Major kernel

Over 200 pieces of candy corn fall in a perfect domino-like spiral for a sweet little Halloween trick.

Plus the definitive pseudo-scientific Halloween candy power ranking, as best FiveThirtyEight could muster.

Finally, give him a hand but don't ask why someone wondered what Hamburger Helper's skeleton looks like.

"I base most of my fashion taste on what doesn't itch." -- Gilda Radner

Cut the gourd

Impressive timelapse video of an artist carving Wonder Woman into a detailed pumpkin masterpiece.


And a Hungarian puli dog dressed as a mop stole the show at the recent annual Mainstrasse Paw-Rade in Covington, Kentucky.

"All men are equal before fish." -- Herbert Hoover

Battle of the midway

A little late in the year, but former NASA-JPL engineer Mark Rober engagingly explores the science of carnival game scams and a few tips on how to win (or at least not lose).


And Matt Shirley tries to make a whiteboard chart every day to amuse and entertain.

A post shared by Matt Shirley (@mattsurelee) on Oct 24, 2017 at 4:30pm PDT

"You must lose a fly to catch a trout." -- George Herbert

Scare and scare alike

Probably the most frightening thing about this year's round of Halloween news bloopers is the sheer number of them, though some (like the ones in haunted houses) aren't half bad. But they didn't stop there -- they already have a sequel, news bloopers #2, which is a whole other trove.


And from your friends at xkcd, a perspective on research risks, from molasses storage on up to genetic engineering.

"Fear is the lengthened shadow of ignorance." -- Arnold Glasow

Sad little clouds

Amazing the result when this Kamikaze attack detonates ammunition aboard a Navy ship. (10x mr. g)


And this toner explosion is still probably better than a "PC Load Letter" error.

pic.twitter.com/mFGYsPZDZy

— cursed images (@Cursedlmages) October 23, 2017

"When all else is lost, the future still remains." -- Christian Nestell Bovee

Carving artist

Imagine the tons of work that went into this stop-motion animation created by carving a zillion pumpkins.


And some of the creepiest book covers of all time, according to LitHub. Open if you dare.

"If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it." -- Lucy Larcom

Take a mulligan

Golfers, non-golfers, and ethicists alike might enjoy this quick recounting of "The Golfer's Dilemma" by comedian Gary Mule Deer.


And 29 mildly amusing B.S. things people say (and what they actually mean).

"Laws control the lesser man. Right conduct controls the greater one." -- Chinese Proverb

Miles of tiles

These seemingly impossible unconventional domino tricks aren't your father's boring old stacks a'fallin'.


And would someone please explain this nerdly humor for the mathematically-minded to me?.

"Pure mathematics is the magician's real wand." -- Novalis

Art of the deal

Blind card magician Richard Turner wows Penn and Teller with his amazing skills.


And why not test out your flipbook animation on a power drill? (See more of Federico Tobon's work on his Instagram.)

"God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest." -- J.G. Holland

Qualified quality

Proof positive that petting your dog is just about the most relaxing thing you can possibly do.


And a map of Americans' well-being, according to a new Gallup poll.

"A dog is so often the answer -- when you're lonely and need company, or when you're tired of company and need lonely." -- Robert Brault

College try

Precision Shooter from nevertellmetheodds

Precision shooter's impressive pong skills are a testament to the value of a college education.


And this math question isn't really all that complicated, is it?

Math gets complicated! from funny

"A place where pebbles are polished and diamonds are dimmed." -- Robert G. Ingersoll

Small favors

Japanese maker Okawa Kagu has produced a line of high quality, miniature furniture just for cats. And since they're versions of actual human-size pieces, you and your felines can have matching sets.


And dare to dream big. [courtesy of Cliff Pickover]

This image, widely circulating on the Web, is titled "Dream Big." pic.twitter.com/RrNi8VObli

— Cliff Pickover (@pickover) October 19, 2017

"Insight is the first condition of Art." -- George Henry Lewes

Longshot

Fan’s paper airplane scores a goal from the stands at Wembley from nevertellmetheodds

Whatever it's called, a fan's paper airplane somehow scores a goal from the stands at Wembley Stadium. (thanks mr. g)


And 10 other things you didn't know had names in the English language.

"Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered." -- William Shakespeare

Smoke break

I'm not sure what's going on here, but looks like the driver decides to chill and vape after a few unsuccessful attempts to get the car up a tow ramp.


And other things that don't make much sense, translation fails from all the world over.

"It has always been my rule never to smoke when asleep, and never to refrain when awake." -- Mark Twain

Tourist trap

Harsh-but-hilarious trick, this fake cracking effect on a near-4,000-foot high glass skywalk.

Also deceptive, a confusing-yet-creative Halloween costume costume idea.

"I used to sell furniture for a living. The trouble was, it was my own." -- Les Dawson

Semi solid

Watch and learn from this skilled truck driver, who shows us how parking a big rig is done.


And a print of the Beatles' "Hey Jude" lyrics printed as a flowchart.

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." -- Jimmy Dean

Fine lines

Kasey Golden wondered, "How small can I draw?" and whether muscle memory would scale down to smaller and smaller pieces of paper. Amazingly, looks like it does.

And we know them when we see them, but how well can people draw famous logos from memory?

"I have memories — but only a fool stores his past in the future." -- David Gerrold

Beanball

Epic match point in a sport that seems likely to end in someone cracking a skull, losing an eye, or else just coming away from it dumber than when he started. (thanks mr. g)


And found on someone's mother's Facebook page -- gifts for any age.

"The breakfast of champions is not cereal, it's the opposition." -- Nick Seitz

Brand procession

There're more real people involved in the name origins of 30 popular alcohol brands than you might think.


And forget Mezcal -- you need this muy costoso gin that has an old motorcycle part in the bottle.

"Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water." -- W.C. Fields

Public outburst

Some self-aggrandizing Einstein at a gas station won't put out his cigarette, so the attendant takes matters into his own hands with a fire extinguisher.


And this jolly fellow has a laugh so contagious, it gets the chickens going.

"Eventually you come to realize that most people aren't looking for a fight but for someone to surrender to." -- Robert Brault

Shorts jockey

Watch Silvio Sabba break his own Guinness World Record by jumping into 13 pairs of skivvies in 30 seconds. And they said he was past his prime and ready to retire...


And amazing how graphs and an opera soundtrack can make mundane tasks gripping to watch.

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." -- Milton Berle

Strike one

Genius tries to teach a car a lesson by punching it as it rolls down the freeway, but gets TKO'd.


And check this artist's nail-art self-portraits, the stuff of salon nightmares.

A post shared by Dain Yoon 윤다인 (@designdain) on Sep 11, 2017 at 8:52am PDT

"The man who strikes first admits that his ideas have given out." -- Chinese Proverb

By the sane token

What a way to ride the NYC subway -- clinging to the outside -- in this video posted by Instagram user @subwaycreatures.


And something Big Apple-ish that's a little less stressful... Skyline Chess is bringing the iconic architecture of the New York City skyline to a chess board near you. Your move.

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go." -- William Feather

Looking for answers

Interesting concept... comments from people who think Google's Facebook page is the search engine made into a song. (And you might also really, really, really like this ditty.)


Also, this alleged underwater Afghan hound doing the dog paddle looks like Cousin It floating through the ether.

This underwater afghan hound is the funniest thing I've seen in my life via @klarna pic.twitter.com/ORKEeV9oLx

— Spooky Dogfriend (@GrrlGhost) September 27, 2017

"If you cannot be a poet, be the poem." -- David Carradine

Piece of the action

Admirable effort in "Grand Theft Lego" to bring GTA-style action to the plastic building block world.


And a more-or-less polar opposite, Short Trip is a scenic tram simulator (that you control via arrow keys), with every detail hand-drawn by Alexander Perrin.

Hello! My web-based, hand-drawn scenic tram simulator 'Short Trip' is now in service. Take a 5 minute ride at https://t.co/2FpH1tR7aU pic.twitter.com/JG1FUyR7tE

— Alexander Perrin (@alexanderperrin) September 24, 2017

"Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived." -- Abraham Lincoln