Daily Dispatch

See You Next Apocalypse!

Next Apocalypse: Zombie Survival KitLike every other Doomsday prediction before it, the world failed to end on December 21, 2012, due to the “Mayan Apocalypse.” Those who believed that the ancient race’s prediction of the end of a calendar cycle somehow equated the end of humanity were left embarrassed, especially those who did things like invest in underground bunkers or expensive survival gear. So, when is the next apocalypse? The good news, doomsayers (and bad news, everyone else): according to Dr. F. Kenton Beshore, founder of the World Bible Society, the world is scheduled to end in 2018. Pop psychic Jeanne Dixon, before her death, claimed 2020. And, of course, there’s the ever present threat of a looming zombie apocalypse. However and whenever it comes, get ready with some of these not-at-all ridiculous products.

James Bond Exposed?

James Bond Exposed
From Flickr | By brava_67

Skyfall hit theaters in November so it should be safe to finally talk about a popular (but strange) fan theory regarding James Bond. (If you still haven’t seen the latest—and best-reviewed and highest-grossing—Bond movie ever, there’s spoilers ahead.)

Theory: There is no one real James Bond. “James Bond” and “007” are just code names used by multiple spies over the years.

6 People Who Rejected Awards

By itupictures on Flickr
By itupictures on Flickr

We’re right in the middle of Awards Season. Last month Pulitzer and Nobel Prizes were awarded, followed by the Golden Globes, and in the next few weeks, we’ll see the Emmys and Oscars. And while most artists and performers would be thrilled to get any one of these awards, there’s always the occasional grump who gets a prize from his/her peers and says “no thanks.” Here are a few prize examples of people who rejected awards.

Ving Rhames. In 1998, the actor won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a made for TV movie or miniseries for his title role in HBO’s Don King: Only in America. When he went on stage to receive his award, he turned it down, and, in the spirit of “giving,” gave the trophy to fellow nominee Jack Lemmon, nominated for 12 Angry Men. Lemmon said it was “one of the sweetest moments of his life.” Rhames insisted Lemmon keep the award; the Globes’ governing body later quietly had a second trophy sent to Rhames.

Introducing BLOX: A Word Puzzle Game

Blox: A Word Puzzle GameThe innovative wordsmiths at the BRI have once again taken a popular puzzle form to a whole new level. The results: a word puzzle game, called BLOX. The concept of Uncle John’s Bathroom Puzzler: BLOX is easy. We’ll provide you with a configuration of letters and tell you hoe many words we found. Your job is to find those words and scribble them down in the blanks.

Click through for an example of the game and a puzzle to do at home.

Crossword Maker Reveals He Has Cancer in Today’s Crossword

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Wo – he must love what he does:

Above cryptic crossword No 25,842 sat a set of special instructions: “Araucaria,” it said, “has 18 down of the 19, which is being treated with 13 15”.

Those who solved the puzzle found the answer to 18 was cancer, to 19 oesophagus, and to 13 15 palliative care. The solutions to some of the other clues were: Macmillan, nurse, stent, endoscopy, and sunset.

Speaking from his home in Cambridgeshire, Araucaria said this particular puzzle had not taken him very long, adding that a crossword had seemed the most fitting way to make the announcement.

“It seemed the natural thing to do somehow,” he said. “It just seemed right.”

Australian Town Too Hot to Pump Gas

Ow:

IT was so hot in the South Australian outback town of Oodnadatta yesterday that the local servo stopped selling petrol.

The Outback town has been sweltering through one of its great heatwaves with the temperature soaring above 40 degrees every day this year, reaching a peak of 48.2 degrees yesterday.

“The ground, the building, everything is so hot, you walk outside and you feel it’s going to burn you,” Pink Roadhouse owner Lynnie Plate said.

Mrs Plate said the Roadhouse couldn’t serve unleaded fuel after midday because it was vapourising and wouldn’t pump in the extreme heat.

Dog Shaved Like Lion Sparks 911 Calls

Too funny:

A dog shaved like a lion made for an eventful night for Norfolk, Va., dispatchers, when several people who saw the dog on Tuesday called 9-1-1 to report a lion on the loose, the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports.

The newspaper obtained 9-1-1 call audio, in which one woman says, “There was a lion that ran across the street – a baby lion. It was about the size of a Labrador retriever.”

The dog’s owner, Daniel Painter, told the Virginian-Pilot that he shaved his pet to look like the mascot for Old Dominion University.

Too much. “It was about the size – and genus – of a Labrador retriever!”

But Wait, There’s More! (Infomercials)

They’re loud. They’re obnoxious. They’re mesmerizing. “Infomercials”— ads for silly household products have been a part of TV since the early 1970s, usually airing in the wee hours when ad time is cheapest. Here’s the story behind three memorable “as seen on TV” products.

5-Story-High Rubber Ducky in Sydney Harbor

Deep Rubber Ducky Thought:

“A rubber duck obviously doesn’t belong to anyone but to all of us. It’s a mutual friend. And I think in the time of globalisation that we live in, we have a mutual bath tub.”

Hear hear! Mutual bathtubs for everyone! Oh. Wait…

Anyhoo – here’s giant rubber ducky video video:

Four Interesting New Year’s Traditions

So the Mayan Day of Apocalypse was a big bust. The planet didn’t explode and, to make matters worse, you didn’t have any plans for new years. Here are four bizarre New Year’s traditions from around the world you could have sampled instead of sitting home (except…trust us, you should be glad that you didn’t.)

Burning effigies. In Ecuador, the custom is to build a scarecrow out of newspapers or wood to help scare away bad luck. Around midnight, celebrants gather outside of their homes, set their scarecrows on fire, and watch them burn to cinders as the clock strikes 12. In Panama, they prefer to burn effigies of public figures. Called muñecos, they can be anything from Olympic athletes to TV characters to politicians. Supposedly, these effigies represent the old year and burning them somehow chases away evil spirits that might cause trouble in the new year.

Stuff You Should Know

Last week, our very own Gordon “Uncle John” Javna was a special guest on the very popular podcast Stuff You Should Know discussing the Barbie doll (Listen HERE). If you haven’t heard Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant’s highly informative and hilarious podcast yet, go to the SYSK website right now and subscribe to their podcast. Also, don’t miss the premier of their TV show on the Science Channel on January 19.

Meet the BRI: Jay

Meet the Bathroom Reader StaffIn honor of our 25th anniversary, we think it might finally be time to introduce you to the people behind this amazing series. We will be posting brief interviews with each of the staff members throughout the month of November.

 

Today we introduce Jay:

Q: How long have you been with the BRI, and what do you do?

A: I’ve been helping Uncle John make books since 1998. I’ve written hundreds of articles, edited thousands of pages, ran point on half a dozen books, and shepherded more than 30 covers to press.

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