Content warning: graphic car accident.
On Friday, a woman in Anhui, China crossed a busy street. A van slammed in her, then drove right over her. When the driver finally came to a stop, he realized that she was trapped. People in the area rushed in and lifted the van up, then pulled her out.
The People's Daily reports that the entire incident took just 48 seconds. Thankfully, the woman suffered just minor injuries as a result of the accident.
-via Ace of Spades HQ
YouTube member Rand0Vidz says that his goldfish and his cat named Bootz get along perfectly fine. Even though they're natural enemies, Bootz always escapes the tub unharmed. They're best friends!
-via The Hairpin
YouTube member Lenny says that her toddler and cat have daily conversations like this. I don't understand what they're debating, but I'm impressed with the enthusiasm they put into articulating their positions.
-via Tastefully Offensive
It was a complete fantasy, of course. Even the Pearl Harbor raid was the end of the logistical reach of the Imperial Japanese Navy. But that didn't stop newspapers from boosting circulation by convincing American readers that this was a potential outcome.
That's what this page from a 1937 issue of the Los Angeles Examiner is after. So the writers and artists described this fanciful two-pronged invasion of the USA. The first came from an assault on Hawaii, followed by a naval attack on southern California. At the same time, Japan seized southern Alaska and used it as air bases for raids against the Pacific Northwest. Rebecca Onion writes for Slate:
Insets illustrated how Los Angeles could be cut off from the rest of the country with strategic bombing of mountain passes and how its key utilities—water supply and electricity—could be easily controlled by an invading army.
The Examiner thought the main thrust of a Japanese offensive might come from the north. While "crippling or annihilating" the American fleet at Pearl Harbor would be a key part of the plan, allowing Japan to "speed capital ships that would send 16-inch shells screeching to wreak bloody swaths of terror and destruction at Los Angeles and San Francisco," the southern front would "only be a smoke-screen for a main attack via Alaska and Seattle."
You can view a much larger version of the map at Slate.
Nathan Yaffe and Caldwell Tanner present this helpful chart illustrating what you can order at popular restaurants. Not everything is on the published menu.
Also: try the "Millennial" at Advance Auto Parts. That's an engine air filter from a 2000 Ford Taurus served with a side of beans from survival rations.
(Photo: Pokémon Company International)
The Pokémon entertainment franchise turned 20 this year. Early in its history, Pokémon was a trading card game. So to celebrate the occasion, British artist Quentin Devine created an enormous mosaic depicting the original Pikachu card.
Video Gamer reports that Devine arranged 12,987 cards into a mosaic measuring 770 square feet. This secured Devine a Guinness World Record for the largest trading card mosaic.
You can see a video showing how Devine made it here.
-via Nerd Approved
It's your big day! Everything is, finally, perfect. The planning and execution has gone off without a hitch. You're in your glamorous gown and ready to walk down the aisle. But first you need to visit the toilet.
How are you going to do that in your enormous, diaphanous gown?
That's where the Bridal Buddy comes in. This invention is a fabric bag that you put on before slipping on your gown. It has two arm holes built into the bottom, as well as a drawstring hem. When you need to heed Nature's call, then bag up your gown in the Bridal Buddy and get to work.
-via Huffington Post
Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night is intoxicatingly beautiful--and now literally intoxicating. Rajendra Limbu, a bartender at the Artesian Lounge, a bar in the luxurious Langham hotel in Hong Kong, recreated it and other famous paintings in mixed drinks. They're painted on egg foam on the surface and accented by the base colors of the drinks themselves.
Blouin Art Info reports that they'll be on display at the Art Basel show in Hong Kong this weekend.
In the traditional version of the Easter story, Jabba the Hutt emerges from his tomb on Easter morning to give treats to boys and girls who have been good that year. And Jenn Fujikawa has the perfect breakfast treat for the occasion.
She shaped liquid marshmallow into Jabba's body as it cooled, then coated it with green sanding sugar. Then she added his face with brown and yellow icing. You can find her full recipe here.
-via Laughing Squid
(Photo: Badge of Heart)
On the left is Officer Kristina Tudor of the Los Angeles Police Department. She just ran a marathon. And, yes, she was dressed just like that. She weighs 115 pounds. Her full kit weighs 35 pounds. But she lugged it for the complete 26.2 miles. It took her 6 hours, 14 minutes, and 15 seconds.
Officer Tudor took up this staggering challenge in order to raise money for Badge of Heart, a charity that permits first responders to offer immediate financial assistance to people in need that they meet in the line of duty. In January, while she was training, Tudor explained to ABC 7 News:
"I think it's worthwhile to hopefully raise some attention and hopefully money for that organization," Tudor said.
Last year, Tudor competed in the same marathon for a different cause and wore her police uniform.
But this year, she hopes to raise $25,000 for Badge of Heart through a GoFundMe account.
"An officer comes across a needy family or crime victim, we want to be first responders for those officers. So we want those officers to have the ability to come to us and hopefully we can provide some assistance to those needy families and crime victims," LAPD officer Ken Lew with Badge of Heart explained.
-via Twisted Sifter
Deorick Williams got a text message with some great news: Lindsey Lashley's baby had been born!
But he had no idea who Lindsey was. He had been sent the text message by accident. Nonetheless, he continued the conversation . . .
(Photo: JvL)
If you're going to have a national criminal justice problem, this is a great outcome!
The Netherlands has 13,500 prison cells. Only a third of them are occupied and the government anticipates that crime will drop 0.9% per year for the next five years. So it's decided to shut down some unused prisons. The Telegraph reports:
“More than a third of cells are not used, and the predictions are that it is going to get worse,” said Jaap Oosterveer, a spokesman for the ministry of justice. “Obviously, from a social perspective, it is better because crime is down, but if you work in jails, it is not good news.”
This is not the first attempt at a solution to the problem. Another has been importing convicts from other countries:
The Netherlands has been innovative in trying to solve its jail problem. It has “leased” spots in jail to Belgium and Norway, so around 300 Belgian criminals have been held at His Dutch Majesty’s pleasure in Tilberg prison.
Meanwhile, the country signed a new three-year deal with Norway last September, with 240 Norwegian convicts taking up residence at Norgerhaven jail in the prison village of Veenhuizen in Drenthe.
Karl Hillesland, Dutch prisons' director, told the country's broadcaster RTV Drenthe last month that there is even a “small waiting list”, partly due to the success of promotional films shown in Norway.
Occy the dog and Biggie the duck met when they were just puppies/ducklings. Now they're inseparable friends at their home in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. Frances Marsh, their human, told WITN 7 News two years ago that it's because Biggie is convinced that he's a dog himself:
Marsh says, "He definitely thinks he's a dog. He wont even eat duck food, he eats the dog's food and drinks out of the dog's bowl."
And now Biggie is just part of the family.
Marsh says, "I thought he would just join the other ducks behind the shop in the creek, but once he became part of the family, he became like a dog and didn't want to join the ducks and now he just lives with us and he's just part of our crew."
And she says, "Once they're worn out, you can come back here and Biggie will be sitting on top of Occy. They'll just be hanging out."
-via Gifsboom
There's another cat in the house!
And he's a handsome fella. Kinda weird, though. He scrunches his body up in odd ways. Still, it's worth examining him closely.
So he is a permanent resident, or just passing through? Because I've got dibs on the couch.
-via Laughing Squid
What's the context? Perhaps it's for the best that we don't know. These single comic narrative elements are perfect just by themselves.
Katharine Trendacosta of io9 asked her readers to submit the funniest comic book panels that they had ever seen. She compiled a list of the best, including the Hulk's toilet paper supply, Iron Man rejoicing in his money, and unintentional obscenities.
