Mental Floss: Instant Knowledge
Read Mental Floss: Instant Knowledge Online
Authors: Editors of Mental Floss
instant
knowledge
Edited by
WILL PEARSON
and
MANGESH HATTIKUDUR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
—
from mental_floss specialty roasters, inc.
Dear Consumer:
We’re happy to tell you that you can still get knowledge the old way. mental_floss will always be the family-owned company you can trust for those delicious, slow-roasted facts you’ve grown to love. But after numerous taste tests and focus groups, we’ve realized that there’s an even better way to serve our most active readers—the ones rushing straight from one draining conversation to the next. Whether you’re racing to a cocktail party or the water cooler, a poker game or a United Nations bake sale (you know who you are, Kofi!), mental_floss’s
Instant Knowledge
is a full-bodied jolt for thirsty minds on the go.
Best of all, mental_floss has made sure that these rich blends are ready in seconds. Just look over the A–Z, tear into a topic of your choice, and add conversation. It’s that simple! And if you need a little guidance on how best to use these facts (who you’ll be able to impress or where best to drop your newfound knowledge), we’ve provided that, too.
Just look to the icons for help! If you’re in a pinch at a cocktail party, while trying to console a friend, or even desperate to make small talk (at a funeral, no less!), we’ve got a fact for you. Just search the icons for a stick figure in your situation, and you’ll find the perfect words for your dilemma. Oh, and we’ve provided some keywords, too. If you happen to hear one of them in passing, go ahead and spill your knowledge. You’ll be glad you did.
So, go ahead and sample a few right now. Skim a few pages, dip into a few facts, and see if you can still taste that robust mental_floss flavor in every delicious sip.
Bottoms Up,
Will and Mangesh
(especially those fond of the “devil’s dandruff”)
USEFUL FOR:
cocktail parties, whenever the electricity goes out, and anytime you’re in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS:
bikers, buggies, or blow
THE FACT:
Amish youths experiencing some requisite angst have plenty of ways to rebel (like oh, say, flipping on a light switch!), but these two guys really went above and beyond.
In June 1998, two members of the conservative Old Order Amish sect in Pennsylvania were arrested for buying and selling cocaine. The men,
both
named Abner Stoltzfus but
not
related, had apparently been riding their horse and buggy to meet up with a motorcycle gang known as the Pagans (seriously) and then distributing cocaine at their community hoedowns (honestly, we’re not making this stuff up). Between 1993 and 1997, the wild and crazy pair reportedly purchased over $100,000 worth of cocaine.