We see fossil reconstructions or illustrations of species that have come and gone and we sometimes say, “Come on now, that can’t be real!” Or maybe you don’t, but I have, because these creatures look like they came from a horror film or a child’s most frightening nightmares. Meet eight of them in this list I posted at mental_floss.
Georgia's new law HB-87 has driven so many illegal immigrants out of the state that no one is left willing to pick the crops. Millions of dollars in fruit and vegetables may rot as the farmers cannot afford to offer decent wages. (via Boing Boing)
The Hauntening: Some poltergeists are more competent than others.
Animals who steal are referred to as kleptomaniacs, or in the case of cats, “cat burglars,” but they most likely just think of themselves as collectors -they find something they like and take it, with no consideration of the ethics involved. Cats are particularly successful collectors, as they have the combination of curiosity, stealth, and agility necessary for a successful career in petty larceny. Meet seven of these feline felons in an article I posted at mental_floss.
Harrowing, Heartbreaking Tales of Overworked Americans. Is it worth it to work faster, harder, and longer for a paycheck just because there are fewer jobs? (via Metafilter)
"Chicken in Black" by Johnny Cash.
Why your city’s signature food is dumb. In all honesty, you don’t have to eat and enjoy the made-up local dish just because you love the city.
Flow charts are wonderful for mapping processes for machines, as they lay out a sequence of binary decisions, meaning yes or no. When you think about it, most of what we do in life is also based on yes/no decisions -you just have to break the problem down into small pieces to see that clearly. In these ten flow charts I posted at mental_floss, we see how life choices can be broken down into a set of binary decisions taken to a ridiculous degree.
How did your pet fish die? He was hit by a car!
The Search for Cleopatra. She was the world’s first celebrity, but we still don’t know where she was buried.
Hollywood loves gorillas. They are mysterious and scary, yet close enough to human for an actor to play one. Many actors and special effects pros have portrayed gorillas at one time or another in movies such as Gorillas in the Mist or the Planet of the Apes series, but some became particularly known for being “the guy in the gorilla suit.” At first, the only requirement for a star gorilla was that one own a gorilla suit. As the competition heated up, these guys had to bring something special to their roles. Read about ten of them in this article I wrote for mental_floss.
Summer Solstice Celebrations. What are you going to do to mark this first day of summer?
The Surprisingly Cool History of Ice.
Horton Sees a Pluto. It's like Dr. Seuss meets Dr. Phil Plait (the Bad Astronomer).
Nominative determinism is the theory that a person’s name has some influence over what they do with their life. Keep that in mind as you read this story. A young red-tailed hawk fell out of a nest that was being monitored by a webcam in Portland. A police officer was able to put the bird in a box and take it to the Audubon Society. His name? Officer McCageor “Cage” Byrd. This is not quite an example of nominative determinism, but it’s the perfect name for this particular story. Now, if Cage Bird were to become an ornithologist or a pet shop owner, that would be nominative determinism. Other terms for the same phenomenon are aptonyms or aptronyms, although those words do not necessarily connote a career path. Meet a whole bunch of folks whose names describe what they do, in an article I wrote for mental_floss.Pictured is meteorologist Amy Freeze.
How to Screw with Car Salesmen (and Get a Better Deal). It’s nothing personal between you two, just a tug-of-war over your money.
Curious Cat Meet Musical Mouse. Only it’s all in his fuzzy little head.
He's unbelievable! He's some dog! He's a lifesaver! That's what l'll call him, too! Ol' Lifesaver! That will be your name! -Navin R. Johnson in The Jerk
Dogs are wonderful. They are goofy and fun and smart and dedicated. Most of the time, they are just fun to be around, but when the situation calls for it, some dogs go above and beyond the call of duty. Out of many, many heroic dog tales, here are ten dogs who recently saved someone’s life in a list I posted at mental_floss. That’s a good dog.
6 Stripes for Flag Day. That is, six stories about American flags you’ll be glad to know about.
Snap, Crackle, and Pop!
All over the world, little children learn their letters, numbers, and bad jokes watching the Muppets on their local version of Sesame Street. See a sample of the shows from the far corners of the earth, in a video collection I posted at mental_floss.
Germans obsessively listing all their possessions for hundreds of years may sound like the set-up for a joke. Except they really did it, and now computers are crunching those lists to get a picture of the history of consumerism and commerce.
Earlier this week I was working on a list of science fiction-inspired furniture when I became distracted by a number of creative science fiction quilts. When I returned to the matter at hand, I found quite a few ways to take your home “out of this world.” See a dozen science fiction-inspired beds, chairs, and tables in this list I posted at mental_floss.
An environmental group in Quebec set a bottle out on a walkway, close by a recycling bin. How long will they wait before someone bothers to pick it up?
The movie Saving Private Ryan was based on the true story of Sergeant Fritz Niland, who stumbled upon his brother’s French graves in 1944. But Niland’s story has a bit of a surprise ending.
Science fiction fans are a creative bunch, which only makes sense if you think about it. And nothing makes a more personal gift than a handmade quilt that someone you love has poured their time and creativity into in order to display your geeky interests. Here are a dozen such projects, in a list I posted at mental_floss.
A bride rocks the house at her wedding reception. Drummer Annette Ortiz-Diaz is currently the bass player for Random Ninjas. Her new husband is Dennis Diaz, seen here on guitar and vocals. More here.
4 Little Creatures That Pack a Big Scientific Punch.
Cyriak Harris has a weird new animation about how sheep multiply. If you know Cyriak, you can guess what it’s like.Even though Uncle Eldon and Uncle Harold protested that this instrument does not lend itself well to duets, we convinced them to try it. I mean, how often do you have two people in the same room who play the saw?Well, the odds are good that it will happen more often if they are brothers. (via Arbroath)
Most of us, at one time or another, imagine what it would be like if there were another person just like us. Twins already know what this is like. They have the same family, the same childhood experiences, and in the case of identical twins, the same DNA, yet they are separate people who eventually build their individual lives. But some twins share more than others. Read about twins who share things the rest of us cannot understand in this article I wrote for mental_floss.
Our Scandalous Vice Presidents. These men obviously had too much free time on their hands.
Finally, after six years of blogging, there's a Miss Cellania t-shirt! This lovely design by Chris Murphy is based on the masthead art by Brother Bill. Now you can wear Groucho glasses without compromising your field of vision or scaring the children! Just $14.95. The shirt is also available as a hoodie or sweatshirt if you prefer. Three different shirt colors to choose from. The Miss Cellania T-shirt is the first item in the new Miss Cellania Shop at Neatorama!
It's like a store within a store at the NeatoShop. Besides the t-shirt, you'll find other items I personally recommend (and there will be more added as we go along). The best part is that I get a cut of any purchase you make -without affecting the everyday price. Get your Miss Cellania t-shirt today, and check out the other items at the Miss Cellania Shop!
Things I've Learned from Law & Order. And more things.
