The ancient Babylonian ritual of humbling the king happened every year during the New Year festival called Akitu. On the fifth day of the festival, the Babylonian king would surrender his crown and scepter to the head priest. The priest would then drag the king by the ear in front of an image of the Babylonian god. The king knelt to pray for forgiveness. Then the priest would slap him in the face as hard as he could. If tears fell from his eyes, it was a sign that God still favored the king. If the king failed to cry, it was a sign that God was angry.
Santa Claus’s New York City Apartment
Everyone knows that Santa Claus lives in the North Pole. Why Jim Glaub and Dylan Parker started receiving hundreds of letters addressed to Santa at their New York City apartment is a mystery. Initially, they wrote off the letters as a scam or a practical joke. They Googled their address to see if they could dig up why so many children thought Santa lived at their apartment. But they found nothing.
The Big Break
The struggling young man was a wannabe actor down on his luck. He barely had the money to pay rent on his rundown Hollywood apartment. He says, “I was 26, totally broke, going nowhere VERY fast, owned two pairs of pants that barely fit, shoes that had holes in them and dreams of being successful were as far away as the sun.” He also had three mouths to feed, including his wife and his dog Butkus. He loved the dog, but the young man was in dire straits. He had to say goodbye to Butkus. He tied his dog to a lamppost in front of a liquor store and held a sign offering to sell the dog for $100. A man named Little Jimmy came by and talked him down to $40. He kissed his dog goodbye and walked away, crying.
No Dolls Allowed
Royce and Jessica James were a mixed-race couple keen to shake up the status quo. They believed in equality, social justice, and defying stereotypes. When Jessica became pregnant, they decided to raise their baby gender-neutral. The Jameses didn’t subscribe to the school of thought that blue was for boys and pink was for girls. They believed a baby should be free to develop without the influence of gender stereotypes. They decided to dress their child in gender-neutral colors such as yellow and white. They felt enforced gender roles would limit their child’s potential.
The Original King Of Pop
Before the world knew his name, a boy looked into the mirror and hated what he saw: a busted lip, a swollen jaw, and a black eye. It was painful, but not nearly as painful as the words that came with the beating. “Your lips are too fat and your nose is too flat. And your skin doesn’t match your brothers’. I’m trying to run a business here!”
The Greedy Farmer
Many moons ago, in a small village in Japan lived two farmers: an old man and his wife. The old man was a kindhearted, hardworking fellow, but his wife was often angry and she liked to complain. The old man kept a young sparrow, which he tenderly took care of. But one day, the wife caught the sparrow pecking at some starch she was going to use for the laundry. She flew into a rage and cut the bird’s tongue out with a pair of scissors. The poor little bird, bleeding from its mouth, flew away into the hills.
Gymnast With No Legs Finds Out Her Sporting Idol Is Also Her Sister
Jennifer Bricker was born in Romania in 1987. Fate had dealt her a bad hand. The baby with a breathtaking smile and big brown eyes had no legs. Her parents gave Jennifer up for adoption a few months after she was born. Doctors gave her adoptive mom and dad a bucket to carry her around in. They flat-out refused to use it.
When Art Attacks
Great art can move us to tears, inspire us, and its beauty can take our breath away. For some people though, a trip to the art gallery is like experiencing a physical attack. This condition even has a name: Stendhal Syndrome. Sufferers cannot view art they perceive as beautiful without falling ill. Exposure to art they enjoy triggers a rapid heartbeat and overwhelming dizziness. This often leads to panic attacks and fainting.
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