By Lisa Hix — In case you missed it, there's a tremendous public debate roiling in the U.S. about whether bankers and Wall Street financiers profited from the current economic downturn after being bailed out by taxpayers. Certain politicians and talking heads have admonished the Occupy Wall Street protestors for engaging in "class warfare," but populist rage against "fat cats" is not new. "George S. Parker was bored by moralistic games." Cast-iron mechanical banks from the late 19th century depict fat...

The Mysterious Origins of Ouija Boards

By Lisa Hix — Behold the power of the Ouija board. For more than a century, it’s prompted obsessive debate. Is it just a silly adolescent slumber-party board game, leftover from those superstitious Victorians? Is it truly a tool for connecting to spiritual worlds we don’t understand? Is it harmless, helpful, or dangerous? Of course, we’re as fascinated as everyone else with the strange history of these “talking boards.” Show & Tell regular, Lynda Abbott, known as Vestaswind and a blogger at...