In this sweet footage that reinforces everything animal lovers know and like about the caring family and herd behavior of elephants, a calf seems to have problems crossing the road and either lies down or collapses in the middle. Members of his herd shield him from the stopped traffic and gently coax him to his feet. -Via The Daily Dot
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Disney: it's such an institution that it's not surprising urban legends, rumors and other debatable truths often surround its legend. From Walt himself (what were the circumstances of his death and was his body interred after death?), to the origins of beloved characters' names and images, to whether there have been any deaths in their theme parks, Elliot from Mental Floss discusses common misconceptions about all things Disney.
In this video, CineFix counts down their picks for the best movie sets ever built, revealing a number of interesting facts in terms of the size and scope of the designs. One of the films included in the countdown is Batman's 4.1 million square foot (!) Gotham City set, the look of which earned designer Anton Furst an Academy Award. The set took up eighteen soundstages, which consisted of nearly the entire 95-acre backlot at Pinewood Studios. Check out all ten films on the countdown, and the honorable mentions included for each, and see which sets you think are the most impressive. -Via Slate
Grant Snider of Incidental Comics always gives his readers fantastic glimpses of his travels, even if they are merely the excursions of his philosophical and often whimsical train of thought. Here, Snider brings us along on his trip through San Francisco, with its many eclectic sights and sounds. Yet featured here is only the first section of part "II: The City." See the rest of the comic at Snider's Tumblr or Instagram. Also, poster prints of Snider's work are available here, as always.
Le Panoramic, Chamonix, France | Image: Chamonix
The folks at Foodbeast put together a list of 50 restaurants worldwide that are worthy of travel to-do lists due to their stunning views. Each panorama is so beautiful that it's hard to put the destinations in order of priority in terms of the ones I'd like to visit first (although the views from the restaurants featured here I find particularly breathtaking). What do you think? Any reviews of these spots you'd like to share?
La View, Ubud, Bali | Image: Kupu Kupu Barong
Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Rangali Island, Maldives | Image: Conrad Resorts
Crater Lodge, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania | Image: Ngorongoro Crater Lodge
Yes, nothing to see here except three adorable baby goats — a two sister, one brother trio — being kept warm on a chilly day in colorful li'l goat sweaters. Then they're snuggled together in a basket. Then they're getting a baby goat bath. So move along, lest you be temporarily paralyzed by the cuteness kryptonite that is bouncing baby goat triplets in sweaters, baskets and baths. -Via Laughing Squid
Shouta Sanoda is a Japanese illustrator who, with this exercise, has created a series featuring the eyes of cultural icons. The series includes artists, singers and actresses. Can you identify any of them just by seeing their eyes? Check out all twelve illustrations here; nine of twelve names are provided for you to match with their corresponding images.
Shaun Palmer planned a surprise for his bride by arranging to have Bilbo the barn owl fly down the aisle to deliver their wedding rings. Luckily, Bilbo complied and delivered the rings, unlike this barn owl featured previousy at Neatorama who decided to perch in the rafters of the church with the rings and take a nap!
The beach at North Seymour Island in the Galapagos | Image: David Adam Kess
There is a spellbinding story that is part of the history of the Galapagos Islands. The settlers who braved the mostly uninhabited islands during the 1930s were a colorful mix of flamboyant, private and eccentric personalities. Friedrich Ritter, a German dentist, was first. He fled to the islands after beginning an affair with a patient of his. Incredibly, prior to Ritter and his paramour departing for the islands, they removed most of their teeth and had them replaced with one stainless steel false set they shared!
Heinz Wittmer was another early Galapagos settler. Then there was the showy, bombastic Baroness Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet. Not one but two lovers accompanied the Baroness, Rudolf Lorenz and Robert Philippson. She and her boy toys declared their intent to build the first hotel in the Galapagos. The Baroness, with her habit of traversing the tropical terrain in silk lingerie, brought worldwide attention to the islands. The international newspaper coverage incensed Ritter, who enjoyed the admiration he received for his public profile as a rugged settler.
Wittmer, always the quiet, private one, lived without incident with his wife and sons as Ritter and the Baroness publicly feuded. If their fighting wasn't bad enough, the lovers of the Baroness began to feud as well. The Ritters accused the Baroness of stealing their mail and spreading false rumors about them.
This tropical soap opera continued unabated until March 1934, at which time the Baroness and her lover Philippson disappeared. The Wittmers claimed that friends of the Baroness had arrived and taken her with them to visit Tahiti, yet no sightings of a ship near the islands had been made on the day of the couple's disappearance. The Baroness also left behind essential personal effects, which was unlike her. The lovers never reached Tahiti and were never seen again.
Ritter and his girlfriend maintained that the other lover of the Baroness, Lorenz, had killed her and Philippson. Lorenz left the islands after their disappearance; he asked a fisherman to ferry him to the mainland. Yet both he and the fisherman were found dead of hunger and thirst several months later on Marchena Island. A short time afterward, Ritter died of food poisoning; some believed that his lover poisoned him after their relationship grew argumentative. She returned to Germany, leaving the Wittmers as the sole settlers left.
If you think this sounds like the basis of a movie, you're not alone. A 2014 documentary film was made about the settlers, the trailer of which is below. It's currently avaiable to stream on Netflix. While I haven't yet seen it, it seems to be generally well reviewed and I look forward to watching it.
But this isn't the only story of intrigue taking place on islands. Read nine more such stories here.
Image: Flickr: bevgoodwin / Creative Commons
When it comes to a topic such as children saying things and behaving in ways that are inappropriate, the article simply writes itself. So BuzzFeed found when they asked their community of readers to share the most inappropriate things their kids ever did. The following quotes are a sample of the responses they received. Read all of the responses here.
“We were getting ready to leave a birthday party and went up to the mother of the birthday child to thank her for inviting us. My 2-year-old son slapped her butt and said, ‘Thanks for the cake, babe.’ That’s how his father thanks me for dinner and apparently he thought it was just how you thank people for food.”
—Tracy Mattea Grimes, Facebook7
“After my son learned what made boys and girls different, he started introducing himself to random people thusly: ‘Hi, I’m John, and I do NOT have a vagina.’”
—meaghanb44815185c
“My mom says that when I was little we were waiting for a train when a group of nuns sat down on the bench opposite us. I pointed at them and screamed, ‘Mommy! Look at the witches!! Look Mommy!! Witches!!!’”
—Laura Adler, Facebook
“My 3-year-old son told an older lady at the hair salon that he had a big penis.”
—mandyp430b718de
Image: John O'Boyle
Princeton University mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr., played by Russell Crowe as the subject of the film A Beautiful Mind, and his wife of nearly 60 years died Saturday in a taxi crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. Nash was 86 and his wife Alicia was 82.
The couple was riding in a taxi traveling southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike when the taxi driver lost control of the vehicle while passing another and crashed into a guard rail. The Nashes were ejected from the car. The taxi driver is in the hospital being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
What a tragic accident. Rest in Peace, Professor and Alicia. Read more on this story here.
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Vintage Everyday recently assembled a great collection of behind-the-scenes photos from the sets of the Star Wars trilogy. There's a little bit of everything and everyone here, from George to Greedo, (bikinied) Carrie to Calrissian and Tatooine to Tauntaun. Check out all 100 photos here.
(Fully Translated) (TN: Each page has a watermark that reads as follows, “The Security Committee – al-Qa’ida Organization” “O ye people of faith, be vigilant.”) In the name of Allah the compassionate and merciful Important remarks before you fill in the application: 1. Please answer the required information accurately and truthfully. 2. Please write clearly and legibly. 3. If you do not speak Arabic, please answer in the language you know. 4. Please refrain from sharing the information you provide on the application with each other because it is a trust to Almighty Allah. 5. You should know that the review of this application form is limited to the concerned individuals only. 6. If you would like to discuss any further issue, please tell your direct brother supervisor. (TN: The following is a blank form:) Personal Information: - Name: Today’s Date (Hijri):..........Today’s Date (A.D.): .......... Nickname/Alias: First Name: Father’s Name: Grandfather’s Name: Family Name: Father’s Occupation: Number of Family Members: Age: Marital status: Country: Profession: Address:........Country:.......City:.........Street:..........
Above is page one of a three-page application to Al Qaeda, one of several documents initially found in bin Laden's possession that were declassified and released Wednesday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The other documents released by the ODNI last week are several pieces of private correspondence between Osama bin Laden and his family. Those fascinating papers include letters to and from his daughters and a letter bin Laden wrote to his wife, which he calls his "will."
See the rest of the Al Qaeda application and the other abovementioned documents here.
The Lovecraft Bar, Portland | Image
With so many bars and nightclubs located in our myriad great cities here in the U. S., and the incredible competition for patrons between establishments, owners have to work smart. They need at least one draw (and preferably more) to keep people coming in the door. Whether the lure is a classic idea such as with San Francisco's Tonga Room, or a more modern twist, such as Mutts Canine Cantina in Dallas, it needs to be done well, run well and produce the fun well.
The Lovecraft Bar of Portland, pictured above, takes advantage of the horror master theme to the fullest. Creepy décor catering to a somewhat "goth" crowd. A giant pentagram over the dance floor. Bizarre, old movies and burlesque shows. Drinks strong enough to stir the dead. What could go wrong that wouldn't be considered part of the dark evening?
Check out this listing of cool, themed bars and nightclubs. Have you been to any on the list? Share your experience if you're so inclined. Last summer on an extended stay in San Francisco, my sister and I hung out at the Tonga Room more than once; a bar in which it regularly rains and thunders. A classic spot in the gorgeous Fairmont Hotel, this old-Hollywood, Polynesian tiki lounge — complete with a pool in the middle of the place in which a band plays on a floating raft — is cheesy, kitschy, stocked with delicious food and drink and an absolute blast.
Image: HBO/Everett Collection
When a television show that's been a huge hit for the duration of its on-air run is ending, the pressure is on for the creator and writers to take it off air with an ending that is worthy of its prior content and story arcs. When an ending is largely considered by a viewing audience to be a flop, it can not only leave a bad taste in the mouths of the viewers, but a truly lame ending can change how well the show is perceived overall, effectively invalidating some of the compelling content that led up to it. Conversely, a terrific ending, such as the one Alan Ball fashioned for his HBO show Six Feet Under, can elevate everything that came before it.
Check out this Rolling Stone article that compiles a list of best and worst endings to popular television shows, and feel free to weigh in on whether or not you agree with their assessments.
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