Tuesday, February 19

There Can Be Only Pun: Presidential Sweets

by Sean Adams 3 months ago

You guys, I have an addiction. I'm addicted to puns. I need them. I can't get enough of them. I HUNGER FOR THEM. That's why I've set up this weekly blog feature: so you guys can feed my addiction. Every week, I'll name the topic, give you some examples, and then you'll pun away in the comments, on Facebook, or on Twitter. I'll choose the best ones and post them here next week. Sound good? Good! Let's do it!

THIS WEEK'S EPISODE: Presidential Sweets!

We're celebrating Presidents' Day a day late here at Woot, with some sweet presidential puns. And not sweet like cool. Sweet like sweet. Check it out:

Tuesday, November 27

The Debunker: Was David Rice Atchison President for a Day?

by Ken Jennings 6 months ago

Every schoolchild learns how John Quincy Adams used to deliver the State of Union address wearing only an oversized diaper and a velvet sash reading “BABY NEW YEAR 1823.” My fellow Americans, that’s just not true! And neither are the other four presidential misconceptions author and Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings will impeach this month.

Presidential Myth #4: In 1849, a Senator Named David Rice Atchison Was President for a Day.

Ah, the roll call of legendary American chief executives: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Atchison. Wait, Atchison?

David Rice Atchison was a Kansas lawyer and anti-abolitionist leader who represented his state in the U.S. Senate for twelve years, from 1844 to 1855. But today his fame mostly hinges on the historical claim that he, not Zachary Taylor, was the actual 12th President of the United States. In this version of history, Atchison is said to have served his term in office for twenty-four hours, between James Polk and Zachary Taylor. Also, the little guy was really tuckered out, so he spent most of his term asleep.

Tuesday, November 20

The Debunker: Did Kennedy's Inauguration Make Hats Uncool?

by Ken Jennings 6 months ago

Every schoolchild learns how John Quincy Adams used to deliver the State of Union address wearing only an oversized diaper and a velvet sash reading “BABY NEW YEAR 1823.” My fellow Americans, that’s just not true! And neither are the other four presidential misconceptions author and Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings will impeach this month.

Presidential Myth #3: John F. Kennedy Killed the Hat by Going Bare-Headed on Inauguration Day.

During the first season of the TV series Mad Men, the series’ fedora-wearing (and Nixon-voting) ad execs prophetically ponder the specter of a Kennedy presidency. “He’s inexperienced,” says Roger Sterling. “He doesn’t even wear a hat,” replies Bert Cooper.

Tuesday, November 13

The Debunker: Did Lincoln Write the Gettysburg Address on an Envelope?

by Ken Jennings 6 months ago

Every schoolchild learns how John Quincy Adams used to deliver the State of Union address wearing only an oversized diaper and a velvet sash reading “BABY NEW YEAR 1823.” My fellow Americans, that’s just not true! And neither are the other four presidential misconceptions author and Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings will impeach this month.

Presidential Myth #2: Abraham Lincoln Wrote the Gettysburg Address on the Back of an Envelope.

Seven score and nine years ago, at the dedication of a military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Abraham Lincoln gave a two-minute speech that schoolchildren still memorize today. The so-called “Gettysburg Address” is one of the most famous orations in history, but the one thing people most often remember about its story—that it was hastily written on the back of an envelope while Lincoln was traveling by train to Gettysburg—couldn’t be further from the truth.

Tuesday, November 06

The Debunker: Does the Presidential Eagle Ever Turn Its Head?

by Ken Jennings 7 months ago

The collective American mind is stuffed with an incredible amount of fable and folklore about our forty-odd past presidents. For example: every schoolchild learns how John Quincy Adams used to deliver the State of Union address wearing only an oversized diaper and a velvet sash reading “BABY NEW YEAR 1823.” My fellow Americans, that’s just not true! And neither are the other four executive branch errors author and Jeopardy! champ Ken Jennings will impeach this month. (We apologize in advance if you live in a swing state and are thoroughly sick of all things presidential at this point.)

Presidential Myth #1: The Eagle on the Presidential Seal Turns Its Head in Wartime.

One of the most iconic symbols of the American presidency is the Seal of the President, which features a bald eagle set against a blue background. In its left talon it holds a bundle of arrows, in its right, an olive branch. This seal appears on the presidential flag, on Air Force One, on the carpeting of the Oval Office, and—most important of all—in the West Wing credits.

Friday, August 17

Wootcasts from the Past: Back To School Edition

by Matthew Norman 9 months ago

Our Dealgebra week of back-to-school deals and diversions is wrapping up! But not before we spend a few minutes in music class. Fill your ears with a few of the most educationally enriching tracks from our Wootcast archives!

Wednesday, February 15

The Trivial Eye: Forgettable Presidents

by Jason Toon a year ago

Presidents Day is coming next week. But aside from the occasional musical tribute or potato-chip portrait, all the love goes to the handful of Chief Executives who adorn our money and monuments. Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson - yeah, great guys, but what about the rest? Can you identify the eight less celebrated presidents pictured below, who may have occupied the Oval Office but never served a term in the nation's heart?

Answers can be found by clicking here. Please post your guesses, speculations, or arguments below! But know this: the Trivial Eye is presented for public amusement and no prizes are offered other than that familiar feeling of aggravation that so much of your mind is occupied by useless trivia.