(via Bad Newspaper)
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Batman and Robin -or a Reasonable Facsimile
This clip is from the Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special from the BBC. I found it in the more recent story about two guys who were cosplaying and rescued a man off the coast of Sussex.
The Kitten’s Great Escape
A kitten finds a way to escape his enclosure at JoLinn Pet House, a pet shop in Taiwan. But then what? Where does he go? Straight into another enclosure, this one with a puppy! The puppy is exceedingly happy with the company. The kitten might have some regrets about the caper. (via Viral Viral Videos)
Market Street, San Francisco, 1906
On April 14, 1906, brothers Harry and Herbert Miles filmed the scene on the left as they rode a cable car down Market Street in San Francisco. You see the hustle and bustle of the city with trolley cars, pedestrians, automobiles, and horse-drawn wagons sharing the street.
Four days later, an earthquake killed 3,000 people and destroyed most of the city. A cameraman believed to be Otis M. Gove filmed the same street just after the destruction. The film is not as clear due to dust and smoke, but you can see the destroyed buildings and the survivors shuffling through the streets as if they were ghosts. You have to wonder how many of the people seen in the video on the left did not survive the quake. (via History Buff)
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To pay tribute to the classic American diner, Extra Crispy compiled a list, not of the 50 best diners ranked, but a great diner from each state in the Union.
The Humiliating Practice of Sex-Testing Female Athletes.
The Uncertain Future of Saving the Past. The people tasked with protecting objects that make up the backbone of our culture use a lot of trial and error along with their science.
The 19 countries with the highest quality of life. The reason it goes to 19 is because that’s where the United States ranks.
How Old Is Your Body, Really? If all our cells are constantly being replaced, what part of us stays the same?
America's First "Climate Refugees.” Between rising sea levels, delta engineering, and environmental damage by oil companies, Louisiana is losing dry land at an alarming rate.
The science of a successful first date. Figure out what you need to know before you try to size someone up.
Fourth of July Fireworks. They’ve got a history much older than the United States.
Mascot Dance Battle
It’s the San Diego Chicken vs. Barney the Dinosaur! Or, for you younger folks, the “Famous Chicken.” (via reddit)
See also: Benny the Bull.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
100 Building Demolitions
Explosions, implosions, and general destruction caught on video! This is like porn for those who like to see things fall down and go boom. But you might want to pause and come back to it later… you get inured to the destruction after a while. (via Michael Leavitt)
The Star-Spangled Banner at the Lincoln Memorial
Star Genleah Swain was touring the Lincoln Memorial in Washington and was inspired. The acoustics are good, the feeling was there, so she gave in to a dare from her companions and sang the Star Spangled Banner right there in with a bunch of tourists. And she nailed it. A good time was had by all. (via Viral Viral Videos)
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9 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of a Shark Week Cinematographer.
Caltech glassblower's retirement has scientists sighing. (via Metafilter)
The weaponised loser. Mass shootings have one thing in common: toxic masculinity.
The science of why people insist on making idiotic choices.
Did you know you an play a harmonica with a vacuum cleaner? Once you see these videos, you’ll have to try it yourself.
Why Pop Culture Needs Stories Like Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. We are all peculiar in one way or another.
The Sniper Who Slayed More Than 100 Union Soldiers. At 57 years old, he waged a one-man war against those who killed his sons.
We Waste An Insane Amount Of Food. Here’s What You Can Do About It.
The Game of Thrones Graveyard. If you click on the grave itself, you leave a flower. (via Metafilter)
J-pop Ghostbusters
Sony Pictures Japan put four comedians together, Tomochika, Oniyakko Tsubaki, Naomi Watanabe, and Shizuyo Tamasaki, for a J-pop version of the Ghostbusters theme. This one’s funny and catchy, unlike the Fall Out Boy theme song for the new movie. (via Flavorwire)
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
7 Properties Offered as Prizes in Essay Contests
What do you do when you’ve decided to sell a huge, historic, or expensive property in a small town, but no one can afford it? One trend that’s gaining popularity is to run an essay contest with an entry fee that will cover your costs. The essay part makes the scheme a competition of skill instead of an out-and-out lottery, which is illegal in some places, and they also ensure that the winner is someone who will likely continue the business (though that’s never a sure thing). Generally, the contests stipulate the minimum number of entries required, which would add up to at least the value of the property; if the minimum isn't reached, then the entry fees are refunded.
The upside to these contests is that the property goes to an individual who might not otherwise be able to own such a property or start a small business, and the seller reaps the value of the property without having to sell to deep-pocket corporations. However, it doesn’t always turn out that way. Read about seven such contests in an article I wrote for mental_floss.
The upside to these contests is that the property goes to an individual who might not otherwise be able to own such a property or start a small business, and the seller reaps the value of the property without having to sell to deep-pocket corporations. However, it doesn’t always turn out that way. Read about seven such contests in an article I wrote for mental_floss.
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A shark scientist recommends what to watch or 'loudly criticize' for Shark Week this year. In a week of programming, some shows will be more accurate than others.
The Mysterious Origins of Sausage. No other food is so universal and so funny.
A dachshund somehow makes Game Of Thrones cute. Crusoe The Celebrity Dachshund can play all the parts -even the Hound.
Signs of Emotional Abuse People Often Overlook. Overlooked because they’re focused on the wrong person.
An Investigation of Asparagus Pee. (via Metafilter)
Inventing the Beach: The Unnatural History of a Natural Place. (via Boing Boing)
10 Facts About the Original 'Trial of the Century.”
The Deep-Fried Burger. The method is not difficult, but may take a little practice.
The 6 Most Embarrassing Superhero Costume Updates.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Doping in Sports
The Summer Olympics start in just a few weeks, but doping threatens to pull it down already. The Russian track team has already been eliminated due to drugs. John Oliver takes a closer look on the show Last Week Tonight.
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The Great Trump Tax Mysteries: Is He Hiding Loopholes, Errors, or Something More Serious? He may as well release the documents; they couldn’t be any worse than what we imagine.
10 of the Strangest Looking Homes in All of Europe.
A Cautionary Tale of ‘Stem Cell Tourism.’ Jim Gass he figured the worst that could happen was that he didn’t get better. He was wrong. (via Metafilter)
The (Very Brief) Republic of Rose Island.
Some rich kids shared the moment that they found out everyone else’s lives are not like theirs. You can sift through the entire thread at reddit or see the highlights at Pref. (via Team Takei)
The 12 Best Civil War Movies. Or, to be honest, all the Civil War movies ranked, until Free State of Jones joins them.
Here Is How To Plan The Ultimate 4th Of July Party. If you’ve got food and drinks, the rest is just window dressing.
When the Mainstream Media Interviews Musicians, Hilarity Ensues. See nine examples of how wrong it can go.
The Texas Slave Who Conned Everyone As a Mexican Millionaire. And other impostors tried to take advantage of him.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
The Strongest Sword in the Seven Kingdoms
Jon Snow’s sword, named Longclaw, is made of Valyrian steel and is five centuries old. It’s a wonder it’s lasted this long, considering how it wobbles like rubber under the pressure of Snow mounting a horse. Last week’s Game of Thrones was the most expensive episode to date, yet this made it into the final production. Well, to be fair, it took a really sharp-eyed imgur user to spot it and isolate it. (via Uproxx)
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Friday, June 24, 2016
Game of Jones
This video contains spoilers for Game of Thrones. Seth Myers invited Leslie Jones to watch last week’s episode of Game of Thrones with him, in this clip from Late Night with Seth Meyers. It’s the first time he’d seen it, but she knew exactly what was coming up. Her commentary is priceless! Contains NSFW language. (via Uproxx)
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The Art of Speaking Like Donald Trump, in 10 Easy Steps.
14 Secrets of U.S. Postal Carriers.
Why Did an Ex-Amish Family Sell Their 14-Year-Old Daughter? Plus their nine younger daughters.
Dain Yoon, a Korean college student, uses face paint to create astonishing optical illusions. The military should hire her to design their camouflage.
The Rocketeer at 25: An Adventure Movie Out of Time. Although it was set in the past, it was ahead of its time.
Inside the Troll: The Science of Being an Awful Person. But why are there so many of them?
If You’re Younger Than 31, You’ve Never Experienced This. The last time the global monthly temperature was below average was February 1985.
The Emile Berliner Musée des Ondes in Montreal is dedicated to preserving the memory of early sound recording and aerospace engineering. That seems a weird combination, until you learn a little bit about electrical genius Emile Berliner.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
SpotMini from Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics’ newest robot is a mechanical pet! Watch it go for a walk, crawl under a table, and extend its neck for a petting. But did you ever see a dog load the dishwasher and straighten up the kitchen? SpotMini can trip and fall, but they had to put out a banana peel to demonstrate it. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
What Luke's Been Up To For the Past 20 Years
Luke Skywalker has been holed up like a hermit for how many years? Surely he’s got some stories to tell about what he’s been doing all that time. Important Jedi stuff. Yeah, that’s the ticket!
Poor lonely Luke. When episode VIII comes around, we probably won’t hear a word about his lonely life on an island on a distant planet. Too boring. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
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How American Politics Went Insane. Our reforms have worked against us, turning Washington into chaos.
The Lord of the Memes. (via reddit)
Jason Headley produced an interactive map of the United States that’s also a game. How many of them have you been to? How many of them have you shagged in? (via Metafilter)
The UK is voting today on a referendum over leaving the European Union. Here’s What You Need to Know About Brexit.
A UCLA psychiatrist has some counterintuitive advice for dealing with negative people. You can’t change other people, but you can change the way you react to them.
The Japanese Plan to Disrupt the US Homefront Through Giant Balloons and Forest Fires. Out of maybe 9,000 such bombs, only six people were killed.
Frankenstein, the Baroness, and the Climate Refugees of 1816.
Ireland Fans Dent French Car, Then Fix It
The UEFA Euro Cup is happening in Lille, France, this week. Irish soccer fans are making themselves seen in the streets celebrating their team’s advancement in the tournament. Were they rioting, fighting, or wrecking the town? No, they were celebrating. And when a group of revelers accidentally dented in the roof of a car, they did the right thing. First, they were seen stuffing money for repairs into the rim around the door. Then someone decided they could just fix it themselves, which they immediately banded together to do. They managed to knock the dent out of the roof. Yay! (via The Daily Dot)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Miss Cellania's Links
A Lottery Lawyer Explains What You Should Do if You Hit the Jackpot.
How Is Donald Trump Going to Quit? Here are four possible scenarios.
Sacred Anatomy: Slicing Open Wax Women in the Name of Science and God.
The Pro Wrestler Who Fought Segregation in 1950s Memphis. More on Sputnik Monroe here. https://youtu.be/9TYHHwC-0Ew
The Great Vampire Epidemic of the 1720s. The world’s first bloodsucker craze in what is now Serbia started all the vampire legends we know.
What Happens if a Presidential Candidate Dies? The only time it ever happened was a losing candidate after the votes were cast.
This Truck Driver Dad “Babysat” His 9-Year-Old Daughter’s Doll For The Day And Had A Blast. Of course there are pictures!
Star Trek V: revisiting The Final Frontier. Really, what does God need with a starship?
Neil Young Finally Confirms The Most Popular Legend About Him. The barn was his right speaker.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
9 Amazing Tiki Bars
In the 1950s and 1960s, Americans were obsessed with “tiki culture,” the relaxing, tropical lifestyle that they perceived was led in Hawaii and the rest of Polynesia. It flourished from the stories brought home by World War II soldiers, Hawaii’s statehood in 1959, and the hit musical South Pacific. While tiki culture is no longer a nationwide fad, some of the kitschy bars that flourished during that era are still around, and new ones spring up occasionally to give folks a taste of a tropical paradise, whether they can actually visit that paradise or not. Check out nine of those bars that you can still visit, in a list I posted at mental_floss.
13 Gorgeous Images of hte Solstice Strawberry Moon
Last night, sky gazers were treated to a rare sight: a Strawberry Moon
falling on the summer solstice. This full moon, which always falls in
June, is so-named because, according to Farmer's Almanac, "the Algonquin tribes knew it as a signal to gather ripening fruit." The Strawberry Moon fell on the summer solstice in 1948, and won't fall on the solstice again until 2062. It inspired many people to go outside and snap photos—a selection of which I gathered for a post at mental_floss.
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Meet the teacher who is more or less responsible for Hamilton. He suggested a topic for a teenaged Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the rest is history. Literally.
The Weird and Very Long History of State Liquor Laws.
American society increasingly mistakes intelligence for human worth. Half of us are below average, but that half deserves jobs and decent lives, too.
1919 Thrill Ride Sound Like Fun -and Death. (via the Presurfer)
15 Fun Facts About Trading Places.
Why Young Americans Are Giving Up on Capitalism.
The History of Rotating Restaurants. (via Digg)
The history of the world in memes, part I: Life begins. In which bacteria become internet stars.
A New Climate Change Phrase: “Heat Dome.” Arizona is finding out all about it now.
Vi Hart on Tragedy
You know Vi Hart as a mathematical guru who helps us have fun with numbers and logic. In this video, she opens her heart and talks about the tragedies last week when Christina Grimmie was murdered and then the Orlando massacre in which 49 people were murdered by one man. In exposing her feelings, Hart lets us in on her own experiences, which you might relate to. This might make you cry.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Brexit
Brexit is a term you may have seen around the internet, but what does it mean? It means the movement for Britain to exit the European Union. Jon Oliver explains the movement and what it could mean for Europe and the rest of the world.
Miss Cellania's Links
10 Memorable Bathroom Scenes in Movies.
How private companies make money off US prisons. Yeah, we’re monetizing justice.
Psycho House: The Many Faces of the Bates Mansion.
The Suicide Club: Early American Airmail Pilots.
The Man Who Invented Online Dating. He's still single. (via Digg)
Russia Once Built a Doomsday Device Nicknamed Dead Hand. Both the US and the Soviets made sure a war could continue even after we were obliterated.
10 Must-See Movies at the 2016 New York Asian Film Festival. Drama, comedy, action, and horror, both old and new.
We asked men how they learned about sexual consent. For many, it was too late or not at all.
The most under-loved planet in our solar system. Venus is so close; why haven’t we explored it more?
If George R. R. Martin Wrote Finding Dory
If the author of A Song of Ice and Fire wrote the latest Pixar movie Finding Dory, it would be much darker. It would be a gore fest. Welcome to the swirling vortex of terror!
This remix by MrStratman7 features footage from the movie Finding Nemo, the trailer for Finding Dory, and audio clips from The Ellen Show. Just like Game of Thrones, it is not for children. (via Uproxx)
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Saturday, June 18, 2016
13-Year-Old Stand-Up
This clip from America’s Got Talent made me laugh. Lori Mae Hernandez needs to lengthen, broaden, and polish her act, but she has plenty of stage presence, and plenty of time before she has to make a living at it. Unless she wins the competition. You go, kid! If you want to see the full-length clip with her story, it’s here. (via Buzzfeed)
Friday, June 17, 2016
If the World Had More Guys Like This
Uncle Mullet saw a car burst into flames. It turned out to be a couple newlyweds with their puppy. This is your feel good story for the day. (via reddit)
They Can Talk
Here’s another webcomic that I will have to check regularly, since it took me a while to decide which comic to post for you. They Can Talk
has animals communicating with each other in English. Some comics have
them interacting as though they were human, while others are strictly in
the realm of their species. Besides Missing Cupcake, my favorites are The Thoughtful Cat and Supportive Vultures. You should check out the entire archive. (via Metafilter)
Miss Cellania's Links
You gonna eat that?
Interview With a Woman Who Recently Had an Abortion at 32 Weeks. Warning: heartbreaking. (via Metafilter)
Olive Oatman, the Pioneer Girl Who Became a Marked Woman.
Who Owns Star Trek? A franchise must have a fandom to thrive at 50 years old.
Despite what you’ve heard, the period is here to stay. Clarity is well worth the extra keystroke.
Queen Elizabeth II took part in the royal birthday festivities last weekend wearing a bright green suit that was perfect for chroma key, or green screen technology. Bored Panda has 140 or so different renderings of the fun as people changed her outfit to other outfits, logos, pretty patterns, weather forecasts, memes, and more. (via reddit)
How 17 Equals 49.6: The Amazing Multiplying Women. A tiny percentage doubled is progress, but it’s still tiny.
Fascinating Human Wormholes. They span generations and historical eras, and make us feel small.
How Alexander Hamilton solved America's gun problem -228 years ago. What if gun owners really had to join a well-regulated militia?
Japanese Donald Trump Commercial
Mike Diva made a campaign ad for Donald Trump running for “world president” in Japanese vaporwave style. It’s about as bizarre as you’d think from the premise. (via Flavorwire)
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Simon's Cat Logic: Where Cats Sleep
Simon Tofield and cat expert Nicky Trevorrow explore the question of why cats select such odd places to sleep. Their choices make perfect sense if you think like a cat. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind sleeping in a nice pile of clean laundry myself, if there were enough of it and I didn’t have to confront folding all that laundry myself. Simon tells us about his four cats’ favorite sleeping places. I have one that sleeps in the open compost pile, which is usually covered in grass clippings. Compost produces heat, so that makes sense. I have another who hides behind a clump of houseplants on the deck, because she likes to pretend she’s in the jungle, or at least, that’s the way it looks to me. This video ends with the Simon;s Cat cartoon Cat Nap. (via Tastefully Offensive)
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This is what happens when you get poison ivy in your eyes. We’re just glad she can laugh about it.
The Polyamorous Christian Socialist Utopia That Made Silverware for Proper Americans. A detailed account of John Humphrey Noyes and the Oneida Community.
Here's what magic mushrooms do to your body and brain. There might be quite a few therapeutic uses for them.
How American Indians Used A Lacrosse Game To Slaughter The British Army. Never let your guard down around athletes with sticks.
Explaining The Tree of Life. Sir David Attenborough explains Darwin a such a soothing way.
How Discrimination Shapes What Your City Looks Like. With five dimensions you’ve probably never thought about.
Wedding Night Games Are Awkward All Around the World.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Can't Handle This
Bo Burnham rants about the first-world problems in his life: Pringle cans, burritos, relationships, etc. What he does is prove you can make a big production about anything, with the proper lighting and some autotune, and find out later if anyone was actually paying attention. This is a clip from Turnham’s Netflix show Make Happy. (via Tastefully Offensive)
T. Rex Does American Ninja Warrior
We’ve seen time and time again that if you want to make something funnier, you have a T. rex do it. The TV competition show American Ninja Warrior did just that, putting the dinosaur through its toughest challenge yet. Can it traverse the course with all that weight and tiny little arms? The dino has been training for quite some time.
Since this is a web exclusive video, I wouldn’t discount the possibility of some help from the producers in the way of editing. But T. rex did better than you or I would have! And more importantly, people love it. (via Metafilter)
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The True Story of Medical Books Bound in Human Skin. (via Digg)
How Utah is solving the homelessness problem. Years into the program, it’s succeeding beyond their wildest dreams.
The Ad Campaign that Convinced Americans to Pay for Water.
An ode to Sansa Stark, the most realistic strong female character on Game of Thrones. She’s a princess alright, but not the Disney kind.
From Captain America to The X-Files, How Raiders of the Lost Ark Continues to Influence Pop Culture. It’s hard to ignore perfection.
28 Extremely nerdy jokes. Oh, you’ll get them, but they’re still nerdy.
Giant nightmare planet could be host to equally giant nightmare life. Exoplanet Kepler-1647 b orbits two stars at a habitable distance.
How insane work hours became a mark of American privilege. Only salaried white collar employees put in that much overtime.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
An Honest Trailer for Finding Nemo
In anticipation of the new movie Finding Dory this weekend, Screen Junkies gives us an Honest Trailer for the 2003 movie Finding Nemo. What could they possibly find wrong with Finding Nemo? Not much. It was a great movie. The teardown basically focuses on the fact that Marlin was right about the ocean being a very dangerous place. He’s supposed to be the one who is transformed by the adventure, but every step he takes only proves that he was right in the first place. Then there’s that horrible part about all drains leading to the ocean, which isn’t true off-screen. But there’s a Walking Dead joke near the end that made me laugh out loud. (Thanks, Andrew!)
Morning of Owl
The Korean dance crew Morning of Owl are skilled, athletic, disciplined, exuberant, and infinitely funny. They’ve added a bunch of new moves to their repertoire, which you will no doubt enjoy. Read more about them.
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Josh Gondelman’s Wedding Toasts. Detailing how inept men are at making a proper wedding speech.
Not everyone is charmed by those videos of babies hearing for the first time. The Deaf community points out that cochlear implants can sometimes be the worst of both worlds.
Have a Heart. Learn something about the pump that keeps you alive.
The Biggest Myth About the Big Bang. We don’t know nearly as much as everyone assumes we do.
Stephen Carrie Blumberg stole 19,000 books from 327 institutions. Did he really think he’d find time to read them all?
The crushing sexism of young Hillary Clinton's America.
The Oldest Cultivated Tree in America, which is still producing fruit almost 400 years later. (via imgur)
10 Real Life Court Ordered Sentences. Unusual sentences can be astonishing, useful, or just plain silly.
Princess for a Day, Disney Bride for Life. What’s it like to get married in the “happiest place in earth”? (via the A.V. Club)
Monday, June 13, 2016
The 11 Oldest Amusement Parks in the U.S.
As the Industrial Revolution gave people more leisure time and new modes of transportation opened up travel, amusement parks sprang up all over the United States. Many came and went, but some 19th-century parks are still in operation. Here’s a look at the country's 11 oldest amusement parks that are still in operation, in a list I composed for mental_floss.
Best of the NYC Drone Film Festival
Back in the day, we’d be amazed at film footage shot from an airplane if it was the least bit steady, and even boom shots like the Confederate triage area in Gone With The Wind. How’d they do that? But now, anyone with a small drone and something worth recording can make magic with a camera. Oh yeah, it still takes skill. These folks have skills. The New York City Drone Film Festival, now in its third year, received 350 film submissions and was attended by 5,000 people. This video shows the highlights of some of those films. (via Viral Viral Videos)
6 Niche Blogs You Should Read
In the latest installment of the continuing series, I rounded up some narrowly-focused but entertaining blogs for your enjoyment in a list I posted at mental_floss.
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