John Farrier's Blog Posts

The World's First Supermarket for Expired Food

(Photo: WeFood)

Every year, people across the world throw out 1.3 billion metric tons of food. Safe, well-grown food is simply wasted. People in Denmark responded to this problem by setting up WeFood, a new non-profit grocery store that uses only food that has been thrown out by other grocery stores for having damaged packaging or being past its expiration date. As a result, food at WeFood is about 50% cheaper than at most stores.

The project has been part of a generally successful effort to reduce food waste in Denmark and other European nations. Amy X. Wang writes for Quartz:

Denmark as a whole has been doing a good job of cleaning up its act. The country throws away 25% less food than it did five years ago and many of its supermarkets sell food that is near its expiration date at reduced prices. Elsewhere in Europe, France has banned supermarkets from throwing away unsold food and is asking restaurants to provide take-out containers.

-via Nerdcore


A Burger with $80 Worth of Extra Pickles

(Photo: PK Sanjun)

Why? The answer is simple. As Rocket News 24 explains, "anything worth doing is worth overdoing to a ridiculous and dangerous extreme."

In the past, the Rocket News 24 crew has asked its local Burger King outlet to serve burgers with 1,000 slices of cheese, 1,000 slices of bacon, or 100 onion slices (sadly, not on the same burger). Now they asked for as many pickles on their Whopper as 10,000 yen would buy, which is about $89 USD at the moment.

This beautiful, vinegary monument is the result of the labors of the burger artists at the restaurant. It weighs 3.7 pounds. You can see more photos of this majestic burger at Rocket News 24.


Cake for a Computer Programmer

Jake the computer programmer is leaving for a new job. His co-workers, including redditor DerpyDruid, had this cake made for them to share. Jake will be back, though: many other programmers in the comment thread say that this code won't compile properly.

-via Blame It on the Voices


Watch a 3-Year Old Deliver a Baby Lamb


(Video Link)

Rachel Nichols, a sheep farmer in Wales, has a 3-year old daughter named Lilly. The little girl is learning many practical skills on the farm. In this video, for the second time this season, she helps a sheep give birth.

She gets elbow-deep inside the mother's uterus and feels around for the direction of its body. Then she moves the baby into a good birthing position and pulls on its feet, gently bringing it into the outside world. Great job, Lilly!

-via Daily of the Day


Japanese Split Racing

Step 1: get into a split position.

We'll get back to you once you've accomplished that task.

Now, step 2: move to the finish line 10 meters away before anyone else does.


(Video Link)

Kazumi Kawahara, who I think is the victor in the contest above, is also the Guinness World Record holder for the fastest 10-meter split mover. She completed it in 16.90 seconds and, as you can see in the video, does so with a bold swagger.

I'd like to think that in a better future, international disputes would be settled through split contests like this one.

-via Atlas Obscura


Meet the Setup Wizard, The IT Guy at Hogwarts

Most people at the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry are wizards, but not everyone there works as a wizard. The Setup Wizard is an example. He's not even a wizard. He's a muggle, but he can work magic with the local computer network.

On his blog, The Setup Wizard recounts his daily triumphs and struggles as he tries to keep the Hogwarts computer systems up-to-date and functional. You can read about his adventures here.

-via Dorkly


Toucan Gets 3d Printed Beak

(Photo: Instituto Vida Livre)

Tieta the Toucan was in the hands of an illegal animal seller in Rio de Janeiro. Last year, wildlife rescuers freed her and addressed a pressing health problem: half of her upper beak was gone. That's a big deal. Beaks not only help toucans eat, but also help them stay cool by dissipating excess heat.

So last July, 3d designers built her a plastic replacement. They tested their prototypes on taxidermy toucans, then coated their final design with a castor oil-based polymer. After fitting it on Tieta, she took 3 days to adapt to the prosthetic. Then she began eating normally. The BBC reports:

Tieta's surgery only took 40 minutes to perform but was not without risks, veterinarian Thiago Muniz says.

He explains that the prosthesis will allow her to eat independently and also help her access glands on her body that keep her feathers waterproof.

With the help of the prosthesis, Tieta will also be able to feed any chicks she might have in the future.

-via reddit


Clothes Designed Specifically for Wheelchair Users

A standard men's suit is designed to look best while standing. It gets a bit baggy while seated. That's a problem for people who are usually seated, specifically, in a wheelchair.

In 2004, a journalist who uses a wheelchair approached fashion designer Izzy Camilleri and asked her to produce fashionable clothing that fit a wearer well while using a wheelchair. Camilleri went on to found IZ Adaptive, a company that produces just that. It has a wide range of fashionable clothes for men and women.

For example, this suit jacket comes in two pieces. The user puts it on one at a time, then zips up the back. The arch cut in the back prevents bunching-up while in a chair.

-via Marginal Revolution


This Is What Happens When an Escalator Suddenly Reverses

Thankfully, only five people were slightly injured. The outcome could have been much worse. 


(Video Link)

This escalator is in the city of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province, China. On February 19, the escalator suddenly reversed, throwing people back. Officials took it offline. They don't know why it switched directions without warning, but are investigating it.

-via Rocket News 24


King Cobra Strike

Tom Charlton snapped this terrifying photo of a Ophiophagus hannah in the Krabi Province of southern Thailand. He mentions to a friend on Facebook that he found the snake in a stream outside the friend's bungalow. My recommendation: move.

-via The Soul Is Bone


The Chemistry of Lighting a Match

The process takes merely tenths of a second. But within that tiny amount of time, there's a lot going on. The American Chemical Society used a high-speed camera operating a 4,000 frames a second to illustrate the sequence of chemical reactions that take place when a match is struck against a striker. The simple match is a marvelously complex device.


(Video Link)

-via Gizmodo


How Can You Tell the Difference between Good Acting and Bad Acting?


(Image: "Devil's Due", Star Trek: The Next Generation)

We watch movies and television programs, so we see actors all of the time. But unless we work in the entertainment business, their craft remains a mystery. A good actor makes it look easy, but not everyone is a good actor.

What makes for a good actor? Marcus Geduld, a theater director, responded to that question on Quora, which was then re-posted on Slate. Geduld says that there are 5 qualities that denote the good actor:

First, for me, an actor is good if he makes me believe he's actually going through whatever his character is going through. I'm talking somewhat about physical stuff (“He really is getting shot!” “He really is jumping off a moving train!”) but mostly about psychological stuff (“He really is scared!” “He really is in love!”). If an actor seems to be faking it, he's not doing his job.

Second, the actor has to surprise me. This is the most nebulous requirement, but it's important. Except for really small parts that aren't supposed to call attention to themselves (e.g., a bank teller who just cashes the hero's checks), it's not enough for actors to just seem real. Seeming real is a requirement, but a second requirement is that I can't predict their every reaction before they have them.

One good demonstrations of the actor's craft that I encountered recently was this video by Patrick Stewart illustrating different ways to play the character of Shylock, my favorite character from Shakespeare. Stewart demonstrates different ways that an actor can express different meanings while using the same script.

-via reddit


The Ninja Husky


(Video Link)

Since he was a mere puppy, Gohan has trained in ninjitsu. He can appear out of nowhere, vanish without a trace, and be within biting range before you're even aware of his presence. Watch this Husky sneak up on his human's bone, then steal it, leaving no trace behind.

-via Nothing to Do with Aborath


9 Things You Didn't Know about The Silence of the Lambs


(Video Link)

The iconic thriller film The Silence of the Lambs turns 25 this year. It was a perfect combination of writing, acting, and directing with an unforgettable villain who continues to terrify audiences all these many years later.

CineFlix rounded up 9 facts that you might not know about it. For example, Jodie Foster was not the first choice to play Clarice Starling. That role almost went to Michelle Pfeiffer. And the refined cannibal Hannibal Lecter was almost played by Sean Connery. Can you imagine their scenes together if they had been played by these two actors?

-via Blame It on the Voices


The World's Longest Eyebrow Hair is 7.5 Inches Long

This distinguished gent is smiling with reason: he's snagged the Guinness World Record for the world's longest eyebrow hair. Zheng Shusen, 80, of China has one that's 7.5 inches long. It's so long that it slips into his mouth when he's eating, so he tucks it behind an ear to keep it safe. Zheng explains its significance:

In his application to for the record title, Zheng wrote: “In China, a long eyebrow hair means health and long life. When I found out that my eyebrow hair was a lot longer than other people, my family started to say that it was a good symbol for an old man ... it was at this point I thought I might be the Guinness World Records title holder.”

You can read more about Zheng's accomplishment, as well as other world record hairs, such as the longest nipple hair and the longest ear hair, here.


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