Grunge

While it's no secret that Olympic athletes are representing their entire country on the global stage, there's a little more to it with U.S. athletes. They're not just flying the flag of their country, but they're representing their state, too. And there's nothing like cheering for the athlete capable of...

When it comes to bands that have been around long enough to infiltrate most areas of the American culture, ZZ Top is near — well — the top. They've been around for over 50 years and have made classic hits that get people of all ages rocking. Go to any tavern with a jukebox and you're likely to hear "Sharp Dressed Man" or "Gimme All Your Lovin'" before you've finished your first or second beer. If these guys got a cut of the quarters, they'd probably be on the richer side of things regardless of whether or not they ever got paid for album sales.

On February 26, 2012, George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, a Black teenager who was returning to a relative's home after a snack run. The then 28-year-old neighborhood watch coordinator for The Retreat at Twin Lakes gated community took his job seriously. A rash of burglaries with Black male suspects provoked Zimmerman to conclude the lone 17-year-old was "up to no good" and decide to pursue him, despite being told not to (per Reuters).

The country roads of West Virginia are, at least so go the stories, notoriously full of monsters and cryptids. The most famous creature associated with the Mountain State is of course the Mothman of Point Pleasant, the star of both spooky movies and bizarre memes. Other, lesser-known beasts said to dwell in those hills include the enticingly named Sheepsquatch, the Grafton monster, and the Blue Devil. But somewhere in between the notoriety levels of the Mothman and the Ogua lies one of the most visually iconic creatures in all of cryptid lore: the Flatwoods Monster.

Borley Rectory in Essex, England, was originally built in 1862 by Reverend Henry Dawson Bull. Bull was chosen to be the rector/parish priest for the nearby Borley Church just up the road. The rectory was built to house Bull and his family, which eventually grew to 14 children, and as the family grew, so did the Gothic brick house (per The Infographics Show, posted on YouTube). The site where the rectory was built — as do most all places in England — already had quite a reputation: Previously, a Benedictine monk and a nun, each living in buildings near to the eventual rectory, had fallen in love and snuck out at night to see each other. When they decided to elope and run away together, they were caught. The monk was hanged, and the nun was imprisoned and bricked-in alive in the basement of the convent, subsequently suffering a brutal death.

Being bandmates with your sibling(s) can be the best thing in the world, but it can also be the worst. Or it can be anywhere in between. Popular music history has seen all sorts of rivalries erupt between siblings, from John and Tom Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival to Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis. And while we may think of the Jackson 5 as a group of five brothers collectively chafing at the dictatorial-at-best and outright-abusive-at-worst tendencies of their father, Joseph Jackson, these pop/R&B legends also had one sibling rivalry that became especially prominent years after their heyday. That rivalry was between the group's obvious breakout star, Michael Jackson, and his older brother Jermaine.

A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Danny Rolling was the son of James and Claudia Rolling. James was a decorated Korean War veteran who worked as a police officer, while Claudia stayed home to care for the children and manage their household. However, as reported by Biography, Rolling's childhood was far from ideal. His father, James, was described as "controlling and violent." In addition to abusing his wife, James reportedly verbally and physically abused both of his sons. Danny, in particular, seemed to be strongly affected by the abuse.

On January 5, 1989, Madonna filed for divorce (via The Things) for the second time from actor Sean Penn after less than four years of marriage. Citing irreconcilable differences, the Material Girl put an end to a marriage that ran rife with insecurity, jealousy and even jail time (via Cheat Sheet).

Sometimes guests at Walt Disney World don't always exemplify the ideals of "Disney Magic" that govern the Central Florida resort. Some apply the five-finger discount to merchandise, for example, while others get crabby with other guests or Cast Members (employees), sometimes resulting in fisticuffs, as Walt Disney World News Today reports.

"Haunted" items that carry a sinister aura or malevolent presence are extremely common in stories and accounts of ghosts and demonic encounters. The self-proclaimed ghost hunters (and media personalities) Ed and Lorraine Warren famously kept a museum full of such objects surrounded by dollar store Halloween decorations in the basement of their own home, including the notorious haunted doll, Annabelle, who figured in the plot of the 2019 horror film "Annabelle Comes Home." Paranormal investigator and host of the Travel Channel series "Ghost Adventures," Zak Bagans, put together a list of some of the most haunted items in history for the Dummies website that includes a number of items that have had movies made about them, including Annabelle, Robert the Doll, and the Dybbuk Box featured in the 2012 movie "The Possession." He also discusses "The Hands Resist Him," a painting that went viral in 2000 thanks to being listed on eBay, and the so-called "Devil's Rocking Chair."

In 1989, 24-year-old Alberta Gail Williams (above) and her sister Claudia were sharing an apartment in Vancouver, Canada. Although they enjoyed living in the city, they both decided they wanted to spend some time in a more rural area. That summer, Alberta and Claudia made the decision to travel to northern British Columbia, where they hoped to find seasonal work. As reported by CBC News, within months of arriving in Prince Rupert, Alberta Williams was abducted, killed, and her body was dumped along Canada's infamous Highway of Tears.

Although the Pan-African congresses no longer happen in their original form, they spurred an international movement that sought to underline self-determination and self-governance for African people and Black people in the diaspora. And although the Pan African congresses had comparatively little political or financial power, they set the stage for international discussions about racism and colonialism.

Whether you're a fan of gaming, electronics, comics, or even true crime, there's an annual convention for you to attend. These conventions provide hardcore fans the opportunity to get the latest scoop and mingle with people who have the same interests. For gamers, there are plenty of gaming conventions, such as E3, Gamescom, or Eurogamer, but there's one convention targeted toward a specific group of gamers.

Olympic swimmer Caeleb Dressel is currently at the Tokyo Olympics and just added two more gold medals to his previous two, bringing his gold medal collection to a total of four now, per Team USA. Not only that, Dessel recently set a record at the games in his first individual swimming race, shattering the previous fast time, per Olympics. The 6'2" Olympian now holds a record for one of the fastest times in the men's 100 meter freestyle (via Swimming World Magazine).

Contains spoilers for "Stillwater" Newest summer release "Stillwater," which stars Hollywood heavyweights such as Matt Damon and Abigail Breslin, is already garnering controversy due to its similarities to the Amanda Knox case. According to The Observer, the movie follows the story of an American student from Stillwater, Oklahoma, whose lover is murdered during a study abroad program in France. The student's father travels to Europe to try to help his daughter.

In the equestrian world, the relationship between horse and rider is a symbiotic one, a carefully balanced, nuanced understanding. One horse cannot be easily replaced for another. And while a lot of us have seen horses being carted around in trailers on the road, rarely do we think about how horses are transported to overseas competitions like the Olympics. With over 300 horses participating in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics from all over the world, it begs the question: how do the animals actually get there (via USA Today)?

There aren't many things more spectacular in life than watching dolphins interact with their environment. Either in the wild or in captivity, few animals capture the imagination quite like the uniquely smart cetaceans. An aquatic mammal like seals and whales, dolphins get their oxygen by breathing air when surfacing — a divergence from fish, which are able to pull oxygen that's dissolved in water (via Whale & Dolphin Conservation). And because they are still mammals, dolphins give birth to young that are alive, unlike fish that lay eggs.

Back To School: three words that strike dread and ennui into a child's heart after a summer of swimming, ice cream cones, and long days playing with friends. But people of a certain age recall the bright spot of back-to-school shopping: finding that perfect metal lunch box could really enhance a child's (in today's parlance) brand. Strutting into the cafeteria, eschewing the hot lunch line, and making sure your friends saw this year's snack-and-sandwich carrier before setting it down with a flourish could set the tone for the whole school year. "I didn't know you were into The Beatles!" one friend might exclaim, adding, "My parents won't let me listen to them. They say it's just noise and rock 'n' roll's never gonna last." Suddenly, you're a cultural vanguard. Modern. Wizened. Everyone knows you're the school's biggest music fan, and even your red grapes taste sweeter.

On August 10, 1977, David Berkowitz, commonly referred to as "Son of Sam," was arrested and charged with murdering six people and seriously wounding seven others in New York City. Although his crime spree lasted just over a year, the "Son of Sam" remains one of the United States' most prolific serial killers.

On July 28, longtime bass player and co-vocalist of ZZ Top Dusty Hill died while on tour with his bandmates. After Hill's death, many fans were left wondering about the future of the "Sharp Dressed Man" crooners. In response to the tragic event, the band canceled its Wednesday performance — even though Hill had not been scheduled to play that day due to a preexisting hip issue.