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Kara’s most recent article on mentalfloss.com takes a look at seven of the thousands of “doctors” who may or may not have earned that title. Read: The Medical Credentials of 7 Famous Doctors.

by Kara Kovalchik

He’ll forever be remembered for his prowess on the banjo, even though he can barely pick a note.

Besides that infamous backwoods romp, the scene that has become synonymous with the 1972 film Deliverance is that of the somber-faced, banjo-picking boy on the porch swing, who only broke into a crooked smile once he bested the guitar of Ronny Cox during "Dueling Banjos."

When director John Boorman began selecting actors for the film, he stopped in at Clayton Elementary School in Georgia to check out the local talent. He chose 15-year-old Billy Redden based on his "indigenous" look (not the most flattering remark, considering that the Banjo Boy was described as an "inbred Albino" in the original James Dickey novel).

Redden didn’t know how to play the banjo, and had a hard time faking it, so in the final cut a professional player hid behind the porch swing and stuck his arm in one of the youngster’s sleeves to provide the necessary fingering. Redden would later recall that the main stars of the film were very cordial, except for Burt Reynolds, who kept to himself and rarely spoke to anyone.

Billy was paid $500 for his work, and producers let him keep the banjo as a souvenir. Sadly, his mother (a widow working as a custodian) had to sell the instrument shortly after the film’s release to pay some overdue bills.

Today, Billy Redden co-owns and works at at a café near Clayton, Georgia. Folks stop by regularly to get his autograph, not only because of his Deliverance notoriety, but also thanks to his renewed fame thanks to a cameo in Tim Burton’s 2003 film Big Fish.

Kara’s article celebrating the 40th anniversary of McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich was linked on the “Laugh Lines” section at NYTimes.com:

http://laughlines.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/if-we-didnt-laugh-wed-cry-dept/

Have you ever wondered who uttered the first curse word on prime time television? No? Damn.

Found out who had the potty mouth, along with who to blame for canned laughter and other boob-tube “firsts” in the new edition of Kara’s weekly Confessions of a TV-holic column at mentalfloss.com.

Have you ever known a family member or co-worker who seemed to soak up all the attention simply by virtue of being cute or quirky?

If so, you’ll find that you have plenty in common with the likes of Ron Howard and John Ritter in this week’s Confessions of a TV-holic.

Jay Leno recently announced that he will be retiring sometime over the next several months. While he’s done an admirable job of hosting The Tonight Show for the past decade and a half, there’s a reason that people mutter “but he’s no Johnny Carson” after mentioning his name.

Learn how the original king of late night TV earned his crown in this week’s Confessions of a TV-holic.

Kara reveals some interesting information about a quartet of TV land’s most celebrated pitchmen (and women) in this week’s Confessions of a TV-holic.

And to answer the questions of some commenters about why Ron Popeil wasn’t included in the mix: Kara mentioned him amongst others in another TV-holic column a few months back. Of course, Mr. Spray-On Hair may well warrant his own article a bit further down the road…

When the folks at CNN.com requested a selection of “fire” facts for readers who were swept up by the news of the flames spreading through California, Kara answered the call.

Her Ten Wild Fire Facts article appeared on mentalfloss.com this morning (April 24) and appeared a couple hours later that day on CNN.com.

Take a nice, long drag of Kara’s latest entry in the Confessions of a TV-holic series, about the connections between tobacco and television. Or, if you prefer, just a pinch between your cheek and gum.

Since we work indoors at desks much of the day, we’re not short of tips to help make office life a bit easier. Here’s one, cleverly disguised as a brain teaser.