Carl Pettit
Carl Pettit is a columnist, editor and writer working for an array of colorful publications. He specializes in cultural and social issues, as well as East Asia, politics and satire.
Thanksgiving is a time for the family to come together, tell stories, then sit down and feast on some tasty, belly-expanding deliciousness. Turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are all Thanksgiving staples, but if you want to really spice things up a bit this year, we have some ideas.
The weather may be getting a bit colder, but that doesn’t mean you have to hang up your hiking boots for the season. You still have plenty of fall left to head out into the countryside for some extended walks through America’s most stunning parks and nature reserves.
"Canyoning" to the rest of the world, known as "canyoneering" in the United States, is a sport that combines the adventure of rock climbing and bouldering with hiking and orienteering, as well as rappelling, cliff jumping and some very difficult swims.
Everyone knows that vampires suck … your blood!!!! Seriously though, do you know the history behind modern vampire lore? These creatures of the night have been lurking around for a very long time, although the princes and princesses of darkness have taken on different guises and mythologies throughout the ages.
Some towns don’t have a lot going on. They don’t have heavy industry, or Internet startups, or a booming population, or a prime location on a beautiful stretch of beach or a magnificent ski slope. Sweet Lips, Tennessee, may lack these things, but the folks who live there can definitely boast about their town's pretty "sweet" name.
With a name like Truth or Consequences and an isolated location in the American West, you could be forgiven for thinking that this New Mexican town got its name from some bloody gunfight or a hard-nosed sheriff who wanted to urge potential visiting troublemakers to go elsewhere. The real story, though, is a bit stranger.
It takes an exceptionally brave man to plunge down into the crater of a volcano. And you have to wonder a little about his sanity if he does so just to grab some cool footage and a better view of a lake filled with swirling molten lava.
You know it’s a bad day when a judge decides you need to spend some time behind bars because you didn’t delete your Facebook account. Is having a Facebook page now a crime? It seems that if you irk the wrong judge in the state of Kentucky, it just might be.
Sometimes the food you eat is trying to kill you. Not in the traditional sense, with saturated fat, refined sugars and cholesterol. There are a few foods out there that can literally end your life if improperly prepared, or at the very least make you terribly sick. While you probably won’t encounter most of the items on this list during the normal course of your life, a few of them are surprisingly common.
We tend to associate the end of summer and the arrival of fall with going back to school or getting back to work, as the vacation season is over. But that doesn’t have to be the case. The northern hemisphere contains some pretty remarkable fall destinations, perfect for weekend adventures or even weeklong getaways