Artist Kate Bingaman-Burt is always delighted when she sees one of these charming hand-painted signs screwed to a telephone pole around town. Whenever she shared an image of one of them on Instagram, people responded with similar delight. She finally decided to text the business number and ask who painted the signs. She got a response from Landon, who cleans roofs, home exteriors, gutters, and patios, who said he paints all his own signs. That led to a long back-and-forth about the signs, and the two got to know each other.

Bingaman-Burt organized their texts into an interview. We find out more about Landon and the joy he gets from painting his signs (they get stolen a lot). The story is not just about one man who not only cleans but also gives color to Portland, but about how two friendly people who are complete strangers can reach out over something that may seem small, but ends up bringing joy to the rest of us. -via Metafilter 

Everyday customs and conventions stick around because doing things the same way is much easier than changing. Sure, you can come up with a better way, that will save time, effort, or money, but the process of change itself can be more trouble than its worth. So we've ended up saying "knock wood" instead of saying, "Oh no, I hope I didn't jinx myself by saying that." Everyone knows that's what you mean. YouTuber Chill Dude Explains goes through ten very different examples of things we do even though we've long forgotten why. 

It includes the QWERTY keyboard, which we've covered recently. Some, like the scrubs that surgical teams wear make plenty of sense once you think about it, although you've never had a reason to think about it before. But the most common background story is what you would expect- customs to appease deities or keep demons away. -via Laughing Squid 

Tequila is a liquor made from distilling the fermented juice of the blue agave plant, which is native to western Mexico (mezcal is made from other types of agave). Its popularity exploded during the 17th century under Spanish colonization. But who invented tequila? Mexico already had pulque, or fermented agave, but when did distillation begin there? 

There have been three theories. Maybe people in Mexico knew about distillation before the arrival of the Spaniards, although the evidence for this is rather thin. Or the Spaniards brought the technology to Mexico, which is plausible but also suspiciously Eurocentric, as Spaniards wrote that theory. But there is credible evidence that agave distillation was brought in by Filipino sailers, who not only traded with western Mexico, but sometimes settled there. Early tequila stills resemble the devices used in the Philippines to distill coconut sap. Read the very plausible story of how Mexico-Phillipines trade brought us tequila at the Conversation.

(Image credit: Roman664) 

In pop culture, hearing crickets means that no human is speaking. But even if they were speaking, you'd be able to hear any cricket in the vicinity. Ze Frank explains that sound, but first we learn about the amazing jumping abilities of grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets. Closeup and slow-motion shots show us their wild spring-loaded joints and amuse us when it all goes wrong. Katydids and crickets have ears in their forelegs, and grasshoppers have ears on their abdomens. Then we get to how they produce those annoyingly loud sounds. Katydids and crickets rub their wings together, and grasshopper have to be different- they use their legs to talk. What do they say? Well, these are mating calls, so you can use your imagination. But those sounds don't only attract mates, they also attract predators. The acting award in this True Facts video goes to a praying mantis named Nancy. 

There's an 80-second skippable ad at 4:10. When I first watched this, the skippable ad was interrupted by an unskippable ad.  

Some people think you must go to the beach or an amusement park during summer vacation, but the really cool destinations are caves. Cool, both literally and figuratively. Temperatures deep underground stay in the 50s both winter and summer and you don't have to wear sunscreen. Besides, caves contain fantastic geologic formations that teach you about earth science while you are sightseeing. About twenty years ago, I took my kids on the longest tour at Mammoth Cave that was open to children. They never got hot, tired, or bored. Even staying in a cabin with no AC was pleasant. There are no mosquitos at Mammoth Cave National Park because the ground is porous and the water table is low. And there are bats.

While I am quite proud of Kentucky's (and America's) biggest cave, there are opportunities to tour caves all across the contiguous United States. And they don't require steel-toed boots or crawling on your belly- just a light jacket and sometimes a reservation. Read about the features of ten of America's most spectacular cave trails at Mental Floss. 

(Image credit: w_lemay) 

There are certain basics of physics that anyone can understand, and you don't even have to understand physics to deal with them. Then there is quantum mechanics, which is totally over my head. Your mileage may vary. The first half of this video from Kurzgesagt attempts to bring us up to speed on the world of quantum mechanics and the many worlds interpretation. Then we get to the experiment that could prove it- but it involves one person dying over and over, like in the movie Edge of Tomorrow. That one person is you, and even if the experiment works, you will be the only person it has been proven to. Of course, you could then write a book about it, but no one would buy it. But from the perspective of one person (me), it still doesn't prove anything. If there are five (or more) versions of me, it doesn't matter to me because my awareness is only in this one. Even if this one were the version that survives multiple killings, I still wouldn't be aware of the other versions. So this scenario remains a thought experiment, but as such, it is pretty mind-blowing. -via Geeks Are Sexy 

The Japanese delegation introduced the beautiful water hyacinth to America at the 1884 World’s Fair in New Orleans. People liked it, and the plant thrived in Louisiana's lakes and bayous. By 1910, it was choking the state's waterways, and it seemed nothing could stop it. How do you combat an invasive species? Many times in the past, we've done it by importing another invasive species to eat it. A Louisiana congressman came up with an idea to combat the water hyacinth by bringing in hippos from Africa! That plan would have also helped with the nation's meat supply. What could possibly go wrong? Congress became excited about the prospect, but for various reasons, it never happened. 

A hundred years later, we can be thankful the idea wasn't tried. We now know that hippopotami can be really dangerous animals that don't lend themselves to domestication. Besides that, they are classified as a vulnerable species even in their native countries due to human encroachment. Read about the unrealized dream of American hippos at Strange Company. 

(Image credit: Bernard DUPONT) 

9-volt batteries have positive and negative terminals on one end, so it's possible to feel electrical current by placing that side on a body part. If this body part is the tongue, one can taste the experience.

(Or so I have read.)

The Verge reports that Rewind, a European company, is releasing several corn chip flavors, among them conventional flavors such as paprika and sriracha. The brand wants to inspire nostalgia and has therefore decided to also issue a flavor that tastes like battery.

Dominic Preston agreed, presumably under duress, to test the new flavor. He found that the chips do indeed taste like a battery--a flavor created with baking soda and citric acid.

-via Dave Barry

Captain Kirk and Commander Spock had their most famous duel in the episode "Amok Time" by Theordore Sturgeon This dramatic battle, driven by Spock's fiercely libidinal urges, is one of the best in classic Star Trek.

It's a great story on par with those seen in professional wrestling. It is thus appropriate that Mega Championship Wrestling conducted a match at, I think, ColossalCon 2024. Both competitors work the crowds, building tension to a passionate climax. It ends in a close embrace as Spock uses a special Vulcan technique to finish off his best friend.

You can see the full match below.

-via Holodeck Four

"Error and shame," Richard Adams comments in Shardik, are "...the inescapable lot of mankind." Ben Ward of the webcomic One Giant Hand illustrates humanity not only exiling itself from the Garden but also bringing animals with him. Only the fool ignores Chesterton's Stop Sign.

Jalopnik tells us that Max Hazan, a custom motorcycle builder in Los Angeles, has produced what must be the ultimate street bike. This beauty is wrapped around a 400 horsepower, 3.5 liter V8 engine removed from a Ferrari F355.

The whole rig is a custom job--no standard frame could manage the engine. It's not that heavy, actually, topping the scales at 590 pounds with 237 pounds from the engine itself. But it does take up a lot of space. Hazan has already taken the bike out on the streets.

It's an Onion story that's become reality--unlike Seborga and Westarctica. These countries do not exist.

The Guardian reports that police in northern India arrested a man who is accused of running a fake embassy from imaginary countries. He even had cars with fake diplomatic plates.

Why would he do this? Police say that he scammed money out of people seeking overseas employment in these imaginary countries. It's unclear how much money he bilked from his victims, but police recovered approximately 4.5 million rupees ($52,000 USD) from the plush, rented building that served as the face of his operation.

There have yet to be responses from the governments of Seborga and Westarctica.

-via Dave Barry

I'm sure that we all had the same thought: "Finally!"

Before you get too excited, I should inform you that the cops got him on credit card fraud. But, hey, tax evasion charges put Al Capone away, so let's be satisfied that the rat is finally off the streets, preying on people.

The Tallahassee Democrat reports that police arrested a Chuck E. Cheese employee in costume. Although he had many duties at the restaurant, he was wearing the mouse outfit at the time that the cops arrived. Because of his behavior at the time of the encounter, police decided to immediately cuff him and lead him outside in full view of the children.

I think that's good. Kids need to know that no one is above the law.

-via Old Hollow Tree | Photo: Chuck Hobbs

The ninth Rule of Acquisition states, "Opportunity plus instinct equals profit." Sydney Charlet has the instinct and found the opportunity for great profit.

Jalopnik explains that legal parking in New York City is very expensive, sometimes runnning into six figures for reserved spots. Illegal parking can get pricey, too, due to tickets issued when street sweepers arrive. So some residents pay Charlet to sit in their cars. When the cars are about to get ticketed, Charlet moves them to avoid the fines.

This wasn't Charlet's planned career. She started her business after getting laid off from a marketing position. Clearly employers in that industry don't appreciate her cunning.

If you have a dog, you're familiar with this experience. Your pup maintains steady eye contact while excreting. Why? Karen Piwinski, a dog trainer, explains that it's an instinctive behavior.

In the wild, animals are vulnerable while relieving themselves. It's the same reason why you or I might carry a bat'leth while using the toilet: we want to be safe. Your dog is stating "I trust you to keep watch." So look at this canine behavior as an expression of confidence in you.

Similarly, when your dog tries to follow you into the bathroom, consider that he's really just trying to return the favor.

-via Dave Barry | Photo: Amy used under Creative Commons license