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 » Q
mental_floss chatted with the actress about how she chooses her roles, the joys of birding, and Chicago hot dog versus deep dish pizza. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Is there a Fark contest for worst facial tattoo? If so, here's the winner [Dumbass]
[link] [133 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Conservationists Plan to Sneak Electronic Eggs Into Vulture Nests
The fake eggs contain sensors to monitor the vultures’ behavior and environment. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Study finds millennials are more vulnerable to scams than any other age group, including seniors. In other news, anyone want to buy an artisanal, hand-crafted, eco-friendly, cruelty free bridge? You guys should like it, it's even in Brooklyn [Obv
[link] [117 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 15 Grounded Facts About 'The Aviator'
Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning biopic was almost directed by Kevin Spacey. [Link]
Mental Floss » The Traditional Spanish Siesta Could Be Coming To An End
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy wants to end the siesta in order to improve work-life balance. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » On April Fool's Day, Juneau, Alaska was renamed "Uno". After the card game, not its former governor's IQ [Silly]
[link] [24 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » With This Device and a Smartphone, You Can 3D Print At Home
OLO has already been backed on Kickstarter, but you can still secure one for yourself for under 100 bucks. [Link]
The Onion » Ancient Human Sacrifices Reinforced Hierarchy
A new study looked at the social makeup of ancient societies and found that those with more stratified class systems participated most often in ritual human sacrifice, a practice that maintained an elite wealthy class by killing subordinates to appease the gods. What do you think?
[Link]
Mental Floss » Master LEGO Builder Recreates the Entire Batcave From Scratch
Tens of thousands of LEGO bricks were used in this custom build. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Man wearing 'I'm a smart one' shirt charged with offering money for sex [Dumbass]
[link] [65 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » The Queen Mother's Royal Refrigerator Turns 62
It's been sitting in the Castle of Mey's kitchen since 1954. [Link]
Mental Floss » Twitter Rumors Can Be Stopped by Official Accounts, Study Says
The Twitter rumor mill can spread misinformation around the web like wildfire, but a few choice tweets can slow its roll. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Sturgis? Boring. Daytona Bike Week? A bunch of posers. If you really want insanity, you have to go to Europe and roll to Elefantentreffen [Strange]
[link] [66 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Photoshop theme – design an interesting cell phone back case [Photoshop]
[link] [56 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » The Missing Links: Testing Out Viral Internet Recipes
One author taste-tested three viral recipes and recorded her results. The verdict? Everything with cheese is good. * Architects give back by designing intricate homes for shelter cats. * Speaking of felines, how do cats always land on their feet? Allow this video to explain. * “I have an idea. Let’s allow the public to choose the name.” Here are … [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Woman punches off-duty cop after being told to stop using her bare hands to scoop lettuce from the salad bar [Murica]
[link] [118 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Watch 10 Seasons of ‘The Joy of Painting’ on YouTube—for Free
Have yourself a happy little binge-watch. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Kitty Genovese's murderer has died in prison. Preliminary coroner's reports indicate that millions of his blood cells stood around and did nothing while a clot brutally blocked his heart [Followup]
[link] [112 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Sarah Palin: the undiscovered slam poet of our time? [Followup]
[link] [166 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Heat-Sensitive Mug Shows the Northern Lights When You Pour in Hot Liquid
Let there be light. [Link]
Mental Floss » 8 Unusual Deaths From the Victorian Era
You don't see "indiscreet use of laudanum" on death certificates much anymore. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Best Korean monitoring officials announce that satellite images of plumes from nuclear facility are not, in fact, from Kim Jong-un's bedside microwave [Scary]
[link] [50 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » China announces a ban on mining imports from North Korea. No word on how soon the ocean gets nuked in retaliation [Interesting]
[link] [49 comments] [Link]
The Onion » How Coastal Cities Are Preparing For Climate Change
With experts predicting that the effects of global warming could be catastrophic in the next 50 years, here are some ways that coastal cities are addressing the challenges of rising sea levels: Bar Harbor, ME: Officials urging residents to stockpile vintage charm in case of emergency
Manhattan, NY: Initiating 10-year plan to replace inhabited residences with vacant Emirati-owned condo developments … [Link]
Mental Floss » Want to Be More Productive? Stay Extra Busy
Busy people are better at rebounding from missed deadlines, a new study suggests. [Link]
The Onion » Depleted Bruegger’s Bagels Gift Card Living Out Quiet Retirement In Wallet’s Fourth Row
[Link]
Fark.com RSS » Please note: when the sheer scale of your alcohol consumption prompts a customs investigation that's only overturned on appeal, you might have a drinking problem. Or you're a Fark mod, one of the two [Strange]
[link] [50 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » America's New London Embassy Will Feature a Giant U.S. Constitution
The art installation by Mark Bradford will span 32 canvases. [Link]
FMyLife » stuckass says FML
Today, our office had a mock audit before the real thing. I got warning note for not maintaining proper databases for last year's activities. I only joined a few months ago. FML [Link]
FMyLife » Oliveisthenewora says FML
Today, I tried a DIY face mask that involved using turmeric spice. After keeping it on for 20 minutes, I tried washing it off, but I couldn't get rid of the orange residue it had left behind. Guess who's going to work tomorrow looking like an Oompa Loompa. FML [Link]
Mental Floss » The Best Amazon Deals We Could Find Today, April 5
As a recurring feature, our team combs the Web and shares some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. Here’s what caught our eye today, April 5. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » There are ways to fix all your dog's obnoxious habits. Unless he tends to lick his junk and then give you kisses right after. Science still has no solution for that [Spiffy]
[link] [67 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Watch This GoPro Footage of a Bridge Imploding in Slow-Motion
You will want to watch this clip again and again. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Cool: flight attendant helpfully shows passengers how to use the emergency slide to escape the plane. Not cool: moments after landing at the airport [Strange]
[link] [44 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Study shows that humans are aroused by touching robots in their no-no places. With robot butt touching gif goodness [Giggity]
[link] [123 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 11 Facts You Might Not Know About Morton Salt
There have been seven versions of that little girl with the big umbrella. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Governor Pat McCrory: "Nobody would actually kill jobs in North Carolina over our bigoted anti-LGBT law." PayPal CEO Dan Schulman: "Challenge accepted" [Followup]
[link] [314 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Panama Papers claim their first victim [News]
[link] [249 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Abraham Lincoln carried a secret message concerning the Civil War in his pocket for most of his term. A message so secret even he didn't know about it. And no, it wasn't "DUCK" [Cool]
[link] [64 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 5 Questions: "Side"ways
[Link]
Fark.com RSS » Backstreet Boys plot Las Vegas residency and tour with The Spice Girls. Because of all the years we don't want to relive musically, it's the late '90s and early '00s [Scary]
[link] [148 comments] [Link]
The Onion » Mom Apologizing For Going Through Menopause
LUTSEN, MN—According to witnesses, local mother Deborah Miller, 49, apologized to her family profusely Monday for going through the natural biological process of menopause. “Gosh, I am so sorry—I know it’s cold in here, but I’m having a hot flash,” said Miller as she cracked open a window in the den, fanned herself with a nearby magazine while her husband … [Link]
The Onion » Your Horoscopes — Week Of April 5, 2016
[Link]
Mental Floss » Collect Your Favorite Artists and Writers From History in Paper Doll Form
Give Pablo Picasso his signature striped shirt or reattach Vincent van Gogh's ear. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Scientists plan to help people get past their phobias by removing the bad memories that trigger them, which is good news for phobia sufferers, PTSD victims, Coldplay album sales [Cool]
[link] [52 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » If you are wondering why there are so few American names in the "Panama Papers" creating sleazy shell companies, it's because states like NV and DE are all too happy to do it for them, with even less transparency [Sad]
[link] [82 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 11 Far Out Facts About ‘Howard the Duck’
George Lucas produced a movie about a flirtatious space duck who is forced to save Earth from an alien invasion. What could go wrong? [Link]
Fark.com RSS » In case you wondered what it was like to have an F4 tornado crash directly into your camera-holding face. Tag is for his wife who didn't make it [Sad]
[link] [273 comments] [Link]
The Onion » You Don’t Get To Be As Old As I Am Without Knowing A Few Things About Basic Shapes And Colors
I’ve seen it all in my time. Been a lot of places, done a lot of things. Had my share of scrapes here and there, too. Those experiences taught me so much more than I ever could have imagined and shaped me into who I am today, the kind of person who just knows right away what’s red, what’s orange, … [Link]
The Onion » Tech Company Develops Chewable Coffee
San Francisco tech company Nootrobox has developed a product called Go Cubes, a chewable tablet made of cold brew coffee containing 50 milligrams of caffeine. What do you think?
[Link]
The Onion » Tips For Male Bonding
Show them you care. Always maintain steady, intimate eye contact while bumping chests.
To get any new buddies up to speed, compile a PowerPoint presentation of consensus choices for famous actresses you and the guys would most like to have sex with.
Take time out of each day to admire and appreciate each other’s workbench setup.
Slap some steaks on the grill and … [Link]
Mental Floss » Is It Illegal to Fake Your Own Death?
The technical term is "pseudocide." [Link]
Weird Universe » Corpse In 3D
A Chinese funeral home is now using 3D technology to restore the deceased when the body has been badly disfigured in death. It is said to be much better than just makeup to make the person who has passed on look presentable for the bereaved family. It is expensive, of course. [Link]
Mental Floss » The New 'Jungle Book' Reimagines King Louie as an Extinct Species of Ape
Don't expect to see an orangutan in the live-action 'Jungle Book' remake. [Link]
Mental Floss » 1868 Map Shows That Beavers Truly Are Nature’s Best Builders
About 150 years ago, Lewis Henry Morgan mapped 64 beaver dams in Northern Michigan, many of which are still discernible today. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Fark Store Daily Deal: Scrivener 2. What's your favorite novel-writing software? (Sponsored Link) [Plug]
[link] [25 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Photoshop this lady and her babies [Photoshop]
[link] [22 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 8 Remarkable Sets of Identical Twins
These duos take it to a whole new level. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » "Dear Prudence: I am a lesbian and I'm attracted to a female coworker who might be straight. Any advice on how I can ask her out and get her to switch teams? I really think it would be a great thing for both of us" [Giggity]
[link] [163 comments] [Link]
FMyLife » myworstday says FML
Today, I was let go from an unpaid internship. The reasons cited was that I seemed unhappy at work. No, that's just my face. FML [Link]
FMyLife » foreverAlone says FML
Today, I met a cute girl. She seemed really sweet and I was heartbroken to find out that she had fallen on hard times and was living in a shelter. I asked her if I could take her out to lunch. She said, "No." I can't even get a date with a homeless girl. FML [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Sex lasts an average of five minutes according to study. I already double-checked and it definitely says minutes [Giggity]
[link] [183 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Watch This Mesmerizing Macro Video Of Paint, Soap, Milk, and Oil In Motion
Filmmaker Thomas Blanchard has released a stunning, abstract video of soap, milk, and oil in extreme close-up. [Link]
Weird Universe » Lap Driving Banned
A 1950's effort to stop distracted driving.
But what was going on in Cheboygan that they felt a need for an ordinance against this form of distracted driving specifically?
The Pittsburgh Press – Dec 28, 1952
CHEBOYGAN, Mich., Dec 27 (UP) — Traffic violation penalties going into effect here Jan. 1 include a $5 fine for any motorist caught driving with … [Link]
Mental Floss » Watch This Bowling Ball Lose a Battle With a Hydraulic Press
The star of this YouTube channel has yet to meet a worthy opponent. [Link]
Mental Floss » "Side"ways
[Link]
Fark.com RSS » New revelations from the Panama papers; they were helping the Norks build nukes and the Syrian government bomb civilian targets [Followup]
[link] [108 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » To Save Their Species, These Prehistoric Animals Mated Early and Died Young
When the mass extinction began, Lystrosaurus shortened its lifespan—and its mating cycle. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » A new generation of Dildonians arises to take up the torch [Asinine]
[link] [297 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » 7 Everyday Phrases That Have Been Rephrased
It’s by no means rare for words to rework and reshape themselves over time, to the extent that they can end up with vastly different meanings and spellings compared to their original forms. So awful once meant the same as “wonderful.” A bully was originally a friend or a close companion. Jargon was once upon a time another word for … [Link]
Weird Universe » Chicago’s Acro-Theater
Plays that also featured acrobatic & gymnastic stunts. I'm thinking Shakespeare should be performed this way. Hamlet's soliloquy delivered on a trampoline.
Original article here. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Kim Jong-un dead or seriously injured. Sounds legit [Interesting]
[link] [143 comments] [Link]
FMyLife » Anonymous says FML
Today, my boss and I were bragging about our new phones. I unlocked mine to show its awesome display, and accidentally opened a job search app. FML [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Batik shreds TransNusa at Halim Perdanakusuma [Fail]
[link] [34 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Morning Cup of Links: The Origin of Comedy Central
Night After Night to @midnight: An oral history of Comedy Central (Part 1). Check back for part 2.
*
Optina Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox refuge in Kozelsk, Russia. Ten stray cats who found shelter there follow Father Sergey Kuzmich as he does his daily blessing procession.
*
7 Obscure Cryptids. Have you ever seen an agogwe, irkuiem, or dingonek?
* … [Link]
Mental Floss » The Full-Bodied Stories Behind 20 Cigar Brand Names
Kick back and learn a thing or two about your favorite stogies. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Dear Deidre, I know this doesn't sound legit, but my filthy girlfriend won't get off me, all she wants to do is have sex and play with my dangly bits, which just turns me off …..so I'm cheating on her with a cougar [Giggity]
[link] [73 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Here's How to Bake a Cake That Looks Like Jupiter
A delicious—and scientifically accurate—model of the gas giant in delicious dessert form. [Link]
GraphJam » What does the poetic hero of Queen's lyrics want?
Graph by: Misanthrope Tagged: bicycle , body , break , die , free , lyrics , man , miracle , queen , ride , sensation , supersonic , venn diagram , want Share on Facebook
[Link]
GraphJam » Morning Shower Water Is the Nectar of the Gods
Graph by: SnowyCheetah Tagged: morning , Pie Chart , showers , sleepy Share on Facebook
[Link]
GraphJam » Percent of Green and Red Lights While Driving
Graph by: KingMercury531 Tagged: Bar Graph , driving , early , green , late , lights , red , traffic , work Share on Facebook
[Link]
Mental Floss » The Secret Jokes Hidden in 'Alice in Wonderland'
By Jess Zimmerman Just about everyone knows Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (or Alice in Wonderland, the nickname most of us use). But before it was a Disney movie, several dozen other movie and TV adaptations, a Disneyland ride, a video game, a manga, 170 translations, or even a published novel that in 150 years has never gone out of … [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Unoriginal: Shouting "FHRITP" into a rolling news camera. Unemployed: From your marked company vehicle [Fail]
[link] [143 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » New Jersey Target stores trying to lure in the younger crowd by offering used syringes with their clothing lines [Scary]
[link] [10 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » This Doggie Dental Assistant Makes Those Dreaded Visits a Little Easier
JoJo the comfort dog helps patients relax at one Illinois dental practice. [Link]
Futility Closet » Dream Cuisine
Image: Wikimedia Commons In 1973 and 1974, the U.S. armed forces gave a food preference survey to about 4,000 members of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. The examiners included three fake dishes “to provide an estimate of how much someone will respond to a word which sounds like a food name or will answer without reading.” The three … [Link]
Mental Floss » 9 Scientifically Proven Ways to Prevent Motion Sickness
7. Ginger is your best ally. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Two clever police detectives prove better at accessing a suspect's locked iPhone in 10 seconds than hundreds of NSA crypto geeks working around the clock [Cool]
[link] [109 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Listen to Flannery O'Connor Read 'A Good Man Is Hard To Find'
In the 1959 audio recording, O’Connor gives a live reading of one of her most beloved short stories, “A Good Man Is Hard To Find.” [Link]
Fark.com RSS » When you poop on someone's lawn, don't be surprised when they try to stab you for it [Weird]
[link] [37 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Need to randomly pick people for secondary screening on your job as TSA agent? There's an app for that…for $1.4M [Asinine]
[link] [66 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Mass Grave From War of 1812 Reveals First Evidence of Buckshot Wounds
The researchers used "proxy buttocks" made of pig parts to test the musket fire. [Link]
Mental Floss » Innovative New School Will Double as Free Health Clinic
San Francisco pediatrician Patricia Chan believes that a good education should promote both healthy minds and bodies. [Link]
Mental Floss » Scientists Are Using Virtual Reality to Help Conserve Jaguars
360-degree footage lets scientists visit potential jaguar habitats without leaving home. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » The War on Drugs finally records a rare victory as flakka suddenly disappears from Florida. Still plenty of naked people playing in traffic though [Florida]
[link] [48 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Here are America's fastest growing cities. Finally, a leak featuring the Sunshine State that doesn't involve gators, public drinking or swallowing heroin in a police car [Florida]
[link] [40 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » New Research Shows the Surprising Reasons Bike Sharing Is So Safe
Fatality rates for cyclists in U.S. bike share programs aren't just low—they're nonexistent. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Not considered hazardous duty in the army: Soldiers whose sole job is to run a massive weed operation to help war veterans with PTSD [Spiffy]
[link] [23 comments] [Link]
Fark.com RSS » It's a wrap [Sad]
[link] [101 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » Peek Inside a Hydroponic Spinach Farm
The soil-less agriculture technique is both futuristic and strangely quaint. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Just so you know, a whole lotta sheep shearing world records are about to fall [Amusing]
[link] [23 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » The TSA Paid $1.4 Million For An App That Some Say a Beginner Could Make
America’s Transport Security Administration seems to have paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.4 million for a randomizer app. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » What we can learn from the most boring man in Britain, besides how to get more sleep [Interesting]
[link] [39 comments] [Link]
The Onion » Frustrated UNC Student Too Busy Studying For Players’ Tests To Watch Title Game
CHAPEL HILL, NC—Lamenting that he won’t be able to watch the highly anticipated game with his friends, University of North Carolina junior Aaron Wright expressed his frustration Monday that he will be too busy studying for players’ tests to watch the Tar Heels play Villanova for the NCAA National Championship. “Man, I wish I could watch tonight, but there are … [Link]
Mental Floss » This Rocking Chair Knits You a Hat as It Moves Back and Forth
Create a handmade-looking beanie without lifting a needle. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Police searching for missing woman known as Lulu the Clown. They are telling people to look for clues like stray balloon animals and enormous shoes [Scary]
[link] [31 comments] [Link]
Mental Floss » The Original Telephone: The Bizarre Musical Language of Jean-François Sudre
Before Bell, Grey, Reis, Bourseul, and Edison, there was a little-known French musician and inventor named Jean-François Sudre. [Link]
Mental Floss » These U.S. Airlines Are Your Best Bets for a Pleasant Flight
If you're planning an upcoming trip, this list is worth a look. [Link]
Fark.com RSS » Photoshop this cool cave spot [Photoshop]
[link] [20 comments] [Link]
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