Jill Harness's Blog Posts

A New Addition to the OED: Sonic Screwdriver

Doctor Who has been a staple of British culture for over 50 years, and now it has officially infiltrated the language -that's why the Oxford English Dictionary will be adding the word Sonic Screwdriver to the newest editions starting in June. In the announcement, the OED joked that it only made sense given that the dictionary itself is a lot like a certain blue box in that it is "blue, much bigger than it looks from the outside, and ‘the gateway to everything that ever was or ever can be’…showing you the whole of the past (and much of the present) of the English language."

Sonic screwdriver isn't the first Whovian term to be included. Already in the dictionary are TARDIS, Dalek, and Cyberman. You can read the announcement on the OED blog.

Via The Mary Sue


This Thrill Ride Will Change Speeds Based on How Scared You Are

If you go to a themepark with about 20 regular park attendees, it's entirely possible that every single one of them will have their own personal favorite ride. That's because what's mind-blowingly scary for one rider may be child's play for another. But innovative Dutch designer Daniel de Bruin has created a ride that will be just right for every rider.

Riders on the Neurotransmitter 3000 will be hooked up to a few sensors that measure a number of body factors, most notably muscle tension and heart rate. As the rider becomes more fearful and their heartrate speeds up, the ride will slow down and as they calm down, it will also speed up. For riders who feed on that fearful feeling, there is also an option to intentially increase the speed by contracting the arm muscle. Once the heartrate goes over 130 bpm, the ride will automatically stop.

Right now the ride is just an experimental prototype, but who knows, maybe you can one day head to the theme park and control your own ride speed and ensure you have a perfect experience every time. In the meanwhile, you can read more about it here.

Via Travel and Leisure


Disney Movie Posters That Are Real Works of Art

Sure Disney movies are mostly made for child audiences, but they certainly have their adult fans as well and some of those fans are artists. Mondo art gallery decided to embrace these nerdy artists by putting together an art show of Disney movie posters created by 30 different artists. 

The films included in the show span over 80 years of Disney history. One of the artists, James Flames, even learned how to draw by tracing Uncle Scrooge’s beak and Mickey Mouse’s ears.

You can see more artworks from the show and read more about it on Mondo's website.

Via Wired


The 25 Best Food-Related Seinfeld Moments

Seinfeld is famous for being a show about nothing, but ultimately, it's just the opposite -a show about everything. Every stupid thing that could happen in a person's everyday life could happen on screen and that's precisely what made it so magical. And just like in life, food played an important part in some of the show's most memorable moments. 

From Junoir Mints to Kenny Rogers Roasters, all you have to do is say the name of certain foods and the word "Seinfeld" and fans will immediately know what scene you're talking about. If you happen to be one of those fans, you won't want to miss this ranked list of the 25 best food-related moments on the show. Even if you disagree with the rankings (I do), it's still pretty hard not to love all the items on the list itself. 

So check out the whole list here.


The McDonald's Sauce That Sold for $14,700

Who knew that holding on to your old unused McDonald's sauces was a worthwhile investment? One eBayer sure discovered the perfect time to sell his old Mulan Szechuan Teriyaki Dipping Sauce (available only back in 1998) and he ended up getting $14,700 as a result. Of course, this wasn't just luck -the sauce is more popular now than ever thanks to Rick and Morty's most recent episode that aired on April Fool's Day.

The team that makes the cartoon even made a petition on Change.org to bring back the sauce and it already has 20,000 signatures. It seems not everyone was willing to wait until McDonald's changed their mind and re-release the sauce though, which is why someone was willing to shell out some serious cash to get their hands on the lost sauce. Since that auction closed, another seller has put up a comparatively affordable listing for another package of the sauce that will only set you back $1,000.

Read more about the sale over at Eater or get your hands on one of the sauces at eBay.


These Animals Had the Best Easter

(Video Link)

There's something so charming about seeing kids discover their Easter baskets and hunt for Easter eggs, but you know what's better than that? Seeing lions, monkeys and meerkats doing the same though is even better. The Werribee Open Range Zoo in Melbourne, Australia gave their wards some surprise Easter treats to keep them entertained on Sunday. Just try not to smile while watching these cuties.

Via Distractify


Terrible Facts You Do Not Want to Know

All kinds of people wish they could go to space, but the reality is that the experience is awful and damages the bodies of even the healthiest people, which is why an average person will never be able to actually travel to outer space.

Feel bummed out by that? Well, it's only one of the ten horrifying facts you really didn't want to know in this article. Also on the list: rattlesnakes are evolving to lose their signature rattles and there are more slaves right now than ever before in human history.

So whether you need a reality check because you're just too happy or just want to be reminded how terrible the world is, don't miss this TopTenz article.


The Cosplay Chef Cat

Cosplay, cats and cooking? It's a cute trifecta! Maro the cat is becoming a huge celebrity on Instagram as the page is constantly updated with adorable pictures of him in cosplay, most of which also include delicious plated meals.

You can keep up on the cute kitty's adventures on Instagram.

Via Eater


The Worst Commercialized Coachella Merchandise

The concept of "cultural appropriation" is a hot debate topic in modern times, but this "Friend Finder DIY Kit" by Free People takes the idea to a whole new level with "Kantha fabric, a pole and marker to decorate, and feathers, beads, cord and leather to make your own unique flag." And that's just one of the awful corporate items designed for Coachella attendees

On the upside, the list does include a lawyer who has a whole page dedicated to Coachella, which is something a lot of festival-goers will need -especially if they're the type to sport this sweet marijuana flower crown.

So see all the ridiculous items over at LAist


The 30 Pound Pizza Covered in Tacos and Guacamole

Can't decide between tacos or pizza? Well, if you're in New Jersey, you might want to head to Tony Baloney's in Hoboken where you can get your hands on this amazing taco pizza that weighs 30 pounds and costs $65. 

Unsurprisingly, it was inspired by stoners. As owner Mike Hauke explains, "These kids came in high as hell… stoned out of their minds," Hauke recalls. "They were like, ‘Yo, let me get some tacos.’" Rather than just throw some taco toppings on the pizza, he decided to make a carne asada pizza with tons of tacos and a massive pile of guacamole and sour cream in the middle. The pizza is only available on Taco Tuesday and pre-order is requested.

Via That's Nerdalicious


The Best Thing to Eat at Each MLB Stadium

There was a time where just about every baseball game offered the same food -popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, etc., but nowadays many stadiums offer quality dining options including locations representing some of the best restaurants in the city. In fact, many stadiums are worth visiting if only for the food options and lucky for you, Thrillist has taken the time to compile a list of the best food options at every stadium, like the pictured MVT at the Texas Rangers' Global Life Park which consists of a two-foot long hot dog cooked in a tamale and covered in chili and cheese -it doesn't get much more Texas than that. At my local stadium, Padre's Petco Park, Thrillist recommends the ahi poke tacos, which seem appropriately San Diego as well.

So check out the tasty treats at all the parks over at Thrillist


The Best Car Chases of All Time

Hollywood loves car chases and they overdo them so much that 90% of the scenes are just fluff that's not even worth watching. But there is just something so satisfying about a realluy good car chase and that's what makes this list of the 12 best car chase scenes of all time so damn enjoyable.

(Video Link)

Whether you prefer high-polished, perfectly-coreographed chase scenes or hyper-realistic, crash-filled mayhem like the French Connection's legendary scene above, you're sure to see plenty of action-packed brilliance. You might even have to plan a movie marathon around the list.

So check out rankings for the best car chases of all time on Collider.


Woman Finds Her Cat That's Been Missing for Two Years on Facebook

Jimmy the cat was a well behaved kitty that stayed close to home when he went outside and he always got back inside before bed time, but he disappeared in September of 2014. While his family put fliers out and looked all over for the cat, they eventually gave up on finding him after a few months.

Two and a half years later, his owner, Sue Zelitsky, was browsing Facebook when she saw a post about a stray cat that was pulled off the streets, who happened to look a lot like Jimmy. Sue messaged back and forth with the shelter and evidence started piling up. Sue pulled together a bunch of things she thought Jimmy might recognize, but all she needed to do was open the cage door and Jimmy immediately pushed his head up against her. 


Sue and the rest of the family were happy to bring Jimmy home so many years later and the two kittens they adopted in the time he was gone immediately welcomed their new friend as well.

You can see more pictures of Jimmy and read a bit more about his story at the Dodo


Existential Craigslist Furniture Ads

Millions of ads go up on Craigslist every day, but most of them aren't worth reading, even if you are interested in what they are selling. One Craigslist user tried a different solution though -writing hilarious, existential ads that question the nature of life itself. While she may not have actually sold her furniture yet, at least she's entertaining the general public with listings like this:

The shower caddy stared at me, abject, its suction-cup eyes glowering with contempt, from the open cabinet in which I'd immediately placed it (and then, from which I'd never removed it) after buying it at Target months ago.

"I am worth something," its wire grill hissed, wordlessly. "I'm an object with value and purpose. With utility. And you treat me like THIS???"

See more of her listings over at LAist


This Cat Crashed An MLB Game

The Florida Marlins played their opening game yesterday against the Atlanta Braves. The game was pretty standard -up until the sixth inning, when delay was called on account of a cat appearing on the field. It then proceeded to avoid capture and it climbed an advertisement until it reached the Marlin's home run statue where it hid out for quite a while. The team disabled the statue (which normally goes off if a home run is scored) while the cat was hiding and eventually the kitty was removed safely from the field. 

Read more about the incident on ABC News


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Profile for Jill Harness

  • Member Since 2012/08/04


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