(via Bad Newspaper)
Sunday, August 09, 2026
Erc
Redditors argued that his name should be derived from a name that normally has two eyes, like Philip, but spelled either Philp or Phlip. You'll be glad to know that Erc has been adopted. (via reddit)
The Barney and Betty Hill Alien Abduction Story
While strange unidentified things in the sky have always been with us, the idea of a flying saucer didn't become a thing until 1947, and even then it was misinterpreted. https://www.neatorama.com/2022/09/09/The-Flying-Saucers-of-Alaska/ But it sparked alien fever among Americans. But seeing a flying saucer was nothing compared to being abducted by aliens! The stories you've read have many things in common, which often hark back to the original account of Barney and Betty Hill in 1961.
A dark isolated road, a flying saucer sighting, missing time, and curious evidence left behind. A couple of years later, more details emerged under hypnosis. The Hills stuck with their story, although it was pretty vague to begin with. There are several possible explanations, but nothing was ever conclusively proven one way or another.
The Cheetahpult
We knew cheetahs were born to run, but who knew that liked to play fetch? The Oregon Zoo throws balls for their cheetahs to chase for exercise and enrichment, and in order to fling them fast and far enough, they built a huge slingshot they call the Cheetahpult. Imagine getting to shoot that contraption and play ball with large cats ...and getting paid for it. (via Laughing Squid)
Saturday, August 08, 2026
War of the Satellites
War of the Satellites is a 1958 Roger Corman movie made to take advantage of the space fever that covered the globe after the soviets launched the Sputnik satellite in 1957. It was filmed over ten days for $70,000. The United Nations has a plan to launch satellites, but an alien force, the Masters of the Spiral Nebula Ghana, interferes because they consider humans as an infection and want us contained. To further thwart earth's space plans, an alien possesses the body of Dr. Van Ponder, the head of the project. The rest of the movie is a drama about an alien in human form, interspersed with some space scenes that don't make much sense. The reviews were kind, praising the special effects and the lead actors. (Thanks, WTM!)
Rico the Veterinary Cat
Rico lives at a vet clinic in Morocco. He's more than the resident cat; he's a therapist for all the frightened cats and dogs who are undergoing medical treatment.
That Ain't Right
Yes, we all know that the word "ambulance" is often backward so that you can read it in the rear view mirror if one is behind you. But take a look at what that would actually look like
(via Bits and Pieces)
An Honest Trailer for Masters of the Universe
If you recall, there was a new remake of the He-Man story called Masters of the Universe set to open in 2026. Apparently it did open a couple of months ago, and you missed it. Its run in theaters brought in less than its production budget, and that doesn't event count the marketing costs. The movie was expected to appeal to Gen X for nostalgia, as if they didn't see the previous versions. They forgot that the lasting legacy of He-Man was less about the wonderful '80s cartoon and more about the goofy shared experience. Screen Junkies decided to look in and she what happened.
What they found was a movie that went out of its way to look like it came from the 1980s, except not as funny. Masters of the Universe is colorful and heavy on special effects, but the script gives the viewer no reason to recommend it, much less buy the toys. The producers are hoping for a better response on home video, where people don't have to risk as much cash to see it.
The Rock Falls
The bigger they are, the harder they fall! Maybe that's why Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson always manages to get a scene in every movie where he falls -and always survives, mostly unscathed. Nerdist put together a supercut so we can appreciate just how often it happens. You have to admit it looks cool. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Box Reviews
Cats have their standards. It's a good thing I am constantly bringing home a new box for Marshmallow to test and rate. This comic is from Pedro Arizpe at Port Sherry.
Friday, August 07, 2026
Mercury Wave
Marcel Clemens made what he calls a mercury wave. Small bottles are suspended on springs, each of them carrying a slightly different amount of mercury. When the springs are released all at the same time, they move up and down at slightly different speeds to create fascinating patterns. This looks like a pendulum wave, but it's different in a few ways.
At first, I watched and thought the springs were different lengths due to a diagonal line at the top of the frame, but watching in a larger format reveals that's a shadow. The difference between each unit is the weight inside. There's nothing magical here about mercury; Clemens used it because it's heavy and liquid, so each amount can be precisely measured. This video shows the pattern repeating once, and Clemens tells us it played out four times over about five minutes before all the bottles came to rest. If you are geeky enough to want the math, a few of his comments at YouTube might interest you. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Dan
Meet Dan the kitten. He doesn't walk, but it's not because his legs don't work. We assume he's been thoroughly checked out by a veterinarian. His inability to walk may be because of some neurological deficit, or possibly he was unable to stretch those legs and learn during the perfect window of kittenhood due to crowded conditions or an old injury. Either way, therapy might help him strengthen up and learn how to maneuver those legs. You can see more of Dan at TikTok.
Unfortunately, we won't find out if Dan learns to walk or not. It's not what you're thinking! There was a misunderstanding and some TikTok drama between this content creator and Dan's owner, so there will be no more videos of him.
About Those Women Tied to the Railroad Tracks
The plot device of a villain tying his victim to a railroad track is quite familiar to us, even though it doesn't make much sense. This murder method doesn't work because the hero will arrive just in time to unbind the victim, yet it creates suspense in that it takes an excruciating amount of time. You've also seen modern variations, like Goldfinger initiating a very slow industrial laser that will cut James Bond in half. It would be so much more efficient to just shoot the victim (a la Indiana Jones), but where's the drama in that?
Still, the trope gave us an easy way to illustrate the ethical dilemma of the Trolley Problem. But has it ever happened in real life? Sadly, yes, and not always with a hero coming to the rescue. Simon Whistler gives us the history of the railroad track drama, which predates cinema, and its fallout.
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