Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Dogs Have Fun in the Snow
What’s not to love about snow? It’s deep, and cool, and slippery! It can be hard or it can float on air. You can jump on top of it or dig underneath it. And best of all, the kids are playing in it! The drawbacks are that it’s cold and hard to drive in, but if you’re a dog, you have a fur coat and nowhere to drive anyway. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Tweet of the Day
(via Bits and Pieces)T-Ball is just pure chaos 😂pic.twitter.com/Uq9o9x4bUt
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) November 8, 2023
Monday, November 27, 2023
My Brain at 3:59am – A Mashup
Twin brothers Pat and Sean Kelly are musicians and DJs for private events in Philadelphia. When you mix music on the fly, you get a feeling for what works together, and an awful lot of songs work together. They call this medley duet "My Brain at 3:59am – A Mashup." Twenty songs in one minute, divided by two singers, means each song gets about six seconds, but that's long enough for you to know what song it is, and now you've got an entire mashup stuck in your head. (via Boing Boing)
Spicy New Sumatran Tiger Cub
There are only about 500 critically endangered Sumatran tigers left in the wild. There are only 73 in zoos. Zoo Miami is part of the Species Survival Plan, a global effort to conserve and produce more Sumatran tigers. Their breeding couple, Berani and Leeloo, produced a male cub in 2015 and a female cub in 2021. The father, Berani, developed cancer and was euthanized on November 2. He was 15 years old, an advanced age for a tiger. But Berani has left his legacy, and has even added to it.
On Thanksgiving Day, Zoo Miami announced that Berani had fathered a third Sumatran tiger cub, born on September 6. Such news is always kept from the public for a few weeks to make sure that a zoo baby survives that critical period. At ten days old, the cub had its first health check, which revealed she is a girl, and is healthy and developing normally. Yes, for a ten-day-old cat, she is very big, even though Sumatran tigers are the smallest of all the tiger species. The cub and her mother Leeloo will remain in seclusion for a few months before the cub is shown to the public. Zooborns has the press release from the zoo and more pictures.
Disney's Droids
While Boston Dynamics keeps working on Atlas, their humanoid robot, and Spot, the quadruped that actually does real world jobs, Disney is concentrating on building robots for their entertainment value. Does it surprise anyone that they are the ones giving us real life droids? A few weeks ago, they took their new droids out for a test run at the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park at Disneyland in California. These bipedal self-learning robots don't look all that useful for the real world, but they are impossibly adorable and are ready to show off their personalities, which is perfect for the immerse fantasy of Disneyland. They look like a cross between an AT-ST and Wall-E. See what else they can do.
Look for the toy version coming back from the theme parks soon, and in stores by next Christmas. (via Metafilter)
Miss Cellania's Links
Why walking backwards can be good for your health and brain. (via Strange Company)
Becca McGlynn worked for ten years to make a fan edit of Doctor Who that arranges the show into chronological order, meaning the order of what happens to the time-traveling Doctor and his cohorts in history. Really. The finished project called Stitches in Time is more than 20 days long. (via Metafilter)
They Brought A Crappy Tesla Cybertuck ‘Clone’ To A Major Car Show. We Interviewed Them And It Got Insanely Awkward.
The first time that Keith Emerson used the Moog synthesizer. Greg Lake tells a great story.
Christmas Decorations on TikTok: Trendy or Traditional?
Bleach does not kill common superbug, study finds. That's why C.diff runs rampant in hospitals. (via Damn Interesting)
Yet Again, Starbucks Has Better Holiday Drinks Outside the U.S.
Caviar on Horseback: The Most Outrageous Dinner Party of the Gilded Age. (via Strange Company)
Fox Encounter
Rapper and comedian Dan Bull and his cats Jimmy and Sammy had a visit from a fox.
This incredible encounter happened to me this week. The fox was curled up asleep at my back door. Foxes are normally nocturnal and will run away if they spot you anywhere near. But I just sat there for ages chilling with this fox and two of my cats Jimmy and Sammy. I sensed no hostility from either side, just a relaxed inquisitiveness.The fox and the cats got along just fine, but eventually the fox realized that not only was he being stared at by a human, but he was also being recorded. Bye, Mr. Fox!
Tweet of the Day
(Thanks, WTM!)Hilarious😂 pic.twitter.com/kQCfwwXL0f
— Learn Something (@cooltechtipz) November 7, 2023
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Fascinating
On Star Trek: The Original Series, "fascinating" is a word Mr. Spock used when confronted by something unexpected. How often did that happen in the series? More than once an episode, at least. Merriam-Webster defines the word fascinating as "extremely interesting or charming, captivating." I doubt Spock would use it to mean charming, but since the character is supposedly immune to human emotions (which wasn't quite true), we will assume he finds all thing extremely interesting.
Here we have incidents that Spock found fascinating in a supercut from John DiMarco. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Getting Past Lunar Immigration
Warning: nonstop puns ahead. In the modern age, security in some places requires questioning just to get a visa or to enter the country. The comedy troupe Foil Arms and Hog have a series of skits about "getting past immigration" for a bunch of different countries, but this time, they're completely out of this world. To gain entry to a lunar colony, they must answer a series of questions about the moon. They know all the answers, although they aren't the answers you'll see on any school quiz.
The Great Bird Race
Red Side made an illustrated comparison of how fast various birds can move, on foot or flying. They start with the slowest birds which are overtaken by faster ones, one by one. I felt sorry for the penguin, who leads things off as the slowest walker, but never gets to show us how fast he can swim. Where are all these birds going? Why are they all going as fast as they can? Is something chasing them? Some are rather awkward even as they are speeding by other species. The running birds seem to have no knees, and the ostrich has hips hidden way up in its backbone, which makes this frantic chase seem all the more hilarious. (via Nag on the Lake)
The Bells of St. Mary's
Most of you are familiar with this movies already. If not, here's some information from Wikipedia:
The Bells of St. Mary's is a 1945 American drama film produced and directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. Written by Dudley Nichols based on a story by Leo McCarey, the film is about a priest and a nun who, despite their good-natured rivalry, try to save their school from being shut down. The character of Father O'Malley had been previously portrayed by Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, for which Crosby had won the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film was produced by Leo McCarey's production company, Rainbow Productions.
Tweet of the Day
This footage was captured in 1965 and was a social experiment showing how girls react to a young handsome teacher and their reactions are priceless. pic.twitter.com/VKu772wJYh
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) November 21, 2023
Saturday, November 25, 2023
A Master Printer Makes His Final Print
Master printer and publisher Jacob Samuel spent 48 years perfecting his "hardcore extreme etching" technique and working with more than 60 of the world's greatest contemporary artists. At age 72, he is finally ready to retire. As he makes his final print, he looks back on his career, from the printers he learned from to the artists he collaborated with. Samuel talks about his creative philosophy, technical process, and the innovation of a portable print studio that allowed him to get to know those artists and submerse himself in their culture while creating their etchings. In this video from the Museum of Modern Art, you get the idea that Samuel will bring that same philosophy, precision, and creativity to any retirement projects he chooses in his leisure time. (via Kottke)
The Most Impactful Event in Earth's History
The Chicxulub asteroid hit the earth in the Yucatan subcontinent 66 million years ago and changed everything. The impact itself was devastating for a large part of the earth, but the aftereffects changed the entire earth. It even changed the global climate! And that's why we have no dinosaurs today, unless you count the birds that somehow survived. We've never had an event as powerful or as destructive as the Chicxulub impact before or after. Could it happen again? Yes, but the chances are pretty small. I hope that makes you feel better about it because we've got plenty of other things to worry about. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
The Orc Dance
You never imagined the Orcs from Lord of the Rings to be the dancing type, did you? When an unexpected dinner appears, they do a victory dance. but you know how it is when you celebrate too early!
Scott Winn brings us dancing Orcs with a special appearance by the elf Legolas. The song is “Through the Flame” by Scott & Brendo. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Tweet of the Day
(via Everlasting Blort)The greatest thanksgiving ever. pic.twitter.com/d6nO0iOKk7
— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) November 22, 2023
Friday, November 24, 2023
A Lake in Canada May Hold the Secret to The Anthropocene
The fairly new term "Anthropocene" refers to a proposed geologic epoch in which man made his mark on the earth. When did it start? That's up for discussion. Another question is where did it start? We don't know that, but there is a proposal to use Crawford lake in Ontario as a reference point for the beginning of the Anthropocene. It's a small lake, but it has some very specific and interesting properties that make it uniquely suitable for such a reference point. Besides it being perfectly suited for the purpose, it's already in a conservation area designated as an Ontario Area of Natural and Scientific Interest. Savannah Geary of Sci Show explains, and makes us want to visit Crawford Lake.
Camp David
When the US president goes anywhere, the security involved is a logistics nightmare involving hundreds of people. You deal with that when there's a diplomatic reason for travel, but when the Commander in Chief needs a weekend to relax and refresh or a summer vacation, it's a lot easier to have a spot already in place with permanent security. Security is important, but that spot has to be nice enough so that the president will want to stay there. That's how Camp David was born in the 1930s. The facility is also perfect for hosting meetings with other heads of state for the same reasons, especially for extended meetings like peace talks. Half as Interesting explains the history of Camp David, plus the measures taken to keep it feeling like a luxury resort to its guests while maintaining security that makes a supermax prison look weak. It's a delicate balancing act, but someone's gotta do it.
Goliath, the Orphaned Anteater
What do you do with an orphaned anteater? Goliath was found on the side of the road in Ecuador after his mother was hit by a car. The staff at Merazonia Wildlife Rescue took him in and fed him goat's milk. But how do you teach an anteater how to eat ants? Goliath's caretakers raised him with the freedom to roam the rain forest, alternating with the security of foster care when he needed it. But the time eventually came when he was old enough to be a wild animal on his own. You can see further footage of his release at Instagram. Months after moving to his new home, Merazonia reports that Goliath is doing just fine and is living his best anteater life. (via Fark)
Bacon is Good for Me
A blast from the past! In 2009, a little boy named Curtis Holland stole the show on the reality TV series Wife Swap. His viral tirade was remixed into a song. He's now grown up, and you can find him on Instagram. As you can tell from the pictures, he's still quite the carnivore.
Miss Cellania's Links
The winners of the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards have been announced.
Bizarre 'creature' with long, flailing arms spotted on Google Street View. (via Boing Boing)
The Mysterious Norwegian Art of Painting on Dead Fish. No one knows how artists pulled off a trick over 100 years ago.
I Drove the Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix Track in a 700-HP Aston Martin. A singular opportunity for an amateur.
We’ve been fighting poverty all wrong. The success of the expanded child tax credit shows why anti-poverty programs should be unconditional.
Lego Sets of Famous Moments in Psychology.
Mike Johnson's Adventures with the Meaning of Words. The latest from Tom the Dancing Bug.
Guess who is sponsoring the Rolling Stones 2024 tour.
TÅ· Unnos: The One Night House. Build it before sunrise, and you own it. Brilliant!
Spitting Contest with a Dolphin
John went to the Bahamas and took in one of those “swimming with dolphins” attractions in Nassau. There he met a dolphin who wants to be a comedian. Instead of a kiss, he spat water in John’s face! Well John reacted naturally, and spat back. Things escalated from there until a trainer stepped in to break things up. The man and dolphin made up and a good time was had by all. (via Viral Viral Videos)
Tweet of the Day
(via Everlasting Blort)A baby stroller from 100 years ago
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) November 11, 2023
pic.twitter.com/cZB3yHiG6o
Thursday, November 23, 2023
An '80s Retro TV Intro for Kenobi
If the Disney+ series Kenobi had been produced in the 1980s, it would have been on network TV and be squeezed between The Incredible Hulk and MacGyver. Oh yeah, in case you haven't seen Kenobi, this video contains spoilers. I haven't seen it either, but when you live on the internet, spoilers just come with the territory.
What really makes this retro TV intro perfect is the original theme song, called "Be the One" by Auralnauts, with guitar and vocals by Scott Beetley. The feedback to the TV intro made that clear, so Auralnauts went ahead and made a full music video for the song, by mixing in video clips from the very 1980s music video for "The Unforgiven" by Robert Tepper.
Considering the audio and video are from completely different musicians, this is a masterpiece of editing. But that's what you would expect from Auralnauts.
Why Turkey for Thanksgiving?
I hope that by now you have taken the turkey out of the freezer and have it thawing in the refrigerator. Forgetting to do that is one of the more common Thanksgiving mistakes. Okay, let's learn about why why eat the things we do on the holiday we call Thanksgiving. The celebration has evolved through the history of the United States, and is essentially a harvest festival that celebrates American foods. Turkeys are native to America, and they will feed a lot of people, so it was a natural idea to serve one when the whole family gets together, whether or not they were served at the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving feast. Take a few minutes to sit down and listen while Weird History Food talks turkey.
Lat's Have Thanksgiving Dinner Together!
People talk about how every family in America follows the same food traditions on Thanksgiving, but that only goes so far. Sure, we have turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, and pie, but the recipes are varied, and serving anything other than what your family has enjoyed for years and years is like stepping on a land mine. I recall the massive shock when my grandmother began making dressing in serving size balls instead of pressing it into a pan. We all took that as a new family tradition for about 40 years until I just stopped doing it, because the only advantage was being able to throw a serving across the table, which isn't worth the extra trouble or oven room.
Eventually, I found myself married into two other families that had different traditions, and almost everything had to be duplicated. My husband had to have Stovetop Stuffing, while my kids expected the traditional cornbread recipe. I roasted a turkey, while my late husband's mother brought chicken and dumplings. Once, I was compelled to make two different kinds of mashed potatoes, because my kids were temporarily vegan, although left to my own devices, I would not even make mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving.
Kim Holderness illustrates that concept more succinctly than I ever could in this Thanksgiving planning skit. The idea of giving up and just being a guest for someone else's feast is the easy way out, although her family will probably never let her live it down.
Miss Cellania's Links
Your guide to the Thanksgiving table. The traditional feast as imagined by artificial intelligence. (via Nag on the Lake)
50 People Who Had A Terrible Time During Thanksgiving. If your Thanksgiving is not proceeding in the manner you expected, they will make you feel downright thankful.
Thanksgiving in Prison. (via Strange Company)
SNL's 10 Best Thanksgiving Sketches.
Good Luck to the History Teachers who tackle the Narrative of Native Americans in Uniform. Which side do you think they took in the Civil War? (spoiler alert: both)
Edward Lear’s recipe for amblongus pie, 1872. (via Nag on the Lake)
Good profits from bad news: How the Kennedy assassination helped make network TV news wealthy. (via Damn Interesting)
After Woman Loses Car to Fire, The Stanley Mug Company Offers to Replace It.
On a personal note, neither of my kids could come home for Thanksgiving due to work obligations, but both are attempting to recreate our traditional family dinner using my recipes for the first time. I will update you on how that goes.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Alice’s Restaurant
A Thanksgiving tradition, fifty years after the original event. The movie is from 1969. I watched it this afternoon. The third quarter is the best, as it's the part that follows the song. The rest is pretty much filler.
Tweet of the Day
(via Bits and Pieces)How this person’s late dog sent her a new best friend. 14/10 pic.twitter.com/Isy2tm60DF
— WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) November 9, 2023
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
The End is Nigh
Wars and rumors of wars. Fire and brimstone. The total collapse of society. The threat of an impending apocalypse hits differently in 2023, because we already have those things. In fact, some folks might see the end of days as an improvement on what we have now. As he does, Ryan George plays all the parts as he gets some reactions from people on the street, who are quite credulous in order to fit this all into a short skit, but don't react the way the street preacher would prefer them to. Despite all that, the end is almost hopeful. And the horse joke can be read in more ways than one. The skit is only 3:10; the rest is an ad. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Cats Doing What They Shouldn't
This compilation shows us cats getting into tight places, bullying their owners, attacking other animals, going where they aren't supposed to be, stealing food, making messes, and generally acting as cats will. Oh, here's some more.
(via Metafilter)
A Sustainable Tiny House in Hawaii
In August, wildfires raged through the Hawaiian island of Maui and left thousands of people homeless. Jack Whitfield of Sol Projex has some ideas for replacing some of those homes in environmentally-friendly ways. Not only does he use reclaimed wood, but also mills wood from trees of invasive species. He's in the process of building a sustainable home for a family in Lahaina. In this video, he explains his building philosophy while giving us a tour of his own tiny home on Kaua'i. Of course, it's easier when you don't need insulated walls and your appliances can be set outside, but that's Hawaii for you. Even people in paradise need a place to live. (via Digg)
Dancing Cars
A security camera caught an absolutely bizarre traffic accident in China. You don’t see any of the cars hitting each other (at first, although the two vans eventually collide). They just stand up and start a weird dance! What’s going on?
Turns out that there’s a cable across the road, waiting for a phone pole installation. A street sweeper, which you can see on the right side, sweeps it up and winds the cable into its rotating brushes, which pulls it taut just as the three vehicles are passing over it. (via Boing Boing)
Tweet of the Day
(via Everlasting Blort)Dutch designer Maarten Baas has created a 10-foot high art clock in the newly renovated Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport that features a video of a man in a work uniform behind the translucent clock face painstakingly painting the time minute by minute. pic.twitter.com/UHmWcn8rzA
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) November 12, 2023
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Anakin's Shenanigans
On the one hand, you'd think that the ability to think outside the box would be an asset for a Jedi Knight. On the other hand, we know young Anakin Skywalker is an ass and is liable to get Obi-Wan killed before his time. You are supposed to discuss new strategies with your master before surprising them with your outlandish new battle tactics. That's what Obi-Wan should have gotten onto him about. At the same time, we all know that Force powers are completely underused in Star Wars, particularly in battle. Anakin has an another idea that might give him the upper hand.
Once again, Obi-Wan is surprised by Anakin's dangerous secret tactics. Events of their future notwithstanding, Obi-Wan should have seen how dangerous this kid was years before. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Tom Scott on a Little Training Ship
The Ship Handling Research and Training Centre in Poland is a very unique school. This is where ship's pilots can learn how to steer through the biggest, most crucial ports, locks, and canals on earth, like Panama and Suez. This training is meant to supplement on-the-job training with more experienced pilots, not to replace that experience. They use a combination of computer simulations and real piloting. The school uses ships and courses that are scaled at only 1/24th the size of the the real thing, but that's still surprisingly big. They also use current generators to recreate various real-world conditions. Tom Scott talked them into letting him pilot one of these ships without taking the entire course, just for funsies. I don't think he's going to try for a job with Evergreen or any other shipping company.
Miss Cellania's Links
25 must-try vegan holiday recipes. (via Nag on the Lake)
If you're ready to bid a final farewell to Halloween 2023, you'll enjoy seeing a gallery of 32 very elderly Jack-o-Lanterns. (via Boing Boing)
Chicken Run studio Aardman is apparently running out of clay.
The couch. It's where you keep your change.
How to Respond to Relatives Who Feel the Need to Comment on Your Food and Body. A guide to gently (or firmly) telling people to mind their own business. (via Digg)
Are Psychedelics the Future of Eating Disorder Treatment?
The Rise and Fall of the Potsdam Giants.
Rescuers Lift Storm Drain And Come Face-To-Face With World's Largest Rodent. (via Boing Boing)
If Vendors Were Honest About Black Friday
Roger is back- the guy who was honest with us about weddings, insurance, and cars for sale. This time, he wants you to participate in the Black Friday Christmas shopping melee. At least he’s honest about it. I think I’ll stay away from stores this weekend, as I always do after Thanksgiving. I don’t want to buy something just because you want to sell it to me. I’ll buy what I want, just as soon as I win the lottery.
Monday, November 20, 2023
Real Medieval War Stories That Sound Made Up
European history is a frighteningly big subject, especially for Americans, because there were so many cultures always at war with and conquering each other that nations and borders were constantly changing. A kingdom could be just a few hundred people and still have a royal family that ended up in the history books, so that the timeline is a long string of of wars, marriages, and murders that eventually just seem to blend together. But when you look closely, there are episodes that stand out because they are just so bizarre. Weird History does us a favor and highlights just the most outstandingly weird incidents in battle. You don't have to know exactly who these rulers were, or how they fit into the timeline to get a kick out of the odd things that make history worth knowing.
400 MPH Bowling Ball to the Dome
Gav and Dan, the Slow Mo Guys, teamed up with the Brett and Scott from the YouTube channel How Ridiculous to bring us a thoroughly disturbing demonstration of wanton destruction. They procured an anatomically-correct model head, and then shot a bowling ball at it with a cannon. The bowling ball is traveling at almost 400 miles per hour, so you know that head is going to be obliterated. Yep, they blew it up real good. But they have more heads, so they get to blow more of them away. I'm glad they chose their heads to be equipped with green blood instead of red. (via Digg)
Hot Dog Foosball
This game is really clever, and you can almost see in your mind's eye how it happened. You have a grill with rotating skewers, make for things like shish kebab. But one day all you have is hot dogs, and cooking them on the grill is a great way to make them special. Once you have the dogs skewered and give them one turn, you are reminded of a foosball table. Sure, this will work! All you need is a ball that won't burn.
Of course, all this might have happened in someone's imagination. Pablo Rochat has that kind of creative mind, and made Hot Dog Foosball a reality. (via Laughing Squid)
Miss Cellania's Links
Yes, You Can Put Your Christmas Decorations Up Now—and Should, According to Psychologists.
Long Before the First Thanksgiving, an Artificial Island in Florida Hosted a Cross-Cultural Feast. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/thanksgiving-calusa-mound-key-florida
I’m An Insurance Adjuster And I’m Going To Total Your Car (And Hate Doing It). (via Metafilter)
I’d Knit That: Kendall Ross’s Knitted Wearable Artworks.
31 Eyebrow-Arching Facts About Video Games.
Terrified feral cat learns to cuddle with his new very patient human.
Godzilla reigns eternal thanks to years of tiny design changes. (via Digg)
Hampshire villagers bring street’s apostrophe catastrophe to a full stop. St Mary’s Terrace in Twyford has regained its lost punctuation after a row that even drew in local author Jane Austen. (via Metafilter)
Seize the Day
An inspirational speech from Robin Williams, remixed from several of his movies by Melodysheep.
Tweet of the Day
Yeah, people have known this for 40 years. In case you need to be reminded, Rupert Murdoch is the founder and owner of Fox News. (via Boing Boing)Linda Rondstadt on Australian TV in 1983:
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) November 16, 2023
"Australia gave us Rupert Murdoch. Thanks a lot, you guys. Take him back!
pic.twitter.com/fzlmrfSNjc
Sunday, November 19, 2023
A Look at History's Toughest Warriors
Historically, the toughest armies are made up of the fiercest warriors. Modern armies depend on technology and brainpower, but still require tough warriors. Over thousands of years, rulers have shaped their societies to produce brave fighters that will risk their lives for glory, honor, and victory. Weird History highlights eleven of history's fiercest fighting forces of the past and what they accomplished. Not all of them were official armies led by government rulers, but they all had a leader who knew how to motivate their fighters, whether by patriotism, rewards, fear, loyalty, cultural manipulation, or survival instinct. Or some combination of those techniques. Some you know about from history class or the movies, but there will be a couple of armies that are new to you.
How A Hoarder's House Is Deep Cleaned
A hoarder's house can be a nightmare in more than one way. We sometimes hear about houses that are falling apart, infested with insects, animal carcasses, and trash because the resident no longer has the ability to clean up and needs help, due to age, illness, or drug addiction. What he have here is something different. A resident of this nice home amassed things constantly- what they call "excessive acquisition." It became so much that it interfered with everyday living. Mack Leighty from Midwest Magic Cleaning tackled the job of decluttering this home, and had to bring in a couple of other folks to help.
This is what we all need to beware of- the unnoticed amassing of too many possessions. You might not realize when it gets to the point that you cannot deal with the amount of things yourself. It's better to start now and reduce your inventory to a manageable level before it gets out of hand. Then do that every year or two. If it's not liable to be useful sometime soon, give it away. Keep your treasures and the things that always spark joy, but all that stuff that you might unpack "someday" doesn't need to be there at all. (via Damn Interesting)
What Men Think About
The best skit from last night's Saturday Night Live involved the idea that's gone viral in the last couple of months that men spend a surprising amount of time thinking about the Roman Empire. I don't know whether that's true, or if they've just stumbled upon a good answer for when a woman asks a man what he is thinking about. They tried for a long time to tell us they are not thinking about anything, which women don't believe because women never stop thinking.
The concept is funny, yet it's the script, performance, and editing that raise this one to the level of masterpiece. The little boy is exceptionally impressive. Parental guidance is recommended here.
Apartment Symphony
You know how some buskers record loops and play over them immediately, so they can sound like a one man band? Keith Peskosky did this while walking around his apartment, which is strewn with instruments. So of course it got made into a GoPro ad. (via Digg)
Tweet of the Day
(via Buzzfeed)RIP cowboy holding a stick of dynamite pic.twitter.com/v3AqPdMboQ
— Jamison Webb (@jamisonwebb) November 13, 2023
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Frankenstein is More Horrific Than You Might Think
For generations now, people have been correcting each other. Frankenstein is not the name of the monster, it's the name of the mad scientist who created the monster! But then again, a more thoughtful take on that would be that the real monster of the story is the mad scientist, Dr. Frankenstein.
In Mary Shelley's original novel, Frankenstein isn't even a doctor. But he is a scientist, whether mad or evil or both. It takes a lot of hubris to imagine one can reanimate dead body parts, essentially making a man. The creature itself is the victim, not only of being reanimated without consent, but being seen as a monster, undeserving of love. The novel delves much deeper into the ethics of science and the danger of playing God. Monstrum, from PBS, explains some of the deeper themes addressed in the original 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
Problem George
George is a Bengal cat that was rejected over and over. He has beautiful markings indicating some wild genes, but you can see what happens when cats are overbred. His first owner most likely took a financial bath buying him. His behavior led him to owner after owner until he finally found Cecilia, who fosters cats. She invested a lot of time, patience, and love getting George to be sociable enough to keep. See, even problem cats deserve a second chance. See more of George at his YouTube channel.
Darth Vader Gets Therapy
Ruling the galaxy with an iron fist can be stressful. When things get a little rough, Darth Vader takes time for a video consultation with his therapist Master Garian. Vader repeats a series of positive affirmations that we know he has no intention of fulfilling. Throughout this video from Auralnauts, I was expecting Vader to slow down his breathing to a point where he just dies, but that doesn't happen. Master Garian's soothing voice may or may not have done Vader any good, but I feel quite relaxed.
10 Thanksgiving Food Hacks
The Crazy Russian Hacker has some kitchen tips to help you out with Thanksgiving festivities. Never mind that none of it has much to do with traditional American Thanksgiving dishes. Just listening to him speak is entertaining to me!
Seriously, the best way to get all the honey off a spoon is to stick the whole thing in your mouth. I’ll have to try the lemon-rosemary-vanilla potpourri. For a winter holiday smell, I usually boil oranges, lemons, cinnamon, and cloves (or whatever combination of those I have). In other words, spice tea without the tea and sugar, but if it’s just for the smell, you can use fruit that’s past its prime. Oh my- did he put mashed potatoes in a muffin tin for an appetizer tray? Is that a Russian thing? (via Viral Viral Videos)
Tweet of the Day
Where is this? I want to make sure to stay away.Here's one traffic sign that doesn't mince any words. pic.twitter.com/8DlWIx0rqG
— Undine (@HorribleSanity) November 7, 2023
Friday, November 17, 2023
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