Here's a sweet little love story that begins during World War II.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
How Unexpected
Sara Kim made this cute short as a student at the Vancouver Film School. You know how young men never dress for the weather, because it's not "cool"? This guy learned his lesson. Are you disappointed that it's not a love story? Think again, as commenter Annika Heydl explains it to us.
maybe I'm overanalyzing but I saw this as a metaphor for their relationship progression. He met her and was totally unprepared for the feelings that she would ignite in him, so he got figuratively "caught" in the weather that symbolizes his emotions. These get stronger, notice how the weather goes from some rain to a sudden tsunami, and he gets (figuratively and literally) swept away. She however, was inmune to all these feelings, and went through life as if nothing had happened because she was prepared and armed against the weather conditions beforehand. this continues until he decides that maybe he too should protect himself against these huge unexpected weather conditions (meaning he repressed his feelings), but just then, she comes completely unprepared (meaning she too develops feelings for him), and so they brave the weather together. Love this animation with all my heart.
See?
Crystallizing Vitamin C
It's so cool when people who have access to hi-tech equipment share the stuff they see with the rest of us. Photographer Jens Braun dissolved some vitamin C and then let it recrystallize under a microscope fitted with a camera, using polarized light. We get to see the action in various speeds and colors. It's the conjunction of art and science. Or you might say that the natural world is a work of art, but we aren't able to see all of it without the help of an artist. (via Digg)
Clap Your Hands
Swing dance combines discipline and athleticism in a way that makes it look effortless and joyful. Those who are good at it will tell you its certainly joyful, or they wouldn't do it! However, it is anything but effortless. Remy Kouakou Kouame and Jessica Lennartsson perform at the International Lindy Hop Championships in 2013. (via Viral Viral Videos)
Tweet of the Day
An apt illustration of Mommy Brain.It happens. pic.twitter.com/1Rlg7DKjkv
— TG (@TG22110) January 20, 2023
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Sisyphus
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was punished for cheating death by being forced to roll a huge stone up a hill for all eternity. Every time he would get near the top of the hill, the boulder would roll all the way down and he would have to start all over. Sisyphus became a metaphor for any tragically futile action.
Ross McSweeney built an automata illustrating the trial of Sisyphus, made from laser cut wood. The devil is in the details. Literally, as you can see the devil underneath making sure that Sisyphus never makes any real progress. A vulture is keeping an eye on him for added effect. This work of art isn't for sale, but you can make your own, because McSweeney has the digital files for the laser cutting for sale at his Etsy shop. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
House Cat at Night
Minnie is a very affectionate cat. Her humans were curious about what she does while they are sleeping, and so set up a camera. What she does is her best to get close to Dad, and to get him to pay attention to her. No wonder he's so tired during the day! At least the dog stays at the foot of the bed. My advice would be to get another cat. I have four cats, and they bother me only about half this much while I'm trying to sleep. (via reddit)
Honest Trailer: Snakes on a Plane
Snakes on a Plane started out in 1992 as a single pitch line, which became the title. "Snakes on a plane" was such an intriguing idea that it became an internet meme, gaining so much steam that the producers incorporated elements of the meme into the movie. Yeah, it was lots of fun until the actual movie was released in 2006, and the fun came to a screaming halt because the movie was awful. However, the story of how it came about is interesting.
Miss Cellania's Links
The Nominations for the 95th Academy Awards.
The Controversial King of Hardcore Climbing. A profile of Nims Purja. (via Digg)
The Pitfalls of Typography Decisions.
Knowing More Than One Language Can Stave Off Alzheimer's Disease. (via Real Clear Science)
‘Wobbly cat’ Elvis is king of fostering kittens at Kentucky shelter. (via Fark)
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham. A new direct-to-video animated film.
The 15 Best Films Of The 1950s.
Glass Artist Genki Hirano Crafts Tentacle Earbuds. (via Nag on the Lake)
The Holiday That Welcomes Back the Sun With Pancakes and Coffee.
On a personal note: I've been using the same coffee filter for about ten years. Don't laugh, it's one of those silk and plastic reusable filters. A couple of months ago, I noticed the silk has started to separate a little at the top, and I bought a new one. It didn't look then same. It was used less than ten times before it started falling apart. I tossed it and lamented about how they don't make things they way they used to. I went back to using the ten-year-old filter.
Fast forward to last week, I was inspired by the post about the cabinet above the refrigerator. I finally got up there and took everything out yesterday. Way in the back was a box. I pulled out, and there was an unopened coffee filter that looks at least ten years old! So I eventually got what I wanted. Being a pack rat can pay off sometimes, but only if you keep up with what you've got.
Makeover
Horrie, an aging widower, decides it's time to start dating again, so he gives himself an extreme makeover. The most disturbing part is the homemade facelift, but once you get past that, it's a delightful story. The short film Makeover by Don Percy won second prize at Tropfest 2013. (via Daily Picks and Flicks)
Tweet of the Day
Yeah, it's real. (via Everlasting Blort)We don't need to leave Earth to find ALIENS.
— Josh Wolfe (@wolfejosh) January 2, 2023
They are already here.
Melibe viridis—no teeth, crazy gel like net as a head that traps crabs and other crustaceans on ocean floor like a Dyson vacuum. pic.twitter.com/xPmAEWtbRV
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
How Dare You Catch That Fish!
This cat has no mercy for the seal in the front. Notice he gets smacked again when the second seal gets a chunk of fish. The rest of the seals have the foresight to cause some confusion for the rest of the dispensation. (via Fark)get my name outta your mouth pic.twitter.com/DE20bRVmSp
— cats being weird little guys (@weirdlilguys) January 22, 2023
Do Not Drive
The Weirdly Complex Science of Snow Removal
I always thought that not plowing the streets in residential neighborhoods was a genius way to keep people at home on snow days, at least before everyone and their brother decided that owning a pickup truck or an SUV made them invincible. People look out their windows and assume all the streets are covered the way theirs is. But cities put a real effort into clearing snow from the streets, starting with the main thoroughfares and places like hospital entrances. It's just a lot more expensive and time-consuming than it may appear to us. Streets like the one to my house usually have to wait at least until the temperature rises, and by then the problem is solved on its own. Half as interesting explains the factors that slow down snow removal. This video is five minutes long; the rest is an ad. (via Digg)
Miss Cellania's Links
The Vacuum Cleaner Defense League. (via Metafilter)
These Toilet-Shaped Carnivorous Plants Thrive By Eating Poop.
What “choice” means for millions of women post-Roe.
Also this. (via Fark)
In the game 10 Typos, you'll be presented with a news article, and you must find the ten words that are misspelled. You will be timed (via Nag on the Lake)
15 reasons why the world needs Ukrainian victory. (via Boing Boing)
"Speaker of the House," a Randy Rainbow Song Parody. He tells the story of Kevin McCarthy to the tune of “Master of the House” from Les Misérables. Contains NSFW language.
Julie d’Aubigny: sword-slinger, opera singer, and larger-than-life bisexual celebrity of 17th-century France. (via Metafilter)
If You Can't Understand Modern Movie Dialogue, You're Not Alone.
Ode To The Picard Maneuver
The crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation flew aboard the Enterprise for seven seasons, the first two in onesies. The jumpsuits were futuristic, but they has a tendency to ride up a bit. This led to the famous Picard Maneuver, which you’ll see over and over in this supercut. Oh, he’s not the only one doing it (Riker’s solo begins at 3:50), but the poor captain had to adjust his accoutrements in almost every scene. By the third season, the wardrobe department had seen the error of their ways and replaced the jumpsuits with shirts and pants that looked the same, but still rode up, so the shirts were still tugged down every time someone stood up. Now I wonder how much the uniforms contributed to Riker’s odd method of using a chair. (via Uproxx)
Tweet of the Day
The more you watch this, the more you realize that it was sagging at the beginning and they should have seen this coming. Notice all the un-installed rebar on the ground at the left. (Thanks, WTM!)OSHA does not approve pic.twitter.com/EYrFpmObMs
— Weird and Terrifying (@weirdterrifying) January 14, 2023
Monday, January 23, 2023
The Greatest Batusi Ever
Enjoy a truly batty scene from the TV series Batman. King Tut has tortured Batman to the point of insanity and then ordered him to dance. The dance is truly insane. The episode is "The Pharaoh's in a Rut" from season one in 1966.
My friends and I were seven years old. We knew Batman, but had never heard of King Tut. I clearly remember one of my classmates telling us that there was a really stupid villain coming up next week called King Ducks. She misheard it, but I was really looking forward to seeing King Ducks, because I figured it would be really funny. (via Nag on the Lake)
Hey There, Delilah!
Grab a hankie. (via Fark)Delilah has been fighting cancer for over 4 years. During her cancer treatments Delilah's favorite song has been "Hey There Delilah", so we surprised her with Tom and her favorite song ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zsgunAH5PE
— Plain White T's (@plainwhitets) January 17, 2023
The Sordid History of Sugar
Humans, and many other animals, evolved to seek out and enjoy anything sweet, because the sugars those foods contain provided us with much-needed calories and energy. That's a useful adaptation because in the natural world, sugar is relatively rare and comes in fruits and other plants that also provide other nutrients. But humans found a way to process sugar into its purest form, and we went wild for it. That's not healthy, but it is lucrative. The money to be made in sugar production led to some shady episodes in history. Even today, when we know that sugar is bad for us, it's hard to get away from it, even if you give up candy, soda, and sweet treats. Food products that aren't even supposed to be sweet contain sugar, and it's difficult to find alternatives without it. That's because those who profit from those products know we are evolutionarily wired to prefer anything with sugar in it.
Miss Cellania's Links
A Most Attention-Grabbing Real Estate Listing. Yeah, there are plenty of jokes you can make about this "fire sale," and you can read them all at reddit.
1895: Jack, the Fire Dog of FDNY Ladder 9 Who Dined With Teddy Roosevelt. (via Strange Company)
Influencer Job Opening has a Surprise Description.
This School Teaches People How To Poop Properly.
Small-Penises/Fast-Cars Research Study. If a man thinks he has a small penis, he is more likely to want a sports car.
50 Perfectly Accurate Memes That Capture What It’s Like Living With Cats.
47 Examples of Movie Errors You Never Noticed.
Rescued Beavers Design Their Own Pond in a Back Yard.
Famous Brand Logos Are Reimagined as Medieval Art Illustrations. (via Pop Culturista)
On a personal note, I woke up this morning to find Sundae has been trying to change my browser settings. Again.
Barack Obama does “Uptown Funk”
Fadi Saleh of the YouTube channel baracksdubs has been working steadily to edit former president Barack Obama into singing songs for years now. In this one he outdid himself, as Obama does the Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars song “Uptown Funk.” (via Viral Viral Videos)
Tweet of the Day
(via Fark)Marilyn Monrowl pic.twitter.com/FqMnS1gTVR
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) January 21, 2023
Sunday, January 22, 2023
It's a Beautiful Day
The little boy is named Rushawn, who inspired The Kiffness to collaborate. The original song is by Jermaine Edwards. (Thanks, Paula!)
Your Horoscope for Today
"Your Horoscope for Today" was an song from Weird Al Yankovic's 1999 album Running With Scissors that was never released as a single. Augenblick Studios, who have worked with Yankovic on several previous projects, gives it a new animated video that Yankovic released this week. The video makes the fast-paced song much easier to follow, even if the predictions under your star sign are pretty dismal. But that's just yours; everyone else's horoscope is pretty darn funny. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
The NFL on Fox
Saturday Night Live returned last night after a month off for the holidays. The opening skit featured the post game panel from Fox's NFL coverage, a curious robot, and the show's newest hire, George Santos.
Why Children Need to Be Quiet
Children make up a particularly gullible audience, so its very tempting to impress them with whatever nonsense you want to concoct, and sometimes those tall tales have a positive effect. Or one like this could just as easily scar them for life. This tall tale was inspired by a real-life train ride with children. It was produced by British animation studio Kilogramme, which had already produced another episode of tall tales you can see here. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Three Little Pigskins
The 1934 short Three Little Pigskins has the Three Stooges playing fake college football players who, by mistake, find themselves in a real professional game. You might recognize 22-year-old Lucille Ball in her first credited role. At 16:30, you'll see the only stunt that the Stooges ever refused to do themselves. They insisted that it was too dangerous. Instead, they used stunt doubles and four of them (two Stooge stand-ins and two actors playing photographers) were seriously injured.
This is an Agreeable Cat
Akkodha has an answer to everything, and it's "okay." But that's not the only way she's agreeable. She's pretty, affectionate, and an all-around sweet cat. That might be enough for her to be a Instagram star, but her command of the English language clinches it. When everything's "okay," what else needs to be said? See more of Akkodha at Instagram. (via Laughing Squid)
AI Designs The Simpsons
Imagine The Simpsons if the show was a live-action sitcom starring Tom Selleck as Ned Flanders and Christopher Lee as Mr. Burns. But they aren't even real people. The Pharaoh Nerd used the artificial intelligence program Midjourney to create an opening credits scene, with the theme from Full House as a soundtrack for some reason.The Pharaoh Nerd titled this video "The Simpsons as an 80's Sitcom." Maybe someone should tell him that The Simpsons was an '80s sitcom, back in the 1980s. (via Digg)
The Story of R32
A lonely, damaged, and obsolete robot roams the city, looking for a human connection. But it turns out that R32 is more human than those he meets along the way. This short film by Vladimir Vlasenko might surprise you. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Tweet of the Day
The whole thread is rather funny.someone on TikTok accused me of stealing a stand up joke and when I asked them from who? they sent me a clip of someone doing the joke and that someone was me
— Mohanad Elshieky (@MohanadElshieky) January 16, 2023
You just know this incident is going to find its way into his standup routine. (via Digg)Even worse, I live in his apartment
— Mohanad Elshieky (@MohanadElshieky) January 16, 2023
Friday, January 20, 2023
Mary Stepp Burnette Hayden
I love StoryCorps for bringing us the real lives of people who should be known and remembered. Mary Othella Burnette recalls her grandmother's unique life as a midwife in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
The Transformation of Archie
Archie was found alone in a storm drain in Kuwait, injured, sick, and muddy. Danna Jawhar from Rescue Adopt Foster took charge of Archie and made sure he got the veterinary care he needed. Hw weighed less than a pound, and his eyes were so infected one of the wouldn't open. Archie also had pneumonia, which was treated with an IV drip of antibiotics. That made all the difference, and Archie not only became healthy, but he was adopted, too!
What If We Turned On Voyager 1’s Camera?
The space probe Voyager 1 has been traveling for more than 45 years, and is more than 23 billion kilometers (14.817 billion miles) away, in interstellar space. It's still communicating with earth with its 1970s technology. That technology might be obsolete, but it was built to last, kind of like a Trinitron TV. After taking amazing pictures of our solar system for a decade, Voyager's cameras were turned off in 1990. There's more than one reason why they won't be turned on again, but the ability to do so is a testament to the durability of vintage hardware. There's a one-minute ad starting at the four-minute mark. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Miss Cellania's Links
To Combat Suicides, All Veterans Can Now Get Free Emergency Care. Spread the word. (via Fark)
Joan Crawford’s Tips for a Great Party: “Everyone Welcome, Except Hippies With Unwashed Feet.” (via Nag on the Lake)
The lights have been on at a Massachusetts school for over a year because no one can turn them off. This is why some people don't trust the latest innovations. (via Fark)
The reason Arnold started bodybuilding.
Beauty pageant contestants divided into racial categories? Seemed like a good idea at the time. Until a cow almost won.
Scientists Discovered a Surprising Benefit of Sex. It can clear up a stuffy nose!
Star Trek Pilots Ranked From Worst to Best: From The Original Series to Strange New Worlds. They are not talking about the guy who drives the starship.
Kenya’s Maasai Mara Wildlife Reserve Is a Photographer’s Playground.
Homemade Gas-powered Horse
Su Daocheng is a farmer in a China and a self-taught mechanical genius. He built this gas engine-powered horse to help him plow his fields, but I honestly don’t see him getting a lot of that done, at least in this version. That fact that he actually built it himself is pretty neat, yet when it starts walking, you’ll laugh out loud just like I did. Later in the video, you’ll get to see more of Su’s kinetic sculptures. (via Boing Boing)
Tweet of the Day
(via Everlasting Blort)MÃralo hasta el final... 😱😱 pic.twitter.com/CwCEdG2o44
— Ana Hidalgo 💜💪 (@AnaHid46) January 8, 2023
Thursday, January 19, 2023
One Note Samba
Dean Martin and Caterina Valente perform "One Note Samba" on Martin's variety show. Well, she performs, he plays along. The music is great, but what's notable is their charming banter. (via Metafilter)
That Husband Calling Contest is Real
The hog calling contest is a staple of midwestern county and state fairs, but Iowa puts a different spin on the idea with a husband calling contest! You may have seen a viral TikTok video that's racked up more than a million views in the last six days featuring an edited version of some of the contestants from the 2017 competition. The video above is the original uncut report, which gives some context to the silliness. (via Boing Boing)
Atlas Gets a Grip
We've been watching the Boston Dynamics robot called Atlas for years, and have been so impressed with his walking, dancing, lifting, and learning to navigate complicated environments that we didn't even notice his hands didn't work like ours. But that's changing. While Atlas may not yet have five fingers that work independently, he has developed the ability to manipulate objects. In this promotional video, the robot not only grips, but lifts and delivers, too. He can't help but show off a bit with a spinning back flip. We pretty much expected that. Every robot carries a bit of hubris.
Miss Cellania's Links
A simple tale that begins in 2023, in six parts. Hit "next" to advance the story. (via Metafilter)
Is My House Haunted? A General Building Contractor weighs in. (via Boing Boing)
Nobody Wants to Buy the Ugly Crypto House.
Why the Union Army Had So Many Boy Soldiers. The Confederate side had too many as well.
Why Hire a Translator When You Can Use an App? See 50 examples of poor translations that turned out to be quite funny in a second language.
Charles Boycott: The Man Who Became a Verb.
If you find it a treat to hear the solo from "Free Bird," check out this dude playing it on harmonica, and even better this high school student on violin (skip to 4:30). (via Metafilter)
Halloween in January? You Betcha!
Seven Pounds of Insanity
Redditor emlod takes lots of video of his cat, Luna. She’s three years old, but still has the heart of a kitten. He made a compilation of her craziest cat behavior, which encompasses the stuff we see on individual viral cat videos: climbing, jumping, sneaking around, napping, drinking out of the faucet, chasing tiny things, play fighting, not landing on all fours, hiding, ninja attacks, maiows, and making biscuits. I think chattymcgee summed it up well:
So, I'm not a vet, but I've done a lot of internet research on my own cats. This cat appears to have a full blown case of Nut Butt, with probable early onset Furry Ninjitus. I'm sad to say I'm also seeing some indication of an infection of cinnimonbunius patikakius, known to the common man as Biscuit Makers disease.He also takes a lot of pictures of Luna, which you can find individually linked here.
As he's a young cat I'd advise treats, sun beams for naps, and maybe some more rugs so he stops slipping around so much and looking like a dingus.
Tweet of the Day
(via Nag on the Lake)Charcuterie cutie! Dodger the 5-month-old opossum takes his charcuterie with meal worms, eggs and plenty of sprinkles, thank you. pic.twitter.com/bsyaeOzGfm
— Woodland Park Zoo (@woodlandparkzoo) November 21, 2022
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Free TV
Gimme Shelter
Here's another collaboration the organization Playing For Change did many years ago. Because you look like you need to take four minutes to groove.
Flowers
Pet Fish Cause Chaos When Video Game Crashes
Turn the closed captions on to get an English narration for the video. Japanese gamer and live streamer Mutekimaru has a popular series in which his pet fish play Pokémon. He installed a motion-tracking circuit board on the wall of his aquarium, divided into sections corresponding with computer buttons. When a fish swims across a sensor, it trips a command of some sort. By activating random commands, the fish slowly play the game. Cool, huh? But there's danger is automating a live stream, no matter how cool it is, and you should never trust a fish.
Sunday, the fish were playing Pokémon Violet and live streaming when the game crashed. They kept swimming, got into the eshop, went into the wallet and exposed his credit card information! The fish bought some items, sent Mutekimaru an email, logged back in and selected a different game, joined a chat group, and generally caused chaos along the lines of a five-year-old on his dad's computer. You have to wonder how long all this took before Mutekimaru caught on to what had happened, but it is hilarious. (via Metafilter)
School is Closed
From 2015: Matt Glendinning, the head of Moses Brown School in Providence, Rhode Island, made the decision to close school for the big snow event. But he had to dress the announcement up a bit in the song his students have been singing for over a year now. Oh yeah, you know he had this video ready months ago, but it’s still funny. (via Time)
Tweet of the Day
You'll need the sound on for this!WHAT DID U SAY TO ME?? pic.twitter.com/6dGF6dzxq5
— cats being weird little guys (@weirdlilguys) January 11, 2023
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
A Selection of Foo Fighters Music
The United States Army Band, nicknamed "Pershing's Own," performs a quasi-medley of Foo Fighters songs. I think you'll like it. (via Laughing Squid)
Sentinel Chickens
The Sentinel Chickens are performing their protective duty in New South Wales, Australia, but it's nothing like what a guard dog would do. In fact, it's more like the canary in a coal mine scenario, except for the fact that these chickens send a warning of danger not by dying, but by having their blood drawn. Tom Scott explains the procedure, and you can read more about it at NSW Health.
The 10 Most Dangerous Movie Productions in History
Dangerous stunts in movies draw an audience in. We tell ourselves, "It's just a movie, they weren't in any real danger." But often they were. Before CGI, actors had to get perilously close to the action they were illustrating. Even today, the quest for realism can be dangerous. Simon Whistler of Top Tenz tells us the stories behind ten dangerous movie productions. Nine of the ten involved deaths and one involved multiple gruesome injuries. Yeah, there have been other movie productions resulting in death, but these ten has stories worth telling.
Miss Cellania's Links
Chinese Blue Rabbit Zodiac Stamp Becomes Unexpected Viral Hit for Looking “Horrific.” (via Metafilter)
16 Things That Will Hurt Your Cat's Feelings.
Why Archeologists Are Too Scared To Open The Tomb Of China's First Emperor. (via Strange Company)
Dystopia is in the Eye of the Beholder.
The 10 Best Harrison Ford Roles That Aren't Han Solo Or Indiana Jones. (via Digg)
Black hole 'spaghettified' a star into a doughnut shape, and astronomers captured the gory encounter. (via Damn Interesting)
Every January, This City in Ecuador Fills With Dancing Devils.
The Splendor of Color Kaleidoscope
Next time you need some background music and video for a party, or if you just want to space out for a couple of hours, this is the video you can pull up. I won't judge.
Monday, January 16, 2023
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go to the Grave
Imagine Ozzy Osbourne singing to the '80s dance beat of Wham! You don't have to imagine, because here it is in the latest mashup from Bill McClintock. He's mixed "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" with Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave" and also threw in the guitar solo from "So This is Love" by Van Halen.
Neglected Sheep Gets a New Life
Ellie Mae was a lonely, neglected sheep who carried the weight of the world around. Or, more precisely, carried the weight of six years of wool growth, because she had never been sheared. She couldn't even see because of the hair in her face! But then she was taken in by Harmony Hill Farm Sanctuary. She got a name, a haircut, and sheep to hang around with, and that's when her life really started. A six-year-old sheep is no spring chicken, but the rest of her life will be a bed of roses. See more of Ellie Mae, her friend Bella, and all the animals at Instagram.
The Kingmaker
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today is Dr. King’s Birthday holiday, although he was actually born on January 15th. The holiday is meant for celebration and education, but Coretta Scott King reminds us that it’s more than that.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is not only for celebration and remembrance, education and tribute, but above all a day of service. All across America on the Holiday, his followers perform service in hospitals and shelters and prisons and wherever people need some help. It is a day of volunteering to feed the hungry, rehabilitate housing, tutoring those who can’t read, mentoring at-risk youngsters, consoling the broken-hearted and a thousand other projects for building the beloved community of his dream.That’s the way to honor Dr. King’s legacy.