An Expatriate Fourth of July
Just because you’re an American and you’re not in America doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate America’s Independence Day.
Daily Dispatch
These Places are Literally the Pits
You could book a vacation in Maui or head to Disney World and still wind up in a hotel that’s a total pit. Why settle for that when you can just visit a real pit instead?
The Weirdest Museum in New York City
If you’re heading to the Big Apple this summer, check out this odd attraction: the Mmuseum.
Killer Commodes: 4 Fictional Characters Who Died On the Toilet
Elvis passed away on a potty 37 years ago this summer. Since then, many fictional heroes and villains have shuffled off this mortal coil in a similar fashion. (WARNING: Don’t read this post if you don’t want to have the season finale of a certain HBO fantasy series spoiled.)
It’s the Must-See-TV Filler Quiz!
Must See TV QuizIn the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, NBC’s “Must See TV” Thursday night lineup dominated the ratings with hits like Friends, Seinfeld, and Frasier. But can you name the other, less-heralded, mostly short-lived sitcoms that aired between those hit shows?
It’s Canada Day!
On July 1, 1867, three North American colonies united to form a country, under the realm of England. They called it…Canada. Here are some weird things you might not know about the Great White North.
You’re Saying It Wrong! Card Sharp vs. Card Shark
“Card sharp” dates back to the 1880s, the time of Wild West saloons and card rooms, but had evolved into “card shark” by the 1940s, long before Card Sharks could have solidified the change. Oddly enough, both “card shark” and “card sharp” make sense in their usages.
Ask Uncle John Anything: Let it Shiner
Have you ever gotten a black eye, or a “shiner”? (If you have, sorry.) Did you or your mom put a cold, floppy steak on it to make the swelling go down? It’s one of those old folk remedies everybody knows about, and you see in movies and on TV shows, but does it really work? Or is it just a waste of a perfectly good—and quite expensive—ribeye?
The Bee Gees Meet Eric Clapton
The Bee Gees continued to rack up hits until disco waned in popularity in 1980 and took them with it. The trio moved into songwriting (notable hit: the 1984 #1 hit “Islands in the Stream” by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers), but in the mid-‘80s wanted to make a performing comeback. Solution: form a supergroup by adding a fourth member.
Fact-or-Fake Friday: American Idolatry
Here are three weird news items about a very popular sandwich shop. Two of them are quite true…and one isn’t, because we made it up. Can you guess which one is the fake one?
Revenge of the Restaurant
The customer is always right—but not when they’re jerks. Here’s how some restaurant owners and employees got revenge on some nasty patrons with the power of the Internet.
Impossible Questions: Un-Magic Kingdom Edition – Answer Revealed!
Think you’ve got the answer? Keep reading to see if you nailed it.
What ended forever in Disney World in December 1974?
3 Broadway Flops
Some Broadway shows are getting a lucrative post-Tony “bounce” as summer tourists flock to New York City. Almost nobody flocked to these misbegotten musicals.
Impossible Questions: Un-Magic Kingdom 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.
What ended forever in Disney World on December 29, 1974?
Football Stadium Fun Facts
The football season doesn’t begin for a while, but here’s a look at the massive concrete-and-steel behemoths where the magic happens.
Uncle John’s Extremely Tough Movie Quote Quiz
Sure, you know that “We’re not in Kansas anymore” is from The Wizard of Oz, or that “Welcome to Earth!” is from Independence Day. But can you name the movie that spawned the obscure lines of dialogue below?
4 Words Popularized By Pop Songs
English is a constantly changing language, with new words entering the lexicon from other cultures, the news, science…and even music.
Ask Uncle John Anything: A Dog Tail
It’s a form of communication dating back thousands of years to when dogs were wild pack animals. Various kinds of tail wags, along with postures and vocalizations, formed an ad hoc language dogs could use to “talk” to each other.
