When watching The Simpsons, pay close attention to any signs that appear in the background--even for just a second! There are many sly jokes hidden throughout the show. This is, after all, the show that hid an entire action movie in small scenes throughout several seasons. So check out this roundup of the best Simpsons signs by Imgur member GaryTheHippopotamus.
-via 22 Words
Nicholas Colangelo and Fred Christensen were recently fishing at a frozen lake in Pennsylvania. To their shock, the tug on their line wasn't from a fish, but a bird!
It was an adult male red-breasted merganser, which is a type of duck. National Geographic explains that although this was an unusual encounter, it makes sense. During the winter, red-breasted mergansers hunt for fish under the ice:
That's because mergansers are fish-eating ducks that often hunt under ice, where they can stay submerged for up to about five minutes. The ducks are common in the Northeast, although many of those that have been wintering on inland bodies of water have been struggling this year, with high ice cover restricting their movement and access to prey.
Many of the birds have been food deprived, making them more likely to go after the easy prey of fish on hooks.
Richard the cat has a favorite game: sliding on the floor. He genuinely enjoys it when his human spins and slides him across the smooth wooden floor. He comes back, again and again, for the same thrill ride.
It's like a kitty roller coaster!
-via Tastefully Offensive
Ladies, do you want to drive your man crazy? Mission accomplished!
Oh, you want "crazy in bed"? That's different. Sometimes. Anyway, cartoonist Gemma Correll has you covered with tips and tricks for bringing back that old spark that you had when you first got married.
Nerdy with Children proclaims that it is pizza night! It looks like a standard pizza design, but Captain Solo has made a few special modifications. Now it can make the Kessel Run in only 3,000 calories.
-via Home Geekonomics
Jimmy Uhrin, AKA "Traffic Jam Jimmy," is the traffic reporter with Fox 45 in Baltimore, Maryland. He went out into the blizzard to find out how bad the driving conditions were. While doing so, he worked up an appetite and decided to get a fish sandwich at McDonald's.
Uhrin didn't realize that it was time for him to deliver a traffic report. The station switched to his camera, which was then turned on and lying on the dashboard of his car.
He was taken by surprise, but responded well enough. Here you see Uhrin trying to multitask by delivering the news live on the air while simultaneously trying to get a fish sandwich while McDonald's was still serving only breakfast.
-via Geekologie
Since 1923, there’s been a ski jump facility at Holmenkollen, Norway. It came to international attention at the 1952 Winter Olympics. In 2010, the ramp was completely rebuilt to be what Visit Norway calls “the world’s most modern ski jump.”
At the tip of the tower is a penthouse suite. AirBnB, which recently offered a cable car as a luxury accommodation, now offers this ski jump room to travelers. It says that you can “ski in, zip line out.”
There’s a bed for up to 2 people, a half bath, a kitchen, and WiFi service. There are several house rules, including these very important ones:
• Please do not apply if you are scared of heights.
• Only pros are allowed to use the ski jump so don't think you're going to be pulling any tricks on your toboggan.
-via Messy Nessy Chic
The Acrobatica Infiniti Circus is unlike any other. It’s designed to appeal to geeks by combining the wonderful world of cosplay with top-tier acrobatic performance. Each member brings unique skills that let you see Sailor Moon spin hoops and Kirk and Spock bend around each other in ways you’d never imagine. Check out this video demonstrating your favorite characters performing physical feats you’ve never seen them do on the screen.
-via Fashionably Geek
Volvo has developed a new completely automated braking system for tractor trailers. The video below shows it in action, stopping a truck loaded with 40 tons of cargo in a very short distance.
How does it work? First, a heads-up display on the windshield warns a driver of increased traffic congestion ahead. If the driver doesn’t react, the heads-up display flashes and an audible alarm sounds. If the driver still doesn’t respond, then the truck automatically engages in light braking. If that doesn’t stir the driver, the truck will, all on its own, brake hard and bring the truck to a complete stop.
Now can I get something like this, but for my bad decisions?
-via Joe Carter
A hardcore LEGO fan wants to live in a LEGO world. This brick coffee table lets him get started on building that dream. Etsy seller Branching Outward made this table out of wood, polyester resin, epoxy, and lacquer. It weighs 48 pounds and measures 28.5 x 16 x 15 inches. The table costs $375, so building a full set may set your bank account back a bit.
-via Nerd Approved
It’s called Wooden Cloth. Nathalie Dackelid, a Swedish furniture design student, designed it with expanding leaves beneath the surface, which roll or unroll as the table shortens or expands. Her goal is to create a table so versatile that it can be used for an entire lifetime for different purposes. You can see a video of it in action here.
-via FastCoDesign
It seems like a great idea. You’ve got a bagel and cream cheese. It should be the perfect snack. But it never turns out right, does it? That’s because you’ve been eating bagels wrong for your entire life.
This video by Murderbot Productions parodies lifehack videos, such as Foodbeast’s How To Eat an Apple and How to Eat a Chicken Wing. To complete this task, you’ll need (obviously) an electric drill.
-via That’s Nerdalicious!
Just outside of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, there are a set of hot springs called the Takhini Hot Pools. They're now part of a privately owned facility where visitors can relax in hot water. It doesn't close during the winter. In fact, during the month of February, the site holds a frozen hair contest.
Participants lay in the hot water while wiping cold water into their hair. This is best done when the temperature is about -4º through -22ºF. 10 to 30 minutes of careful shaping can result in beautifully sculpted, completely frozen hair.
About 20 people participated in the contest this year. Miléna Georgeault, Maxime Gouyou Beauchamps, and Fanny Caritte won it this year with this photo.
-via Amusing Planet
Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist is the autobiography of Chuck Jones, the animator behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the other great classic Warner Bros. cartoon characters. In it, Jones lists the rules that governed interactions between Wile E. Coyote and his lifelong foe, the Road Runner.
These rules help shaped these cartoons into the funny shorts that still make us laugh 60 years later. And, if you think about it, they're also practical tips for workplace etiquette.
YouTube user Sphios says that this squirrel had eaten too many fermented crabapples. Go home, squirrel. You're drunk. And you'd better hope that a sciurid cop doesn't stop you as you make your way back to your tree.
