For Sale: The World’s Most Haunted Island
Italians have called Poveglia everything from “The Island of Madness” to, simply “Hell.” And not without cause—the 17-acre island south of Venice just might be the spookiest place on Earth.
Daily Dispatch
Godzilla’s 4 Lamest Rivals
Since debuting on the big screen in 1954, Godzilla has battled lots of other gigantic mutant monsters. Some have been cool – Mothra, Rodan – and some were ridiculous. Let’s hope the new Godzilla movie doesn’t feature any of these.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: The Boy Who Gave Birth To His Own Twin
While about 3 percent of all live births are to multiple babies, twins commonly develop and self-terminate very early on in utero. This is very early on, in the cell multiplication stage, before features develop, at which point one of the two twins simply “wins out” and absorbs the other.
Bathroom News You Can Use
In case you missed them, here are two of the biggest bathroom-related stories in the news.
- The Mt. Tabor Reservoir in Portland, Oregon, isn’t covered, and it also sits in the middle of a public park. That’s a recipe for trouble.
Insane in the Ukraine
The president fled the country, and part of the country was annexed by another country. It’s surely been a tough year in the Ukraine…but it’s also been a weird one.
5 Moviemakers With Very Good Years
It’s a successful year for a movie star or film director if they have one hit movie in a 12-month span. These folks just had some very good luck.
It Came From ‘Germophobia’: Terrible Tales of Harrowing Hospitals
Hospital horror stories, 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 a few such stories from our brand-new book, Uncle John’s Germophobia.
Irony in the News
Nothing like a dose of irony to keep your day-to-day problems in perspective: Ironic Revenue Service & Irony TV.
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.
