(via Bad Newspaper)
Friday, February 13, 2026
Handy Kitchen Gadgets
I want these, especially the waffle fries slicer. Too bad I would have to go back to 1952 to get in on this deal. (via Nag on the Lake)
Cat Attack!
This nightmare fuel is a scene from the 1957 film The Incredible Shrinking Man. I couldn't help thinking all the way through it that he'd have been much safer staying in the doll house, probably on the second floor. As it is, there are much worse places to land than in a laundry bin. (Thank, WTM!)
The Antikythera Mechanism
The Antikythera mechanism dates from the first or second century BC. It is an ancient Greek analog computer that calculated time and events such as the appearances of stars and planets and how they coordinated with years and even Greek festivals. In this TED-Ed lesson, we get an explanation of what a computer is and how analog computing works as compared to digital computing. (via Damn Interesting)
Smooth OpeRATTor
Who would have ever thought about mixing a smooth jazz ballad with '80s glam metal? Bill McClintock, of course. In this case, he takes the tune of Sade's 1984 hit "Smooth Operator" with the vocals of Ratt's 1984 song "Round and Round." The only thing these songs have in common is the year they were released. You would have likely heard them on the radio in the same hour, but it takes a special ear to see how well they could mix.
But McClintock always gives us extras. the guitar solo from Santana's "Black Magic Woman" fits right in. That one's from 1968, so it at least breaks up the timeline. Still, you could have easily her Santana's song in that same radio hour. (via Laughing Squid)
Miss Cellania's Links
22 best Valentine’s Day movies, ranked. Despite the title, they are not ranked.
When Hannibal Lecter Took Over. On Valentines day 35 years ago, Silence of the Lambs ruined many a romantic date. (via Metafilter)
Curler Rich Ruohonen becomes oldest U.S. Olympian to compete in Winter Games. The Summer Games history has an even older athlete.
This Skull-Based Facial Reconstruction Gives Beethoven A Whole New Look.
What Sci-Fi Gets So Wrong About Suspended Animation.
What it was like to be a bush at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.
Immigration raids in South Texas are starting to hit the economy.
Searching for Birds is a beautiful compilation of data on the joy of bird watching. (via Metafilter)
A Blast from the Past (2013): The Saint We Call Valentine.
Butterflies (A Simon’s Cat Valentine Story)
Love is in the air, and Simon’s Cat has discovered a pretty girl cat in the window. Now he’s got a case of the butterflies! What can he offer to impress her? This cartoon is a classic from animator Simon Tofield, who has a whole clowder of cats for inspiration. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Heirloom
— Ellis Rosen (@ellisjrosen.bsky.social) February 10, 2026 at 11:12 AMI feel seen. Every few years, I go through a stash of ink pens, toss the dried up pens, and find a new spot for the usable ones. Then a few years later, the process repeats. Then when I need a new pen to use, I'm surprised at how few of them work.
Thursday, February 12, 2026
You've Got A Friend
James Taylor sings his best song, "You've Got a Friend" on the BBC series In Concert in 1971. Carole King, who wrote the song, accompanies him on piano. (via Boing Boing)
Mystery Kitten
This couple in Mexico were considering getting a dog, but fate intervened. A kitten mysteriously showed up at their house, riddled with fleas and other parasites. Lilo needed help, and when he got it, he wasn't about to let these wonderful people go. He became a velcro cat, following them everywhere.
The guy says it makes "zero sense" that Lilo just showed up like that. As an old cat lady, it makes plenty of sense to me. Lilo didn't walk to their home. Someone who cares so little that they didn't get their cat spayed ended up with a bunch of kittens. As soon as they were barely old enough to be weaned, any kitten not given away got a ride to a random neighborhood and was put out. The kitten is desperate for help, and will approach every human until they find a kind soul. I can't tell you how many cats I've gotten that way. You can see more of Lilo and his loving nature at Instagram.
Can You Make a Jetpack Out of a Rifle?
The recoil of a rifle can leave quite a bruise if you aren't properly braced. Most people only have to learn this lesson once. A young man named Rob noticed this force and imagined making a jetpack out of the recoil force of a rifle. Is this at all plausible? He submitted it to What If? as a theoretical question. They tackle those questions seriously, no matter how dumb they sound. The answer is "sort of," meaning that you could do it, but it would be difficult, ridiculous, and not worth the effort.
But there are guns that have more powerful recoils than a mere rifle. And that's where this theory gets interesting. Not that we're ever going to try making a jetpack from a gun, but the existence of a gun that could do it is both interesting and unnerving.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
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