Irony in the News
Nothing like a dose of irony to keep your day-to-day problems in perspective: Ironic Revenue Service & Irony TV.
Author: Uncle John
Ask Uncle John Anything: Where The Ice is Always Greener
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. This week’s question comes from reader Lisa A., who asks…
Why is Iceland called that if it’s green, and Greenland is called that if it’s covered in ice?
A Long Time Ago in a Bathroom Far, Far Away…
Star Wars is the most heavily merchandised film series of all time. And while you treasure your original action figures and red light saber, you probably had no idea just how many Star Wars bathroom-related products have been released over the years. Use the force, Uncle John!
Fact-or-Fake Friday: Get It Yourself!
What follows are three weird news stories. Two of them are true…and one of them isn’t. We made it up. Can you guess which one is the phony? (The answer is at the end of the post.)
Killer Weed
If plants were capable of evil, giant hogweed would be the most evil. In the spring of 2010, gardeners across Canada began to notice a new weed threatening their flowers, lawns, and vegetables. But similar to dandelions or clover, this weed was actually quite pretty, with its purple-red steams, big leaves, and foot-long heads of delicate, tiny white flowers. But these weren’t harmless weeds—this was giant hogweed.
Life Ghoulishly Imitates Art
Three eerie coincidences between actors’ on-screen tragedies, and ones that befell them in the real world.
Christopher Reeve
In Above Suspicion, a made-for-TV movie that aired on HBO in May 1995, the Superman star played Dempsey Cain, a paralyzed police man driven to catch his wife in the act of cheating, and then kill her. Reeve did a lot of research for the role – he learned how to use a wheelchair, and how to get in and out of a car without the use of his legs.
The People vs. Disney
The Walt Disney Company has long been associated with harmless, family-friendly entertainment. Nevertheless, its wholesome image hasn’t prevented it from becoming embroiled in controversy.
Weird Tony Awards Trivia
Strange facts about the “Academy Awards” of Broadway, which just announced its 2014 nominees.
- Today, the Tony Awards resemble other entertainment industry awards: host, stage, “the nominees are…,” trophy presentation, etc. In the first two years the Tonys were presented in 1947 and 1948, the ceremony began with a 9 p.m. dinner at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, followed by dancing. Anyone could attend (it cost $7 for a ticket), and the winners were simply announced at midnight.
Ask Uncle John Anything – A “Cerealized” Feature
Why is cereal eaten with milk, and not some other liquid? The cereals made their way to the general public by the turn of the century, and so did the idea of eating them with milk. In fact, early advertisements for these new-fangled foods depict cereal next to milk, gently suggesting how it was to be eaten to those unfamiliar with breakfast cereal.
Board Game Hacks
Playing board games is a great way to kill a rainy afternoon, but Monopoly can get pretty boring after a few hours. The solution: board game hacks.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: The Lengths We’ll Go
We’ve got a brand new book out: Uncle John’s Germophobia. It’s all about hospital horrors, bad doctors, botched surgeries, nightmare nurses, weird diseases, and all the things that can and will go wrong when it comes to your health. Here’s a taste of the kind of thing you’ll find inside.
Fake-or-Fact Friday: Easter Roundup Eggs-Travaganza Edition
So two of these bizarre news stories really happened…and one didn’t happen at all on account of we made it up. The truth is revealed at the end of the post.
Not So “Happy” In Brazil
How some social crusaders used Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” to satirize life in the South American country. In order to draw attention to the urban decay and not-quite-lackluster living conditions in Brazil, host of this summer’s World Cup, activists Leticia Bastos and Amanda Abreu recruited students from Pontifica Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul for a pitch-perfect parody of “Happy” called “Porto (Unhappy).”
Impossible Questions: Sweet Science Edition – The Answer
Think you’ve got a legitimate answer to this crazy question? Keep reading to see if you nailed it.
How can common table sugar be turned into a billion dollars?
Impossible Questions: Sweet Science Edition
Think you know the answer to this question? Think you can get it? Good luck…and come back tomorrow to see if you’re right.
How can common table sugar be turned into a billion dollars?
Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare
The Bathroom Readers’ Institute is located across town from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, probably the best Bard-based theater outside of England, so it always feels like Shakespeare’s birthday around these parts. Here are some facts about ol’ Bill on his 450th birthday.
Cancer Zappers!
Good news: You no longer have to choose between spending all your time playing video games and trying to cure cancer.
It’s Earth Day! Don’t Trash This Page!
We probably should’ve just recycled an article from one of our books…but we didn’t. Here are some fascinating facts and statistics on recycling (and trash).
- Curbside recycling programs started becoming widely adopted in the U.S. in the early 1990s. Today, about 87 percent of the country has regular access to recycling programs. It’s been effective, too—recycling of paper and paper products has increased by a whopping 90 percent in the last 20 years.
