How Things Started
An in depth look at how everyday things got their start.

Archive for August, 2008

The Pimp Cane

August 28, 2008

Recognized for their entrepreneurial spirit and smooth talk, pimps are easily spotted. Nevertheless, the most prominent feature of any pimp’s wardrobe, is his cane.
It may come as a surprise, therefore, that the pimp cane came from an unlikely source: Helen Keller. Yes, the first deaf and blind person to ever graduate from college was also the [...]

The Tuxedo T-shirt

August 20, 2008

A staple in every self respecting man’s wardrobe, the Tuxedo T-shirt is a classic. Worn in place of a real tuxedo, this T-shirt sends the message “I’m classy, yet fiscally responsible.”
The first Tuxedo T-shirt was much like the first ever Simpsons episode: rudimentary but clearly something important. The inventor and wearer of said first edition [...]

Calling “Shotgun”

August 12, 2008

The action of staking one’s claim on the front seat of a car, calling “shotgun”, is a highly contentious affair that often leads to heated exchanges and a flaring of tempers. In addition, there are many variations on the set of rules that govern the calling shotgun (it is a fact that you are not [...]

Playing it by “Ear”

August 4, 2008

Noted for his artistic creativity, Vincent Van Gogh was many things: a revolutionary artist who created a new form of painting in Impressionism, a genius with paint and a brush, and above all, a man.
Like all other men, Van Gogh would, from time to time, get fed up with his woman. It was on such [...]