In this uplifting video, a man named Jared talks about how he lost an amazing 300 pounds in fifteen months, in part due to his practice of DDP Yoga, a fitness regimen developed by Diamond Dallas Page. Jared's video is now inspiring others like overweight vlogger Boogie (featured previously on Neatorama) to follow his path of foregoing obesity and embracing health.
The persistence of people like Jared has the power not only to inspire others to lose weight, but to give hope to any person who needs to make a major change in their life that will be a significant challenge to their self discipline. Via Laughing Squid
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Image: AgnosticPreachersKid
So much of the world's business and governmental inner workings are not what they seem. Largely powerless figureheads abound, and they front others in power, both individuals and groups. The linked article highlights six cases in which important rulers and decision makers are not widely known to exist. One example is the following:
"#5. The NSA Is Run By A Special Court Full Of Secretly Appointed Judges Who Don't Answer To Anyone
The NSA is one of the most controversial government organizations in existence. This is because, among other things, their surveillance tactics have been ruled unconstitutional, but they get to continue doing whatever they want, because terrorism. You see, despite what some knee-knocking appeals court says, every bit of electronic surveillance the NSA conducts on private citizens is totally legal in the name of protecting this great nation from secret threats. Just ask their bosses at the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, if you can find them. And trust us: You can't.
The FISC was founded in 1978 to combat the rash of illegal Russian spies who were making it hard for illegal American spies to do their job properly. But after 9/11 made suspected terrorists of us all, the FISC quickly became the most powerful organization you've never heard of. It operates from a small office -- there are 11 judges, and their terms of service in the FISC last for seven years. And each one of them is appointed to their position by no less than the chief justice of the Supreme Court. He hires these judges all on his own, without any supervision or fellow justices getting in the way to ensure he doesn't accidentally appoint a violent sadist.The main job of the FISC is to hear requests from the government for permission to wiretap, monitor, bug, or otherwise snoop on whatever target they deem sufficiently shady. So if anyone's going to stop the NSA from pilfering through your DMs, it's them. Except they probably won't -- out of the 33,900 requests to spy that the FISC received from 1979 (the year of its inception) to 2012, they rejected 11 of them... It is equally important to note that there have not been 33,889 cases of espionage and organized terrorism in the past 30 years, so either the net they are casting is far too wide or they've successfully prevented 33,889 9/11s.
Read more about the FISC and about other individuals or entities who secretly control things from the world's pornography supply to the country of Mexico at Cracked. (Their usual, sporadic use of profanity in their pieces is present.)
Chef and television personality Alton Brown gives scathing reviews to dumb food gadgets (he calls them "unitaskers") available for online purhase in this amusing video. And as Internet veterans, I think we all know just how bad ripoff, 'net sale-based products can get. Why would anyone ever buy these hunks of junk? Do they simply want to be Wolverine? Let Alton set you straight. Via The Daily Dot
...and filed under stories that make you smile is this one that happened last Sunday in Kilorglin, Ireland. When Suzanne Gibbons saw that a donkey was stranded in a flooded river and was in desperate need of help, she put the word out on a local animal rescue Facebook page.
Thankfully, a man named Mike Fleming came to the rescue in his boat. Gibbons, who is unable to swim, was relieved to see Fleming pulling the animal to safety with a rope and a life preserver.
But Gibbons and Fleming weren't the only ones who were happy about the rescue. The donkey burst into an ear-to-ear grin that could make even the coldest of hearts melt.
Read more about the donkey and see a number of heartwarming pictures of the rescue and the smiles afterward here.
After a meeting with a doctor 11 years ago in which she was given the grim prognosis, Amber Bartlett believed she was unable to have any more children. Amber has an autoimmune disorder that requires her to have regular infusions of medicines in order to maintain her health.
Bartlett was surprised to learn she was pregnant in early 2015. She decided to go through with what would be a high-risk pregnancy during which she'd be unable to continue with her medicines and treatment. Thankfully, Bartlett delivered a healthy baby boy and named him Ezra.
In celebration of the blessed event, Amber and her family, all major Star Wars fans, decided to do a newborn shoot with her sister, photographer Trish McCoy, that was themed around their favorite franchise. As you can see from the photos above and below, little Ezra looks sweet alongside his new friends.
See the photographer's Facebook photo album with all of her pictures of baby Ezra here.
Images: Trish McCoy | Via Design Taxi
“Bald-more,” “Bawl-mer,” “Bal-more?" | Image of Baltimore, Maryland by dpbirds via Flickr
It's pretty embarrassing to travel to a destination and then pronounce its name incorrectly for the duration of your stay. The linked article put together a group of city names — both in the United States and abroad — that are frequently mispronounced, and ventures to inform us how the locals say the word.
Going on a trip? Check out this list before you leave, just in case.
Phuket, Thailand... Careful! | Image: Oberpepe
Image: Unsplash
Sometimes feelings of situational or other depression (feelings that aren't associated with serious mental illness diagnoses, which generally need to be addressed with medication and/or therapy) can be wiped out in the simplest of ways. Methods so rudimentary that if they were suggested to a person who is depressed, that person might respond with a roll of their eyes.
The fact is, when most people are feeling low, they are also feeling unmotivated and tend to wallow for too long. They lean more towards laying in bed or on the couch, immersing themselves in computer activity, music or the television for extended periods. Often, depressed people must force themselves to make a move in the right direction. Occasionally feelings of dysphoria may trump the strength to get moving altogether.
Next time you're feeling low, push yourself as hard as you can to do one of the things on this list, or something similarly stimulating that produces endorphins or creates a mind shift. At various times I've tried nearly every idea in the linked article to cure a case of the blues, and I'm rarely disappointed in the result.
YouTuber Dan Zaleski uploaded this sweet video of a zoo visitor who showed an orangutan a "magic trick" that made the contents of a cup seem to disappear. The reaction of pure enjoyment from this intelligent creature is a reminder of its being a sensitive and observant species, so like us in many respects.
"Seedles" wildflower seed bombs
This mental_floss article is a list of eleven ideas perfect for that Secret Santa gift exchange at work or a friend with whom you trade fun, quirky and inexpensive gifts during the holidays. You can never have too many gift options that won't put a major dent in your bank account, and this author serves up a few bright ones.
For example, pictured above is number three on the list:
"3. SEEDLES; $9 AND UP
"Give a gift that keeps on giving. Each package of Seedles seed bombs is a self-growing garden of bee-friendly wildflowers. Simply throw the seed bombs in your backyard and let the wind, sun, and rain do the rest.
Find it: Seedles"
Below is the delicious looking number 6 on the list:
"4. MALVI MARSHMALLOW; $5 FOR 4
Get them the good fluff: These marshmallow sandwiches feature delicious combos like dark chocolate marshmallows between dark chocolate shortbread and pumpkin and spice marshmallows sandwiched between gingersnap cookies.
Find it: Malvimallow"
YouTube user Simona Brozova uses her account in part to introduce viewers to her Akita Raion and Jujube, her bunny. These animals are quite the friendly pair. In these videos, Raion is mellow and sleepy, and Jujube, if not napping with her canine pal, is playful and sweet as she determines which canine crevice is best for a temporary nest. Via Tastefully Offensive
Saturday Night Live has always been a comic mirror of American culture, and once the Star Wars franchise entered the picture in 1977, the show was already in its second season. The linked article presents fourteen Star Wars-related SNL sketches that ultimately represent not only the show's affinity for pop culture, but the ever-presence of the film franchise in our cultural consciousness since its inception.
Check out some of the best Star Wars-based SNL sketches here — including the above gem in which Kevin Spacey as Christopher Walken and Norm Macdonald as Burt Reynolds audition for the original— from that of the not-ready-for-primetime players to the present-day cast.
Given that approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is water, and mankind has been navigating that watery surface as long as his species has existed, there are many mysteries that could be solved if the man-made items claimed by the oceans were all known. The linked article is a list of just that: long lost, man-made items that have been discovered in water. One majestic discovery on the list is the lost Pagodas of Mahabalipuram.
For ages, the people of Mahabalipuram, India told stories of seven pagodas that were suposedly so magnificent that "the gods became jealous and had six of them swallowed by the sea." Historians, though, focusing on the one pagoda on land in the region, believed the stories to be the stuff of legend.
Yet amazingly, when a 2004 tsunami caused water in the area to recede by 1,650 feet, sediment that once covered the structures was removed and the pagodas saw the light of day. When the ruins were exposed and dive teams began examining the site, they were shocked as to the size and significance of the find. Expedition leader Monty Halls said,
“The initial feeling was one of disbelief. The sheer scale of the site was so impressive.”
Read about more amazing underwater finds here.
Images: Lakshmi Sharath
This adorable giant panda cub, a resident of Adventure World in Wakayama, Japan, is keeping his keepers on their toes and, occasionally, at a loss to stop his sudden whims about rolling down hills. Who can blame this little guy for entertaining himself? Rolling can be fun! Via Tastefully Offensive
One of the most revealing and enjoyable ways to learn about a locale and its culture is to experience the local dishes firsthand as you simultaneously experience the landscape. The food of any location can tell a story on its own. An often scrumptious story that we dream of revisiting, long after we've traveled on from that point.
This interesting and droolworthy Instagram called @foodintheair was started in 2013 by four sisters from Charlotte, North Carolina. Aptly named, the entries, submitted by individuals from the account's large following, feature delicious dishes held in the air, juxtaposed against views of travel destinations from all over the globe. Sisters Carolyn, Meg, Patty, and Charlotte, who get hundreds of reader-submitted emails per day, select posts based on their “quality, creativity, and composition of the picture.”
See a small sample of entries above and below, and check out @foodintheair and its related account @drinksintheair for more. Some of these food photos are enough to make me want to book the next plane ticket to their corresponding destinations!
Martha's Vineyard
Bodrum, Turkey
Santorini, Greece
Cinnamon Spiced Cafe Latte | Image and Recipe: Dine and Dish
Do you ever wish some mornings that you could have that delicious, fancy caffeinated drink in your hand, the one that the barista in your local coffee shop would whip up, only without having to drive there and pay their inflated prices?
Whether it's just you craving some caffeine, dairy and sugar or you have houseguests joining you in your jones, the linked collection of recipes for holiday lattes are varied and delicious enough to keep you satisfied all winter. A couple even have alcohol in them for a little extra to go with your cozy evening.
Wake up and get all of the recipes here.
White Chocolate Eggnog Latte | Image and Recipe: A Simple Pantry
Toasted Coconut Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Latte | Image and Recipe: Half Baked Harvest
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