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 Turkey Facts You Might Not Know
These days, most of the turkeys people gobble down are fattened up on farms. They’re only pale (under their feathers) imitations of the lean, mean turkeys roaming through the woods of North America. Regardless of the kind of turkey you’re planning on serving for dinner this year (domestic or wild), you might like to read about interesting turkey facts you probably weren't aware of, and perhaps gai
10 Amazing Facts About the Universe You Won’t Believe
The universe is a pretty amazing place, from the unimaginably large, right down to the incredibly small. There’s an awful lot going on in this field we call "existence."
10 Fictional Bars You Can Actually Visit
If you’re a TV and cinema buff, as well as a barfly, you just might be able to combine your passions together. The characters inhabiting our film and television fantasy worlds need places to hang out, just like we do.
10 Real Life Femme Fatales Through the Ages
A seductive woman shrouded in mystery and danger is sometimes said to be a femme fatale. The term is French for “deadly woman.” There have been many famous femme fatales in movie history, like Catherine Tramell (played by Sharon Stone) in "Basic Instinct," or the animated Jessica Rabbit in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit...
10 of the Best Canyoneering Destinations All Over the World
"Canyoning" to the rest of the world, known as "canyoneering" in the United States, is a sport that combines the adventure of rock climbing and bouldering with hiking and orienteering, as well as rappelling, cliff jumping and some very difficult swims.
Sweet Lips, Tennessee — The Real Story Behind the Name
Some towns don’t have a lot going on. They don’t have heavy industry, or Internet startups, or a booming population, or a prime location on a beautiful stretch of beach or a magnificent ski slope. Sweet Lips, Tennessee, may lack these things, but the folks who live there can definitely boast about their town's pretty "sweet" name.
10 Facts About Werewolves You Didn’t Know
When the moon is full, do you have an uncontrollable craving for raw meat, or perhaps the desire to rip off all of your clothes and run through the forest screaming your head off? Get in line, buddy. But if twice a month you notice a lot of excessive hair growing all over your body, and you turn into a wolf, ummmm ...then you're probably a werewolf.
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico – The Real Story Behind the Name
With a name like Truth or Consequences and an isolated location in the American West, you could be forgiven for thinking that this New Mexican town got its name from some bloody gunfight or a hard-nosed sheriff who wanted to urge potential visiting troublemakers to go elsewhere. The real story, though, is a bit stranger.
Is Jimmy Hoffa Buried Under a Driveway in Michigan?
The search for Jimmy Hoffa, the Teamster union boss who was purportedly murdered by the Mafia in 1975, still flares up from time to time — even though Hoffa was declared legally dead, absent his body, in 1982. It seems that good ol’ Jimmy just doesn’t want to go away: he still might turn up in (or rather, beneath) a Michigan driveway.
‘Fake’ Canadian Prime Minister Fools U.N. Secretary With Prank Call
The United Nations deals with some pretty serious business, especially in a world climate as dangerous as this one, but even so, this august body of world representatives can get pranked now and again. It just so happens that two very audacious Canadian radio talk show hosts managed to pull a fast one on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Our comedic brethren up north called into the U.N. this we
Man With World’s Lowest Voice Makes Record Book
How low can you go? Tim Storms might be tired of that question, but he’d probably be willing to bet you a large sum of money (if he’s a betting man) that he can sing a heck of a lot lower than you, or anyone you know, can. Tim’s deep register is so low, in fact, that Guinness World Records named his voice as the lowest human voice on the planet.
Teen Girl Slips Handcuffs, Steals Police Vehicle and Leads Cops on Merry Chase
It’s tough being young and wild, especially if you live in a small Colorado mountain town. Sometimes kids just have to invent their own kind of fun. Perhaps 18-year-old Shelby Figueroa was thinking just that when she slammed her car into the back of an unmarked police SUV in Clear Creek, Colorado. The five-foot-tall suspect was subsequently detained and placed into the back of another police SUV.