Neatorama

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• Elvis Presley's Best Film
• The History of Japan
• Violent Vintage Valentines: Just the Thing for Budding Serial Killers or Other Deviants
• <i>Star Wars</i> as a Grindhouse Film
• The Annual Gathering of Twins in Twinsburg, Ohio
• Finn, The Barbarian - Ooo, Look At His Muscles!
• Cat Becomes Cleopatra
• IKEA Builds a Hotpot That Won't Turn on Until People Hand over Their Phones
• The Weird Thing About Cat Legs
• Man Builds a Bit of Narnia in the Woods for His Girlfriend to Discover
• A Bad Lip Reading of the NFL 2015-2016 Season (part one)
• "My Log Cabin 1985"
• Why You Should Pay Attention To Reflections When You Post Pictures Online
• Fly a Plane through the Circle Plane
• Where Are They Now: The OJ Simpson Trial
• Leonardo DiCaprio Met The Pope, Coolness Levels Rose In Rome
• HUMANS - The Hairless Apes Are Out There
• 16 Unusual Items For Sale on the Government’s Version of eBay
• Pay-by-the-Minute Dog Parking Box
• The Groundhog’s Greatest Hits
• Birds Are The Best Photobombers In The Animal Kingdom
• Kangaroo on a Trampoline
• Growing Up With My Name
• There's a Theme Park in Germany Where You Can See Props from <i>The NeverEnding Story</i>
• Wiener Stampede
• The Time Elvis Got out of His Limo to Break up a Fight between Strangers
• Pretty Sweet Teeth Reports

Elvis Presley's Best Film Posted: 03 Feb 2016 05:00 AM PST Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website or at Facebook. When you say "best" concerning movies, or any other art form, you get into the area of aesthetics. And as we all know, aesthetics are pretty much entirely subjective. We can all agree that two plus four equals six or that the Golden Gate bridge is in San Francisco or that most dogs have four legs- we agree, of course, because these are all clearly observable and provable "facts.” But if a guy claims that, say, Porky's 3 is a better film than Citizen Kane or that Bananarama are a better group than the Beatles, all we can really do is shrug our shoulders in justifiable frustration. That said, I maintain that Elvis Presley's second film Loving You is his finest film (and if not, it's my favorite Elvis film- it always has been). Elvis reported for work on Loving You January 21, 1957, having recently turned 22. Previous titles considered were Lonesome Cowboy, Something for the Girls, and Running Wild (the title Ed Sullivan used to plug the film on Elvis' last guest appearance on his show). Elvis had been disappointed in the results of his film debut Love Me Tender, which he had filmed a few months earlier. After having been loaned out for Love Me Tender, Loving You was to be Elvis' first film for Paramount, his longtime future studio home. Its supporting cast was very good, if not stellar, including the beautiful Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Cory, Paul Smith, James Gleason, and future cloistered nun Dolores Hart, in her film debut as Elvis' love interest. Loving You was to be a semi-autobiographical study of Elvis, who plays Deke Rivers, a delivery boy who gets discovered by a semi-unscrupulous manager (Scott) and becomes a popular singing sensation. Sound familiar? Besides the obvious similarity between Elvis and his real-life manager, Colonel Tom Parker, we also get our first -and best- look at Elvis "the Pelvis" Presley performing onstage. Other Elvis "firsts" abound. Loving You was to be Elvis' first-ever film in glorious Technicolor (Paramount's newest invention “Vistavision"). We get a full-screen view of the King in action and in his prime, shaking, swiveling, gyrating, bumping-and-grinding. Loving You was to be, in fact, the only real view we ever will get of the legendary Elvis Presley of the 50's in color. The famed Ed Sullivan Show appearances, the Milton Berle Shows, the Steve Allen Show, and his other three 50's films are all  preserved in the much-less stupefying black-and-white. For his Technicolor debut, Elvis dyed his hair his later-trademark jet black. In Love Me Tender, Elvis had his real-life sandy-blonde hair, but after Loving You, it was to be stark ebony for the rest of his life, both on and off screen. Elvis gets his first-ever onscreen kiss in Loving You, the lucky, much envied girl being Jana Lund. He also begins another longtime Elvis movie tradition in this film, the Elvis vs. the smart-ass fight. The fight scene in Loving You between Elvis and actor Kenneth Becker was not only his first movie fight, but Elvis' single finest moment on screen. Becker, as wise guy “Wayne,” is heckling and badgering Deke in the local malt shop and Elvis is coerced into singing a song for the local teens. After Elvis sings an incredible version of “Mean Woman Blues" for the local yokels, he is taunted into a fight with Wayne. The fight is choreographed beautifully, almost a great (if very macho) ballet. The plot of Loving You also marks the first of a future Elvis film plot staple- the two women both in love with Elvis at the same time. Elder Lizabeth Scott and nubile newcomer Dolores Hart vie for the King's affections. Loving You offers Elvis his best-ever movie song selection, besides the aforementioned “Mean Woman Blues" and the film's title song, the King warbles “Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do,” “(Let's Have a) Party,” “Lonesome Cowboy,” “Hot Dog" and, in one of the rare times an Elvis "classic" makes it into a Presley film, “Teddy Bear.” And surprise surprise!!! Elvis can actually act. True, while Loving You isn't quite Rebel Without a Cause, Elvis nonetheless delivers his lines full-force and displays what was to be his single greatest gift as an actor, a fiery temper and a fierce flash of anger. No, Elvis never did become his idol, James Dean, or Brando or Bogart or Gable. But when it comes to flashing anger onscreen, no one, but no one, could top Elvis. “That's what you want, isn't it? A monkey in a zoo?" Elvis snarls angrily at his exploitative manager. (This line, by the way, was to inspire a later "rock group" to choose their name almost a decade later, as the Monkees would be christened in honor of Elvis line of Loving You dialogue.) Elvis' parents, Vernon and Gladys, are featured in the film's climactic scene as extras, cheering Elvis on as he sings and wows the local crowd. Sadly, after Gladys' death the next year, Elvis could never bring himself to watch Loving You again. Director Hal Kantor also screen tested Gladys and Vernon with Elvis. According to Kantor, Elvis had the negative destroyed because his mother hated how sallow and heavy she looked. Loving You opened nationwide the last week of July in 1957 and reached #7 on Variety magazine's box office survey. It offers us a wonderful look at the great potential Elvis Presley had to act in a truly great film, a "classic.” This was to be Elvis' greatest of all dreams, to become a good, admired, and respected movie star. As we all know, this dream was never to come to pass.

The History of Japan Posted: 03 Feb 2016 04:00 AM PST Bill Wurtz compressed the history of Japan into nine minutes. Those nine minutes fly by as momentous changes happen. He saves time by dispensing with things like names and dates, because you wouldn’t remember them anyway. By the time you’re through, you’ll remember just enough to want more.  Contains a small amount of NSFW language. (YouTube link) Wurtz simplifies huge events into humorous, rapid-fire exchanges, but there are a couple of times when the narrative just screeches to a halt, because the subject at hand calls for just that. And it works. This is an overall masterpiece. -via reddit

Violent Vintage Valentines: Just the Thing for Budding Serial Killers or Other Deviants Posted: 03 Feb 2016 03:00 AM PST You're THE Girl I'd Like to Run Down With My Pre-Safety Features Death Trap of an Auto! It's not uncommon to hear conversations among young parents about how the children of today have to be much better supervised and kept from walking around independently, due to the sheer numbers of wackos walking the streets. That is, compared to when the parents were young... when there was only the one stray wacko in town, and everyone knew who he/she was, and they were kinda lovably wacko.  Nothing Says Lovin' Like an Easily Hidden, Sharp Stabbing Implement, Sweetheart! If that's true, what is up with all of the creepers on these vintage valentine cards? They seem to be in posession of every deadly weapon imaginable, not to mention having rosy cheeks, puckered red lips and the air of being ready to strike at any moment, Chickadee. While my description is tongue-in-cheek, even stripped down to the bare images, the creeptastic remains. So happy Valentine's Day, kids. Don't forget your protective chain-mail undergarments and fireproof activewear! Brace yourself for certain catastrophe and see their full collection of creepy cards at Vintage Everyday.  I Don't Know About You Valentine, But I'm Thinking of a Roux With Onions and Béchamel Sauce!

<i>Star Wars</i> as a Grindhouse Film Posted: 03 Feb 2016 02:00 AM PST Mashable remixed the original Star Wars to more resemble a Grindhouse movie. While the effect is jarring, this trailer makes the movie look like pretty much any other science fiction film from the mid-1970s. In fact, it’s not all that different from the original Star Wars trailer. (YouTube link) Lucky for us, the actual movie was so much better than its trailer. And holds up better forty years later. -via Metafilter

The Annual Gathering of Twins in Twinsburg, Ohio Posted: 03 Feb 2016 01:00 AM PST What's it like to be a twin? The New Yorker went to Twin Days, an annual convention of twins in the appropriately named Ohio town of Twinsburg. There, one half of a twin set described how their mother tended to group them together, no matter what: You know, if I want mustard on my sandwich, my mom assumed she did, or vice versa . . . but if she got in trouble at school, then I always got in trouble. These 11-year old brothers are best friends. But that doesn't mean they want to be together all of the time: My mom is like, "Why do you want to go to someone else's house, you have a brother." I'm like, "Once you get to know everything about someone . . . ." ". . . it's still fun to play with them, but sometimes you just need someone else." You can hear more twin stories in the video embedded below, as well as watch these young men flirt with a matching pair of ladies. (Video Link) -via Laughing Squid

Finn, The Barbarian - Ooo, Look At His Muscles! Posted: 03 Feb 2016 12:00 AM PST Finn, The Barbarian by Anderson Green Devil Jake the dog doesn't see Finn for what he truly is, because he has no point of reference outside their life in the Land of Ooo. But if Finn existed in our world he would most certainly be seen as a barbarian, one who wears a funny white hat and schoolboy clothes but a savage barbarian nonetheless. His adventures in the post-apocalyptic landscape he grew up in seem somewhat normal to Ooo's residents, but in another time that boy would give Conan a run for his money! Bulk up your adventuring gear with this Finn, The Barbarian t-shirt by Anderson Green Devil, it's the mighty cool way to wow your fellow Adventure fans! Visit Anderson Green Devil's Facebook fan page, official website, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more fantastically geeky designs: Creature From The Rock N Roll Wolverine Terminator Born To Be Wild Death Post Punk Fan (Joy Division) View more designs by Anderson Green Devil | More Cartoon T-shirts | New T-Shirts Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

Cat Becomes Cleopatra Posted: 03 Feb 2016 12:00 AM PST This attractive cat got himself (or herself) into a bit of a jam. He stuck his head into a vase, couldn’t get his head out, then freaked out and broke the vase. For a while he had a stylish ceramic collar, reminiscent of an ancient Egyptian fashion. You have to imagine it would be quite heavy and probably put pressure on his shoulders. We don’t have the end of the story, but this picture, and another one, were taken in a vet’s office, so we can assume the cat was freed one way or another. -via reddit

IKEA Builds a Hotpot That Won't Turn on Until People Hand over Their Phones Posted: 02 Feb 2016 11:00 PM PST The hotpot rests at the center of the table, surrounded by ingredients. It's time to cook and eat them together.  Yes, you could eat while using your phone. But where's the fun in that? Put it away. Don't phub your dinner companions. You don't have a choice with this hotpot table made by IKEA Taiwan. The hotpot turns on only once someone has put down a phone. The heat turns up incrementally with every phone added. (Video Link) You want to send a quick text or Instagram the experience? Don't. You'll ruin the food for everyone else. Talk to the people with you instead. -via OhGizmo!

The Weird Thing About Cat Legs Posted: 02 Feb 2016 10:00 PM PST Who knew that a “crouching tiger” is not supposed to crouch? Huge tigers walk, crouch, and leap the same way house cats do, and pretty much all other cats of different sizes do. But that is a mystery to scientists, because it’s unique in the animal kingdom. It’s a matter of physics. Today, cats span a huge range of sizes. The rusty-spotted cat of India and Sri Lanka weighs just one kilogram, while the mighty Siberian tiger is 300 times heavier. And yet, these animals are surprisingly similar. “It's famously said that a lion is just a scaled-up house cat,” says Anjali Goswami from University College London, who works with Hutchinson. “That's very weird.” Their legs are especially odd. When animals get bigger, their posture changes. Their legs tend to straighten, becoming stiffer and more pillar-like to better support their weight. Not so with cats. When a lion strides across the savannah, it has essentially the same posture as the domesticated tabby that slinks over your lap. Lions, tigers, and leopards—oh my—are, as Hutchinson writes, the only large, crouching mammals. How do those large cats do it? They don’t have larger muscles to compensate. Scientists have designed experiments to learn more about the physics of big cat legs, but they don’t have any results yet. Oh, it’s not for lack of trying, but another way big cats are like small cats is that they don’t want to cooperate with scientists or anyone. Read about the so-far futile efforts involved in getting cats to measure leg force at the Atlantic. (Image credit: Dave Pape)

Man Builds a Bit of Narnia in the Woods for His Girlfriend to Discover Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:00 PM PST In The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe, Lucy Pevensie steps through the magic wardrobe to discover the secret world of Narnia. She finds a single lamp-post standing in the snow-covered forest, lighting the way for travelers. Redditor Gen4200 and his girlfriend own a nice slice of forest that reminds them of Narnia, which is among her favorite stories. So at night, he secretly hauled a lamp-post out into the woods, fixed it into the ground, and provided electrical power with discreetly hidden solar cells. When she discovers it, she'll be ready to go on many adventures. You can see more photos of the project here.

A Bad Lip Reading of the NFL 2015-2016 Season (part one) Posted: 02 Feb 2016 08:00 PM PST Watch their lips move, and try to figure out what they’re saying. Most of us aren’t very good at it, but the folks behind the Bad Lip Reading videos give it their best. (YouTube link) NFL players are always talking about things that have nothing to do with football, according to their latest BLR video. We’ll fight on Tiger Mountain! What does the pig say? Look for part two soon, which may incorporate Super Bowl moments. -via Viral Viral Videos

"My Log Cabin 1985" Posted: 02 Feb 2016 07:00 PM PST Behold paradise on Earth. Flickr member andolent shares the story of this retreat that he built by himself and lived in for 8 years: I lived here for about eight years, and owned it for about fifteen years after I built it in 1976 with local fieldstone and oak logs I cut, peeled and notched on the site, working alone with hand tools. It had no plumbing, I carried water from a nearby spring, and I heated it in winter with about half a cord of wood a week which I cut and burned in the open fireplace. Eventually I moved into Asheville and had to sell it, but it was a large part of my life, and I miss it more with each passing year. I don't blame him. -via American Digest

Why You Should Pay Attention To Reflections When You Post Pictures Online Posted: 02 Feb 2016 06:00 PM PST (Image Link) There are lots of factors involved in taking the perfect photo, most of which are ignored when someone is simply reaching out an arm (or stick) to snap a selfie. But that doesn't mean you should throw all photo prep out the window, because reflections in the background might end up revealing more about your selfie shoot than most people care to see. (Image Link) So save yourself from embarrassment and humiliation and make sure those mirrors and windows aren't revealing more than you'd like to let on about what you were doing when the pic was taken. Of course, if a reflection enhances the photo then by all means shoot and share, so your friends and followers can admire all of your hard work! (Image Link) See These Embarrassing Reflection Fails That Will Remind You To Pay More Attention here. Some images are NSFW.

Fly a Plane through the Circle Plane Posted: 02 Feb 2016 05:00 PM PST The men behind Flite Test like to fly remote control airplanes. But more than that, they love to build bizarre designs to see if they will actually fly. In the past, they’ve built airworthy models of the helicarrier from The Avengers and a Super Star Destroyer from Star Wars. For their latest project, Josh and Peter built a large RC plane with a circular wing. They took their plane to the Flite Fest convention in Malvern, Ohio and invited kids to fly their own smaller planes through the circle. They did so, having a lot of fun—even as they repeatedly collided with the circular wing plane. Eventually, Josh and Peter’s plane collapsed and crashed. (Video Link) -via Technabob

Where Are They Now: The OJ Simpson Trial Posted: 02 Feb 2016 04:00 PM PST Embed from Getty Images   In 1994, actor and former pro football player OJ Simpson was arrested for the murder of his ex-wife Nichole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. The ensuing trial lasted into 1995 and was a media sensation. The trial will be the subject of the first season of the new TV show American Crime Story, premiering tonight on FX. If you watched the trial as it unfolded, you became familiar with the principles involved: the defendant, the witnesses, the victims’ families, and most of all, the legion of lawyers. If you’ve ever wondered about them since, Uproxx has a roundup of what happened after the trial, and what they're doing 22 years later. For many of them, the trial was life-changing. And almost every one wrote a book about it.

Leonardo DiCaprio Met The Pope, Coolness Levels Rose In Rome Posted: 02 Feb 2016 03:00 PM PST Like many fans my feelings about Leonardo DiCaprio the actor fluctuate according to his roles, with the intense loves (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, Wolf Of Wall Street) counterbalanced by deep hates (The Beach, The Man In The Iron Mask). But no matter how high the highs or how low the lows Leo keeps proving he's just a downright cool human being when he's not on set, generally making the news for good reasons rather than bad. But let's face it- if it came down to a battle of who's the coolest Pope Francis would win by a mile. (Image Link) DiCaprio recently met up with His Holiness at the Vatican to discuss climate change, but first Leo tried to prove how cool he is by greeting the Pope in Italian. Not wanting to knock down the debonnaire movie star, Francis let Leo's rusty Italian language skills slide, and the two kept their coolness emanations to a minimum, so as not to contribute to climate change. (YouTube Link) Maybe Leo's secretly preparing to play the Pope in an upcoming biopic? -Via Harpers Bazaar

HUMANS - The Hairless Apes Are Out There Posted: 02 Feb 2016 02:00 PM PST HUMANS by Wolf Krusemark Just as there are shows on TV talking about aliens visiting Earth there are also TV shows being broadcast on star systems across the galaxy discussing the hairless ape menace known as Humans. These horrid creatures are constantly trying to invade other planets, taking what doesn't belong to them and generally harassing those poor xenomorphs who are just trying to find a nest of their own. The xenos are out there, but so are those pesky, and well armed, humans...which menace is worse? Spread some smiles throughout your galaxy with this HUMANS t-shirt by Wolf Krusemark, it's sure to make folks howl with laughter! Visit Wolf Krusemark's Facebook fan page, official website, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter, then head on over to his NeatoShop for more delightfully geeky designs: Ancient Deadites T Time Halloweenies Don't Work, Play Hard! View more designs by Wolf Krusemark | More Funny T-shirts | New T-Shirts Are you a professional illustrator or T-shirt designer? Let's chat! Sell your designs on the NeatoShop and get featured in front of tons of potential new fans on Neatorama!

16 Unusual Items For Sale on the Government’s Version of eBay Posted: 02 Feb 2016 02:00 PM PST Handy Polygraph Chair Occasionally it can be fun to peruse the oddities that the general public accumulates and ends up selling on craigslist or eBay. Or, as it turns out, if you'd like to get a little weirder than that, you can hit the U.S. government's answer to eBay, G.S.A. auctions. Its full name being General Services Administration, the entity's mission as stated is to provide “the best value in real estate, acquisition and technology services to the government and the American people." Goodies like the one pictured above can be found for sale: a polygraph chair. Absent that bulky, results-non-court admissible piece of machinery, just imagine the possibilities for those two roomy armrests! Coastal Park, Elizabeth City, NC But that's not all, shoppers. Pictured above is another tempting parcel one can purchase for a mere several million: the Coastal Park area of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Located on this piece of land are 82 apartment housing units, basketball courts, a tennis court, a playground, a gazebo, and according to the ad, tons more room on which to build recreational facilities. But just one catch: everything's liberally coated with layers of lead-based paint. Which may or may not even represent a problem to you as a consumer! What myriad opportunities.  So whether your interests run toward Gucci watches that look like they've survived multiple mob wars, boats, planes or more screwdrivers than you can shake a large box of screwdrivers at, don't hesitate to scope out more government swag at mental_floss.

Pay-by-the-Minute Dog Parking Box Posted: 02 Feb 2016 01:00 PM PST (Photo: Dog Parker) Do you need to leave your dog outside the store while you step in for a few minutes to buy something? You can tie your pup up, but he may not be safe. Here's an alternative solution. Dog Parker is a new start-up business with 5 locations in Brooklyn, New York. It's a box that sits outside shops. Members can slide a security card to unlock the box. There's a padded floor inside and the box is temperature controlled. When you return, just slide your security card again to retrieve your dog. The charge is 20¢ a minute plus a $25 annual fee. Members can use a box for a maximum of 3 hours every 12 hour period. If the temperature gets below 32°F or above 85ºF, the Dog Parkers are closed until the weather improves. The company is developing a mobile app that will permit members to reserve a time slot in advance, as well as monitor their dog remotely. Here's a demonstration video: (Video Link) -via Toxel

The Groundhog’s Greatest Hits Posted: 02 Feb 2016 12:00 PM PST You’ll be pleased to know that Punxatawny Phil came out of his den this morning and failed to see his shadow. That means nice weather is on the way! While Phil isn’t the only groundhog who predicts weather on February the second, he is the best known. And the legend of Groundhog Day is more about fun and wishful thinkling than about belief in his predictions. It’s just another excuse to introduce ritual and frivolity into a bleak winter. But before we had meteorologists and satellites to track weather systems, people were desperate for some good news about the weather. According to Pennsylvania historian Christopher R. Davis, humans have looked for spring-related omens in "the position of a cat sitting by a fire, the size of the black markings on woolly-bear caterpillars, the measure of fur around a rabbit's feet ... crickets in chimneys, the height of anthills, and the elevation of hornets' nests," as well as early appearances of woodchucks, badgers, marmots, wolves, foxes, and bears. Davis also traces the strange fear of shadows to a need for cloudiness in the winter—without enough snow and rain through February, he explains, crops will be dry, and spring won't be worth looking forward to at all. Groundhog Day does have some historical highlights, which you can read about at Atlas Obscura. And that’s a fine way to celebrate the holiday. (Image credit: Susan Sam)

Birds Are The Best Photobombers In The Animal Kingdom Posted: 02 Feb 2016 11:00 AM PST Cats and other critters make photobombing look totally cool, but birds somehow manage to make the whole thing look like it's our fault they're in our shot. (Image Link) They stare at us like we're in their way, sometimes captivated by the shiny lens or the flash but mostly they're just there, in the way of yet another photo with that dumb look on their face. (Image Link) But that's what makes the bird photobomb such a special experience- they could fly away in an instant but they've chosen to satisfy their curiosity about humans by ruining our shots. (Image Link) Ruining is really the wrong word, actually a bird photobomb is quite the opposite, and so long as they don't break our lenses or peck at our heads birds can guest star in our photos anytime! (Image Link) Of course, inviting them to guest star in our shots may mean inviting disaster (Image Link) Because birds weren't raised with our human sense of decency and respect (Image Link) But judging by the look on their faces when they pop into our shots they most certainly understand comedy, and comedic timing (Image Link) And while other animals may try to take over the game by proving how funny they can be while photobombing (Image Link) The birds will always win in a photobomb war, taking funny to a whole new level of hilarity (Image Link) When a bird pops into your shot it's best to keep calm and shoot on (Image Link) Because technically even a pigeon could peck your eyes out (Image Link) So if they want to flap their feathers in your face for a sec let 'em! (Image Link) Okay, so bird photobombs aren't always the most pleasant experiences (Image Link) But a bird's goofy sense of humor will always win the humans back to the lighter side again (Image Link) Because they make every guest appearance feel like a visit from Rip Taylor, minus the confetti (Image Link) Or one of the Three Stooges when they're feeling particularly clumsy (Image Link) And that's why people don't feel bad when they get photobombed by a bird (Image Link) Instead, people smile and crack up about how hilarious it is to have a bird pop into their shot (Image Link) And even though they occasionally get upstaged by some of the natural world's bigger show-offs (Image Link) Birds are always eager to prove they're the best photobombers in the animal kingdom! (Image Link)

Kangaroo on a Trampoline Posted: 02 Feb 2016 10:00 AM PST We’ve seen many wonderful videos of animals discovering a backyard trampoline. But have you ever wondered what would happen if a kangaroo jumped on one? Emma Heffernan of Ninderry, Queensland, Australia, caught a kangaroo on the trampoline in her backyard. In case you want to see the video: (YouTube link) You’d think that when you combine two very boingy things, it would cause a super-large leap across the forest, but apparently they just cancel each other out. -via reddit

Growing Up With My Name Posted: 02 Feb 2016 09:00 AM PST (Image Link) It's far more common for parents to give their kid an interesting or unusual name these days, and once celebrities started naming their kids Apple or Seargeoh or Destry even more parents started to follow suit. But I am a child of the 80s, and the name Zeon was about as strange as they come to all the kids and teachers at school back then, which made me a person of interest. (Image Link) Whether the interest was what my name meant, where my name came from, or if it had any national origins it didn't matter, because ultimately it all made me feel weird about telling people my name. (Image Link) However, I grew to appreciate my name, as did some of the people who have Tweeted about their experiences living with an unusual name, using the hashtag #growingupwithmyname. Of course, there are those with seemingly normal names who have it worse than others... (Image Link) See more from Growing Up With My Name here

There's a Theme Park in Germany Where You Can See Props from <i>The NeverEnding Story</i> Posted: 02 Feb 2016 08:00 AM PST (Photo: Bavaria Filmstadt) Bavaria Films is a movie production company in Germany. Like Universal Studios has its own line of theme parks and resorts, so does Bavaria Films have its own fun park available to the public. The 1984 children's fantasy film The NeverEnding Story has become among the company's most treasured classics with an enduring fanbase. Many props from the film are there, including the Southern Oracle and Morla. You can even ride Falkor, the luck dragon from the story. You can see more photos of the props at Dangerous Minds.

Wiener Stampede Posted: 02 Feb 2016 07:00 AM PST The Super Bowl is this Sunday, so get ready for a torrent of Super Bowl ads released early to YouTube. I can’t blame the folks who spend a ton of money on ad production; I’d want to get as much mileage out of them as possible. This one is as cute as can be. (YouTube link) You got it -dachshunds dressed up as hot dogs. Or, more accurately, wiener dogs dressed as wieners. Because that’s how you advertise ketchup at the Super Bowl. -via Tastefully Offensive

The Time Elvis Got out of His Limo to Break up a Fight between Strangers Posted: 02 Feb 2016 06:00 AM PST (Photo: Ollie Atkins, White House) It was June 24, 1977. The scene: Madison, Wisconsin. A 17-year old boy was about to get into a fight with two other boys at a gas station where he worked. That's when the King of Rock 'n' Roll showed up: Suddenly, a limousine pulled up and out stepped an overweight, middle-aged man in a blue jumpsuit. He walked up to the struggling parties, struck a karate pose and told them, “All right, I’ll take you on.” This man was Elvis Presley. The two attackers recognized him and immediately backed down. Elvis asked them all, "Is everything settled now?" It was. Elvis got back in his car and left. (Photo: Badger Herald) Appropriately, there's now a memorial plaque at the site where this amazing event took place. It's called the Elvis Karate Fight Memorial Plaque and, thankfully, it's open to the public. Be the Elvis that you want to see in the world. -via Althouse

Pretty Sweet Teeth Reports Posted: 02 Feb 2016 05:00 AM PST The following is an article from The Annals of Improbable Research, now in all-pdf form. Get a subscription now for only $25 a year! by Nan Swift, Improbable Research staff Iain Pretty is Professor of Public Health Dentistry at the University of Manchester, U.K. David Sweet is a Dentistry Professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and has been Chief Scientific Officer for the identification section of INTERPOL, the international police organization. Pretty and Sweet have teamed up repeatedly for a scientific effort that, more fully than any other, is Pretty/Sweet. Here are some of their works. Pretty/Sweet 2000: Where Bites “Anatomical Location of Bitemarks and Associated Findings in 101 Cases from the United States,” Iain A. Pretty and David J. Sweet, Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 45, no. 4, 2000, pp. 812–4. The total number of bitemarks included in the study was 148. Four bites were found on nonhuman substrates (apple, cheese, paper towel, and sandwich). These bites on objects were included in the study to demonstrate the occurrence and relative importance of bites on inanimate objects. Pretty/Sweet 2001: Biting Criticism “The Scientific Basis for Human Bitemark Analyses: A Critical Review,” Iain A. Pretty and David J. Sweet, Science and Justice: Journal of the Forensic Science Society, vol. 41, no. 2, April 2001, pp. 85–92. While many studies have examined the accuracy of bitemarks on other substrates, such as cheese, apples, sandwiches, and soap, this review is restricted to human skin. This represents both the most debated area of substrate accuracy and the most commonly bitten material.... The review revealed a lack of valid evidence to support many of the assumptions made by forensic dentists during bitemark comparisons. The new level of judicial scrutiny of such scientific evidence is likely to emphasise this lack of knowledge upon which bitemark analysis relies. The authors call for a more scientific and evidence-based approach to forensic dental research. Pretty/Sweet 2001: Who Bites “A Look at Forensic Dentistry—Part 2: Teeth as Weapons of Violence—Identification of BitemarkPerpetrators,” D. Sweet and I.A. Pretty, British Dental Journal, vol. 190, no. 8, 2001, pp. 415–8. The teeth are a significant component of our natural arsenal. It is suspected that many dentists have seldom considered their patients’ teeth as such effective weapons! Pretty/Sweet 2001: A Guide for Suspect Bites “Adherence of Forensic Odontologists to the ABFO Bite Mark Guidelines for Suspect Evidence Collection,” Iain A. Pretty and David J. Sweet, Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 46, no. 5, 2001, p. 1152. A questionnaire was employed during an American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting. Results showed that, in general, when the odontologists collected evidence they did adhere to the guidelines.... Of concern is the large number of odontologists who do not collect their own evidence from suspects. Police officers or other individuals often perform this task and therefore the guidelines must be disseminated to these groups to ensure that the maximum yield is obtained from bite mark evidence. Pretty/Sweet 2002: Underdeveloped Implications “Forensic Implications of Biting Behavior: A Conceptually Underdeveloped Area of Investigation,” David A. Webb, David Sweet, Dayle L. Hinman, and Iain A. Pretty, Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 47, no. 1, 2002, pp. 103–6. The premise that if an individual has bitten before they are more likely to bite again has been offered into evidence by prosecutors and tenaciously objected to by defense attorneys.... There is no scientific basis for such a hypothesis. Pretty/Sweet 2006: Judicially Viewed Bitemarks “The Judicial View of Bitemarks Within the United States Criminal Justice System,” Iain A. Pretty and David J. Sweet, Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology, vol. 24, no. 1, 2006, pp. 1–11. [The court case] Banks v. State, where the single item of physical evidence linking Banks to the crime scene was a bitemark in a sandwich, highlights a more serious example of protocol error. Following his analysis of the bitemark, the prosecution’s dental expert threw the sandwich away believing that it would become susceptible to mould and hence be useless. The destruction of this evidence denied Banks the opportunity to obtain his own expert who could examine the bitemark and rebut the prosecution’s expert. Pretty/Sweet 2010: Shifty Bitemarks “A Paradigm Shift in the Analysis of Bitemarks,” Iain A. Pretty and David J. Sweet, Forensic Science International, vol. 201, no. 1, 2010, pp. 38–44. _____________________ The article above is from the January-February 2015 issueof the Annals of Improbable Research. You can download or purchase back issues of the magazine, or subscribe to receive future issues. Or get a subscription for someone as a gift! Visit their website for more research that makes people LAUGH and then THINK.

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