Anita Bryant paid a price for her war against "vice" — Before Anita Bryant accidentally ignited the gay rights movement, she won the 1958 Miss Oklahoma pageant, performed at the White House, and joined comedian Bob Hope on seven USO tours of Vietnam. In 1969, the Florida Citrus Commission made her their national spokesperson to the tune of $100,000 a year…

“Vagina T. Fireball” Shows her Claws — Dear pussy grabber, My name is Vagina T. Fireball. I love my name. I love it almost as much as I love my mom, E. Jean Carroll. I think you know her? I don’t even mind this crazy breakaway collar she made to keep me from catching birds. I’m sad…

Patti Smith’s anthem to the alienated removed from streaming services — Last month, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon dropped Patti Smith’s song “Rock N Roll N*****” without so much as a boo. One day the song was there. The next day it was gone. Neither Smith nor co-writer and guitarist Lenny Kaye have commented on the decision. …

You only read about the ones who get caught — There are no laws against faking your own death, but it’s getting harder all the time. It’s the little things that trip you up. Like getting overconfident. Melvin Emde, 41, made a critical mistake by speeding down the highway on a motorcycle with missing license plates. He’s the North Carolina…

Rural phenomenon takes hold and won’t let go — People used to dance around moving cars for fun. It was a mid-2000s trend. The most daring did it while the car was moving. The even more foolhardy danced on top of the hood. Today it’s died out but it was a thing. Even the Guardian reported on it, saying…

One century there’s a spate of poisonings. Jack the Ripper could have only come from late 19th century London. Deception is the crime that defines current American life. Nothing is what it seems. It’s nearly impossible to tell fantasy from reality. Women disappear in the act of rescuing toddlers from…

Who knew? — A few days ago, my clothes dryer conked out. It sputtered for a while and finally collapsed. Replacing it isn’t in my budget right now so I tied some rope between two trees, bought some clothespins, and started hanging things out in the sun. …

Fear them. — They look all cute and cuddly. But in 2016, American toddlers fatally shot more Americans than terrorists killed. That was several years ago and the most recent data I could find. I suspect nothing has changed. If anything, they have grown even more brazen. They stumble around, all bobble-headed and…

Juli Briskman had the last laugh — Now and then, the Cosmos gets it right, and people get their just desserts. Sometimes after centuries of waiting. Sometimes in the blink of an eye. It does happen. Here's an example from recent history. In October 2017, Juli Briskman, like many of us, had had enough of Donald Trump. The president's decision to suspend DACA…