisingly, she saw humility as a weakness and regarded laughing at yourself as "spitting in your own face."

So, just how much did Rand believe in her own philosophy? Let's just say a lot. With signature modesty, she ranked herself as the philosophical equal of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas.

Orson Welles

When you create a cinematic masterpiece such as "Citizen Kane" at the ripe old age of 25, you're bound to get a big head. But Welles was convinced of his own importance much earlier than that.

In fact, "Citizen Kane" might have been sparked by nothing more than a bruised ego. After all, it's said he devised the film as a withering exposé of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst because Hearst slighted Welles at a dinner party. Of course, after the unparalleled success of "Citizen Kane," Welles's arrogant side didn't get any less subtle.

Do yourself a favor: Track down a recording of Welles' outtakes for a TV commercial for frozen peas. You'll hear everything you need to know about the filmmaker's oversized ego. A classic quote goes: "In the depths of your ignorance, what is it you want?"

Frank Lloyd Wright

As the brains behind the Robie House, Fallingwater, Taliesin West, the Guggenheim, and countless other design benchmarks, Frank Lloyd Wright is arguably the genius of 20th-century architecture. And, boy, did he know it!

Wright was notorious for believing he was superior to mere mortals. In fact, the architectural egomaniac frequently acted as though the rules -- even those of geography and climate -- did not apply to him. But when you're Wright, you're right.

In 1935, department store magnate Stanley Marcus (of Neiman-Marcus fame) commissioned the architect to design his Dallas home, but the project quickly went sour. Wright's avant-garde floor plan included "sleeping porches" that required his client to sleep outdoors year-round. In addition, Marcus' small bedroom "cubicles" came equipped with almost no closet space.

When Stanley respectfully explained that (a) temperatures during summer nights in Dallas often exceed 80

Who wanted to store magnate to sleep on the porch?

What does Ayn Rand say is the same as laughing at yourself?

Who said  Laughing at yourself same as "spitting in your own face"

Where did frank want the manager to sleep

what is laughing at yourself the same as?

Where did Frank Lloyd Wright want the store magnate to sleep?

Where did Frank Lloyd Wright want them to sleep?

What did Ayn Rand refer to as 'spitting in your own face'?

What does Ayn Rand equate to laughing at yourself?

where did frank lloyd wright want store magnate to sleep?

where did Frank Lloyd Wright want the magnate to sleep

Answer: design his Dallas home,

Answer: "sleeping porches" that required his client to sleep outdoors year-round.

Answer: Stanley Marcus

Answer: "spitting in your own face."

Answer: "spitting in your own face."

Answer: she saw humility as a weakness and regarded laughing at yourself as "spitting in your own face."

Answer: Ayn Rand

Answer: "spitting in your own face."

Answer: outdoors

Answer: "spitting in your own face."

Answer: outdoors

Answer: outdoors year-round.

Answer: laughing at yourself

Answer: "spitting in your own face."

Answer: outdoors year-round.

Answer: "sleeping porches"

Summary:
Frank Lloyd Wright wanted store magnate to sleep on porch .
Salvador Dalí's stated ambitions were bigger than Napoleon's .
Ayn Rand: Laughing at yourself same as "spitting in your own face"


(Mental Floss) -- We all know about the Confederate states leaving the Union. But that was far from the only secessionist movement in American history. Here are some rebellious regions you won't find in too many history books.

This map shows some rebellious regions that have tried to seceed from the United States.

1. The Kingdom of Beaver Island

Beaver Island, a small island in Lake Michigan, became the home of Mormon leader James Strang and his followers -- called Strangites -- in 1848. Two years later, Strang declared himself king of the church -- complete with crown, scepter, robe, and a harem of 15 wives.

However, most of the island's inhabitants were his followers, so he essentially became King of Beaver Island. The power got to his head, and he began forcing his rule onto the non-believers, causing some violence between the two factions.

In 1856, the USS Michigan pulled into the harbor and invited Strang aboard. As he was walking towards the ship, he was shot in the back by disgruntled followers, who then ran up the gangplank and escaped. Adding to the mysterious circumstances, the assassins were set ashore on nearby Mackinac Island and never charged for their crime.

Shortly after the assassination, angry mobs from surrounding islands eventually forced the Strangites from their homes, thus ending the short-lived Kingdom of Beaver Island.

2. The state of Superior

Concern over a perceived lack of interest from the Michigan state government, the people of the Upper Peninsula (U.P.), affectionately known as "Yoopers," have been trying to secede and form the State of Superior since as far back as 1897.

The movement gained momentum after 1957 when a bridge connecting the U.P. region to Lower Michigan made it easier for southern "Trolls" (people who live "below the bridge") and Yoopers to mingle. This animosity continued into the mid-1980s, when 20,000 signatures were collected and submitted to the state for a secession request.

However, the number was shy of the 36,000 required, and the request subsequently denied. The secessionist drive lives on today, as numerous grassroots organizations are trying to muster support for another official attempt at an independent U.P. Until that day comes, though, the Yoopers and Trolls will just have to try to get along.

3. The Great Republic of Rough and Ready

Rough and Ready, California, was a mining town founded in 1849 by the Rough and Ready Company of Wisconsin. As the town's population rapidly exploded to 3,000, lawlessness was on the rise -- and the U.S. government was not much help squelching the rampant crime. Mental Floss: Three controversial maps

Additionally, a new federal tax on mining operations added fuel to the region's civil unrest. Seeing little support from Washington, on April 7, 1850, the townspeople voted to secede from the Union.

But just three months later, as the Fourth of July approached, The Great Republic of Rough and Ready wanted to have a celebration (which seems odd considering they were no longer technically Americans). When nearby Nevada City wouldn't sell liquor to "foreign miners," it was decided that maybe America wasn't so bad after all. The townspeople voted themselves back into the Union on the very same day and the party went off as planned.

4. The Conch Republic

In the early-1980s, the U.S. Border Patrol set up a checkpoint at the entrance to the Florida Keys in an effort to stop illegal drugs and immigrants. The time to check everyone's identification at the checkpoint resulted in a 20-mile traffic jam that turned tourists away, thus damaging the economy in the Keys.

After numerous legal attempts to have the checkpoint removed, on April 23, 1982, Key West mayor Dennis Wardlow declared the Florida Keys were seceding from the Union.

Moments later, now-Prime Minister Wardlow symbolically declared war on the U.S. by breaking a stale piece of Cuban bread over the head of a man dressed in a U.S. Navy uniform. One minute later, Wardlow turned to the Admiral in charge of the U.S. Naval Base at Key West and surrendered, thus

who are forced to get along in Michigan?

who  named himself king of Beaver Island?

who  declared Florida Keys were seceding from Union in 1982?

Answer: Yoopers and Trolls

Answer: declared the Florida

Answer: called Strangites

Answer: Strang

Answer: king of the church

Answer: West mayor Dennis Wardlow

Summary:
Mormon leader James Strang named himself king of Beaver Island, Michigan .
Key West mayor declared Florida Keys were seceding from Union in 1982 .
Northern California and southern Oregon have been trying to merge since 1852 .
"Yoopers" and "Trolls" are forced to get along in Michigan .


(Mental Floss) -- We all want to live forever. But, chances are, you'd rather forego a legacy altogether than have your name be synonymous with a goofy flub like a spoonerism or a dim-witted word like "dunce." You can find a saint under tawdry in the dictionary. For the following eponyms, we ask: Did these word-inspiring folks really deserve their drag through the linguistic mud? 1. Dunce Dictionaries don't play fair, and John Duns Scotus is proof. The 13th/14th-century thinker, whose writings synthesized Christian theology and Aristotle's philosophy, was considerably less dumb than a brick. Unfortunately for Scotus, subsequent theologians took a dim view of all those who championed his viewpoint. These "Scotists," "Dunsmen," or "Dunses" were considered hairsplitting meatheads and, eventually, just "dunces." 2.(slipping a) Mickey When you have to drug somebody against their will (hey, you gotta do what you gotta do), it just wouldn't sound right to slip 'em a Ricardo, a Bjorn, or an Evelyn. It's gotta be a Mickey. At the turn of the 20th century, Mickey Finn was a Chicago saloon owner in one of the seediest parts of town -- and he fit right in. Finn was known for serving "Mickey Finn Specials," which probably included chloral hydrate, a heavy sedative. After targeted customers passed out, Finn would haul them into his "operating room" and liberate them of all valuables (including shoes). Never a Host of the Year candidate, this Mickey seems to have thoroughly earned his legacy, so don't hesitate to use it the next time you drug and rob your own customers. 3. Spoonerism Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844--1930) was famous for his muddled one-liners. And though it's hard to know which ones he actually said, lines such as "I have a half-warmed fish" and "Yes indeed, the Lord is a shoving leopard" still prove that the sound-switching flub is pretty charming as far as mistakes go. The spoonerism has even been used as a literary technique by poets and fiction writers, giving Spooner little reason to roll over -- or otherwise inarticulately protest -- in his grave. 4. Lynch Although several Lynches (not including David) have been investigated by inquisitive etymologists, Virginia native Charles Lynch (1736--1796) is most likely the man behind the murderous word. Lynch was a patriot, a planter, and a judge. But when he headed a vigilante court to punish Tories (British loyalists) during the American Revolution, he decided to play the roles of jury and executioner, too. Lynch has more than earned his besmirched name. In fact, he did half the besmirching himself by egotistically referring to his actions as "lynch law" and "lynching." 5. Shrapnel While battling Napoleon's army, English General Henry Shrapnel (1761--1842) noticed that original-flavor cannonballs just weren't massacring enough enemies for his liking. So, to get more shebang for his shilling, he filled the cannonballs with bullets and exploding charges. These "shrapnel shells," or "shrapnel-barrages," were pretty darn effective, and later designs proved even more successful in World War I. Shrapnel didn't get much credit for the "innovation" during his lifetime, but he ultimately contributed to enough death and misery that he pretty much deserves to be synonymous with a violent, metallic byproduct of combat. 6. Draconian A Lexis-Nexis news search shows that folks are still talking about "draconian policies," "draconian penalties," and, most frighteningly, "draconian sex rules." Though Athenian lawgiver Draco is not entirely confirmed to have existed, if he were real, then around 621 B.C.E., he instituted two time-honored traditions: 1) writing laws down and 2) making laws that were batcrap-insane They include ascribing the death penalty to such atrocities as

Where does the word Draconian come from?

Answer: General Henry Shrapnel

Answer: Athenian lawgiver Draco

Answer: English General Henry Shrapnel

Answer: Athenian lawgiver Draco

Summary:
Some awful words named after real people .
Tawdry named for St. Audrey who  wore audacious necklaces .
Draconian came from lawyer who wanted lazy put to death .
General Henry Shrapnel built more deadly cannonballs .


(Mental Floss) -- We remember Henry Ford as the automotive magnate who perfected assembly line technology, but he also dabbled in ambitious social programs, including one in which he hired ex-convicts straight out of Sing Sing to staff his factories. Henry Ford, pictured in 1942, unsuccessfully attempted to increase the rubber supply with a plantation in Brazil. Although many of these efforts were successful, Ford's ill-fated foray into the Brazilian jungle was a notable and fascinating exception. The plan If you're going to make millions of cars, you're going to need an awful lot of rubber. In 1927, Ford came up with a novel plan: He'd solve his rubber problem and test out his lofty theories about social planning. If everything went well, he could craft both a utopia full of healthy, productive workers and a direct pipeline of coveted rubber to Detroit. Ford approached the task with characteristic zeal. He talked the Brazilian government into granting him 10,000 square kilometers of land in the Amazon rain forest -- a plot that was nearly twice as big as the state of Delaware -- in exchange for a 9 percent cut of the plantation's profits. In theory, this setup seemed like one of Ford's ideas that would shake out pretty well, and in 1928, Ford sent a barge full of supplies from Michigan down to his new plantation town, which was dubbed "Fordlandia." Growing rubber in the jungle Unfortunately for Ford's stockholders, though, the captain of industry didn't always have a great eye for detail. (One famous story about Ford was that he disliked accountants so fiercely that he never had his company audited. By the end of his tenure, the Ford Motor Company allegedly had no idea exactly how much it cost to build a car.) Ford didn't check to see if the plantation was suitable for growing rubber. According to Greg Grandin, author of "Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City," Ford never consulted any sort of expert on rubber cultivation; he just sent a bunch of supplies and managers into the jungle hoping to grow some rubber. Mental Floss: Henry Ford and others who survived bankruptcy Ford was legendarily contemptuous of experts, but he could have saved some serious dough if he'd just hired a consultant to tell him that the plantation wasn't at all suitable for growing rubber. The land wasn't very fertile, but that wasn't the main problem. The real difficulty was that it's practically impossible to farm rubber in a plantation setting in the Amazon rainforest. To grow the trees on a commercial scale, you've got to pack them in fairly close together, and at that point they become incredibly susceptible to blight and insect attacks. Fordlandia's trees were no exception, and caterpillars and blight quickly decimated the fields. Not exactly a worker's paradise Obviously, the rubber production part of the Fordlandia got off to a rocky start. How was the "worker's paradise" part of things going, though? Even more abysmally. The American managers and their families that Ford imported from Michigan weren't accustomed to the sweltering Brazilian heat and headed back north with an alarming frequency. The heavy machinery used on the plantation left deep ruts in the soft soil, which collected stagnant water and became breeding grounds for malaria-ridden mosquitoes. Ford had attempted to design Fordlandia like any American town, complete with schools, restaurants, a golf course, and shops. The catch here, though, was that the indigenous Brazilians who farmed the rubber weren't used to living in a stylized American community. Worse still, the plantation's workers were expected to work a strict shift from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., whereas normal harvesting practices in the region saw workers hit the fields before dawn, take a long break, and then head out again at twilight to save themselves the misery of working in the tropical midday heat. Food fights Ford's influence extended all the way down to the residents' diets, and while the indigenous workers weren't crazy about having to eat American foods

Where did the auto magnate set up a plantation?

What did an auto magnate set up in the Amazon forest?

Where was a plantation set up to produce rubber?

Answer: Brazil.

Answer: "Fordlandia."

Answer: Henry Ford,

Answer: Amazon rain forest

Answer: Henry Ford

Answer: growing rubber.

Answer: Henry Ford,

Answer: Brazil.

Answer: Brazil.

Answer: increase the rubber supply

Answer: Brazil.

Summary:
The auto magnate set up a plantation in the Amazon rain forest to produce rubber .
He didn't research the land and found out to late it wasn't suitable for growing rubber .
Brazilian workers rioted against U.S.-style mess hall, ban on alcohol .
Ford ultimately sold the plantation at a $20 million loss .


(Mental Floss) -- We're in the throes of summer vacation season, but at least one American is still on the job. While it's rumored that President Obama will follow in the footsteps of President Clinton and vacation on Martha's Vineyard, he hasn't had a chance to break out his Bermuda shorts just yet. When Obama does take off, though, he'll join in the grand tradition of presidential vacations, like these notable ones: President Bush (R) and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen ride bikes in Crawford, Texas, in 2008. 1. Abe Lincoln doesn't go too far Far-flung vacations are nice, but President Lincoln preferred to stay a bit closer to home. When Lincoln needed a getaway from the heat and political turmoil of Civil War-era Washington, D.C., he headed to...a different part of Washington, D.C. From 1862 to 1864 Lincoln spent June through November living in a cottage atop a hill at the Soldiers' Home a few miles from the White House. Lincoln apparently loved the slight change of scenery, which meant slightly cooler temperatures and a chance to ride his horse each morning. If you're considering a stay-cation this year, consider this Honest Abe's endorsement. 2. Movie cowboy does real ranching Think George W. Bush was the first president to sneak away from the White House to spend time on his ranch? Not quite. At the end of his second term as Governor of California in 1974, Ronald Reagan paid just over half a million dollars to acquire Rancho del Cielo in California's Santa Ynez Mountains. The 688-acre ranch, complete with stables and a 1500-square-foot adobe house, was Reagan's go-to vacation destination while he was in office, and he entertained some big names there, including Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth II, and Mikhail Gorbachev, who gamely wore a cowboy hat during his visit. 3. LBJ does some ranching, too Texan Lyndon Johnson was very involved in the everyday operations of his ranch. Johnson, who had gotten into ranching in 1951, grew his LBJ Ranch into a 2,700-acre spread populated by 400 head of Hereford cattle. Johnson was no absentee owner when he was in Washington, either. Johnson frequently headed back on vacations and supposedly drove his foreman crazy by calling every day to talk about the weather on the ranch or how the pastures looked. Today, the National Park Service maintains LBJ's spread as a working ranch, complete with a herd of cattle descended from the Herefords Johnson bred. 4. George W. Bush initiates a war on brush George W. Bush followed in LBJ's footsteps and went to his own Texas ranch when he needed a getaway. Prairie Chapel Ranch, a 1,583-acre spread Bush owns near Crawford, Texas, served as the secondary White House throughout Bush's presidency, and he was often shown clearing brush during vacations. Bush wasn't just doing farm work, though. He exhorted visitors to join the "President's 100-Degrees Club" by running three miles or biking 10 after the mercury hit 100 degrees. Anyone who could pull of the feat got a specialized Under Armour shirt as recognition. We can only hope one of the many foreign dignitaries Bush entertained at the ranch -- including Vladimir Putin, Tony Blair, Silvio Berlusconi, Ariel Sharon, and Saudi King Abdullah -- managed to get one of the coveted shirts into their suitcases. Mental Floss: Iraq, Afghanistan and other extreme vacation spots 5. FDR heats up Georgia Some presidents choose to head to their hometowns or a beach side resort for their vacations, but Franklin Roosevelt preferred to travel to western Georgia. Warm Springs, Georgia, is the home of (you guessed it!) warm springs that supposedly had therapeutic value for polio sufferers. FDR, who had contracted his own paralytic illness in 1921, started visiting Warm Springs in 1924 in the hope that exercising in the springs' warm waters would cure him. Although the springs didn't reverse his illness, FDR felt like his time at the resort alleviated his symptoms somewhat. In 1927 he bought the resort he'd been staying

who spent four months at the slightly cooler Soldiers' Home?

Answer: Obama

Answer: Martha's Vineyard,

Answer: Lincoln

Answer: cottage atop a hill at the Soldiers' Home a few miles from the White House.

Summary:
U.S. presidents leave the White House to relax on vacations .
Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush visited their ranches .
Taxpayers spent $625,000 sprucing up President Nixon's Florida home .
Pres. Lincoln spent four months at the slightly cooler Soldiers' Home .


(Mental Floss) -- While the horse racing world is all abuzz over Rachel Alexandra, the amazing three-year-old filly who recently beat Kentucky Derby winner Mine that Bird (along with a field full of other colts) in the Preakness Stakes, we're reminded of some other female athletes of the two-legged variety who also beat the boys at their own game. Danica Patrick finished third at the 2009 Indianapolis 500 on Saturday. 1. Billie Jean King -- tennis In 1973, Billie Jean King was 29 years old and the reigning queen of women's tennis. In an era when female athletes were paid significantly less than their male counterparts, King still managed to earn $100,000 in 1971. Bobby Riggs had won Wimbledon back in 1939, but by the 1970s his star was fading. He kept his name in the press by proclaiming himself a male chauvinist pig and declaring that women athletes could never be as good as men. After defeating Margaret Court in May, he proclaimed "I want King!" The much-hyped "Battle of the Sexes" was held at the Houston Astrodome on September 20, 1973. The idea of a woman beating a man in any sport was so unbelievable at the time that Las Vegas oddsmakers heavily favored the 55-year-old Riggs. A worldwide television audience watched via satellite as King neatly thrashed Riggs 6-4, 6-3 and 6-3. Billie Jean King not only took home the prize money and several endorsement deals, she also opened up a new playing field for professional sportswomen. Mental Floss: Song Elton John wrote for Billie Jean King 2. Margaret Murdock --shooting Margaret Murdock's father was a Kansas state rifle champion, so it was logical that both she and her sister took up the sport as children. When Murdock attended Kansas State in the early 1960s, she won her varsity letter by competing on the men's rifle team. In 1976 she became the first woman to represent the U.S. on its Olympic shooting team. The small-bore three position competition calls for the shooter to fire off 40 shots each in the standing, kneeling and prone position. The competitors fire from 50 meters away at a target that is a little smaller than a dime. At the end of the competition, Murdock was tied with Lanny Bassham, the team captain. Bassham requested a tie-breaking shoot-off, but Olympic rules forbade it; instead, Bassham was awarded the gold medal because he had scored three "100s" to Murdock's two. During the medal ceremony, Lanny pulled Margaret up from the silver pedestal to stand with him during the national anthem to indicate that she deserved the gold as much as he. 3. Jackie Mitchell -- baseball Virne Beatrice Mitchell, known to her family as "Jackie," entered the world ahead of schedule and weighed only a little over three pounds at birth. As soon as she learned to walk, her father took her to the ballpark. The Mitchell's next door neighbor in Memphis was future Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance, who was still playing in the minors at the time. He coached Jackie in the art of pitching when she was eight years old and even showed her his trademark "drop pitch," a dazzling throw in which the ball swooped down just before crossing the plate. When Mitchell was 17 she was offered a contract with the Chattanooga Lookouts, today the AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. On April 1, 1931, the New York Yankees were in town to play an exhibition game against the Lookouts. The game was postponed a day due to rain, and there was a crowd of 4,000 on hand when Mitchell finally took the mound. Babe Ruth stepped up to the plate and southpaw Jackie threw her special pitch. Ruth took the first pitch for a ball, but the next three were strikes. Lou Gehrig, baseball's Iron Man, was up next and similarly struck out. The crowd was on its feet, but some skeptical reporters wrote that the whole thing had been staged, since the game was originally scheduled for April

Who is the female pitcher that struck out Babe Ruth?

Answer: September 20, 1973.

Answer: Jackie Mitchell

Summary:
Female pitcher Virne Beatrice Mitchell struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig .
Seana Hogan holds the record for the San Francisco to Los Angeles cycling race .
Sonya Thomas wins eating contests of oysters, chicken wings, Krystal hamburgers .


(Mental Floss) -- Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to seek out covert items at fast food chains around the country. Not all food items are always listed on restaurant menus. Be warned, this mission includes very real dangers such as hardening arteries and skyrocketing cholesterol. We've compiled a list to get you started. 1. 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). 2. It's a good thing we don't have Jamba Juice here in Iowa, because I would be all over candy-based smoothies. Because it's considered a health-food chain, Jamba Juice doesn't officially list these on their in-store menus, but the Web site 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, and Now and Later. 3. This one might be my favorite. At Fatburger, you can order a Hypocrite -- a veggie burger topped with crispy strips of bacon. 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. Mental Floss: 7 food promotions gone horribly wrong 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. This option is only available at select Wendy's, and it's also known as the Meat Cube. 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. 7. In-N-Out Burger's "secret menu" isn't so secret these days -- in fact, they've posted it on their Web site. But in case you're not in the habit of surfing fast food Web sites, here's the skinny on their 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. Mental Floss: Why is it called "Thousand Island" dressing? "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. According to photos posted at SuperSizedMeals.com, one gluttonous patron requested and received a 100x100 at a Las Vegas store a few years ago. One item not listed on the Web site secret menu: the Flying Dutchman, which is two slices of cheese sandwiched between two patties, hold the bun. 8. Feeling a little

Where can you get a Neapolitan milkshake?

What company  has a Neapolitan milkshake?

Answer: the Grand Slam,

Answer: a veggie burger topped with crispy strips of bacon.

Answer: the Grand Slam,

Answer: chains

Answer: McDonald's and In-N-Out,

Answer: McDonald's and In-N-Out,

Summary:
Some fast food outlets have not-on-menu items you can get if you ask for them .
Fatburger's Hypocrite is bacon-topped veggie burger; Popeye's offers naked chicken .
Some Subways will still make  the popular pizza sub from the 1990s .
Wendy's offers the Meat Cube; McDonald's has a Neapolitan milkshake .


(MentalFloss.com) -- 1. The oldest documented bikinis -- haute, bandeau-style little numbers -- show up in a 1,700 year old Roman mosaic entitled Chamber of the Ten Maidens. A bevy of ancient, bikini-clad babes are depicted playing sports.

2. Earlier this year, Brooklyn-based designer Andrew Schneider invented the first solar powered bikini -- the "iKini" -- which produces enough electricity to power an iPod during a sunny day at the beach. Just remember to unplug it, the inventor says, before taking a dip.

3. The famous white belted bikini worn by Ursula Andress in the 1962 James Bond hit "Dr. No" sold for $61,500 at Christie's in London in 2001. Halle Barry modeled a redux of a similar suit in the 2002 Bond flick, "Die Another Day."

4. French designer Jacques Heim's first itsy-bitsy bathing suit hit the fashion scene in 1946. Tapping into the worldwide obsession with nuclear physics, he named his tiny invention the "atom." A few months later, another French designer, Louis Reard, one-upped Heim, revealing an even tinier suit, which he dubbed the "bikini" after Bikini Atoll, the island in the Pacific where the U.S. had tested the atom bomb. The new swimsuit, it was said, was as small as an atom and just as powerful.

5. Reard said a two-piece bathing suit couldn't be called a bikini "unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring."

Mental Floss: Waitresses, bridesmaids, compulsory plastic surgery

6. In 2009, Americans spent $4.3 billion -- roughly $400 million more than the GDP of Barbados -- on swimwear alone.

7. The 19th-century version of a bikini was made out of either heavy flannel or wool -- fabrics that would not be transparent when wet -- and covered the entire body from neck to toe. The suits were so heavy that women had to hold onto ropes strung from the beach to offshore buoys to keep from sinking.

8. The bikini rocketed to fame in 1960 with Brian Hyland's hit single, "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." The famous 30 inches of fabric didn't debut on the cover of Sports Illustrated until 1964.

Mental Floss: 25 brand names mistakenly used as generic terms

9. At the 1964 International Beauty Pageant in Long Beach, California, Miss Austria stormed out of a photoshoot after being told she could not wear her homemade bikini. "Americans are rude," she said. "I'm tanned all over, so I wanted the suntan to show."

10. In 2009, a group of vegetarian ladies campaigned in international cities wearing bikinis made only of lettuce leaves. The "Lettuce Ladies" as they were called, were sponsored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and hoped to convince people to adopt a meatless diet.

Mental Floss: When did women start shaving their armpits?

11. In 1993, the Olympic Committee decreed the bikini the official uniform for women's beach volleyball, partly because of the functionality of the suit. Athletes complain that when wearing more conventional uniform -- the one-piece, for instance -- "sand goes down the top and collects in the bottom," Holly McPeak, a three-time Olympic vollyballer told ABC News.

With the bikini's built-in sand-release system, Reard, it seems, was ahead of his time.

For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com

What is the 19th century bikini made of?

What ode has Brian Hyland`s 1960 hit single?

In what way in 19th-century bikinis has been made?

What appeared for the first time in Roman mosaics?

What was the bikini of the version of the 19th century made?

Answer: heavy flannel or wool

Answer: "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini."

Answer: heavy flannel or wool

Answer: 1946.

Answer: oldest documented bikinis

Answer: 1,700 year old Roman mosaic

Answer: heavy flannel or wool

Answer: hit single, "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini."

Summary:
Bikinis first appeared in Roman mosaics, depicted on women playing sports .
The 19th-century version of a bikini was made out of either heavy flannel or wool .
Brian Hyland's 1960 hit single was ode to "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"


(NEW YORK) -- Lionel Richie turns 60 this month and he can't believe it either. Singer Lionel Richie says his latest album is some of his best work. In fact, the singer -- who in the '80s found international fame with hits like "Hello" and "All Night Long" -- is upbeat. Life for him these days couldn't be sweeter, he said. Richie recently released the album "Just Go" on which he worked with several acclaimed producers and writers, including Stargate, Tricky Stewart & The Dream and Akon. The multi-Grammy winner and former lead singer of The Commodores said he thinks the album could be his best since 1986's hit, "Dancing on the Ceiling." "That's a very heavy statement," he said. "I love when I get nervous. When I really get nervous -- and I'm nervous about this record -- it means that it's beyond what I thought it was going to be." Having just completed a European tour, Richie said a North American jaunt is on the drawing board in the next year. "We are going to tour ... in fine fashion," he said. "We're going to give them everything they ever wanted." Richie spoke to CNN about avoiding rap, keeping up with the club scene and what gives him chills. CNN: You've always been very diligent about updating your sound. So how do you describe Lionel Richie's sound in 2009? Lionel Richie: It's all in production. You have to first of all feel it. I have to feel it. If I don't feel it, then forget the song. I'm a storyteller, not so much a singer, but a storyteller. So when it comes down to production, we just updated the production. But Akon and Ne-Yo and all these guys ... what do we all have in common? Melody. As long as they don't rap and ask me to rap we have show business. CNN: Have you ever rapped before? Richie: I rapped a couple of times. And it was clear to me, it was told to me from some of the greatest rappers in the world, "Don't even think about it." Flavor Flav ... years ago I went to him and I said "You know I'm thinking about doing some rap on my album. What do you think?" And he said "Are you out of your mind?" He said, "The only reason I'm rapping is because I can't sing." And that's the clear channel of where I need to be going. CNN: Right. Just do what you're good at. Richie: Do what I do and don't get away from it. CNN: How much time do you spend doing research in nightclubs? Richie: Now try to explain that to your girlfriend or to your wife! Where are you tonight? I'm doing research! As much time as I can. You have to be in it to see what people are moving to and what turns them on. It's all in beats and rhythms and in lyric content. You can send somebody down to do some study for you. But the bottom line is there's nothing like going in yourself in the middle of a club in London, or in the middle of a club in Australia or a club in the middle of Germany somewhere. Just sit over in the corner and watch what people dance to. By the time I leave France, England, Germany, Italy, America, I can go home and write the most incredible album in the world because I know what the world beat is. I know where everything's going. CNN: You turn 60 very soon. Richie: I cannot believe the number, but yes I do.  Watch Richie say "hello" to getting older » CNN: How do you feel about that? Richie: You know, I do

Who else contributed to the project?
when did that happen
Who has a new album out?
when will it be released?
What age is Lionel Richie?
what did he say

Answer: Stargate, Tricky Stewart & The Dream and Akon.

Answer: in the '80s

Answer: Singer Lionel Richie

Answer: recently

Answer: 60

Answer: his latest album is some of his best work.

Summary:
Lionel Richie, who shot to mega-stardom in the 1980s, has a new album .
The Grammy award-winning singer is turning 60 years old .
He worked with several heavy hitters in the industry on the new project .
He says music started out as a hobby for him and he continues to enjoy it .


(OPRAH.COM) -- As a fiction writer, I struggle to tell useful truths by telling the lie that I am someone other than myself. I'm a fat girl trying to survive rape in my first novel, the resentful brother of a mentally ill twin in my second. In my third novel, which I'm close to finishing, I'm the husband of a drug-addicted nurse lost in a maze of her failures and fear. Author Wally Lamb says writing personal stories can free you  from painful memories and imprisoning secrets. Writing fiction invites me to move beyond the limitations of my own experience and better understand the un-me, the other. I am similarly invited to do so each time I go to jail. For the past eight years, I have run a writing workshop for inmates at the Janet S. York Correctional Institution, Connecticut's high-security prison for women. Someone asked me recently if I ever felt afraid of my students. Our class, after all, includes individuals who have committed armed robbery, gang-related assault, and homicide. But no, I don't fear these women, because through their autobiographical writing, I come to know them not merely as their convictions but as complex human equations that go far beyond "good versus bad" or "us versus them." Listen to the voice of one of my students. "I am Barbara Parsons, who has been a healthcare worker, a business manager, a homemaker, a gardener, and a killer -- and who is consequently a state prison inmate." Molested by her grandfather when she was 4, Parsons shot and killed her abusive husband when he revealed that he had molested her granddaughter. Convicted of "manslaughter due to emotional duress," she challenges readers to think beyond stereotype. "I am sure you have a dark side, too," she writes. "Look at me. Who would ever have thought that I, an average neighbor from rural Connecticut, could be capable of murder?" Oprah.com: How to make peace with your past Most of my students begin as you might begin: by writing safe pieces -- narratives about fun family vacations, loving tributes to favorite relatives. But sooner or later their painful memories call to them and demand to be examined. With pen in hand, an inmate may, for example, begin to explore the connection between the incest she endured as a young girl and her subsequent drug addiction. She may discover a link between her embezzlement conviction and her lifelong inability to please an emotionally distant mother. Along with that growing clarity, she will confront anger, shame, grief, and the need to stop making excuses and take responsibility. Doing so will lessen her heartache and promote her recovery if she stays with it, but she may surrender to the pain before she gets to experience the gain. She may become too busy, too tired, too headachy, too blue to come to class. Before long, her seat will go to the next woman on the waiting list. Addicts are particularly vulnerable to cold feet when truth telling begins to overpower manipulation and self-deception. Yet if the writer reflects honestly and un-self-pityingly on the damage she has both endured and caused -- and if she takes the critical next step of sharing her words with the group and receiving feedback -- she will begin to defy the gravity of her painful past. But a person need not go to prison to access the therapeutic value of autobiographical writing. Which of us has not put walls and razor wire around our concealed sadnesses and past regrets? Who among us was raised by a perfect family? Who does not have hilarious, life-affirming stories to share and debilitating secrets to dispel? Which of us is so self-aware that we could not reveal ourselves more deeply by reflecting on our lives with fingertips on the keyboard -- and then sharing our discoveries with other writers and bearing witness to theirs? In doing so, we discover that "the other" and we are more alike than different, variations on a theme of humanity and circumstance

Who does Wally Lamb teach?
Wbo does he teach?
What does he write
What do they write about?
Who was the author?
Where does he teach?
What gender are the prisoners?

Answer: inmates at the Janet S. York Correctional Institution,

Answer: inmates at the Janet S. York Correctional Institution,

Answer: fiction

Answer: personal stories

Answer: Wally Lamb

Answer: Janet S. York Correctional Institution,

Answer: women.

Summary:
Author Wally Lamb: Sculpt our best selves by writing our own stories .
He teaches writing to female prisoners at a high-security prison .
Writing about past history, confronting emotional issues can help progress .
Lamb says your uniqueness is your strength, but welcome feedback .


(OPRAH.COM) -- Here's a little fact of life that took me by surprise: Roughly 23 million women in this country are 40 to 49 years of age and about 6,000 of us turn 50 every single day. We are a thoroughly undefined constituency. Some of us are what the wonderful Wendy Wasserstein used to call "bachelor girls," some of us are married, and a lot of us have had trial separations that seemed to go just fine...at least for the husband (with the struggling rock band), who went on to become the ex-husband (with the thriving law practice). Many of us have demanding kids or aging parents or a little of each. We juggle jobs, mortgages, student loans, and cancer treatments with low-fat diets, low-impact aerobics, low-grade depressions, a strong sense of irony, a dark sense of humor, and a full-bodied cabernet. We are tired. We are very tired -- we've thought seriously about penciling in a nervous breakdown for ourselves, but we've been through everything the world has to throw at us so many times that it's damn near impossible to get nervous about much of anything. Despite (or perhaps because of) all the coulda, woulda, shoulda moments that have come and gone, we've learned how to have a good laugh, an impromptu party, and an impure thought (or two) on a semiregular basis. We consider our options, our alternatives, our exit strategies. We take notes, we plan ahead, but we always leave room for serendipity. We are an entire generation of women who are making up our lives as we go along. Oprah.com: What Oprah has learned though the years I know that it's human nature to want to glorify the past and preserve it in a delicious, if often inaccurate, cotton-candied haze. But the truth is that part of me (that would be the part of me that now needs an underwire bra and a pair of Spanx) really does miss my 20s. I still had that new car smell. I still thought terrorism would stay confined to the other side of the world. On the home front, I still kept standing up for brides (as if they needed my assistance to stand) while waiting politely for it to be my turn. And because it never occurred to me that my turn wouldn't come, I devoted an inordinate amount of time to trying to decide whether my wedding gown should be white or ecru -- by the time I hit 35, I'd have been okay with paisley. The Web had not gone mainstream when I was in my 20s, so any surfing I did (and coming from Detroit, that wasn't much) was in the ocean. And I grant you, my rearview mirror might be a little bit rose-tinted, but if memory serves, those oceans were fairly clean. Come to think of it, the glaciers were glacial, the bees were alive and well, a can of tuna didn't require a warning from the surgeon general, and the climate wasn't making any sudden moves. Color me crazy, but I've always been a sucker for a nice solid layer of ozone parking itself between me and a death ray. I'm also a great believer in time off for good behavior. I crave solitude. I like being unreachable once in a while, and in those days it was no big deal if somebody couldn't track you down for half an hour. You see, in the 1980s, we didn't know from e-mail or cell phones or Facebook or GPS, and a BlackBerry was nothing more complicated than a healthy treat that was high in antioxidants -- only guess what? Nobody had ever heard of antioxidants. I didn't need a baby aspirin every night or a Lipitor every morning. And I swear to God (that's another thing, God was still around when I was in my 20s), the closest anybody seemed to come to a genuine eating disorder was picking at a mixed green salad on a

Answer: women who are making up our lives as we go along.

Summary:
Columnist Lisa Kogan heads toward 50s with fond look back at younger years .
Back then, she still had her "new car smell" and could enjoy solitude .
Says women in her generation are tired, considering scheduling a breakdown .
But since no one is sleeping these days, she'd like life-affirming, really fun sex .


(OPRAH.com)  -- At 13 he was selling crack. By 30 he was a hip-hop legend -- having gone, in his words, "from grams to Grammys." Jay-Z tells Oprah Winfrey a conversation with his father freed him "one hundred percent." Now Jay-Z charts his escape from the hard-knock life, describes the reunion that healed the wounds of his childhood -- and even reveals his personal creed. The rapper, now 39, was born Shawn Carter in Brooklyn, New York. His albums include "Reasonable Doubt," "The Black Album" and the just-released "The Blueprint 3." Jay-Z also owns a portion of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and founded, with Damon Dash, the clothing line Rocawear. Jay-Z spoke with Oprah Winfrey about his father, his anger and his old life. The following is an edited version of the interview. Oprah Winfrey: When you were 5, your family moved to the Marcy projects -- and then your father left when you were 11. When you look back at that, what did your 11-year-old self feel? Jay-Z: Anger. At the whole situation. Because when you're growing up, your dad is your superhero. Once you've let yourself fall that in love with someone, once you put him on such a high pedestal and he lets you down, you never want to experience that pain again. So I remember just being really quiet and really cold. Never wanting to let myself get close to someone like that again. I carried that feeling throughout my life, until my father and I met up before he died. Oprah: Wow. I've never heard a man phrase it that way. You know, I've done many shows about divorce, and the real crime is when the kids aren't told. They just wake up one day and their dad is gone. Did that happen to you? Jay-Z: We were told our parents would separate, but the reasons weren't explained. My mom prepared us more than he did. I don't think he was ready for that level of discussion and emotion. He was a guy who was pretty detached from his feelings. Oprah: Did you wonder why he left? Jay-Z: I summed it up that they weren't getting along. There was a lot of arguing. Oprah: And did you know you were angry? Jay-Z: Yeah. I also felt protective of my mom. I remember telling her, "Don't worry, when I get big, I'm going to take care of this." I felt like I had to step up. I was 11 years old, right? But I felt I had to make the situation better. Oprah: How did that change you? Jay-Z: It made me not express my feelings as much. I was already a shy kid, and it made me a little reclusive. But it also made me independent. And stronger. It was a weird juxtaposition. Oprah: I've read that when you were 12, you shot your brother in the shoulder. Did your father's leaving have anything to do with that? Did it turn you into the kind of angry kid who would end up shooting his brother? Jay-Z: Yes -- and my brother was dealing with a lot of demons. Oprah: How old was he? Jay-Z: About 16. He was doing a lot of drugs. He was taking stuff from our family. I was the youngest, but I felt like I needed to protect everybody. Oprah: So how did you get back in touch with your father? Jay-Z: My mom set up a meeting. And now I realize why -- it makes all the sense in the world. I remember very distinctly that I had a conversation with her in my kitchen. I was saying, "You know, Ma, I've really been trying

What did Jay-z rise from?
Who did Jay-z reunite with?
What occupation does Jay Z have?
Who rose to superstardom?

Answer: the hard-knock life,

Answer: his father

Answer: rapper,

Answer: Jay-Z

Summary:
Jay-Z rose from a life of hardship to superstardom .
The rapper discusses how he reunited with his estranged father .
Says he believes in karma .