(Photo: Scott Kelly)

There's a flower garden on the International Space Station. Oh, it's meant for scientific research. But the newborn results are pretty!

The project examines how different plants grow in microgravity. This orange zinnia that just bloomed is a challenge to grow in space. The experience of cultivating it will help scientists learn how to grow more challenging--and edible--plants in microgravity. UPI reports:

"The zinnia plant is very different from lettuce," Veggie project manager Trent Smith said. "It is more sensitive to environmental parameters and light characteristics. It has a longer growth duration between 60 and 80 days. Thus, it is a more difficult plant to grow, and allowing it to flower, along with the longer growth duration, makes it a good precursor to a tomato plant."

-via Scott Kelly

(Photo: Scott Davidson)

There's no such thing as bad publicity, right? When you're trying to break into the music business, never miss a chance to get someone to listen to your rhymes. Perhaps that's why a man in Delray Beach, Florida handed police officers his homemade rap CD when they pulled him over for speeding through a school zone. Kate Jacobson writes for the Sun Sentinel:

Officers in a golf cart followed the cars, pulled into the center of the road and forced the three cars to stop. When they walked up to [redacted--ed.]'s car, they asked him for his driver's license.

He pulled out his new CD. One of the other people in another car yelled out to the officer that they were just at the school to pick up a friend.

-via Dave Barry

YouTube Link

In this video (filed under "clips that make my dogs go crazy"), Plato the adorable Airedale terrier is seriously bugged by a chipmunk toy that records his barking and immediately plays it back to him. In fact, it appears as if Plato's not quite convinced this confusing critter is a toy, since he gently bats it around but doesn't bite or otherwise try to destroy it. I don't blame you, Plato. This is a question for the ages. Via Arbroath

If you're old enough to remember the days of roller skating rinks in the 1970s and 1980s, complete with roller fashions, "couple skates," custom-made, iron-on, lettered t-shirts, disco tricks and other mini-wheeled madness, well then you're in luck. This wealth of photos from that era is an absolute blast from the past.

With the exception of the fifth photo (that inexplicably doesn't show people on skates), many of these shots are from disco-era movies, some are promo shots of celebrities getting into the hobby, and the rest are the general public getting down and startin' something. NSFW: One photo has an overzealous scenester wearing a see-through shirt with no bra. Images: Via collection at Vintage Everyday
 
 

The Seashell House, Isla Mujeres Mexico

The list of vacation rentals linked below features the top ten Airbnb listings that prompted users to enable the site's wish list feature. The popular listings, recorded by Airbnb and compiled by mental_floss, feature attractive options for sleeping and playing quarters, some of which have a theme in common. It turns out that the most desired among Airbnb site members is the idea of a treehouse. That type of accomodation, steeped in childhood, literature and fantasy, seems to capture the imagination of so many. Mental_floss descriptions of the sites follow; to see all ten most wish-listed Airbnb listings, visit this link. Images: Airbnb

2. THE SEASHELL HOUSE: ISLA MUJERES, MEXICO (pictured above)

This gated island home looks just as the name suggests, and it’s something out of a Tim Burton scene. It was built by the owner’s husband and is secluded near a cliff. 

8.  BALIAN TREEHOUSE WITH PRIVATE POOL: BALI, INDONESIA

This treehouse in a quiet beach town has honeymoon written all over it, with a large garden, private pool, and easy access to the sand. Surfing and the nearby night market are two activities for those who want to leave the house – though you may not want to.

As with the latest art, music and all other human invention, even some of the ideas considered most innovative borrow from those already conceived. Perhaps one takes existing technology and adds one minor invention or marketing tool to the mix that pushes it over the edge into consumer sales breakthrough.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, which ran from January 6-9, showcased the latest in consumer technology focusing on two particular trends: virtual reality headsets and the "Internet of Things." The ten products from the show that are linked below build on existing technology and product ideas, adding one or more "bells and whistles."

For example, the product pictured above is known as the CleverPet Hub for dogs. It's the latest in "gaming" for dogs, treating them to food if they figure out a built-in "puzzle."  The product will cost approximately $269.

To see other products that wake you up, track your children's toys, mix your drinks and more, visit this article. 

Each year, U.K. site The Shiznit takes the current Oscar nominated movie poster art for a spin down the road of "brutal honesty." The result includes some amusing imaginary publicity posters that just may give readers the skinny on any films they would be interested in catching before the Oscars. 

Be forewarned that the images include a liberal dose of humor that pushes the envelope (one of which "has a go" at the U.S.), and profanity. Visit the series in entirety here. 

Via E Online | Images: The Shiznit

Forgot to charge arm last night. Charging at cellphone charge area at airport #amputeeproblems #relatable #amputee pic.twitter.com/jGoJqojC5q

— Angel Giuffria (@aannggeellll) January 10, 2016

Angel Giuffria is an actress who starred in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1. She was born without a left arm and uses a very technologically sophisticated bionic arm in its place.

When its batteries are fully charged, her arm lasts about 8-10 hours. Her charger is apparently compatible with an outlet available at mobile device charging stations--a feature that recently came in handy.

-via David Thompson

It is a thing of beauty. Oh, we've seen the old rock-inside-a-washing-machine-trick before. But YouTube user bootsowen takes the destructive magnificence of that experience to a whole new level by putting the halpess victim on a trampoline before starting the execution.

It looks like it's dancing!

Except for Neatorama, of course, because it has readers that are remarkably intelligent, kind, and good-looking. Otherwise, I'll spend the rest of my day at Cat Cosplay, which dresses up cats in highly realistic costumes of pop culture characters, such as Spock from Star Trek, Harry Potter, and Marty McFly.

(Photo: Brig. Gen. McAuliffe and Lt. Col. Kinnard via the US Department of War)

During the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944, German forces surrounded and cut off the US Army's 101st Airborne Division under the command of Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe. The Americans were vastly outnumbered and outgunned. The Germans appeared to be in a position to annihilate them.

General Heinrich Freiherr von Lüttwitz sent a message under a flag of truce, urging McAuliffe to surrender. McAuliffe's legendary reply was simple: "Nuts!"

And with that, the great orator and general Anthony McAuliffe became a symbol of American grit. Now you can read the full story of this incident as related by Kenneth J. McAuliffe, Jr., General McAuliffe's nephew.

He explains that General McAuliffe was initially confused by the message. He thought that the Germans wanted to surrender to him, not the other way around:

(Photo: Andrei Filin)

Pastafarians are members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, an organization that mocks people for having religious beliefs. Some of them wear colanders on their heads as a way to make fun of personal religious practices. As we've noted in the past, sometimes they try to get their driver's license photos taken while wearing their colanders, leading to legal battles with governments.

That's backfired for Andrei Filin of Russia. Government officials permitted him to wear a knitted colander on his head while having his photo taken. But there's a catch: if he's caught driving without his devotional headgear, he'll lose his license. 7 News reports:

The deputy chief of Moscow’s State Traffic inspectorate, Vladimir Kuzin, told Russian that Mr Filin’s victory for the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster comes with a catch.

“The next time he is stopped by the traffic police, if he doesn’t have a pasta strainer on his head, his licence will be taken from him,” Mr Kuzin said.

-via Nothing to Do with Aborath

(Photo: Four Seasons Resort)

The Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru in the Maldives has an unbelievably beautiful wedding chapel just off the beach. It's surrounded by crystal clear blue waters which are visible not only out of the windows, but straight through the glass floor. Wedding party members travel there by gondola. You can see more photos of this mesmerizing place at Fubiz.

What we humans refer to as parkour, animals see simply as a convenient way to get around town fast, and yet some animals have clearly been around town a bit more than others.

And when those freerunning furballs go the extra mile to impress their humans, it makes for some mighty fun-to-watch footage, like this video of Jim the Pit Bull doing his thing on the mean streets.

(YouTube Link)

Jim the Pit Bull is on a mission to prove that bark-our is even more impressive to watch than parkour, and his moves are so slick the squirrels are taking notes!

-Via MSN

There has been a dark cloud hanging over the city of Paris since the attacks of November, 2015, but the city of Light has proven time and again that nobody can put out its fire.

However, many people who visit Paris only see the epic sights, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Arc De Triomphe , and to them Paris could be seen as a massive theme park or movie set.

(Vimeo Link)

Apparences was created by French filmmaking duo Claire & Max as a visual examination of these thoughts:

What if everything around us was false? And if our environment was ultimately a single movie set? Would we really be real in this setting? “. Many issues that fuel both an imaginary but also pose those appearances and appearance. We therefore offer 4 minutes immersion in a Paris where the facades have been reworked in order to better immerse themselves in this world so strange.

-Via Laughing Squid