The Secret History of KFC
Beginning with its first location in an old gas station in 1930, Kentucky Fried Chicken how boasts 18,000 locations worldwide. But KFC’s history includes a few odd footnotes. And here they are.
Author: Uncle John
Ask Uncle John Anything – From Down in the Trenches
When you see a trench coat, you probably don’t think of World War I, the war known for its bloody, muddy “trench warfare.” But long before Humphrey Bogart and other classic movie stars made them the unofficial clothing of detectives and mystery men, the trench coat really did originate during World War I.
The Great Atari Desert Excavation of ‘14
If you’ve always wanted to go to the deserts of New Mexico and dig up unsold, unwanted, unloved E.T. video game cartridges…now’s your chance to join the great Atari excavation.
It’s Fake-or-Fact Friday!
Two of these news items really happened…and one of them didn’t happen at all. We made it up! The answer is at the end of the post.
A Few Strange Easter Traditions
Not everyone celebrates with chocolate bunnies and hiding eggs. Here are a few Easter traditions from around the world.
5 Silly ‘Game of Thrones’ Tie-Ins
“A Lannister always pays his debts,” even if he spends all of his money on silly Game of Thrones stuff. And, don’t forget that we recently wrote about the newest (not so silly) Game of Thrones beer to hit the market.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: Not Quite Dead Yet
The threat of someone very ill being mistaken for dead and then buried was a major problem up until the late 19th century—dozens of inventions were even concocted to allow the mistakenly dead to let those on the surface know that they had buried prematurely, particularly graveside bells attached to an in-coffin string.
Sam Simon’s Final Push
How a TV producer dying of cancer is using his wealth to leave the world in a better place than he found it. Best known for helping to bring The Simpsons to the world, Sam Simon is now spending his final days giving away his fortune.
Of Human Bindage
“The Harvard Library has books bound in human skin” is one of those well-known fun facts that pop up a lot of place…including Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader. But we’re the trivia hounds who dig deeper. We wanted to know: what are those books?
3 Present-Day European Secession Drives
We recently brought you the stories of plans to split California into two (or even more) separate states. But secession isn’t just an American-made solution to internal cultural, political, or economic differences. Three different European regions are looking into splitting from their countries.
And Now For Something Completely Official
From a TV show to movies to a Broadway musical to this summer’s Monty Python reunion shows, the cultural influence of the British comedy troupe is immense. Here are just a few of the many tributes to the group from those who should probably know better.
AUJA – “Lines from TV” Edition
When a TV screen is filmed, why does it look like it has lines bouncing up and down and all around it? It’s a common scene in home movies, or movies made in the ‘70s or ‘80s: a turned-on TV (or computer monitor) sits in the background, flickering weirdly.
Blockbusted: What They Turned All Those Old Video Stores Into
Since the closing of huge video rental superstores over the last couple of years, there are thousands of empty buildings all across the country. Here’s how those Blockbuster Videos, Hollywood Videos, and more are being converted.
Fake-or-Fact Friday: Fast Food Edition
Two of these news items really happened. One of them only happened…in our minds. Can you tell which is the fake? The answer is below.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: How Your Next Flight Can Make You Sick
Not only is airplane food notoriously not very good, as well as expensive, and poorly portioned, eating it puts you at an increase risk of contracting a food-borne illness. LSG Sky Chefs is the largest provider of airplane food, preparing 405 million meals annually for 300 separate airlines
Archie Andrews, This is Your Life
One of comics’ most famous characters is going to die. Archie Andrews, star of his own comic books for more than 60 years, will reportedly die a heroic death in an upcoming issue of Life With Archie…and he never even got to pick between Betty or Veronica.
The Cinema at the End of the World
Back in the early 2000s, a French man named Dynn Eadel toured parts of Egypt’s immense Sinai Peninsula. He fell in love with the desert’s rugged beauty but felt it was missing something: an outdoor movie theater.
6 Things You Might Not Know About Nirvana
It was 20 years ago this week that frontman Kurt Cobain took his own life. Here are some Nirvana facts you might not have known about the one of the most influential bands of their generation.
