Evan is a curious seven-year-old boy who thought the security cams in the house would be the perfect way to document Santa's existence beyond the shadow of a doubt. On Christmas morning, he gathered his family to show them the footage. It's a good thing that Evan's so practical. He knows the camera never lies. Enjoy the magic while you can, little guy. -Via Tastefully Offensive
Lisa Marcus's Blog Posts
Bam Bam the grizzly and Vali the chimpanzee at their home at Myrtle Beach Safari Park in South Carolina
Many negative news stories that we see in the media today have to do with people whose regions, religions, races and other attributes and belief systems are at odds. Unfortunately these differences plus intolerance can lead to violence and tragedy. In fact, the world is so full of these conflicts that sometimes it's hard to envision it free of strife and in peace.
Perhaps we can follow the lead of the animals in these photos. These animals embrace each other in spite of whether one is traditionally seen as the other's prey, or despite their opposite looks and ways. Maybe in some cases it's beneficial to have a brain that isn't as evolved as that of humans. At any rate, these animal bonds are much less about complexity and focus on differences and more about the positive feelings of touch and companionship in an immense, often frightening world.
See more of these charming photographs here.
Zinzi the abandoned lion cub and Bob the meerkat at home in South Africa's predator world zoo
Baby monkey cuddling with lion and tiger cubs at a wildlife park in China
Image: beautifullife.info
Some folks generally have no problem getting out of bed when the alarm rings. These are the ones we refer to as "morning people." They are alert and productive in the mornings. Some don't even require alarm clocks, as they wake up naturally at around the same time every day.
On the other hand, there are those for whom the noise of the alarm clock is the most reviled sound of the day. Some may hit snooze until they are forced get out of bed in order to have enough time to shower and get to work. Others are heavy sleepers who may not wake up to the sound of a typical alarm clock. Those people must choose other, more hardcore methods. This is a list of alarm clocks for those in need of extreme measures to get them awake and moving.
The SingNShock clock, in the photo above, can be set up to actually give the user a shock when they touch the button to silence the alarm. Nothing wakes one up like being mildly electrocuted.
Whether it's a pleasant sensation designed to entice the sleeper out of bed or a much less agreeable experience like electric shock, see the variety of assured awakenings in the link above.
Deer Park, Ohio, resident Jasen Dixon has been ordered by city officials to dismantle his holiday nativity display, which features zombies playing the traditional roles of everyone in the nativity scene, including a zombie baby Jesus.
Accused of being in breach of city regulations regarding structures in front or side yards, the percentage of area they should occupy and their distance from the street and the home, Dixon claims that the city is just picking bones with him due to the content of his display. He told the local Fox News affiliate,
“I’ve lived here for 15 years and I’ve never had a violation of any kind. It’s a holiday decoration. I know if it was a real pretty nativity scene they wouldn’t be saying anything."
What do you think, readers?
Via Uproxx
When a homeless man in Brazil had an epileptic seizure, his dog Spike wasn't about to let him out of his sight. When the ambulance carrying the man headed to the emergency room, Spike chased after it. Eventually, the paramedics stopped to let Spike aboard. The loyal canine was also allowed to accompany his friend inside the emergency room as he recovered. 'Atta boy! -Via Distractify
Russian photographer Andrey Kruglikov posts these spectacular images of the Moscow and St. Petersburg Metro stations to his Instagram account. Kruglikov's choice of black and white for the images perfectly accentuates the striking line and curve of such architectural treasures. These underground stations were largely built pre-Cold War-era, sparing no expense for materials like marble and crystal chandeliers.
See more of these shots in this i09 article, and follow Kruglikov's Instagram account subwayspecial to keep up with his posts.
A family-owned dairy and creamery in Boonville, New York called Mercer's has developed a way for folks to get both their drink and dessert on simultaneously: wine ice cream. The dessert, which is 5% alcohol by volume, comes in eight flavors: red raspberry chardonnay, peach white zinfandel, riesling, cherry merlot, spice, strawberry sparkling, chocolate cabernet and port.
Visit the Mercer's website and Facebook page to learn more.
Via: Distractify | Images: Mercer's Dairy
Karem Piedra-Jimenez was aware that her boyfriend had been saving money to buy himself a Sony Playstation 4. When he had to spend his savings on more practical things, however, she thought she'd surprise him by purchasing the system for him as a Christmas gift. When he opened the gift, Karem was treated to his reaction of pure joy. There certainly wasn't a doubt as to whether he appreciated Karem and her gift. -Via Distractify
This wonderful BBC footage captured with a camera mounted on a Northern Goshawk flying through a densely wooded area is being used by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as an illustration of in-development unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology.
The new project, named the Fast Lightweight Autonomy program, involves UAVs compact enough to fit through windows to fly up to 45 miles per hour, all the while making their way through hard-to-navigate indoor spaces without the aid of GPS points or other communications.
Much like robotics, it's often the case that developing technology is based on the incredible movement of animals; mechanics modeled upon nature.
In the latest issue of Us Weekly magazine, celebrated cool guy and chef Anthony Bourdain shares twenty-five facts about himself, in his own words. Bourdain reveals that he's bitter that he's not of Italian heritage, and loves to cook pasta. His favorite movie, therefore, makes sense: Scorcese's Goodfellas.
"I believe Goodfellas to be the perfect American film. Every shot. Every line. Every action. Perfect."
It's hard for me to argue with that (particularly since I agree). Read the 23 remaining facts about Anthony Bourdain here.
Image: Wikipedia
Parents, you never know what grandma and grandpa might have up their sleeves. The worse you were as a kid, the more you may have coming to you in the years ahead. The holidays are a great way to exact a little revenge, as the latest comic from Lunarbaboon illustrates.
During the shoot for Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb in May, actor Skyler Gisondo, who played Ben Stiller's son, was missing the time of year at his school when his friends were asking girls to the prom. Gisondo enlisted the help of costars Stiller and Robin Williams to shoot a video proposal to his intended prom date. Williams and Stiller loved the idea. Gisondo told the Hollywood Reporter,
“All morning, Robin was pitching more ideas. He was saying ‘Can I say this? Would it be appropriate to say this?’ You’re Robin Williams. You can say whatever you want! It turned into this three-minute, ridiculous thing. A prom-posal.
I realized that was the most awesome three minutes of my life and I’ve accepted it will go downhill from there.”
Gisondo, who called Robin Williams “a bottomless reservoir of kindness and hilarity,” said of his time working with the late actor,
“It was just so special to work so closely with this guy whose movies I’ve grown up with and watch his preparedness and his kindness.”
-Via Uproxx
Mental Floss lists facts about popular holiday songs in this video. For instance, the voice that sang "you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch" was the same voice of Tony the Tiger saying Frosted Flakes were "grrrrreat!" The voice belonged to Mr. Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft, who died in 2005 at the age of 91.
Latvian pop singer and model Viktoria Modesta recently released her first music video and became known as the world's first amputee pop singer. Seen in her video and in promotional shots wearing several cool, futuristic prostheses, Modesta is making a bold statement about not letting such a disability be a limitation, but rather a benefit.
Modesta was born with a dislocated hip and leg, which had a negative impact on her mobility and social life as a youth. She went through 15 surgeries in her country of origin before moving to London in the hopes of superior medical care. She endured several more surgeries in London before opting to amputate her leg, a move which she says changed her life for the better. Now Modesta enjoys being an inspiration to others with physical setbacks.
Visit Victoria's website, Facebook and Instagram to learn more about her. -Via Bored Panda
Redditor anti_climax is in a delicate position in the Secret Santa exchange held at his workplace. What to get that person whom he doesn't know beyond the exchange of vague office pleasantries? Sure, the recipient is required to fill out a form giving hints as to what they might like, but how could it be possible to zero in on what they wish to receive by knowing their favorite color, scent, treat, etcetera? Woe is anti_climax in this game of chance.
Via Uproxx | Image: Imgur
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