(via Bad Newspaper)
Sunday, May 31, 2015
9 Signs Cats Are Plotting World Domination
It’s no secret that cats are biding their time, waiting for just the right moment to take over. However, the fact that we are onto their machinations makes them no less adorable. Cole and Marmalade don’t even bother to hide their intentions much.
(via Laughing Squid)
If Men Had Periods
Here’s a video that puts the “men” in menstruation! If men had periods, they’d treat it as a challenge, to be faced with manly courage and hi-tech solutions. Something to brag about, even!
This video is from WaterAid, an organization dedicated to bringing clean water and sanitary facilities to the world.
We've launched our ‘If Men Had Periods’ campaign to raise awareness of the 1.25 billion women around the world who do not have access to a toilet during their periods. We are calling on people to sign our ‘Make it Happen’ petition to help get women the dignity they deserve.You’ll find the petition here. (via Time)
Fears
We carry our fears around with us everywhere we go. They can hide in the background, then overwhelm us when we least expect it, and they sometimes even comfort us. Occasionally, experience brings us new fears. That’s the subtext of this animated video made by Nata Metlukh as her graduation project at the Vancouver Film School.
The Tiny Bake Off
Cooking competition shows are very popular. What could make them even more popular? Have toddlers as contestants! In this cooking show, four kids somewhere between one and two years old try their hand at making cupcakes. Hosts Tobias and Bubber cover the process, which consists mainly of mess making, and judge the final results in an oh-so serious manner.
This is actually a skit from the Danish comedy/talk series The Sofie Linde Show. In Danish with English subtitles. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Social Media Rhapsody
How many different ways have we heard "Bohemian Rhapsody"? All of them? No, you are sadly mistaken. A collaborative online game between Jim Jarmo, Kamran Malik, Woodstock Taylor, and Christophe Gowans grew into this mammoth pun video based on social media accounts. It may take you a little bit of time to get into it, but soon your mouth will hang open at the scope of the project. And I completely lost it when the first guitar solo started. (via b3ta)
Procrastination Patch
I never completed all the requirements, but I think I've mastered the art. (via Bits and Pieces)
This Dog Wants to Be Adopted
This is not an ad about pet adoption, though. It’s an ad about the power of TV advertising. It worked for me. I bet that couple took the dog home and didn’t even make him live up to his promises. That is, if it were a real story. (via reddit)
Oh, it turns out I was right! Here’s what happened to Harvey later in his new home:
300 Rockets at Once
Inventor Colin Furze wanted a special video to celebrate his million YouTube subscribers. So he set of 300 rockets at once in a short but spectacular fireworks display that I hope he warned the neighbors about. There’s no mention of a visit from the police, so I guess the fallout was benign. You can also see a video about preparations for the stunt. (via Viral Viral Videos)
Friday, May 29, 2015
Player 3 has Joined the Game
This dashcam footage was recorded during a street race on the Autobahn. A 350Z Procharger is racing a Porsche 991 GT3. Then the Volkswagen shows up. We should call him Herbie. (via reddit)
Duck is Excited to See Jonny
Jonny has a pet duck named Nibbles. But Jonny has to go to school and leave Nibbles at home. When Mom goes to pick Jonny up at the bus stop, Nibbles goes along and is ecstatic to see Jonny get off the bus. That’s a good duck. (via Daily Picks and Flicks)
MIT’s Cheetah Robot Learns the Running Jump
MIT’s Biomimetic Robotics Lab created the Cheetah. Now it has become the first four-legged robot to “see” and jump over hurdles in its path while running. When you think of the many instant calculations that a flesh-and-blood animal must do to accomplish this (even though they do it quickly and constantly), this robot is all the more impressive.
It won’t be so cool when these things are chasing you. Take some comfort in the fact that robotics engineers type in anagrams the way I do and “algorithms” comes out as “algrotihms.” (via reddit)
Miss Cellania's Links
Training Young Doctors: The Current Crisis.
10 reasons Walmart is the worst company in America.
NASA thought Sally Ride needed 100 tampons for 1 week “just to be safe.” From what?
10,000 Years of Artificial Cranial Modification. (via the Presurfer)
20 excellent scientists in mainstream film and TV. The ones that are smart, accurate, and not trying to take over the world.
Flavorwire’s Complete Guide to Summer 2015 TV. With so many new things to select from, you’ll need some help steering toward your new cup of tea.
23 Vintage Photos That Show What Summer Fun Looked Like Before The Internet. If you try to recreate those moments, take your sunscreen.
The Big Business of Selling Your Old Clothes. Secondhand clothing is more popular than ever, but that doesn’t mean your closet is worth much.
I stopped forcing my toddler to eat dinner — and guess what? Nothing happened. Fighting with children over food is a game you can never win.
9 Cats with Careers
Some cats have a particularly useful set of skills that come in handy in the workplace. Sure, they are usually experts at pest control, but that is often superceded by their ability to boost word-of-mouth advertising, draw new customers, and lessen employee stress. Meet a few that excel at their jobs -or not, but they still aren't in danger of layoff- in a list I posted at mental_floss.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Kung Fury: the Movie
When I posted the trailer for the potential movie Kung Fury a year-and-a-half ago, I described it thusly:
Kung Fury is a trailer that would like to be a real movie someday. Kung Fury is a cop who's also a martial arts master. He travels through time to defeat Hitler, with the help of Vikings -and dinosaurs! It's a sendup of '80s cop movies, with any movie trope that was ever (or might be) vaguely successful thrown in. I'd watch it. You know you would, too. Written and directed by Swedish filmmaker David Sandberg (Laser Unicorns), who also stars as Kung Fury.That's pretty much the size of it. The idea got everyone so excited that internet backers raised over half a million dollars to fund the movie, which is now a full 30-minute story, available here and now. If you are in Sweden and cannot access the YouTube video, see it here. The music soundtrack is available here, and the video for "True Survivor" by David Hasselhoff is here. Sandberg says he will have a feature-length movie ready in the next three years. (via reddit)
The A-Z of YouTube
YouTube celebrates ten years of viral videos with an alphabetic salute to the different types of videos that made it a success. There are dozens and dozens of references that go by fast, but there are barely any that I’m not familiar with -which just goes to show how much I’ve been living on the internet over the past decade. Try to guess what will represent the next letter of the alphabet before you get to it, if you must, but you won’t guess any that are better than the ones chosen. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Miss Cellania's Links
I Was a Proud Non-Breeder. Then I Changed My Mind. (via Digg)
Kuku Kube is a game of perception. All you have to do is select the square that’s a different shade from all the others. The highest score I got was a 30, but I might have done better with my glasses on. (via Buzzfeed)
Tiny bear cubs have the world's cutest wrestling match. In the middle of the road at Yosemite, no less.
I’m Too Whimsical For Jail. Funny or Die channels Johnny Depp for a response to an arrest warrant in Australia.
Marion Deuchars’ Let’s Make some Great Fingerprint Art. See several delightful animations that started with a fingerprint or two.
7 Things You Should Know About the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The competition is not for the faint of heart.
Silicon Valley Discovers the Cheapest Way to Help the Homeless: Give Them Homes. The savings in public assistance programs is way more than the rent.
21 Kids Who Take Napping To The Next Level. Never let the lack of an appropriate place stop you when the urge to snooze hits you.
Ten Legendary Monsters of North America: actually, 29 of them in parts one, two, and three.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Miss Cellania's Links
How to Build a Living Summer Shade Structure.
The 25 Best Summer Movies of All Time. Action and adventure trump everything else for summer blockbusters.
20 Things You Didn’t Know About Disney Theme Parks. The most scripted place on earth leaves no detail unplanned.
19 Animal Vines Guaranteed To Make You Laugh. That’s only a minute and half invested for smiles and giggles.
The ultimate status symbol for millionaire moms on New York's Upper East Side is not what you'd expect. Lots of children mean lots of conspicuous consumption.
10 Myths About Spiders. They are bad enough without the untruths adding to their reputations.
10 Modern Variations on Macaroni and Cheese. Make some to go with your leftover Memorial Day barbecue.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
13 Bookstore Cats
Curling up with a good book and a cat is a heavenly experience.
Libraries and bookstores know that, and having a cat around is not only
good for customers relations and advertising, they also keep mice away.
And they make the folks who work there happy. Over the years, we’ve
brought you several lists of bookstores and their resident cats. Here are a baker's dozen more of them for your enjoyment in a new list I posted at mental_floss.
Sweet Baby Rylai
Look at this adorable puppy! Except… she’s not a puppy, she’s a kit. Rylai is a red fox (Vulpes vulpes), barely a month old. She was selectively bred to be white, and is not an albino. Her owner Jennifer has an FAQ on Facebook that answers a lot of questions about Rylai and fox ownership in general.
At such a young age, Rylai has drawn quite a following on Facebook and Instagram. No doubt she’ll grow to be a beautiful adult vixen. (via Scribol)
Miss Cellania's Links
76 trombones, 110 cornets, 10,000 marbles: 11 parades gone awry. You can see a normal parade in real life, but pop culture doesn’t work that way.
The 10 Best Game of Thrones Theme Song Covers. Hear it played with a flute, cello, electric guitar, dog, and floppy drive.
How to cosplay as any character from Mad Max: Fury Road. You’ll be a hit at the Halloween party, and people may toss spare change at you on the street.
How a Very Wrong Answer Changed the World. The answer mattered less than the fact that the experiment was attempted at all.
This Adorable Snow-White Baby Fox Will Instantly Melt Your Heart. Rylai the white marble red fox has become a star of Instagram.
Minnesota: Land Of 10,000 Dessert Salads. Just chop up all the sweet things you like and mix it with Cool Whip.
19 Times Tumblr Got Serious About The Struggles Of Women In Our Society.
The Festival of Moros y Cristianos.
15 Things You Might Not Know About Thelma & Louise.
Monday, May 25, 2015
Diversity Task Force
Looks like they need one. (via Bits and Pieces)
Update: What appears to be a college faux pas is really a journalistic snafu. Read the story of how this article went so wrong.
Update: What appears to be a college faux pas is really a journalistic snafu. Read the story of how this article went so wrong.
Miss Cellania's Links
A new program about race at a progressive New York elementary school has parents stirred up. Is it promoting a necessary discussion or forcing kids to think in racial terms? (via Digg)
Frank Norris and the Invention of Film Editing.
The Pencilsword: On a plate. A brief explanation of privilege in comic form. (via Boing Boing)
The Groundbreaking History Of Star Wars Toys.
16 Things You Might Not Know About Rambo: First Blood Part II for its 30th anniversary.
10 Horror Movies That Were Really Cursed. The filmmaking itself was the real nightmare.
Cambodia’s first elite salvage dive team works to remove unexploded ordnance -bombs- from the ocean. Photographer Charles Fox recorded their dangerous work in a new photo series.
25 People Who Maybe Should Have Said More To Their Barber. You might end up with some random artistic interpretation.
10 TARDIS Dresses for Fancy Occasions. Yes, it’s a machine, but a fashionably attractive machine.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Riker: Episode One
What if Commander William Riker got his own spinoff show after Star Trek: The Next Generation? It might go something like this fan edit that puts Number One in the star position. It’s the beginning of what may be a continuing series, with the next episode coming in about a month.
Those who occupy a certain strange corner of the internet might recognize this style as the work of Jan van den Hemel, who worked together with fellow video editor Andrew Hussie to make dozens of hilarious The Next Generation edits back in the late 2000s. Riker is the first new TNG video from Hemel in nearly five years, and if you're a fan, you'll be glad to hear that more are on the way.You can see their earlier Star Trek: TNG videos here. (via Uproxx)
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Jimmy Fallon and Dwayne Johnson's 1989 Commencement Speech
Things were different in 1989. Jimmy Fallon does his best Wayne Campbell impression while giving an address to his own graduation class …in 1989. (via Viral Viral Videos)
Congratulations!
Today is the day. Princess graduates from high school tonight. I probably won't be around most of the day (although there will be posts) because I have family in from out of town, a big lunch party, and an evening full of sitting until my butt hurts and probably a few tears. (via Fark)
Trailer Park Millionaires
This is a class on how to rake in the dough on the backs of the poor. They just come out and say it, there’s a huge number of poor people and you can make money off them. The Guardian has more in an article about the racket. (via Metafilter)
The Simple Logical Puzzle That Shows How Illogical People Are
The Wason Selection Task was developed by English psychologist Peter Wason to study how people think. They often don’t think rationally. I found the most difficult part was the multiple-choice answer, because there were a lot of them. Mine was right! More than 90% of Wason’s original subjects selected the wrong answer. You can read about Wason’s research into the human tendency to select irrational paths at Nautilus. (via Digg)
Friday, May 22, 2015
Why Graduates Dress the Way They Do
My mind and my time have been preoccupied this week because my older daughter is graduating from high school this weekend. I’ve been to her art show, awards ceremony, spring concert, banquets, parties, the baccalaureate service, and still have more to come. We’ve assembled a dress, mortarboard, tassel, gown, stole, and honor cords to wear. It’s hard to remember, but both my graduations back in the ‘70s seemed simpler. I could have worn the same cheap black gown for both high school and college graduation. And the same gold tassel, too. So I took a look at the history of caps and gowns for an article I wrote for mental_floss.
Miss Cellania's Links
The Stories Behind Graduation Traditions.
Al Jazeera America was born of much promise for journalism, but is suffering under mismanagement, sexism, and layoffs.
10 Famous People Who Were Afraid They'd Be Buried Alive.
Art Museum Uses Medieval Paintings To Hilariously Recap Game Of Thrones. The J. Paul Getty Museum uses their own art, which parallels the show quite well.
An “Elphie”is a Selfie Taken by an Elephant. It actually happened at a sanctuary in Thailand.
Celebrities Who Have Mastered The Art Of Photobombing. These are the kind of ruined pictures you show to everyone.
If you saw Mad Max: Fury Road and hunger for more, check out these 12 Post-Apocalyptic Road Movies.
Ducks In England Get Their Own Walking Lanes So Humans Don't Ruffle Their Feathers. That’s one way to get your ducks in a row.
10 Forms of Online Harassment. Recognize which you’ve had to deal with, and do commit these sins.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
David Letterman's Final Thank You and Good Night
In case you were working last night and missed Dave Letterman’s final show, here’s his farewell speech. Or if you are of a certain age in which you recall when Letterman was on NBC or even remember his morning show (like I do), you may have been unable to stay awake that late.
You can also see clips featuring his final entrance, the opening monologue, the Foo Fighters playing “Everlong” behind a photo montage of Dave’s many memorable moments on TV, a presidential sendoff, and the final Top Ten List.
Happy retirement, Dave! (via The Week)
Billy Crystal On Today’s Flawed Sports Stars
Is there any group of celebrities left that kids can look up to as heroes? Billy Crystal thinks he may have found one, but even they have their faults. (via Digg)
Miss Cellania's Links
Fascinating Facts From The Empire Strikes Back On Its 35th Anniversary.
Did you know that there was once a possibility of a sequel to E.T.: The Extraterrestrial? In 1982, Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison came up with a 9-page treatment for a film called E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears.
(via Boing Boing)
Wealthy school districts are cracking down on “education thieves” A side effect of the unequal system of funding schools with local property taxes.
Starving Felons, and Other Lessons from Prison Archaeology.
These Are the Four Types of Drunk College Students, According to Science. Are you a Hemingway, a Mary Poppins, a Mr. Hyde, or the Nutty Professor?
A mother blackbird feeds brand new baby birds in their nest. Oh, you’re too dumb to chew your food? I’ll just take it out of your mouth and give it to your brother.
Blacksmiths in the town of Nuanquan, China, throw molten metal in the air in a dangerous display of light and skill. It’s all part of the entertainment and celebration of the Da Shuhua festival.
Delta gathered all the best memes for this ridiculous safety video. Many of the people who originated the memes got a paycheck out of this.
Redrawing Taylor Swift
Forty-nine students at the University of Newcastle drew Taylor Swift’s video for the song “Shake It Off.” They each were assigned to rotoscope 52 frames and give it their own style. What they ended up with is alternatively beautiful, surreal, and hilarious. You’ll be surprised by the creative flourishes that pop up when you least expect them. (via Time)
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Game of Thrones: The Musical
Tyrion Lannister wants you to know that he hasn’t died yet. Peter Dinklage and Coldplay give us song about Game of Thrones for Red Nose Day, a charity telethon celebrated in Britain for years, and this year coming to NBC May 21st.
6 More Magnificent Women in Their Flying Machines
Women took to the skies even before the airplane was invented. And once
those planes were available, there was no shortage of people wanting to
learn to fly, including plenty of women who became legends. We saw some
of them in the previous article Those Magnificent Ladies in Their Flying Machines. Now let’s meet a few more and hear the stories behind them, in another article I posted at mental_floss.
Miss Cellania's Links
David Letterman, my hero. Raam Wong shares his memories of the TV host whose final show is tonight.
For the Highest-Paid C.E.O.s, the Party Goes On.
45 Photos Of Black Graduates Guaranteed To Make You Say “YAAASS.” That’s a lot of joy on one page.
How Much of Your Life Has the U.S. Spent at War? The Washington Post made a table for American born in the past 100 years. (via Digg)
Ridiculously Cute Clouded Leopard Quadruplets Born At Tacoma Zoo. They got their first portraits taken at one week old.
Horses Use Their 'Voices' To Convey Their Emotions Just Like Humans Do. Hear an audio example of the difference in positive and negative whinnies.
The 45 Best 30 Rock Insults. They are almost poetry- poetry that cuts deep.
Here's Why Famous Authors Chose Their Fake Names. Some wanted privacy, while others were hiding from the law.
When Gamers Decorate: 7 Awesome Video Game Rooms. You don’t have to have children as an excuse to do this, but kids make it a lot of fun.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, starring Anna Kendrick
What would the Indiana Jones movies be like with a female Indy? If it were anything like this skit, Dr. Jones would have just as much snark, but she’s be treated a bit differently. Anna Kendrick stars in a video produced for NBC’s version of Red Nose Day, a charity telethon coming up May 21st. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Possum in the Closet
I can’t stand possums because they’re ugly and slow and have a tendency to surprise you in the dark. Mind you, I’m talking about nasty-looking New World “opossums” and not the cuter Old World “possums.” This woman found one hiding in her closet and considered it a monster -until she found out that this critter had a litter. I have to admit that empathy for a fellow mom changes one’s attitude- even mine. (via Neatorama)
Miss Cellania's Links
Welcome to Nintendo Land: 14 attractions at the Nintendo theme park of our dreams. Let’s see if Universal is open to any of these ideas for their theme parks.
Enjoy Stephen Colbert’s Hilarious and Insightful Graduation Speech. The Wake Forest class of 2015 scored a viral commencement address.
School dress codes don't protect students—they force teachers to police girls’ bodies. Reading an account from a teacher will make you so glad you’re no longer in high school.
How to Build a Fake Ancient City in Just 5 Years. Skopje, Macedonia, wants to get away from Soviet architecture by recreating the past.
11 common tech myths you should stop believing today. Constant product improvement means things that were once true can change overnight.
A Brutally Honest Food Pyramid For Every Stage Of Adulthood. They aren’t nutritious, but they reflect what is really consumed (except I'm apparently only 41).
An Interview With the Real-Life Ad Man Who Created That Coca-Cola Commercial.
27 Dogs Who Are So Over Graduation Day.
Will Herring’s cat wakes him up at 3AM every day, so he created the game Garbage Cat. You, the cat, try to wake your human up. (via Metafilter)
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” on Accordion
You never ever thought you’d hear this song played on accordion, did you? This was recorded in Seattle during the book release party for Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan’s new book How to Be a Man: (and other illusions). Bassist Krist Novoselic of Nirvana took out his trusty accordion and jammed with McKagan. (via Uproxx)
Monday, May 18, 2015
Black Widow Title Sequence
For his final project in an After Effects class, Christopher Haley made a speculative title sequence for a Black Widow movie. I hope he got an A in the class. I love the way it evokes a James Bond spy film and separates Black Widow from the normal Marvel superhero style and makes it something unique. The song is “Sour Times" by Portishead.
Cut off one head, two more shall take it's place. . . For this speculative title sequence of a Black Widow film I decided Black Widow's villain would be. . . Black Widow. Yelena Belova, to be specific. Belova believes herself to be the superior Black Widow, and in some ways she is right. Swift and ruthless, Belova is the most talented assassin to graduate from the Red Room--and now she is Hydra's most deadly weapon. At Belova's side is a super-soldier of her own, Alexi Shostakov--the Red Guardian, who also happens to be Natasha's former lover. When the new heads of Hydra make a play for the power of the infinity stones it is up to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agent to stop them.Marvel has movies scheduled through 2020, but sadly, a Black Widow film is not among them. Maybe in a few years, Haley will be in a position to direct one. (via Daily of the Day)
Cats Play Homemade Whack-a-Mole Game
Someone spent a lot of time and effort to make this game for the cats -and they apparently got that much fun out of it! (via Neatorama)
Chickens
John Oliver devoted a lot of time on his show Last Week Tonight to chickens. No, he didn’t spend the time talking about the horrid conditions on factory farms, although it was mentioned, but rather the unconscionable way that major chicken companies deal with farmers. Once again, corporations with unlimited political funds wield power over the hardworking folk on the bottom of the ladder. And the farmers can’t even complain about it.
Miss Cellania's Links
What Would Your Name Be if You Were Born Today? Time built a generator that calculates it based on the ranking of the name you got. (via Metafilter)
Taylor Hale, declared brain-dead three years ago, is graduating from high school today. This is not a joke about grade inflation.
6 Great Movies That Were A Disaster Behind The Scenes. Don’t miss the story behind The African Queen, even if you haven’t seen the movie.
Kate Willaert drew the Avengers in their original comic book style to match their poses on the movie posters. She did an awesome job! (via Buzzfeed)
14 Avengers Who Were Also X-Men. We’re not surprised that being born a mutant can be a shortcut to superhero status.
10 Incredible Bits Of Advice From Famous Writers' Commencement Speeches. Inspiring, no matter how long ago you graduated.
This May Be The Biggest Picture Day Fail Of All Time. But honestly, who expects toddlers to sit still for a group picture?
Pop Culture’s Fiercest Warrior Women. I’m sure you can think of a few more to add.
3 Little Pigs and Their Military Service. They were all Navy pigs, and one was even a defector from Germany.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Laugh, Because It’s So True
This is exactly why you have to put a little time between finding out what your kid did and confronting him about it. Parenting experts will tell you it’s because you need to cool off in order to deliver calm, rational discipline instead of venting in anger. We’ll just let the kids think that. What we really need is a little time to put on our adult hat. No one illustrates this better than Lunarbaboon.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Ultron Funk
It’s a natural mashup, The Avengers: Age of Ultron and “Uptown Funk.” And the lyrics are pretty clever, too! Watch Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and the Hulk get down in this video by the Screen Team. Ultron, too! (via Neatorama)
Miss Cellania's Links
Mad Max: Fury Road: Fast, Thrilling, and (Yes) Feminist. What may be the biggest action movie of the year manages to include women the way superhero films don’t.
An Interview with Mad Max: Fury Road Director George Miller. Learn some background on the film before you go and see it.
The Opah Is The First Warm-Blooded Fish Ever Found. Heat generation gives it a real advantage in the cold ocean depths.
Why workaholics are faking longer hours — and what that says about American businesses. It’s easier to cheat the system than to change it.
Oh, help me, I’ve found another simple but addictive game that I will have to practice until I’m good at it. In Twenty, you stack tiles that have the same value until they get to twenty. (via Metafilter)
Revenge Zombies and Necropants: A Brief History of Icelandic Sorcery .
I Hunt Serial Killers: 6 Facts You Thought Movies Made Up.
A Life in Motion, Stopped Cold. Laís Souza was headed to her third Olympics in her second sport when she suddenly became completely paralyzed.
Went fishing, caught deer. Here’s the story.
