Norway is the ancestral home of some of the darkest, loudest, and most frightening music in the world: black metal. (It’s way heavier than regular heavy metal.) That contingent of the Norwegian population is finally being represented in the political sphere…even if it doesn’t want to be. The musician known only as “Fenriz” is a […]
Birds do it, bees do it. By which we mean eats food and turns it into, uh, solid waste material. But we humans are the only species that can gain amusement from the droppings of other animals, and since we are the people who bring you Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader, here are the latest scoops […]
Playmobil is a popular line of German-produced figurines and playsets. Literally hundreds of different toys are available to account for the interests of any child. Stores, fire stations, airports, horse shows—you name it, there’s a Playmobil playset version of it. They’ve even come out with some that you’d never think of, but hey, there’s some […]
Fifty years ago this week, The Monkees debuted on NBC. What started as a way to replicate the music and madcap movies of the Beatles quickly became special in its own right. The Monkees TV show creators Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider took out an ad in Variety in 1965 to recruit “folk & roll […]
There are a lot of rich and famous writers of course, but not every writer that became famous became rich. Here are some well-known writers who kept at the daily grind, either because they wanted to or to make ends meet. Herman Melville Melville gained popularity through the 1840s for a series of sea-based adventure […]
There sure were strange toys out there! Do you remember the strangest toy you ever had? Witch Doctor Head Shrinker’s Kit The Product: As it says—a (plastic) head-shrinking kit The Pitch: “Into the deepest jungle went Pressman Toymakers, looking for something new. The secret they brought back for you is incredible! The Pressman Witch Doctor […]
It’s just about to be fall, which means that store shelves, restaurants, and every place else that sells things is about to be full of “pumpkin spice”-flavored options. What started with Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte more than a decade ago has now reached epic—and ridiculous proportions. BK Pumpkin A seasonal offering from Burger King Japan: […]
Loony laws even make it into the world of golf. Here are some official—but odd—rules of the game. Other than glasses or contact lenses, you’re not allowed to enhance your vision or estimate distance from the hole through the use of binoculars, a range finder, sextant, or global positioning system. The dress code of the […]
Night of the Living Eds In a baseball game in the early 1950s, Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bill Nicholson hit a high pop-up that was destined to come down somewhere near the mound. Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bill Werle didn’t want to catch it, so he called for one of his fielders to step in. “Eddie’s […]
When it first hit the air in the ‘60s, Star Trek was only around for three little-watched seasons. But thanks to endless reruns, it became one of the most beloved—and important—TV shows of all time. Here are some facts about Star Trek on the 50th anniversary of the airing of its first episode. It was […]
Actors are a superstitious lot. For example, productions of Macbeth have a history of injuries and deaths, so to ward off bad luck, actors usually refer to it as “the Scottish play.” Here are some other theater superstitions. Leave the Light On Some theaters are old and dingy places, perfect haunts for ghosts. So it’s […]
The new fall TV season is gearing up. While a lot of new shows are getting a lot of buzz, the following shows aren’t—because they only filmed a single “pilot” episode and were rejected by the major broadcast networks. COVER GIRLS They’re a team of attractive women…and they’re also undercover secret agents. No, it’s not […]
We at the BRI have an insatiable appetite for finding misinformation, including these food myths. French Fries Myth: French fries aren’t really French—they’re Belgian. Truth: Fried, salted potato strips did originally come from Belgium (they were introduced to America by soldiers returning home from World War I). But French fries are also French. How so? […]
Uncle John knows pretty much everything—and if he doesn’t, he puts one of his many researchers 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 is it considered bad to wear white after Labor Day? Our […]
Accidents can happen at work, even on movie sets. Or, if you’re Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry, especially on movie sets. The actress has incurred a remarkable number of (thankfully) minor injuries during the filmmaking process. Die Another Day Berry portrayed Jinx, an NSA agent in this 2002 James Bond movie. While filming an action […]
Neanderthals were a race of hominids that developed alongside early humans. They first appeared in Africa about 700,000 years ago and slowly migrated into Europe and the Middle East. They shared almost all the same genetic classifications with Homo sapiens (us), but differed in the final category, species (Homo neanderthalensis). After about 40,000 years of […]
Sure, Labor Day is great—it celebrates the workin’ folks and a lot of us get the day off. But what other holidays does September offer? Plenty…if you consider these observances to be “holidays” Sept. 1: Emma M. Nutt Day It’s a celebration of an important woman with a fantastic name. Nutt was the first female […]
Since it opened in Universal Studios Orlando last winter, Williams of Hollywood Prop Shops has offered for sale parts and pieces of rides that have been closed down or revamped. That makes for some one-of-a-kind (and very expensive) souvenirs. One of the most memorable parts of the 1996 disaster movie Twister was a very angry […]
