(Image credit: The NeatoShop)
As we draw to the end of another year, we tend to look back and see what we've accomplished. While the headlines may be calling 2016 a dumpster fire, the year was different for each individual. For us here at Neatorama, that means the ups and down of our little corner of the internet. Internally, the biggest changes of the year were the retirement of John Farrier (who still keeps in touch), and Alex moving his base of operations from California to Oregon. All along, we've kept up a steady supply of distractions to keep you entertained and amused, and unique t-shirts to keep you well-dressed. Let's take a look back at our most popular posts of 2016. Click the title to go to each post.
10. The 17 Most Influential Science Fiction Books
There's nothing like a list that people can argue about. And we can certainly argue about which science fiction book is more "influential" than the next. Everyone wanted to see if their favorites were there, or if they guessed them correctly.
(Image credit: Michael Whelan)
9. An Honest Trailer for The Empire Strikes Back
Our viral posts got a boost toward the end of the year when Flipboard decided it liked what Neatorama is doing. Combine that with a humorous critique of the most-admired Star Wars movie, and you've got a viral post.
8. Researchers Believe There Are Four Common Personality Types- Which One Are You?
Well, everyone wanted to know. So they clicked on the link.
7. Tomato Pincushion with Strawberry
This one was a surprise. Back on January 2, we had a post that wasn't news, or even anything new. It was a look back at an object of nostalgia, which many younger people didn't know much about. Well, now they do. According to the attached poll, over 2000 people learned something new.
(Image credit: Dvortygirl)
Why Do Other Animals Like Capybaras So Much?
We love animal pictures. Capybaras are cute on their own, but they also attract other cute animals, so this was a win-win investigation.
(Image credit: Slogfarts)
5. An In-N-Out Manager Reveals The Chain's Secrets
In-N-Out Burger is praised to high heaven by those who go there, and is an object of curiosity and lust for those of us who do not have them in our areas. Of course, we both want to know their secrets!
(Image credit: Jason Hoffman/Thrillist)
4. Watch Ya' Mouth
This video inspired a lot of laughs. It's worth another look.
3. Liam Neeson Auditions To Play Santa Claus
Liam Neeson established himself as a real badass with the series of Taken films, so he approached the role of Santa Claus as an overly-threatening authority figure. I guess we'll all be nice next year, because it's too risky to be naughty.
2. Trail Cam Photos Reveal What Wild Animals Do When Humans Aren't Around
(Image source: imgur)
Who wouldn't like this? Camera traps catch wildlife acting like they're at a frat party. There's no way we would see these things if a person had to go out with a camera and take pictures.
1. Tubing Trip Goes Awry When Women Learn That the River Doesn't Run in a Circle
(Image credit: Google Maps/Michigan Live)
Back in July, three women in Michigan were victims of a troll who told them the Muskegon River they were tubing on ran in a circle. Don't believe strangers. They floated three miles downstream into a wilderness area and spent the night lost. They were okay, but Neatorama readers found the story so funny they shared it with everyone, and it became our biggest post of the year.
Some other posts that didn't quite make the cutoff are worth another look, too:
Marvel Movie Scenes That Were Way More Disturbing In The Comics
Dad Describes What Happens When Roomba Meets Dog Poop
How Common Is Your Birthday? Consult This Chart And Find Out
Actual Job: Cheese Librarian
The Sound Effects Genius Behind The Looney Tunes And Merrie Melodies
Let me remind you that in the right sidebar, you'll find a running list of the most popular posts from the past week, and the most commented posts. Across the top, you'll find our latest feature articles, and you can scroll sideways and see more of them. If you find something somewhere else that is worth sharing, email us at tips@neatorama.com so we can share, too.
Most of all, thank you for coming to Neatorama. Thank you for reading, for giving us ♥s, for commenting, for sharing our posts on Twitter, Facebook, reddit, and other social media. Thank you for the tips and suggestions. Thank you for patronizing the NeatoShop, which keeps us running. We couldn't have done it without you.
Have a happy New Year, and here's hoping that 2017 is all you hope it will be!
The video link won't accept the time mark, and I can't get rid of the video embedded, so, use the link above to skip to the relevant part. Lesson learned for embedding videos in comments here...