(via Undine)
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Hotel California
Postmodern Jukebox reimagines the Eagles 1977 hit "Hotel California" in the style of Cuban jazz. The singer is Rogelio Douglas, Jr. (via Neatorama)
Annie the Beetle
A sweet story about a faithful and dependable car. But those old beetle bugs had no crumple zones, no antilock brakes, no air conditioning, and no gas gauge. I assume Kathleen had seat belts added, but still no shoulder strap. Princess fell in love with the original VW Beetle when she was a teenager. After all, I and my family had nothing but Volkswagens back in the day. She got over her obsession pretty quick when my brother referred to them as "death traps." We are now a Toyota family, with two Priuses, three Camrys, and two RAV4s between us. (via Nag on the Lake)
Christmas Name
I get the humor, but I have serious doubts on the veracity of this story. What obstetrical surgeon is willing to perform a planned C-section on Christmas Day? At least in the US, which this is, judging from the language. Princess still gets flack over her vaccination records because she received several on December 25, 1997, which American authorities assume cannot be true. But Christmas isn't a holiday in China, and clinics were open as usual. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Trees Are Weird
The purpose of a tree, as far as the tree is concerned, is to gather sunlight and water. The fact that a tree magically converts those things into building material and fuel is the purpose of a tree as far as humans are concerned. But first, trees had to compete with all other plants to get that sunlight, so they grew tall. The trees had to come up with a system to gather and utilize water over distance.
That system relies on physics that are hard for humans to replicate. It also depends on a form of cellular suicide. The upshot is that even when a tree is healthy and functioning, a majority of it is dead. Kurzgesagt explains what's happening on the inside of a tree in a video is less than ten minutes long; the rest is promotional. (via Nag on the Lake)
Is It Dangerous To Talk To A Camera While Driving?
Tom Scott tries out the University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator. It's a cool machine, a pod that moves while showing you a virtual reality world. The simulator puts you, the driver, in a variety of situations to test how well you control the vehicle. The scientists who operate the simulator test drivers who text, talk on a phone, eat, and are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Scott was interested in testing a behavior he indulges in often- talking to a camera while driving. The result? He miss seeing things that he never would have realized in a real driving situation -like signs. Even when you keep your eyes on the road, if you are more busy thinking about anything else besides driving, that could happen to you. (via Digg)
The Chicago Way
(via Fark)Finally getting some theological clarity on the ethics of reclining in one’s plane seat
— Richard Pettigrew (@wiglet1981.bsky.social) November 29, 2025 at 7:13 AM
[image or embed]
Saturday, November 29, 2025
How Television Has Changed
Nerdstalgic explains why you don't want to bother watching TV anymore. (via Laughing Squid)
Kitten vs. Robots
Half-Asleep Chris has a new kitten named Henry, who is active, adorable, and much funnier than his adult cats. Henry was the perfect choice to test out a series of ten mechanical animals for their value as cat toys. Oh, the other cats, Bella and Ralph, got a chance to interact with the toys, but they quickly figured out they weren't real animals, so their reactions are only shown here when they add to the video's humor. Henry, on the other hand, is in kitten heaven.
Henry's reactions to each animal robot are not exactly scientifically significant, but they are entertaining. He also spends quite a bit of time in this video licking cat food off a glass table. (via Laughing Squid)
Creed Does "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
You know the song, you love it, but you've never heard it like this. It's just the thing for someone who is not at all serious about Christmas. All kinds of singers and bands have recorded Christmas songs, but they usually keep the original tune, if not the original style. In this version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," the tune is changed as well as the style, to that of "Higher" by Creed. The vocals are not Scott Stapp, but rather Dustin Ballard of There I Ruined it.
What Do Cats Want for Christmas?
Cats want ribbon, boxes, shiny toys, crinkly wrapping paper, and turkey for Christmas! But those things aren't always good for them. In this episode of Simon's Cat Logic, Simon Tofield and veterinarian Nicky Treverrow give us a guide to cats and Christmas. The first part is about Christmas hazards to watch out for. Cats can get tangled in lights, swallow ribbons, choke on bones, and eat poisonous greenery. The second part is Tofield explaining the inspiration for his Christmas cartoons. Then there are some classic Simon's Cat videos.
Friday, November 28, 2025
All the Pretty Lights
A charming song from The Divine Comedy captures the wonder of childhood. A young boy takes a trip to London with his family around Christmastime, and his most vivid memory is all those pretty lights. We can revisit that wonder through the eyes of other children even today. (via Nag on the Lake)
An Honest Trailer for Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein
Frankenstein was in theaters for only three weeks and made less than half a million dollars. To be fair, that limited run in select theaters was just enough to make the movie eligible for awards, because it's a Netflix movie. Guillermo Del Toro spent years imagining a Frankenstein film that stayed closer to Mary Shelley's original story, and this is it. Still, "closer" is a relative term. As this Honest Trailer points out, the philosophical questions of life and death and playing God are contemplative in the book, but screamed out in the movie, because who has time for subtlety these days?
Frankenstein looks closely into Victor Frankenstein's background and upbringing, but doesn't try to make him a sympathetic villain. The creature he creates is sadly immortal. And the one woman in the main cast has romantic connections to three of the men, including the creature. Screen Junkies finds plenty to pick on in this Honest Trailer, but it leaves me wanting to see the movie. Just not enough to pay for Netflix.
Thorgellen
Alex Bosworth is introduced to the Norse holiday of Thorgellen by his Viking relatives in Bakersfield. This video was obviously made before we called the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday." (via Nag on the Lake)
Miss Cellania's Links
Bird sex fascinated medieval thinkers as much as people today. (via Fark)
Hollingsworth Hound presents the real reason for the housing crisis. The latest from Tom the Dancing Bug.
Sleeping Beauty on Planet Insomnia. (via Metafilter)
The real reason states first emerged thousands of years ago – new research. (via Damn Interesting)
Chud Atlantis. A house in Houston with Dubai energy.
Turning scientific glass instruments and vacuum tubes into art, in the mid-19th century. (via Memo of the Air)
Meet Splash, the Nation’s First Search and Rescue Otter. (via Metafilter)
Darth Vader Mask Fail
After Obi-Wan left the mortality wounded Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar, he was rescued and fitted with new limbs, a new breathing apparatus, and a new voice. But what if the mask that gave him James Earl Jones' voice shorted out and Darth Vader was left to use his original voice? Anakin's voice was as clueless and whiny as he was.
Auralnauts imagined exactly this malfunction. The result shows how much gravitas Jones' voice added to the Star Wars saga, and how Darth Vader would come across otherwise. David Prowse was upset that his voice was replaced with Jones', but we all know it was the right choice. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Art Tip
(via Everlasting Blort)#3157 A helpful tutorial
— Emilius Duckberry (@emiliusdraws.bsky.social) November 17, 2025 at 6:40 PM
[image or embed]
Thursday, November 27, 2025
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
The 2018 feature film Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary about the life of Fred Rogers of the beloved PBS TV series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It is the the highest-grossing biographical documentary of all time, and the 12th highest-grossing documentary of all time. It won a bunch of awards, and is rated at 97% at Rotten Tomatoes. An awful lot of folks were raised by Rogers, so to speak, including Gen X, Millennials, and even the oldest of Gen Z. As a Boomer with Gen Z kids, I didn't see much of the show, but from what I've seen, I understand the devotion.
Strongbad and the Robot Council
What are all these robots doing around here? Strongbad investigates by sending in one of his minions to infiltrate the robot council meeting. (via Metafilter)
Carol of the Bells
A few months ago, Julien Cohen brought us a flashmob performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in Paris. For Christmas, he's produced an even bigger show. This is not what you'd normally think of as a flashmob, since the crowd had gathered for the official lighting of holiday decorations of the Comité du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. They were expecting a ceremony and maybe some entertainment, but they weren't expecting this. The music starts with angelic children's voices from the upper windows, gradually augmented with violins, horns, guitar, singing voices emerging from the crowd, and Cohen on the piano playing "Carol of the Bells."
The one hundred or so musicians included Violin Phonix, Guitar Olly, and even a marching band from the French Garde Républicaine. The musicians are listed at the YouTube page with their Instagram links.
The Muppets Join Dick Cavett for Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving episode of The Dick Cavett Show in 1971 featured Jim Henson and his Muppets through the whole show. This segment has Cavett's monologue, some ads from 1971, a musical number, and an interview with Henson at nine minutes in. You can watch the entire special at Laughing Squid.
Come One, Come All
Uncle Sam's Thanksgiving Dinner, by Thomas Nast, 1869. There's room at the table for everyone. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Butterball Hotline
When the president wants to settle an argument without giving away his identity, he calls the experts. He should have said he was John Barron, but this episode of The West Wing is from 2000, so he probably wouldn't have known about that guy.
That's One Clever Wolf
A scheme to control the invasive European Green Crab in British Columbia was knocked for a loop when many of the traps were found to have been dragged back to shore. Cameras set up to catch the culprit found it was a wolf. The wolf knew what was in the trap situated out in the water, and took deliberate and obviously practiced steps to retrieve the buoy, then use it to drag the trap to shore. Then the wolf disabled the trap and helped herself to the bait inside.
Is this an example of tool use? It is the first such intricately planned behavior observed in a wild wolf, but psychologists are arguing over whether the wolf was using tools to achieve a goal. That comes down to the definition of "tool use." But however you look at it, this is a clever wolf. Did she figure this out on her own, or are there many wolves that pass this technique to each other? While complicated, it's easier than catching a free swimming fish.
Public Service
Kelly married Congresswoman Gabby Giffords (D-Arizona) in 2007. In 2011, she was shot in the head at a public event (six people were killed). She spent six months in the hospital and suffered brain damage. Kelly had no plans to retire from NASA before this, but he knew he needed to take care of his wife, so that's what he did. A couple of years later, NASA called him up and offered him a job where he could stay home. See, Kelly has an identical twin brother, Scott Kelly, who was also an astronaut at the time. They were going to study the effects of long-term space living, and Mark would be the control twin. Kelly jumped at the chance to continue his public service while taking care of Giffords. You can read more on that year-long experiment at Neatorama.
Giffords recovered enough that she didn't need round-the-clock care. Kelly, who had left NASA in his 40s, wasn't done with public service. In 2020, he became a US senator (D-Arizona).
Mark Kelly has spent his life in public service. That is, except for the years he spent in private service because he loves his wife and she needed him. Serving others for the greater good is ingrained in him. Contrast that with the life of our current president, who never spent one minute in public service until he was elected to the highest office in the land, and who is currently calling for Kelly to be labeled a traitor. Which kind of man would you prefer to be the leader of the whole nation?
Perfect Thanksgiving
Penn Holderness sings about, and has photographic evidence of, the adaptations families make to include everyone in the Thanksgiving gathering. Rickety folding table for the kids? Hide a burned turkey with gravy? Lawn chairs at the table? Take pictures in funny hats (my family has done that)? Mac and cheese because the kids won't eat anything else? These are the things we do to get everyone together. We may pretend it's about gratitude, or the food, but it's the company that makes Thanksgiving.
Miss Cellania's Links
How pecans got into your holiday pie.
Even Kraft Mac and Cheese Has a (Really Good) Black Friday Deal. (via reddit)
2025 Has Been a Terrible Year For The Muppets.
The US poverty line was calculated in 1963 using factors that no longer makes sense. Using the same crisis model, most of us would be impoverished today. Read a lot more in a thoughtful discussion at Metafilter.
The Real History Behind Hamnet and the Tragically Short Life of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s Only Son.
More than half of new articles on the internet are being written by AI – is human writing headed for extinction?
She couldn't pay it back — so she paid it forward. (via Fark)
15 Big Box-Office Failures In Recent Movie History.
Simon's Cat in Fast Food (A Thanksgiving Special)
In this holiday cartoon from Simon Tofield, the cat and the kitten double-team Simon when he's merely trying to enjoy his Thanksgiving meal. They've adapted the methods of a gang of common street thieves: distract and swipe the goods. You might think it sad that he's eating alone with just his cats, but it's not based on a real Thanksgiving meal- Tofield is British, after all. But an aromatic savory bird is attractive to cats all over the world. I hope he cooked enough for all of them!
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
So You Want A Model Railroad
This 1955 short chronicles the descent of a good man into the throes of an addiction. (via Memo of the Air)
Thanksgiving Menu
I didn't do Thanksgiving in 2024; I just watched TV, ate sandwiches, and planned a big Christmas. Princess was still recovering from childbirth, and cooked a dinner at her home just like my usual spread, since she had been cooking for years. Dr. Dolittle's husband particularly liked my cornbread dressing and tried to duplicate it himself. However, he couldn't throw off the habit of adding some random Asian spices to enhance it and it didn't turn out the way he remembered it.
Princess and family are staying home this year because of the Captain's work schedule. The doctors are coming. I told them they could invite friends, so they invited people who already had Thanksgiving plans. Can we have the feast on Wednesday night instead? Okay, sure, and that means I can invite my brother and family, who normally go to the in-laws on Thursday. She asked if she could invite others. Sure! But they will come on Thursday. What? What are they going to eat, leftovers? Sure!
So we will have about eleven people eating, but not all at the same time.
I no longer make Stovetop Stuffing, macaroni, sweet potatoes, or mashed potatoes. We will have plenty of carbs with the dressing, gravy, and desserts. Yes, there will be vegetables, too. Plus celery and olives, of course. I have to make deviled eggs because both doctors love them. She wants pumpkin pie, and he wants my pineapple upside-down cake. She said, "No one eats pineapple upside down cake- that's old people food." Personally, I am looking forward to dressing and gravy and a couple of weeks' worth of turkey sandwiches.
Having a feast on Wednesday night means planning the logistics differently. Making cornbread today, desserts tonight, and dressing tomorrow morning. Dolittle usually puts the Christmas tree up, but she won't be here early enough for the Thanksgiving guests to see it, so I'm doing that, too. I cannot set the table early, because I require another pair of hands to put the extension in. But most of the guests know what their regular duties are to get it all together at the last minute.
I hope your Thanksgiving is a wonderful celebration of food, family, friends, and counting your blessings!
Perchten Parade
In the cold and mountainous regions of Europe, winter is dark and full of monsters, and the festivals are extremely metal. This video from last winter has been making the rounds, although it is often mislabeled- this version identifies it as a Nordic Krampus parade. What we are seeing is a Perchten parade in Austria, usually held on January 5th or 6th. The role of the Perchten is to drive away the old year and the evil spirits that inhabit it. The huge jingle bells on their butts help. Perchten are not to be confused with Krampus, another Austrian winter demon, who parades on December 5th. They have a lot of company. These monsters were once associated with the winter solstice, but now are more often associated with Christmas, Carnival, Lent, or Easter. (via Everlasting Blort)
Oh My!
Melodysheep remixed sounds from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz to make a modern musical movie montage. Cool. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Monday, November 24, 2025
The Thanksgiving Story They Don't Teach You About
The story of the PIlgrim's Thanksgiving feast in 1621 is one we all learned in school. After a disastrous first winter in America, they gave thanks for a bountiful harvest. The Wampanoag people, who helped them learn to grow and find food, joined them for a three-day celebration.
But that was just a short interlude of brotherhood that explained the holiday. Since we were children, they glossed over that first winter, in which many Pilgrims died, including all but four of the adult women. And what came after was a bloody war between the ever-growing number of European colonists and the native population.
The Fastest Gunslinger in Hollywood
Back in the day, an entertainer had to show talent in multiple areas to make it big: singing, dancing, acting, comedy, and improv. If you were ever going to be in a Western, add horseback riding and gunslinging to your repertoire.
Many people say the fastest gun in Hollywood was Glenn Ford, who starred in so many Westerns. But Sammy Davis, Jr. was the king of handling a revolver. Also see Davis challenged by Jerry Lewis, who claims no such expertise. (via Metafilter)
Why Can't We Be Friends?
The latest collaboration from Playing for Change is the 1975 song by War "Why Can't We Be Friends?" The theme is bringing disparate people together fits right in with the organization's ethos of connecting people from around the world through music through their Song Around the World series. This may be your earworm for the day.
Also, this is a 50th anniversary celebration of the song and the album of the same name. That's what makes it astonishing that they were able to include seven surviving members of the band War among the featured musicians. The players in this collaboration are listed at the YouTube page.
Miss Cellania's Links
The Tamest Grizzly of Yellowstone. Adored by tourists and studied by scientists, a grizzly mother named Sylvia became an emblem of the fragile balance between humans and the wild. (via Strange Company)
Have you heard of the Grapefruit Ladies? (via Everlasting Blort)
Heinz Now Has A Gravy Squeeze Bottle. It's labeled "leftover gravy."
North Carolina driver says bald eagle dropped cat through her windshield: 'You may not believe me.' (via Fark)
A 2016 short film from Uruguay about the US. (via Memo of the Air)
5 Misconceptions About Antarctica, Debunked.
The history of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Pumpkin may be American, but the spices that go into it have a bloody colonial history. (via Nag on the Lake)
When Field and Stream Magazine Reviewed Lady Chatterley's Lover. (via Neatorama)
Airplane! vs. Zero Hour!
There was the movie Airport in 1970, then Airport 1975 (in 1974). So when Airplane! came out in 1980, we just assumed it was a parody of the earlier Airport films. But the script came from an even earlier airline disaster drama, the 1957 movie Zero Hour! The team of Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker just added ridiculous punch lines. (via Digg)
Frank
Oh I would love for a reporter to put Bullshit Barbie in her place.
— Xela Hart (@xelahart.bsky.social) November 22, 2025 at 9:48 AM
[image or embed]
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Eat, Fry, Love
Deep fried turkey is popular, but can be dangerous if you don't do it exactly right. Take some advice from William Shatner in this cautionary yet musical PSA: know what you are doing before you risk your holiday and your life.
Cat Greeting
Who says cats can't speak English? Jason Ybarbo comes home from work and says hello to his cat. Recently, the cat started saying hello back to him. It's no Don Piano, but it is certainly a human greeting. It will be time to panic when he comes home and the cat asks why he's so late. (via reddit)
Why Raiders of the Lost Ark Still Looks like a Billion Bucks
Back in 1981, when you first saw Raiders of the Lost Ark, you loved the movie because it was an adventure for the viewer. It had alluring characters, great action scenes, and just the right amount of humor. And the bad guys got their comeuppance. But the fact that you left Raiders feeling good about the movie involves much more than those things.
Every scene was both beautiful and believable, and they hold up 44 years later. That's largely due to the work of cinematographer Douglas Slocombe. Director Steven Spielberg had his own vision for what Raiders could be, but he was open to Slocombe's vision, and found it to be better overall. His attention to detail required some workarounds to stay on budget, in the quest to "make a 20 million dollar movie look like a 40 million dollar movie." This video looks deep into how they did that. The other secrets were the editing by Michael Kahn that kept the story moving as a breakneck pace, the amazing special effects, and of course, the actors. But you already knew about those.
Simon's Cat in DIY
In this Simon's Cat cartoon, the cat once again displays typical cat behavior that manages to ruin Simon's day. He's simply trying to install a new shelf on the wall. The cat knows that anything new is for sits. Especially elevated things. And as always, the cat gets his way in the end. (via Tastefully Offensive)
Intelligence
— Marti Lawrence (@marti-l.bsky.social) November 22, 2025 at 3:13 PMI'm concerned about both.
Saturday, November 22, 2025
The Muppets Take Manhattan
The Muppets Take Manhattan came out in 1984, and was the third feature film for the Muppets. Directed by Frank Oz, it was a big hit. It's been a long time since you've seen it, and now you can enjoy it any time you want.
Is This Sign Necessary?
The answer is yes, because it stops people from constantly reporting the sink to management. (via reddit)
Trekkie
We're familiar with what they say about orange cats: they're large, very food-motivated, and all of them share one brain cell between them. Trekkie lives up to the reputation in the food department. In fact, he's an outlier there, because he will eat almost anything, and he wants it now. If it can be identified as food, he's going for it, and you just try to stop him. Trekkie will even steal food from a hot stove!
His family has had to take extraordinary measures to protect the family's food supplies. When Trekkie gets too rowdy in the kitchen, they put him in the bathroom with the door shut. So he learned how to open the door. Besides doors, he's learned to open packages, jars, devices, and it's all for the goal of getting to the food. That takes more than the allotted number of brain cells you would expect. Trekkie is a smart orange cat- he just goes overboard in the other stereotype.
The Physics of Coffee Cups
You pour a cup of coffee at the coffeemaker, then you carry it to wherever you are going to drink it. You are liable to get some dribbles on your clothing or on the floor. I don't have that problem because my coffeemaker's carafe is also a vacuum bottle and I take the whole pot to my desk. Scientists, on the other hand, often must share a coffeemaker, so they have spent a lot of time studying the physics of coffee, coffee cups in particular, to figure out why they are so prone to spillage. If this video has your eyes glazing over at the science, get another cup of coffee and stay with it, because she also tells how to keep your coffee in its cup. There's a 32-second skippable ad at 3:45. (via Metafilter)
A Guide to Pumpkin Pie
This video starts out showing you how to catch a wild pumpkin, so you know what direction it's going. You will also learn how to use recycled crust and mourn the existence of pre-combined "pumpkin pie spice." The entire video from You Suck at Cooking is a respite from the anxiety of planning and executing a Thanksgiving feast.
Some of the tips here are legit, while others are not. You must figure that out yourself. And stay for the little song at the end. Honestly, pumpkin pie may seem complicated, but it's as simple as following the instruction on the can of pumpkin. Don't even think about cooking a pumpkin yourself- I've done that, and it's not worth the effort. (via Mashable)
Friday, November 21, 2025
Perfectly Coordinated
The sport of men's rhythmic gymnastics isn't an Olympic event because it barely exists outside of Japan. It's not like women's rhythmic gymnastics; it's a team sport that's part synchronized dance and part acrobatics, including some clever stunts that depend on precision timing. Whatever you think about the sport, these guys from Ibara High School (high school!) are great at it.
A Vast Underground Conspiracy
We all know that there is a big difference between adopting a dog and adopting a cat. Everyone who has a cat will tell you its story, which often is just "He showed up one day and never left." This is commonly called the Cat Distribution System. A thorough investigation by Cat Lovers Forum has uncovered how the system works, and it will blow your mind. Since the discoveries were all under the cover of darkness, the results of the investigation are explained in this weirdly animated video. The covert operations may remind you of an international spy operation, or at least Men in Black. This is the only way the Cat Distribution System could possibly be as successful as it is.
Once you understand how it works, those cat stories all make sense. And now we know why dogs dig in the yard. While the main headquarters has yet to be identified, those in the know suggest looking in Istanbul. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Miss Cellania's Links
Why Do Diners Across America All Use the Same Mugs? It's because they don't break, but the article is really about their interesting origin.
There Are At Least Seven Blimps Floating Around The USA Right Now, So Keep Your Eyes Peeled.
Commonsense life rules that way too many people haven't learned.
The Five Stages of MAGA Scandal Grief. The latest from Tom the Dancing Bug.
The Boomer Stuff Avalanche is already crushing families. (via Metafilter)
Fact Check: Is Mamdani Introducing Arabic Numerals To New York Schools? Newsweek investigates what many didn't understand as a joke. (via Fark)
Cats do not like cold weather.
Why Are There So Many Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes? Meet a maritime archaeologist who explores the historic ships and dugout canoes that lurk beneath the surface of her watery backyard.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)