MARCH 31, 1991

Full News Archive

• Headline: Recycling Revolution in New Jersey. Impact: If we hadn't started recycling when we did, we might have ended up with so much garbage that future civilizations would think we worshipped it. Seriously, ancient aliens would have been confused by our landfills and might have started a cult around them.. Fact: Recycling is so trendy that even plastic bottles are getting jealous of how much attention they get now..
• Headline: Girl Scouts Learn Urban Survival Skills. Impact: The Girl Scouts mastering survival skills means they’ll be the future leaders in urban survival. Expect the next generation of politicians to be filled with cookie-selling survivalists ready to negotiate deals over Thin Mints.. Fact: Girl Scouts once saved a city from a cookie shortage by negotiating with a rogue faction of brownie bakers. True story!.
• Headline: New Medical Technologies Challenge Hospitals. Impact: As medical technology improved, hospitals had to adapt or risk becoming obsolete. The butterfly effect? Eventually, hospitals introduced spa days for patients, leading to the rise of the 'hospital chic' fashion trend.. Fact: The heart rate of 380 beats per minute? That's not a sign of a medical emergency; that's just someone who saw their medical bill!.
• Headline: ART; 19th-Century Works Recall the Heyday of a Norwalk Mansion. Impact: This exhibition revived interest in 19th-century art, leading to a global revival of Baroque-inspired interior design—because who doesn't want their living room to look like a royal palace?. Fact: LeGrand Lockwood’s life was so extravagant that if Instagram had existed back then, he’d have been the influencer everyone hated for making them feel poor..
• Headline: Exhibition Depicts Migration From Alabama to Bridgeport. Impact: The migration from Alabama to Bridgeport started a chain reaction of cultural exchanges that eventually led to the invention of the barbecue fusion taco. It was bound to happen.. Fact: This migration was so impactful that historians argue that without it, America might have never discovered the joy of mixing sweet tea and BBQ sauce..
• Headline: IN THE NATURAL STATE. Impact: The old slat gate's resistance to entry symbolizes our inability to access nature. Ironically, this led to future generations creating elaborate backyard gardens to escape the urban jungle.. Fact: The gate’s refusal to budge inspired a bestselling novel titled 'The Gatekeeper: A Metaphor for Life'—not that anyone actually read it..
• Headline: Millionaire's Taste Guided an Era's Artists. Impact: The millionaire's taste in art shaped the cultural landscape, which led to the rise of the hipster art scene—where people pay thousands for things that look like they were made by toddlers.. Fact: LeGrand Lockwood's collection was so extensive that it made other wealthy collectors feel inadequate, leading to an art-collecting arms race..
• Headline: Budget Plans Leave Schools Uncertain. Impact: Budget cuts led to school uncertainty, which ultimately resulted in the invention of the modern-day crowdfunding campaign for school supplies. We now have GoFundMe pages that rival charity telethons.. Fact: School budgets are like magic: they disappear faster than you can say 'funding cuts.'.
• Headline: Dual Addictions a Growing Problem for Women. Impact: The rising issue of dual addictions among women sparked a movement that led to the establishment of the first 'Addiction Awareness Week,' where everyone pretended they were just going for the free snacks.. Fact: Experts say dual addictions are like having two exes at the same party—complicated, messy, and you really just want to leave before the awkwardness escalates..