Fans are reeling from the death of Sir Patrick Stewart last Wednesday at age 86. Stewart was classically-trained stage actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company who made a successful leap to science fiction by portraying Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek universe and Charles Xavier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Stewart could also be wickedly funny when he wanted to.
In 2015, when Stewart was 75, he appeared at the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal. There he gave his own eulogy, highlighting his proudest accomplishments and most cherished memories. While the language is PG, the subject matter may be NSFW and probably not something you'd want to explain to your children. Godspeed Sir Patrick Stewart, you will be missed. (via Metafilter)
PS: If you prefer a more poignant tribute, grab a hankie and watch this.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
A Eulogy for Sir Patrick Stewart
Movement
Ballet dancer Sergei Polunin stars in the music video for "Movement" by Hozier. He confronts himself, but cannot escape himself. Andrew Hozier-Byrne said Polunin's performance to his song "Take Me To Church" a couple of years ago inspired some ideas in this song. (via Metafilter)
Detective Pikachu
Monday, November 02, 2026
Wildwood Weed
Jim Stafford from 1974. I turned 16 that year, and just mentioning any line from this in school would get knowing grins from other students and frowns from administrators. My friends and I would recite "Wildwood Weed" when we got high, hoping we could remember all the lyrics.
Falling Down
Josh Johnson is great on The Daily Show, but his stand up routines are treasures. He is 36 years old. That's old enough to give up your youthful pride, but still young enough to not worry about becoming seriously injured from a fall, so it's fair grounds for a few jokes. Me, I'm now at the age that I take great care not to fall at all. My doc asked if I've fallen in the last couple of years, and I told her no, I use handrails religiously and I throw out any slippery shoes or rugs. Then she was concerned about my concern. Do I have a problem with balance? No, but I saw what a fall and a broken hip did to my mother. She understood that well.
Oh, I've had a few memorable falls. That time an aluminum ladder bent and failed while I was cleaning out the gutters. The last time I roller bladed and my daughter wanted to call 911 because I took time to assess before getting up. The one that left my left shoulder permanently weak. But those were all years ago.
10 Very Strange Medical Cases
Weird History has compiled a list of very strange medical cases from the Middle Ages to modern times. It starts with the familiar case of Phineas Gage, but I bet you haven't heard of most of these conditions. Some of the patients died, while others were able to be treated, but most left the patient with lifelong disabilities of one kind or another. At least one, the man with the sticky skin, doesn't appear to be bad at all, just strange. Be warned that a few of these stories will require a strong stomach on the part of the viewer.
Miss Cellania's Links
In 1934, a doctor brought a dog back to life. He tried to do the same with humans. The article includes a one-hour movie based on Cornish. (via Strange Company)
One way to beat big city rent.
What was the most significant event in the history of American TV? There are two main answers, and which one you pick depends on how old you are.
The People of 1926 - A Year Through the Lives of Those We Never Knew. See 45 or so images and the stories behind them.
Top 10 Dog Halloween Costumes of 2026.
Norway trolls Trump with toilet humour after his foul-mouthed jibe. They are showing off their world class shithouses. (via Metafilter)
A Rare 19th-Century Nine-Piece “Prostitute Set” with Mother-of-Pearl Dagger, Revolver & Velvet-Lined Case. (via Nag on the Lake)
Have scientists finally found a way to save the banana from disaster? (via Damn Interesting)
Moo Moo Doesn’t Understand Personal Space
Michael Vartan has a cat named Moo Moo, so I don't feel so weird about a cat named Gogo. Cats are creatures of habit, so he can tell us exactly what Moo Moo is going to do. Moo Moo really loves to be around him, and it's adorable. (via reddit)
Sunday, November 01, 2026
We Are All Right Now
This is one of Bill McClintock's earlier mashups, in which he lays the vocals of "All Right Now"by Free over the music of "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge. Both favorites of mine.
Polling Place
Some People Suck at Watching Movies
Do you have a friend that you just hate to watch movies with because they are really bad at it? They have such a hard time focusing that you have to stop and explain it to them constantly. Maybe that's because they are on their phone, thinking that they can multitask. Spoiler: you can't multitask two activities that require brain power, much less three. Even if your friend didn't have their phone out, he may have lost his ability to pay attention to anything for more than a few minutes at a time. Ryan George has a product for you, and somehow it involves adding a third device to the scenario. But Corn-i doesn't have much patience, either.
Halloween at Saturday Night Live
Going into the Halloween episode, everyone wondered whether the SNL opening skit would feature Donald Trump or David S. Pumpkins. The answer is: why not both? Ten years after debuting the character, Tom Hanks flew in just to be interrupted by a diatribe from the president and was forced to stand frozen for the rest of the speech. Hanks is a good sport. The real question now is: which one of these characters is scarier? I think we know the answer.