Weird, Wonderful World
Have you found the time this summer to get out to the woods and make yourself a s’more? In honor of National S’mores Day, here’s the story of how they were invented, along with some background on some of the essential ingredients for the mighty s’more. S’MORES It’s not like one person put chocolate and […]
It would seem that Brookstone itself could use a sit in one of its massage chairs about now. The mall store, famous for its expensive vibrating leather chairs and ever-changing assortment of wireless speakers and other gadgets has filed for bankruptcy and will close its stores. Here are some of the oddest items that the […]
We get a lot of letters here at BRI headquarters, and recently longtime reader Robert W. wrote in with a suggestion: Research, describe, and hopefully settle the most important issue of our time: Which is the “proper” way to load toilet paper—coming off the top, or the bottom? Aesthetics Whether you have the paper coming […]
Here at BRI headquarters, we’re not all that ashamed to mention the bathroom, of course, but for hundreds of years, the more polite among us have used a number of euphemisms to refer to Uncle John’s favorite room. Here are the origins of the most famous ones. The powder room Today, liquid and powdered makeup […]
Okay, they don’t have “real” names because they’re fictional characters. These are merely the full, given names of fictional individuals you may have known only by their nicknames that you didn’t know were their nicknames. Scoobert Of the Mystery Inc. gang on Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? the two most notable characters were known by nicknames. […]
There are certain things we’ve been told our lives—and each successive year—about living it up in the summer. Uncle John took some time out of his busy seasonal schedule of grilling hot dogs and catching waves to hit you with some truth. There’s a surefire way to “relieve” a jellyfish sting Jellyfish are mysterious, hypnotic […]
Billions of dollars’ worth of stuff is swiped from stores, other businesses, and individuals every year. Here’s what thieves grab the most. Commonly swiped According to the annual National Retail Security Survey, which polled more than 80 retailers in 2016 (the last year for which data is available), the most commonly swiped items from grocery […]
Over the last 20 years or so, more and more Americans have decided to cut down or eliminate meet from their diets. Vegetarianism is mainstream, and fast food companies have tried to meet those dietary demands by offering meat-free items alongside their usual fare of burgers and fried chicken. It hasn’t always worked out. The […]
The beloved chef, food writer, and TV host who brought the world—and its flavors—into our homes has passed away at the age of 61. Here’s a look back on the life of a man who lived with No Reservations. Don’t Eat Before You Read This After working for years in some of New York’s best […]
Summer is almost upon us, which means one thing: the excuse to eat ice cream every day. Can you find somewhere in your strict schedule of chocolate, vanilla, and mint chip to try one of these oddball ice cream flavors? Lobster ice cream Maine’s most famous export is lobster, but the people who live there […]
On behalf of dads and fathers everywhere—don’t get your pop another tie or some kind of golf-related item or barbecue accessory this Father’s Day. He hates wearing ties, and he has all the golf balls and novelty aprons he’s ever going to need. Let Uncle John help you pick out the perfect gift for Dad—a […]
Selling a lifestyle and a brand and customer loyalty…but it only seems to work with the beer itself. Budweiser Black Crown Tired and alarmed at how “microbrews” or “craft brews”—strongly flavored, potent, regionally-produced beers—were cutting into their sales, Budweiser introduced its own craft brew-like product in early 2013. Like those upstarts Budweiser Black Crown was […]
…and other big, brazen thefts of huge amounts of very specific foods. The Nutella heist Nutella—a mixture of ground hazelnuts, chocolate, and a lot of sugar—is peanut butter’s sassy European cousin. People on both sides of the Atlantic are wild about it, particularly in Western Europe, and they’ll apparently do anything to get more of […]
There’s never a dull moment when kids open up The Big Book of Funtivity. Loaded with all sorts of puzzles, brainteasers, jokes, weird facts, and more, this book will entertain and amuse kids for hours on end. Doodle and fill in the blanks of your own silly comic strips, perform cool science experiments with household objects, […]
Today is Eat What You Want Day…but your doctor would probably advise you to skip most of these fast-food gut-bombs anyway. Sweet bird There’s more than one way to bread and fry a chicken. You can dredge pieces in flour, or corn flakes, for example. Or, you could go to Popeye’s and have some sweet […]
True fame isn’t getting your name in lights or your handprints on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—it’s having a drink named in your honor. Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer has two legacies: The late golfer is one of the greatest to ever play the game, with a remarkable 95 professional tournament wins, including the Masters four […]
The 2018 baseball season has begun, which means it’s time for a roundup of the weirdest and most delicious sounding new concessions available at America’s major league stadiums. Spec-Tater SunTrust Park is where the Atlanta Braves play, and it’s also the only place where spectators can buy a Spec-Tater. It’s a big baked potato stabbed […]
Sure, it stings to write a big check to the IRS every April, but that money goes to pay for schools, roads, bridges…and this stuff, too. An exhaustive history of smoking in Russia In 2015, the U.S. National Institutes of Health paid more than $48,000 to an individual to research and write an exhaustive history […]
