As someone who gets winded walking up the stairs, I deeply admire athletes. And as someone with a serious binge-watching problem, I admire athletes who also happen to perform stunts on hit TV shows even more. You might not know Jessie Graff’s name, but if you’ve watched “Supergirl” on CBS, you’ve definitely seen her work. This stuntwoman and all-around force to be reckoned with recently broke a record at the qualifiers for “American Ninja Warrior” by becoming the first woman to conquer the show’s new Warped Wall obstacle. If seeing her in action isn’t girl power at its finest, then I don’t know what is. My favorite part of this whole thing (aside from her killer outfit) is listening to the announcers freak out at every turn. So who wants to be my gym buddy? I clearly have some work to do. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/supergirl-ninja/
Samsung and Apple have been going head-to-head with claims on the Galaxy SIII and the iPhone 5, respectively. But until now, neither has been able to answer one question: Will it blend? In this stress test by Blendtec, it appears that Samsung has an edge. The Galaxy SIII holds out longer than the iPhone 5 — something to consider if you plan to put either in a Blendtec blender. In the end, though, both end up as a pile of dust. Perhaps the only question about this video is, what took Blendtec so long? Well, it just so happens that Blendtec PR manager Tim Provost and company founder Tom Dickson were in Australia when the iPhone 5 hit. Though you can buy an iPhone 5 Down Under (Woz did), the two waited until they got back to the U.S. to put the iPhone 5 through the company’s rigorous stress test. For the uninitiated, Blendtec has gotten more than 200 million views on YouTube for its various “Will it blend?” video challenges. Blending the iPhone seems to be a favorite, though. The brand’s most-viewed video is a “Will it blend?” with the original iPhone in 2007. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/16/iphone-5-will-it-blend/
What is it about fire that has humans so mesmerized? Ever since its discovery, we’ve harnessed it for useful…and useless things. From setting 6,000 matches on fire to this video of a man lighting a match with another match, there are so many cool things you can do with fire. Then again, you probably shouldn’t try this at home… FIRE. YouTube While it’s totally cool to just watch, it’s also pretty useful if your match isn’t striking against the box! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/match-trick/
Anyone who’s graduated from an American high school has probably had the pleasure of dissecting an animal in biology class. Usually frogs are in the syllabus, but sometimes, the animal of choice is a cat. Typically, these dissections are treated as solemn and respectful affairs. Other times, though, they can go off the rails. That’s what I’d like to think is happening in the video below, which shows a biology class at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas, using the intestines of a cat to play jump rope. Allegedly, the teacher claimed it was to test tensile strength, but I think there are better ways to do that than by hosting a morbid game of jump rope. What’s even crazier is that this isn’t the first time this has happened! As you might imagine, PETA is not happy about what’s going on in this video. They’ve allegedly petitioned the school district to take action against the teacher. So far, as of this writing, district officials are defending the teacher and students. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/biology-class/
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot(‘/37886402/VN_PG_DTBT_ATF’, [728, 90], ‘VN_PG_DTBT_ATF_58097fb58b763’).addService(googletag.pubads()) googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_MB”, “VN_”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_SC”, “VN_ORGN”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_TS”, “TS_D”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_AT”, “VN_ORGN_PG_D_REV_1.0_ASYNC_DEFAULT”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_CC”, “VN_ORGN_D_UNK_118117_A”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_PG”, “1”); googletag.enableServices(); googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DTBT_ATF_58097fb58b763’); }); Though they definitely scare me, I don’t have a huge problem with spiders. However, that doesn’t mean that you’ll see me trying to touch or hold them anytime soon. Okay, I’ve actually held a tarantula once, but the experience was so nerve-racking that I would never consider having one of my own. One woman in Brisbane, Australia, though, couldn’t disagree with me more. Not only does Lisa van Kula Donovan love spiders (and basically all other insects), but she keeps five of them as her beloved pets. Donovan is very hands-on when it comes to her spiders. YouTube / Wannabe Entomologist She even lets them crawl all over her face and head. YouTube / Wannabe Entomologist The way she handles them would freak most people out, but she thinks nothing of it and obviously enjoys it very much. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot(‘/37886402/VN_PG_DCI1_BTF’, [300, 250], ‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF_58097fb58a195’).addService(googletag.pubads()) googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_MB”, “VN_”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_SC”, “VN_ORGN”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_TS”, “TS_D”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_AT”, “VN_ORGN_PG_D_REV_1.0_ASYNC_DEFAULT”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_CC”, “VN_ORGN_D_UNK_118117_A”); googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“NOVA_PG”, “1”); googletag.enableServices(); googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF_58097fb58a195’); }); When she moved to Australia about eight years ago, she fell in love with all the spiders and insects she discovered there. It became such a huge passion that she decided to share her home with some of them. Facebook / Lisa van Kula Donovan Read More: Boy’s KFC Dinner Sent Him To The Hospital…And It Only Gets More Gross From There The largest critter in her collection is a massive female huntsman spider that she affectionately named Cuddles, even though she was bitten by the same kind in the wild. YouTube / Wannabe Entomologist Surprisingly, none of her spiders have ever chomped on her, but she’s well aware that it could happen at any time and isn’t afraid of it. She also has a variety of other creepy-crawlies that she adores as much as if they were her children. Facebook / Lisa van Kula Donovan She even lets her own kids hold some of them — but not any spiders. You have to admit that this one is pretty cute. Read More: Man Enters His Kitchen Only To Find Two Huge Pythons Battling Each Other Although Donovan’s passion may creep people out and disgust them, she doesn’t care. She wouldn’t have her life any other way and is perfectly content with her unusual pets. Facebook / Lisa van Kula Donovan (via The Sun) I applaud her fearlessness when it comes to her pets, but I would never follow in her footsteps. The creepy factor is just way too high for me. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/spider-woman/
You cannot underestimate the bond between a parent and their child, because it’s a connection unlike any other. There’s something about that bond that just can’t be replicated. When this father thought that his son was killed in a chemical bombing, he was understandably devastated. Luckily for him, his son survived, and this is the video of them reuniting. Get ready to break out the tissues. When it comes to emotional highs and lows, this man had to endure the most devastating end of the spectrum. Fortunately for him, he experienced relief in the most profound way. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/son-dad/
Kathryn Prescott stars in MTV’s new drama "Finding Carter." MTV just dropped the trailer for it new family drama, Finding Carter, a show revolves around a girl (Kathryn Prescott) who was abducted as a toddler, raised by her kidnapper, and is returned to her biological family as a teen after learning the truth. (Should this be called Finding Carter or Finding a Therapist?) The show also features Cynthia Watros (Libby from Lost) and Alexis Denisof (Wesley from Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel), who play Carter’s bio parents — and were probably cast to make some genre TV-loving casting director’s dreams come true. We approve. Finding Carter premieres July 8 at 10 p.m. ET and an extended 15-minute preview of the show will be made available on the network’s app starting June 30. Get More:MTV Shows Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/06/11/mtvs-finding-carter-trailer-features-drama-tears-and-wesley-from-buffy/
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire want to hear what you’ve got to say. The two stars unveiled a campaign on Monday called Vote4Stuff. It urges voters to use social media to talk about what issues are most critical to them in the upcoming election. A public service announcement went online Monday, asking: “What stuff is important to you?” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jonah Hill, Zac Efron, Edward Norton and Ellen Degeneres — among others — also appear in the video. Anyone interested can submit their own 30-second video about their biggest concerns going into the election. Then, selected videos — in addition to tweets, photos or posts directed at Vote4Stuff — will be incorporated into the campaign later in the month. The PSA mentions several potential issues to talk about, including jobs, marriage equality, foreign policy, immigration and education. But DiCaprio and the team are encouraging people to be creative. “Hey, knock us out and we’ll put (the video) in,” Norton says in the announcement. What issues matter most to you in this election? Let us know in the comments. Image courtesy of Flickr, Tostie14. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/01/dicaprio-maguire-want-you/
Our next non-fiction selection for the MashableReads social book club is Douglas Rushkoff‘s Present Shock. We’ll be hosting a Twitter chat with Rushkoff on Dec. 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET. You can discuss the book with the author personally, along with other participants from all over the world. In Present Shock, Douglas Rushkoff details our culture’s recent shift from our concentration on thinking toward the future to our obsession with the present through pop culture, social media and work habits. Rushkoff notes how we use smartphone alerts and multi-tasking in an attempt to emulate the productivity rates of machines, but highlights the risk we run of ignoring natural biological cycles in doing so. Far from rejecting new technology, Rushkoff suggests a balanced approach to navigating a connected life that allows us to experience the moment without missing it altogether. Be sure to follow @mashlifestyle to discuss Present Shock, using the hashtag #MashReads during the chat. You can also join our Facebook group to stay updated on MashableReads, and let us know what you think of the book throughout the month. Want to hang out with the author in person? Share your thoughts on the book using the hashtag #MashReads via Vine video, Instagram or Twitter prior to the chat, and we will select 10 people to visit Mashable‘s New York headquarters to meet Douglas Rushkoff and participate in our book club. If you want to get started on Present Shock, you can listen to the first chapter from Audible below. Below, we spoke with Rushkoff about chronobiology, the importance of personal connection and resistance to mobile technology. Q&A with Douglas Rushkoff Mashable: Given your discussion of the active nature of modern entertainment with DVR and channel surfing, I’m curious to hear your thoughts on fantasy sports. Do you think they enhance sports fandom by making participants more likely to watch games because they feel like they’re participating in them, or do you think they cause us to miss out on the moment because we’re checking a box score instead of watching the game? Rushkoff: It always depends who you are and how you’re engaging. Fantasy sports went a long way toward developing the sabermetrics formulas used not only by oddsmakers but general managers in hiring players. So the amateur fantasists ended up creating some of the algorithms that Oakland GM Billy Bean’s statisticians used to win games with less salary money available for star players. As far as downsides, I’m not very concerned with people being distracted from the TV (I mean, who really cares if they’re looking at a different screen, or texting with fellow fans instead of paying attention to the corporate-sponsored game?). What I am more concerned about is the way that “money ball” changes the game itself, as well as the bigger culture of fandom. Everything is done with stats now. Players’ bonuses are based in numbers of wins or strike outs. So in order to save money, managers now pull pitchers from […]
