Change is definitely costly, right? I admire the willingness of Berkeley City Council to spend money in order to amend its municipal code to excise gender-specific terms in favor of gender neutral ones - this includes changing “manhole” to “maintenancehole”.

Quite long compared to the original, right? The name-changing costs the city approximately $600. This proposal was first introduced by Council member Rigel Robinson on March. It was last Tuesday when the Berkeley City Council voted for this to proceed.

A city staff memo included in the paperwork for the vote notes that “in recent years, broadening societal awareness of transgender and gender-nonconforming identities has brought to light the importance of non-binary gender inclusivity. Therefore, it is both timely and necessary to make the environment of City Hall and the language of city legislation consistent with the principles of inclusion.”

Image: knavilio/ Pixabay

Anyone curious how they presented the Bowser gag in the Japanese version of #NintendoDirectE3 ?

While Bowser is known as "Koopa" in JPN, there were overlays explaining that his English name is "Bowser" to give the audience context.

The more you know!https://t.co/nNRrGszNXl pic.twitter.com/V8xoGOasug

— Kantopia (@maikantopia) June 12, 2019

One of the popular Mario antagonists Bowser made a special cameo appearance at Nintendo's E3 Direct conference as part of a gag to introduce Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser who presented the show instead of Bowser. However, they had to explain the whole bit to the Japanese audience.

As you may be aware, Bowser is simply known as 'Koopa' in Japan, meaning the whole Bowser/Doug Bowser link doesn't exactly work. The segment was still shown in the Japanese version of the Direct, though, so how did it all play out exactly?

Well, as explained by Twitter user @maikantopia, the Japanese show featured various overlays which not only provided subtitles, but also explained Bowser's English-language name to provide context. Lucky viewers weren't just treated to a show, but also had a quick Nintendo trivia lesson going on at the same time.

(Image credit: Kantopia/Twitter)

Thread: everyone knows that medieval art is filled with snails fighting knights, but there's actually a whole medieval snail ecology and society, from snail-birds to snail-monks. And, ofc, snail-cats.

WARNING: this thread gets very very silly.

(Paris, MS. 62) pic.twitter.com/VDxqRya481

— Erik Wade (@erik_kaars) July 17, 2019

There are some strange illustrations and depictions in many medieval art and manuscripts, things whose existence we can't really begin to fathom. In one particular instance, Erik Wade, a lecturer and medievalist at the University of Bonn found an interesting saga of snail societies. From half-human or half-animal, half-snail creatures to depictions of a snail god with its worshipers, these tales are quite amusing and begs the question, who in the world thought all of this up? And what were they on?

-via Boing Boing

(Image credit: Erik Wade/Twitter)

Ofc, the existence of snail-monks implies a snail-god, but the Catholic Church repressed almost all evidence of this mysterious being. Only a few depictions of the snailgod and its worshipers remain.

(BL MS Add. 49622; Gorlest Psalter) pic.twitter.com/38YISqLg3d

— Erik Wade (@erik_kaars) July 17, 2019

It is distressing to report, but snails were often hunted by medieval humans, especially for their shells, which made fine houses.

(Morgan Library, MS M. 461, fol. 78 r; BNF, French 22971, fol. 60 v) pic.twitter.com/Eri6XBagZE

— Erik Wade (@erik_kaars) July 17, 2019

The final season of the HBO hit Game of Thrones was very controversial but it has still received numerous nominations for the Emmy Awards including special effects, direction, cinematography, and leading acting awards for Kit Harrington and Emilia Clarke.

However, some actors had to do their own legwork and submitted themselves to the Emmys. That paid off and they got nominated for their supporting roles.

Most notably, Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) and Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) both self-submitted and are now nominated for the supporting categories award. Carice van Houten, who played Melisandre, also self-submitted and has been nominated in the guest actress category.

(Image credit: HBO/IMDb)

Deadpool made his presence known in the halls of Comic Con this past weekend. Watch as he flirts, photobombs, and performs various shenanigans among the cosplayers and fans. He gets away with it because he is Deadpool! -via Geeks Are Sexy

Cup stacking is a real sport, with real teams and real competitions. You'll be impressed when you see what they do, then you learn some of the tricks and tips, and the history the sport. -via The Kid Should See This

When you get to see something often, they will start to blend in with the background and fade from view. We start to not think about them as much or appreciate the little ways in which they add a subtle touch into our daily lives.

With architecture, the things that often catch our eye are eye-popping monuments and structures that decorate the skies or urban spaces. But there is something to be said about the ordinary architecture with which we get to interact every day of our lives. They too have something to contribute in our lives, as in fact, they are often built for utility. But they never receive particular attention. So here are a few examples of such architecture that go unnoticed.

To appreciate the charms of small structures, it is useful to remind ourselves that we primarily interact with architecture from a ground level rather than the god’s-eye view employed in films and renderings. The architecture of day-to-day urban life is driven by utility and merges so integrally into our tasks that we barely notice it as architecture.

There have been visionary architects who have recognized and celebrated the underrated nobility of everyday life, and there are some superlative little wonders scattered around our cities.

(Image credit: Coyau/Wikimedia Commons)

When police in Santa Carina, Brazil, raided a factory that specializes in making fake luxury goods, they didn’t stop the production of fake handbag or clothes - instead, they stopped a family business who specialized in making luxury cars.

The bootleg factory was owned by a father and son, who offered the replicas through social media. Santa Carina Civil Police officers managed to seize eight semi-assembled replicas of Ferraris and Lamborghinis, as reported by CNN: 

Police said the replicas were being offered through social media for between 180,000 Brazilian reals ($48,000) and 250,000 Brazilian reals ($66,000), a fraction of the list price for an original vehicle. According to motoring website motor1.com, the starting price for a Ferrari is around $215,000.

Tools, molds, fibers and frames used to manufacture the cars were also seized during the raid, police said.

The father and son pair are now arrested and will face criminal charges for falsification of commercial property. In addition, police officials also believe that the pair are the largest manufacturers of bootleg luxury vehicles in Brazil.

image credit: via CNN

Like buried treasure, 36 Chevy Corvettes sat in several garages for 25 years. They belonged to artist Peter Max, who had planned to use the vehicles for an art project that never came to fruition. In 2014, they were finally purchased by two families of auto aficionados with intentions of examining each car individually for its potential.  

As it turns out, the tale of how 36 Chevrolet Corvettes can go instantaneously from making TV headlines to disappearing in plain sight for a quarter-century isn't as nefarious as one might suspect. Back in 1988, long before VH1 dumped actual music for reality-based programming, the network figured it could tap into its then baby-boomer demographic and snag some ratings with a mega promotion based on the iconic Corvette. So the network enlisted a producer to gather 36 Vettes, one from each production year from 1953 to 1989 (the 1983 model year was skipped when production was halted to prepare for the launch of the '84 C4). The giveaway was a call-in affair that required contestants to enter by dialing a 900 number at the cost of $2 per call. By the time VH1 had milked this promotion for all it was worth, more than a million people had entered.

Max bought the whole collection from the contest winner, but never did anything with them. The story has been updated. Five years on, some of the cars have been completely restored, while others have been simply "spruced up." And you could get your hands on one, if you're lucky.

The owners of the collection, the Heller and Spindler families, formed the Corvette Heroes entity to raffle off the cars with proceeds going to the National Guard Educational Foundation (NGEF) and numerous additional charities that benefit veterans. Each entry is good for one car, and you cannot pick the car you wish to win; the deadline for entries is 12:00 p.m. Pacific time, April 30, 2020. The drawing will take place at an independent auditors' firm on or about 14 days later.

See more pictures of the Corvettes and enter the raffle at the Corvette heroes website. Tickets are $3 each, or less if you buy multiple tickets. You can also enter without a donation by instructions on the rules page. -via reddit

Kim Draper of Springfield, Illinois recently received a postcard in her mailbox. But there’s something unusual about this postcard: it was sent 26 years ago. The (super) late postcard started Draper on a hunt for its original sender and intended recipient, she told The State Journal Register.

The postcard, which was dated July 8, 1993 was addressed to a Leena and Muhammad Ali Kizilbash from their father. For a postcard that stayed in the mail system for around 26 years, Draper was amazed that it managed to retain its quality.  

Associated Press has picked up the story and added that the postcard will be reunited back to its original recipient:

With the help of social media, Draper learned that Kizilbash’s son, Mohammad Kizilbash, now lives in suburban Chicago. A reunion with the postcard is planned.

“I thought that was really gracious of her, she went out of her way to track us down,” Mohammad said. “I’m looking forward to getting this postcard. This is one to keep.”

image credit: Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via Associated Press

It all started with the University of Western Australia obstetrics and microbiology researcher Lisa Stinson, who stumbled upon a hilariously-titled research paper. She shared her findings online, saying , "I just found the world's best paper title". Stinson attached a screenshot of the research paper, which was titled, "Fantastic yeasts and where to find them: the hidden diversity of dimorphic fungal pathogens". 

Who knew that the formal, dry, serious, and jargon-heavy field of academic writing can bring forth such gems? Apparently, other scientists can as well! Following the footsteps of Stinson, other researchers and scientists share other well-crafted titles :

pic.twitter.com/osXNJvagYO

— Kim Madden (@KimMaddenPhD) July 9, 2019

Now that’s something to take note of for your next academic writing - maybe your reviewer would find it amusing as well!

(via Science Alert)

On June 26 in Guthrie, Oklahoma, police officers pulled over a car when they noticed that the car tags were expired. The driver caught was Stephen Jennings. The man’s passenger, Rachael Rivera, was charged with possession of a firearm after a former felony conviction. 

The police searched the car and got more than what they bargained for: 

"So now he's got a rattlesnake, a stolen vehicle, firearm and somebody under arrest," Guthrie Police Sgt. Anthony Gibbs told CNN affiliate KFOR.

Then they found one more thing: a canister of radioactive powdered uranium.

"When that happens, of course, we call in a company that deals with that specifically, and it's taken safely into possession," Gibbs said. "The uranium is the wild card in that situation.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

It has been a long-running debate on exactly where the different regions of the United States start and end. 

To address the issue, author Colin Woodward made a map showing that the United States can be divided into 11 distinct sub-nations. 

Woodard mapped out the regions in his 2012 book " American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America." 

[...]

"In order to have any productive conversation on these issues, you need to know where you come from," he said. "Once you know where you are coming from, it will help move the conversation forward."

Here are the 11 sub-nations according to Woodward:

1. Yankeedom
2. New Netherland
3. The Midlands
4. Tidewater
5. Greater Appalachia
6. Deep South
7. New France
8. El Norte
9. The Far West
10. The Left Coast
11. First Nation

Head over at Business Insider for the detailed description of this 11 sub-nations by Woodward.

Image: Colin Woodard

On Monday morning, a truck flipped over during a terrible crash on a busy freeway in Chicago. One man inside was able to climb out, but the other was trapped.

Almost immediately, other drivers stopped and rushed to his aid. Together, these men flipped the pickup truck over and pulled the crash victim, Orlando Hernandez, to safety. ABC News reports:

Tom Meyers was leaving his full-time job as a firefighter in Rosemont, Illinois, for his part-time firefighting job in Aurora Township when he drove past the scene.

"Anytime you see something like that happen, you always … have that urge to help," he told WLS. [...]

Meyers and others used the construction workers' tools to break the windshield and cut Hernandez's seat belt, WLS reported.

The group cheered once they realized Hernandez wasn't seriously injured.

-via Nick Short

Redditor emilou09 asked, "I’m cooking one meal from every state in the United States, what meal best represents your state?" It's an ongoing project for her that you can follow at Instagram, where she is so far only in the states that begin with A. The response has been overwhelming, with thousands of suggestions. But life's not fair: there are dozens of iconic dishes from Louisiana and all are correct, while no one seems to know what they eat in Connecticut. Meanwhile, I had to keep checking Wikipedia for food terms that are new to me.

Laulau (Hawaii)

In old Hawaii laulau was assembled by taking a few luau leaves and placing a few pieces of fish and pork in the center. In modern times, the dish uses taro leaves, salted butterfish, and either pork, beef, or chicken and is usually steamed on the stove. Laulau is a typical plate lunch dish and is usually served with a side of rice and macaroni salad.[1]

Jojos (Oregon)

Jojos are potato wedges fried in the same vat as chicken and usually eaten plain alongside fried chicken, coleslaw, and baked beans.[2]

Tri-tip (California)

The tri-tip is a triangular cut of beef from the bottom sirloin subprimal cut, consisting of the tensor fasciae latae muscle. Untrimmed, the tri-tip weighs around 5 pounds.[1]

Sometimes labeled "Santa Maria steak," the roast is quite popular in the Central Valley regions and the Central Coast of California.[10] Along with top sirloin, tri-tip is considered central to Santa Maria-style barbecue. In central California, the fat is left on the outside of the cut to enhance flavor when grilling, while butchers elsewhere trim the fat side for aesthetic purposes.

Runza (Nebraska)

A runza (also called a bierock, krautburger, fleischkuche, or kraut pirok) is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings.

Knoephla (North Dakota)

Traditional knoephla soup is a thick chicken and potato soup, almost to the point of being a stew. It is particularly common in the U.S. states of Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota, where there was significant settlement of German emigrants from the Russian Empire.

Mofongo (Puerto Rico)

Mofongo (Spanish pronunciation: [moˈfoŋɡo]) is a Puerto Rican dish with fried plantains as its main ingredient.[1] Plantains are picked green and fried, then mashed with salt, garlic, and oil in a wooden pilón (mortar and pestle).[2][3] The goal is to produce a tight ball of mashed plantains that will absorb the attending condiments and have either pork cracklings (Chicharrón) or bits of bacon inside. Most dressings and mixtures include broth, garlic, and olive oil. It is traditionally served with fried meat and chicken broth soup.[4] Particular flavors result from variations that include vegetables, chicken, shrimp, beef, or octopus packed inside or around the plantain orb.

Chislic (South Dakota)

Chislic (or sometimes chislick) is a traditional dish of cubed red meat most commonly localized to the state of South Dakota (United States). Traditionally made from mutton or lamb, but has also been associated with wild game, deer and venison mostly, and even cubed beef steak depending on preparation.

You may want to peruse the many responses at reddit, and in the discussion at Metafilter, but be aware that they will make you hungry at some point.