Everything I know about Vermont I learned by watching Newhart, so this home for sale on Zillow fits in nicely to my mental image of the place. The four bedroom, two bedroom, four cell house was built in in 1880 and later served as the residence of the Essex County jailer until 1969.
Colossal introduces us to Helena Minginowicz, a Polish artist. Her oeuvre includes detailed human figures, sensuous nudes, and disposable objects in a throw-away world.
Ladies!! Did you know that some grocery stores in Finland have a pink basket that means you’re single and willing to be approached? Should we get these in the states?
— Richie Rich (@gofishh77) July 12, 2026
Good morning X. pic.twitter.com/HUwGiewqJ7
One of the first tasks when trying to secure a romantic partner is determing if the person of interest to you is available. Instagram user Roya Fox says that one signal of availability in Finland is to use a pink shopping basket.
Some of Fox's commenters share that in Spain, this signal is displayed by placing a pineapple in one's basket.
I love these ideas! Let's make it easier for people to find relationships.
-via Wilfred Reilly
A couple days ago, I mentioned some of the exotic and eccentric foods that will be available at the upcoming Iowa State Fair. Inventive dishes at state fairs is very much a Midwestern thing and Minnesota consistently offers competition, such as soft serve beer.
This year, the Minnesota State Fair takes place from August 27 to September 7 in St. Paul. The organization has already announced new foods that will be available, including a variety of dishes of Hmong and Vietnamese influence. I'm looking forward to the Butter Brew Mustache Pretzel, which is a traditional pretzel in the shape of a mustache--something that children would enjoy playing with. It's served with vanilla soft serve ice cream as a dip.
-via Nag on the Lake
One Instargam commenter quips, "The Ring but make it Renaissance." That's about right. Tanya Gomelskaya composes photorealistic paintings and sculptures that emerge from the canvas. It's not that the subject looks at the observer, but the subject pursues the observer beyond the frame of the canvas.
Most kisses in 30 seconds by a pair 😘 195 by Renato Bayma Gaia and Naiara Roberta Ribeiro de Marins 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/CnGeN0G8E8
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) July 10, 2026
I saw this tweet and immediately turned to my wife and proposed that we try to top this record. She rolled her eyes and went back to her book.
So I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious.
Mind you, we'll have serious competition. Renato Bayma Gaia kissed his girlfriend, Naiara Roberta Ribeiro de Marins, 195 times during a 30 second period. These Brazilians now carry a prestigious and decidedly romantic title.
Were you able to attend the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce? No, well, were you able to acquire garbage from it?
No?
Well, I'm sorry, but you're now otu of luck. Yahoo! Finance tells us that Justin Cignac, an artist from Queens, collected garbage from the spectacle and then sold it to interested collectors for $25 per container.
Collecting and selling garbage is one of Cignac's core markets. He's been doing so with New York City garbage since 2001. People from all over the world are apparently interested in buying NYC trash, so he makes a good living from it.
-via Wesley Todd | Photo: Eva Rinaldi
The Iowa State Fair is taking place from August 13 to 23 in Des Moines. It is traditionally a venue for consuming deliciously unhealthy foods and engaging in unique contests.
Among the treats available will be butter-dipped soft serve ice cream. That is, as you might expect, soft serve ice cream that is briefly dipped in molten butter instead of chocolate. This is not a new invention (the above image is from last year), but the Iowa State Fair may be your first opportunity to enjoy it in addition to other exotic dishes.
The Des Moines Register has a list of 83 other foods that will be available, including Parmesan ice cream, banana cream fries, and peanut butter and jelly corn dogs.
Chloë of Odd Socks Cosplay and Frank Cleary of Frankie Doodles made this cosplay imagining fairy tale versions of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
The Kermit is especially well-done, as his accessories include a lily pad shield and a blooming sword.
Photos: Event Horizon Cosplay
In the campy 1966-1968 Batman television series, the home of Bruce Wayne was referred to consistently as "Stately Wayne Manor." The exterior shots were of a mansion in Pasadena, California.
Deadline reports that this home is now for sale. Price at $32 million, it comes with 7 bedrooms, 3 full bathrools, 4 half-bathrooms, and 3 three-quarter bathroom.
What is a three-quarter bathroom? Apparently one with a toilet and a sink and either a shower or a bath, but not both.
The Zillow listing provide no photos of the Batcave, but that's probably because it's a secret. Lift up the head of the Shakespeare bust and push the button to access it.
-via Will Meugniot on Facebook
Do you see this lake? It's Yathkyed Lake in northern Canada.
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo asks, "What would happen if the Mystery Machine was an actual Autobot?" Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We aren't yet sure that it's not a Decepticon.
Hasbro is offering a limited edition Transformer that is inspired by Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? The four teenagers without an obvious source of legal income travel around the country, coincidentally encountering criminals. That's a dangerous line of work, so it's a good idea to have a combat robot along.
The Mystery Machine toy comes with heads for the four main human characters and a box of Scooby snacks that transform into our favorite Great Dane.
Hasan Ceylan is a musician with the Ankara State Conservatory in Turkey. He plays Turkish instruments from the Ottoman era, often using them to offer fresh perspectives on modern pop music. He's especially fond of Radiohead. In this video, he's playing "Exit Music (For a Film)."
On his YouTube channel, you can also find his performances of "No Surprises" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", as well as selections from Metallica, Celine Dion, and the Intersellar theme.
-via The Awesomer
Morgan on the Move, a travel influencer, stopped by Cheese & Crack, a gourmet cheese and snack shop in Portland, Oregon. You can buy cheeses, charcuterie meals, fine wine, and soft serve ice cream there, among other treats on the menu.
The ice cream is dusted with your choice of espresso, matcha, beet, strawberry, or chocolate malt. For just $1.50, you can get a tiny chocolate cowboy hat added to the top.
How do you celebrate the Fourth of July in Maine? In the seaside town of Cutler, it's by running over fifty lobster crates strung between two docks.
Cutler isn't the only town to engage in this traditional Maine sport. There's an upcoming race in Rockland on August 2. Run as fast as you can across the crates without falling into the water.
It appears to be a sport for children, although I don't see what adults can't try it. Orthopedists would certainly appreciate your efforts.
-via Rural Maine
