Neatorama

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• Down the Rabbit Hole: How One Collector Discovered a World of Cast-Iron Doorstops
• Can Coffee Really Stunt Growth?
• Son Takes Baseball Advice Literally
• The Man Who Designed Over 800 Toys
• Lân Nguyen's Cloudy Silhouettes
• Creative Barcode Designs
• It’s A Cute Hedgehog
• Pets Hold Some Sort of Ritual
• Why Being Kind to Others is Good for Your Health
• Mailman Encounters Ax-Wielding Dog
• Mr. Hamster Escapes Jail
• The Funniest Joke In The World

Down the Rabbit Hole: How One Collector Discovered a World of Cast-Iron Doorstops Posted: 21 Dec 2020 08:51 PM PST Have you ever seen a cast-iron dog? They were once quite popular, used to prop open doors or to keep doorknobs from damaging the wall behind them. Scott Thompson knows all about doggie doorstops, rabbit and fox doorstops, too, as he has collected hundreds of the antiques. Their value depends on age (which can sometimes be hard to determine), condition, and rarity. Collectors also pay a premium for animals that face one way or another. "Boston terrier doorstops came in left-facing and right-facing models," Thompson says. "Believe it or not, only 10 percent were made with their heads turned to the left, so the value of left-facing Boston terriers is like four times that of right-facing ones." Thompson also has a couple of Boston terrier doorstops that are looking straight ahead. "You don't see many of those," he says. "As a collector, it's rare to even come by one, but I'm fortunate enough to have two in my collection." As he learned more and more about antique and vintage cast-iron doorstops, Thompson's collection multiplied, like Leporidae, you might say. "After I bought that Albany doorstop, that spurred me to buy another, and another, and another. At this point, I probably have 100 or so rabbits and hares." For the record, there's a difference. For their part, the rabbits and hares got Thompson interested in dogs. The dogs, in turn, sent him down a rabbit hole filled with foxes, probably because Thompson has also always been intrigued by English fox hunting, a social ritual that happens to involve a lot of dogs. "Those are my favorites," Thompson concludes, "rabbits, foxes, and dogs." Foxes, it should be noted, are the rarest of these three animals, at least in doorstop form, which is why Thompson only has a dozen or more, including a boot scraper, another type of heavy object found near doors that Thompson collects. Thompson took a winding path to collecting animal doorstops, involving top hats and antique trunks. Read about his unusual collection of cast-iron doorstops at Collectors Weekly.

Can Coffee Really Stunt Growth? Posted: 21 Dec 2020 06:59 PM PST It is a common belief by many that coffee stunts growth. This is primarily the reason why kids are not allowed to drink coffee. But is it true? Research suggests mostly no. There are a few health risks to caffeine that should be considered before drinking it. But in terms of height, there isn't any real scientific evidence that coffee, or caffeine in general, has an actual adversarial effect. So if scientific studies do not back up this claim, where did this belief come from? The answer goes back in the early 1900s, from the series of ads for Postum, a popular caffeine-free beverage. Learn more about this over at Discover Magazine. (Image Credit: pixel2013/ Pixabay)

Son Takes Baseball Advice Literally Posted: 21 Dec 2020 06:59 PM PST Having obedient children is a good thing. They will listen to what you say, and they follow your advice, and sometimes they follow it literally, just like what this boy does when his dad told him to "keep [his] eye on the ball." (Image Credit: ViralHog/ YouTube)

The Man Who Designed Over 800 Toys Posted: 21 Dec 2020 06:59 PM PST This is Eddy Goldfarb. You might not have heard about him, but he's the man behind the invention of the Yakity Yak Teeth, the game KerPlunk, and the bubble gun. Throughout his life, he has created over 800 toys, and today, at the age of 98, he still has more ideas to offer to the world. Learn more about his life on this short documentary produced and directed by his daughter Lyn. Via Laughing Squid (Image Credit: The New Yorker/ YouTube)

Lân Nguyen's Cloudy Silhouettes Posted: 21 Dec 2020 06:58 PM PST Lân Nguyen, a photographer in the Netherlands, experiments with laying silhouettes over the sky and mixing the forms with the shapes suggested by the clouds and moon. The results are often amusing and heartwarming. His source material includes romantic images, as well as scenes from classic Disney films. You can see more on his Instagram page. -via My Modern Met

Creative Barcode Designs Posted: 21 Dec 2020 06:58 PM PST Barcodes, which you commonly see on the back of products you buy from the store, usually have a boring appearance. But it doesn't mean that they have to be boring. Some packaging designers create barcode designs that are set apart from the rest, so keep a good eye out for them as you shop next time at your local store. For now, here are some clever barcode designs compiled by Sad and Useless. (Image Credit: Sad and Useless)

It’s A Cute Hedgehog Posted: 21 Dec 2020 06:58 PM PST With happy music in the background, and a cute hedgehog smiling as it faces the camera, try not to say "aww" on this video. A word of warning: it will be extremely difficult. (Image Credit: Rapid Liquid/ YouTube)

Pets Hold Some Sort of Ritual Posted: 21 Dec 2020 10:25 AM PST Pets are adorable creatures when they are with humans, but you can't say the same thing when they're left on their own. That's what Japanese user @muchi21067312 realized when he checked up on his cat Totoro and his two corgis, Chi and Mu. The three animals had taken up positions on cushions arranged in a triangular pattern. In the foreground, Totoro and one of the corgis were perched almost completely motionless, with the steady curling back and forth of Totoro's tail the only movement. Both animals were staring intently at the remaining corgi, who was spread-eagle on the third cushion, and as still as death. Watching the video, you start to think the only reason the cushions are arranged in a triangle is because there weren't enough for a pentagram. "They're having some sort of strange ritual," tweeted @muchi21067312 with the video. "Whatever they're doing, it's terrifying, so I'm just going to shut the door." What do you think were they doing? (Image Credit: mu-chi/ Twitter)

Why Being Kind to Others is Good for Your Health Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:58 AM PST We've often said the easiest way to find happiness is to help others. Now we see evidence that helping others may extend your happy life as well! Studies show, for instance, that volunteering correlates with a 24% lower risk of early death – about the same as eating six or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day, according to some studies. What's more, volunteers have a lower risk of high blood glucose, and a lower risk of the inflammation levels connected to heart disease. They also spend 38% fewer nights in hospitals than people who shy from involvement in charities. And these health-boosting impacts of volunteering appear to be found in all corners of the world, from Spain and Egypt to Uganda and Jamaica, according to one study based on the data from the Gallup World Poll. But it's not just volunteering for charitable work that has health benefits. The same benefits can come from donating money to good causes, performing random acts of kindness, and even taking care of children. Read about the research into doing good for others at BBC Future. -via Damn Interesting

Mailman Encounters Ax-Wielding Dog Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:47 AM PST Tim Smith of Williamsburg, Kentucky, may have agreed to make his route, despite rain, snow, heat, or gloom of night. But he never agreed to face down dogs with axes. Fox 19 News quotes him: There's a lot of reasons why your mailman might not deliver your packages, and this is one of them. I can handle a dog, but not a dog with an axe. Yup. Keep driving. The customer can pick up his mail at the post office, if necessary. -via Dave Barry | Photo: Tim Smith

Mr. Hamster Escapes Jail Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:47 AM PST A dramatic action film in miniature! This little guy goes the extra mile, but the prop master deserves  credit for bringing this story to life. It's amazing what quarantine boredom can accomplish. See more of Mr. Hamster's adventures.  -via Nag on the Lake

The Funniest Joke In The World Posted: 21 Dec 2020 09:43 AM PST AsapSCIENCE doesn't really need eight minutes to tell a joke, but this one requires some setup, because it's SCIENCE! First, we get an explanation of the origins of humor, then the basic structure of a joke and what makes it funny. However, there is some humor along the way to the statistically funniest joke. Besides, you've heard that joke before.  -via Digg If you've got a funnier joke, let's hear it.

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