(via Fark)
Saturday, June 14, 2025
America
One of my favorite songs, from Neil Diamond, originally from his 1980 film The Jazz Singer. I couldn't stop it running through my head as I headed home with my first sponsored immigrant. Johnny Kim compiled this video for a class project some years ago. He did a great job!
Friday, June 13, 2025
An Ancient Rome Quiz
A couple of years ago, a meme went around about how men think of ancient Rome a lot, many of them reporting thinking about it every day, and how that was baffling to women. Whether that's true or not, thinking about Rome back when it ruled the world is a far cry from studying it. If your knowledge about the Roman Empire comes from movies or memes, this TED-Ed video quiz might surprise you. On the other hand, if you learned about ancient Rome from unceasing research connected to your job, like I did, you might ace this quiz like I did. It's rather easy, since you just select from multiple choice answers. Can you spot the myth or untruth?
The Schwartz Awakens
People have been talking about it for years. Indeed, the original Spaceballs set up a sequel called Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money. We don't know if that will be the title, but Spaceballs 2 is coming out in 2027. Mel Brooks himself, who will turn 101 years old in 2027, makes the announcement. Brooks will not direct this time, but he will reprise his role as Yogurt. Rick Moranis is coming out of this 30-year retirement to play Dark Helmet, and Bill Pullman will once again play Lone Starr. In addition, Keke Palmer has been cast, as well as Lewis Pullman, Bill Pullman's son. Amazon MGM Studios describes the film as “A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film.” Which tells us nothing, but we'll find out more in the next two years.
Miss Cellania's Links
Mary Ann Didn’t Learn the Professor’s Secret Until the Gilligan’s Island Star’s Funeral. He was a humble guy.
Not all babies crawl alike. In reality, it takes some experimenting before they find the optimum technique.
British abolition in 1833 was accompanied by £20 million paid in compensation to slaveholders, many of whom subsequently “forgot” slavery ever existed. (via Damn Interesting)
Shelter dog detects man’s seizure. No one knew she was trained for this when she alerted on a man she'd never met. (via Fark)
Billionaire Bromance comics! The latest from Tom the Dancing Bug.
This is How Ejnar Mikkelsen, a Danish Explorer, Was Photographed in 1912 When He Was Found. After being stranded for two years, he was not prepared for surprise visitors.
Gold mining in South Africa. Warning: this story is brutal and heartbreaking. (via Metafilter)
The classic story of Nate the Snake.
Auto Nom
When you think of autonomous cars, you think of Google and Elon Musk and the idea of trucks with no drivers hauling loads down the highway. But why not think of the fun these cars can have?
Oh hello lovely machine, emancipating yourself from function... You look adorable, you know? Yes dear, you were built to be autonomous, it said so in the campaign brief.Director Julius Steinhauser of f°am Studio in Germany brings us Autonomous Rolf, a Mercedes Benz with a mind of its own, and a sense of fun that even the laws of physics cannot stop! (via Nag on the Lake)
No rush – getting from A to B was never an exciting idea to begin with, for your kind. Dance yourself clean, pull your metal frame apart and let the sun burn through your circuits. Ride your autobiography, guided by the beauty of your code.
Thursday, June 12, 2025
Star Trek: Bluegrass Edition
This is not a skit, but just a straightforward version of the Star Trek main theme by a bluegrass band, featuring Gordon Lustig on banjo. It will make you smile. What's really funny are the comments at the YouTube page. Here's an example:
Space:
The Last Place I Reckon Will Go To.
These are Them There Adventures of the Starship Banjo-rpise.
It's contin-ya-in mission: to look fer new worlds, to russle us up some critters, and find like minded folks.
To go where none of y'all ain't ever been to!
Locks
Back in 2009, before he gave us Creed, Black Panther, and Sinners, Ryan Coogler was a graduate student at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Locks is one of the short films he produced while there. It has no dialogue, but will stir something in you. (via Kuriositas)
An Accessible Skate Park Designed for Blind Skateboarders
Learning the art of skateboarding takes courage and the willingness to fall and get up again. Imagine how much courage it takes to do that when you can't see where you are going. Dan Mancina is a blind skater who founded Keep Pushing Inc., an organization dedicated to serving the differently-abled community. He built the world's first accessible skate park in Detroit, Michigan. The Ranch is designed for blind skateboarders who use a cane, and also for those with low vision and even people who use wheelchairs. In the video above, Mancina explains the adaptive features of the skate park. You can see other blind skaters try the park out at Laughing Squid. See Mancina's story in this post.
Cat Asks for Help, Gets It
The YouTuber who goes by the name "walter santi" (Walter is his/her dog, and Santi is the cat) tells the story of an injured stray cat who came to their house and asked for help. The video shows his wounds and may be disturbing for sensitive souls. You'll be glad to know the cat is fine now. Here's an update video taken 40 days later, showing him chasing around like he was never hurt. (via Laughing Squid)
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
The Legend of the Goat Who Knew the True Meaning of the Mountain
This animated sequence is not nearly as long as the title would suggest. I think you'll enjoy it. (via The Kid Should See This)
Gracie the Cockeyed Cat
Gracie was rescued from the streets of Cyprus. She has one "looking at the clouds in the sky" and the other eye "looking at the beautiful life on earth." Veterinarians said it was a birth defect and she can see pretty well, considering. Now grown up, Gracie has a rescue organization named after her.
An Honest Trailer for Sinners
Warning: this Honest Trailer contains mature themes, meaning sex and violence. The movie Sinners opened in theaters two months ago and got rave reviews from both critics and audiences. If you had to slot it into a genre, it could be called a vampire musical. But Sinners is much more than that. Set in 1932, it incorporates the themes of religion, racism, and the blues. Screen Junkies liked the film, but still managed to have fun highlighting its extreme parts. The movie's soundtrack got an awful lot of press, but there's hardly any music in this video. Otherwise, this Honest Trailer is like a long trailer.
Miss Cellania's Links
Salomon Andrée's Ill-Fated Arctic Balloon Expedition.
Sleeping with Cats.
The Airplane ‘Barf Bag’ Is A Genius Invention Most People Never Think About, And Using One Blew My Mind.
‘You guys are hilarious’ Homeowner unimpressed with cop’s attempt to get bobcat out of her house with laser pointer. It was worth a try! (via reddit)
The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2025.
Rebels with a Vase: Meet the Florists Taking on Big Flower. (via Curious About Everything)
Where is the center of the universe? (via Geeks Are Sexy)
You might accidentally be killing hummingbirds. Here’s how to help them instead.
Green With Happiness
Elizabeth Sweetheart is the Green Lady of Brooklyn. She loves green so much that everything in her home is green, her clothes are green, and even her hair is green. In this report from Great Big Story, she explains why she goes green all the time. (via Laughing Squid)
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Purple Streetlights
Have you noticed the rise of purple streetlights in your town? I haven't, but that may be because my small town is trying to look quaint and vintage to draw tourists. Purple streetlights are being noticed all across America. There must be a reason for that, but it turns out to be a pretty dumb reason. To get to the bottom of it, this video goes through the change from sodium vapor lamps on our streets to LEDs. Sure, there are a lot of advantages to LEDs, particularly in the amount of energy they use. They are certainly brighter, even though a lot of folks don't like them. The purple has been showing up only in the last few years, and it's not intentional.
Your Uncle Who Can’t Spot AI
Artificial intelligence is all over YouTube. Some of it is pretty obvious. Some of it requires that we pay attention and look for evidence. But as AI gets better, you have to wonder about folks who don't look carefully or even consider it might not be real. And sadly, that's most of us.
Interview with an Owl
Emin: How many hours of the day do you hoot?
Owl: Who?
Emin: Hey, I'm asking the questions here!
And so it goes if you interview an owl. Emin Yogurtcuoglu is a Turkish wildlife photographer and serious birdwatcher. But even he was surprised when he had the opportunity to get up close and personal with an owl in Argentina. He called it the experience of a lifetime. It took a few days, but an owl couple didn't seem the least bit afraid of Emin nor his videographer. The relationship culminated in a personal interview with an owl. He tried various languages, but finally fell into speaking the owl's language. Who? The owl. His patience and gentleness were rewarded when he achieved the final image in this video.
Shooting Journalists
Lauren Tomasi, Nine News in Australia
Nick Stern, British photojournalist
Ryanne Mena, LA Daily News
Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, LA Public Press
Anthony Cabassa, Independent
Toby Canham, New York Post
Steven Monacelli, The Dallas Voice
Jeremy Lindenfeld, Capital & Main
Sergio Olmos, CalMatters
So, are they targeting journalists, or is this a sample of how many people are being indiscriminately shot? Por qué no los dos? (via Adam Rose)
How the Camera Phone was Invented
When Philippe Kahn rushed his wife to the hospital to give birth in 1997, he had his camera, his laptop, his phone, and his soldering iron (which just happened to be in the car with his other tools). He wanted to share pictures of the new baby girl with family and friends immediately. So he spent the labor time figuring out how to do it. The result was the world's first camera phone. Because 2,000 people got to see Sophie the day she was born, we now have selfies, Instagram, and citizen journalism. (via Laughing Squid)
Monday, June 09, 2025
Fun With Soap Bubbles
This is not a DIY for backyard games, but rather a visually magnificent art piece. Enjoy psychedelic iridescence as the detergent and glycerin dance across the surface of bubbles. (via Metafilter)
The Difficulty of Alien Communication
In the Star Trek universe, everyone had a universal translator, which enabled aliens from various planets to communicate with each other. That was necessary to tell the stories on television, but it made the whole idea seem impossibly simple. The fact that beings from different planets would use language to communicate is about as likely as meeting extraterrestrials that had arms, legs, and faces. The 2016 movie Arrival addressed the difficulty of cross-species communication, but Star Trek went there back in 1991 with the Star Trek: TNG episode "Darmok." This one that stayed with a lot of fans.
Even with the universal translator, Starfleet cannot understand what Tamarians are saying, because their language is not as simple as words and ideas. Captain Picard is challenged to find what their language is really about. Andrew Muir of The Art of Storytelling explains how profound the difference is, and how Captain Picard learned the way to decipher what a Tamarian is really saying. (via Laughing Squid)
Miss Cellania's Links
A Pink Refrigerator Stands in the Middle of the Desert.
Tens of Thousands Were Treated for a Deadly Disease While Confined to Psychiatric Hospitals on These Two Venetian Islands.
10 New Deal Programs We Now Take For Granted.
The 10 Worst Songs of the ’70s. Can't argue with this. (via Fark)
Dogs are man's best friend...but they'd still trade you for a chicken nugget if they could.
Scientists create world's smallest violin. (via Slashdot)
What You Should Hoard Before Tariff Price Increases Kick In. (via Nag on the Lake)
The robbery aided by a cicada. You get both the newspaper account and the real story.
The Simple Joys of the Dull Men’s Club
Some men who do mundane things for fun came together and formed the Dull Men's Club. Great Big Story thought they were interesting enough to make a video about. That in itself negates the very idea of the club. However, when dull people get together, they can be pretty extraordinary. They represent such a variety of odd hobbies that you might discover one you're interested in. Beyond that, these men (and a few women) embody the idea that taking pride and joy in simple things pays off in the long run. (via Laughing Squid)
Sunday, June 08, 2025
B.O.B. (Birds Over Big Bird)
One generation was traumatized by Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 movie The Birds. Another generation, perhaps their children, learned to get along with their friends and neighbors thanks to an eight-foot feathered friend named Big Bird. The Bell Brothers have brought those things together as Big Bird steps into the horror flick as if he belongs. Chaos ensues. Meanwhile, Big Bird is frantically performing the rap from Outkast's 2000 song "B.O.B (Bombs Over Baghdad)." Every time a number comes up on the lyrics, the Count from Sesame Street is there for it. As well he should be. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
The Earth's Incredible Depth
We have a hard time visualizing how big the earth really is. We know intellectually that it's more or less a sphere that 24,000 miles around at the middle. From the surface to the sphere's center is 6731 kilometers (3958 miles). We've barely scratched the surface, literally, when we try to dig deep into it. How can we visualize that distance in a different way?
Here's another mind blowing comparison from MetaBallStudios. They tale a core sample out of the earth the size of New York City and raise it up above the surface! The city itself is included for scale. This core blows past the altitude of the ISS in no time. You might want to keep your cursor over the pause button, because there are captions that describe what we are seeing, including terms you'll want to look up. Stay to the end, because there's a surprise sequence you won't want to miss. (via the Awesomer)
Dog Joins Orchestra Mid-Performance
The Vienna Chamber Orchestra was performing Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony No. 4 in Izmir, Turkey, when a wandering music fan decided to join them onstage at the amphitheater. He's a good boy, so deserves first chair in the violin section, Except he'd rather listen than play. He knows his limitations. The conductor was amused. You can imagine what the musicians who couldn't see what was happening thought when the audience started laughing and applauding at an inappropriate time in the music. (via reddit)
Saturday, June 07, 2025
TV
My family never had a console with a wooden cabinet like that. But it didn't matter, all CRT televisions over about 12" weighed a ton. And when they quit working, they just stayed there, because it was hard to get rid of them. A few years ago, I did a purge and sent six CRTs and two non-working flatscreens to the recycler, because I got a crew to help lift them. The best of them was a 36" unit that worked fine, but weighed about 200 pounds. It was just taking up room since I dropped cable TV. It was too obsolete to connect with any other service.
I now have a couple of flatscreens that Dr. Dolittle complains are too small. They seem enormous to me, but her tiny apartment has a TV that looks like a movie theater screen. (via Bits and Pieces)
Things I Look Forward To
Matt Shirley has surely reached middle age. This chart shows that his ambitions have plateaued at varying levels. Wait until old age, when you do not look forward to mowing the lawn at all, although you may look forward to your front yard not drawing negative attention after someone else takes care of it. Old age is when everyone finally decides to tell you what to you, and you don't like it at all. Find all of Matt Shirley's graphs at Instagram.
Ed Gein's Childhood
You know of Ed Gein, even if you were never sure how to pronounce his name. He was a serial killer who inspired numerous cinematic killers such as Buffalo Bill, Norman Bates, Leatherface, and a bunch of other movie characters, including himself. In 1957, he confessed to two murders. Gein was convicted of one murder and is suspected to be behind other cases of people missing around Plainfield, Wisconsin.
You can read about Gein's crimes in many places, but you also have to wonder, what could have led to Gein's twisted behavior? Weird History focuses on his early life with his parents, and uncovers a story that can best be described as "how not to raise children."
Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)
A video for the song "Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)" from Lin-Manuel Miranda's album The Hamilton Mixtape relates the immigrant experience with performances by four rappers who are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. Uproxx tells us about the video.
It was the first official video from The Hamilton Mixtape, an album of songs from the musical plus songs inspired by the musical.
K’Naan, a Somali Canadian, Snow Tha Product, a Chicano child of Mexican immigrants, Riz Mc, a British Pakistani whose parents moved from Pakistan to England in the 1970s, and Residente, a Puerto Rican rapper from San Juan, all relate their experiences growing up as immigrants or first generation citizens of their respective nations, highlighting the way that America (and England) exploit the cheap labor provided by immigrants while still only affording them second class status.
Friday, June 06, 2025
The Universal Dragon
The mythical dragon as a reptile that can fly and breathe fire is astonishingly universal. Ancient stories of dragons are found in all corners of the earth. How did such an iconic yet mythical creature find its way into such diverse cultures?
According to history as it is written, the first dinosaur fossil was discovered in 1677. Actually, it was the first such find that was studied and illustrated, and naturalist Robert Plot didn't know what it was. The idea of dinosaurs didn't take root until the early 19th century. But we can be sure that dinosaur fossils were discovered by plenty of people long before any of that, even before written language. People just called them dragons.
Still, that doesn't explain all the features of a dragon, like the fire-breathing part. For that, we may have to look at what the earth was like when people looked to stories to explain the more mysterious and frightening parts of their lives. This TED-Ed lesson looks at some of those stories and how they may have contributed to our idea of dragons.
Alien: Earth
When Sigourney Weaver kicked ass in the movie Alien in 1979, it set off a tsunami of sequels and loosely related films. That was because the alien xenomorph scared the daylights out of us. It was only a matter of time before this universe was brought to television. The series Alien: Earth debuts on FX on August 12th.
This series takes place before the events of the original 1979 movie, so you know that what happens will be held tightly wrapped from the public on earth. The premise is that a spaceship from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation crash-lands on earth. As you might guess, there is facehugger on board. But there are also four other alien species brought back from who-knows-where! We may never find out, but we know that these aliens are not benign. (via Geeks Are Sexy)
Miss Cellania's Links
Elon Musk's 130 Days in the Trump Administration. A report from the office of Senator Elizabeth Warren. (via Metafilter)
Deep time and the revenant. In enigmatic burials, crafted to bind the bodies within, we can see how truly ancient our fears of the undead must be. (via Real Clear Science)
How did humans evolve such rotten genetics?
Trans Comics Reclaim SNL Character Pat in New Documentary.
When babies hear their favorite music. (via Everlasting Blort)
Scientists Found 6,000-Year-Old Human Remains. No Other People Share Their DNA. (via Damn Interesting)
A busy, busy day at the airport. The latest from Tom the Dancing Bug.
The Forgotten Chinese Version of The Karate Kid 2010 Is a Relic of a Bygone Time.
Evicting a Raccoon
Carsen Parker had a raccoon inside his yard, which is surrounded by a sturdy, relatively high iron fence. He went out to remove the critter, thinking it would be a simple task of chasing it to the gate, but the raccoon had other ideas. He did not want to leave. "The days I've spent here have been the best of my raccoon life. I find this yard to be quite pleasant, and I'm considering settling here on a permanent basis. Your attitude about this matter concerns me, but overall, I enjoy your company. Why don't you want me to live here?" (via Tastefully Offensive)
Thursday, June 05, 2025
The I Love Lucy Animated Intro
When I Love Lucy first aired in 1951, the show had an animated intro. It was cute, with Lucy and Desi appearing as animated stick figures, but it heavily featured the show's sponsor, Philip Morris. There were several different opening sequences along this line, featuring other sponsors up until the series went into syndication, and got the generic "heart" intro (via Cracked)
Soviet Jokes
Three Russian men were sent by their company to attend a convention in Moscow. All 3 shared a hotel room. Two of them cracked open a bottle of vodka, but the third just wanted to sleep.
The two drinkers got louder and louder as the bottle emptied, telling each other political jokes. The third was kept awake, and got angry.
He went outside for a smoke. On his way back to his room, he stopped at the desk and said 'Please send a pot of tea up to room 23.'
The two drunks were still being loud. The third man went in, looked at them, then leaned over to the light socket 'Comrade Major, please send some tea to my room.'
The other men thought this was hilarious...until there was a knock on the door, and a waiter with a pot of tea.
They became completely silent, and the third man fell asleep.
When he woke up in the morning, he was alone. He went to the front desk, and asked where his roommates were.
'Well, the KGB came this morning and took them away.'
The man was horrified 'Why did they spare me?!?'
"The comrade major thought the tea joke was very funny."
***
Found at reddit, where there are plenty more jokes in the comments. Here is a selection of those, plus a couple from the comments under the video at YouTube.
***
An Englishman, and Frenchman, and a Soviet man were looking at a painting of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
"Look at their calm, their reserve," says the Englishman. "Clearly, they were english."
"Oh non," says the Frenchman. "Look at them. Naked, elegant, and so beautiful. Clearly, they are french."
"No clothing, no shelter," says the Soviet man. "The only food is one apple, but they are not allowed to eat it, and they are told they live in Paradise. Clearly they live in the Soviet Union."
***
Khrushchev visited a pig farm and was photographed there. In the newspaper office, a discussion is underway about how to caption the picture. "Comrade Khrushchev among pigs," "Comrade Khrushchev and pigs," and "Pigs surround comrade Khrushchev" are all rejected as politically offensive. Finally, the editor announces his decision: "Comrade Khrushchev: Third from left."
***
Hans, a man from West Germany decides to move at Eastern Berlin. His mother tells him: Hans, my boy. From the first moment that you cross the Iron Fence, you are in dangerous territory. Don't dare to write me that there is something bad in a communist country. In your letters, you will use a blue pen if you are telling me the truth, and red pen if you are lying.
About 2 weeks later, the first letter arrives, and every word is blue.
My dear mother,
The 2 weeks that have passed were enough to make me love the East Germany. The people are great, the system cares about everyone, and generally, there is a very pleasant atmosphere. The only negative is that I can't find red pen anywhere.
Free Bird
I never thought about the fact that Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" didn't have an official music video. See, in 1973 when the song was new, music videos weren't a thing. It was another ten years before MTV came along, and by then we had concert footage and memories to go with the song. Well now, the band has an official music video for "Free Bird." It's nothing like what you thought of the song at the time, but it's perfect for 2025.
If there were a music video produced for the song back in the 1970s, it would probably have had a visual representation of the lyrics. Instead, this video evokes the emotions and memories that people of a certain age have when they hear the song. "Free Bird" was a part of the soundtrack of your life 50 years ago, a rather magical time for those who were there. (via Laughing Squid)
Pale Horse
Behold a Pale Horse, and the Rider’s name was Death
— Adam Serwer (@adamserwer.bsky.social) June 2, 2025 at 8:24 AM
[image or embed]
They Finally Made a Handmaid's Tale for Men
If you've been following the Hulu show A Handmaid's Tale, or read the book, you'll instantly recognize this parody. Or even you haven't, like me. This video from Funny or Die tells the story from the viewpoint of MRAs (Men's Right's Activists). If you surf the net anywhere near as much as I do, you'll recognize every reference and in-joke. If not, it's probably still funny. (via Metafilter)
Wednesday, June 04, 2025
Bell
Mexico has decided to re-name the Liberty Bell, Taco Bell.
— Hillbilly Highlander (@hillhighlander.bsky.social) June 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
[image or embed]
The DAF Mobile Raincoat
Why would you name a car "Raincoat'? Because it was small enough to drive through your front door, so you don't have to get out and walk in the rain!
DAF founder Hub van Doorne designed this car with just that idea in mind. The 1943 DAF Mobile Raincoat looks like an oversized roller skate, or a clown car. Indeed it was used for that purpose eventually. If you think the narrowness is weird, wait until you hear about all the other features. Being able to park inside the house meant that the Nazis wouldn't see or appropriate your car. But I'd bet that Mom didn't much like the muddy tire tracks on the floor.
Miss Cellania's Links
Zach Anner goes to the doctor. But finds his remedy elsewhere.
Christianity has long revered saints who would be called ‘transgender’ today.
A new national citizen database will make it easier for the government to control us all. And Palantir makes bank not only from our tax dollars, but from selling our data. (via Fark)
8 Extraordinary Examples of Constrained Writing.
14 Million Honeybees Escaped From an Overturned Truck in Washington State. Local Beekeepers Helped Corral Them.
The three laws of love, and how to follow them.
50 Examples Of Men Doing Something So Dumb It Might Cost Them Their Life. Warning: some really did die.
Seeing the Invisible
What if you could see the way the wind blows? Or even the small changes in air movement or temperature in the room you're in? Derek Muller of Veritasium explains the process called Schlieren photography, which shows us those things that we can't normally see. It boils down to concentrating an image of those invisible movements into a form that becomes visible to the eye. No, I don't totally understand it, but it certainly is cool to watch! (via Laughing Squid)
Tuesday, June 03, 2025
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)