Favorite reader comments

Mental Floss readers are a kooky, demanding bunch who aren't afraid to share their feelings. To wit:

>> In response to a blog on parasites

"You've just ruined this hypochondriac's day. Thank you. And what, no TREATMENTS listed!?!!?! And only a few telltale signs??? 1 in 4 people has Ascaris but there's nothing listed as to how you know if you're one of the 1 in 4??!!?! I'm taking emotional scars for $1000."

>> In response to a blog that mentioned trichotillomania, a.k.a. compulsive hairpulling

"I for many years have found myself plucking out all my armpit hair mindlessly... i also pluck out my nose hair with lil pliers, but that's more for fun... i will pluck out beard hairs, but only the ones that are thicker then the rest of them, and yeah, i stick the REALLY thick ones to the mirror."

>> In response to a blog on spam

Spam song to the tune of "Green Eggs and Ham"

I am spam.
Spam I am.
Would you eat me
fried real hard
in bacon grease
or gobs a'lard?
Would you, could you
slice me thick?
With toe-may-ters
I'm such a kick.
Some folks eat me
from the can
with pepper sauce
who needs a pan!?

>> In response to a blog on truck spills

"A few years ago I was hauling chicken 'waste' from a farm here in Iowa to a farm in Missouri to be used as fertilizer. While I was going down the road, the pressure from the load shifted and popped the safety latches on my tailgate. SPLOOOOSH! 16 tons of semi-liquid chicken sh!t spread for a half-mile down the highway."

Americans Who Won the Nobel Prize in Literature
Eight famous authors who were stranger than you'd believe.

Buried under the Bleachers
A peek beneath stadiums built on landfills.

The Likelihood of Death
A morbid quiz based on actuarial data.

Love Potions
Six surprising aphrodisiacs that work--sort of.

Unusual Mental Illnesses
If you compulsively pluck your hair or worry about your genitals falling off, you better read this.

Creepy Crawlies
This blog on human parasites gives meaning to the phrase "hostess with the mostess."

Geography on Tap
Do you know where your favorite beer is brewed? Take this quiz to find out.

Round 2: Domestic Beers

Epidemics
I indulged in my apocalyptic fantasies with this series:
Spanish influenza
Monster soup: Cholera
Bugs bite: Yellow fever
Oh rats!: Plague
A pox upon you: Syphilis

Tasty Tidbits about Spam
The canned meat, not the junk email. It has a surprising number of fans.

Ape vs. Human
A brain-tickling quiz on our simian cousins.

Crazy Cold War Recipes
<< Wondering what to eat in your fallout shelter?

World's Worst Smell
Who would pay scientists to make a stench of unprecedented proportions? Our government.

Indigenous Alcoholic Treats
Types of moonshine from the world over.

Star Chores
NASA doesn't offer maid service. Take this quiz to see who folds the astronauts' socks.