“Truth is stranger than fiction—fiction
has to make sense.”—
Leo Rosten
Hiya Sophie! Hiya Jessie!
CONTENTS
NOTE
Because the BRI understands your reading needs, we’ve divided the contents by length as well as subject.
Short
—a quick read
Medium
—2 to 3 pages
Long—for those extended visits, when something a little more involved is required
*Extended
—for those leg-numbing experiences
BATHROOM NEWS
Short
Toilet Tech
Medium
Bathroom Feng Shui
Uncle John’s Stall of Fame
Wide World of Bathroom News
Bathroom Facts and Figures
Toilet Tech
Uncle John’s Stall of Fame
CUSTOMS & SUPERSTITIONS
Short
Cure for What Ails Ye
Circus Superstitions
Very Superstitious
Medium
The Curse of Macbeth
Long
*Palm Pilot
AMERICANA
Short
“If You Build It, They Will Come”
The Price Was Right
Long
The Real Star-Spangled Banner
*Castle Grande
ANIMALS
Short
Incredible Animal Facts
Strange Pet Lawsuits
Kitty Litter
Yuppie Puppies
It’s a Dog’s Life
Medium
Animals Famous for 15 Minutes
BLUNDERS
Short
Flubbed Headlines
What’s the Number for 911?
What’s the Number for 911?
Medium
Oops!
Unkle John’s Greatest Bloopers
Oops!
Oops!
Long
“The Blast Blasted Blubber Beyond All Believable Bounds”
FORGOTTEN HISTORY
Short
Making His Mark
Medium
Metric Clock
Dustbin of History
American Cannibal
Long
Bad Medicine
Why We Have Postage Stamps
Who Financed the Revolution?
An “Uplifting” Story
Going Postal
*The True Story of Captain Kidd
CANADIANA
Medium
Do You Speak Canadian?
They Always Get Their Man
Weird Canada
BUSINESS
Medium
Timothy Dexter: America’s Luckiest Idiot
Fabulous Flops
Long
“Thanks For Your Money, Have a Nice Day”
Behind Bar Codes
Hidden Ads
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Short
And the Weiner Is
Test Your Egg I.Q.
Eat Your Words
Medium
Are You a Tortilla Chip?
Chocolate Hall of Fame
The Food Quiz
Long
Salt Wars
*Food of the Gods
MOUTHING OFF
Short
Viva Vidal!
Will’s Wisecracks
Desmond’s Discourse
Ford’s Words
The Other Texans
The Sage of Athens
Calvin & Hobbes
High Voltaire
Not Exactly Prince Charming
William’s Wisdom
SPORTS & AMUSEMENTS
Short
Jump Rope Rhymes
Dumb Jocks
Medium
Child’s Play
Great Balls of Fore
Lunar Baseball
They Took The Plunge
Long
*The Birth of Big-Time Sporting Events
FOOTBALL
Medium
The History of Football, Part IV
Long
The History of Football, Part I
The History of Football, Part II
The History of Football, Part III
The History of Football, Part V
*The History of Football, Part VI
HOAXES
Short
Classic Hoaxes
Medium
Classic Hoaxes
You’ve Got Mail!
Urban Legends
Classic Hoaxes
LAW & ORDER
Short
Court Transquips
Looney Laws
Lawyers on Lawyers
Nude Lawsuits
Medium
Dumb Crooks
Celebrity Lawsuits
Strange Lawsuits
Dumb Crooks
Long
Strange Lawsuits
THE REEL STUFF
Short
Box Office Bloopers
Medium
Errol Flynn’s Last Stand
(Not) Coming to a Theater Near You
Video Treasures
The Biggest Cult Movie of All Time
Long
Citizen Kane
MUSIC
Short
You’re My Inspiration
Off Your Rocker
Medium
A (Bad) Night at the Opera
Behind the Hits
Uncle John’s Bottom 10 Records
Country Hits
Behind the Hits
THE NAME GAME
Short
For Your Reading Pleasure
The Name Game
Medium
Founding Fathers
See You in Hell!
PHOTOGRAPHY
Short
Camera Obscura
Medium
World’s First Photograph
Here’s Looking at You
Photography Begins to Gel
Long
“Mirrors With a Memory
Photomania
“You Press the Button, We Do the Rest”
ORIGINS
Short
Firsts
Firsts
Medium
Firsts
Automible Firsts
Firsts
MYTHS & LEGENDS
Short
Myth-Conceptions
Myth-Spoken
Medium
Aliens Strutted Around in My Wife’s Pantyhose
The Legend of King Arthur
Aesop’s Fables
Myth-America
It’s a Bust
Long
Genuine Fake: Lincoln’s Log Cabin
PHRASES & WORD ORIGINS
Short
“Hoy, Hoy”
Medium
Word Origins
What the #!&%?
Familiar Phrases
Word Origins
Making Small Talk
POP SCIENCE
Short
Random Science Trivia
What’s in Toothpaste?
Q&A: Ask the Experts
Disgusting Facts
Medium
It’s About Time
Q&A: Ask the Experts
How Soap Works
Modern Quackery
Q&A: Ask the Experts
Mirror Mirror on the Wall
PUBLIC LIVES
Short
Celebrity Gossip
Family Feud
Nudes and Prudes
Family Feud
Celebrity Gossip
Medium
Famous for 15 Minutes
The Secret Hitler File
Nudes & Prudes
Crème
de la
Crud
Family Feuds
Long
Famous for
Minutes.com
Famous for 15 Minutes
POP-POURRI
Short
Revenge!
Uncle John’s List of Sixes
If You
Three Near Misses
Uncle John’s Page of Lists
You’re My Inspiration
If You
Aunt Lenna’s Puzzler
Medium
Mow ‘Em Down
Just Plane Weird
Unusual Inventions
Underwear in the News
Dubious Achievers
*Things That Fell from the Sky
THAT’S DEATH!
Short
Famous Last Words
Ironic Deaths
Swan Songs
Medium
They Went Thataway
Rumors of My Death
The Final Edition
Rumors of My Death
They Went Thataway
POLITICS
Short
Poli-talks
Bushisms
Poli-talks
Medium
The Politically Correct Quiz
Long
*Join the Party
THAT’S LIFE!
Short
Ironic, Isn’t It?
Medium
Lucky Finds
The House Call of a Lifetime
Amazing Luck
Lucky Finds
Ironic, Isn’t It?
It’s a Weird World
It’s a Weird World
It’s a Weird World
THE WOMEN’S ROOM
Short
America’s Money Laundress
Kate’s Greats
Woman to Woman
The Birth of Scotchgard
Medium
First Ladies Firsts