When you’re driving in a new country, the road is going to feel a little different. Maybe you find yourself driving on the left side of the street when you’re used to the right. There could be a new speed limit to adjust to. In extreme circumstances, you could find yourself on more perilous terrain than back home. Thankfully, there are often road signs to guide you, whether you’re dealing with unique geography, a different set of wildlife, or just culture shock. These six road signs might make you do a double-take if you drive past one — but try to keep your eyes on the road!
Dog sledding is part of everyday life in icy Greenland, where you can’t even travel one town over by car. Because the topography of the land includes a high concentration of mountains and fjords, it’s impossible to build a full road system. The Indigenous Inuit people have been traveling by dog sled for centuries, and even have a specific breed of dog (appropriately, Greenland dogs) bred for the job. So it’s no wonder there’s a sign for when dog sleds are likely to be present. It’s a triangle with a bold red outline and a silhouette of a sled on it. There’s a similar sign for snowmobiles, which you’ll need if you don’t have access to a dog sled.
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Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is an Indian government entity that maintains roads along the country’s border areas. BRO’s project Himank builds and maintains roads in the Ladakh region high up in the Himalayas, including the highest-altitude road in the world. But it’s not just the height that sets those roads apart — it’s the bright yellow stone signs with notoriously wacky safety slogans warning travelers against falling asleep at the wheel, driving drunk, and distracted driving. Examples include “AFTER WHISKY DRIVING RISKY,” “DRIVE ON HORSEPOWER, NOT RUM POWER,”“SAFETY ON THE ROAD, ‘SAFE TEA’ AT HOME,” and “PEEP PEEP DON’T SLEEP.” Slogans like “IF YOU SLEEP YOUR FAMILY WILL WEEP” are especially ominous.
Not all of the signs are about safety; some just offer general encouragement (“WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING”) or dubiously attributed celebrity quotes (“WITHOUT GEOGRAPHY YOU’RE NOWHERE” — JIMMY BUFFETT).
In Australia, kangaroos are involved in a significant number of animal-related accidents. In the state of New South Wales (NSW), where kangaroos roam even in urban areas, collisions are especially common — sometimes because a car hits a kangaroo, other times because a car swerves to miss a kangaroo. In a telephone survey of residents of Canberra — the capital of Australia, located in NSW — 17% of car owners reported some kind of kangaroo collision. Usually kangaroo crossing signs look like wildlife warning signs familiar in the United States and other countries, with a silhouette of a kangaroo on a yellow diamond. In some areas that see a lot of kangaroo collisions, the signs get bigger and brighter, and include a number to call in case of injured wildlife.
While kangaroo signs have never officially popped up in the United States, one prankster in North Carolina mounted an unofficial one in such a convincing way that it made the local news.
Iceland is world-renowned for its weird, cute, and one-of-a-kind road signs, like a pretzel indicating the way to a bakery. (One northern town also has heart-shaped stop lights.) Even the country’s most logistical signage is a major target of theft because of the nation’s unique geography and the graphic design that warns of it — images of cars driving into water or bouncing on rough terrain are common. Iceland’s roadside service markers are incredibly thorough, with little icons indicating everything from crossing divers (a person wearing a snorkel and flippers in a crosswalk) to doghotels (a dog with a roof over its head). One particularly useful sign in Iceland’s cold climate lets drivers know of a nearby hot tub: It features a head emerging from water with a thermometer next to it. Sans thermometer, it means there’s a public pool nearby, which is still nice.
Moose crossing signs are present wherever moose are common, but they typically just have a silhouette of a moose, like other wildlife crossing signs. A national park in Newfoundland, Canada, has a different design — one that adds a sense of urgency.
Moose are not native to Newfoundland, and the first ones arrived relatively recently, in 1904. These giant creatures throw a wrench in the natural ecosystem, and the natural forests are having trouble regenerating as a result of excessive moose-snacking. Meanwhile, with abundant food and few predators, the moose are having a great time. As a result, there are way too many of them, and drivers run into them pretty frequently. Most of Newfoundland has a simple sign of a single moose, but in Gros Morne National Park, the moose is joined by a wrecked car. That helps drive home the point that striking a moose is extremely dangerous for both the animal and the driver.
The Autobahn is a uniquely German freeway, best known for not having a speed limit. That’s not strictly true (some segments do have limits), but there are long stretches where lead-footed drivers can test their top speeds… assuming they follow the other rules of the road.
The blue “entering Autobahn” sign means that drivers have to follow all the rules of the Autobahn. Some of these rules are similar to those on American interstates, like a minimum speed limit that keeps out slower, more vulnerable travelers such as cyclists and equestrians. Other rules may be less familiar: By law, tires need to be rated to a vehicle’s top speed, and you need a special sticker to get an exemption. Left-lane passing is strictly enforced, and both passing on the right and refusing to let a vehicle pass on the left are fineable offenses. (In the United States, left-lane laws vary by state.) Emergency lanes are restricted to actual emergencies, so you can’t pull over for just anything — and, because it’s avoidable, running out of gas is not considered an emergency.
Sarah Anne Lloyd is a freelance writer whose work covers a bit of everything, including politics, design, the environment, and yoga. Her work has appeared in Curbed, the Seattle Times, the Stranger, the Verge, and others.
Amazon Prime Studios is taking heat on Christmas for censoring a key scene in the classic Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life with many saying the edits make the movie nonsensical and eliminates one of the most important bits of character development in the film.
We all know the story from the 1946 Frank Capra classic. George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), a beloved citizen of Bedford Falls, is struck by a financial disaster just ahead of Christmas when his dunder-headed uncle Billy loses the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan’s bank deposit, threatening to bankrupt the company. With his world falling apart around him, and as the evil rival, Henry Potter (Lionel Barrymore) plots to destroy his business, George wishes he had never been born and contemplates throwing himself off a bridge in suicide. But then he meets an angel named Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers), who shows George what the world would have been like if there never was a George Bailey. The revelation helps Bailey to understand that his temporary financial troubles are not the end of the world and he is surrounded by enough love and admiration to help him overcome adversity.
In the “Potterswville scene” of the film, George tells Clarence the angel that he is worth more to his family and friends dead than he is alive. Clarence then tells George that he must earn his wings and proceeds to show George what the world would have been like if George Bailey never existed.
The scenes that Clarence reveals to him showing the world without him leads George to the realization this his life has been important to the ones he loves and that epiphany causes him to run back into his home town filled with love and the Christmas spirit.
But not when Amazon Prime got involved. Fans of the film are aghast that the streaming service cut out a key part of that plot above, the Daily Mail reported.
In the Amazon Prime “abridged” version of this classic film, the scene goes from Clarence telling George his has to earn his wings to George running through the streets of Bedford Falls in delirious happiness, resolved to renew his zest for life, all without showing viewers why he made that key turn around from crestfallen and suicidal to joy and happiness.
Fans were both perplexed and furious that this important scene was removed from the movie and many imputed woke reasoning on Amazon Prime’s part.
Amazon Prime has since noted that it does have the full movie on its service, in both a colorized and black and white version. But the abridged version apparently exists as an option for viewers for two reasons. One because the suicide scene is “too dark” and secondly there has been a copyright dispute over that segment of the movie because it is supposedly based on a short story that was never recognized by the film’s original producers.
Media company RiffTrax has also streamed this same “abridged” version and has explained that, even though the film is now in the public domain, it has been beset with copyright issues after Capra apparently used the short story “The Greatest Gift” as the basis for the removed scene and never credited its writer for its use. There have also been copyright claims against the film for certain pieces of music that Capra used as background music, according to the UK newspaper, the Metro.
Amazon Prime is not exactly at fault for this kerfuffle, but fans are no less incensed for the censorship of this Christmas classic.
Bigger than the Titanic! New billionaire-friendly superyacht Ulyssia will have 132 five-star-hotel standard luxury apartments, theatre, library, swimming pools and two helicopters
World’s most wealthy will be able to own a share of the 1,050ft yacht with all the luxuries of modern living
‘For a life without boundaries,’ promise the makers of the superyacht ‘Ulyssia’, a planned 1,050ft (320m) vessel bigger than The Titanic that its owners say with ‘transform our concept of discovery and home’.
The Ulyssia is still some four years away from its expected date of completion, but new images provide unprecedented insight into the life of luxury on board, including 132 lavish apartments said to ‘meet the standards of a five-star hotel’, a theatre, a library, various pools and great underwater panoramic windows.
Although it is not yet known exactly how much residency on board will cost, details have begun to emerge around the kind of lifestyle guests can expect to enjoy. Beyond the essential amenities – restaurants, a medical centre, an XXL wine cellar – residents will also be able to bring home comfort on board, customising their rooms to their liking.
The mega yacht belongs to Swiss company Ulyssia Residence AG and is the brainchild of Espen Øino, a veteran Monaco-based yacht designer from Norway with a track record of drawing up swanky yachts with bespoke touches for the world’s richest. The ship is to measure more than 1,000ft, making it considerably longer than The Titanic at 882.75ft Residents are expected to be able to take out leases lasting as long as 50 years to stay on the ship Various amenities are shown in this imagination of what the finished boat might look like, with plenty to keep guests busy Panoramic views provide great vistas of life.
underwater for residents living aboard the superyacht
The superyacht is presented as a base of operations for some of the world’s most fortunate people, a place to kick back and relax after a busy day of adventuring through foreign wonders.
Alain Gruber, CEO of Ulyssia Residences AG, said: ‘The concept behind Ulyssia is to travel the world – but from your own home.
‘Every day you can go out and discover new destinations around the world, but in the evening you can come back to your family in your own four walls.’
The homes on board will be offered in configurations of one to six bedrooms, and are set to include open-plan kitchens, terraces and receptions with all the comforts of the modern home.
Residents can also house guests in one of 22 slightly smaller guest apartments – also offering a space for lecturers and experts to stay when visiting, according to BOAT International, a guide for the superyacht enthusiast.
FM Architetture and eight other top designers have been drawn in to fit the interiors to residents’ individual tastes.
The company has an impressive portfolio of working on boats, homes, towers and hotels in a range of classical and contemporary stylings.
To suit everybody’s needs, the yacht will carry a range of permanent entertainment, including a two-level theatre, a library and several conference rooms.
Restaurants will welcome ‘world famous but also up-and-coming chefs’ – although residents will also have access to a grocery store with ‘local products from the piers’ if they fancy a quiet one.
Beyond practical usage, the helicopters, it is promised, can also be used to ‘facilitate epic adventures’ like heliskiing.
‘[Every resident] has something in common. They want to travel, they are curious, they are adventurous,’ said Mr Gruber.
‘But after that, they divide up into these sub-groups.
‘You have your foodies, you have your divers, you have your sailors, you have your art collectors, people that interested in reading and book clubs – all those subcommittees will start to form on board and create a real sense of community.’
For longevity, the yacht will be powered by methanol and other biofuels, according to Bild, ensuring it can keep sailing for decades without becoming too taxing on the environment.
Solar panels will also help make use of natural resources to slash emissions on this ship of the future.
Ownership will be on a shared freehold basis, with residents owning the ship in perpetuity and in proportion to the square footage owned, BOAT International reports. No expense was spared in designing a yacht built to house some of the world’s wealthiest people For an as-yet-undisclosed price, buyers will be able to own part of the 1,050ft yacht The yacht comes with hundreds of bespoke rooms and 22 guest rooms to host friends, lecturers and experts on board
Comedian and sitcom legend Bob Newhart has died at age 94, Fox News Digital can confirm.
Newhart passed away from natural causes following a series of short illnesses on Thursday morning at his home in Los Angeles, according to his publicist, Jerry Digney. The comedian was surrounded by his family.
The actor was known for his hit sitcom, “The Bob Newhart Show,” in the ’70s. Newhart went on to have two additional shows named after him, “Newhart” and “Bob.”
“Bob Newhart’s groundbreaking work in stand-up and television – and his beloved deadpan delivery – have left an indelible mark on the art form of comedy and will be treasured by comedy fans for generations to come. We are proud to celebrate and preserve his extraordinary work at National Comedy Center,” Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center executive director, shared in a statement with Fox News Digital.
Bob Newhart has died at the age of 94. (Getty Images)
Newhart first began his career in comedy in the 1950s. He released his comedy routine on vinyl, “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” in 1960.
He was later received the Grammy Award for album of the year.
“When I first started out in stand-up, I just remember the sound of laughter,” he once said. “It’s one of the great sounds of the world.”
He transitioned to television in 1961 with the launch of “The Bob Newhart Show.” The half-hour variety show ran for one season before its cancellation, despite being nominated for numerous awards.
Bob Newhart stars as Bob Hartley and Suzanne Pleshette as Emily Hartley, in the CBS television series “The Bob Newhart Show.” (Getty Images)
Ten years later, in 1972, Newhart went on to premiere another “The Bob Newhart Show,” which proved to be a great hit. The series ran through 1978 and featured the comedian portraying a Chicago psychologist living with his wife.
A few years later, “Newhart” premiered. The sitcom showcased a New York writer who embarks on a journey to reopen an abandoned Vermont inn.
Bob Newhart in a scene from “Newhart.” (Getty Images)
The show’s finale is one of the most talked about in the sitcom world. In the final episode, Newhart’s character wakes up next to his wife, Mary Frann, claiming he’s had a bad dream. Except it’s not Frann next to him, it’s Suzanne Pleshette – who played his wife Emily on the “The Bob Newhart Show.”
The entirety of the “Newhart” show was billed to be a dream from “The Bob Newhart Show.”
Bob Newhart began his comedy career in the 1950s. (Getty Images)
Newhart went on to star in two more sitcoms, “Bob,” in 1992, and “George & Leo,” in 1997.
Despite his prolific career, Newhart was not awarded an Emmy until 2013.
He won outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his role as Arthur Jeffries in “The Big Bang Theory.”
Newhart is survived by four children, Jennifer, Courtney, Timothy and Robert, and numerous grandchildren. His wife of 60 years, Virginia “Ginnie” Newhart, passed away in 2023.
Guns Don’t Kill People Yesterday I placed my shotgun on the front porch gave it six shells and noticed it had no legs, placed it in a wheelchair to help it gets around. While I was gone, the mailman delivered my mail, the boy across the street picked up my yard, a girl walked her dog down the street and quite a few cars stopped at the stop sign near my house. After 10 hours, I checked on the shotgun. It had not rolled outside and it had not killed anyone despite many opportunities that had been presented. Can you imagine how surprised I was, with all the hype about how dangerous guns are and how they kill people? Either the killing is by people misusing guns or I’m in possession of the laziest gun in the world, So now I’m off to check on my spoons, because I hear they make people fat.
Last minute reminder! Don't forget our Memorial Day Concert is tomorrow. Tune in Sunday, May 28th, 8/7c only on @PBS. Plan to stream? Bookmark the link in our bio to watch the live stream directly from our website! #MemDayPBS#MemorialDay#PBSpic.twitter.com/9gWnzBsDBF
— National Memorial Day Concert (@MemorialDayPBS) May 27, 2023
Optical illusions aren’t just found in magazines or optometry textbooks. The world around us is full of visual trickery. Color, shape, perspective, and shadow can confuse our brains and make us question our physical reality.
None of the photos on this list has been doctored or Photoshopped— any strange phenomena you perceive is a product of your own point of view.
The Squiggly Mile
On the right amount of mind-altering substances, this trippy hallway probably just looks like a normal hallway. Although the floor and all of the walls in this space are actually perfectly straight, it looks as though that girl is navigating a dangerously curvy pathway. Lines are amazing.
We wonder how many people can actually walk through this hall without stumbling. This optical illusion would definitely hinder your ability to walk normally.
Body Swap
At first glance, it looks like this guy’s body doesn’t quite match his head. But don’t worry, this is just your eyes tricking you. If you look closer though, you’ll realize that it’s actually the guy who’s sitting down. His girlfriend is hugging him from behind and her head is over his right shoulder.
Either that or somebody skipped leg day…we weren’t there, so we really can’t say after all.
Just Another Wave In The Wall
This mountain range is not really next to a lake. That thing that looks like a lake is actually a concrete wall. The shadows perfectly hit the wall making its white paint appear to be the color of lake water. The sun directly hitting the top of the wall gives it the illusion that it’s a sandy shore.
We hope any travelers that pass by this spot aren’t hoping to go for a swim any time soon.
Read on for a “floating” boat!
Good Grief
To drivers about to drive across this crosswalk, it looks like Charlie Brown and his gang are marching across the road. To pedestrians waiting to cross the street, the gang looks 2-dimensional and stretched out.
We love seeing how a small shift in perspective can make everything appear different. Not to mention, this is actually a great way to get motorists to slow down.
Read on for an unintentional levitation trick.
Like Oil And Water
See the glass rod in the photo above? Although both of the liquids in this glass are transparent, you can only see the glass rod through one of them.
This illusion happens because light passes through oil at the same speed that it passes through glass. Light passes through water at a different speed, so the glass rod is visible at the bottom of the cup. Science is weird like that.
You’ll Float Too
No, this dude is not casually levitating a few inches above the asphalt. He’s just standing next to a wet spot on the ground that looks like it could be his shadow.
It’s so much easier to pull off magic tricks in photographs than in person. We imagine this trick wouldn’t be so impressive if we could just walk around the guy. Read ahead for the Ponzo illusion in action.
Master Of Disguise
A street artist in San Fransisco painted this utility box so it would blend in perfectly with its surroundings. We have to say that life looks a lot better in the picture on the utility box than in the real world. We’d love a little bridge and river at every crosswalk.
But we have to wonder…has anyone ever walked or biked into this on accident? After all, it blends in perfectly.
Linear Trickery
This photo is a perfect example of the Ponzo illusion in real life. The two red lines are exactly the same size, but they look different because of the objects in the background.
Want proof? Tilt your head and look at the lines again, or whip out a ruler and measure those puppies. Is your mind blown yet?
Read on for an illusion that could take hours to actually see.
The ‘Ole Floating Boat Trick
This boat looks like it’s floating in the air, but it’s really just floating on water. The reason this illusion works is because of how crystal clear the water is. You can see straight to the bottom, where the shadow lurks.
Because of this, the shadow looks like it’s at the top of the water, with the boat floating above it. We promise boats don’t fly though. Just look at the person at the end of the boat dangling their legs in the water for proof!
Cross-Legged Archway
The Delicate Arch near Moab, Utah isn’t actually twisted. The side of the arch that’s closer to the camera is smaller than the side that’s further away.
Your brain thinks the smaller one should be further away, which is why the whole thing looks cross-legged. This is all about perspective, but it sure does feel like our minds are playing tricks on us!
Up next: can you find the hidden man in this illusion? It’s almost impossible.
Makeup Mayhem
It hurts our eyes to look at this picture, but somehow, we can’t look away. This makeup artist from Vancouver, B.C. has an Instagram page full of illusory looks like this one.
She calls this look, “onion girl” because she’s made her face look like it has layers. Using makeup, she literally paints these lifelike features next to her real features. It’s almost all a little too real looking if you ask us.
A Rock In A Hard Place
Do you see it yet? Look a little bit longer. Spoilers in 3… 2… 1: See that little rock sitting on top of the brick that is slightly smaller than the other bricks?
That brick isn’t actually smaller. There is a cigar sticking out of the wall and the “rock” is actually the burnt end of the cigar. Trippy stuff.
Read on for an illusion that’s even trippier— literally.
Hidden Man
Can you spot the man hiding in the bags? Look closely at the middle of the image and he should start to take shape. Trust us, he’s there. This illusion has been driving people nuts since it was first released.
Look at the pink bag in the middle of the bottom row. You’ll see the artists feet in the bag. Keep working your way up to see the rest of the body. Crazy, isn’t it?
To See The World In A Blade Of Grass
This patch of greenery is called “Qui Croire?” and it was created by French artist François Abélanet. The title translates to “who to believe?”
Although it doesn’t look that big from this angle, Qui Croire? is made from 3,500 square feet of turf, dirt, and straw. From any other angle, this grassy globe looks like a vast, irregular, weirdly shaped garden.
A Dip In The Road
This misleading floor pattern keeps people from running down the hallway. People are more likely to tread lightly if they think the floor has an inexplicable dip in it. From a different angle, this hallway looks perfectly straight.
We now resort to tricking people into behaving. Read ahead for the illusion that gave us The Flying Dutchman.
2D Building?
While this building looks like a flat slab of concrete, there are actually real, 3-dimensional people inside of it. Contrary to popular belief, this is not where all your favorite cartoon characters live when they’re not inside your TV.
The building is triangular, so you can’t see the sides of it from this viewpoint.
How Many Legs
Obviously this elephant has four legs. Right? The real question is which for legs are real, and which are tricking us into thinking they’re real. We just don’t know! We might never know!
What do you think? Are you going as crazy trying to figure out this illusion as us? The trick here is that the elephants feet have been moved, so what actually looks like the elephant’s legs really aren’t. Or are they?
A Zebra Wading Through Stripes
This optical illusion was created using the moiré effect. The zebra’s stripes go in both directions: horizontal and vertical. The background it’s wading through features horizontal stripes that are interrupted by the zebra’s path through them.
The wavy pattern the zebra creates grabs your eye, pulling it towards the disruption in the pattern. If you’re detail-oriented, you may find the waves very distracting, and possibly uncomfortable.
An Old Couple, A Young Couple
This mind-bending illustration created by artist Octavio Ocampo is called “Forever Always”. At first glance, it looks like an old couple in love, staring into each other’s eyes. But if you look to the left and right, a younger version of the couple is shown in their faces.
On the left, the old woman when she was young, with a bottle next to her. On the right, the old man when he was younger, playing the guitar wearing a sombrero.
How Many Eyes?
What do you see when you look into my eyes? That’s the question we imagine this person is asking. You just have to be able to pick an eye and focus! It’s much easier said than done.
Also, which mouth does he speak out of? Is one for eating and the other for talking? We have so many questions, and really hope he has all the answers.
The Tall And Short Of It
The angle of this photo makes it look like that bridge is a lot shorter on one side than it actually is.
Thanks to a carefully placed camera, the arm of the lift is fully obscured, making it look like the workers aren’t very high off the ground.
It’s A Mirage!
Thanks to an illusion known as Fata Morgana, it looks like the boat in the distance is floating just above the water. The name, Fata Morgana comes from the Italian name for a sorceress who supposedly used false land to draw sailors to their deaths.
Some people believe that this effect gave rise to the myth of The Flying Dutchman.
A Classic Pattern
This pattern is known as the café wall illusion. These rows of black and white squares are actually parallel, even though they appear to be sloped.
There’s a whole bunch of science that explains why these straight lines look crooked — something about retinas and contrast that we still don’t fully understand. One this is for sure though, this makes our minds melt if we stare at it for too long.
Just Another Brick In The Wall
It looks like several of the bricks in this wall were pushed in to create a tree pattern. In reality, a very skilled street artist shaded the bricks so that they only look like they’ve been pushed in.
That mailbox looks pretty jealous that an equally skilled street artist didn’t give him a makeover.
Optical Artistry
This mural in Sherbrooke, Quebec creates the illusion of a movable wall panel and wide open space.
If only all apartment buildings were this inviting. Leave it to Canada to produce street art this wholesome. We’d love to have a mural like this on the side of our home.
A Simple Circle
Simple illusions can be just as captivating as complex murals. The bars in this railing strategically curve to the right to create a 3D effect.
This railing is completely flat. If only all functional barriers looked this interesting. The world would be a trickier, more beautiful place.
Figure Eight
This one is going to cause you fits at the card table. If you look closely, you can see that this eight of diamonds actually has a hidden number eight sitting right in the middle.
Make sure to bring this one up the next time you’re playing poker with your buddies so you can keep track of where the card is at all times.
Follow The Dot
At first, I thought this was a GIF, but it’s actually just one of the weirder illusions out there.
No matter what you do, you can’t really see more than one dot at a time, but they pop up at almost every intersection. How can that be? I can only assume it’s magic.
Give Your Phone A Little Shake
If you’re reading this article on a phone or tablet, give it a little shake. Did you see that? It looks like the Oreo jiggles like it’s sitting on a mound of Jell-o or something.
As much as this creeped me out because I absolutely despise Jell-o, it did make me unusually hungry.
See-Through Stone
As usual, I have no idea how people were so talented back in the day. With all the technological advances we no have, I could never imagine we could do something like this even today.
This piece was sculpted by Antonio Corradini, and deserves all the credit it can get.
Underwater Waterfall
Well, actually, it’s more of a sandfall. This is Le Morne Brabant peninsula off the Island of Mauritius, and this illusion is the result of sand runoff in a deep channel.
Basically, ocean currents are pushing sand and silt down the plate boundary, give us the illusion of a water/sand fall.
High Above The Clouds
I think we can all agree that this looks like the perfect summer evening. There’s nothing quite like laying on the ground staring up at the clouds, but this patch of water perfectly reflected the sky up above.
It almost looks like this place is hovering high above the sky. I’m in love.
Allan Key Stairway
We all have different names for these little wrenches: hex wrenches, Allan Keys, but I think we can all agree that we have 17 lying around the house because they come with every piece of IKEA furniture.
This person decided to make a nice little set of stairs for his collection of wrenches, finally putting them to go use.
What Conditioner Does He Use?
Beards are in right now. They’ve been a staple of modern society for a while now, and seemed to have outlived other trends like the man bun.
However, this guy only dreams that he could get in on all the beard love that’s going around the internet.
Wild, Wild Horses
This fountain made the wildlife come to life in a very simple and effective manner. These horses look like they’re galloping through the waterfall, and honestly, I can feel it.
I especially love the little horse in the back who hasn’t entered the fountain yet. You’ll get there little buddy!
Who’s In Front?
I have a very simple question for you. Which of these buildings is in front? It really doesn’t matter what you tell me, I can argue for either side.
I’m going to choose the building on the right because it pops more, and it looks like it gets better sunlight.
Pool Party
This would totally freak me out. So apparently, this isn’t a real pool, but it looks extremely pool-like. Poolish even.
My guess is that there’s just a piece of glass with some water on top to give the illusion these people are underwater. Suddenly I’m not as impressed at Leo’s death in Titanic.
Has Fashion Gone Too Far?
We’ve taken fashion into strange, new directions, but one trend that just will not die is our fascination with cameo print everything.
What are we trying to hide? No one’s getting drafted into the Army (hopefully). I think it’s time we do away with cameo clothing and accept that it really doesn’t look good on anybody.
Sneak Level 100
I will never get enough of 3D art. Even though I know that this isn’t a little man trying to sneak around the corner of a book, I really can’t help but think this is a little man trying to sneak around the corner of a book!
Considering I can barely get halfway through the game board in a game of Pictionary, these things will never not impress me.
A Devastating Realization
If you don’t like bad news, you’re going to want to skip over this one. Despite everyone assuming that this picture was a llama holding up and ringing a little bell in his little llama hand, it’s all a lie.
That’s actually just another llama wearing a hat in the background. Still cute, but not nearly as iconic.
I Don’t Get It, But I Respect It
So this is an incredibly trippy tattoo. I’m not too sure what the meaning behind it is, but I could definitely find myself staring at it for days.
It really makes his arm look hallow, and I’m not entirely sure if that was the intended purpose. Regardless, it’s eye-catching, and that’s all that matters.
I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying
This agency used these pictures to promote pet adoption, and I’m doing everything in my power to not hop in an Uber to pick up 12 dogs right now.
This is beautiful. Not to get all preachy, but there are so many needy animals that could use a good home.
A Bit Bigger Than Uranus
Sorry for the grade school joke. I’m only human.
This person went out and found the perfect side table that resembled the largest planet in our solar system. I’m pretty sure they just found yet another moon orbiting Jupiter. Okay, that’s enough of a science lesson for today.
We’ve Come So Far
Thank goodness we don’t have to deal with these problems with our computer’s nowadays.
Kids have it so simple. They have no idea that the ‘save’ icon used to be an actual disk we had to use to save our terrible paint drawings. On a side note, I assume at least four of these guys are named Chad.
Which Do You See First?
I feel this is one of those ink blot tests that psychiatrists do. I was shocked to discover that I saw the cat first. That head definitely looks as grumpy as any cat I’ve been around.
However, those front paws just scream dog. I don’t know what this says about me other than I clearly need some kind of pet.
Same Here Bro
So, I’ve tried a couple of times to understand how these hair clips work, and I’m totally lost.
I get that I probably don’t have the thick head of hair to really get this thing to stick, but that’s a lot of trust to put in a clip. Also, what if someone actually thinks this is a spider and tries to swat it out of your hair? That could seriously hurt!
Anheuser-Busch put a transvestite on a can of Bud Light and released this terrible ad to try and clean up the mess.
The ad has to be seen to be believed:
My favorite advertisement by a mile was the Clydesdales after 9/11. It was absolute perfection. After your embrace of the trans agenda, glorifying a man looking for his 15 mins of fame by mocking women. I will never buy, drink or serve your beer again. #BoycottAnheuserBusch
— 🇺🇸America First Stacy🇺🇸 (@Discoveringme40) April 15, 2023
Please choose one… Did the ad…
Make you want to buy a Chevy?
Encourage you to return to 2004 to liberate Iraq?
Remind you of Bruce Springsteen’s drunk driving charge?
The ad reeks of 1) desperation and 2) an ad campaign where someone wrote the following phrases on a whiteboard—heart of America, hope in tomorrow, American spirit—and then smugly walked off in the certainty we RedStateTards would forget all about the transvestite who prances around like an astonished reindeer.
These scenes look like they were generated by AI prompts.
“Two firefighter bros, one black and one white, doing a shake-hands-hug.”
“Two trucker-looking bros sharing a Bud on a porch in the country.”
“A Keith Olbermann look-alike wearing a shoulder patch that says “LAND OF THE FREE” raising an American flag (but don’t show the full flag).”
The ad’s Twitter “ratio” is hilarious…
“Hey @Budweiser. What’s next on your agenda after mocking women? Are you going to ridicule disabled veterans? Demand to defund police? Maybe dabble in a little bit of antisemitism?” asked one.
“My favorite advertisement by a mile was the Clydesdales after 9/11. It was absolute perfection. After your embrace of the trans agenda, glorifying a man looking for his 15 mins of fame by mocking women. I will never buy, drink or serve your beer again. #BoycottAnheuserBusch,” said another.
People also got creative:
My favorite advertisement by a mile was the Clydesdales after 9/11. But how times have changed pic.twitter.com/m5Vpxxk5ha
— Pete Reilly, Stochastic Deplorable 🇺🇸 (@petenet321) April 15, 2023
This one pretty much hit the nail on the head: “I’m not sure a lineup of B-roll footage and some guy throwing middle-America buzzwords at us will win us back, and frankly, bringing 9/11 into this is kind of insulting.”
As I said yesterday, I don’t care if a grown man wears a dress, and I don’t care if a private company uses said transvestite to advertise its product. I would never use a transvestite to advertise a product, but I also don’t do boycotts. Boycotts are fascist.
Nevertheless, this new Budweiser ad is beyond patronizing, exactly the type of thing you’d expect from a Manhattan or Los Angeles ad agency staffed with people who have never met a Trump voter and who view the working class as Nazis who must be tolerated. When I first saw it, 30 seconds passed before I realized it was not a spoof.
This ad, along with Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth’s word salad statement, is only adding to the brand damage. The brewery’s crisis management team should be fired. It’s just one fumble after another. On top of angering its customer base, the brewery now looks foolish. “Bud Light” will be a punchline for many years to come.
However….
Anheuser-Busch stock is still up six points for the month.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.
Elves take many forms. For starters, there’s the diminutive, pointy-eared elf that often appears in fairy tales. In fantasy literature like J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and many role-playing games, elves are human-sized, willowy, and wise. In Northern European folklore, they’re clever, supernatural tricksters.
Each December, however, the hardworking, friendly elves under the employ of Santa Claus reign supreme. When Yuletide rolls around, it’s only natural to have elves on the brain. But do you know how those mischievous sprites became Christmas helpers? Or why should you be cautious around a dancing elf? Get in the holiday spirit with these six interesting facts about elves.
The concept of elves got its start in Northern Europe, from early Norse mythology to the Germanic folklore of the Middle Ages. Elf myths varied by region, and were often told in conjunction with fairy folklore. While some elves were benevolent, more often than not they were volatile troublemakers.
Illnesses, both human and animal, were often pinned on elves, as were bad dreams — supposedly, elves caused them by sitting on the sleeper. (The German word for nightmare, alpdrücken, translates literally to “elf pressure.”) They were even rumored to steal babies. While helpful elves sometimes worked their way into the mythology, early elves were certainly a far cry from the cheery toy manufacturers that came to dominate modern wintertime folklore.
In Scandinavian mythology, elves are typically portrayed as powerful, supernatural beings, and they often used music and dancing as a way to enchant and ensnare humans — like in the story of The Elf-Woman and Sir Olaf. In the tale, a knight stumbles into the elf world the day before his wedding and encounters elf maidens dancing. He’s asked to join the dance but refuses. As a result, he dies, although the ending differs in the story’s many variations. Another ballad, called “Elvehoj,” has a happier ending: Elf maidens attempt to draw him into dances that would permanently bind him to the elf world, but they’re ultimately unsuccessful.
Still another legend tells of the Elf-king’s tune: When a fiddler plays the song, it compels everyone in earshot, including inanimate objects, to dance. The fiddler can’t stop playing once the song has begun, unless he or she can play backwards, or someone cuts the fiddle’s strings. These dance themes continue in later Scandinavian texts, such as Hans Christian Andersen’s 1845 tale The Elf Mound, which describes elf maidens performing dances to impress party guests.
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Christmas Elves First Emerged in the 19th Century
Credit: Buyenlarge/ Archive Photos via Getty Images
It wasn’t until the 1800s that elves began to be associated with Christmas. One of the earliest references was Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (more commonly known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” from its first line), which described Santa himself as a “jolly old elf.” In 1856, Little Women author Louisa May Alcott wrote a short story called “Christmas Elves” — but that story was never published, so it didn’t popularize the concept.
Nonetheless, the concept of Santa’s elves had certainly entered the cultural lexicon by the 1870s, when other works started mentioning elves. A December 1873 issue of Godey’s Lady Book — a highly influential women’s magazine that also helped popularize the Christmas tree as a tradition in America — led with an image of Santa’s workshop, complete with his elf helpers.
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J.R.R. Tolkien Preferred the Middle English Word “Elven” Instead of “Elfin”
Credit: Haywood Magee/ Picture Post via Getty Images
When J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his famous Lord of the Rings series, “elven” was considered an obsolete Middle English word. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), it was originally a noun that meant “female elf,” or simply “elf.” When Tolkien wrote the series, “elfish” or “elfin,” which had its first print appearance in 1590, were the terms used to describe “having to do with elves.”
Tolkien, also well known for his expertise in language and folklore, deliberately used “elven” and “elvish” instead, which became somewhat of a headache when it came time to proofread The Fellowship of the Ring. “The impertinent compositors have taken it upon themselves to correct, as they suppose, my spelling and grammar,” Tolkien wrote to his son in August 1953, “altering throughout ‘dwarves’ to ‘dwarfs’; ‘elvish’ to ‘elfish’… and worst of all, ‘elven’ — to ‘elfin.’”
To this day, neither Merriam-Webster nor Dictionary.com recognizes “elven” as a word, although Merriam-Webster recognizes “elvish.” The OED says that “elvish” specifically refers to elves as they’re described in Tolkien’s books, though the word has also become popular in other elf-related fantasy circles.
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The Elf on a Shelf Tradition Started With a Self-Published Book
The Elf on a Shelf is a Christmas season ritual in which a parent hides a “Scout Elf” doll each morning for kids to find. The idea is that the elf watches the family, reports back to Santa at night if the kids have been naughty or nice, and then sets up in a different spot in the home for the next day.
This now-ubiquitous Christmas tradition dates to 2005, when a mother and her twin daughters pitched the idea for a book based on their own family ritual. After they were rejected by publishers, the trio took out credit cards and dipped into retirement funds to self-publish the book The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, which came with an elf for the reader’s own shelf. It was a runaway success, and over the next 15 years, more than 14.5 million Scout Elves were sold as the practice became a regular part of Christmas for families all over the world. The design of what’s now known as a “Scout Elf” is much older than the tradition itself. It bears a striking resemblance to the “knee-hugger” elves of the 1950s and 1960s; perhaps one of these was the family’s original elf.
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One Elf in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” Lacks a Notable Feature
There’s much that sets Hermy the Misfit Elf apart from the rest of his North Pole co-workers in the 1964 animated TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The most obvious and central to the plot is that he wants to be a dentist rather than manufacture toys. He also appears to be the only junior employee with a visible hairstyle — a stylish, swoopy blond mop.
But another feature sets Hermy apart that you may not have noticed: He does not have the pointy ears typically associated with elves. The other assembly workers, and even the gruff, goateed factory supervisor, all have pointy ears. Once you notice they are missing, it’s hard to unsee it, especially since his actual ears are quite small and rounded.
RALEIGH, NC — A local retailer is making waves after announcing its most dramatic Black Friday sale ever, in which every item in the store is marked down to whatever the price was before Biden became President.
“Yeah, we’re going to lose a bundle on this deal since everything was so much cheaper under Trump,” said Store Manager Franzlie McBorgendern to reporters as thousands gathered outside awaiting store opening. “But we have to get people in the doors so we can stay in business — at least until Amazon runs us out of business in a couple of months.”
The sale is expected to fuel America’s nostalgia for a time when gas was affordable, groceries didn’t cost $500 per week, and the country wasn’t fighting a proxy war with Russia. “Merry Christmas! We hope you enjoy this little look back in time to 3 years ago!” said MCBorgendern before quietly weeping into a display of 50%-off bathroom towels.
At publishing time, interest in the sale plummeted after the store revealed that mask mandates would also be the same as they were right before Biden was President.
“…And after a long time the boy came back again. “I am sorry, Boy,” said the tree, “but I have nothing left to give you- My apples are gone.” “My teeth are too weak for apples,” said the boy. “My branches are gone,” said the tree. “You cannot swing on them-“ “I am too old to swing on branches,” said the boy. “My trunk is gone,” said the tree. “You cannot climb-“ “I am too tired to climb,” said the boy. “I am sorry,” sighed the tree. “I wish that I could give you something… but I have nothing left. I am an old stump. I am sorry…” “I don’t need very much now,” said the boy, “just a quiet please to sit and rest. I am very tired.” “Well,” said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, “well, an old stump is a good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest.” And the boy did. And the tree was happy.”
Steelers helmet (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
If you don’t have an Amazon Prime account, you will not be able to see the Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Cleveland Browns Thursday night.
Thanks to the NFL’s 11-year broadcasting deal signed in 2021, the Thursday Night Football franchise began airing on the online behemoth only last week, the first time a streaming platform has been given a full-time deal to air NFL games.
Previously, Amazon split the deal with a broadcast television network, most recently with Fox from 2018-2021 after CBS and NBC split the package for the previous two seasons.
As with the NFL’s contracts in the past with cable outlets like ESPN and their own NFL Network, the game is syndicated to an over-the-air station in the team’s local market. That means WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh and WEWS-TV in Cleveland will air the game to their home markets.
But that provision does not extend to the team’s secondary markets. The NFL designates the Johnstown/Altoona market along with the Wheeling, W.Va., Clarksburg, W.Va., and Youngstown, Ohio markets as the Steelers other secondary markets which get all games of the pertinent team that air on the network’s packages on CBS and Fox.
PETITION TARGETS: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wilstem Wildlife Park, Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Elephants who formerly spent their lives exploited in circuses now are being forced to have hundreds of strangers touch them, spray them with water, pose for pictures with them, and senselessly paint their toenails — with each encounter raking in between $119 and $599 for their exhibitors at Wilstem Wildlife Park in Indiana during the summer months.
The website for Wilstem Inc, a for-profit business with properties in French Lick and Paoli, shows paying customers can participate in an elephant “spa” for $119, a 2-hour encounter where elephants have to endure untrained people spraying them with water and stand still while “young participants” paint their toe nails.
The business’s most expensive elephant package – billed as its “most exclusive,” “private” encounter – allows up to eight people to crowd around the captive elephants, touch them, and take photos with them.
These hands-on encounters with elephants – who are sensitive, highly intelligent animals – are continuing even though Wilstem Inc recently was fined $8,000 by federal inspectors for numerous violations that spanned species—including lack of facility supervision for children interacting directly with animals.
Wilstem Inc elephant interaction (Image via Yelp)
In an affidavit obtained by Lady Freethinker through a public records request, a federal inspector wrote that she had serious concerns about animal handling, other animal interactions involving sloth and kangaroo, and that Wilstem Inc was putting profit before the animals’ welfare.
“The facility needs to be held accountable and responsible for the deaths, mistreatment, and suffering several of the animals were put through before they died or were put to death,” the inspector wrote.
The elephants on display at Wilstem Inc during the summer months are on loan from another USDA-licensed facility in Florida with its own controversial history and documented welfare violations — including not providing adequate veterinary care to an elephant with a lump on her face and for keeping the elephants chained — as well as other exploitative stunts, such as forcing elephants to play harmonicas for visitors’ “entertainment.”
(Information accessed via Wilstem’s website)
Transporting the elephants from one exploitative venue to the other every year also is dangerous for the elephants and people. The facilities made headlines a few years ago when the transport trailer caught fire and the elephants escaped onto the nearby interstate – where fire fighters, sheriff’s deputies, and emergency services had to assist.
Elephants and other wild animals are not here for our “entertainment.” They deserve to live their lives peacefully in their natural environments, with freedom to roam, play, and interact with others of their own kind — as they need to do in order to thrive.
Sign our petition urging the USDA and Indiana Department of Natural Resources to immediately inspect conditions at Wilstem Inc and to seize any suffering animals and safely relocate them to a reputable sanctuary. We’re also asking Wilstem Inc to stop offering paid interactions involving physical contact with their elephants and other wild animals.
Then, read LFT’s full story about Wilstem Inc here.
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "...truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity--it is simply true and that is the end of it" - Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” - Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
Following in the spirit of Britain's Queen Boudica, Queen of the Iceni. A boudica.us site. I am an opinionator, do your own research, verification. Reposts, reblogs do not neccessarily reflect our views.
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