The number nine seems to be highly regarded in our culture. For instance, when we “dress to the nines” we mean we are dressed immaculately, ...

The media has dutifully reminded us that today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. It’s understandable why: the media loves anniversaries ...

In case you didn’t know, yesterday, April 20th or 4/20 , was “Weed Day.” 420 is, of course, a coded reference to marijuana use, and in orde...

The word fan is the shortened form of the word fanatic , from the Latin word fānāticus , an individual belonging to a particular temple, fr...

Simon Frith has observed that music “is more like clothes than any other art form” ( Performing Rites: On the Value of Popular Music , 1996)...

Some may remember puppeteer Shari Lewis’s children’s show, Lamb Chop’s Play-Along , that aired on PBS from 1992-97. At the end of the show, ...

On 17 April 1983—twenty-seven years ago today—Felix Pappalardi was shot and killed by his wife, Gail Collins Pappalardi. Charged with second...

In pre-literate, oral civilizations, people experienced their thoughts not as coming from within themselves, but from outside, as Spirit. A ...

I came across an interesting comment by Nick Tosches in Gene Gregorits’ fine book, Midnight Mavericks: Reports From the Underground (FAB Pr...

Long before the rise of Christianity, the cycle of the moon was associated with fertility and goddess worship. Our word moon is a remote co...

It was on this day in April in 1976, thirty-four years ago today, that musician Phil Ochs committed suicide. Although Ochs is generally know...

On this day in 1977 The Clash released their first album (pictured). Hence it is somewhat serendipitous that Malcolm McLaren died today, at ...