AUGUST 10, 1997

Full News Archive

• Headline: Crusade for Corporate Boardroom Reform. Impact: The call for corporate reform sparked a chain reaction leading to the creation of more specialized board positions, like Chief Fun Officer, which eventually resulted in the downfall of serious business attire. Now, board meetings are often held in pajama pants.. Fact: Did you know that the term 'corporate reform' was once used to describe a very intense yoga class for executives?.
• Headline: Artists Unite for Birdhouses Exhibition. Impact: The birdhouse exhibit sparked a nationwide trend where artists began crafting increasingly elaborate birdhouses, resulting in a black market for artisanal birdhouses. Birds were confused, and some even started demanding pink granite and organic materials.. Fact: Did you know that in the bird world, a birdhouse is basically a penthouse? Just ask any sparrow with a two-car garage..
• Headline: Patient Burroughs Rolls Home In Stretch. Impact: Burroughs' win caused a minor frenzy in amateur racing, leading to a reality TV show where non-professionals competed in ludicrously impractical vehicles. Spoiler: none of them could drive.. Fact: Did you know that the Hambletonian is not just a horse race? It's also the name of a popular dance move among confused horses..
• Headline: As U.S. Mediator Arrives, Arafat Calls for Confrontation. Impact: Arafat's call for confrontation led to an unexpected surge in international peace talks, which eventually resulted in the creation of a popular board game: 'Middle East Peace Process.' Spoiler alert: no one ever wins.. Fact: Did you know that 'confrontation' is just a fancy way of saying 'let's talk loudly and accomplish nothing'?.
• Headline: Quest for the Spirit of L.I. Sound. Impact: Buckles' quest for the health of Long Island Sound inspired an entire generation of environmentalists, who later discovered that 'intertidal zones' are just as confusing to the average person as they are to the average fish.. Fact: Did you know that the health of Long Island Sound is often measured by how many hipsters are kayaking in it?.
• Headline: Giacometti, Haiti in Norwalk. Impact: The Giacometti and Haiti exhibition led to a cultural exchange program where artists were sent to Haiti to create 'authentic' work, which then caused a wave of poorly done tie-dye paintings that still haunt art galleries today.. Fact: Did you know that Giacometti once tried to sculpt a birdhouse but ended up with a really tall, skinny chicken instead?.
• Headline: Labor, a Sleeping Giant, Awakes to Back McGreevey. Impact: McGreevey's backing from labor unions ignited a spark that eventually led to unions getting involved in everything from politics to reality TV. 'Dancing with the Union Stars' was a short-lived but memorable disaster.. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'sleeping giant' was originally coined by labor unions to describe their efforts to wake up during meetings?.
• Headline: Invention Is the Mother of Potato Salad for Picnics. Impact: The potato salad recipes became viral, inspiring a national obsession with gourmet picnic foods, which eventually led to a global potato salad summit where people argued over the correct amount of mayonnaise to use. Spoiler: there’s never enough.. Fact: Did you know that potato salad is the only dish that can start a family feud faster than discussing politics at Thanksgiving?.
• Headline: Restaurateur Lives the American Dream. Impact: Livanos' story of living the American Dream inspired countless others to leave their stable jobs and open quirky diners, leading to the rise of a restaurant trend where the food is terrible but the decor is Instagram-worthy.. Fact: Did you know that the phrase 'living the American Dream' was originally about owning a home, not a diner with neon lights and questionable meatloaf?.