It’s Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day, Dadburn It!
Today is one of those silly holidays we all love. Sort of like how September 19 is “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” make sure to talk like an old timey prospector each January 24. Here’s a primer.
Weird, Wonderful World
The 2020 Presidential Race is On!
Well, the Inauguration has happened, so the long election of 2016 is now officially over. Time to start looking ahead to 2020! A handful of candidates have already at least sort of declared their intention to make a run for the White House in four years’ time.
The Most Haunted Landmarks in the USA
America has a number of iconic places where some amazing history has happened. What does all that add up to? Ghosts. Here are some spooky stories you may have never heard about American landmarks. The Ghost Ship of the Golden Gate Bridge It gets pretty foggy in San Francisco, particularly around Golden Gate Strait. In […]
Dough Nuts: For the Person That Has it All
For the person who has more money than they know what to do with. Chanel Segway EXPLANATION: If a no-frills Segway isn’t expensive enough (around $5,000), now you can get a super-deluxe Chanel Edition Segway. It’s the same as a regular Segway, but with quilted leather mudflaps and a Chanel handbag mounted on the front. […]
Old Hollywood Diets
Crazy fad diets go back a long way. Here’s what some stars of old Hollywood did when they wanted to drop a few pounds. Marilyn Monroe Two raw eggs whipped in warm milk for breakfast, no lunch, and for dinner broiled liver, steak, or lamb, and five carrots. Jean Harlow She occasionally went on “The […]
Uncle John’s Stall of Shame
Bathrooms, toilets, and toilet paper should only be used as a force for good. But sometimes people end up using the facilities for more nefarious deeds. It is for these people that Uncle John created the “Stall of Shame.” Ralph Curry of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Claim to Fame: Putting Mr. Potato in the head True […]
It’s World Trivia Day!
It’s a pretty big day at BRI headquarters: It’s Trivia Day, an internationally recognized fun holiday. On that note, here’s some trivia about, well, trivia! Trivia doesn’t necessarily mean “trivial.” It actually originally meant something more like “common” or “basic.” In ancient Rome, the word triviae meant a road that forked into two or three […]
The Class of 2016
So many beloved celebrities left us this year that it really did seem like 2016 had a chip on its shoulder. Here are some words of wisdom from the dearly departed to remind us why they were so beloved. “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.” –Muhammad Ali […]
Myth-Leading: Common Names
We might assume that the common names we have for things are accurate descriptions of them, but that’s not always true. Birthday Party You can only have one birth day—the day you were born. After that, every time you celebrate your birthday you’re really throwing an anniversary party. Killer Whale They’re neither killers nor whales. […]
What Kids Around the World Leave Out for Santa Claus
Not every kid in the world leaves out milk and cookies for Santa. That makes sense, because that treat is a very American pairing. Also, it’s nice that Santa gets to try a variety of snacks on his big night. Here’s a look at what kids around the world (and their parents) leave out on […]
5 Absolutely Cracking Christmas Crackers
Christmas crackers are a classic holiday tradition in the U.K., but in recent years a wide variety of the party favor have begun to show up in American stores. Not familiar? They resembled a piece of wrapped candy, but it’s a paper tube inside of fancy paper. You then pull both ends until it makes […]
Last-Minute Gift Ideas with Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers
Good news for last-minute gift-givers: our eBooks make fantastic last-minute gifts for anyone on your list! Whether you’re shopping for a fan of sports, history, the military, or nature, we’ve got an edition that’s sure to please. More good news: Uncle John’s out-of-print titles have been resurrected as eBooks. It’s the magic of the season! If […]
Not So Mellow Yellow
In the days when smoking was a bigger part of American culture, matches were everywhere. Hotels and restaurants gave matchbooks away; people carried them in their pockets and purses. Well, you’ll never believe where the stuff in the match head came from. Blue Genie Ever heard of alchemy? It was a medieval “science” and philosophy, […]
Care for Some Fruitcake?
It’s December, which means the holiday season, which means Bing Crosby on the radio, festive decorations in store windows, and jokes about fruitcake, the Christmas treat that’s simultaneously ubiquitous and that nobody seems to like. Here’s a slice of trivia about the much-maligned yuletide treat. The standard fruitcake, as it is today: a hard-as-a-rock, bread-like […]
How to Speak Hobo
Hobos were American migratory workers from a century ago. Some experts think the word hobo comes from “hoe boys,” what farmers in the 1880s called their seasonal migrant workers. It may also be shorthand for the phrase “homeward bound,” used to describe destitute Civil War veterans who took years to work their way home. If […]
John Glenn: 1921–2016
Fact: Astronauts are the coolest. Proof: They’re trained pilots…and they’ve been to space. Amazing! Sadly, we’ve lost one of the first astronauts (he was one of the “Mercury 7”) and a true American hero in John Glenn. Astronaut Glenn Glenn is best known as the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, and fifth person […]
Can You Hear These Ear Facts?
December 8th is “Take it in the Ear Day,” one of those weird, silly “holidays” that float around the Internet. We don’t really know what this one is supposed to mean…so here are just some interesting facts about the ear and hearing. Your ear isn’t really your ear. Well, not totally. Medically speaking, your ear, […]
Ask Uncle John Anything: Poodle-Doodle Do!
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he heads his massive research library, or puts one of his many associates on the case. So go ahead: In the comments below, ask Uncle John anything. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!) Why do poodles get their haircut […]
