When you’re neck deep studying for finals, cramming in chapters and writing papers, anything that can help you get a handle on your course-load can make all the difference. Luckily for you, Shmoop.com has your back. Loaded with more than 230 topics in literature, US history, and poetry as well as essay writing, Shmoop breaks down course content with easy to understand summaries and insights to help ease the stress of studying. Not only that, but now they want to give three lucky COED readers $100 in Amazon.com cash!

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3. Post the link to your favorite tip in the comments section below. (Make sure to enter a working email address, so we can let you know that you won.) The three best links will win the dough!

The winners will be announced next Tuesday. Good luck and happy Shmooping!

I’ve always considered myself a bit of a pro when it comes to alcohol. I can drink the hell out of most any adult beverage many times over and still be in good enough shape to drive my school bus route virtually accident free.   But despite the pending lawsuits and my adoration and persistent faithfulness to the drink, when it comes to cocktail history, I am second string B-Team all the way.  Or at least I was until now.  These stories behind 11 famous cocktails are certain to step up your cocktail cred and conversation.  I know they did mine… my kids on my loser cruiser can attest.

Check Out The Stories Behind 11 Famous Cocktails Here

The man responsible for Aliens‘ aliens, Jurassic Park’s dinosaurs, and Terminator 2: Judgement Day’s deadly bots has died today at the age of 62, after seven years of suffering from multiple myeloma. Winston won four Oscars for his visual effects work, one for Aliens, two for Judgement Day and one for Jurassic Park.

“Stan contributed to some of the greatest — fantastic movie characters in motion picture history,” said friend and colleague, Phil Tippett, who shared a visual effects Oscar with Winston. “His loss is a great one and he will be missed.” [LA Times]

(Image source: LAT)

Football covercoming baseball as the national pastime in the United States can be directly attributed to gambling and fantasy. Seriously, is there any reason to sneak beer into the dorm and watch a football game when your favorite team is not even playing, unless you have a couple of C-Notes on it? I think not.

But where did fantasy football come from? What unheralded genius is responsible for making every Sunday afternoon from September to January a national holiday?

His name is Wilfred Winkenbach. (more…)

Have you ever wondered if Hollywood studios reuse the same scream effect over and over again? If you have, it’s with good reason.

The infamous death scream – “aaaaaaiiiyyeeeeaaaaaahhhh” – is called the Wilhelm Scream. The scream was actually a stock effect used in the 1951 film Distant Drums; it has been used in over 200 movies since, ranging from Star Wars to Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

But forget history: why read about the Wilhelm Scream when you can see and hear it in all its glory?

The Wilhelm Scream Compilation: