Eight Weird and Wacky U.S. Laws

April 16, 2015 by greystar

While the vast majority of United States laws are in place to preserve safety and order among citizens, there are a number of laws whose purpose is a little more confounding. Here are eight laws — some archaic, some still enforced — that will leave you scratching your head.

1. In Texas, it's against the law to sell your eyeball.

2. In Denver, Colorado, it's considered illegal to loan your next door neighbor your vacuum.

3. If you're a resident of Florida who also happens to own an elephant, make note: If you leave your elephant left tied to a parking meter, then you have to pay the meter.

4. Do you enjoy walking backwards after sunset? You'd be well-advised to steer clear of Devon, Connecticut, where it's illegal to do so.

5. In Gainesville, Georgia, you must eat fried chicken with your hands. Using utensils is against the law!

6. If you happen to cross paths with Bigfoot while hiking in Washington state, don't attempt to harass the creature. Doing so could land you in jail.

7. Love the combo of pretzels and beer? Bad news if you live in North Dakota: It's illegal for beer and pretzels to be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant.

8. In Alabama, it's against the law to drive a vehicle while blindfolded.

Bizarre Regional Laws In the U.S. Are Even Weirder Than You Thought [Gizmodo]
Weird U.S.A Laws [Information Central]
United States Weird Laws [Law Guru]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/photosteve101

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Cities, Culture, Laws, Travel

Humorous and Exciting NPR Game Shows

November 20, 2014 by greystar

NPR is full of fascinating programs, but none are quite as much fun as its hands-on game shows. With a variety of different topics and styles of questions, these trivia programs are just as much fun to play along with at home as they are for the folks in the studio. Here are two of NPR’s best game shows.

Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!
This hour-long weekly quiz show features some of the most prominent people in the worlds of news and entertainment who are often experts in their chosen fields. Playwright and actor Peter Sagal hosts, and a different panel of three journalists or comedians are chosen to participate each week. Listener contestants play a variety of different games against the panelists, though the odds are usually slightly swayed in the listener’s favor.

Ask Me Another
Ask Me Another, one of NPR’s newest game shows, is filmed in front of a live studio audience and broadcasted on NPR radio stations and online. The show is equal parts pub trivia, brainteasers, puzzles, comedy and music, creating a rambunctious hour of game show fun. The contestants are a combination of listeners, audience members, and special mystery guests, and the questions are tricky because they’re tailored specifically toward the contestant.

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Horia Varlan

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Culture, NPR, Pop Culture, Radio

Children’s Toys for Budding Engineers

February 20, 2014 by greystar

Is your little one an engineer in the making? Does he or she love to build with blocks, draw houses, or explore how things work? If you want to instill a love for engineering in your child from a young age, these fun toys will help you do so.

Goldie Blox
Goldie Blox is a company whose goal is to get young girls interested in engineering. The brand’s building games feature strong female characters and help to build spatial reasoning abilities, allowing girls to create structures and machines, learn engineering principles, and build problem-solving skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Girls ranging from ages four to nine can all participate in Goldie Blox games, though the brand also makes empowering clothing and tees for babies and toddler girls.

Lego Mindstorms
Legos have been around for generations, but the Lego Mindstorms line is a whole new idea. With a variety of products designed to help kids build and operate their own robots, Mindstorms uses 3D building instructions that prepare children for careers in engineering. Kids will learn logic and reasoning skills, and they’ll also become familiar with operating computers and mobile devices by controlling their robots through the Mindstorms app.

Public Domain/Freeimagescollection

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Tagged With: Children's Activities, Culture, Family, Toys