Rudie Obias

Joined: Jan 10, 2013

Rudie Obias lives in Brooklyn, New York. He's a freelance writer interested in cinema, pop culture, science fiction, and web culture. His work can be found at ShockYa.com, MoviePilot.com, UPROXX, io9, ScreenRant.com, Giantfreakinrobot.com, and, of course, Mental Floss. He is also a Co-Working Evangelist for Bat Haus Co-Working in Brooklyn.

Level up your smartphone game by dumbing it all down.

How To Turn Your Smartphone Into a “Dumb Phone”

5 Classic Game Shows That Used To Be Different

Think every food can go in the freezer? Think again.

9 Foods You Should Never Put in the Freezer

What Exactly Are Sand Fleas, Anyway?

They can make cars look a bit cooler in the looks department, too.

Do Sun Shades Actually Keep Cars Cool During Summer?

Do sun shades really help reduce the interior temperatures of cars during the summer months, or is it just part of how companies sell them to shoppers?

The dog days of summer are about to get a lot more scenic.

These 20 Beaches Have the Best Sunsets, According to TripAdvisor

Discover the best beaches in the U.S. to explore this summer for postcard-perfect sunsets, including spots across New England and even Washington State.

These bugs are more likely to take over your summer vacation if you're in these cities.

25 U.S. Cities That’ll Have the Worst Mosquito Problems This Summer

Don’t want to bug out this summer? From Los Angeles to Houston and even Detroit, these are the U.S. cities that experts expect will have the worst problems with mosquitoes in 2025.

These throwback scents still put us in another time and place.

7 Discontinued Perfumes From the ‘90s and ‘00s That Smelled Amazing

From retired Victoria’s Secret perfumes to fragrances from Calvin Klein and others, these discontinued scents will always be great for a nostalgia trip.

Pepsi Jazz’s discontinued Black Cherry and French Vanilla flavor.

12 Discontinued Coca-Cola and Pepsi Sodas

You’ve heard of New Coke and Crystal Pepsi. Here are 12 more Coca-Cola and Pepsi sodas that have been discontinued over the years.

Standing in solidarity helps create real change around the world.

How To Stay Safe During a Protest

Preparedness matters before attending a demonstration. Here’s everything you need to know about how to stay safe during a protest, from what to bring to what your rights are, and more.

7 Things You Should Never Buy at Costco

From bagels to mattresses, there are some Costco products you’re better off skipping the next time you go on a shopping trip.

Resist the temptation—and save money in the process.

What Is the ‘No Buy’ Trend—and How Do You Actually Pull It Off?

TikTok’s “No Buy 2025” trend has been blowing up online, but what does it really entail, and is it even possible to follow? We break down the pros and cons here, plus how to get started.

The Rarest Baby Name in Each State

Looking for inspiration? Discover the rarest baby names in the United States according to Go Au Pair, from Arizona’s Noname to Maine’s Winner.

Snake Holes in Your Backyard? Here’s What To Do About It

Learn more about how to identify snake holes, including what signs to look for and which snakes are most likely to be slithering in your backyard.

7 of the Most Memorable Energy Drinks That Got Discontinued

Discontinued energy drinks like Surge, Vault, and MTN Dew Energy might be gone from stores, but the memory of them still gives us a nice little pick-me-up.

And more importantly: Is it actually worth the higher cost?

Why Is It Called “Extra Virgin” Olive Oil?

You’ve seen that “extra virgin” olive oil label plenty of times at the grocery store. Ever stop and wonder what it actually means?