Brazilian Oscar Filho shows his comedic chops as he imitates his friend's boxer in this amusing footage. As he does his boxer impression, Filho manages to completely confound the dog, who appears as if he's not sure what move to make next. Via Tastefully Offensive
Lisa Marcus's Blog Posts
Mike and Teresa Justice are behavioral ecologists who conducted a study concerning the types of light bulbs that attract the most and least amount of insects. During the study, which took place over an entire summer, the pair set up a bug trap with one light bulb inside. Each night they changed the type of bulb and used controls for variances such as moonlight exposure and weather.
When the summer nights were over, the mornings yielded a grand total of 8,887 bugs. Types of light bulbs used in the study were incandescent, CFL, halogen, LED with cool color, LED with warm color and standard bug lights. To read the conclusions of the study, follow this link to Gizmodo.
Image: Lamiot
As the old saying goes, "Behind every great man, there's a great woman." Yet humans are complex, and few people fall absolutely on the side of great or terrible. Throughout history, male royalty, world leaders and other "great men" have often been moved by captivating women. Some of those women might -- in the public perception of their era -- have been considered "good." Others may have had a different label. Women "of ill repute," for instance. The article linked below focuses on ten such women whose names history remembers. One example is Cora Pearl, pictured above. To quote the article:
"Emma Elizabeth Crouch was born in London in the 19th century. Crouch wasn't an average prostitute who lived on the streets. She attended a boarding school in France where she became well-educated and obtained high society social skills. After a terrible encounter with man who raped and then paid her in London, Crouch became a mistress in a notorious bar and brothel, The Argyll Rooms. While traveling in Paris, Crouch took the name Cora Pearl and began to make a name for herself as a courtesan to wealthy men. Pearl became a huge celebrity in Paris and slept with many famous men such as Napoleon Bonaparte. She was also known for having a flashy style and rocked bold hair colors such as lemon yellow."
Read about and see pictures of nine other prostitutes who made the history books here.
Legendary comedian Andy Kaufman appeared on The Dating Game in 1978 as a virtual unknown, and took the kooky show a step further with an early incarnation of his Latka Gravas character from Taxi. Same accent, same earnest, innocent expression and manchildish demeanor. Andy never gives up the act, taking it to fruition with the audience and players seemingly uncomfortable and unsure of how to handle the situation: exactly the way Andy Kaufman liked it. Via Dangerous Minds
Ryugyong Hotel | Image: Laika ac
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Neatorama last updated readers on the Ryugyong Hotel in 2012, when it was given a new glass facade by Orascom, an Egyptian company. Before the glass exterior was added, work on the monolithic building in Pyongyang, North Korea had stalled due to loss of financial backing by the Soviet Union in 1992. Work started on the structure in 1987, with North Korea eager to build what was to be the tallest hotel in the world.
When the Russians dropped out of the project in 1992, the 105-story, 1,083-foot building became the largest abandoned building in the world. And now so it remains, since the Egyptian company that built the glass surface has dropped the project. The shimmering facade of the edifice -- dubbed the "Hotel of Doom" by some -- is said to be a shell covering a virtually featureless structure with no plumbing or electricity.
Read more about the abandoned hotel, including what it will take to finish and who could be capable of such a monumental task, here.
Ryugyong Hotel | Image: calflier001
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Writer Laura Stokes, after a bad breakup years ago, made up a way to comfort herself when she was feeling especially low. Stokes said,
"I'd stop, take a breath, and say, 'But then he died in that horrible fire!' I mean, I didn't want him to actually die in a fire. But just imagining gratuitous revenge for a moment had a calming effect. It also made me laugh, which I needed badly."
The exercise became a joke among Stokes and her friends. Over time, the pastime evolved into something much more public. Using her son's toys and action figures, Stokes and her friend Nichole Cordin began to create and photograph dioramas based on revenge fantasies -- an exercise which now has its own Facebook page.
Readers are encouraged to participate by telling Stokes and Cordin their stories in order to add fuel to the revenge diorama fires. Stokes does not limit eligible stories to those of ex paramours, either. She's made it clear that anyone who has seriously wronged another is fair game — a parent, a bully, and on. Also being expanded is the range of action figures and props available for use in the dioramas.
Whether you're feeling vengeful or you're happy to steer clear of the drama, check out the revenge scenes of others at the Revenge Dioramas Facebook page. Via Daily Dot
Pixie, the adorable calf in the video above, was born with crippled front legs on which she was unable to walk. But luckily for Pixie, she was adopted into an Australian sanctuary for rescued farm animals called Edgar’s Mission. There the calf was surrounded by devoted and loving keepers who developed the right aids for her to gain mobility.
The staff accomplished this using a combination of latex splints to brace Pixie's legs and a crossbar to keep them from bowing under her weight. The footage of Pixie walking for the first time and then sharing an embrace with sanctuary founder Pam Ahern captures the expressive calf's sheer joy, excitement and gratitude over being able to walk for the first time in her life. Via Slate
This year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition has a puzzle on its back, courtesy of Snickers. The company enlisted New York advertising agency BBDO to create an ad, part of which is seen above, with built-in photo retouching failures. The advertisement, part of the “If you’re being a jerk, eat a Snickers” campaign, supplies a narrative that says a photo retoucher is so hungry he's become inept at using Photoshop.
AdWeek says that the advertisement contains eleven errors. How many can you spot? See the photo in full here.
Image: BBDO New York for Snickers
Fans of The Simpsons appreciate the show in part for its witty cultural references. In this well done video by cgmzz that is a Vimeo Staff pick, film references in the Simpsons are shown opposite the real scenes to which tribute is being paid. The result is a fun feast for the eyes. Should you have missed any of the references, this video gives the title of the film alongside the name of the Simpsons episode pictured. (Warning: NSFW nudity — brief shot of topless woman.)
Part of the form emailed to parents by Lombardy Elementary School
When the administration at Lombardy Elementary School in Delaware sent parents an email about an event they were hosting called "Exercise Your Brain Day," they — in an embarrassing blunder — attached a sarcastic "hurt feelings report" in which "whiners" were invited to share the source of their whines, among other things.
After an offended parent passed the missive on to a member of the local media, a spokeperson for the school district said that the form originated from "a source external to the school" and that it was "not an official document of Lombardy Elementary or the Brandywine School District." Said Brandywine School District spokeswoman Alexis Andrianopoulos,
"This was an embarrassing mistake, but it was just that – a mistake. It should not have happened, and we apologize for the error."
To view an enlarged version of the document and read more on this story, see this USA Today article.
John F. Kennedy’s coffin lying in state beneath the U.S. Capitol’ dome, November 1963
Image: George F. Mobley
These captivating photographs are from project "Found" at National Geographic. The magazine established the project in 2013, in honor of their 125th anniversary. The purpose of Found is to bring rare and unpublished photos from the history of the magazine to the attention of new generations of readers.
See more of this compelling collection at the Found archive of National Geographic.
Via Demilked
Loggers and the Mark Twain redwood cut down in California, 1892 | Image: N.E. Beckwith
"Scars of beauty" pattern on the back of a Nuba woman in Sudan, 1966 | Image: Horst Luz
Irish guards remain at attention after one faints, London, England, June 1966
Image: James P. Blair
August Reiger
From the "parents' worst nightmare" list comes the scenario of a child going missing. After a long period of working with authorities in trying to locate a missing child, it's common for parents — who may have accepted that their offspring won't likely be found alive — simply wish for their remains to be brought home. At least in those circumstances, they have a sense of closure.
But what of cases in which a person goes missing and then is reportedly sighted one or more times after their disappearance? Those are the facts with the stories told in the article linked below. Consider the perplexing case of August Reiger:
"After graduating from his Oklahoma City high school and being named valedictorian, 18-year-old August Reiger was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Oklahoma in 2013. The Reiger family decided to celebrate by taking August on a trip to Ecuador. They stayed in the resort town of Banos. On June 16, the Reigers decided to go hiking on a scenic mountain trail. During the hike, August got ahead of his family and told them he would meet them at the summit at the end of the trail. August disappeared out of sight, but when his family reached the summit, he was nowhere to be found. He did not return to their hotel, and a search of the area turned up no trace of him. At the time, August was not carrying any money or his passport.
While it was initially suspected that August had gotten lost, an eyewitness sighting would open up the disturbing possibility that he was kidnapped. Several days after August’s disappearance, it was announced that he had been spotted inside a pickup truck heading toward the Amazon region. Throughout the next year, there would be more reported sightings of a young man resembling August in Ecuador.
The incident wound up making national news. President Barack Obama made a statement about August’s disappearance and referred to him as “a missing patriot.” Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa also pledged his support to the Reiger family and told them that he would make it his mission to find August. Despite all the publicity this case has received, the ultimate fate of August Reiger is still unknown."
In Duluth, Minnesota on February 13th, a frozen Lake Superior breaks into layers upon layers of ice shards up to three inches thick. This mesmerizing footage was captured from Brighton Beach by Duluth resident Dawn LaPointe of Radiant Spirit Gallery. Via Twisted Sifter
In this heartwarming footage, veterinarian Dr. Andy Mathis of Granite Hills Animal Care in Elberton, Georgia had a feeling about what would help heal Graycie, a pit bull rescue who came into his care in terrible condition.
In a situation in which some facilities might have euthanized Graycie, Dr. Mathis sat with the terrified dog in her cage and ate his breakfast. Eventually this sort of quiet companionship gave Graycie the courage to begin eating and accepting compassionate touch once again. Dr. Mathis explained his philosophy via his website,
"I think of my pets as my children. They just happen to have 4 legs and fur. And whether your “kids” have fur, hooves, feathers, fins, or scales, I hope you do the same. They are members of your family. It is that underlying philosophy that guides my veterinary practice here at Granite Hills Animal Care. As a pet parent, I expect a high level of quality care for my pet. Whether it be routine medical care, emergency care, or surgery. Even something as mundane as a bath, or boarding if I happen to be out of town. It’s what we strive to provide to our patients in a kind, caring, and compassionate way. As if they were our own pet."
Bravo to Dr. Mathis and all of the heroic vets and techs who give so much of their time and effort to heal the sick animals of the world. Follow Graycie's story and that of other lucky rescue dogs on the Granite Hills Animal Care Facebook page.
Gittler Instruments presents their new line of guitars that are the epitome of minimalist design as far as guitars are concerned. The instrument weighs in at three pounds, has thirty-one frets and is made of aircraft grade titanium. The guitars have rounded frets, fret lighting, pickups and MIDI technology. Check out the demos above and below. Guitar players, what do you think? Via Laughing Squid
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