Over the weekend, six photographs showing mounds of garbage left on Slaughterhouse Island, a popular party spot at Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Northern California, were posted to Facebook. “Here is what a group of University of Oregon students left (they are gone) on Slaughterhouse Island on Lake Shasta,” Jennifer Vick Cox captioned the photoset. “Way to represent your school...” she added.

The photographs show everything from discarded tents to sleeping bags, University of Oregon emblazoned flip flops and bags, plastic chairs, as well as garbage of the Greek variety: plastic cups with paint-penned letters and coolers with fraternity colors and letters. It’s the special kind of frat party garbage, monogrammed garbage that probably reeks of Natty Light, the kind that puts a fraternity’s indelible marker on the earth, proclaiming the presence of brothers interesting enough to write, “Do you wanna do some blow man?” on a cooler. The cooler, as well as other objects, had the letters of the University of Oregon’s Lambda Chi Alpha’s fraternity painted on them.

Willamette Week reports that parties in the area are common and trips to the lake are an annual event for fraternities and sororities on the West Coast. Phyllis Swanson, a spokesperson for Shasta-Trinity National Forest, told Willamette Week that she estimates around 1,000 people were on Slaughterhouse Island over the weekend, with “60 houseboats plus some patio boats.” Trash isn’t particularly unusual after a “Shasta weekend,” but Swanson said the amount left behind this time was striking.

“What was different about this one,” Swanson told The Oregonian, “is they left behind an incredible amount of trash.”

According to the Willamette Week, the Forest Service wasn’t initially aware of the party and subsequent aftermath, rather, they came across the photos on social media. Park rangers found:

Between 90 and 100 abandoned tents were found on the island, along with sleeping bags, air mattresses, personal belongings, food and “of course alcohol.”

By Sunday, the park had picked up 10 yards of garbage and still had more to clean up. Videos from local news stations show park rangers loading the garbage into a special military boat in order to haul it away.

Though “Shasta weekends” are unofficial trips, unsanctioned by the University of Oregon, the university took the rare step of commenting on the situation. In a statement from Robin Holmes, Vice President for Student Life, the university condemned the behavior:

The manner in which the Shasta-Trinity forest area was left is disgraceful. Trips to this area have become an annual event for fraternities and sororities all along the West Coast.

It is one the University of Oregon does not sponsor or condone in any way.

The university is actively investigating the situation and will take action as appropriate. We are working with authorities to learn all we can and determine who is responsible.

One national fraternity organization, Lambda Chi Alpha, has taken the commendable step of suspending all of its UO chapter’s activities until the situation is addressed. We hope other national organizations will follow their lead.

In a statement on the Facebook page, Oregon’s Lambda Chi Alpha said they were investigating the incident:

The Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity is guided by seven core values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service & Stewardship, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. Unfortunately, the individuals who committed the destruction to Lake Shasta recently seen on social media did not uphold these values. We are partnering with the University of Oregon, and the International Headquarters of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, to investigate this situation. We will, in no uncertain terms, hold the individuals who did this accountable.

[...]

Until the investigation into this matter is complete, and all disciplinary actions have been implemented, effective immediately there will be no Chapter activities of any kind. We are taking this seriously and are working to come through this showing our alumni, our university, and our community exactly what it means to be a Lambda Chi Alpha Brother.

As for the rangers at Lake Shasta, they continue to clean up the mess left behind. Swanson said that, in addition to the spot documented on social media, the rangers found another garbage-strewn site on Monday. She also said that law enforcement was involved (dumping in state parks is illegal) but it’s unlikely that arrests will be made.

The park hopes to have the area cleaned and ready for Memorial Day. No word on whether or not Lambda Chi Alpha, or the other houses involved, will pay for clean up and damages.

Images via Facebook/Jennifer Vick Cox.

A new documentary about “pup play,” the (often though not always sexual) act of dressing and inhabiting the role of a dog while another person takes on the role of handler or trainer, is about to be unleashed on Great Britain’s Channel 4, bringing new focus to a subculture that—according to some members—is ready to go mainstream.

Nell Frizzell at The Guardian explains:

Secret Life of the Human Pups is a sympathetic look at the world of pup play, a movement that grew out of the BDSM community and has exploded in the last 15 years as the internet made it easier to reach out to likeminded people. While the pup community is a broad church, human pups tend to be male, gay, have an interest in dressing in leather, wear dog-like hoods, enjoy tactile interactions like stomach rubbing or ear tickling, play with toys, eat out of bowls and are often in a relationship with their human “handlers.”

In the documentary, viewers are introduced to Tom, a theater engineer, whose relationship with his fiancée Rachel (pictured up top), ended after he realized his pup identity and moved into a relationship with his trainer, Colin.

“I wouldn’t say it was the catalyst [of our breakup], but it was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he tells The Guardian. “Then I had this moment of panic because a puppy without a collar is a stray; they don’t have anyone to look after them. I started chatting to Colin online and he offered to look after me. It’s a sad thing to say, but there’s not love from the heart in me for Colin–but what I have got is someone who is there for me and I’m happy with that.”

While pup play isn’t a new phenomenon, its previous existence has mostly been behind closed doors—either at home, in chat rooms, or in private clubs. (“Members of my pack, we spend a lot of time together at home just being dogs,” explains a human pup named Kaz. “There’s nine of us and my partner is our handler. A big part of it is a feeling of family and belonging; we’re there to look after each other.”)

But as the world becomes increasingly open to a wider range of sexual identities, some human pups are looking for broader acceptance.

“It feels like you can be gay, straight, bisexual, trans and be accepted,” says Tom. “All I want is for the pup community to be accepted in the same way. We’re not trying to cause grief to the public, or cause grief to relationships. We’re just the same as any other person on the high street.”

So what, according to human pups, is the appeal of pup play? For some, like Tom, it’s about freedom, fun, and animal instinct:

“You’re not worrying about money, or food, or work. It’s just the chance to enjoy each other’s company on a very simple level.”

For others, like Kaz, it’s about expressing one’s true canine identity:

“Even when I worked in PC World I would sometimes walk up to people and nip at their shirt. I got in trouble once; someone walked into the PC repair centre and I had part of their dad’s computer in my mouth. But the other staff knew I was like that to everyone. They didn’t find it weird.”

At home, he eats out of a dog bowl:

“It’s just nice, it makes me feel comfortable...But I always eat with a knife and fork and at a table. Otherwise it’s time-consuming and you can’t watch TV.”

Dogs do love their stories.

Secret Life of the Human Pups premieres in the U.K. on Channel 4, May 25 at 10pm.

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Image via Richard Ansett/Channel 4.

We were warned that the CW treatment of the beloved Archie comics would be “surprising and subversive,” but some of the new series’ plot points revealed at their upfront are pretty grim. For starters, Archie is Pacey Wittering it up with music teacher, Ms. Grundy.

Slashfilm shared the pilot’s official synopsis, and these kids are facing some serious challenges including DUN DUN DUN murder:

As a new school year begins, the town of Riverdale is reeling from the recent, tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom — and nothing feels the same… Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) is still the all-American teen, but the summer’s events made him realize that he wants to pursue a career in music — not follow in his dad’s footsteps—despite the sudden end of his forbidden relationship with Riverdale’s young music teacher, Ms. Grundy (Sarah Habel). Which means Archie doesn’t have anyone who will mentor him — certainly not singer Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray), who is only focused on her band, the soon-to-be-world-famous Pussycats. It’s all weighing heavily on Archie’s mind — as is his fractured friendship with budding writer and fellow classmate Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse). Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) is anxious to see her crush Archie after being away all summer, but she’s not quite ready to reveal her true feelings to him. And Betty’s nerves – which are hardly soothed by her overbearing mother Alice (Mädchen Amick) aren’t the only thing holding her back.

Vulture reports that though the details are reminiscent of a number of prior teen dramas, including Dawson’s Creek, the show is freaking subversive af according to stars Lilli Reinhart, Cole Sprouse, and KJ Apa:

“I think that it’s definitely a lot darker and more subversive,” Apa said. “We’ve been saying it’s not the same as the comics that you’ve been reading. It’s a lot darker. We can’t really compare it to anything on TV.”

“Betty’s mother is giving her Adderall and things like that,” said Reinhart. “They’re dealing with very real-world problems.”

“While it might look super risqué to the people who first started reading the Archie comics,” Sprouse said, “it’s going to be familiar and real and honest to people who are our age and the people who are going to be a little younger and dealing with these issues, and that’s why it’s important and fundamental that this stuff keeps it alive.”

Adderall? That explains how the Riverdale gang had the energy for so many sock hops.

Image via Twitter.

He was 51. [ more › ]

While the fine cuts of meat may get all the attention at Belcampo, barman Josh Goldman's innovative craft cocktails at the butcher shop's Santa Monica restaurant also deserve their day in the sun. Belcampo recently debuted Goldman's new spring cocktail menu, and it's filled with drinks will blow your mind. Goldman...

Pioneertown has evolved over the years to become a colorful desert escape for music fans, artists and adventurers seeking a desert refuge. [ more › ]

After 71 years with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Jane Little gave her final performance on Sunday, dying at the end of a performance of the song "There's No Business Like Show Business." She was 87.

Jane Little, the world’s longest-playing orchestra musician, has died at age 87: https://t.co/8xIblV6OdI pic.twitter.com/nW4nRhx6dI

— Us Weekly (@usweekly) May 16, 2016

Little held the record for longest professional tenure with one symphony. She made her debut as a bassist with the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra (later the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) at the age of 16 on Feb. 4, 1945. Little told Atlanta Magazine she wanted to become a ballerina, but her feet "just weren't right," and after scoring high on a musical aptitude test in high school, was urged to become a bassist. "Within a month, I was hooked," she said. "I loved it. It was awfully difficult to push those heavy strings down, and to carry the instrument around, but I just loved it."

When she learned about Frances Darger's record with the Utah Symphony — retiring in 2012 after 70 years — Little decided she wanted to break it, The Washington Post reports, and she did so in February. After hitting that milestone, she said she planned to retire at the end of the season, wanting to spend time at her house in North Carolina. Little had been undergoing chemotherapy for multiple myeloma, and she told friends she had been feeling a bit under the weather. When she collapsed onstage, orchestra members carried her backstage, and she never regained consciousness. "Hollywood could not have scripted it better," Paul Murphy, orchestra's associate principal viola, told The Post. Her husband, Warren Little, died in 2002.

A seller on the New Zealand auction site Trade Me is offering an erotic eggplant for sale. As of this morning, the bidding is at over $100.

The length of the eggplant clocks in at an impressive seven inches with a four-inch circumference, according to the New Zealand Herald, which refers to the eggplant as a “phallic vegetable” for some reason.

Mashable reports:

The unnamed user from Waikato, New Zealand said the auction was just for a laugh. It all started when his father found the bizarre object growing in their vegetable patch and picked it last Wednesday.

According to the seller, his dad “thought it was hilarious, and my wife and I found it pretty funny too.”

First posted to the auction site on Saturday, the eggplant’s bidding has been robust. The seller says profits will go to the New Zealand Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Hmm, what would you do with this erotic eggplant?

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Image screenshot via Trade Me

The internet can’t get enough of this high schooler’s epic “Coming to America” prom dress

Jimelle Levon, an 18-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, is taking prom fashion to a whole new level. He designed a Coming to America inspired dress for his date, as well as a matching blazer for himself, and people are capital “O” OBSESSED.

Rockin @jimellelevon to prom, shirt made by me not Kanye ✔️

A photo posted by تهةثممث (@jimellelevon) on May 18, 2016 at 2:11pm PDT

Making the dress was no joke. Jimelle explains the painstaking process of creating the dress in another post on Instagram (also featured is a bonus photo of Vanessa Bell Calloway in the original for reference):

The process. Each flower hand cut out, placed and sewn while on her body. 18 year old fashion designer✂️ designed by me @jimellelevon

A photo posted by تهةثممث (@jimellelevon) on May 14, 2016 at 8:44pm PDT

Sewn while on her body? SLAY.

On his website, which showcases some of his other designs for his more casual line Koldkut, he explains how he got into fashion design:

“I’ve been designing for four years now. I started off painting shoes and distressing jean shorts, then expanded from there. I have never taken any classes or been taught how to sew. I am a self taught artist.”

How amazing is this dress though?!

#comingtoamerica #prom2k16 18 year old designer

A photo posted by تهةثممث (@jimellelevon) on May 14, 2016 at 8:14am PDT

Here are some of his other designs from this prom season:

I killed this dress lol #Prom2k16 #18yodesigner

A photo posted by تهةثممث (@jimellelevon) on Apr 22, 2016 at 5:36pm PDT

A photo posted by تهةثممث (@jimellelevon) on May 6, 2016 at 3:42pm PDT

Oh yea she comin' lol. Dress custom made by yours truly ✂️

A photo posted by تهةثممث (@jimellelevon) on Apr 29, 2016 at 4:20pm PDT

We wish we knew Jimelle when we were in high school!

The post The internet can’t get enough of this high schooler’s epic “Coming to America” prom dress appeared first on HelloGiggles.

They said it couldn't be done. An emo revival, ha. And yet here we are with new songs from Brand New and Dashboard Confessional all in the same week. It's okay not to be okay. DC have quietly returned after a seven-year hiatus with their first new song since 2009's Alter the Ending, and they've done so acoustically, with the spring-appropriate "May." It comes with zero news of a new album (Chris has been writing, though!) and ahead of a new tour with — get this — Taking Back Sunday, Saves the Day, and Saosin. Yup, our teen hearts are beating pretty fast right about now. Have you missed Chris Carrabba wailing on about sentimental things? Wanna see him do all that in black and white? Hands down, you are Taylor Swift and you're gonna love this.

As previously established with our look back at the classic lifestyle guide, Jane Seymour’s Guide to Romantic Living, the 1980s were a time of much ado about romance and relationships. Another curious illustration: The May 11, 1983 “smooch-a-thon” to defend a Guinness world record for longest kiss.

http://pictorial.jezebel.com/jane-seymour-s...

“We know the secrets of kissing,” participant Barbara Kane informed UPI, explaining that, “Position has everything to do with success.” She and her kissing buddy Dino DeLorean had previously achieved a world record with a six-day kiss. But then they were challenged to go for ten straight days by a pair of college students, and somebody decided the best venue was “a chaise lounge outside ‘Only Hearts,’ a Manhattan boutique.” (The rules didn’t require absolutely continuous lip-to-lip contact; there were scheduled restroom-and-protein-drink breaks.)

“People ask me if I have been picking up weights with my lips,” said DeLorean, who admitted he had not.

The pair were not actually a couple, and their activities occasionally caused a little trouble in the romantic department:

But Mrs. Kane and DeLorean, both actors from Los Angeles, decided to meet the challenge in the window of the boutique, although she said the first time they did it her husband was upset when he saw television clips of her and Dino kissing. ‘It took a while, but he calmed down,’ she said.

Said DeLorean, ‘I had a girlfriend going into the contest. I didn’t going out. I guess she didn’t trust me and told me to ‘kiss-off!’’

Ultimately, they went for 21 days—after relocating proceedings to a nearby radio station when the crowd got too distracting for their host boutique.

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Photo via AP Images.

In less than a decade, it may be possible for a person to live in San Francisco, commute to work in Los Angeles, and go to lunch in Las Vegas, without having to hop on an airplane or sit in traffic in a car.

Congrats to LA based #Hyperloop One on a successful tech test this AM! https://t.co/UMaDRx6Wf4 #TheFutureIsHappening pic.twitter.com/9YrQD6rmjJ

— Mayor of Los Angeles (@MayorOfLA) May 11, 2016

Hyperloop One is one of two companies striving to realize Elon Musk's dream of a super fast transportation system using tubes, magnets, and pods, and on Wednesday, Hyperloop One held its first open-air test of its propulsion system in the desert outside of Las Vegas. A metal sled was sent down a short track, going from 0 to 53 miles per hour in one second, CNET reports, and the successful launch was met with cheers.

Hyperloop One's hyperloop network would consist of several tubes that connect major cities to each other. Pods, which would carry cargo or 10 to 30 passengers, would go inside the tubes, depressurized to eliminate most air resistance. Magnets would help the pods reach speeds of up to 700 mph, although engineers say passenger-filled pods would accelerate at the same rate as a private jet, so people could eat, drink, and chat comfortably. The company wants to have the system up and running for cargo as early as 2019, and for passengers by 2021, and will hold a full-scale test at the end of the year. Watch the video below to get a better idea of how you might be traveling not too far down the road.

A man from Oregon who bought a $300 clay jug thingy at an estate sale was told during an episode of Antiques Roadshow that it was worth $50,000. Turns out, it’s not...

In actuality, the uh, interesting looking artwork is a piece of clay a high schooler named Betsy Soule sculpted in the ’70s. When the buyer, Alvin Barr, asked for an appraisal from found-object expert Stephen L. Fletcher for PBS’s Antiques Roadshow, it was estimated to be worth $50,000.

In the episode (beautifully titled “Grotesque Face Jug”), which aired last year, Fletcher called the jug “bizarre and wonderful” and made a Picasso comparison. Mashable reports:

He estimated the piece was made in the late 19th or early 20th century, and valued it at around $50,000.

“What?” shouted Barr, understandably.

Unfortunately for both Barr and Fletcher, these estimates were a little off the mark. The jug was actually made in the early 1970s — not by a professional potter, but by horse trainer Betsy Soule in her high school ceramics class.

Heh. Whoops.

“It was covered with dirt and straw,” Barr told Fletcher in the episode. “Looked like some chicken droppings were on it. It was very dirty. I had to have it.”

The jug’s creator, Soule, got hip to the clay mishap when a friend who saw the Antiques Roadshow episode alerted her about “that weird pot you made” being featured on the show.

Roadshow has corrected the error, listing its appraised price as $3,000–$5,000, which is still too much money.

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Image via PBS

There's a Sweet new wedding cake trend going around, you guys, and it totally rocks.

(By Intricate Icings Cake Design)

Geode cakes!

This is the one that went viral a little while back, and it's easy to see why. Soooo sparkly.

 

Ah, but check this drama out:

(By Three Tiers For Cake)

The rock veining, the gold leaf, the gold fox toppers? IT'S ALL WORKIN'.

 

And hey, who knew rock candy could look that elegant? Now I want someone to dip those stretchy candy necklaces in gold leaf and drape them over a champagne flute. Yeah. You guys get on that.

Speaking of rock candy, here's a fun ombre option:

(By Bridget Thibeault)

 

What's that? You want to see this in green?

(By Ettore's)

BOOM.

 

Geode toppers (also edible!) seem to be popular for smaller cakes:

(By Dhanya's Delights)

 

Or I also like this option:

(By Alana Jones-Mann)

 

Not exactly a geode, but check out this one with slices of rose quartz:

(By A Squad Bake Shop)

I'm resisting the urge to make a Steven Universe reference here, you guys. Just me?

 

Oooh, or how about this one with a crazy realistic Malachite inlay:

(By Ruze Cake House)

How??

 

But let's get back to geodes:

(By Sainte G.)

'Cuz those crystals on top are awesome. A real Fortress of Solitude vibe, am I right?

(Yes, that's another geek reference. WHAT.)

 

Another "WOW" moment, coming up:

(By Whisk Cake Company)

WOW.

 

And finally, my favorite geode of them all:

(By Sophia Fox)

Pink sparkly hearts, a watercolor fade, and gold leaf trim? YES PLEASE.

 

Hope you guys enjoyed your Sunday Sweets on the rocks! Happy Sunday!

*****

Thank you for using our Amazon links to shop! USA, UK, Canada.

Such a pity.

Courtney Stodden is pregnant with her first child, she revealed to Us Weekly after a video circulated to media outlets showing the 21-year-old with a positive pregnancy test. Stodden’s husband Doug Hutchison, 55, appears to be filming his wife in their bathroom.

“Alright, here’s the first [line],” Stodden says as shakes the pregnancy test.

“Come on, here we go honey,” Hutchison says in the background.

The video cuts to Stodden sitting on a toilet with the positive test in her hand.

Her husband asks, “Honey? Honey, how you feeling?”

She responds, “A little overwhelmed” and the video ends.

“It’s a bittersweet time for me right now,” she told Us Weekly. “I’m dealing with a lot of stress and emotions surrounding life and its ups and downs. Doug and I weren’t planning on going public with this so soon. I’m only four weeks along in my pregnancy. But some things are out of your control.”

The source claims the video was sent to “[Stodden’s] closest friends and family.”

Courtney’s mother was asked how she felt about it and said, “If it wasn’t for media I would not get to know the news about my daughter’s pregnancy. If this is accurate this will make grandchild number five. If she is happy, I am happy for her. It would be nice to experience this with her but as it still stands her and I are still not speaking. I did not even hear from her on Mother’s Day. I was blessed to be able to celebrate it with my other two girls. Courtney is still missing from our family. I pray for her everyday.”

There is no way that baby is Doug’s. No chance. I think Courtney probably thinks now she has to make a decision whether to stay in the marriage she hates or make a break for it.

A bison calf at Yellowstone National Park was euthanized after foreign tourists thought it was cold and put it in their SUV.

Yellowstone bison calf euthanized after father & son brought it in car, thinking it was cold https://t.co/JFZIIzF7fE pic.twitter.com/vNVQy5Yd30

— CNN (@CNN) May 16, 2016

The calf was released but was ultimately rejected by the herd, and was euthanized after being "abandoned and causing a dangerous situation by continually approaching people and cars along the roadway," the National Park Service said in a statement Monday. Witnesses said that last week, a father and son told a park ranger they captured the bison and put it in their SUV because it appeared to be cold, NBC News reports. They were later ticketed.

Visitors to Yellowstone must stay at least 25 yards away from bison, elk, and deer, and 360 feet away from bears and wolves. The National Park Service is using this sad incident to remind people that these are wild animals, and are very protective of their young. "Approaching wild animals can drastically affect their well-being and, in this case, their survival," the service said.

When you see the finished design of this 170 square meter (approx. 1829 square foot) home in Madrid, you’d never believe where they started from (see before images below). Egue y Seta took this old 1950’s home from outdated and dismal to a welcoming space for a young couple with children. A live-in tale in Madrid, as the project is called, is half of a duplex that’s split over three staggered floors with a gabled roof on top.

Under the gabled roof on the top floor, there’s the playroom with a bookcase and a suspended net to hang out and read in when they want to relax.

Up a set of stairs is a guest bedroom separated from the main area by glass.

On the main floor, they’ve installed wall-to-wall custom bookcases that were brought from the family’s previous home.

The dining table came from a 19th century French farmhouse bringing along lots of character for the room.

The kitchen was designed to be practical and comfortable, and features white cabinets, grey concrete floors, and warm wood furniture.

The master bedroom is lit via skylights and windows that let the sunlight enter to bounce off the all-white walls and ceiling.

In the master bathroom, two bowl sinks are arranged to face a window instead of mirrors.

Before:

Photos by VICUGO FOTO.

Apparently the producers at KTLA decided that meteorologist Liberte Chan needed some shaming on Saturday. While Liberte was doing the weather report, the station received some e-mails. No one will reveal how many. It was probably one. The e-mails were about Liberte’s dress. The e-mailer believed no bare shoulders should ever be shown on television because they lived in the 1900’s. Instead of waiting until after Liberte finished her report, producers decided to interrupt the report and force Liberte to put on a sweater and cover her bare shoulders. From now on, all female reporters at KTLA are instructed to show no more skin than a Duggar at church. Liberte handled the whole thing great.

An army vet who woke up after being in a coma for 48 days had one thing on his mind: Taco Bell.

Jake Booth, 35, from Florida, caught a case of bronchitis in February that later developed into double pneumonia. Things worsened after Jake was sent to the hospital, where he had a heart attack, slipped into a coma and didn’t wake up for 48 days.

USA Today reports:

When he did, to the surprise of his family and his neurologists, he knew who he was, understood where he was and recognized his 6-year-old daughter, Eva, and his 1-year-old son, Aiden. He struggled to speak — and still struggles to speak — due to the lingering effects of intubation and a tracheotomy, but as soon as he could form sounds into words, he made a request.

“I want Taco Bell,” Jake said.

Jake’s friend Jason Schwartz says, “We’d all been waiting an entire month for him to eat those tacos. It was symbolic of the entire thing — more of a metaphor of him having woken up and being given a second chance at life.”

The Taco Bell request was essentially a sign that Jake was his normal self. Jake couldn’t actually eat solid foods for 22 days, after which he was able to take a nice bite out of several crunchy tacos from Taco Bell. Jake was elated and is alive after eating the Taco Bell.

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Image screengrab via Now This

There are flying fish and flying squirrels, but you won't find too many flying turtles outside of Super Mario Bros. You might imagine Nicole Marie Bjanes' surprise, then, when a turtle came crashing through her windshield while she was driving down Interstate 4 in Deltona, Florida.

The turtle actually became airborne in the first place after being hit by a different car, according to troopers who spoke with Fox 9. The critter then rocketed through Bjanes' windshield and landed on her dash. Bjanes was treated for minor cuts.

And the turtle? They apparently have shells for a reason — it survived the incident fine.

So unchill. [ more › ]

Last year we fawned over agabag’s handbags made from LEGO bricks. Now, they’ve taken it a step further by incorporating gold-plated bricks into the bag designs while also adding jewelry to the line.

After spending months working on getting the gold-plated bricks right, they finally made it happen by doing the process in three stages at three different facilities. The resulting brick has a thin layer of 24k gold that still allows the bricks to be stacked and connected, while still keeping it pretty durable for wear.

If you’re interested in purchasing, check out their Etsy site here.

He started collecting Macs when he was 10.

It's official: FX announced that it has begun script development on Mayans MC, a new drama centering on the Latino biker gang from Oakland seen in Sons of Anarchy. The commitment confirms that the spinoff reported last year is definitely a go, despite the short-lived The Bastard Executioner. But in case you're worried that Mayans MC would be a white guy writing about Latino culture, don't fret! Sutter is partnering up with Elgin James, a filmmaker best known for his film Little Birds. "I wanted to find a strong, unique Latino voice. Because I didn't think a white guy from Jersey should be writing about Latin culture and traditions," Sutter said in a statement. "Elgin is that voice." Sutter and James are co-creators and executive producers, and James will pen the script about a "dark, visceral family drama." Sounds very on-brand.

It's time to embrace the shrug.

Looking for a seriously stunning and interesting ring to carry around a teeny tiny world on your finger? Canadian designer Isabell Kiefhaber of Secret Wood is creating wooden rings with resin, beeswax, and other materials to capture wearable little landscapes. They're both of this world and totally out of this world. You're going to want to see more of these rings.

Spy the rings below to see absolutely gorgeous scenes of tiny forests, Aurora Borealis-inspired skies, forests, waterfalls, and lagoons. they're all slightly different since they're all handmade to order (with a four to five-week wait — likely worth it based on these designs!). Let's ogle the designs and wish they were ours, shall we?

We also hear a rumor that they're going to start making pendants as well. Matching engagement ring + pendant combo incoming!

Want to see the rest of the collection of wooden rings? They're available to order here. Would you wear one of these as your engagement ring?

h/t My Modern Met

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Here we are, friends, Week 2 of me being vegan. I promised I’d keep everyone updated on my progress even though they were like, ‘No, please, you don’t have to it’s fine!’ But I insist. So, here goes, my update on being vegan: It sucks!

I’ve lost 3 pounds, have loads more energy and all the acne around my mouth has cleared up. My hair is shinier and my skin has lost that dullness that was making me look like a tired burn-out. I’m less bloated, sleeping better and my BMs are like a Japanese bullet train: fast, regular and just the right amount of scary. I’m also miserable and cranky and depressed and being vegan sucks and I wish I hadn’t been so publicly smug about it because now I hate it and want to quiiiit.

I would take double the mouth acne for one Cheeto right now. That’s right Cheetos aren’t vegan. You think, “Sure I could live without steaks,” and forget that ALMOST NOTHING is steaks and ALMOST EVERYTHING has some kind of animal in it. God, every part of a cow tastes so good it’s like they WANT us to make food out of them and all their juices.

And please, don’t tell me about all the ‘awesome’ meat/animal substitutes on the market. I’ve tried them all, most recently every vegan cheese available at Whole Foods. Here’s a fun fact: vegan cheese doesn’t taste like cheese, not even a little. It can maybe pass when it’s hidden deep in pizza, covered with tons of other flavorful stuff. But you can’t eat slices of vegan cheese the way you can eat slices of deli American straight out of the brown paper wrapping at midnight OH GOD that was my favorite thing to do and it’s gone now and I can’t recant after only 2 weeks or everyone will make so much fun of me.

WHY did I tell my whole office I was going vegan? “You’ll never last,” they said, “It will be just like when you were going to ride your bike to work every day.” And I winked and said, “You know best, don’t you Lani?” I was such a sarcastic little shit and Lani was right and now I can never eat anything but goddamn weeds for lunch until I quit or die or kill Lani.

So, that’s how it’s going. I’m not happy and feel trapped between my pride and my physical desires. It’s a lot like when I told my whole office I was going to be celibate for a year and Lani was like, “But you love to fuck, you’ll never last!” Also I’m realizing now that our office is too friendly with each other. And I want to eat a stick of pepperoni like it’s a Slim Jim.

 

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