(via Bad Newspaper)
Monday, December 31, 2018
Year-end Lists 2018: Personal
For some reason, I started this post thinking that 2018 was an uneventful year for me personally, until I began to take stock -as we do this time of year. A lot of stuff happened! Some was not so good: I lost my job at Mental Floss, and was downgraded at Neatorama from managing editor to sole pro blogger. After a summer of worrisome but still enjoyable leisure, I became a part-time baker and deli clerk. The job was exhausting at the beginning, but I'm getting used to it and even enjoying it. My co-workers are great, the work is unskilled but wholesomely satisfying, and I belong to a union. I think it's good for me overall, because I get physical activity plus a chance to be around people in real life.
I also turned 60, which means I became eligible for a small widow's pension from Social Security. Now I have a skeletal but sort-of stable income, comparable to that of a retired person. A retired person who works every day. Lucky for me my daughters are semi-self-supporting. When they can afford their own phone service and car insurance, I'll be even better off.
The success of my kids is the bright spot in 2018. Princess came home after a year in France. She was accepted into a tuition-free college here in Kentucky, and had to make a momentous decision: to marry the man she loves or go to school. In the end, she decided to do both. The civil service was in July in France with his family and friends, and the church wedding was just last week here. The newlyweds are now in New Orleans on their honeymoon. The rest of the year, son-in-law is working on his master's in computer science in France and she's going to college here. If they can handle that for the next year and a half, they will both graduate debt-free.
The wedding was also an opportunity for a decent photograph of me, the first profile pic update in 14 years! Thanks, Brother Bill!
After a summer internship at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, Gothgrrl decided she wants to go to veterinary school. She's spending her weekends working at a vet clinic and is interning at a horse rehab shelter during Christmas break. She's also lined up a job at a wildlife sanctuary, if and when she can ever afford the required rabies shots. Oh yeah, both girls made the dean's list for the semester.
In other matters, it was an extremely rainy and humid summer, and my tomato garden failed this year. I didn't use air conditioning, so everything organic in my home turned moldy and had to be either cleaned or discarded. My refrigerator and oven died. So did my tiller and lawn mower, although my mower got repaired and then waited until November to die the second time. I managed to work around all that. I was very heartened by the results of the 2018 mid-term elections, even though Kentucky is still Kentucky.
One of the brightest spots of the year was hearing from you, the loyal core of Miss Cellania visitors. You offered encouragement when I was going through changes. You came through with money when I needed it badly. You sent me funny stuff to share. You kept me going all year long. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate all that. Thank you so much!
Here's hoping that 2019 is a better year for everyone!
I also turned 60, which means I became eligible for a small widow's pension from Social Security. Now I have a skeletal but sort-of stable income, comparable to that of a retired person. A retired person who works every day. Lucky for me my daughters are semi-self-supporting. When they can afford their own phone service and car insurance, I'll be even better off.
The success of my kids is the bright spot in 2018. Princess came home after a year in France. She was accepted into a tuition-free college here in Kentucky, and had to make a momentous decision: to marry the man she loves or go to school. In the end, she decided to do both. The civil service was in July in France with his family and friends, and the church wedding was just last week here. The newlyweds are now in New Orleans on their honeymoon. The rest of the year, son-in-law is working on his master's in computer science in France and she's going to college here. If they can handle that for the next year and a half, they will both graduate debt-free.
The wedding was also an opportunity for a decent photograph of me, the first profile pic update in 14 years! Thanks, Brother Bill!
After a summer internship at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, Gothgrrl decided she wants to go to veterinary school. She's spending her weekends working at a vet clinic and is interning at a horse rehab shelter during Christmas break. She's also lined up a job at a wildlife sanctuary, if and when she can ever afford the required rabies shots. Oh yeah, both girls made the dean's list for the semester.
In other matters, it was an extremely rainy and humid summer, and my tomato garden failed this year. I didn't use air conditioning, so everything organic in my home turned moldy and had to be either cleaned or discarded. My refrigerator and oven died. So did my tiller and lawn mower, although my mower got repaired and then waited until November to die the second time. I managed to work around all that. I was very heartened by the results of the 2018 mid-term elections, even though Kentucky is still Kentucky.
One of the brightest spots of the year was hearing from you, the loyal core of Miss Cellania visitors. You offered encouragement when I was going through changes. You came through with money when I needed it badly. You sent me funny stuff to share. You kept me going all year long. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate all that. Thank you so much!
Here's hoping that 2019 is a better year for everyone!
See all the year-end lists here.
The New Year's Song, Explained
"Auld Lang Syne" is sung or played at New Year's celebrations, but the traditional tune is used around the world for other purposes. It was played at a wedding last week and made me cry. The original is Scottish, and few of us know the original words -or even the modern English words. Here's a video that tells you everything you need to know about "Auld Lang Syne."
Anatomy of New Year's
A holiday graph pegs our reality pretty well. That's why I gave up going out on New Year's Eve, and gave up resolutions long ago. This comic is from John Atkinson of Wrong Hands.
Year-end Lists 2018: Miscellaneous
Best Fails of 2018
Here we have ten minutes of people falling, crashing, and generally failing. Yet they tried, which is more than most of us do. From Fail Army.
The Top Baby Names of 2018. And the latest trends in baby naming.
The 13 Best Restaurants in the Country That Opened in 2018.
The Best Jokes of 2018.
The Best of 2018’s Bad Restaurant Reviews.
The Best Chef of 2018.
Star Chefs And Food Personalities Tell Us Their Best Meals Of 2018.
The 27 Absolute Dumbest Things That Happened In 2018.
The most mispronounced words of 2018.
The Best Wedding Photos Of 2018 Show What Happens When You Pay For A Good Photographer.
2018 Was the Year of the Complicated Suburb.
What Did We Get Stuck In Our Rectums Last Year?
The A.V. Club’s favorite games of 2018.
2018 in Gaming: The Year in Under 2 Minutes
See all the year-end lists here.
Here we have ten minutes of people falling, crashing, and generally failing. Yet they tried, which is more than most of us do. From Fail Army.
The Top Baby Names of 2018. And the latest trends in baby naming.
The 13 Best Restaurants in the Country That Opened in 2018.
The Best Jokes of 2018.
The Best of 2018’s Bad Restaurant Reviews.
The Best Chef of 2018.
Star Chefs And Food Personalities Tell Us Their Best Meals Of 2018.
me @ the start of 2016 vs me at the end of 2018: pic.twitter.com/Ra1JfZN8Po— 💛Martie [commissions open]💛 (@deerbait) December 13, 2018
The 27 Absolute Dumbest Things That Happened In 2018.
The most mispronounced words of 2018.
The Best Wedding Photos Of 2018 Show What Happens When You Pay For A Good Photographer.
2018 Was the Year of the Complicated Suburb.
What Did We Get Stuck In Our Rectums Last Year?
The A.V. Club’s favorite games of 2018.
2018 in Gaming: The Year in Under 2 Minutes
See all the year-end lists here.
Miss Cellania's Links
Tracing the Real Betty Boop back to a Notorious Bootlegger’s Club in 1920s Harlem. That would be Little Esther at the Cotton Club.
The Way American Parents Think About Chores Is Bizarre. Why do kids get paid for picking up after themselves?
14 Rules You Should Follow in France so the Locals Don’t Hate You.
If You’re Over 50, Chances Are the Decision to Leave a Job Won’t be Yours.
If you've ever wanted to push a bagpipe player off a bridge... keep in mind that it might not stop him. NSFW.
She Only Discovered She Was Intersex After Watching A Viral Video. What upset her most was how her parents and doctors kept her intersex condition, diagnosis, and treatment a secret from her, and how she was robbed of the right to make decisions about her body.
Matt says, "I sometimes record myself petting random street cats." He's done it enough to have an entire YouTube channel about it.
The Grave of Lady Anne Grimston. What happened after her death that made her more famous than anything that happened in her lifetime.(via Strange Company)
A blast from the past (2009): Alert, Nunavut: Top of the World.
How to Walk on Water
Mika here knows what he is doing, and knew that he only had one day in which conditions were ripe for running across Ukkijärvi Lake in Kangasala, Finland. According to the YouTube description, the lake is relatively small and freezes thick enough to skate on in the winter, although it is often covered with snow. This winter, there is very little snow so far. The lake froze to 10 centimeters thickness, perfect for skating. Then the weather warmed a little, causing the ice to melt just enough for a couple of millimeters of water to form on top. This left the deliciously clear ice looking like clear water. Mika put on his running spikes, dressed as if it were summer, and was able to film himself running on the lake on December 10. Let's hope he got some warm cocoa afterward for his efforts. (via Digg)
Tweet of the Day
A pufferfish deflating. pic.twitter.com/7fkznxbqR3— Nature Is Weird (@NaturelsWeird) March 29, 2018
(via Everlasting Blort)
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Year-end Lists 2018: Best of Blogs and Websites
Instead of lists of things that happened on the internet in 2018, this
post is full of year-end reports from your favorite websites about
what's happened internally in 2018, or their own best-of lists.
YouTube Rewind 2018
YouTube's biggest stars got together to celebrate the past year. I could count the people I recognize on one hand, but about halfway through, this gets serious and well worth watching. I'm glad Simone Giertz got to say what's on her mind. Of course, this video only shows the good news.
Reddit’s Year in Review: 2018.
Our Favorite Stories From Gastro Obscura’s First Year.
The Twenty-Five Most-Read New Yorker Stories of 2018.
2018: The Year In Digg.
The Best Lifehacker Videos of 2018.
Lifehacker's Most Popular Posts of 2018.
The Best Splinter Stories of 2018.
Kottke.org’s Best of 2018, Parts 1 and 2.
Mental Floss' 40 Favorite Stories of 2018.
Our Favorite Jezebel Posts of 2018.
These Were Buzzfeed's Biggest Photo Stories In 2018.
The 20 Most-Read Cracked Articles Of 2018.
National Geographic's 100 best images of the year.
Smithsonian's Top 11 Stories of 2018.
Fark's headline of the year has yet to be announced. Check out all the contenders from each month linked here.
See all the year-end lists here.
YouTube Rewind 2018
YouTube's biggest stars got together to celebrate the past year. I could count the people I recognize on one hand, but about halfway through, this gets serious and well worth watching. I'm glad Simone Giertz got to say what's on her mind. Of course, this video only shows the good news.
Reddit’s Year in Review: 2018.
Our Favorite Stories From Gastro Obscura’s First Year.
The Twenty-Five Most-Read New Yorker Stories of 2018.
2018: The Year In Digg.
The Best Lifehacker Videos of 2018.
Lifehacker's Most Popular Posts of 2018.
The Best Splinter Stories of 2018.
Kottke.org’s Best of 2018, Parts 1 and 2.
Mental Floss' 40 Favorite Stories of 2018.
Our Favorite Jezebel Posts of 2018.
These Were Buzzfeed's Biggest Photo Stories In 2018.
The 20 Most-Read Cracked Articles Of 2018.
National Geographic's 100 best images of the year.
Smithsonian's Top 11 Stories of 2018.
Fark's headline of the year has yet to be announced. Check out all the contenders from each month linked here.
See all the year-end lists here.
This Time of Year
This is me. At work yesterday I had to ask what the date was. Then I had to remind myself it was Saturday all day long. There re four people in the family who need to catch a plane or go back to school (in one case, both), and I have no idea when each would be. And the cheese? We are working on a leftover cheese ball, a big bag of cubed cheese, and various cream cheese desserts. The woman who drew this, u/rayvyni, said that's all she can afford after Christmas, but there are several reasons everyone is eating cheese. Some mentioned Hickory Farms gift boxes, but many commenters at reddit are eating leftover party hors d'oeuvres like I am.
James Brown Capybara Hot Tub Party
Ain't no party like a capybara party! Those rodents know how to thrown down. (via Everlasting Blort)
The Portal
When a simple yes or no will not do, you reveal a lot about yourself. This comic is from Zach Weinersmith at Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Year-end Lists 2018: News
2018, in 5 Minutes
10 news stories that gripped the world in 2018.
The biggest stories of 2018, ranked. A slideshow of the most viral news stories from CBS.
45 Important Things From Around The World Americans Might Have Missed In 2018.
2018 wasn't ALL bad. Here are all the good things that happened in the world.
The best headlines of 2018.
The Most 2018 Photos Ever.
The best photographs of 2018 – and the stories behind them.
Priceless Jewels, Sharks, And Inflatable Colons: The Best And Weirdest Heists Of 2018.
The 40 Most Insane Things That Happened In Florida In 2018.
What happened in 2018? A game about news headlines from the New York Times.
52 things I learned in 2018.
12 Underreported Reasons Why 2018 Was Just The Worst.
99 Good News Stories You Probably Didn’t Hear About in 2018.
16 True Crime Stories And Legal Dramas That Shocked Us In 2018.
The 32 Most Important And Earth-Shattering Local Newspaper Stories Of 2018.
Best News Bloopers 2018
See all the year-end lists here.
10 news stories that gripped the world in 2018.
The biggest stories of 2018, ranked. A slideshow of the most viral news stories from CBS.
45 Important Things From Around The World Americans Might Have Missed In 2018.
2018 wasn't ALL bad. Here are all the good things that happened in the world.
The best headlines of 2018.
The Most 2018 Photos Ever.
The best photographs of 2018 – and the stories behind them.
Priceless Jewels, Sharks, And Inflatable Colons: The Best And Weirdest Heists Of 2018.
The 40 Most Insane Things That Happened In Florida In 2018.
What happened in 2018? A game about news headlines from the New York Times.
52 things I learned in 2018.
12 Underreported Reasons Why 2018 Was Just The Worst.
99 Good News Stories You Probably Didn’t Hear About in 2018.
16 True Crime Stories And Legal Dramas That Shocked Us In 2018.
The 32 Most Important And Earth-Shattering Local Newspaper Stories Of 2018.
Best News Bloopers 2018
See all the year-end lists here.
How Would Fruits Move if They Could?
Fruits are living things, but they don't move. They aren't even a whole plant. But what if they did move? Might they resemble some other things that move? Jan Elsner created the video ÖBSTas a personal project. The result is surprising and rather funny. (via Nag on the Lake)
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Queen In The '70s
Queen has released a 43-minute video showing a compilation of performances during their early career in the 1970s. Clips from different concerts include “Liar,” “Killer Queen,” “Keep Yourself Alive,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “White Queen,” "Tie Your Mother Down," “Somebody to Love,” and “You're My Best Friend.” I saw them in Knoxville during their Sheer Heart Attack tour in 1974, so this really brings back memories. (via Laughing Squid)
Year-end Lists 2018: Politics
The Year 2018: Drama in Politics
From ABC News.
The Point Awards: The best and worst of politics in 2018.
Trump in 2018: A New Yorker Cartoon Review.
The Year of the Old Boys.
A Terrible Year in Don Jr.
PolitiFact's Lie Of The Year
It was difficult to pick a winner, considering how much they had to work with in 2018. Politifact has more on the smears against the Parkland students here, plus Trump's 10 top falsehoods of 2018, and the results of their reader's poll for the biggest lie of the year.
The 41 most unreal Donald Trump quotes of 2018.
President Donald Trump's 10 biggest falsehoods of 2018.
The 69 Idiots of 2018. Divided into categories for your convenience.
A Terrible Year in Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Dave Barry’s Year in Review: Is there anything good we can say about 2018?
The Most Bizarre Political Moments of 2018
See all the year-end lists here.
From ABC News.
The Point Awards: The best and worst of politics in 2018.
Trump in 2018: A New Yorker Cartoon Review.
The Year of the Old Boys.
A Terrible Year in Don Jr.
PolitiFact's Lie Of The Year
It was difficult to pick a winner, considering how much they had to work with in 2018. Politifact has more on the smears against the Parkland students here, plus Trump's 10 top falsehoods of 2018, and the results of their reader's poll for the biggest lie of the year.
The 41 most unreal Donald Trump quotes of 2018.
President Donald Trump's 10 biggest falsehoods of 2018.
The 69 Idiots of 2018. Divided into categories for your convenience.
A Terrible Year in Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Dave Barry’s Year in Review: Is there anything good we can say about 2018?
The Most Bizarre Political Moments of 2018
See all the year-end lists here.
Year-end Lists 2018: Tech
The most important tech stories of 2018 — in tweets.
CNET's best tech products of 2018.
The 16 Best Gadgets of 2018.
The 24 Coolest Gadgets of 2018.
Apple reveals the most popular iPhone apps of 2018.
The Most Influential Women in Tech.
The 10 most intriguing inventions of 2018.
The good, the bad, and the ugly of self-driving cars in 2018.
The 25 Most Popular Passwords of 2018 Will Make You Feel Like a Security Genius.
The Biggest Tech Lies of 2018.
Sick and disgusted: The worst tech failures of 2018.
The Worst Gadgets of 2018.
Lifehacker's Favorite 2018 Technology Hacks for Parents.
The year we lost faith in technology.
Tech that Died in 2018
See all the year-end lists here.
Feathered Dinosaur Venn Diagram
Just like everything else, it's all relative. Most of us will never have the relevant experience to make a judgement on dinos with feathers. This comic is from Randall Munroe at xkcd.
Year-end Lists 2018: Internet
Google's Year in Search 2018
What we searched for reveals what we care about. Read more here.
The 100 Best Memes of 2018.
46 Memes That Defined 2018.
YouTube's Top Earners This Year, Charted.
The Best Podcasts of 2018.
12 binge-worthy podcasts that debuted in 2018.
Most Tweeted Entertainment of 2018.
Jukin's Top 100 Viral Videos of 2018.
Jimmy Kimmel Declares Viral Clip of the Year 2018
I'm glad to know the guy's okay.
Ozzy Man Reviews: WTF Happened in 2018. In case you want your year-end review with lots of swearing.
The 21 (and Counting) Biggest Facebook Scandals of 2018.
Literally Just A Big List Of Facebook’s 2018 Scandals.
These Are 50 Of The Biggest Fake News Hits On Facebook In 2018.
18 Viral Photos and Videos From 2018 That Were Totally Fake.
The Year Cryptojacking Ate the Web.
The year of deleted tweets. Nothing ever really disappears once it's on the internet.
Five Times the Internet Was Actually Fun in 2018.
What we searched for reveals what we care about. Read more here.
The 100 Best Memes of 2018.
46 Memes That Defined 2018.
YouTube's Top Earners This Year, Charted.
The Best Podcasts of 2018.
12 binge-worthy podcasts that debuted in 2018.
Most Tweeted Entertainment of 2018.
Jukin's Top 100 Viral Videos of 2018.
Jimmy Kimmel Declares Viral Clip of the Year 2018
I'm glad to know the guy's okay.
Ozzy Man Reviews: WTF Happened in 2018. In case you want your year-end review with lots of swearing.
The 21 (and Counting) Biggest Facebook Scandals of 2018.
Literally Just A Big List Of Facebook’s 2018 Scandals.
These Are 50 Of The Biggest Fake News Hits On Facebook In 2018.
18 Viral Photos and Videos From 2018 That Were Totally Fake.
The Year Cryptojacking Ate the Web.
The year of deleted tweets. Nothing ever really disappears once it's on the internet.
Five Times the Internet Was Actually Fun in 2018.
Aliens Under the Ice: Life on Rogue Planets
A rogue planet is one that has been knocked out of its orbit by something or other. That changes everything for that heavenly body. A rogue planet traveling through space by itself may have a substantial history, and possibly even life! Kurzgesagt explains how that theoretically might happen.
Tweet of the Day
therapist: so, what do you like to do with your friends?— haika (@haikatte) February 26, 2018
me: n-nothing, normal people activities
me and my friends: pic.twitter.com/6lIbMAadJK
(via Buzzfeed)
Friday, December 28, 2018
Year-end Lists 2018: People
People are Awesome-Best of 2018
The Most Inspiring Women of 2018, According to Us.
"She said What?": The best quotes from women in 2018.
The World's Most Powerful Women 2018.
The Year in Good Men.
Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2018.
The Most Influential People in 2018.
11 speeches that got the internet fired up in 2018.
24 Posts That Prove Humans Were Pretty Damn Good To Each Other In 2018.
Celebrity Breakups You Forgot Happened In 2018.
22 Times Celebrities Shaded/Called Each Other Out In 2018.
Celebrities You're Sick Of In 2018.
The Biggest Billionaire Winners And Losers Of 2018.
The Worst Falls From Grace Of 2018.
The Fictional People and Things We Lost in 2018.
'Killed for speaking the truth': nine journalists murdered in 2018.
Where Aren't They Now? 25 Overlooked Deaths Of 2018, part one and part two.
10 great minds we lost in 2018.
Stars Who Died in 2018
See all the year-end lists here.
The Most Inspiring Women of 2018, According to Us.
"She said What?": The best quotes from women in 2018.
The World's Most Powerful Women 2018.
The Year in Good Men.
Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2018.
The Most Influential People in 2018.
11 speeches that got the internet fired up in 2018.
24 Posts That Prove Humans Were Pretty Damn Good To Each Other In 2018.
Celebrity Breakups You Forgot Happened In 2018.
22 Times Celebrities Shaded/Called Each Other Out In 2018.
Celebrities You're Sick Of In 2018.
The Biggest Billionaire Winners And Losers Of 2018.
The Worst Falls From Grace Of 2018.
The Fictional People and Things We Lost in 2018.
'Killed for speaking the truth': nine journalists murdered in 2018.
Where Aren't They Now? 25 Overlooked Deaths Of 2018, part one and part two.
10 great minds we lost in 2018.
Stars Who Died in 2018
See all the year-end lists here.
Porch Pirate Caught in the Act
A guy helps himself to a package delivery left at the door, but a neighbor (also a victim) sees him. That leads to a chase scene up and down the road that lasted around ten minutes, and the entire episode is caught on security video. However, the footage has been greatly improved by speeding it up and overlaying an appropriate soundtrack. (via Boing Boing)
Year-end Lists 2018: Sports
The Best Table Tennis Shot of 2018
It may have been luck, but it happened. The player is Christopher Chen from the Trondheim Table Tennis Club in Norway.
Ranking 10 story lines that defined year in sports, from 'Philly Special' to LeBron James.
The Most-Read Sports Illustrated Stories of 2018.
Longreads Best of 2018: Sports Writing.
Wikipedia's 2018 in sports, and the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Year in review: Top moments in women's sports in 2018.
Here are the best moments in men's college basketball from 2018.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are the best sports couple of 2018.
Gymnastics scandal leads top sports stories of 2018.
Soccer Watch: Top 10 Soccer Stories of 2018.
Ranking Every New Japan Pro Wrestling Championship Reign Of 2018.
GolfDigest.com's most popular stories of 2018.
Tennis's 10 Biggest On-Court Stories of 2018. And the Biggest Off-Court Stories.
A look back at boxing’s top moments during 2018.
The Eurosports 2018 Sports Quiz of the Year - From Pyeongchang to Nizhny Novgorod.
See all the year-end lists here.
It may have been luck, but it happened. The player is Christopher Chen from the Trondheim Table Tennis Club in Norway.
Ranking 10 story lines that defined year in sports, from 'Philly Special' to LeBron James.
The Most-Read Sports Illustrated Stories of 2018.
Longreads Best of 2018: Sports Writing.
Wikipedia's 2018 in sports, and the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Year in review: Top moments in women's sports in 2018.
Here are the best moments in men's college basketball from 2018.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are the best sports couple of 2018.
Gymnastics scandal leads top sports stories of 2018.
Soccer Watch: Top 10 Soccer Stories of 2018.
Ranking Every New Japan Pro Wrestling Championship Reign Of 2018.
GolfDigest.com's most popular stories of 2018.
Tennis's 10 Biggest On-Court Stories of 2018. And the Biggest Off-Court Stories.
A look back at boxing’s top moments during 2018.
The Eurosports 2018 Sports Quiz of the Year - From Pyeongchang to Nizhny Novgorod.
See all the year-end lists here.
Unlikely Rescue in the Antarctic
In this clip from the BBC documentary series Spy in the Snow, we see a group of emperor penguin chicks traveling in a group. I guess they are learning to get around without their parents. But they are threatened by a petrel, who would love to have one of the penguins for lunch. Then it gets weird. By the time this dramatic scene is over, you'll think you've seen an outtake from Happy Feet. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Captain America
I'm not gonna lie. I went to see Infinity War without having seen all the previous Marvel movies, and had to ask who that character was. It's hard to grok Captain America without the red, white, and blue costume. (via Buzzfeed)
Year-end Lists 2018: Movies
2018 Cinema Supercut
This fast-moving musical montage of the movies of 2018 from Screen Junkies is a thrill ride all the way through. It makes me wish I'd seen more of them.
David Edelstein’s 10 Best Movies of 2018.
Here Are John Waters’ 10 Favorite Films of 2018.
The Ringer's Best Movies of 2018.
Uproxx's Best Movies of 2018.
Flavorwire's Best Movies of 2018.
io9's 10 Best (and 5 Worst) Films of 2018.
Moving Pictures 2018
Clark Zhu has once again compiled a beautiful mashup of the biggest movies of the year, using their theatrical trailers to create a lavish, flowing ride through all of them. And since trailers are used, December films are included. You'll find a list of the films used, with time stamps, here. I recommend watching this in full screen mode.
The 5 Most Overrated Movies of 2018.
The A.V. Club's worst films of 2018.
The best film scenes of 2018.
The Year in Superhero Movies.
The Top 10 Action Movies of 2018.
The best film trailers of 2018.
The Ten Best Comfort Movies of 2018.
The 25 Best Films of 2018: A Video Countdown
This video has a distinct lack of blockbuster tentpole movies, which only makes it more intriguing. David Ehrlich not only selected the best movies of 2018, but deftly edited relevant clips into the music, matching both the rhythm and the lyrics. After a three-minute musical intro montage that hooks you in, the actual countdown begins. This visual treat will introduce you to some films you didn't see this year, but will want to check out on home video. Bonus: lots of Queen music.
See all the year-end lists here.
This fast-moving musical montage of the movies of 2018 from Screen Junkies is a thrill ride all the way through. It makes me wish I'd seen more of them.
David Edelstein’s 10 Best Movies of 2018.
Here Are John Waters’ 10 Favorite Films of 2018.
The Ringer's Best Movies of 2018.
Uproxx's Best Movies of 2018.
Flavorwire's Best Movies of 2018.
io9's 10 Best (and 5 Worst) Films of 2018.
Moving Pictures 2018
Clark Zhu has once again compiled a beautiful mashup of the biggest movies of the year, using their theatrical trailers to create a lavish, flowing ride through all of them. And since trailers are used, December films are included. You'll find a list of the films used, with time stamps, here. I recommend watching this in full screen mode.
The 5 Most Overrated Movies of 2018.
The A.V. Club's worst films of 2018.
The best film scenes of 2018.
The Year in Superhero Movies.
The Top 10 Action Movies of 2018.
The best film trailers of 2018.
The Ten Best Comfort Movies of 2018.
The 25 Best Films of 2018: A Video Countdown
This video has a distinct lack of blockbuster tentpole movies, which only makes it more intriguing. David Ehrlich not only selected the best movies of 2018, but deftly edited relevant clips into the music, matching both the rhythm and the lyrics. After a three-minute musical intro montage that hooks you in, the actual countdown begins. This visual treat will introduce you to some films you didn't see this year, but will want to check out on home video. Bonus: lots of Queen music.
See all the year-end lists here.
Not at All Helpful
I get these kinds of "warnings" quite often. I have no idea what kind of violation has occurred, who did it, how they did it, or what posts or ads were involved. Nor do I have any idea what I can do about it. Neither of the links provided in the email have any information on such things, nor are they an opportunity to ask questions. I don't have anything to do with AdSense besides enabling Blogger to put ads on my site, and the rare payment they send is not really worth bothering about it. Google pays for the bandwidth and takes the ad revenue, I provide eyeballs and get about $100 a year. If they want to suspend my ads, I would barely notice it. So why do they even bother sending these useless notices?
Miss Cellania's Links
The Complete History of the Autopsy. People were cut open to determine the cause of death long before we understood how the body really works.
Belt, Buckled: A History of the World's Most Prevalent Safety Device. Read how Volvo gave away patent the rights to the three-point belt for safety's sake. (via Digg)
Video Game Logic. A roundup of comics depicting the weirder parts of virtual life.
Here’s How A Colorado Dentist Became Big Sugar’s Worst Nightmare. She's turned up plenty of research that the industry conducted and then buried.
If you've ever had the hankering to explore the nine circles of hell, you are in luck! Take a trip into the Inferno at Infernal Topography, where you can zoom in and meet all the characters, from the harpies to Lucifer himself. (via Metafilter)
An interview with a Marine Biologist about Aquaman.
The Complete History of the Autopsy.
Genders in The Hobbit. It's far beyond awkwardness.
A blast from the past (2008): 6 New Year Traditions from Around the World.
Why Monks Had That Haircut
Because so much religious artwork survives from the Middle Ages, we are familiar with the strange way monks wore their hair. That haircut, or tonsure, was a sign of piety and membership in a particular order. The exact cut varied, and although the differing styles themselves did not cause a rift in the church, they were a symbol of differences brewing below the surface. Vox brings us the story of an obscure detail you didn't know was so interesting.
Tweet of the Day
One Weird Trick To Getting Universal Healthcare That American Insurance Companies Don't Want You To Know pic.twitter.com/IvSwy0Efgo— LadyBusiness' haunted Valentine's poinsettia (@LadyBusiness_) May 19, 2018
(via Buzzfeed)
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Year-end Lists 2018: Science
2018 Science Breakthrough of the Year
10 science stories in 2018 that made us go, “Whoa, that’s awesome.”
Top 10 science stories of 2018: Climate change, gene-edited babies, hidden craters and more.
21 Cool Scientific Discoveries That Prove 2018 Wasn't All Bad.
The best science images of the year: 2018 in pictures.
The Top 10 Websites for Science in 2018.
Nature’s 10: Ten people who mattered this year.
Here Are The 8 Weirdest Studies That Were Published In 2018.
The Biggest Junk Science of 2018.
7 bad science and health ideas that should die with 2018.
2018: The Year in Climate Change.
The top space stories of 2018: Mars, new moons and a mystery asteroid.
The WWF Living Planet Report 2018.
Top Biblical Archaeology Stories of 2018.
What We Learned in 2018: Health and Medicine.
The Year in Math and Computer Science.
The Top Ten Ocean Stories of 2018.
What we learned from the disasters that hammered the US in 2018.
See all the year-end lists here.
10 science stories in 2018 that made us go, “Whoa, that’s awesome.”
Top 10 science stories of 2018: Climate change, gene-edited babies, hidden craters and more.
21 Cool Scientific Discoveries That Prove 2018 Wasn't All Bad.
The best science images of the year: 2018 in pictures.
The Top 10 Websites for Science in 2018.
Nature’s 10: Ten people who mattered this year.
Here Are The 8 Weirdest Studies That Were Published In 2018.
The Biggest Junk Science of 2018.
7 bad science and health ideas that should die with 2018.
2018: The Year in Climate Change.
The top space stories of 2018: Mars, new moons and a mystery asteroid.
The WWF Living Planet Report 2018.
Top Biblical Archaeology Stories of 2018.
What We Learned in 2018: Health and Medicine.
The Year in Math and Computer Science.
The Top Ten Ocean Stories of 2018.
What we learned from the disasters that hammered the US in 2018.
See all the year-end lists here.
Fun with Vertical Stair Dominos
Domino artist Flippcat demonstrates the use of vertical domino falls with different-colored dominoes. I can't begin to understand how he causes the dominoes to fall in such precise order, but it makes for an oddly satisfying video. (via Digg)
Shine (DirectorsCut)
In nature, male animals often compete to impress females and win the right to mate. Who has the biggest antlers, the sturdiest nest, or the best dance? In Shine, two males of an undefined species compete in an urban environment to impress a cute female. They are aided by the power of electricity. The biggest fault with this story is that's it's short. (via Laughing Squid)
Year-end Lists 2018: Music
Turnin' It Up: United States of Pop 2018
DJ Earworm is back with his annual mashup of the biggest songs of the year! For 2018, the theme is Turnin' It Up. See a list of the songs included at the YouTube page.
Uproxx's 50 Best Songs Of 2018.
NPR's Best Songs of 2018.
The Ringer's Best Songs of 2018.
Buzzfeed's 17 Songs That Defined Our 2018.
Jezebel's Worst Songs of 2018.
Uproxx's 50 Best Albums Of 2018.
NPR's Best Albums of 2018.
Paste Magazine's 50 Best Albums of 2018.
Pitchfork's Highest Rated Albums of 2018.
Vulture's Best Albums of 2018.
Stereogum's Best Albums of 2018.
The Ringer's Best Albums of 2018.
The 20 Must-Hear Rock Albums From 2018.
The Best Metal Albums of 2018.
The 30 Best Southern Albums of 2018.
What Your Favorite Album of 2018 Says About You.
Spotify just released 2018's most streamed artists and yup, it's all dudes.
The Most Awkward Ellen Performances of 2018, Ranked.
The Best Concerts Of 2018.
See all the year-end lists here.
DJ Earworm is back with his annual mashup of the biggest songs of the year! For 2018, the theme is Turnin' It Up. See a list of the songs included at the YouTube page.
Uproxx's 50 Best Songs Of 2018.
NPR's Best Songs of 2018.
The Ringer's Best Songs of 2018.
Buzzfeed's 17 Songs That Defined Our 2018.
Jezebel's Worst Songs of 2018.
Uproxx's 50 Best Albums Of 2018.
NPR's Best Albums of 2018.
Paste Magazine's 50 Best Albums of 2018.
Pitchfork's Highest Rated Albums of 2018.
Vulture's Best Albums of 2018.
Stereogum's Best Albums of 2018.
The Ringer's Best Albums of 2018.
The 20 Must-Hear Rock Albums From 2018.
The Best Metal Albums of 2018.
The 30 Best Southern Albums of 2018.
What Your Favorite Album of 2018 Says About You.
Spotify just released 2018's most streamed artists and yup, it's all dudes.
The Most Awkward Ellen Performances of 2018, Ranked.
The Best Concerts Of 2018.
See all the year-end lists here.
Miss Cellania's Links
Now I Am. Christy Williams outlines the assumptions that have been ascribed to her over the years. (via Metafilter)
Basketball choreography.
The Mercers’ Maidens. These relief sculpture are a logo for a company that has been using the image since at least 1425. (via Nag on the Lake)
A Gallery of Cats Hiding from the Vet.
Here Are 47 Next-Level Movie Facts You Should Really Know.
Inside the Coldest City in the World, Where It Snows 270 Days a Year.
The mating dance of the American pickup truck.
A Six-Building Mural of The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
A blast from the past (2010): 5 Stories of People Delivered as Cargo.
Confessions of an Idiom
What happens when the elephant in the room meets the skeleton in the closet? Amanda Koh and Mollie Helms of the Ringling College of Art and Design packed as many common idioms into just a couple of minutes as they possibly could. (via Kuriositas)
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Year-end Lists 2018: TV
21 Of The Worst TV Storylines We Forced Ourselves To Watch In 2018.
Matt Zoller Seitz’s 10 Best TV Shows of 2018.
The Rinher's Best TV Episodes of 2018.
Mashable's best TV episodes of 2018.
The Atlantic's 22 Best TV Shows of 2018.
The A.V. Club's Best TV of 2018.
My Not-Top-Ten Television List: The Best TV Shows of 2018 (from the New Yorker).
A Tribute To The Sweet And Lovable Doofuses Who Ruled Television In 2018.
Hallway Fights, Bubble Baths, And Tinkly Pianos: The 2018 Very Specific TV Awards.
io9's Best and Worst Television Moments of 2018.
The Best Original Streaming TV Shows Of 2018.
See all the year-end lists here.
Year-end Lists 2018: Animals
Best Pets Of The Year 2018 Part One
From the Pet Collective.
Top 10 animal stories of 2018.
The Not-So-Uplifting Year in the Animal Kingdom.
32 Pet Owners Who Did The Absolute Most In 2018.
100 Wholesome Animal Tweets From This Year That'll Warm Your Heart.
Top 50 Most Popular Dog Names Of 2018.
2018’s big wins -and big losses- for animals.
The top 10 best on-screen animal performances of 2018.
See the best animal photos of 2018.
Best Pets of the Year Part Two
See all the year-end lists here.
From the Pet Collective.
Top 10 animal stories of 2018.
The Not-So-Uplifting Year in the Animal Kingdom.
32 Pet Owners Who Did The Absolute Most In 2018.
100 Wholesome Animal Tweets From This Year That'll Warm Your Heart.
Top 50 Most Popular Dog Names Of 2018.
2018’s big wins -and big losses- for animals.
The top 10 best on-screen animal performances of 2018.
See the best animal photos of 2018.
Best Pets of the Year Part Two
See all the year-end lists here.
Year-end Lists 2018: Books
The A.V. Club’s 10 favorite books of 2018.
The Best History Books of 2018.
NPR’s Book Concierge: Our Guide To 2018’s Great Reads.
Mental Floss's 56 Best Books of 2018.
Buzzfeed's Best Fiction Of 2018.
These Are The Best Nonfiction Books Of 2018.
The Ten Best Books About Food of 2018.
The Best Children's Books Of 2018, According To Librarians.
The best comics of 2018.
The Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2018.
The 7 Best Cookbooks of 2018.
The Best Thrillers Of 2018, According To One Of The Best Crime Writers.
The 75 Best Book Covers of 2018.
See all the year-end lists here.
The Canyon That Humans Made By Accident
Tom Scott visits Georgia's Little Grand Canyon, which the state promotes as a natural wonder. However, the canyon wasn't even there a couple hundred years ago. The earth is always changing, but human intervention is changing it in ways nature never would. We don't know what the ultimate effect of creating a new canyon in Georgia will be, but we can ponder whether we should call it a "natural wonder" or not.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Indiana Jones Boulder Scene in LEGO
Raiders of the Lost Ark begins with a memorable scene in which Indiana Jones invades an ancient temple to steal a golden idol and then has to escape a series of booby traps. Caleb Watson recreated that scene in LEGO, but not in a stop-motion video as you'd expect. This is a completely built LEGO diorama with working motors to animate the action! The structure shows the path our hero takes in and out of the temple, with moving action in each section. Watson showed it off at BrickCon 2018. The first five minutes shows us the entire setup, followed a tour of the inner workings. (via Laughing Squid)
Christmas Tree Failures
America's Funniest Home Videos has a compilation of "oops" about Christmas trees and other holiday hazards.
The Sugar Plum Fairy on Glass Harp
Recorded at the Chamber Music Festival in Bologna, Italy in June 2010. Performed by Polish musicians The Glass Duo. (via Metafilter)
Tweet of the Day
Using the force. pic.twitter.com/WjN4QAJATz— ANIMALS R US (@Animal_R_Us) December 20, 2018
(via Everlasting Blort)