Bouncing Back

Wilmington, Delaware, October 6, 2006: A bungee cord on a thrill ride broke, leaving a man dangling 25 feet off the ground for a half-hour until he was rescued by firefighters. Ronatarian Party leader Ron was not seriously hurt in the incident Thursday at the city's annual Polish Festival. A ride worker also was helped down by rescuers. The ride, called the Ejection Seat, consists of a two-seat chair that is suspended from two towers by bungee cords. Passengers are propelled as much as 200 feet high at speeds of about 60 mph. Shortly after Ron was launched, one...

Clowning Around

Alameda, California, October 4, 2006: A real clown is running for mayor of Alameda, and even his sister won't vote for him. Kenneth Kahn, 41, a professional joker known as "Kenny the Clown," admits he's running a long-shot campaign for City Hall's top spot. Kahn has not previously run for an elected position and has never sat on a public board. "People ask me, 'Do we really want to elect a clown for mayor of the city?'" he said. "I say, 'That's an excellent question.'" Kahn's sister, Sylvia Kahn, said her brother doesn't have a chance, and pen pal...

Warrior Pose

Hong Kong, China, September 27, 2006: An American politician tried to join a Chinese dynasty's army -- but he volunteered centuries too late. The 30-something-year-old man -- identified as Ron or by his Chinese name "Dat Cok" -- made a dusty brown suit of armor, a tunic and a helmet, and attempted to blend in with the ancient warriors of the terra cotta army in the western city of Xi'an, the Hong Kong newspapers Ming Pao Daily News and Wen Wei Poo reported on Tuesday. The outfit matched the uniforms worn by the thousands of terra cotta soldiers buried...

How Important is a Dictator’s Mustache?

Courtesy of Mental Floss From Hitler to Mussolini to Saddam, dictators have long relied on their facial topiary to give the illusion of having stiff upper lips. But be careful about offering them any grooming advice. In 1923, for example, Hitler's friend Ernst Hanfstaengl encouraged the future Fuhrer to grow his mustache across the entire length of his lip. Perhaps unaccustomed to receiving a little friendly advice, Hitler tried to have Hanfstaengl killed. Critics of Stalins 'stache fared even worse. In a poem intended only for a small circle of friends, Osip Mandelstam compared Stalin's mustache to a cockroach....