>>Explainer: Celebratory injuries
How does a well-trained professional athlete like Lamarr Houston completely obliterate his knee during a celebration dance? Good question–one that any Bears fan was asking after last week’s ass kicking from the Patriots. The University of Chicago actually answered that question on their Science Life blog. Check out Dr. J. Martin Leland’s answers.
>>Irony: Operation “Operation”
In 1962, Jerry Spinnelo sold a crazy idea he had to Milton Bradley for $500. Fast forward to 2014, and you’d have to be living under a rock to not have heard of the board game Operation. But this week, news broke that Spinnelo, now 77, needs $25,000 worth of oral surgery, and there’s a Kickstarter campaign to help the suburban Chicago resident out.
>>Gift worthy: Chicago playing cards
Holy cow, it’s the Jack of Diamonds. Harry Caray, Mike Ditka, Al Capone and Oprah deck the faces of suburban artist Joe Mills’ custom designed set of Chicago playing cards. They went on sale last week. You can buy a set right here.
>>Smart read: History of Ouija
Despite RedEye movie critic Matt Pais absolutely hating the movie, “Ouija” actually has a very interesting history. Over on Slate, there’s a lengthy breakdown of “talking boards,” which traces them all the way back to the 1800s and three sisters in New York.
>>Presenting: The 2014 Dog of the Year
As the year comes to a close, it’s important to look back and take stock of events that transpired over the course of 2014. With that, I humbly present this beer fetching dog as 2014’s Dog of the Year.
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