Freaky Flowers: Echinopsis Cacti in Bloom

Flowers of the many varieties of the Echinopsis cactus bloom in a hurry, overnight, and only last for a day. Greg Krehel has quite a collection, and well worth sharing in this time-lapse video.

The cacti shown in this video come from my collection. The evening when it looks like a plant's flowers are about to bloom, I bring it indoors to image. Most of the clips in this montage show approximately 8 hours of change as the flowers open and bloom. A little more than halfway through the montage, there's a series of three clips showing different views of a 24-hour period in the life of a yellow-flowered 'Daydream' plant. Six flowers that opened the night before I started filming wilt to nothingness and another 4 flowers grow dramatically and then open. This series of 'Daydream' clips is followed by another three showing other types of flowers wilting. These additional wilting clips are also taken over a daylong period.

The only filtering he did was to actually reduce the saturation of color in a the blooms, or they would be overwhelming on film. (via Nag on the Lake)

Tweet of the Day

My 4-y/o daughter tried to jam me up today.

Kid: Mommy, why is your bra in daddy's car?
Me: What!?

The Mrs hit me wit a killer side eye. She ain't been in my car in weeks

Me: Ain't no bra in my car!!
Kid: Ya huh, cup thingie with straps

*we all go to garage & look in car* pic.twitter.com/3c4kItwnZO

— ManSitChoAzzDown (@AngryManTV) June 27, 2018

(via Buzzfeed)

What's That You Say?

(via Bad Newspaper)

Mountain Biking

Go ahead, watch the video before you read the rest of this blurb. It's not long. I'll wait.

Ian Kilpatrick went biking on a trail at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, Virginia. He titled the link to this video as "I like to ride mountain bikes. I'm also not very good." This short clip has been compared to a Roadrunner cartoon, in that you don't actually see the crash, but you hear it and see the smoke cloud rise. We don't know exactly what he hit, but it sounded like a rusty set of box springs with a few shopping carts thrown on top. He says both he and the bike survived the incident. Knowing that, it's a pretty satisfying video. (via reddit)

That's Weird

One the one side, there are assumptions, xenophobia, and cultural misunderstandings. On the other hand, we have the internet, where there's a profit to be made by offering something particularly weird. This comic is from Dami Lee at As Per Usual.

Trippy Roller Coaster Ride

Jeb Corliss used a GoPro 360° Fusion Camera to record a roller coaster ride at Magic Mountain. That means you won't be able to see the coaster itself as it appears to the rider, or anyone else. The POV is his hand! He stabilized the footage, and the finished product is a weird, almost psychedelic ride that you'd expect from a cartoon. Cosmic! (via Geeks Are Sexy)

Miss Cellania's Links

Crowdfunding or Crimefunding? Online fundraising networks are not only tempting to scammers, but are also an easy way to launder money.

The German Map That Accidentally Became America’s Birth Certificate. In 1507, the small label "America" became a big name.

Check Out the Winners Of The 2018 Underwater Photographer Of The Year Contest. Come on in, the view is spectacular!

The Guardian takes a look at the sex trafficking industry that uses the US prison industry. (via Metafilter)

How Medieval Artists Used Monsters as Propaganda. A museum exhibit shows how fear was harnessed to promote ideas such as the power of authority, the evil of an opponent, and the punishment for sin.

Welcome To The Highly Probable World of Improbability. Why should we be surprised at unlikely events, when randomness means most events are unlikely?

Inside The Wacky World Of Men Who Insist On Catching Fish With Their Bare Hands. Noodlers are proud of doing it the hard way.

Why Instagram Conquered Social Media. It's a place to show off a better version of yourself.

17 Real-Life Would-You-Rathers I, a Woman, Have Had to Ask Myself. (via Metafilter)

A blast from the past (2010): 8 War Heroes That Were Real Animals.

Velcom

(via Fark)

My Girl

The Temptations. I bet they never imagined this song would hold up so well forty years later.

Tweet of the Day

Owner Story: "Went to volunteer at the Humane Society, and the security bag check was pretty intense." pic.twitter.com/2PHJQpC4K7

— Fluff Society (@FluffSociety) July 1, 2018

(via Cheezburger)

No Shrinkage

(via Bad Menu)

Welcome

(via reddit)

Lost and Found

Telling someone not to press the button is like telling someone not to think about an elephant. Fergal Costello made this short film when he had a few days off. (via reddit)

The Expert

Some things just happen, because perception is more important than reality. You do something long enough, and people start to think that you know what you're doing, whether you do or not. This comic is from CommitStrip.

Corn

(via Pleated-Jeans)

4th of July T-rex

The Hacksmith became a walking meme for Independence Day as he walked around in a T-rex costume holding Roman candles. Don't try this at home.

WARNING: THESE VIDEOS ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. PERSONAL USE OF VIDEO CONTENT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE HACKSMITH IS A TRAINED PROFESSIONAL WHO KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HE'S DOING. EXCEPT WHEN HE DOESN'T.

Those T-rex costumes are probably just flame-retardant enough to pass the US standards for Halloween costumes. They weren't designed for pyrotechnic stunts. That said, we'll always have this video. (via Geeks Are Sexy) 

Miss Cellania's Links

How Trees Secretly Talk to and Share With Each Other. With neither brains nor nerves, they developed an effective communication network.

The John Gotti of the Russian Mafia. Vyacheslav Ivankov rose to the top of the organization in both Moscow and New York City.

They Fought and Died for America. Then America Turned Its Back. The story of Filipino soldiers in World War II. 

This Summer, Become an Expert Stargazer. Studying the night sky is relaxing and good for the soul.

Here's How To Spot The Warning Signs Of Heatstroke. Keep an eye on those around you, too.

How Vegetarian Food Fueled the British Suffragette Movement. Activists have always chosen to fight more than one battle at a time.

What Did the Founding Fathers Eat and Drink as They Started a Revolution? They sure consumed a lot of wine.

Why haven’t we found aliens yet? Maybe we are all alone in the universe.

An ICE Raid Leaves an Iowa Town Divided Along Faith Lines.

A blast from the past (2010): 8 Obscure but Adorable Wildcat Species.

Wallaby

(via Fark)

To Morrow

Isn't it uncanny how much that Muppet looks like Jim Henson? (via Bits and Pieces)

Tweet of the Day

You know how when you're a fast walker and the guy ahead of you is fast too but only 90% as fast as you, so you MUST pass him, but to pass him you have to walk comically faster than your normal speed, or else you'll be in his personal space too long as you pass? That's annoying.

— Gabe Rivera (@gaberivera) January 17, 2018

(via Buzzfeed)