(via Bad Newspaper)
Friday, April 30, 2021
The World’s “Greatest” Hacker
There are hackers, and then there are Hollywood hackers. Guess which kind Alasdair Beckett-King is portraying. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Why French Makes No Sense
Loic Suberville gives us short and funny skits about the way languages are constructed and used. While no language is exempt, he has had a lot of fun with French as it is heard by English speakers. There seems to be a wide gap in how we use vowels.
The latest in the French series is labeled as part 107, although the numbering seems a bit random, as there are not 107 videos (this is about language, not math). You can browse through a ton of these videos at Suberville's YouTube channel. (via Laughing Squid)
Miss Cellania's Links
Fifteen Years Forsaken. That's how long a group of 18th-century Malagasy kidnap victims and castaways held on, waiting to be rescued.
Doctors Are Sharing What Happened When They Diagnosed Covid-19 Deniers With Covid.
A First Responder at the Chernobyl Disaster Looks Back.
In gritty 1980s New York, one West Village flophouse became a last-chance refuge for addicts, criminals, LGBTQ runaways, and anyone with nowhere left to go. And my mom was their queen. (via Damn Interesting)
Why Democrats have to win large majorities in order to govern while Republicans don’t need majorities at all. (via Fark)
Guaraná: the Caffeinated Fruit That Looks Like an Eyeball. (via Digg)
Istanbul’s Cast Iron Church.
The Historic Boston Dessert That Became a Japanese Favorite. Spoiler: it's coffee jelly.
A blast from the past (2017): 9 Bizarre Food Museums.
Kittens on the Curtain Rod
How did all FIVE of you get up there? A better question is, how are you all going to get down? Toward the end you'll see how they got up there, but that doesn't help when you're trying to back up and have more cats in your way. (via Daily Picks and Flicks)
Tweet of the Day
(via Everlasting Blort)the footwork pic.twitter.com/rcN7qDaVON
— Women Posting Their W's (@womenpostingws) April 20, 2021
Thursday, April 29, 2021
The Fastest Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Just found my new role model pic.twitter.com/f1HkBXSxyy
— human_not_bees (Beës) (@human_not_bees) April 25, 2021
Before you watch this video, remember that speed competitions involving food are often a bit gross, and should never be attempted in everyday life. She had the sandwich made and EATEN before he even got to the jelly! This one-on-one competition was over before it began, but it highlights the reasons why Guinness World Records has to establish rules and standards before they recognize any record holder. (via Metafilter)
Back to Normal
Click to the right to advance the comic. This one speaks to me. After being fully vaccinated, I finally got a haircut and ...very little else has changed. The reason I still don't go to church is that I'm out of town at Mom's house on weekends, not because of covid. I always went to the grocery. I otherwise just stay home with my computer and my cats and my garden, which is just fine. This comic is from Trying Times Comics.
Taking a Walk with Pelicans
The Taronga Zoo in Sydney has two pelicans, and their keepers take them for walks for enrichment. The question I have is: why don't they just fly away? (via Laughing Squid)
Childbirth vs Getting Kicked in the Balls
Pain is subjective, and so far we haven't found anyone who's experienced both these things, but you can find a lot of women who have experienced both childbirth and kidney stones and men who've have both kidney stones and a nutshot. Women say childbirth is about equivalent to kidney stones, and men say a nutshot is a piece of cake compared to kidney stones. I once asked my mother which was most painful: childbirth, a spinal tap, or a root canal. I've had none of those and she's had them all. She thought a minute and said, "I don't know- I was unconscious for all of them!" (via Boing Boing)
Tweet of the Day
(via Nag on the Lake)Yo en la vida. pic.twitter.com/45QYhU670w
— Victoriano Aizpurú (@urupzia) April 17, 2021
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Cuttlefish
Click to the right to advance the comic, although this one is funny enough with just the first panel. You have to feel sorry for the poor little cuttlefish that just wants to cuddle. When I first read this, I thought the person speaking was a scientist, but it's God in the process of creating animals. This comic is from Underfold Comics. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Demolition, Disease, and Death: Building the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is an engineering marvel and changed shipping for the entire globe. But getting it built was no picnic. Sure, Panama was the natural place to put such a canal, but there was a mountain in the middle of the narrowest part of the place where the two continents meet. This TED-Ed video condenses the long story into a few minutes, which might make you want to study further. (via Damn Interesting)
Miss Cellania's Links
Why Lumber Is Ridiculously Expensive Right Now. And this is the year my deck decided to fall apart.
The Christianburg Sign War. It's made the small town known around the world.
Beau tells a story that will stay with you. We are supposed to be our brothers' keeper, not their judge and jury.
Colgate's New High-Tech Nonstick Toothpaste Tubes. I wasn't aware that getting the last bit of toothpaste out of a tube was a a real problem since we went from metal to plastic tubes, but if you are really concerned about wasted toothpaste, notice that Colgate's advertising gif shows a person squeezing out about four times the amount of paste you need to brush your teeth.
How to Kill a Zombie Fire.
This cat encounters a large bird. His face says it all. (via reddit)
The Unbelievable Tale of Jesus’s Wife. (via Bits and Pieces)
There’s a Lot More to Masala Chai Than Spiced Milk Tea. (via Digg)
A blast from the past (2015): Women in Medicine: Dr. Emily Dunning Barringer.
Baboon Infestation
The neighbor's house was locked, but a troop of baboons didn't care because they just went in through the upstairs windows. Howard Fyvie and his friends in Betty's Bay, South Africa, called police and got access to the house when the owner could not be reached. It doesn't take long for this many baboons to do a lot of damage! (via Arbroath)
Tweet of the Day
(via Everlasting Blort)I want one pic.twitter.com/WiGHfOwked
— Sven Henrich (@NorthmanTrader) April 24, 2021
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Goats Learn to See-Saw
Alex and Junior at Tammy's Oberlin Hobby Farm are exploring a seesaw. For the goats, it's just practicing their balance, but they'll eventually learn how fun it is. We don't know for certain that it's Tammy recording and laughing, but her giggles are contagious. (via Boing Boing)
Cat Brings Duck Home
Slippers the cat managed to catch a duck and drag it in the house through the cat flap. His people couldn't figure out how he did it, but were even more surprised that the duck was still alive! I couldn't figure out how the guy dealt with all this while recording it. (via Digg)
Miss Cellania's Links
Head of state with glorious raven tattoo finally gets his vaccine. (via Fark)
The winners and losers from first release of 2020 census data.
When Cats, Peaches, Lunch (and Letters) were Mailed Beneath the Streets of NYC.
Dante’s Vacation. (via Nag on the Lake)
Excavators in their natural habitat.
A Tribute to 11 NYC Sandwiches (via Kottke)
Horrible weddings. People should feel free to be trashy if they want, but requiring a certain value in gifts is over the line.
The Girl in the Kent State Photo. “That picture hijacked my life,” says Mary Ann Vecchio. (via Metafilter)
I challenge you to name 5 American traditions. Farkers have a lot of suggestions, plus you’ll learn all about the manufacture and labeling of American cheese.
A blast from the past (2016): 9 Unusual Prom Dates.
Tweet of the Day
(via Fark)The idea that white Americans “invented” America out of whole cloth is white supremacist narcissism – & rubbish.
— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) April 26, 2021
America was built on the lands/hunting/foods of Native Americans.
America was built on the Enlightenment ideas of Europe.
America was built on labor from Africa.
Monday, April 26, 2021
New Animal
I suppose the name translates to Stormy or Thunder. "Inclement Weather" is a thoroughbred racehorse name. This comic is from Nathan Pyle's Strange Planet.
Kentucky Roundabout
There's a new roundabout in eastern Kentucky, specifically Rowan County near the Bath County line. Luckily, traffic was not coming from all directions when this video was taken, because these are NOT one way streets! The roundabout was constructed to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents, so what could possibly go wrong? They will definitely have to improve signage or something. (via Jalopnik)
Miss Cellania's Links
You may have wondered just how many surfaces in your home does your cat's butthole touch. Tennessee 6th grader Kaeden Griffin put lipstick on his cats' anuses to find out, as a science fair project. (via Metafilter)
How the Associated Press Got Its Start 175 Years Ago.
You probably know by now who won the Oscars, but let’s not forget the awards for the worst movies and worst acting.
Jack Black gets the vaccine and turns into s superhero. Every superhero, actually.
Taking a Superyacht Through Dutch Canals. (via Digg)
How 19th-Century German Farmers Turned Caves Into Homes. They had to dig the caves themselves!
That Time We Considered Moving the US Capital to St. Louis.
The US Troops Who Think They Saw Bigfoot in Vietnam. (via Strange Company)
The Unlikely Success of Fish Sticks. Hakai magazine explains why they were invented, how they are made, and their strange popularity even today. (via Digg)
A blast from the past (2013): Those Magnificent Ladies in Their Flying Machines and from 2015, 6 More Magnificent Women in Their Flying Machines.
Paw Warz
You know, it never occurred to me that Maneki Neko makes a perfect C2PO. But it has occurred to me that cats in Star Wars would have a perfect method for distracting the enemy. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Sunday, April 25, 2021
Technical Hitch
Even if you are used to working alone from home, like cartoonist Simon Tofield, every once in a while you have to communicate with the outside world. That will be the one time the cat decides to butt in, so to speak. And so it is with Simon's Cat in this new animation.
Rumbling My Ears
This is a thing? People do this? How? Is it real? This is like the time I learned (on the internet) that some people never wash their feet in a shower, or that some people stand up to wipe after using the toilet. Or maybe this is just something made up to get us asking questions. The comic is from Chris Hallbeck at Maximumble.
Heaven Knows
The Grass Roots' hit from 1969. I hadn't heard this in forever until I stumbled across it on YouTube.
Tweet of the Day
This real estate bubble is nuts! (via Digg)Our realtor shared this with us this morning and it’s pretty spot on. pic.twitter.com/2jvmeZmiVW
— Nathan Vickers (@nathanvickers) April 21, 2021
Saturday, April 24, 2021
Back to Work
The premise here is to answer questions you know you'll hear over and over. But co-workers will always manage to come up with more questions. I think if it were me, I'd come up with a different story for each questioner. (via reddit)
Turtle Chases Lions From His Waterhole
Two lions that had just killed a zebra took a break to rehydrate at a watering hole in the MalaMala Private Game Reserve in South Africa. A terrapin swims right up to both of them! Was he curious? Was he trying to run the lions out of his watering hole? Or did he want a taste of that blood on their chins? We don't know, but the lions managed to get a good drink despite the annoyance and left without further violence. (via Metafilter)
Engaging Escapes from Reality
I think I see the problem here. Not that it's anything new. For almost all my life, my career has been providing an escape from reality. Distractions. Also known as entertainment. This comic is from Jeff Lofvers at Don't Hit Save.
I'm Against It
The state of conservative politics in the 21st century was summed up well by Groucho Marx in the 1932 movie Horse Feathers.
Shark on Roomba Chases Duck
Here we have a mind-blowing confluence of cute: a cat, dressed in a shark costume, riding a Roomba, chasing a duckling around. And if that weren't enough, the dog shows up, dressed in his own hammerhead shark costume. The top YouTube comment:
Art no longer has any meaning. This is the finale. The beautiful long take at the end, holding the tension, breaking the fourth wall, daring the audience with its audacity and self-relexivity. Beyond masterful. Simply breathtaking.The only thing that could possibly beat this would be if a sloth, a koala, and a red panda were to have a picnic together. (via Tastelessly Offensive)
Friday, April 23, 2021
The Impossible Intersection
Paris is altering its road system to encourage mass transit, bicycles, and pedestrians and discourage car travel. However, this means that unintended problems will emerge during the process. YouTuber The Tim Traveller explains what happens at one intersection.
There is a crossroads in Paris where all four exits have 'No Entry' signs. This is possibly the Frenchest thing ever to have happened. I went to investigate.While the signage has been updated to solve the problem, I realize that I would have to learn an entirely new system of traffic signs if I were to ever drive in Europe. That's probably not going to happen. I like mass transit. (via reddit)
Batter Up
We all know the song, even when it's translated to alien speak. This comic is from Nathan Pyle's Strange Planet.
Jack Nicholson BAFTA Acceptance Speech
In 1975, Jack Nicholson won a BAFTA award for Leading Actor for the film Chinatown. At the time, he was busy filming another movie called One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. So he recorded an acceptance with the help of the cast. This didn't mean much of anything to anyone at the time, because we hadn't yet seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It took on a different meaning afterward. (via reddit)
Miss Cellania's Links
The 20 most awkward Oscars moments – ranked.
Site of Harriet Tubman’s Lost Maryland Home Found. The site is now being thoroughly excavated, and just in time, since it is expected to be underwater by 2100.
Scientists Create Simple Synthetic Cell That Grows and Divides Normally. No, they did not "create life." (via Metafilter)
35 People Describe The Moment They Realized They Had Met The Dumbest Person Ever.
Nuclear Fallout is Showing Up in U.S. Honey, Decades After Bomb Tests. (via Damn Interesting)
The Catty Caller. Happens all the time.
The New Science of Motherhood. Through studies of fetal DNA, researchers are revealing how a child can shape a mom’s heart and mind—literally.
Human Skeleton George Moore Boxing Fatman Fred Howe. (via reddit)
A blast from the past (2015): 13 Bookstore Cats.
Kent's Meats and Groceries Ad
Remember the bumbling burglar who didn't quite get into Kent's Meats and Groceries in Redding, California? The incident in 2013 brought the shop so much publicity, that store owner Kent Pfrimmer decided to use the security footage for a TV ad! Is that clever or what? (via Daily of the Day)
Tweet of the Day
Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Geogia) has been seeking a debate with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) about the Green New Deal, which she apparently hadn't yet read. This Tweet was posted a couple of days ago. I wonder if she's read "all 14 pages" yet? Get the popcorn ready. (via Fark)I’m glad I ran into you today @AOC to plan our debate about the Green New Deal.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) April 21, 2021
After I finish reading all 14 pages, like we agreed, I’ll schedule time for our debate.#MTGvsAOC pic.twitter.com/viuH5Uj0oD
Thursday, April 22, 2021
How the World's Tallest Skyscraper was Built
The taller buildings get, the more difficult they are to build. Their own weight works against them at increasing heights, and the forces of nature are more dangerous at greater heights. The Burj Khalifa, however unnecessary, is a marvel of modern engineering. This TED-Ed video explains how engineering challenges have been met to make ever-taller skyscrapers. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Art Made with Electricity Conducting Thread
The Japanese company Kandeko gives us a lovely ad for its Smart X electro-conductive thread, in which we see a miniature city light up with tiny LEDs. While I would never have the patience to create something on this scale, the idea of electricity conducting thread is intriguing. Is it hard to work with? Can it shock you? What if it gets cut while the lights are on? How fire safe is it? I'd like to know more, but the product page is in Japanese. (via Laughing Squid)
Aviation Firsts
Just checking off the milestones as we learn to fly on Mars, the way we developed flying on earth. This comic is from Randall Munroe at xkcd.
Moving That Roller Coaster
A roller coaster got stuck far above the ground in Lithuania. It wasn't clear what the problem was, maybe the track was sticky or something. What to do? Getting out to push was not an option, but the passengers figured out a way to give it push from their seats. (via Digg)
Miss Cellania's Links
In 1963, a 19-year-old aspiring folk singer was taped performing at a radio station. It is the earliest known recording of Joni Mitchell singing. (via Metafilter)
Fly Me to Cuba, Said the American Hijackers. Find out how the spate of skyjackings was finally stopped. (via Damn Interesting)
From Punchline to Oscar Contenders: The Overdue Rise of Asians in Hollywood. (via reddit)
Here’s what it’s like to Spend the Night in Chernobyl.
Have you ever wondered where the term "Grandfather clause" came from?
Russia’s Hand-Tossed Satellites.
Can You Match the Fake Country to Its Movie? This quiz suffers from the lack of Grand Fenwick.
COVID-19 is spiking badly in India due to a more contagious variant that kills young people.
A blast from the past (2018): 10 Impressive Yarnbombing Projects.
Never Work with Children or Animals
David Williamson got schooled by a 6-year-old in 1991. But thanks, to this video with Murray, he gained lots of recognition for his magic. In 2011, they met again. Remember, the best audience for magic or comedy is one with a couple of cocktails in them already. (via reddit)
Tweet of the Day
(via Fark)Caracas, Venezuela:
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) April 17, 2021
Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Mambo’ from 'West Side Story'.
Magnificent...pic.twitter.com/DL13NN8fno
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
FSH
What do you call a fish with no eyes?
Meet FSH. There never was a more appropriate name. Redditor olsenry says the goldfish has gotten along fine in the aquarium for years. Here's the story.
(via TYWKIWDBI)
Meet FSH. There never was a more appropriate name. Redditor olsenry says the goldfish has gotten along fine in the aquarium for years. Here's the story.
Incase you are wondering how a goldfish has no eyes...... I bought about 8, 15 cent goldfish several years ago as pets. One of those goldfish turned out to be an a**hole. He would peck the eyes of the other fish. I don't know why fish would do this so let me know if you are a fish expert. But that jerk fish riped out both of this fish's eye plus one eye from my other fish. Luckily, the punk fish died but both my fish that had their eyes riped out are still alive and well! I named the one eyed fish captain morgan and reddit named the one with both eyes gone, FSH.
(via TYWKIWDBI)
Getting Ducklings Out of a Swimming Pool
Getting into the pool was easy, and getting out is simple for the mother duck. But her ducklings are too small to jump the pool lip. She tries her best to lead them out. The pool owner tries, too, but it takes a lot of attempts to find a solution. (via Boing Boing)
Two Men Enter
Click to the right to advance the comic. This ends exactly as you might expect, even if you aren't expecting it. This comic is from StrangeTrek. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through
On the passing of Jim Steinman Monday, Metafilter reminded me of this song from 1981. I knew "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" well, but I had never seen the (really weird) video until today. The vocals are by Rory Dodd; Jim Steinman is lip-synching in the video.
Back in the day, I could always recognize a Jim Steinman song no matter who sung it because he would stuff multiple lyrics into a musical note, so it was obvious no matter whether it was Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion, or Air Supply performing. He left quite a musical legacy.
Bagram Batman
The U.S. Army uses Bagram Batman, based on The Dark Knight, in training videos. He's one tough character! Woe to the soldier who forgets his safety messages. See more Bagram Batman videos at Neatorama. (via Laughing Squid)
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Tweet of the Day
(via Neatorama)Finally got his own room! pic.twitter.com/DfTc6hLrNS
— Michael's Cat (@michaelscat2) April 11, 2021
