Spring will spring, St. Patrick’s Day will bring luck, and you’ll say hello to your favorite Joe. Here is this month’s slate of obscure and minor “holidays.” March 13: Ear Muff Day It’s not really cold enough to wear ear muffs anymore, but nevertheless, this marks the day in 1877 that Chester Greenwood patented his […]
As winter winds down, here’s a look at how a few unique coats and jackets got their names. Blazer Also known as a sportjacket, the blazer doesn’t seem to be something one would associate with burning flames, or a “blaze.” They’re actually quite the opposite—tasteful, sedate, and usually found in subdued colors like navy blue […]
Other than how the Oscar for Best Picture was handed out, we mean. Best Director winner Damien Chazelle is the youngest ever recipient of the award. The 32-year-old won for La La Land, which is only his third feature film. He beats the previous record holder, Norman Taurog, who won for directing Skippy way back […]
It seems like only yesterday that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, but it’s already spring training time again. The Major League Baseball season is just around the corner, so it’s time to brush up on these incredibly obscure but very real baseball rules. A team’s manager or coach can call a break in […]
Each year, the Academy Awards recognize the finest work in movies. Sometimes the Academy’s voters make some really odd choices.
What’s America’s favorite drug? You guessed it—caffeine. We use more caffeine than all other drugs—legal or illegal—combined. Want to know what the stuff is doing to you? Here’s a quick overview. Background If you start the day with a strong cup of coffee or tea, you’re not alone. Americans ingest the caffeine equivalent of 530 […]
There’s recently been talk of a movement called “Calexit”—a proposal for California to withdraw from the United States and become an independent nation. It’s not nearly the first or only time in recent history that a state has looked at secession. Alaska The notion of pursuing independence is so strong in Alaska that the Alaskan […]
Winning an Academy Award is pretty special. Even more special is doing it in such a way that it’s the only time it’s ever happened. Only movie to win both an Oscar and a Razzie… The Oscars go to the year’s best achievements in movies. The Razzies, or “Golden Raspberry Awards,” are handed out to […]
Here’s the latest edition of the BRI’s cheesy tabloid section—a bunch of gossip about famous people. George Clooney When Clooney was in middle school, he developed a medical condition called Bell’s palsy, which partially paralyzed his face for nearly a year. Clooney’s left eye stayed closed and he had trouble eating and drinking. This condition […]
We’ve all fallen asleep while watching a movie or a TV show—but these actors managed to doze off while they were filming a movie or a TV show. Norm Macdonald In 1995, the Saturday Night Live star acted in one of his first movies, Billy Madison, with fellow SNL star Adam Sandler. The movie is […]
It’s President’s Day, a day to remember the contributions of American presidents of the past…and to also remember the strange circumstances in which a few of them passed away. George Washington (1799) After riding around his estate in cold weather, the first ex-president contracted pneumonia. Eighteenth century doctors did what they could for Washington, which […]
On President’s Day, the focus always seems to center on the major, important, and let’s face it, “best” presidents, such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But there have been more than 40 other presidents—so here’s a look at some of the more obscure ones. William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison didn’t do much of […]
Undeniable: That Michael Jordan is among the best professional basketball players of all time, if not the best. What’s a bit more debatable: the veracity of these crazy urban legends about His Airness. Did Michael Jordan have food poisoning during “The Flu Game”? Perhaps the greatest game in Jordan’s career, which was already full of […]
Some great reasons to buy, not rent. Victim Eviction Dorothea Thomas of Jacksonville, North Carolina, was attacked in her apartment by an ex-boyfriend. Thomas, a police officer and former Marine, suffered six gunshot wounds but was able to escape by jumping out of a second-story window. When she was released from the hospital a week […]
Hollywood blockbusters costs tens of millions (or more) to produce. Studios can offset that by taking cash from companies who want their product to be featured in the movie. That’s called “product placement” and sometimes it makes the movie stop dead in its tracks. Mac & Me (1988) E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial featured some of the […]
If we were Modern Bride magazine, we’d probably call these “wedding traditions” rather than superstitions. But think about it—most of them were started by people who believed in evil spirits and witches and talismans. Bridal Veil The veil has served a number of purposes throughout history, including: 1) protecting the bride from the “evil eye;” […]
You could go the old flowers-and-candy route, of course…or you could go for a gift as unique as the one who love. You Bug Me, Valentine! Each year, the Bronx Zoo in New York City holds a Valentine’s Day tradition. Anybody with just $10 and a good intention can purchase the “naming rights” to one […]
The key to treating to metabolic disease that affects more than 20 million Americans may lie inside the stomach of the duck-billed platypus. There are already many unique things about the platypus, the furry little creatures native to Australia. For example, it’s semi-aquatic, meaning it spends some of its time on land, and some in […]
