Carl Pettit is a writer and editor with interests ranging from international relations and political humor to the arts and modern media.
Carl Pettit
10 Strange Ice Cream Flavors For Summer
When the weather gets warmer, and you head out into the sun, you're bound to eat a whole lot of ice cream. Of course, you could choose from the traditional flavors, like vanilla, chocolate, pistachio and rocky road. But why not try something a little different?
Watch Daring ‘Speed Flyers’ Race Down an Active Volcano
Speed flying is a high adrenaline blend of paragliding and skiing. As outlandish and exceedingly risky as this sport might sound, for some people it just isn’t enough.
10 Celebrity Hobbies That Might Surprise You
Sometimes we think our favorite celebrities only exist on this planet for our own amusement. In fact, many of them do have lives away from the limelight. When they’re not acting, singing, dancing or just being fabulously rich and famous, some of your favorite stars take part in some pretty interesting extracurricular activities. Here...
Dogs Get Lavish $5,000 Wedding Bash
Most of us love our pets to death, and have no problem lavishing attention upon them when they are good. Sometimes in the winter, if we happen to live in a cold place, we might even knit a sweater for them (especially the little ones). These days, if your dog is acting a bit strange, you can even take it to a pet psychologist. There seems to be no end to the ways we try and make our animals more l
Tattoo Artist Surgically Attaches iPod to His Arm
Are you always taking off your watch and then losing it? Or what about your iPod? You put it in one pocket, forget it’s there, and then somehow manage to let it fall out while roaming about town. Well, if these are the kinds of things that worry you, you can rest assured. There is now a perfect, if somewhat invasive, option available to you.
Dave Hurban, a tattoo artists and piercer from New Jerse
What Exactly Is the History Behind Mardi Gras?
After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Atlantic Coast in 2005, New Orleans, and the region as a whole, gained more prominence in the national and international news, and rightly so.
How Did This Whole Handshake Greeting Get Started?
Shaking hands upon greeting someone new has become such a routine and automatic "Hello" response -- that is, unless you're one of those guys who bump fists or put people in head locks. As with most things, the majority of people just accept this act as customary without question, but for the rest of us, we want to know why we do it.
When You ‘Tie the Knot,’ What Are You Tying, Exactly?
So, you're engaged (hypothetically speaking, of course). You've got the ring, the flowers, the wedding location, the band... Now all you need to do is "tie the knot." But what knot exactly are you tying?
Why Do We Escape By the ‘Skin of Our Teeth?’ Ouch, Sounds Painful
If you escape something dangerous, like a possible ninja assassin or your mother’s rage after forgetting her birthday yet again, you just might catch yourself saying, “Whew, I escaped that by the skin of my teeth.” In others words, you almost didn’t make it out at all, but why would we say something that sounds kinda painful?
Why Do Some People Carry Around a Lucky Rabbit’s Foot?
People carry around a lucky rabbit’s foot for luck... Duh! "Where did this peculiar habit come from?" is perhaps a better question.
The custom of toting around a rabbit’s foot for luck is practiced all over the world, but there are two main reasons why some of us choose to keep one in our pocket these days.
Where Do ‘Couch Potatoes’ Come From?
Some of you might be laughing right now, while looking at your husband or significant other and thinking, “I know exactly where couch potatoes come from. (Insert loved one’s name here)." And, you know, you'd be kind of right.
Why Do We ‘Knock on Wood?’
Oops, you’ve just said something terrible, or perhaps something you shouldn’t have said at all. You don’t want to invite the bad luck that will inevitably accompany your careless remarks, but what can you do? Knock on wood, of course. But why do we do that?
What Exactly is a ‘Scapegoat’ Anyway?
Since today is "National Blame Someone Else Day," we thought we'd take a look at the origins of the term "scapegoat." No, a scapegoat isn’t a tricky goat that has busted out of his pen and fled the farm. A scapegoat is someone who shoulders the blame and is punished, unjustly or not, for the misdeeds of others.