Author: Steve DiMatteo

In the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson was under immense pressures. Not only was he thrust into the presidency after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, but he was facing a war in Vietnam (that he felt obligated to dive into, though that’s no excuse), which he helped turn into a horrendous loss pretty much any way you look at it. At the same time, Johnson had a robust domestic policy he wanted to see enacted, which was being drowned out by Vietnam. And with everyone pretty much pissed off at him at every turn, it’s hard to fault Johnson for just wanting…

Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the greatest baseball players of all time, there’s no question about that. He hit 630 career home runs, was a 13-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, and an MVP over the course of his 22-year career. And in his last season, the second consecutive year in which he was reunited with the Seattle Mariners, Griffey was caught napping in the clubhouse during a game, which ended up accelerating his quiet exit from the sport. How a Nap Perhaps Prematurely Ended Ken Griffey Jr.’s Career It was certainly an unceremonious end for Griffey’s career, who was…

Fast food chains are always trying to reinvent themselves, desperately trying to carve out another sliver of market share. That often results in some level of shock value to get people to notice and, if you’re really lucky, to share the new offering on social media. Enter the KFC Double Down Back in 2010, KFC unleashed upon the public the Double Down, a sandwich that features no bread, but two pieces of fried chicken as the “bun,” with two slices of cheese, bacon and either mayo or spice sauce in the middle. When the Double Down was released, it certainly…

With a number of train derailments making national news recently, you might be wondering just how many derailments there are in the United States each year. The answer is… a lot. With the recent train derailment in East Palestine, one would think this is something that just never happens in the United States. And while the horrifying effects of the East Palestine derailment cannot be overlooked or diminished here in terms of what that aftermath will end up being, the fact is train derailments kind of happen a lot in this country, to the tune of around 1,000 each and…

The United States has been inundated with mysterious, unidentified objects in recent weeks. First, things were set off in early February by a Chinese spy balloon that made its way across the entire country before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina. But things have really ramped up since then, with unidentified objects being spotted and shot down in both Alaska and the Yukon territory of Canada. And, most recently, an object was also spotted flying over Lake Huron, and it was downed as well by an American F-16 jet, which blasted this unmanned (probably) craft out of…

How in the world did Hell, Michigan get a name like that? Let’s take a little etymological journey to find out. Look up any list of the strangest city names in the United States, and you’re sure to find Hell, Michigan somewhere on there. And for good reason; it’s hard not to do a double take when you see a town named after the place of eternal suffering. Though that’s exactly what living in America is like, depending on who you ask on any given day. While no one knows exactly how Hell, which is 20 miles northwest of Ann…

The news of a derailed train in East Palestine, Ohio – in which crews opted to burn the toxic chemicals in the overturned tanker cars to avoid a potentially catastrophic explosion – hasn’t been plastered all over the news (aside from maybe a reporter being arrested at a Mike DeWine news conference) like it should be, but that’s probably to be expected. After all, Norfolk Southern has billions of dollars at stake in its stock valuation, and certainly wants to avoid questions as to why it lobbied for so long on relaxed safety measures that no doubt helped contribute to…

The state of Iowa has introduced a bill in the legislature that would rewrite an existing law, dramatically lowering restrictions on the use of child labor. Though one could point to a labor shortage as part of the reason for the bill, this pro-business law no doubt just wants to take advantage of overall cheaper labor. What is most compelling – and terrifying – about the bill is that it ultimately redefines the types of jobs in which a child can work. In the current law, children under 18 can’t work in potentially dangerous jobs, such as: “…slaughterhouses, meatpacking or…

There are many myths about George Washington, the leader of the American military during the Revolutionary War, a Founding Father, and the first president of the United States. One of the most enduring stories about the truly mythological Washington – aside from the one about a young Washington cutting down that cherry tree (though certainly not to be confused with the cherry blossoms that are in D.C. today) – is that he had a mouth full of wooden teeth. As you can imagine, dental hygiene in the 18th century was nothing short of a nightmare. The entire field of dentistry…

The country has been captivated by the mysterious Chinese weather balloon – or spy balloon, depending on who you ask – floating over the United States, and many are wondering why the military doesn’t just shoot it down. There are, of course, people to consider, but back in 1945, the USS New York thought to do just that to a suspected Japanese balloon weapon. The crew of the New York spotted the silver balloon-looking sphere, and the captain ordered it to be shot down; after all, you could never be too sure, and these are open waters we’re talking about.…