Weird, Wonderful World
Economists estimate that as much as 90% of all retail goods available in the United States are made overseas, particularly in China. These products include stereos, plastic toys, cups, belts, TVs, shoes, T-shirts, backpacks, telephones, coffee makers, toasters, and even religious memorabilia, just to name a few. Even though so many things are made in […]
Back in colonial days, folks used to mix some mighty peculiar drinks. Here are a few favorites from the 17th and 18th centuries. SACK POSSET: Made by mixing clots of curdled milk into ale or wine EGG POP (or Egg Hot): Eggs, brandy, sugar, and ale ALEBERRY: Ale boiled with sugar, spices, and sops of […]
Most people never give a second thought to life’s most important questions, such as: How tall should a bowling pin be? Fortunately for them, we do. Here’s a look at the standard sizes of everyday objects. How big is a regular soccer ball? It must measure between 27 and 28 inches in circumference and weigh […]
The experts weigh in: here’s the best time of year to buy a whole bunch of things…if you want to get them on sale and save money, that is. A Boat Summer is peak boating season, which means nobody much buys them in the dead of winter. January and February is when boats are the […]
Happy Banned Books Week! While Uncle John believes in the free flow of information, not everybody does. Here are some books that were removed from bookstores and libraries for some odd reasons. Nudity! Martin Handford’s elaborately detailed Where’s Waldo books were a huge fad in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s as kids (and adults) […]
Back in stores right now for the first time in more than 20 years: Crystal Pepsi, a transparent cola that came and went from stores in the early ‘90s. Why would Pepsi revive a failed product? Because it wasn’t totally a failure—it did quite well at first…until Coca-Cola knocked it out of existence. There are […]
Here’s a look at the science and naming stories behind some everyday stuff you can find right on your person. Funny Bone Knocking your funny bone on something certainly isn’t laugh-out-loud funny. The name references another kind of funny: You feel funny when it happens—a specific kind of jolting nerve pain that spreads throughout the […]
Fads come and go. But it is hard to believe that these strange fads ever existed! First published in Strange History. Goldfish Swallowing On March 3, 1939, Harvard University student Lothrop Withington Jr. swallowed a live goldfish to win a $10 bet. Days later, not to be outdone, a college student in Pennsylvania downed three […]
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!) How does a painkiller like aspirin […]
We at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute already think the toilet is a work of art unto itself. At long last, the prestigious Guggenheim Museum agrees with us. Presenting the solid gold toilet. Last week, the prestigious Guggenheim in New York City, one of the most famous museums in the world, cleared all the exhibits from […]
If pirating separated the men from the boys, how come one of the best pirates was a woman? Here’s the story of Anne Bonny. Story first published in Uncle John’s Plunges into History. Pirate Benjamin If ever there was an old boys’ club it was under the Jolly Roger. Pirating was a man’s world, and most […]
Do you think an animal cares that its owner is a celebrity? Probably not…but we do. MADONNA has a Chihuahua named Chiquita. ERNEST HEMINGWAY had Springer Spaniels named Black Dog and Negrita (and 30 cats). LEONARDO DICAPRIO has a Poodle named Rufus and a lizard named Blizzard. MARTHA STEWART has cats named Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, […]
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 […]
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: […]
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 […]
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? […]
