We’ve got a brand new book out this week: 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.
Last week, Amazon issued millions of dollars in credits to customers who bought e-books between 2010 and 2012. It’s the payout of a class action lawsuit that alleged some publishers overcharged for e-books during that time. What should you get with all that free book money? We have some suggestions.
It’s the result of some pretty complicated federal broadcasting laws. For some reason, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a clause called “the lottery law,” which states that federal lotteries are illegal.
Finally, Uncle John can justify his daily viewings of Sesame Street. Introducing Raya, a six-year-old, aqua-colored Muppet who encourages kids to always wash their hands after using a toilet, and to always wear shoes when visiting a public latrine.
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.
Hey, parents of college students: Your kids are using that tuition money you gave them to take a March trip to Florida. (Hey, college students: Your secret is safe with us!) Here’s a little bit about the history of Spring Break.
Think you’ve got a legitimate answer to this crazy question? Keep reading to see if you nailed it.
Both Midler and Kravitz recorded very popular songs that make casual reference to basic scientific phenomena…and both got their facts completely wrong. Really!
How do you prove that you’re a true fan of Star Trek, The Walking Dead, or Game of Thrones? Drink these pop-culture-inspired beers.
The Federation of Beer – as in the United Federation of Planets from Star Trek – has licensed the Star Trek name to create a beer called Roggen Dunkel to be brewed in Indiana.
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.
A monkey mess from Uncle John’s bottomless “dustbin of history” files. It was the year 1935. A collector of rare, and what were then considered exotic, animals named Frank Buck ran a 40-acre “jungle camp” on Long Island, New York. Once common, these animal enclosures were small roadside zoos.
Generations of artists, filmmakers, and musicians have been inspired by Disney films, TV shows, and songs. Some actually grew up to work for the “House of Mouse.” Others just made their own Disney-esque creations without any official approval from the company.
You’d be surprised by how many films in Hollywood are started, but not finished. Here’s a look at a fascinating could have-been. Note: The Breakfast Club had detention 30 years ago today.
From the outside, it doesn’t seem like there’s much of a difference between a bank and a credit union. You probably can’t tell much of a difference as a customer, either, as both offer checking accounts, savings programs, teller windows, multiple branches, ATMs, car loans, and mortgages.
Because we all want a wee little place down by the sea.
Beachside property can be really expensive, which is why Nick Willan bought a fixer-upper when looking for a vacation house on the U.K.’s eastern coast. But instead of purchasing a cabin with outdated fixtures or an undeveloped plot, Willan chose an old public bathroom in the seaside town of Sheringham.
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.
Seattle has long been a proudly weird place, but one of its weirdest elements is a vending machine. Really. Here is the mysterious story of Seattle’s mystery Coke machine.
What major national event precedes women’s voting rights in the U.S., the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, France phasing out the guillotine, statehood of four states, the discovery of Pluto, sliced bread, and the demotion of Pluto?
With Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s modern-day reboot of Carl Sagan’s 1980 documentary series doing so well, here’s a look back at the original, which was a surprising pop culture phenomenon. “Cosmos” is a Greek word that literally means “order.” In science, however, it means “the universe” or “everything, including space, atoms, and everything in between. Cosmology […]
