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Can I get a drumroll, please? It’s time for (in my humble opinion) one of the best recurring features on Bored Panda—a round-up of the best latest photos from the ‘Mildly Interesting’ subreddit. A community with nearly 18.8 million members, r/mildlyinteresting is a haven for original photos of, well, mildly interesting stuff. We’ve been mildly impressed by how friendly and genuinely creative the community is time and time again. And we hope that you’ve been, too, dear Pandas.

Check out their latest top posts below and remember to upvote your fave ones as you’re scrolling down. Oh, and when you’re done, have a look through Bored Panda’s recent posts about the subreddit over here, right here, as well as here. It’s cool. It’s witty. And it’ll improve your week. Mildly.

Photographer Dominic Sberna from Ohio shared his perspective on taking quality pictures and composition with Bored Panda. You'll find his insights into the world of photography below. You'll also find our interview with Cowbeller1, one of the moderators curating the 'Mildly Interesting' subreddit, below.

#2

An Old TV Repurposed Into A Cat Bed For My Cat’s Birthday

An Old TV Repurposed Into A Cat Bed For My Cat’s Birthday

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#3

There Is A House Near Me That Looks Like It’s Out Of A Fairytale

There Is A House Near Me That Looks Like It’s Out Of A Fairytale

reddit.com Report

Redditor Cowbeller1, one of the moderators at r/mildlyinteresting gave us a glance into how some of the most popular posts on the subreddit gain their fame. "A lot of it has to do with luck," they said that fortune plays an important role in photos going viral.

"Maybe you come across something interesting in your day-to-day life and remember to take a picture, maybe you're just lucky enough that something is interesting to the community. No real rhyme or reason aside from that," they shared their opinion.

As for the future, the subreddit plans to do what it does best: remain a stable and unchanging source of entertainment, as well as a cornerstone of Reddit "We will just continue doing the same thing. We've found that being boringly consistent is the best way to remain fair to the community. There haven't been any major changes in a while," moderator Cowbeller1 said.

#4

Locals In Puerto Rico Painted This Mural. They Made Sure To Include The Dog That Chills There Often.

Locals In Puerto Rico Painted This Mural. They Made Sure To Include The Dog That Chills There Often.

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#5

The Petals Of This Camellia Flower

The Petals Of This Camellia Flower

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#6

1930’s Parquet Flooring Restored Today!

1930’s Parquet Flooring Restored Today!

Fallinator95 Report

Photographer Dominic shared that over the past year he's expanded his network and gotten to know even more professional photographers. "Seeing the amount of time and planning some of them do is astounding," he praised his peers. "One such person I know made a 48 hour round trip (driving) to photograph a specific location recently."

According to the photographer, whether a professional relies more on their intuition or plans everything out with regard to the composition of a photo depends on each individual's style of photography. "But for the most part, planning is everything. This means different things to different people, but planning is important. Being instinctive comes down to an individual preference, I suppose, and is a different facet to the plan of attack," Dominic shared that thinking things through is vital to success.

#7

This Bookshelf In Tallinn Airport

This Bookshelf In Tallinn Airport

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iankoch avatar
Ian Koch
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't really like the quote at the end, because I have terrible social skills, and it's kind of like being told to go outside while its freezing out.

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Kristin Ingersoll
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I used to fly often, I loved finishing a book and leaving it on a chair with a sticky note saying it was up for grabs and to enjoy. I must've left 100 books scattered all over the country :)

nicolaroberts avatar
Nicola Roberts
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've seen "take a book, leave a book" in some unusual places, including a Motorbike cafe. This put a smile on my face.

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Violet Smith
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My city is full of free book boxes. People build them and have them at the edge of their yard by the sidewalk. More seem to appear almost weekly. It's awesome.

mjw0sysascend_com avatar
lara
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is magnificent. I have been to Tallinn, it is gorgeous, the old town is perfect for "just walking" or it was. But this idea of sharing books is fabulous.

tracysellars avatar
Tracy Sellars
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My little country train station has a couple of bookshelves full of books people can take or donate too. It's a wonderful idea.

hedwards avatar
H Edwards
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I picked up a book from a book exchange in a hostel in India. Someone had written in the front cover 'the character in this book who has the least problems kills himself at the end'. I think it was intended as a warning, because it really is a super depressing book. Still glad I read it though, I actually ended up reading it twice.

kimwimgoddess avatar
kim morris
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

https://www.bookcrossing.com/. I've released a bunch of books, so far, none reported found. But it's fun!

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Merilyn Horton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fantastic, I’ve left my “ lonely planets” when I went home.

moop41 avatar
Patrick Kent
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never seen anything like this before. It would be nice if it caught on elsewhere.

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Coral Rippin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I leave the ones I read on holiday in the hotel reception for others to read

ok89777 avatar
Miss Willow
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so awesome! Imagine seeing the books from all over the world in a lot of different languages!

kmmrky avatar
Kim Markey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It would be cook to place a blank journal and have an address at the end, so the last person can mail back to the starter for online publishing.

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Yehudit Hannah Cohn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We do that at the train station, here! Forgive the odd translation: https://www.rail.co.il/en/enjoy-the-ride

mbn813w5 avatar
Beth Dubrick-Novicki
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Beautiful! I have used a similar service in my travels....as a great philosopher stated," oh the places you will go."

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Annamay
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whenever I would finish a book, I would leave it for someone to find. Now I'm old and don't get out much. Dadadada life goes on

russell_13 avatar
Russell Ellwardt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Excellent idea. There are so many books that are read just once and aren't worth keeping, but someone else might appreciate them. In Hamburg they even have little bookshelves on board the city buses!

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Geri Taran
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it working as intended? I hope so because it's an excellent idea.

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Kim Bush
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This reminds me of an audio book exchange rack that I saw at a Cracker Barrel restaurant many years ago. It was mostly for truck drivers. They could exchange them at any Cracker Barrel restaurant in the country for a different one. I thought it was a great idea but I haven't seen the rack in quite some time. Sad, truck drivers don't get much consideration.

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Kim Lorton
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Books take you anywhere, if you’re willing to take a chance and turn the pages of a new world.

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Rainy Day Wolf
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the government tried to implement something like this in the subway here in Mexico, thousands of books were placed... all the books were stolen...

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Faith Arnold
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately each book would need to be quarantined between readers. I wonder if they do that (take the books from the return spot to a holding area for four or five days before making them available to the next person) during Covid?

rahni avatar
Rannveig Ess
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't see that someone posted this already so pardon is you did. There's a site at https://www.bookcrossing.com/ that has been around a long time. They have labels you print and put into books, then "release them into the wild" leaving the book where ever you'd like for someone to pick up. When you print your free label,s you get an ID number the others can scan into the site and that way track where your book goes. I leave a lot of books in doctor's offices (I am at hospitals and doctors a lot) It is so fun. It's nice that Book People love to share this, too, and actually do this. I have had lots of "returns" on my books. One I "released" many years ago actually went to Antarctica with a scientist stationed there who found it in a hotel. It started out in New Zealand! You might like to do this!

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Yo Momma
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a restaurant in my town that has books on all the walls and you are allowed to take them home to read them and bring them back when done.

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M Kate McCulloch
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

St. Augustine is responsible for introducing original sin and blaming it on women. He was rebuffed twice and his mother was overbearing - so he made life difficult for women ever after. Until that point, women could serve as priests, bishops, and archbishops. Thanks Auggie - you bastard. He's not wrong about the travel, though.

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Dawn K
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's one of these at a public children's playground in the town my daughter lives in.

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Elaine Mattingly
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The people responsible for this idea have enriched the world and set a good example for everyone.

anj avatar
Anja Schmidt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Estonia has really good ideas these days ... they also want to pay for free official transport system in cities. and it´s said that they offer free wlan ... my envy for this understanding of better life :-)

evinaba avatar
Ev Inaba
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This has got to be in the Netherlands. They are so far ahead of the rest of the world.

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Forrest McCanless
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Did some research, because we are going to stencil that over our giant National Geographic bookcase. This actual rendering is from a French guy. Augustine said something different, in Letter 43 (circa 387). https://clearingcustoms.net/2016/04/13/to-augustine-the-world-is-a-book-but-is-it-a-travel-book/ So - we're stenciling this in "Parchment" font - probably scaled to be about ten feet long.

joodith227 avatar
Mumof1
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How wonderful! I've seen this sort of thing in a small guest house in Thailand, but never in an airport.

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Carole Reid
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” – Mark Twain

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Elaine Mattingly
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One can travel through books that take them from a corner they canno't otherwise leave through no fault of their own.

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Sunflowercray
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

@Vicky Z & others: I try to take away the positive but I totally agree!!! Quote was extremely unnecessary and bordering on poor-shaming even. Jeez

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Amy Begun Saab
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The quote must've been written by a wealthy person. I've read it before, i don't agree with it. I know readers can time travel or space travel, live as a detective, or as a vampire, or a sailor-on and on...those who become lost within the story-no one has traveled your way. Everyone may read the same book, but the way everyone visualizes the story using their own imagination. -bibliophile here. A poor one too. My books are from the library, i can barely afford to go to the grocery store-but I've traveled through space and time. Aside from drugs it's really a great way to escape our own lives. Read!! You know why?!? Because life is so damn hard, we all deserve a good story-rich or poor alike.

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#8

My Beer 4-Pack Came With Paperboard Rings, Instead Of Plastic

My Beer 4-Pack Came With Paperboard Rings, Instead Of Plastic

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#9

My Teacher Made Pokémon Animal Type Of Cards For Science.

My Teacher Made Pokémon Animal Type Of Cards For Science.

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As for whether or not a photo will be successful, Dominic is open that even the greatest professionals can't say for certain if a project will get the popularity it deserves. "We've all taken photos that we know are aesthetically sound, but they don't get the feedback we feel they deserve. Then, we'll take a photo that we like, but think is just another 'good, not great' photo, and it takes social media by storm. I've seen it happen," he said.

"Unfortunately, some of this has to do with algorithms, time of day being posted, and paid ads," the photographer explained that in the modern world, we have to be aware of the technical aspects that come with sharing photos online.

"A quality photo will not always get the praise it deserves. It's the truth of art. At the end of the day, one has to like their own work that they're putting out there. If others like it too, that's just an added bonus. Photographing what you want is extremely important to not lose artistic integrity and drive and it's also equally as difficult to tune out the noise," Dominic said.

#10

Live Power Line Fell, It Was So Hot That It Melted Through The Sidewalk And Turned The Sand Underneath To Glass

Live Power Line Fell, It Was So Hot That It Melted Through The Sidewalk And Turned The Sand Underneath To Glass

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#12

My Friend's Shoes Look Like They Are Screaming

My Friend's Shoes Look Like They Are Screaming

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The r/mildlyinteresting subreddit celebrated a whopping 9 years of activity this February and there’s no stopping the community from growing larger and larger still. However much it expands, the moderators are doing what they can to make sure it doesn’t change too much. “We've been working hard to keep it that way,” redditor RedSquaree, one of the moderators of r/mildlyinteresting, told me in an earlier interview.

"The mildly interesting feel of the subreddit is maintained probably due to its rule about titles which weeds out all clickbait which is common in other subreddits. On our side, submissions have massively increased and the moderation team has been forced to expand," moderator RedSquaree earlier told Bored Panda that the mod team is very active and interested in maintaining the high quality of the content.

#13

While Hiking An Isolated Jungle Trail In The Amazon, We Came Across This Post Marking The Equator.

While Hiking An Isolated Jungle Trail In The Amazon, We Came Across This Post Marking The Equator.

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#14

My Newly Acquired Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone Fore-Edge Painted Book! Featuring A Secret Platform 9 3/4 Scene On The Edges Of The Pages.

My Newly Acquired Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone Fore-Edge Painted Book! Featuring A Secret Platform 9 3/4 Scene On The Edges Of The Pages.

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Rule-breaking isn’t tolerated and transgressors are quickly sanctioned. “We're removing more rule-breaking content than ever before; often the content is OC [original content] and can be resubmitted which is great,” RedSquaree explained the ins and outs of how the community and the mods interact.

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“There haven't been any massive changes in how we do things recently, although over the past few years we have used bots to automate a lot of our moderation practices. We haven't changed the rules in years despite some temptations caused by fads. In my honest opinion, it has been for the best. The sub feels pretty much the way it always has."

RedSquaree earlier explained to us how the inspiration to create r/mildlyinteresting first came about back in 2012. The mod told Bored Panda how one thread led user Doginabathtub to create the community but who has been "missing in action for years, and left the mod team years after becoming inactive as a moderator,” RedSquaree explained.

#16

A Reminder For Parents To Not Be Assholes

A Reminder For Parents To Not Be Assholes

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#17

My Dad Put Food Coloring On Icicles

My Dad Put Food Coloring On Icicles

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AnnaBanana
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's lovely! I'm so jealous of people who have snow...(I live in a non-snowy part of Australia.)

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#18

My Body Wash Tells You What Each Ingredient Is

My Body Wash Tells You What Each Ingredient Is

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"So, I suppose Woggietree named the sub he did not found! A few years ago we were featured in a h3h3 Productions video (linked in our sidebar) which was a great compliment and is perhaps a good marker of success,” the mod said.

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#19

I Built A Magnetic Marble Run For My Fridge.

I Built A Magnetic Marble Run For My Fridge.

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#21

The Wine I Ordered Online Came With A Tiny Set Of Dice Packaged Inside A Hollow Cork

The Wine I Ordered Online Came With A Tiny Set Of Dice Packaged Inside A Hollow Cork

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The main draw of the community is the original content. Only original photos can be posted, nothing else! It’s OC or the high road. “Our content is generated by our community and given that titles cannot be clickbait, there is a unique feeling of people seeing something mildly interesting, whipping their phone out of their pocket, capturing, and posting,” the mod shared how proud they are of their fellow redditors.

#22

My Cat Looking Like He Flushed Himself Down The Drain

My Cat Looking Like He Flushed Himself Down The Drain

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#23

The Shadow On The Stairs Looks Like Another Set Of Stairs

The Shadow On The Stairs Looks Like Another Set Of Stairs

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Nicola Roberts
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A great optical illusion. At first I only saw the steps falling away at a dangerous angle.

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#24

The Reflection From My Window Decal Makes My Toilet Look Like A Quest Item In A Video Game

The Reflection From My Window Decal Makes My Toilet Look Like A Quest Item In A Video Game

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“The community feels very interactive (the content creators are all here) and laid back. This is probably why our comments sections are almost always nice and relaxed and, themselves, mildly interesting,” the mod said.

#25

My Odometer Says 1234567890

My Odometer Says 1234567890

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#26

This Photo I Took That Looks Like It's On The Moon

This Photo I Took That Looks Like It's On The Moon

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#29

This Sign At A Local Nature Preserve Has The Words Inverted So You Can Read It In The Water.

This Sign At A Local Nature Preserve Has The Words Inverted So You Can Read It In The Water.

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#30

This Old Color Pencil Box After Termites Ate All The Wood

This Old Color Pencil Box After Termites Ate All The Wood

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#31

Dropped My Headphone At The Beach And It Pulled Iron Out Of The Sand.

Dropped My Headphone At The Beach And It Pulled Iron Out Of The Sand.

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#33

A 300-Year-Old Brick With A Paw Print In It

A 300-Year-Old Brick With A Paw Print In It

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#34

My Dog Yawned At The Exact Moment I Took A Photo Of Him In Front Of The Graffiti That Looks Like Him.

My Dog Yawned At The Exact Moment I Took A Photo Of Him In Front Of The Graffiti That Looks Like Him.

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#35

The Same Color Liquid In Different Colored Buckets Makes For An Interesting Comparison/Contrast.

The Same Color Liquid In Different Colored Buckets Makes For An Interesting Comparison/Contrast.

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Nicola Roberts
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mum always use to say the cup of tea wasn't a funny colour, it was the mug. Now I see!

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#36

A Little Crab Pen Holder I Found In Tokyo

A Little Crab Pen Holder I Found In Tokyo

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#38

This ‘Mini’ Evolution I Saw In London

This ‘Mini’ Evolution I Saw In London

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#40

My GF's Chair Looks Like A Duck With Hair.

My GF's Chair Looks Like A Duck With Hair.

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#41

A Small River Going Over Another

A Small River Going Over Another

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Jo87
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I haven't seen anything like this before, Pandas why would it be done, to prevent flooding?

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#42

The Size Of A Fiber Optic Wire Capable Of Supplying A Home With High Speed Internet

The Size Of A Fiber Optic Wire Capable Of Supplying A Home With High Speed Internet

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#43

One Of The Eggs I Poached This Morning Came Out Looking Like A Human Heart

One Of The Eggs I Poached This Morning Came Out Looking Like A Human Heart

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#44

I Was Born Without Finger Or Toe Prints.

I Was Born Without Finger Or Toe Prints.

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Birgit M
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's bad! Whenever there are no finger prints at a crime scene the police will think it was you!

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#45

Australian Flood Waters Meet The Ocean

Australian Flood Waters Meet The Ocean

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#46

I Have A Coin From When Hadrian Was Emperor Of Rome Thats Almost 2000 Years Old

I Have A Coin From When Hadrian Was Emperor Of Rome Thats Almost 2000 Years Old

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Asy EnderDragon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ohhhhh i love collecting coins!!! my grandpa has some really cool ones too!

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#47

Every $1 Bill I’ve Collected From Tips Over 2 Years (Roughly 1600)

Every $1 Bill I’ve Collected From Tips Over 2 Years (Roughly 1600)

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AnnaBanana
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's cool! And disciplined...no way could I leave that lying around without spending it!

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#48

Wood Splinters That Look Like A City

Wood Splinters That Look Like A City

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#50

My Flatmate And I Took Nearly The Same Photo Walking Home At Different Times

My Flatmate And I Took Nearly The Same Photo Walking Home At Different Times

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At first in thought they were birds flying in the sky, then realised it's animal/ bird footprints in snow.

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Note: this post originally had 165 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.