You are viewing pieces written by Dan McCoy

A Brief History of Daylight Savings Time and Other Time-Based Initiatives

Yet another hour of your life you'll never get back.

Courtesy of contributor Dan McCoy, Whim invites you to spend your extra hour of sunshine in front of a computer, learning about time-saving measures. Readers in Arizona, feel free to ignore this piece.

Continue to the full post→

Best of Whim 2010 – Excerpts from the New Astronaut’s Cookbook

"These recipes are out of this world."

Stuffed full of holiday cheer and food? Courtesy of contributor Dan McCoy, please enjoy these dishes designed to leave you feeling weightless.

Continue to the full post→

Beyond Headless – A Halloween Bestiary

President Gerald Gourd

The Headless Horseman is well-known by lovers of Bing Crosby-narrated Disney cartoons (rare), lovers of early American retellings of German folk tales (rarer), or lovers of late-period Tim Burton films (non-existent).

While the Horseman deserves his fame for making it so far without a college degree (a severed brain stem is a real stumbling block at most higher learning institutions), he tends to overshadow other horrifying notables whose personae are based on the absence of body parts. As a Halloween public service, we offer this primer on these absentee abominations.

Continue to the full post→

Secret Societies: Which One Is Right for You?

Future president George H.W. Bush, seen here during initiation into Skull & Bones

Most folks consider themselves lucky if asked to join one secret society. However, if you’re the sort of person to whom people habitually reveal things, you may find yourself with a cornucopia of clandestine organizations to choose from, and little to direct you.

That’s why Whim’s Dan McCoy has assembled this handy guide. Commit it to memory, and the next time you find yourself in ceremonial robes, drinking the wine of brotherhood from a virgin’s skull, you won’t be thinking, “This just doesn’t feel me.” Choose wisely.

Continue to the full post→

Shoedini’s Secret Diaries

March 12, 2010 Given to elderly couple. Looking forward to getting out of this box. March 13 Used to put on shoes. March 15 Used to put on shoes. March 16 Used to put on shoes. March 17 Used to get can of stewed tomatoes down from high shelf in pantry. March 18 Used to […]

Houdini’s Secret Diaries

Houdini’s Secret Diaries

Harry Houdini. You know him, you love him, you have an insatiable craving for revealing and embarrassing facts about him. This is where we step in: Whim Quarterly has unearthed Houdini’s secret diaries.

Continue to the full post→