Neatorama

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• Neatorama's Top Ten Posts of 2016
• Hot and Cold Running Water
• National Geographic's Nature Photographer of the Year 2016
• Darth Vader Vs. Aliens
• Shiniest - You Can't Take My Prize From Me
• She's Got Legs -or Does She?
• 46 Shots From <i>Rogue One</i> That Never Made It Into The Final Version Of The Film
• How One Man Used a Deck of Cards to Make Parapsychology a Science
• A Day In The Life Of A Dog Mom
• The Untold Truth Of Darth Vader
• Celebrate Art History With These Classic Painting Lollipops
• Why Walt?
• Dog Protects Little Girl Lost In The Forest For 11 Days
• The Top 5 Underrated Movies Of 2016
• The Cutest Animal Moments of 2016

Neatorama's Top Ten Posts of 2016 Posted: 29 Dec 2016 03:59 AM PST (Image credit: The NeatoShop) As we draw to the end of another year, we tend to look back and see what we've accomplished. While the headlines may be calling 2016 a dumpster fire, the year was different for each individual. For us here at Neatorama, that means the ups and down of our little corner of the internet. Internally, the biggest changes of the year were the retirement of John Farrier (who still keeps in touch), and Alex moving his base of operations from California to Oregon. All along, we've kept up a steady supply of distractions to keep you entertained and amused, and unique t-shirts to keep you well-dressed. Let's take a look back at our most popular posts of 2016. Click the title to go to each post.    10. The 17 Most Influential Science Fiction Books There's nothing like a list that people can argue about. And we can certainly argue about which science fiction book is more "influential" than the next. Everyone wanted to see if their favorites were there, or if they guessed them correctly. (Image credit: Michael Whelan) 9. An Honest Trailer for The Empire Strikes Back Our viral posts got a boost toward the end of the year when Flipboard decided it liked what Neatorama is doing. Combine that with a humorous critique of the most-admired Star Wars movie, and you've got a viral post. 8. Researchers Believe There Are Four Common Personality Types- Which One Are You? Well, everyone wanted to know. So they clicked on the link. 7. Tomato Pincushion with Strawberry This one was a surprise. Back on January 2, we had a post that wasn't news, or even anything new. It was a look back at an object of nostalgia, which many younger people didn't know much about. Well, now they do. According to the attached poll, over 2000 people learned something new. (Image credit: Dvortygirl) Why Do Other Animals Like Capybaras So Much? We love animal pictures. Capybaras are cute on their own, but they also attract other cute animals, so this was a win-win investigation. (Image credit: Slogfarts) 5. An In-N-Out Manager Reveals The Chain's Secrets In-N-Out Burger is praised to high heaven by those who go there, and is an object of curiosity and lust for those of us who do not have them in our areas. Of course, we both want to know their secrets! (Image credit: Jason Hoffman/Thrillist)  4. Watch Ya' Mouth (YouTube link) This video inspired a lot of laughs. It's worth another look. 3. Liam Neeson Auditions To Play Santa Claus (YouTube link) Liam Neeson established himself as a real badass with the series of Taken films, so he approached the role of Santa Claus as an overly-threatening authority figure. I guess we'll all be nice next year, because it's too risky to be naughty.   2. Trail Cam Photos Reveal What Wild Animals Do When Humans Aren't Around (Image source: imgur) Who wouldn't like this? Camera traps catch wildlife acting like they're at a frat party. There's no way we would see these things if a person had to go out with a camera and take pictures.    1. Tubing Trip Goes Awry When Women Learn That the River Doesn't Run in a Circle (Image credit: Google Maps/Michigan Live) Back in July, three women in Michigan were victims of a troll who told them the Muskegon River they were tubing on ran in a circle. Don't believe strangers. They floated three miles downstream into a wilderness area and spent the night lost. They were okay, but Neatorama readers found the story so funny they shared it with everyone, and it became our biggest post of the year. Some other posts that didn't quite make the cutoff are worth another look, too: Marvel Movie Scenes That Were Way More Disturbing In The Comics    Dad Describes What Happens When Roomba Meets Dog Poop How Common Is Your Birthday? Consult This Chart And Find Out Actual Job: Cheese Librarian   The Sound Effects Genius Behind The Looney Tunes And Merrie Melodies Let me remind you that in the right sidebar, you'll find a running list of the most popular posts from the past week, and the most commented posts. Across the top, you'll find our latest feature articles, and you can scroll sideways and see more of them. If you find something somewhere else that is worth sharing, email us at tips@neatorama.com so we can share, too. Most of all, thank you for coming to Neatorama. Thank you for reading, for giving us ♥s, for commenting, for sharing our posts on Twitter, Facebook, reddit, and other social media. Thank you for the tips and suggestions. Thank you for patronizing the NeatoShop, which keeps us running. We couldn't have done it without you. Have a happy New Year, and here's hoping that 2017 is all you hope it will be!

Hot and Cold Running Water Posted: 29 Dec 2016 01:59 AM PST Yes, these are water towers in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and yes, they do look like that. The story goes that teenagers painted "hot" and "cold" on the town's two water towers. When the utility company next painted the tanks, they kept the graffiti titles, and just prettied up the lettering. Then a third tank was added, and it was labeled "warm." I don't know how true that is, but it's pretty neat.  -via reddit

National Geographic's Nature Photographer of the Year 2016 Posted: 28 Dec 2016 11:59 PM PST The picture above by G. Lecoeur, entitled Sardine Run, was selected as the Grand Prize winner in National Geographic's Nature Photographer of the Year contest. It was taken off Port Saint John’s in South Africa. He says, I captured this image during the migration of the sardines along the wild coast of South Africa. Natural predation, sardines are preyed upon by cape gannet birds and common dolphins. The hunt begins with common dolphins that have developed special hunting techniques. With remarkable eyesight, the gannets follow the dolphins before diving in a free fall from 30 to 40 meters high, piercing the surface of the water head first at a speed of 80km/h to get their fill of sardines. Sardine Run was also the winner of the Action category. See more of Lecoeur's photographs in his gallery.  Dragging You Deep Into the Woods! is the winner in the Animal Portrait category. This photo is by varun aditya, taken in Amboli, Maharashtra, India. First place winner in the Landscape category is Struggle of Life by Jacob Kaptein, taken in Leuvenum, Gelderland, Netherlands. See all the winners in these and the Action and Environmental categories, as well as the awesome photographs that came in second and third in each category, plus honorable mentions, at NatGeo. All winning photographs are available as wallpapers, too! -via Boing Boing

Darth Vader Vs. Aliens Posted: 28 Dec 2016 09:59 PM PST According to the movies in the Aliens franchise Ripley was pretty much the only human who truly stood a chance against the xenomorphs, and even she couldn't tackle an entire brood of those nasty aliens. But Ripley had neither an army nor the Force at her disposal, and if you want to exterminate aliens for good you need to call in Darth Vader and his hand picked 501st Imperial legion, known as Vader's Fist, to crush those bugs. This amazing fan art by illustrator Guillem H. Pongiluppi gives us a glimpse of what a war between Darth's Imperial legion and the xenomorphs would look like, and now I'm sad that we'll never get to see this movie! -Via Nerd Approved

Shiniest - You Can't Take My Prize From Me Posted: 28 Dec 2016 07:59 PM PST Shiniest byChocolateRaisinFury Fantastic beasts such as the Nifflers and Erumpnt tend to have a fetish, which is some activity, object or substance they value greatly and love to indulge in whenever they get the chance. For the Nifflers there's no activity more entertaining or satisfying than stealing shiny stuff, and they will cram their pouches full of every shiny bauble they come across in their journeys. So when Captain Mal had to make an emergency landing in old New York and made the mistake of leaving his bay door open long enough for a Niffler to spot all the shiny stuff he had inside he unknowingly added one sneaky new member to the crew of the Serenity... Add a touch of fantastic imagination to your geeky wardrobe with this Shiniest t-shirt by ChocolateRaisinFury, it's the adorable way to bring your new favorite movie and old favorite TV show together in the cutest way possible! Visit ChocolateRaisinFury's Facebook fan page and Instagram, then head over to her NeatoShop for more adorably geeky designs: Art of the Moon NOPE Slumber Party Laziness Challenge View more designs by ChocolateRaisinFury | More Movie 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!

She's Got Legs -or Does She? Posted: 28 Dec 2016 07:59 PM PST A few days ago, redditor jr0d7771 posted this picture and gave us a conundrum. There are obviously five young women sitting on the couch. But there are four pairs of legs. The woman in the middle appears to have none. Can you figure it out? First off, you shouldn't be led by my assumption that it's the middle woman who has no legs. It could be any of them. When you've given up, you can read about the investigation and conclusion at The Concourse.

46 Shots From <i>Rogue One</i> That Never Made It Into The Final Version Of The Film Posted: 28 Dec 2016 05:59 PM PST Rogue One has proven to be just what Star Wars fans needed at the end of this crummy year, and the final version of the film that made it to the big screen seems to have satisfied even the pickiest fans. Believe it or not 40% of the original film was reshot, which means the original version of the film presented in the trailers may have been quite different than the one released in theaters. But one thing is for certain- at least 46 shots shown in the trailers were cut, so film editor Vashi Nedomansky created a video essay to show us all the scenes that were left on the cutting room floor. (may contain spoilers) ROGUE ONE - 46 SHOTS NOT IN THE FINAL FILM from Vashi Nedomansky on Vimeo. -Via Laughing Squid

How One Man Used a Deck of Cards to Make Parapsychology a Science Posted: 28 Dec 2016 03:59 PM PST Okay, I know, I know, parapsychology is not a science. But science does study claims of psychic abilities. Dr. Joseph B. Rhine was influential in codifying a way to do that. Since the 1930s, Zener cards, also known as ESP cards, have been used to quantify psychic ability, testing for telepathy and clairvoyance (you might remember them from that scene in 1984’s Ghostbusters, when Venkman tests the “effects of negative reinforcement on ESP”). The cards straddle the intersection of science and the paranormal, pseudoscience and legitimacy. In a lot of ways, that’s a space also occupied by the man who pioneered their use, Dr. Joseph B. Rhine, founder of the Duke Parapsychology Lab. Rhine’s interest in the paranormal took hold in 1922, when he was a young plant physiologist earning a Ph.D. in botany at the University of Chicago. Rhine and his wife Louisa were both dedicated scientists, but they had questions that simple biological reductionism didn’t seem to answer; Rhine had once thought of joining the ministry, until his wife steered him towards science. And then, in May of that year, they sat in the audience to hear Sir Arthur Conan Doyle make his case for life after death. While fascinated by the phenomena they observed at Spiritualist seances, they were also scientists who wanted proof. Since there is no way to observe life after death and report on it, Rhine focused on ESP, and developed Zener cards (along with psychologist Dr. Karl Zener) in order to test those powers in a scientific manner. Read the story of Dr. Rhine and his ESP research at Atlas Obscura.

A Day In The Life Of A Dog Mom Posted: 28 Dec 2016 01:59 PM PST Dog owners aren't really all that different than cat owners, but they definitely have a different kind of relationship with their pet. Cats tend to act aloof and treat their humans like house guests, but most dogs will happily follow their human around all day long, watching their human do stuff while seeking attention, approval and a snack. This pack dynamic makes for a strong bond between dogs and their doggy mommies and daddies, and yet it's hard to describe what it's like to live with a furry friend who sees you as the center of their world. But illustrator Natalie Marion does a great job of capturing the feeling of being a doggy mom in this comic strip she created for Barkpost because the strip is based on her own experiences with her furry friend: “By day, I spin plates and manage projects in GTB’s award-winning design studio The Park. By night, I illustrate and document our world.” See These Charming Illustrations Capture A Day In The Life Of A Dog Mom here

The Untold Truth Of Darth Vader Posted: 28 Dec 2016 11:59 AM PST You think you everything there is to know about Darth Vader? There has been tons of publicity about Star Wars' most popular character, who has appeared in seven Star Wars movies so far (and another as a dead icon), but I'll bet there's something in this video that you haven't heard before. (YouTube link) I've been following Star Wars since 1977, and even I didn't know about all the shenanigans that went on behind the scenes of the original trilogy. Get the lowdown on Darth Vader right now, in the video and more at Looper.

Celebrate Art History With These Classic Painting Lollipops Posted: 28 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST There's something so satisfying about a great piece of art, but sometimes you just don't want to hang a Van Gogh on your wall. Sometimes you just want to lick it. For those days, there are these Art History lollipops from Etsy seller LIQNYC. Of course, if you prefer the pop art of comic books over the fine art of the masters, you might prefer these classic comic book designs instead. The shop carries plenty of other designs as well, including creepy eye pops, space designs and even zombies, so whatever you're into, why don't you just lick it already?

Why Walt? Posted: 28 Dec 2016 08:59 AM PST In the new movie Why Him? Bryan Cranston doesn't like his daughter's new rich boyfriend. In the parody Why Walt? from Funny or Die, Bryan Cranston is his daughter's boyfriend, Walter White. Contains NSFW language. (YouTube link) Cranston plays both parts perfectly, even though he had no idea what he was in for when he did those roles in Breaking Bad and Why Him?  -via Tastefully Offensive

Dog Protects Little Girl Lost In The Forest For 11 Days Posted: 28 Dec 2016 07:59 AM PST When a 4-year-old goes missing it's crucial to find the child within the first 48 hours, because they know from experience that a young child would have a hard time surviving outdoors that long without help. So when little Karina Chikitova wandered into a forest in Siberia and got lost her family panicked, and when the hundreds of people searching for her had yet to locate her a week later they began to give up hope. But Karina was lucky because her dog Kyrachaan had gone with her, and Kyrachaan was able to help Karina stay warm at night and defend her from wolves and bears in the forest until help arrived. Eleven days after her disappearance Kyrachaan showed up in the village and pointed rescuers in the right direction, and four miles from the village in the tall grass they found Karina.  Karina had survived by eating berries, and had a few scrapes and bug bites but no major injuries, and the first thing she said when she saw Kyrachaan again- "Why did you leave me?" Read Dog Protects Girl Lost In Forest For 11 Days here

The Top 5 Underrated Movies Of 2016 Posted: 28 Dec 2016 06:59 AM PST While you see plenty of lists about the top movies of the year, they aren't much help if you've seen them all. If you are looking for something new and different to watch, you may want to check out some that fell under the radar. That could be because of too little promotion, some bad reviews from critics, or they might not have ever made it to your local theater. Recognize the promotional image above? I didn't, either. It's from the 2016 movie Masterminds.   This is a comedy that is actually based on a true story. In October 1997, in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the largest cash heists occurred in banking history. The robbers who pulled off the heist weren’t very careful, and they left behind millions of dollars and they were caught on tape. Eventually, the criminals were caught. The has an amazing cast, including Zach Galifianakis, who plays David, the bank worker, and Kristen Wiig, as Kelly, another person who works at the bank. Read more about Masterminds and four other movies that deserve a second chance at Unreality.

The Cutest Animal Moments of 2016 Posted: 28 Dec 2016 05:59 AM PST 2016 was full of terrible celebrity deaths and ugly politics and most people seem to agree that it was a pretty awful year overall. But not everything was the worst -Distractify collected the best cute animal photos of the year. While most lists compiling what happened in 2016 show us things we wanna forget about this year, this one is a great reminder of the good things in this world. Even if 2017 is just as terrible as this past year, bookmarking this list is a good way to cheer yourself up when everything is just plain awful.

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