Blog Posts John S. Likes

The Hórreos of Spain


(Photo: Adhara Caamaño)

This is a hórreo. It's a structure that can be found throughout western and southern Europe, but is most common in Spain. It's a building built on stone columns. Some have stood for 2,000 years.

Why did people build these architectural oddities?

(Photo: alamanos)

They were barns where farmers kept harvested crops. Here's one of a few hórreos still in use. Originally, a farmer would use only the top portion to store food. The stone columns kept crops out of the reach of many rodents.


(Photo: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez)

The origin of the hórreo is uncertain, but it dates back to at least Roman times. Many are well-preserved.


(Photo: juantiagues)

The hórreo is an architectural icon of Spain with an influence still seen in modern design.

You can learn more about hórreos and view more photos at Kuriositas.


7 Disney Movies That Don't Get Enough Love

You really have to give credit to Disney studios. Starting with Snow White in the 1930's, they have carved an unforgettable path in film and animation, often being a major part of most of our lives as we grow up. From using the death of parents on film to help teach kids how to cope with loss, to addressing issues like gender and love, there is a uniformity to animated Disney films. You walk away from them feeling better about life. They just carry that Disney magic, and you carry it with you after seeing their films, too. But you can't help but notice it is the same Disney movies that seem to always get brought up when people discuss the studio. Lion King, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Frozen, to name a few. But there are certain animated Disney films that just didn't get the love of the some of the more well-known films, even though they deserved it. Here are seven Disney movies that just don't get the love they deserve.

1. The Black Cauldron

Of all the Disney animated films, this one was my favorite growing up, yet it seems like seven people saw it. Based on the book of the same name by Lloyd Alexander, The Black Cauldron was awesome because it was darker than most of the stuff we were getting from Disney at that point. Just the Horned King as the main villain was enough of a selling point. Add to that the simple fact that he raised an army of the dead to fight for him and you realize this was the first Disney movie with zombies. Animated zombies at that, and years before they were popular. How did that not receive wide appeal is beyond me, and that will be a running theme of this list.

If you have not seen The Black Cauldron, you need to go find a copy, right now. It just proves Disney needs to do more fantasy stuff.

2. Robin Hood

Why is it when people talk animated Disney movies, no one talks about Robin Hood? The 1973 animated adaptation of the famous character that featured characters from OTHER Disney movies was awesome. Other characters from the Jungle Book, to be specific. Yes, it was like they went and got the cast of The Jungle Book to act in a play about Robin Hood. How cool is that, and why don't they do it more often?

On top of that, the music was some of the best ever featured in a Disney movie. Yes, I just said that, and here is the proof:

(YouTube Clip)

I can promise you that you will be singing (and whistling) that song for the next two weeks. Outside of that, though, the movie was wholly charming and well told rendition of the classic Robin Hood tale.

3. Treasure Planet

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Adorable Baby Photo Shoot Ends Predictably

(Photos: Kirsty Grant/Rex)

Professional photo shoots of babies are cute. Leaving them naked for the shoot gives the images a natural ambience. That's probably what Al Ferguson was looking for when Kirsty Grant photographed him with his newborn son Ted.

But once you become a parent, black and white images of naked babies aren't charming. They're alarming. A baby without a diaper is a time bomb. Which is precisely what Ferguson learned:

And Ted detonated just as the photographer snapped her shutter. His father wrote:

During the shoot I felt his tummy muscles tense up and in that moment I knew what was about to happen. Unfortunately, it was just a moment and before I could do anything Ted exploded from his bum.

A warning to Mr. Ferguson: you have seen only the beginning of it. There will many, many more poop explosions in your life.

Look at the satisfied grin on that baby's face!


Thailand's Exquisite White Temple

    Image: Vivian Wan

Thailand's Wat Rong Khun or "White Temple," featured previously on Neatorama in a 2007 article on unique temples, is a glorious sight to behold. This breathtaking Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai province was erected in 1997 and designed by acclaimed Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. The structure is embellished with mirrored tiles and mosaics.

Wat Rong Khun sustained extensive damages in the May 5, 2014 earthquake in northern Thailand, which registered 6.0 on the Richter scale, killed one person and injured dozens of others. At that time, the temple was closed indefinitely for repairs. Kositpipat was quoted in the past as saying "Only death can stop my dream, but cannot stop my project." 

See more photographs of Wat Rong Khun here.

 
   Image: reddit

Image: Maya


Image: 


Jurassic Trike



Norwegian artist and activist Markus Moestue is the mastermind behind this hilarious raptor tricycle. The dino-on-wheels is designed so that the legs look as if they're galloping on the ground as it moves. The dinosaur body is constructed of carved styrofoam coated with epoxy glue and fiberglass. 

While the trike is bound to bring smiles to many faces, Moestrue created it for a more serious purpose. He explained in an interview,

[The trike was built] "for a trip across the bible belt in Norway. It was a protest against the dogmatic religious education of children, and the idea originated from the theme-parks of creationists that teach children that humans and dinosaurs used to live together."

Read more and see additional pictures in this Design Boom article. 

Images Credit: Henning Pedersen via Markus Moestue

 
 


The Disappearing Staircase

The Milan-based architecture and design firm Storage Associati put this gorgeous staircase in a client's home. The look of the staircase changes depending on the angle from which it is viewed. Constructed of metal strips that differ in length, the staircase would be a showstopper in any space. See more work from Storage Associati on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Images: Storage Associati 








Hilarious Renaissance Art Animated .Gifs

James Kerr, AKA "Scorpion Daggger,"  is an artist who specializes in collages and animated .gifs. When he combines the two, the results are comical. Lately, he's been splicing together images from Renaissance paintings to show unexpected scenes.

-via Juxtapoz


The 30 Best Dr. Seuss Mashups

(Image: Bill Mudron)

Theodor Geisel did not live long enough to illustrate everything, which is a shame. If only he had been around to animate Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Breaking Bad, we could live in a Seussian world of entertainment.

But his absence from these franchises has not stopped other artists from imitating his style, imagining Seussian versions of pop culture icons, including Spider-Man, Catwoman, and the Predator. You can view a roundup of the best Dr. Seuss mashups at Dorkly.

-via The Mary Sue


Test Your Faith with LEGO Firewalking

Firewalking is the act of walking over blazing hot coals without being burned--or at least badly burned. In some cultures, doing so is a religious rite that serves as a test of faith. Physics teacher David Willey explains that it's possible because coarse coals are poor conductors of heat:

It would seem then, that a firewalk of short length is something any physically fit person could do and that it does not need a particular state of mind. Rather, it is the short time of contact and the low thermal capacity and conductivity of the coals that is important, and it is not necessary for the feet to be moist nor callused, although either may be of slight benefit. Longer walks appear to be possible if a layer of insulating ash is allowed to build up on a well packed down bed, where the temperature has been allowed to fall significantly from what it was when the coals were at their hottest.

LEGO bricks, however, are a different matter entirely. As any parent can tell you, a LEGO-strewn floor is a minefield. To promote The LEGO Movie, Bull Moose, an entertainment shop chain in Maine and New Hampshire, developed a firewalking path covered with LEGO bricks. Will you dare to take of your shoes and walk across it?

-via Blazenfluff


Steven Tyler Joins Buskers in Lithuania Performing an Aerosmith Song, Then Suddenly Meets the President


(Video Link)

The American rock band Aerosmith recently visited Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, to give a concert. Lead singer Steven Tyler ran across buskers in the street performing the classic Aerosmith song* “Crazy.” He joined them for a few lines.

We’ve seen a similar encounter with Jimmy Somerville. But Steven Tyler is not one to act by half measures. The incident got even awesomer.

The performance took place in front of the Presidential Palace. President Dalia Grybauskaitė noticed the commotion outside and invited Tyler to come inside and have a look around.


-via 22 Words

*Yes, I typed the words “classic Aerosmith song” together. And I’ll stand by that decision.


Stop Body Shaming Godzilla!

Real monsters have curves. And scales. And can breathe fire.

But not everyone agrees. Some people really do think that those photoshopped Mothras and Gameras are what ever creature needs to look like. Even our own Miss Cellania has been, to my disappointment, body shaming Godzilla by pointing out that he's gained weight and saying that he has an "impossible anatomy."

Is this the sort of message we want to convey to young monsters and humans?

-via Ace of Spades HQ | Image: unknown


Forgotten Heroes Who Changed the Course of American History

A few months back, we asked you guys to submit your article ideas to us on Pinterest and then we asked you to vote for the winning idea. The overwhelming winner of the popular vote was Marilyn Terrell, who came up with the idea of Forgotten Heroes and Villains Who Changed American History. In putting together the article, I found way too many heroes, so there are no villains here, but I’m sure you’ll all agree that these men and women certainly made an impact on history.

Joseph Warren

While during his time he was regarded as the architect of the American Revolution and at least fourteen US states have a Warren County named after him, few people recognize the name Joseph Warren.

Dr. Joseph Warren wrote a series of resolves that helped serve as the blueprints for the first American government, he sent Paul Revere on his famous ride, he fought in the battles of Lexington and Concord, and he was a close associate with other leading revolutionaries such as John Hancock, John Adams and Samuel Addams. So why haven't you heard of him?

Likely because most of the patriots we're taught about since elementary school went on to do great things after the war, but Warren actually died in the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill, where he chose to serve as a private although he was ranked as a Major General. Even after he ran out of ammo, he chose to stay on the front lines so the militia could make its escape.

While it might be the very reason he's not widely remembered today, Warren's death did help the revolutionary cause by providing them with a martyr who helped inspired even more patriots to fight the British.

Sources: National Parks Service, The American Revolution, NCBI, Forest Hills Trust and MW Site

Sybil Ludington


Speaking of the famous midnight ride, there are a lot of people who deserve a lot more credit than Paul Revere, who didn’t even finish his ride before being captured by the British. One particularly notable rider was Sybil Ludington, a sixteen year old girl who rode sidesaddle, alone, in the rain for forty miles (twice the distance Revere covered) to alert her father’s troops that they needed to meet at the Ludington farm to fight back against British raiders in Danbury, Connecticut. During the trip, she used a long stick to not only knock on the doors of the troops, but also to fight off a highwayman she encountered on her route.

Thanks to Sybil’s actions, 400 troops were ready to fight the next day and the group was able to join the Continental Army and chase the British out of Connecticut. For those wondering why we remember Paul Revere’s name above all the other successful riders from the Revolution, the simple reason is because Henry Wadsworth Longfellow found that Revere rhymes with a lot of things, including “listen my children and you shall hear.”

Sources: The Smithsonian, Historic Patterson, About.com

James Armistead Lafayette

During the Revolutionary War, some aristocrats sent their slaves to battle in their place, but James Armistead Lafayette actually asked his master for permission to fight on the side of the patriots. That isn’t what made him so notable, instead it’s the fact that he was the first African American double agent.

First, he was assigned to spy on the recent defector, General Benedict Arnold, who trusted him so much that he asked Armistead to guide British troops through the local roads. After Arnold went north in 1781, James went to serve General Cornwallis. While spending time in the camp, he relayed vital information to the Americans regarding the British troop and arms deployment. His reports were considered critical in the defeat of the British in the Battle of Yorktown and the capture of General Cornwallis.

Continue reading

Smooth Move: Boy Keeps a Foul Ball, Impresses a Girl Anyway

You have to watch very carefully, but it's there. This boy knows how to charm the ladies.

This is a scene from a recent baseball game between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays. The boy catches a foul ball. It appears that he then gallantly offers the trophy to a pretty young lady behind him. But he actually palms that ball and hands the girl a non-game ball that he already had.

Very good. The Padawan has become the Master.

You can watch the full video here.


When Snow Shoveling Goes Terribly, Hilariously Wrong


(Video Link)

The driveway is clear. The job is finally done. It’s time to take a breather.

-via Pleated Jeans


Governor of Oregon Peforms CPR, Saves a Woman’s Life


(Photo: Office of Gov. Kitzhaber)

John Kitzhaber is the current Governor of the State of Oregon. He’s held that office since 2011, as well as terms from 1995-2003.

Gov. Kitzhaber is also Dr. Kitzhaber. By trade, he’s an emergency room physician.


(Photo via KGW)

While riding in his car through Portland on Monday, he saw a woman lying by the side of the road, unconscious. He ordered his driver to pull over. Then the Governor jumped out and ran to the woman. She was not breathing, so he performed CPR on her. Paramedics arrived a few minutes later and took over. They took her to the hospital. Doctors expect that she will survive.

(Image via Oregon Blue)

But there’s more! This is not the first time that Gov. Kitzhaber is undertaken emergency medical duties while in office. During a 2010 gubernatorial debate, he rushed from his podium when a woman in the audience had a seizure:

"I heard someone say, 'Is there a doctor in the house?'" Kitzhaber said after that episode. "I thought they were kidding and then I looked up and there was someone obviously in distress. And so the old ER reflex kicked in."

-via Huffington Post


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