Dolly Parton recently signed a deal with Netflix to turn a number of her biggest hits into movies. Her songs are often stories, so it’s a natural progression. The same should have happened for these songs turned movies…which all tuned out a little odd. Monster Mash (1995) The monster-centric novelty song “Monster Mash” was a […]
GIVEAWAY CLOSE! Learn about amazing historical narratives in graphic novel format with our brand new series, Show Me History! Titles include Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr. With contributions from renowned artists, illustrators, and authors that have worked with DC, Marvel, and the like, this new series is sure to excite! Perfect […]
Back in the 1890s or so, the Anderson Valley was an extremely remote, sparsely populated, and very isolated farming community in northern California. The largest town there: Boonville, which lends its name to Boontling, the system of slang / secret language locals developed for gossiping purposes. Today, only about 100 people still speak and understand […]
There are certain phrases and aphorisms we all use that everybody seems to know…and yet, when you think about them even a little bit, you’ll realize that they don’t make a lick of sense. Here are some of those bizarre, everyday sayings…and how they entered the lexicon. CLEAN AS A WHISTLE According to this old […]
In recognition of Black History Month, here are the stories of some notable African-American inventors who changed the world with their ingenuity and technical know-how. Lewis Lattimer Two of the most famous inventors in American history — Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell — didn’t work alone. A Massachusetts-based inventor named Lewis Lattimer worked on […]
Some months have 30 days and others have 31. And then there’s weird old February, packing a scant 28 days (or 29 in a leap year). Why are you so short, February? The Romulus calendar In the eighth century B.C., the Roman Empire operated via the Romulus Calendar, a 10-month system that started in March […]
Wild news from the wild kingdom. GORILLAS IN THE MIDST OF CHEATING The Gorilla Game Lab is a joint project of England’s University of Bristol and the Bristol Zoological Society. Both organizations aim to both develop and study the cognitive abilities of gorillas, and they do it by giving the primates puzzles to solve. One […]
Winning an Academy Award is an achievement some actors and actresses wait their whole lives and careers for. And then there are these performers who were so impressive in their first ever film roles that they took home Oscars for it. LUPITA NYONG’O Born in Mexico to a Kenyan family, Nyong’o built up an impressive […]
They’re called “landmarks” for a reason — giant buildings that define a city, dot its skyline, and become monuments to human architectural achievement. Only the biggest and best buildings get official names, but sometimes those names change…and it’s hard to get anybody to call these institutions by that new moniker. Chicago’s Sears Tower Chicago’s Sears […]
The Academy Awards are around the corner. Here are some of the weirdest nominations and wins in the ceremony’s long history. THERE’S GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS The Razzies, or “Golden Raspberry Awards” are the anti-Oscar and hand out cheap plastic trophies to the year’s worst movies. While many performers have won both awards for […]
In January 2012, Kodak, the company that made casual photography a reality, and a relatively inexpensive one at that, filed for bankruptcy, ending a history of nearly 130 years. While George Eastman’s company brought picture-taking to the masses, it also had a lot of weird ideas and made some odd choices. Eject Disc In 1982, […]
In photographs, she presents the grim, humorless visage of a middle-aged, Victorian spinster. But Esther Howland popularized valentine giving in the United States and, by the time of her death in 1904, had earned the sobriquet “Mother of the American Valentine.” (This article was first published in Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Book of Love.) Be […]
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. Why can’t we remember (or even notice) the moment we fall asleep? It happens every single night. One moment, […]
If some old science-fiction movies set in the once distant year of 2019, are to be believed, we’re all in for a terrible time. Hunted for sport Criminals convicted under America’s totalitarian police system are creatively sentenced to star on a reality game show called The Running Man, where they’re hunted for sport by professional […]
It’s so close to Valentine’s Day, so we thought we’d talk about the real inspiration behind the symbol of the holiday. Where is it? Put your hand on your heart like you’re saying the Pledge of Allegiance. (We’ll wait.) Did you cross your right hand all the way over to the left side of your […]
Star Wars is an undeniable part of the collective cultural consciousness. It’s probably shaped fiction and storytelling as much as Shakespeare. And, like Shakespeare, people keep adapting it and presenting it different ways. Here are some of the wildest ways the story of Star Wars has been told. Ballet In 2015, The Star Wars Tribute […]
Not too many other animals besides humans can talk, which leads to a very special affinity between people and parrots…and all those other clever, crafty, chatty tropical birds. Here are some recent news stories about some parrots that got themselves (and people) into trouble. Parrot Busts Drunk Driver While driving home from a Mexico City […]
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. What does “market price” at a restaurant mean? No price listed Have you ever been to a restaurant—particularly a seafood […]
