How To Build a Human Tower

People will turn any activity into a competition. For hundreds of years, the people of Catalonia have built human towers by climbing onto each other's shoulders in a stunt called castell. Of course they've developed competitions for the highest tower, held during festivals. These were for men only until the 1980s, but with the addition of women, the towers can now reach nine or ten levels high.

It's a matter of strength, agility, numbers, and physics. The strongest people are arranged at the bottom in a precisely-calculated formation to build a sturdy, stable base. The middle layers rely on balance or else the tower will fall. The top climbers are lightweight and fearless, often children. BBC Earth Science brings us this clip from the TV series Forces of Nature to show us how these human towers are built. Yes, sometimes they do collapse, although the participants are trained for it, and the bottom layer serves as a cushion for falling bodies. And they are all barefoot to reduce injury. Still, these competitions have ambulances standing by in case they are needed.  (via Laughing Squid) 

Miss Cellania's Links

Democrats retake House and Senate in election seen as referendum on Trump. Ohio, Georgia, and Texas will have Democratic women governors.  

Pittsburgh’s ‘Green Man’ was a real person – why the legend outlives the facts. The article includes a video about him. (via Strange Company) 

An attempted robbery at a Dollar General will have you in stitches. 

A Potato That Tastes Like Roast Chicken? Chefs Say This New Variety Delivers. (via kottke) 

As our car sizes grow, new evidence points to pedestrian risk. (via Metafilter)  

These jokes are so bad you have to laugh. 

A Blast from the Past (2014): What a Blockbuster Movie Can Do to a Small Town. 


It's a short list today- I spent last night following election returns. 

Fries

(via Fark)

A Cosplay Tribute to Stan Lee

Sneaky Zebra has brought us cosplay videos from conventions for years. This one is a compilation of marvelous Marvel character cosplayers, illustrating Stan Lee's philosophy of the Marvel universe. (via Geeks Are Sexy)

Protagonist

I used to pretend my life was a TV show when I was a kid. I tried to make it more interesting, but eventually figured out no one would want to watch that show, anyway. This comic is from Zach Weinersmith at Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.

Jerk Chicken

This translation makes more sense than most. (via reddit)

To the Customer

The original translates to "Don't try on shoes and clothing." (via Give Me a Sign)

A Historic Home Tour in the Future

Comedian Jake Lambert has gone to the far future, in which he is a tour guide for a typical home from 2026. We don't know if it was an archaeological discovery or a recreation, but it doesn't matter. Anyone who's been on a museum tour will notice he's got the patter down pat. 

Alaskan Map of the US

(via Bored Panda)

A Eulogy for Sir Patrick Stewart

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. 

He Did

(via Fark)

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

There's a reason movies are not realistic. We already have real life. This comic is from Dami Lee at As Per Usual.

Sam Brown

From 1924. (via Undine)

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. 

Billions

(via Give Me a Sign)

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.   

Roman Numerals

(Thanks, WTM!)

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

Gary took the wrong cookies to his workplace. He shouldn't have done that. Contains NSFW lyrics. 

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)