You could use your wealth to buy cars, houses, yachts…or action figures. This article was first published in our 29th annual edition, Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. Rick Springfield Rick Springfield, who performed the 1980s hit “Jessie’s Girl”, has one of the largest and most complete collections of Star Wars toys in the world. Demi […]
It’s a simple dessert…with a complicated story. Chess pie is a classic, old-fashioned Southern dessert. It’s sort of like a cheesecake, in that it’s refrigerator-hardened and sweetened custard set inside of a pie crust. The first printed recipe dates back to the mid-1700s in a cookbook called Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery. The recipe has […]
Twice a year, the English monarch bestows “honours” upon notable Britons who have made major contributions to the world, including scientists, entertainers, and politicians. But not everybody who is named “Sir” or “Dame” or an “Officer of the British Empire” wants to be one. Here are a few who told the Crown, “Thanks, but no […]
Bad news: Your horoscope has been wrong this entire time. By which we mean it’s been wrong forever. (If you believe in that kind of stuff, we mean.) Those “Star Signs” are based on real collections of stars in the night sky, and NASA just made a big discovery about them. According to recent research […]
You don’t expect to find human remains when remodeling a house or cleaning out a basement. But these folks did. Here are their macabre—but fascinating—stories. This article was first published in Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. Body #1 A carpenter named Bob Kinghorn was doing renovations on a house in a Toronto, Ontario, neighborhood in […]
Who will win the election on November 8? Just pay attention to the cookies, football, and the costume store…unless they’re wrong. (Prognostication isn’t an exact science, people.) NFL If the NFL’s team in Washington, D.C. wins its last home game that takes place before the presidential election, the incumbent—or the incumbent party—wins. Since Washington beat […]
Ever since the trampoline-jumping, basketball-dunking Phoenix Suns Gorilla burst onto the scene in 1980, teams have wanted their mascots to be bigger, faster, stronger…but sometimes it comes with a price. This article was first published in Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. Rocky the Mountain Lion In 2013, the Denver Nuggets’ mascot, Rocky the Mountain Lion, […]
Starting in the ‘60s rock ‘n’ roll fans (and rock ‘n’ roll haters) became obsessed with playing vinyl records backward, looking for secret messages. One thing is for sure: playing a record backward destroyed the record. Here are some of the most amusing entries in the history of “backmasking.” Pink Floyd Former Pink Floyd bassist […]
Nothing says “May the force be with you” quite like a waffle maker. Here are some real tie-ins to a galaxy far, far away. This article was first published in Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. Crocs The plastic sandals are available in a The Force Awakens edition: the bad guys (Kylo Ren, stormtroopers) printed on […]
Just in time for Halloween, something very spooky has occurred at one of the spookiest places in the United States. Rifle magnate William Wirt Winchester died in 1881, leaving behind his vast fortune to his wife, Sarah Winchester. Part of her windfall was allocated to building a Queen Anne-style mansion in San Jose, California. Around […]
Many NASCAR, Formula One, and IndyCar drivers put themselves through some very peculiar rituals, in the belief that if they don’t, bad luck will curse them to lose their race…or worse. This article was first published in our 29th annual edition, Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. Don’t Drive a Green Car Just a few months […]
Sure, you could vote for one of the major party candidates…or you could vote for Alice Cooper! The 1970s shock rocker has thrown his hat into the ring in the race to be Commander-in-Chief. Running for president this year (but only as a goof) is “No More Mr. Nice Guy” and “I’m Eighteen” horror-rocker/radio host/golfer […]
In 1994, a players’ strike ended the Major League Baseball season in August. A third of the regular-season games were canceled, depriving some players of a chance to make baseball history with these records. This article was first posted in our 29th annual edition, Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. First .400 Hitter in 50 Years […]
It’s that time of year when the Nobel Prize is awarded for achievements in a number of disciplines. Swedish inventor and philanthropist Albert Nobel (1833-1896) donated his fortune (from being the creator of dynamite) to provide large monetary prizes to recognize annual major contributors to the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace…but not […]
They’re creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky, and October is the perfect time to talk about The Addams Family. The Addams Family began in the 1930s as a series of cartoons in The New Yorker by Charles Addams. None of the macabre, gothic characters who lived in an old spooky mansion had names, which left the […]
Here’s a look at how much money Americans made in the year just before the Civil War started…and what they had to spend that money on. Nickel and Dimed There were few labor laws in the United States at the time. The average work week was 60 hours (10 hours a day, six days a […]
The three things that the Chicago Cubs are most famous for: the ivy-covered wall of Wrigley Field, longtime play-by-play man Harry Carey, and the supposed “curse” that has kept them from winning a World Series in more than 100 years. The Chicago Cubs are in the Major League Baseball playoffs, having won first place in […]
There are a handful of phone numbers made famous by songs, movies, and TV shows. Ever wonder what happens if you actually call them? This article was originally published in our 29th annual edition, Uncle John’s Uncanny Bathroom Reader. 867–5309 According to rock legend, Tommy Tutone lead guitarist Jim Keller wrote “867-5309/Jenny” about a real […]
