I'm a fan of Star Trek: Lower Decks, which just finished after five seasons. It was a popular show with good ratings. Why did Paramount drop it? Internet rumor has it that although subscribers were watching Lower Decks, no one was signing up for Paramount+ for the first time in order to watch Lower Decks. So the company cancelled a thriving series.

The way that people interact with television is very different from the way that Miss Cellania and I grew up with. Will Tavlin of N+1 traces the history of Netflix in particular and the way that this streaming service has shaped the production and marketing of movies and series.

Tavlin mentions that Netflix has catered to a market called "casual viewing". This is a show or movie that one plays while not actually watching the screen. It's background video to play while attending to other tasks, such as doing chores. The characters narrate what they've done, what they're doing, and what they plan to do so that the viewer can more or less follow the plot without paying close attention.

Before we get too disgusted, it's worth noting that several Netflix writers on X are insisting that this allegation is untrue.

-via @Anthony_cf97

(Popeye t-shirt on sale at our NeatoShop)

The Internet Archive tells us about some of the more interesting works of intellectual property that will become public domain in the United States at the beginning of the new year. They include the original drawn Popeye cartoon, which first appeared in publication on January 17, 1929. The artist, E.C. Segar passed away in 1938, but his legacy continued with animated cartoons, comic books, and the underappreciated 1980 film starring Robin Williams.

People will also be free to republish and adapt Dashiell Hammett's novel The Maltese Falcon, Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, and William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury.

Claire Lamman is a graduate student in astronomy at Harvard University. So she's a genius. But she's also humble enough to describe herself as a "procrastibaker" -- someone who bakes in order to avoid academic work. Lamman's portfolio of baking work is impressive.

Each Christmas, Lamman composes a gingerbread masterpiece of an astronomical survey instrument, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, favorite space probes, and a model of the Very Large Array in New Mexico.. This year, Lamman made the above model of the Voyager I probe, which launched in 1977 and exited our solar system in 2013, but continues to operate.

Let us hope that Lamman expands upon her work and creates a gingerbread model of the famed Voyager VI spacecraft.

Dr. Laura Driessen is a radio astronomer at the University of Sydney. At Study Finds, she explains that the speed of an object in motion affects sound and light waves from that object relative to an observer. This is called the Doppler Effect.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, who leads Santa's sleigh with his nose so bright, has a red-appearing nose only when he is motionless. The appearance of his nose changes when he travels at speeds sufficient to complete his busy night of work.

Dr. Driessen estimates that Rudolph must travel at 8.2 million KPH in order to deliver Santa to each of his destinations. If you saw Rudolph moving toward you, his nose would appear bright orange. If you watched him fly away, his nose would turn almost black.

Who does the best "pa-rum, pum-pum, pum"? @TheSimpsons #TheSimpsons #Christmas pic.twitter.com/GHz3J2lp6x

— Hank Azaria (@HankAzaria) December 23, 2024

Hank Azaria's greatest acting accomplishment was, in my opinion, a supporting role in the groundbreaking sitcom Herman's Head. But he is most famous for voicing several characters on The Simpsons, having done so for almost the franchise's entire run since 1989.

In this special Christmas video, Azaria sings a few lines from the 1941 carol "The Little Drummer Boy" as Simpsons characters, including police chief Clancy Wiggum, the beloved Moe Szyslak, Comic Book Guy, Captain Horatio McAllister, Professor John Frink, the rascally scamp Snake, and Duffman.

-via Laughing Squid

Licorice is the world's perfect candy. The flavor is optimal for activating dopamine among all right-thinking people. Not everyone agrees, but this is how you can distinguish between the enlightened and the depraved among the people who walk upon the Earth.

Empanadas are a wonderful food delivery system popular here in Texas. In a flash of characteristic brilliance, it occurred to me a few months ago that one could make empanadas with a licorice filling. As far as I can tell, I am the inventor of this epoch-defining development.

Every summer, the town of Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes region of New York experiences a surge of visitors in search of scenic wonders, both natural and man-made. The latter includes a tiny diner that bills itself as the world's smallest. WETM 18 News interviewed the owner, 83-year old Gerry Collins.

Depending on how it's measured, the establishment covers either 32 or 34 square feet. It hypothetically seats four people, but the heat from cooking makes interior temperatures unbearable for dining. Although a variety of foods are available, most people come for Collins's traditional Coney Island-style hot dogs.

-via Hickman | Photo: World Record Academy

You can almost feel the testosterone flowing through this video. Loggers have the highest rate of fatal work injuries and this video is a taste of why. These people use dangerously sharp machines to cut through wood as quickly and precisely as possible without losing any limbs.

Every year, the Stihl brand of power tools sponsors a world championship of essential logging skills. It's a tradition that stretches back to at least 1870, when the first logging competition took place in Tasmania. Now some of the tools are powered instead of manual, but enormous strength, stamina, and raw courage are still essential.

-via Massimo

The Weinermobile is an iconic lord of the American road--an iron steed craved by drivers for generations. Now you can drive it. MSN reports that Oscar Meyer is hiring drivers.

The salary is underwhelming at a mere $35,000 per year. But it comes with benefits and a travel allowance. And there is a lot of traveling involved; the driver is expected to bring the hot dog-shaped vehicle to over 200 promotional events around the United States.

The requirements are surprisingly demanding. Applicants should have a bachelor's degree, preferably in something like marketing and public relations. That's because this is an advertising position, so it's no place for an introvert. You've got to sell those hot dogs!

-via Dave Barry | Photo: Oscar Meyer

Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting composed sometime during 1495 through 1498 is one of the most seminal works of Western art. It is memetic and has inspired many other pieces of art, both reverent and humorous. Eric Braverman of Douglas, Arizona has collected pieces inspired by The Last Supper since the age of 12. AZ Central reports that, in 2021, he opened a private museum showcasing some of the 2,500 works in his collection.

It's called Last Supper Museum. The facility is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays.

Dane Kouttron (previously on Neatorama) notes that the deceptively-named gyro sandwich cooks food on only a single axis. A thorough chef cooks meat from every angle evenly. Automated cooking spits developed by Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, and other previous inventors rotated meat from only one direction.

Kouttron rejects these limits. He designed, machined, and welded a gyroscope that cooks meat from all directions over a single open flame. A 40 RPM 12 volt electric motor provides power to keep even movement for the most precise roasting needs. You can view his complete plans, parts list, and action video here.

-via Hack A Day

Bernard Littman is 100 years old. His blushing bride, Marjorie Fiterman, is 102. Guinness World Records has awarded them the record for the world's oldest newlywed couple having a combined age of 202 years and 271 days.

The Guardian reports that this is a second marriage for both of them. Both were married to other people for more than 60 years before being widowed. The groom attributes his long life to reading and the bride to buttermilk. They passed the century mark after they met in their residential facility in Philadelphia.

Littman and Fiterman fell in love and decided to marry. The presiding rabbi sensibly chose to forego giving marital advice to seniors, saying that they knew what to expect in a marriage.

-via Born in Space

YouTuber Miss Mello is a self-taught animator with a flair for creative juxtopositions. We've seen the 1973-1974 Animated Series. This variant sends the animation to Japan a decade later. The audio and scenes are from "The Trouble with Tribbles" -- the most overrated episode in the franchise.

There's a rumor that Miles O'Brien and Benjamin Sisko, who made an appearance in this story in the Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations," appear in this video, but I haven't been able to spot them yet.

-via reddit

The City of Bend, Oregon, which is in roughly the geographic center of the state, appreciates the creativity of its local artists. It even promotes resident artists directly, showcasing their works. But it would prefer to have some oversight of what, where, and how art is displayed.

In an Instagram post, the city government requests that street artists refrain from attaching huge googly eyes to public statues. This is evidently a popular trend locally. The city does not object to the style, but asserts that the use of adhesives damages the statues and the repairs cost too much money.

-via Dave Barry

Celine Rousseau traveled the world experiencing its many culinary wonders in the finest restaurants. Now, from her home in Geneva, Switzerland, she creates foods that delight all of the senses. Her website named La Table showcases her creations for smaller clienteles: her family.

Christmas approaches and Rousseau is in an appropriately festive mood. Her take on burrata pizza featurs the soft cheese in the center of the pie shaped and decorated to resemble a snowman who is having a hard time with the heat of the oven.