Author: Jake Brannon

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The 10 Fastest Animals on Earth Will Make You Feel…Very Slow

What is the fastest animal on Earth? Usain Bolt is definitely the fastest human animal, clocking in at around 25 mph, but compared to animals in the wild, he’s barely moving. Don’t believe us? Check out this list of 10 animals faster than an Olympic champion.

10. A day at the races

Photo Credit: YouTube

Quarter horses reach speeds up to 55 MPH. A lot of different animals come in close to this mark, but quarter horses have a higher top speed than all of them, and they can finish about as fast as they start which is pretty impressive.

9. Catch me if you can

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

On the African Savannah, the Springbok eludes prey by running at high speeds for long distances. They actually get up to 60 MPH, and can stay near that speed for miles if that’s what it takes to avoid being dinner. Like their cousin, the black wildebeest, they have really funky muscle fibers which allow them to be so dang fast!

8. They say I used to be faster

Photo Credit: BBC

The pronghorn used to be considered the second fastest land animal in the world back in the 1940s, but better technology has changed that. However, they’re still way faster than Usain Bolt. They can technically hit 62 MPH, but tend to hang out around 40+ MPH.

7. What’s that up in the sky?

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Anna’s Hummingbird is a cute little winged thing that is crazy fast once it gets going. It can fly up to 61 MPH over short distances, but when measured by how many body lengths per second (bl/s) it travels, which is up to 320, it’s faster than the space shuttle.

6. I’m not as fast as you think I am

Photo Credit: BBC

Cheetahs are pretty fast, to the tune of 65 MPH, but that comes with a disclaimer. Domesticated cheetahs raised at zoos have gotten to that speed, or close to it, but in the wild, cheetahs tend to run much slower, because it allows greater maneuverability when hunting.

5. My speed is uncommon

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The common swift can hit speeds of up to 70 MPH when it’s just cruising around at level flight looking for statues to sit on. They may go faster, but there haven’t been many reliable readings of their speed. Even if they don’t though, it’s still pretty impressive!

7. Don’t let the gray on my head fool you

Photo Credit: Oceanwide Expeditions

The gray-headed albatross is regarded as the fastest bird at level flight, clocking in at 80 MPH. That’s insane! But here’s the real scoop on it — the record could be the product of a performance enhancer. It seems that the specific gray-headed albatross that was clocked doing 80 MPH had a tailwind of 40MPH, possibly even up to 50 MPH helping it along.

8. I’m fast when I want to be

Photo Credit: la reserva

The Hybomitra hinei wrighti horsefly might reach 90 MPH, according to one researcher. However, while his observations are considered interesting, it’s going to take more than one horsefly chasing a plastic pellet from an air rifle to count as an official record.

9. I want to fly like an eagle, but faster!

Photo Credit: EMNRD

There have been claims that the Brazilian free-tailed bat has gone up to 100 MPH, but they’ve been met with great skepticism. Seven bats were studied, and while all could go at least 55 MPH, five almost reached 70 MPH, and supposedly this one super buff bat clocked in at 100 MPH. Kinda makes you wonder if it had a performance enhancer like that gray-headed albatross did.

10. I’m always first to dinner

 

Photo Credit: NPS

If you count when the peregrine falcon goes into a stoop, which is a wicked crazy hunting dive for dinner, they can go over 200 MPH! Granted, they only fly around 50 MPH at level, but the diving for dinner thing blows the doors off everyone else.

Whether a dive technically counts or not is up to debate, but either way, that is amazingly fast!

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This Little Girl Has Gorgeous and Unusual Eyes Due to a Rare Genetic Disorder

Wherever Mehlani goes, people can’t help but notice her big, beautiful eyes. Her mother, Karina Martinez, must constantly stop what she is doing to listen to strangers tell her how beautiful her daughter is. What parent wouldn’t want their child to receive all this positive attention?

Well, when it comes to Mehlani, those big, beautiful eyes are the product of Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome. It is a very rare condition, according to the NIH, that has made her eyes develop differently from most people’s. It’s so rare, Karina had never even heard of it until she was told Mehlani had it.

Photo Credit: Buzzfeed

Her condition makes the iris of her eye appear misshapen. And with her condition comes a high probability of glaucoma, pressure inside the eye that can damage the optic nerve if left untreated – which she does currently have. It also makes Mehlani’s eyes very sensitive to light, and could eventually lead to blindness.

Photo Credit: Buzzfeed

While Karina loves that people think her daughter and her eyes are beautiful, she sometimes wonders if she should tell them why. Usually, she just smiles and thanks everyone for the compliments, even if it makes her feel uncomfortable.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Like most moms, Karina also worries if children will be nice to Mehlani as she gets older. She says some kids are already commenting on how big Mehlani’s eyes are. Most of all, she just wants her little girl to know she is beautiful and loved.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Since her tweets went viral, Karina and Mehlani have received an outpouring of love, and Karina has been contacted by a lot parents who have kids with the same condition. She’s very glad to know that she and Mehlani are not alone!

Photo Credit: Twitter

We (and everyone else) wish all the best for the lovely, little Mehlani!

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22+ Plot Holes from Movies That Will Leave You Shaking Your Head

Just because a movie is good doesn’t mean it isn’t without its flaws. Some of the most beloved films in history have more (plot) holes than a piece of swiss cheese. The folks at Buzzfeed recently asked their community about what movie plot holes left them scratching their heads and throwing their popcorn at the screen. Here are the results:

1. Up

The house in Up didn’t begin to float away until the balloons were outside the house. Why does that make a difference? Shouldn’t the house have floated when the balloons were inside? Right?

Photo Credit: Disney

2. All Star Wars Movies

Different planets have different levels of gravity and different atmospheres, but everyone’s running around without a space suit. Shouldn’t someone have exploded? Or at least be mildly uncomfortable?

3. The Last Jedi

Speaking of Star Wars, how was Paige Tico able to drop a bomb on the dreadnought. Since there’s no gravity in space, shouldn’t the bomb have just floated away?

4. The Harry Potter Series

The Marauder’s Map shows the location of everyone in Hogwarts. So why didn’t anyone notice Peter Pettigrew was 1) alive and 2) spending a lot of time with Ron?

5. The Karate Kid

In this inspiring flick about overcoming insurmountable odds, Daniel wins by kicking his opponent in the head. A move which is against the rules outlined earlier in the movie. I guess cheaters sometimes win?

6. Monsters, Inc.

In the original, the two monsters meet in elementary school. In Monsters University, they meet in college. Maybe they forgot?

Photo Credit: Disney

7. Aliens

We all know that Ripley is buff. But holding on to a ladder with one hand to avoid getting sucked into space? Nobody’s that buff.

8. The Little Mermaid

Ariel was able to sign the contract with Ursula, but she didn’t use her writing skills to tell Prince Eric what was going on. Seems like he could have used a heads up.

Photo Credit: Disney

9. 17 Again

Mike’s kids don’t recognize him when he’s 17-years-old again. Even though there are pictures of him at that age around the house.

10. Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Nazis would have found the Ark with or without Indiana Jones. It’s his own movie, and he has no influence on the main plot.

11. Signs

The alien’s weakness is water. So why come to our planet, which is 71 percent water?

12. The Harry Potter Series

Harry spends a lot of time trying to get people to believe that Voldemort has returned. Wouldn’t using the Pensieve have confirmed his story? And saved a lot of time?

Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

13. The Halloween Series

Apparently Michael Myers know how to drive, despite having been institutionalized since he was 10. When did he get a license? Or access to a car?

14. Pleasantville

Where did the visiting basketball team come from? The entire town is only two streets.

15. Cinderella

The entire plot hinges on the fact that her shoes will only fit her feet. How can an entire town not have anyone else with the same shoe size?

Photo Credit: Disney

16. Tangled

The whole plot involves Rapunzel seeing the lanterns on her birthday. Couldn’t the witch have just said her birthday was on a different day?

Photo Credit: Disney

17. High School Musical

Gabrielle gets stage fright before singing her big song. The only problem is, she wasn’t even supposed to sing the first line.

Photo Credit: Disney Channel

18. Ant-Man and the Wasp

How does no one notice an entire building disappearing and reappearing? Hank’s lab keeps moving around the city, and the FBI never notices.

19. Hocus Pocus

Allison, Dani, and Max could have saved themselves a lot of time and trouble by using salt to form a protective circle.

Photo Credit: Disney

20. The Meg

If the submarine just let the megalodons out, how did Jonas see one five years before?

21. A Quiet Place

If the Earth has been taken over by aliens who hunt by using sound, why would they decide to have a baby, a tiny human guaranteed to make an uncontrollable amount of noise.

Photo Credit: Paramount

22. A Quiet Place

Why live on a farm in the first place? They can make all the noise they want to at the waterfall, which would cover up day-to-day sounds.

23. Mamma Mia

In the first movie, Donna essentially says her mother is dead. So who’s in the sequel? Her mother, who is alive and well.

Photo Credit: Universal Studios

Any major plot holes in your favorite movies?

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People Keep NOT Recognizing Tony Hawk, and It’s Pretty Hilarious

Tony Hawk is one of the best skateboarders of all time…not to mention a video game tycoon and author. But believe it or not, many people don’t know what he looks like. For reference, here he is:

Photo Credit: Facebook,Tony Hawk

But Hawk keeps running into people who have no idea that they’re dealing with the man himself. The skateboarding legend has taken to Twitter to share some of the funny stories of people not recognizing him in public.

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

And then there was this guy…

Photo Credit: Twitter,tonyhawk

Bottom line, keep an eye out for Mr. Hawk. You never know where he’ll pop up…

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These 6+ Facts Will Brighten up Your Day (and Week!)

I think it’s safe to say we could all use a little pick-me-up to get us through the rest of this week.

And these facts are just what the Doctor ordered.

1. Good girl!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Okay, that’s adorable.

2. I’m all in!

Photo Credit: did you know?

…Where do I send the check?

3. Maybe you shouldn’t post that…

Photo Credit: did you know?

It takes that expression “parents have eyes in the back of their heads” to a whole other level.

4. What a great idea!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Yup, that’s legitimately awesome.

5. Look at that focus!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Uhh…that’s pretty amazing.

6. Empowering to say the least.

 

Photo Credit: did you know?

Photo Credit: Washington Post

Is it just a coincidence that these are also places incredibly serene?

7. Fun and depressing?

Photo Credit: did you know?

I think I’ll stick with therapy, but cool.

 

After reading those facts, do you have a little extra pep in your step? I hope so!

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If You Are a Millennial, Steak Umm Has Your Back

These days, it seems like everything that goes wrong gets laid at the feet of the millennial generation. Which doesn’t quite make sense when you consider the fact that most people seem to think “kids today” are millennials. The truth is that millennials are largely in their late twenties to early thirties, are married, and have already started their families.

What is true about millennials is that, on the whole, they’re not experiencing the “American Dream” that this country afforded their parents, or at least not in the same way. So you can criticize them all you want, but like this viral Twitter thread from Steak-Umm points out, that doesn’t change the reality of life for most millennials, and (one would assume) the generation behind them, as well.

Oh and fun fact — in case you’re as clueless as I was before I found the Twitter thread, Steak-Umm, sells thinly sliced steaks that are popularly used to make Philly steak sandwiches and the like.

Now that we’re all caught up, let’s take a look at the viral thread that’s a pretty awesome defense of millennials everywhere.

Photo Credit: Twitter

Be encouraged, Beeflings. Steak-Umms gets it, even if most other people don’t.

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12+ Unexpected Movie Deaths that Nobody Saw Coming

This probably goes without saying, but MAJOR SPOILERS  ahead…so read at your own risk!

I’m a total film buff. But no matter how many movies you watch, they can still take you by surprise. I definitely could have guessed some – but not all – of these.

How about you?

#15. Dobby the House Elf (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1)

Image Credit: WarnerBros.

If this didn’t shock you and devastate you, I don’t even know what to say.

#14. Fred Weasley (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2)

Image Credit: WarnerBros.

If you read the books you knew it was coming, but that didn’t lessen the impact of a character that seemed larger than life suddenly being gone.

#13. Jenny Curran (Forrest Gump)

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

It seemed that, after all Forrest had been through, he should have earned a happier ending.

#12. Creasy (Man on Fire)

Image Credit: 20th Century Fox

Where were his moves when he needed them?

#11. Llewelyn Moss (No Country for Old Men)

Image Credit: Miramax

The most surprising deaths are often the hardest to take.

#10. Casey Becker (Scream)

Image Credit: Dimension Films

Who could have guessed that the cast’s biggest name would be dead in the first five minutes?

#9. Jack Dawson (Titanic)

Image Credit: 20th Century Fox

Okay, so maybe it’s not a complete surprise that someone aboard the Titanic died, but damn. Between Jack and half of the aholes who made it, it just didn’t seem fair.

#8. Stoick the Vast (How to Train Your Dragon 2)

Image Credit: Dreamworks Animation

This was a crazy and dark plot twist for a children’s movie.

#7. Marion Crane (Psycho)

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

When the woman you assumed was the main character is suddenly gone, you find yourself strapped in for a rather unexpected ride.

#6. Malcolm Crowe (The Sixth Sense)

Image Credit: Disney

Generally considered to be one of Hollywood’s better plot twists, this death devastated the film’s other main character and therefore affected audiences on a profound level.

#5. Bing Bong (Inside Out)

Image Credit: Pixar

Pixar delights in making us cry, but the timing and Bing Bong’s final line – “take her to the moon for me” – combined to make this death particularly devastating.

#4. Yondu (Guardians of the Galaxy 2)

Image Credit: Disney

After watching the first film, you wouldn’t have believed this death would affect audiences, but after everything that’s revealed in the second installment, well, it achieved a certain poignancy.

#3. Littlefoot’s Mother (A Land Before Time)

Image Credit: Universal Pictures

He spent most of the movie looking for her only to have her die at the tiny hands of a T-Rex. Talk about unfair.

#2. Sam (I Am Legend)

Image Credit: WarnerBros.

No, thank you.

#1. Captain John Miller (Saving Private Ryan)

Image Credit: Dreamworks

How could they just let him sit on that bridge? HOW?

I’ve got some more movies to add to my list!

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10 Must-Watch Netflix Shows if You Love True Crime

It’s no secret that true crime dramas are on the rise. Podcasts like “Serial” and television series like Netflix’s “Making a Murderer” have sparked the morbid curiosity in listeners and viewers alike.

Plus, there’s even great fictional content out there like “True Detective” on HBO (not Season 2, however).

If these shows speak to the inner investigator in you, here are 10 more offerings from Netflix that you’re definitely going to want to check out.

#10. “Inside the Criminal Mind”

Image Credit: Netflix

This original series enlists the help of neurologists and criminologists to examine how some of the world’s most infamous killers, cultists, or kidnappers might have become that way.

#9. “The Investigator”

Image Credit: Netflix

This British crime drama follows a researcher who delves into a series of unsolved murders. The first season deals with the case of a woman who disappeared, but the police never found her body.

#8. “The Staircase”

Image Credit: Netflix

This documentary-style series follows the events that take place after a crime novelists’ wife is found dead at the bottom of the stairs in her home. It will surely be fun to play private detective as you try to figure out whether he did it or whether it was an accident after all.

#7. “I Am a Killer”

Image Credit: Netflix

It doesn’t get any more real than this documentary series, which profiles confessed killers on death row, and delves into the crimes that put them there.

#6. :Evil Genius:

Image Credit: Netflix

Another documentary — this one digs into the 2003 attempted bank robbery by a pizza delivery man in Pennsylvania. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are tons of conspiracy theories surrounding “America’s most diabolical bank heist,” so you’ll undoubtedly be kicking around your own ideas for a while after watching.

#5. “The Confession Tapes”

Image Credit: Netflix

If you believe that only guilty people confess, you might feel differently after listening to these real life confessions. The criminals who made them claim to this day that they were forced into their guilty pleas.

#4. “Nurses Who Kill”

Image Credit: Netflix

This documentary series outlines true stories of nurses obsessed with killing instead of curing. Fair warning:  you might think twice about checking yourself into the hospital after watching.

#3. “Murderous Affairs”

Image Credit: Netflix

There are entire series dedicated to murderous spouses on various cable channels, but this documentary follows what happens when extramarital affairs go horribly wrong.

#2. “The Keepers”

Image Credit: Netflix

This documentary series follows the murder of nun Catherine Cesnik, and eventually peels the layers back to reveal the long, covered up history of sexual abuse within the Catholic church.

#1. “Flint Town”

Image Credit: Netflix

Flint, Michigan has way more problems than just their poisoned water supply. Sadly, many of them stem from the fact that their police force — which is responsible for 100,000 residents — consists of only 98 officers. This documentary series follows the Flint police as they interact with the community they’ve sworn to serve.

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These 15 Pictures Will Make Millennials Miss the Good Old Days

Technology is a lot different today than it was 10-20 years ago, which means that those of us who are fairly young — say, mid-twenties to mid-thirties — still remember the days when things were so much simpler (aka less connected). If that describes you, then these 15 photos will bring back the peace and quiet of those good old days that were really just a decade ago.

#15. Blocking people was simple — and they always knew.

Image Credit: Twitter

#14. You could just keep playing until you got the future you wanted.

Image Credit: Twitter

#13. It was impossible to spoil movies as long as your friends didn’t suck.

Image Credit: Mognet Central

#12. This was the biggest stress — and win — of your week.

Image Credit: Twitter

#11. Finding your friends was as easy as this choice:

Image Credit: Twitter

#10. You could log out of IM and your friends had no way to get in touch with you.

#9. No technology was required for this question.

Image Credit: WordPress

#8. When birthday parties were awesome no matter which place you picked.

Image Credit: Twitter

#7. You could just rip up pictures you wanted to hide forever.

Image Credit: Pixabay

#6. All you needed to feel accomplished was passing a note that didn’t get confiscated.

Image Credit: AlisonDeluca/Blogspot

#5. When completing your Happy Meal set made your week.

Image Credit: Kids Time

#4. And taking vitamins was fun.

Image Credit: Twitter

#3. Everyone knew this was the best day in gym class.

Image Credit: Walmart

#2. And this was the best day in any other class.

Image Credit: Twitter

#1. When the most annoying thing about Facebook was the pokes.

Image Credit: Facebook

Anyone invented time travel yet? No? I’ll keep waiting.

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7+ Frightening Facts About George A. Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’

George A. Romero’s 1968 masterpiece Night of the Living Dead is a landmark of modern cinema. Without it, we may not have recent hits like 28 Days Later or The Walking Dead

Night of the Living Dead turns 50 this year, and in honor of the low-budget masterpiece that changed the face of horror films, here are some facts about the film.

1. The original ideas were quite different

Photo Credit: Janus Films

Imagine this: the original idea for Night of the Living Dead was for the film to be an alien comedy. In 1967, Romero, writer John A. Russo, and actor Rudy Rucci all worked at a commercial film company in Pittsburgh called Latent Image. The three men thought they should try their hand at making a feature film.

Russo suggested a film about hot-rodding teenage aliens that visit Earth and cause trouble with the help of a pet from outer space. That idea wouldn’t work due to budget constraints, so Russo came up with an idea about a runaway boy who stumbles upon a field of corpses under glass that were rotting and would be consumed by aliens. Romero liked the flesh-eating angle but ditched the rest.

2. Romero was heavily inspired by I Am Legend

Romero admitted that he basically “ripped off” Richard Matheson’s horror novel I Am Legend, combining it with the flesh-eating angle that Russo had come up with. Romero came up with about 40 pages that Russo loved, including the opening in the cemetery, and then went to work on the script that would eventually become Night of the Living Dead.

3. Everything, including the blood, was made on the cheap

Photo Credit: Janus Films

Night of the Living Dead was made for less than $150,000, so everything needed to be done cheaply. This included the blood for the film. Because the film was shot in black and white, red ink and chocolate syrup were both used for blood onscreen. In the scene where Kyra Schon ate her father’s corpse, they used leftover crew lunches of hamburgers and meatball sandwiches smeared with chocolate syrup.

4. An error caused the film to be in the public domain

The film is in the public domain, but only because of a big mistake. The film’s distributors wanted to release it under the title Night of the Flesh Eaters. There was a 1964 film called The Flesh Eaters, and lawyers associated with that film threatened to sue.

The title ended up being changed to Night of the Living Dead. Editors did not add copyright notices to the beginning or end credits of the film, so, even though Romero and his team have fought in court, the film remains in the public domain.

5. Romero and Russo made cameos

Director Romero and writer Russo both appear in Night of the Living Dead. Russo played a zombie that got hit with a tire iron and Romero portrayed a reporter in the Washington, D.C. scenes.

6. One actor fought against an alternative ending

Photo Credit: Janus Films

Duane Jones played Ben, the African-American hero of the film. Ben survives the night but is shot dead by a posse and tossed into a fire. Jones fought against a happier ending.

Jones said: “I convinced George that the black community would rather see me dead than saved, after all that had gone on, in a corny and symbolically confusing way. The heroes never die in American movies. The jolt of that, and the double jolt of the hero being black seemed like a double-barreled whammy.”

7. Fire!

Three people set themselves on fire during the making of the film. The infamous cemetery zombie, played by actor Bill Hinzman, and writer John A. Russo both volunteered to be set on fire to make the zombie attack scenes more realistic. Both of their fire scenes went according to plan.

One unexpected fire occurred when a crew member named Gary Streiner added more fuel to a chair that needed to be set on fire for a scene. A hot ember ended up in his gas can and set Streiner on fire. He was not seriously hurt.

8. Duane Jones rewrote his own dialogue

Photo Credit: Janus Films

The character of Ben was originally written as a truck driver with a rough personality, but Jones revised his dialogue to reflect how he felt the character should be played.

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