The ousted leader of Panama died last week at the age of 83. Here’s the bizarre story about the unique tactic U.S. military forces used to ensure his surrender. After serving most of the last three decades incarcerated in Florida, France, and his home nation of Panama, as well as under house arrest, Manuel Noriega […]
Right now, the NBA Finals could’ve be a battle between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Presidents. Really! Go Presidents! “Cavaliers,” referring to the royal loyalists during the English Civil War, won a name-the-team poll in 1970 in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Ironically, the pro-crown name beat out a pro-democratic name. One of the other […]
The first-ever Wonder Woman movie is now in theaters. Here’s a look back at seven decades of the character’s rich history. The character of Wonder Woman, princess of the Amazons, debuted in comics in the 1941. She’s the creation of William Moulton Marston. Marston didn’t have a long background in comics. He was actually an […]
Because we know what dads really want. Come on. You’re not really going to get him a tie again, are you? He doesn’t want ties. He doesn’t like ties. He hates wearing ties. But do you know what all dads like? Being left alone for a little while so they can read in peace and […]
June is a magical month full of early summer fun like beaches, barbecues…and hugging cats. June 2: National Rocky Road Day Ice cream used to be just that. It consisted of little more than cream, sugar, and a flavoring agent like vanilla or chocolate to produce a smooth concoction. Rocky Road was among the first […]
Take a crack at our 30th anniversary trivia quiz. All the questions are about 1987, the year Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader first gave bathroom reading the love and attention it deserved. So dig into your memory banks, travel back to 1987, and see how you do! [quiz-cat id=”34783″]
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. (And if we answer your question sometime, we’ll send you a free book!)
Here’s a little history about this day of remembrance and reflection. History Memorial Day grew out of commemorations of the Civil War. Graves of those lost in the War Between the States were decorated with flowers and flags as early as 1861 in Virginia, caught on in Georgia in 1862, and in Pennsylvania in 1863, […]
Twin Peaks was a cultural phenomenon during its very brief run from 1991 to 1992. And now, the series has been revived by creator David Lynch. Here’s a look back at how Twin Peaks was one of the weirdest and greatest shows in TV history. After a movie about Marilyn Monroe fell apart—they insisted on […]
Stop struggling with assembling that bookshelf and read some facts about the international DIY furniture chain that put you into that mess in the first place.
English actor Roger Moore, best known for playing secret agent 007 in seven James Bond movies in the 1970s and 1980s, has passed away at age 89. A Genuine Maverick Before he took over the role of James Bond, and even before The Saint, Moore played the iconic TV role of Maverick on Maverick…sort of. […]
Professional wrestling is already pretty silly, with good guys and bad guys, over-the-top acting, and rigged matches. But the “sport” outdid itself when it introduced these really silly wrestling characters.
May 22 is Sherlock Day…most likely due to the fact that it’s also the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the English writer who created the genius detective. Have fun with this quiz about Sherlock Holmes—the game is afoot!
And if you did…you’d be just like these famous people who also didn’t wind up with a full set of 10 fingers. Neil Armstrong As a pioneer of space flight, he was the first man on the moon and one of only a handful of people to ever brave leaving the planet. And yet it […]
Rock icon Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden passed away this week at age 52. Here’s some stuff you may not have known about grunge icon. He trolled metal bands. When brooding, Seattle-based “grunge” bands like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana came on the scene in the ‘90s, they soon displaced a lot of the […]
It’s more than just saying “hello?” Answering the phone in different countries and in different languages varies quite a bit, and depends on local customs and idioms. Here’s what you would say if you picked up a ringing phone in… Italian In Italy, the common greeting is “Pronto.” That translates roughly to “Ready,” as in, […]
Did Jim Morrison really leave the land of the living in 1971…or did he just slip out of the limelight? Some facts to consider from It’s a Conspiracy! by the National Insecurity Council.
Saturday Night Live is drawing some of its biggest ratings of its 40-year-plus history, thanks in part to stars like Kate McKinnon, and Alec Baldwin’s impression of President Donald Trump. But SNL isn’t just an American phenomenon—the show’s format has been exported to other countries. In 2014, SNL came to French-speaking Canada in the form […]
