Odds and sods I look at regularly, just because they amuse me. I hope they do the same for you. Incidentally, I found this page’s title on Greg Ross’s Futility Closet (it’s somewhere on this page) in a mini-article which also includes the delightful sentence in Icelandic: Barbara Ara bar Ara araba bara rabbabara. Ross points out that this, “besides being fun to say, is spelled with only three letters. It means “Barbara, daughter of Ari, brought only rhubarb to Ari the Arab.”
Mental Floss » 17 Fast-Paced Facts About 'Out of Sight'
George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez proved a formidable pair for Steven Soderbergh and Elmore Leonard. [Link]
Mental Floss » Cincinnati Zoo Names Their Latest Penguin 'Bowie'
The little chick was named after David Bowie because they share a birthday. [Link]
Mental Floss » Smarter People Live Longer, Study Finds
A study of more than 2200 Scottish people first studied in 1932 finds that IQ can affect longevity. [Link]
Mental Floss » Why Is Alabama's Mascot an Elephant?
There are no elephants in Alabama. What gives? [Link]
Mental Floss » This Woman Flew From England to Australia in a Vintage Biplane
Tracey Curtis-Taylor wanted to emulate Amy Johnson, the pioneering female aviator who flew solo from England to Australia in 1930. [Link]
Mental Floss » When David Bowie Recited The Lord's Prayer at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
An unexpected moment at the 1992 tribute concert became one of its most memorable. [Link]
FMyLife » JoseIsAdork says FML
Today, I realized how lonely I am, when I got a call from an elderly women who had dialed the wrong number. We ended up having a 20 minute conversation about her cat and how he "just won't use the darn litter pan." I was sad when she had to hang up. FML [Link]
FMyLife » anon says FML
Today, I found out that my crush of a few years likes me. How? Her boyfriend told me, followed by a punch in the face. FML [Link]
FMyLife » heart of cold says FML
Today, my roommate invited a couple of homeless gentlemen in to our house. After drinking all our beer, throwing up on our carpet, and repeatedly asking if we were planning on killing them, I asked them to leave. My roommate told them they're welcome back anytime. FML [Link]
FMyLife » Bex98 says FML
Today, I was out with my brother and his group of very cute friends at a Cheesecake Factory. When the server came to take our orders, she asked me what kind of sauce I liked. Like a complete fuckwit, I blurted, "I like creamy white stuff." The guy across from me choked on his water. FML [Link]
Fark.com RSS » If you recently lost a foot, BART authorities would like to have a word with you. You may also want to check into the nearest emergency room [Weird]
[link] [36 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » These Adapters Let You Combine All Your Toys Into One Monstrous Conglomeration of Fun
Finally you can combine LEGO, Tinkertoys, Lincoln Logs, and K'Nex into one genius structure. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » You're telling me you've never had an all female, bikini wearing, Mahjong pool party before? Sure you haven't [Giggity]
[link] [83 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Well, it's "No Pants Day" on the DC Metro, and what have we learned? Mainly that pants exist for a reason [Murica]
[link] [76 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Fox News continues its tradition of sound economic policy by telling viewers to "buy as many lottery tickets as you can afford" [Sick]
[link] [231 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » In what's starting to become de rigeur among the criminal set, the Walmart-engagement sex-toy-bandit couple has set up a GoFundMe page [Followup]
[link] [33 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » This Instagram Account Shows the World in Perfect Symmetry
From bridge trusses and staircases to skyscrapers and corridors, Symmetrical Monsters's hundreds of images have pulled in many fans (and many likes). [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Caption this wet babe [Caption]
[link] [31 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 25 Commanding Facts About New York, the Empire State
Toilet paper, the traffic signal, and the dentist chair were all invented in New York State. [Link]
Mental Floss » The Missing Links: Artists Pay Tribute to David Bowie
Here's a look at how musicians are paying tribute to David Bowie on Twitter. * And here are some cool facts about the film Labyrinth. * When you go through a fast food drive-thru you always try to remember to ask for packets of ketchup and other sauces. However, you probably never remember to ask these sauce-related questions. * Intriguing … [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Your slow cooker may be slowly killing you by slowly leeching lead into your slow-cooked food [Scary]
[link] [166 comments] [Link]
Weird Universe » Still Untitled (January 11, 2016)
Untitled
January 11, 2016
Copyright 2016 by Chuck Shepherd
Already a candidate for the Least Helpful Police Sketch of 2016.
Poor Lenin Rios-Liberato, a conscientious tattoo artist. If the customer wants a tat right there close to her girl part, the professional artist must hold the skin taut to ink it, and it’s unfair to call that sexual abuse.
If … [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Bison named Sparky who was struck by lightning in 2013 is still doing well and has even fathered three calves, tentatively named Smokey, Ash, and of course Rod [Cool]
[link] [27 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Photoshop this takeoff [Photoshop]
[link] [35 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Take Pictures With a Piece of Paper
Your camera can't get much thinner than this. [Link]
The Onion » American Voices: ‘Mein Kampf’ Returns To German Bookstores
Following the copyright expiration of Mein Kampf, the manifesto Hitler wrote from prison in 1925, the book has been released in Germany for the first time in 70 years and has sold out completely within days of its republication. What do you think?
[Link]
Fark.com RSS » Experts conclude that if you're good enough to write a meaningful message with bullets in Call Of Duty, you're probably wasted in terrorist communications [Interesting]
[link] [38 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 10 Popular Children's Books That Have Been Translated Into Latin
Thanks to some hard-working scholars, Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh, and Bilbo Baggins are now getting kids hooked on the language of Virgil. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » The state of Kansas has found a solution to its budget problem: win the lottery. Oh PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE [Facepalm]
[link] [161 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » A Farm in Virginia is Recruiting Volunteers to Snuggle With its Baby Goats
This is not a drill: Caromont Farm is seeking locals to love, feed, and play with the baby animals. [Link]
Mental Floss » Name the U.S. States With All Their Vowels Missing
Take the quiz! [Link]
Mental Floss » Bodies Don’t Host as Much Bacteria as Experts Thought
The previous assessment that bacterial cells outnumber human cells in the body 10 to 1 is probably overblown, a new study finds. The ratio might be be closer to equal. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » TarpMan's new novel features good ranchers, bad gubmint, guns, killing, cannibalism, guns, killing, the Constitution, a rampage against raw milk, and a cowboy lynching a mayor. And guns and killing [Asinine]
[link] [289 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » News photographer gets an unwanted scoop as a $250,000 Rolls-Royce plows into the side of his yard [Scary]
[link] [38 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » This Train Station Is Kept Open for Just One Passenger
The Japanese train has two trips a day: One to bring the student to school, and the other to bring her home. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Fark NotNewsletter: The stars look very different today [FarkBlog]
[link] [25 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » North Carolina in your vagina? It's more likely than you think [Asinine]
[link] [274 comments] [Link]
Futility Closet » Straight and Narrow
A pleasing fact from David Wells’ Archimedes Mathematics Education Newsletter: Draw two parallel lines. Fix a point on one line and move a second point along the other line. If an equilateral triangle is constructed with these two points as two of its vertices, then as the second point moves, the third vertex of the triangle will trace out a … [Link]
The Onion » Editorial Cartoon: Oregon Wildstrife Refuge
[Link]
The Onion » News in Brief: Woman Feels Like She’s Finally Ready To Start Receiving Unsolicited Vulgar Messages Again
SAN DIEGO—Explaining that she had needed a few months to herself to “get back to the right emotional place,” local woman Laura Berman told reporters Monday she finally felt ready to start receiving completely unsolicited and extremely vulgar messages again. “It was really important to have some time to regroup, but now I think I’m ready to put myself out … [Link]
The Onion » News in Photos: Universe Honors David Bowie With Emotional Starlight Vigil
[Link]
The Onion » News: Coca-Cola Marketing Strategist Named New United States PR Laureate
WASHINGTON—In a ceremony at the White House this morning in which his work was praised for its unique contributions to the art of corporate communications, Coca-Cola marketing strategist Lawrence Shaffer was officially appointed as the new PR laureate of the United States, sources confirmed.During a reception in the East Room, members of the PR laureate selection committee told reporters they … [Link]
Mental Floss » 11 Noble Facts About Weimaraners
Learn more about the dignified breed. [Link]
Mental Floss » 14 Showcased Facts About ‘The Price is Right’
Come on down! [Link]
Fark.com RSS » ISIS gunmen attack Baghdad mall, reportedly after being denied a new outlet for their brand-name store Beheading Butchery and Beyond [Scary]
[link] [59 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Random Cop: Hello, I'm from the DEA. Can I have your drugs? Sheriffs department: Sure. We aren't using them [Facepalm]
[link] [51 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » When Dentures Were Made From the Teeth of Dead Waterloo Soldiers
After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, looters, scavengers, and even surviving soldiers began pulling the teeth from dead soldiers left on the battlefield. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Drones to be used in coyote hunt after traps baited with watermelon fail. If only they'd tried baiting traps with sun dried zucchini, or maybe Big League Chew [Florida]
[link] [95 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » The 'Tree of Death' Lives Up to Its Name
Hopefully you never come across one of these. [Link]
Mental Floss » Why Astronaut Urine Is a National Treasure
NASA chemists keep the space travelers’ urine samples in a special sealed bunker. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Fark parents: Here's how to awkwardly talk about sex with your kids [PSA]
[link] [143 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » It's weird, one minute you're just sitting there drinking 18 cans of Foster's Lager and the next you're dressed in a onesie and setting fire to your landlady's porch [Dumbass]
[link] [37 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Police are using your social media postings to calculate a threat score for you [Awkward]
[link] [123 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » The Kid's in the Hall, a license to krill and the difference between "one night stand" and "Mormon": some of Fark's favorite Headlines of the Week for 1/3 – 1/9 [FarkBlog]
[link] [0 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 5 Questions: "League" of Nations
[Link]
Fark.com RSS » Will new dietary guidelines make school lunches healthier, or will they always be questionable? [Murica]
[link] [78 comments] [Link]
The Onion » Slideshow: The Week In Pictures – Week Of January 11, 2016
[Link]
The Onion » News in Brief: Supportive Parents Encourage Child’s Interests In Anything Within 15-Minute Drive
SIMSBURY, CT—Saying they wanted their daughter to follow her passions, the parents of 8-year-old Kaylee Maxwell told reporters Monday that they strongly encourage all of her interests that are within a 15-minute drive. “We want Kaylee to pursue what makes her happy, whether that’s music, dance, rock climbing, martial arts—as long as it’s the taekwondo place by the mall, and … [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Las Vegas casinos are seeing tremendous losses as people realize gambling makes no sense [Interesting]
[link] [208 comments] [Link]
FMyLife » krfenton8 says FML
Today, I had a bad feeling about walking to work because of the weather. Instead, I drove. My car slid on the ice and I created a four-car pile up. All three of the other people involved have decided to sue me. I should've walked. FML [Link]
Futility Closet » Podcast Episode 89: An African From Baltimore
In the 1920s Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola toured the United States and Europe to share the culture of his African homeland with fascinated audiences. The reality was actually much more mundane: His name was Joseph Lee and he was from Baltimore. In this week’s episode of the Futility Closet podcast we’ll tell the curious story of this self-described “savage” … [Link]
Mental Floss » Who Exactly Can the President Pardon?
Responding to a petition signed by viewers of Netflix’s documentary 'Making a Murderer,' the White House lays out why Steven Avery is not allowed a presidential pardon. [Link]
Weird Universe » The Battle of the Pulpits
Jan 1956: It was Reverend vs. Reverend. On the left, in the main pulpit, the Rev. Mr. Thomas ordered hymns and told the organist to start playing. On the right, in the raised altar, the Rev. Mr. Melish led prayers.
Church leaders had been trying to remove Rev. Melish from his position as rector of the Holy Trinity Church in … [Link]
Mental Floss » Watch 580 Hours of VHS Footage Condensed into 5 Minutes
Bob Jaroc has condensed 580 hours of VHS, recorded over the course of years, into just five minutes. [Link]
FMyLife » TheMike23 says FML
Today, I went out with my mom to a restaurant. We were sitting down to eat, and a waitress walks over to our table and asks, "How are you ladies doing tonight?" It really was a nice thing to ask, for my mom. As for me, being a man, not so much. FML [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Photoshop these skiers [Photoshop]
[link] [25 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » This New Wristband Tracks Your Emotions
It’s a Fitbit for your feelings. [Link]
Mental Floss » Listen to the Musical Stylings of a Toy Piano Virtuoso
How a childhood toy inspired this Juilliard graduate. [Link]
Futility Closet » Podcast Episode 89: An African From Baltimore
In the 1920s Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola toured the United States and Europe to share the culture of his African homeland with fascinated audiences. The reality was actually much more mundane: His name was Joseph Lee and he was from Baltimore. In this week’s episode of the Futility Closet podcast we’ll tell the curious story of this self-described “savage” … [Link]
Mental Floss » 4 Odd Things David Bowie Taught Us About Space
In memory of the legendary rocker, who has died at age 69. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Massachusetts politicians head to Colorado to "study" marijuana [Interesting]
[link] [113 comments] [Link]
FMyLife » DuskKitten says FML
Today, my husband loves his pajama pants a little too much. How do I know? I came into our bedroom to find him fiercely cuddling and stroking the pants, whispering, "Oh you're so soft." FML [Link]
Weird Universe » Follies of the Madmen #271
Female sexuality illustrated.
Original ad here. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » CAN ADA [Scary]
[link] [184 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Vans Has Made Sneakers For Fans of Late Night Fast Food
The new footwear collection pays homage to popular midnight fare. [Link]
Mental Floss » "League" of Nations
[Link]
Fark.com RSS » 81 percent of the products in a Dollar Store contain chemicals that make people more likely to shop in Dollar Stores [Scary]
[link] [78 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Watch All of Pixar's References to Other Movies
Pixar has made tributes to everything from 'The Birds' to 'Men in Black' [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Under Maryland law, one can be in a special legal status whereby they're not allowed to have sex with anyone. In the rest of the country it's simply called "marriage" [Scary]
[link] [79 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » The German Teens Who Rebelled Against Hitler
Allied forces had a secret ally: German teen gangs that resisted Hitler's messages, sabotaged their military, and embraced American culture. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Two years after the water crisis in Flint began, governor Snyder is finally providing the city with clean drinking water [Asinine]
[link] [101 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » American woman found murdered in Italy. Authorities plan to blame a Satanic alien plot, arrest a French woman, convict two Africans of the murder, then try a British woman for the crime [Obvious]
[link] [43 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Buried power cables abandoned by Coast Guard are now exploding, hurling one woman and her beach chair ten feet into into a rock jetty [Scary]
[link] [23 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Morning Cup of Links: Golden Globe Award Winners
Star your day with these great links! [Link]
FMyLife » fritzile says FML
Today, I told a customer the bread he wanted has been discontinued. He replied with, "Are you serious? What is your name? I'm going up front to complain about you." I still don't understand how that's specifically my fault. FML [Link]
Mental Floss » 11 Facts About Alexander Hamilton for His Birthday
Alexander Hamilton rose from obscurity to help build a new nation—one where he earned friends and enemies at just about every turn. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Iraqi dam on the brink of collapse could cause up to 500,000 deaths. Or, as they measure it in Iraq, about 0.8 George W. Bushes [Scary]
[link] [72 comments] [Link]
FMyLife » CharlieKearney says FML
Today, the guy I made out with on New Year's Eve finally called me. Too bad it was to blame me for the picture of us which someone had sent to his girlfriend. I never took a picture, and had no idea he was in a relationship. FML [Link]
GraphJam » Gallons
Graph by: Unknown Share on Facebook
[Link]
GraphJam » She Can See Sound?
Graph by: xkdbyf Tagged: accents , girls , irish , looks , personality , Pie Chart , sight , sound Share on Facebook
[Link]
GraphJam » Replotted: Same Thing, Really
Graph by: kristinawhite182 Tagged: dogs , eating , flow chart , food , toddlers Share on Facebook
[Link]
GraphJam » Now He Can't Afford His Gold Plated Shark Tank Bar
Graph by: Unknown Tagged: best of week , lars ulrich , napster , Pie Chart , piracy Share on Facebook
[Link]
Mental Floss » Meet the People Who Collect Illegal Eggs
Collectors scale towering cliffs, face prison sentences and fines of up to $7400, and risk endangering entire bird species in pursuit of the rare finds. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Woman suffering from Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome vomits up to 15 times an hour. In related news, CVS pharmacies consider name change [Sad]
[link] [55 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Naked Portland violinist loses claim that cops infringed on constitutional rights by interrupting his solo performance outside federal courthouse. "The judge said Mglej's nudity didn't advance a specific message, so it wasn't protecte
[link] [30 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » China cancelled its One Child Policy because ratios of male to female hit 117 to 100. In Sweden the ratio is currently 123 to 100 [Awkward]
[link] [73 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » The Secret Life of a Public Library Security Guard
In between the rare maps and historical stacks, fishing out fornicators and nixing narcotics transactions are all in a day’s work for one of Portland’s finest. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » David Bowie dies following an 18-month battle with cancer. The music world mourns [NewsFlash]
[link] [925 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Twenty-one benefits of having a cat – summed up in cartoon form [Amusing]
[link] [48 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Experience What It’s Like to Drive a Subway Train
It's like you're in the conductor's chair. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » While NASA gets by on a shoestring, Americans spend four times its budget annually … on lottery tickets [Facepalm]
[link] [71 comments] [Link]
FMyLife » chloeleigholivia says FML
Today, being the clean freak that I am, I bought an expensive pair of 'mop socks'. As I walked upstairs to show everyone, I slipped on the corner of the bottom step and landed on my face, breaking my toe in the process. FML [Link]
FMyLife » BURGERT0WN USA says FML
Today, I texted the girl I'm going to homecoming with in a couple days to say hi. The conversation started OK, but then morphed into her saying that she doesn't feel anything between us, and wants to stop being friends after the dance. I have to buy her dinner and a ticket, out of my own wallet. FML [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Abandoning her child with strangers? Getting into a fight with police officers while naked? Urinating on the police during the fight? HOW is this delicate Florida flower still single? [Florida]
[link] [31 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Fark this house, fark that house, fark this garbage can in particular [Florida]
[link] [44 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 7 Common Causes of Death During Winter Storms (and How to Prevent Them)
“The dead of winter” indeed. [Link]
Mental Floss » 'Pac-Man' Fitness Band Turns the Old-School Video Game Into a Workout
This slap bracelet lets you control a game of 'Pac-Man' by swinging your arms around. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » If you try selling stolen goods on your home computer, watch out that cookies don't trip you up. Especially chocolate chip cookies [Dumbass]
[link] [8 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Hey Patriots. I heard you like Patriots so we have sent some more Patriots to help keep your Patriots in line so we can all be Patriots nicely. Patriot [Facepalm]
[link] [333 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » At this rate they're going to have to change their name to Doctors Without Quarters [Sad]
[link] [50 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » The PC of the Future…from 1996
"Will we add computing power to our TV sets, or…TV capability to our personal computers?"—Stewart Cheifet in 1996. [Link]
Weird Universe » News of the Weird (January 10, 2016)
News of the Weird
Weirdnuz.M457, January 10, 2016
Copyright 2016 by Chuck Shepherd. All rights reserved.
Lead Story
Hard Times For Science: (1) A tractor-trailer driver with a load of bottled water tried to make it over an historic bridge in Paoli, Ind., on Christmas day, with the obvious outcome when 35 tons of water starts across a limit-6-tons span. … [Link]
FMyLife » Anonymous says FML
Today, my mom said if I dont get straight A's in my classes this year, she'll get the school to hold me back until I do. I believe her. FML [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Photoshop Tennis Match: Winter Edition [Photoshop]
[link] [38 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Remember that subplot from Love Actually where the British bloke flies to America to impress women with his accent? Turns out it works [Giggity]
[link] [102 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 13 Facts About ‘Masterpiece’ On Its 45th Anniversary
Viewers loved ‘Upstairs, Downstairs.’ Alistair Cooke hated ‘Poldark.’ [Link]
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