Bad Hair Days
Think you’ve ever had a bad hair day? Just be glad you never had one like these folks.
General Trivia
Why Is It So Expensive?
It’s hard to enjoy the finer things in life when the finer things are so expensive. We’ll skip the caviar and stick to our good ol’ beef jerky. Wait, that’s expensive, too?! What’s going on here?
Weird Beauty Treatments
Beauty is in the eye of the person with the weirdest beauty treatment.
Sneaky Corporations
Powerful corporations often set up fake “institutes” and programs that sound like independent foundations promoting the public good—when in fact they’re just the opposite. Here are four examples.
Why Can't I Remove That Tag?
You can remove that tag on the mattress—it’s okay. Really. Lots of products have tags on them—clothes, sheets, towels, for example. Most people have no problem tearing them off if they feel like it. But then there’s the matter of that tag on the mattress. That little strip of waxy paper could so easily be […]
The Official "Blanks" of States
Each of the 50 states has its own “official state” tree, gemstone, fish, animal, dance…you name it! Here is a look at some of them. State Outdoor Drama of Alabama William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker, about the early life of Alabama native Helen Keller, was produced for the first time in 1962 at Ivy Green […]
Death Customs
The treatment and disposal of a dead body is a sacred ritual in every culture, but each one does it a little bit differently.
About Antarctica
Cold, hard facts about the cold, hard continent.
True Tales of Rejection and Redemption
What comes before success? Preparation, practice…and rejection. Here are some people who went on to do big things despite some early roadblocks.
Famous Dropouts
Quitters never win…or do they?
When Magazines Go Bust
We’ve been making Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader for 30 years now, and to think, before we came along, people had to read magazines in the bathroom. Magazines?! They’re so unreliable! They can just up and fold at any time—like these ones did. Dynamite Scholastic publishes children’s books—including Harry Potter in the U.S. But before that, […]
Lottery Row
Want to win the lottery? Some words of caution: It ain’t always a “win.”
Nudes and Prudes
So what side of the debate do you take—are you offended by public nudity, or are you offended by people who are offended by it?
6 Completely Unnecessary Kitchen Gadgets
Some kitchen tools are must-haves because they do so many different things—a food processor can chop and blend and mix, for example. In other words, they’re useful necessities. Unlike these real kitchen gadgets you can actually buy. Musical Cake Slicer Isn’t it so hard to cut a birthday cake and sing “Happy Birthday” at the […]
Office Personalities
If you work in an office, you’ll probably recognize most of these personality types. Just preparing to enter the workforce? Use this as a guide for whom—or what—to avoid. (Uncle John is a Pontificator.)
Winners…and Losers of the Lottery
What if you won the lottery and became an instant millionaire? Would you lose your head and burn through the money? Or would you keep your cool and invest? (Tip: Uncle John would invest in toilet futures.)
Happy International Joke Day!
July 1st is Canada Day, but it’s also International Joke Day. What follows are some of the oldest known jokes in the world. The oldest joke book in the world—or at least the oldest one that’s survived to modern times, dates to Ancient Greece, and approximately the 4th century A.D. Compiled by two writers named […]
Just What Is a “Fidget Spinner” Anyway?
If you’ve got kids, you’ve probably been bisieged by requests for one. If you are a kid, you’re probably obsessed with getting one. Of maybe you have one already–but if you did, you probably wouldn’t be reading this because you’re hooked. Here’s a look inside the world of fidget spinners, the hottest fad of the […]
