253 posts tagged with keepmefiweird.
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Yes, Yes, Yes, Sixty-Five Times Yes!
The winds of fate have led us back to the little mountain village of Yesterday's Promise for The Creatures of Yes Variety Hour, also known to students of Yessian lore as Gay Pride Part 20. It's the latest video in the 1970's-style puppet series that uses period equipment, now with more returning characters than the previous season. (Pre-vi-yes-ly.)
Merry Chris-Yes!
Previously on gorgeous faux-70's puppet show The Creatures of Yes, they came back for a Midnight Special... and haven't left since. And now Snowflake
Day (in the climatological season known in TV-land as Christmas) has rolled around, and with it, an epic holiday special filmed in a library instead of a literal closet: Snowflake Revue.
(Previ-yes-ly.)
Yes, again!
The Creatures of Yes (previ-yes-ly, previ-yes-lier), the strange and supremely endearing puppet show made using 70's technology, just keeps returning - this time with The Midnight Special.
This is the first layer in the internet onion.
This website, the-life-and-death-of-an-internet-onion.com, will live from August 11th through September 14th, 2021 — about 5 weeks total, the average lifespan of a non-refrigerated onion. [more inside]
Do you like...pancakes?
I’ve resisted trying neural net pickup lines again, because more competent means more humanlike, which in this case means worse. Or the new neural nets might even copy existing pickup lines from internet lists, which would also be terrible. Human-written pickup lines are that bad. But with my paperback coming out, it seemed like it might be time to just try it and see. GPT-3 tries pickup lines, by AI Weirdness (previous AI weirdness).
Does it matter if it was a nurse shark?
Wyoming Wormboy asks what happens if you get your first covid shot, but then a shark bites your arm off just above where the needle went in, like about 47 minutes after you got the shot? He's a scientist; he needs to know.
Never share leeches with other people, just to be safe.
Have you ever considered owning a pet leech? You're not alone! While some might keep leeches for medicinal reasons (hirudotherapy, previously) there is a small, but enthusiastic, community of leech fans that sing the praises of these simple to care for creatures. If you are ready to welcome a new bloodsucking friend into your life then Emzotic's video has everything you need to know about leech care.
Return to Yes
Remember The Creatures of Yes (trailer, particularly good example, previously), the beautifully weird and weirdly beautiful puppet show made using 1970's equipment and techniques? Last week, it returned with an epic short film, Shadow of a Splintered Mind, which leads directly into today's new video, The Road Follows the Undulations of the Countryside, the first in a weekly (Saturday morning, in fact) series.
GARDEN OF ASSOCIATIVE THOUGHT SLURRY
WELCOME TO DREAM WIKI
FOR A DREAM WIKI IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT
DREAMS JUST YET... OR EVER.
AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT A WIKI, EITHER.
TO NAVIGATE THESE CURRENTS AND
CORRIDORS YOU NEED TO BE SOMEWHAT FALSE
YOURSELF, IF THERE IS SUCH A THING.
IT'S ABOUT NOT PLAYING YOUR HAND UNTIL
IT'S BENEFICIOUS. IT'S ABOUT PRETENDING
NOT TO NOTICE SO THAT YOU CAN BE WHERE
YOU HAVE TO BE FOR THE NEXT STEP.
FOR A DREAM WIKI IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT
DREAMS JUST YET... OR EVER.
AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT A WIKI, EITHER.
TO NAVIGATE THESE CURRENTS AND
CORRIDORS YOU NEED TO BE SOMEWHAT FALSE
YOURSELF, IF THERE IS SUCH A THING.
IT'S ABOUT NOT PLAYING YOUR HAND UNTIL
IT'S BENEFICIOUS. IT'S ABOUT PRETENDING
NOT TO NOTICE SO THAT YOU CAN BE WHERE
YOU HAVE TO BE FOR THE NEXT STEP.
AI Escape Rooms: "You can't hide from the cat, [it] is always watching."
If you’ve ever done an escape room, you know that you can pay to be stuck in a room - except that you get to choose your own form of peril and there’s generally less time spent baking and watching shows. In case we run out of ways to be trapped in a room, Jesse Morris, an actual escape room designer, sent me the names of about 1100 existing escape rooms so I could train a neural net to generate more. Escape rooms, from AI Weirdness (previous AI weirdness).
Some People Call Me the Space Carb-Boy
This is the voyage of the starship USS Bumblebee, on a mission to rescue one very depressed life form, Bernd the Bread, from the most vicious loaves in the universe. WE ARE BREAD. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. (SLYT, German language, English subtitles, and the pompatus of extremely boring rock formations.)
AI dictionary, from cybertriumph to wringie, and beyond!
AI Dictionary is a Twitter bot that tweets a . I wanted to see how much OpenAI's language model actually knew, so I tried to get it to define words... but I accidentally had it set to 'random', not 'best'. [via mefi projects] Semi-related: OpenAI’s GPT-2: the model, the hype, and the controversy (Towards Data Science), and Experimenting with OpenAI’s Improved Language Model (short post on Medium), which notes "The public at large will need to become more skeptical of the content they consume online." [more inside]
Speech after the Removal of the Larynx
Smithsonian Folkways Records, 1964, ctlg. FW06134 The album was recorded by physician Harm A. Drost at the Phonetic Laboratory of the Ear, Nose, and Throat Dept. of the University Hospital, Leiden, in the Netherlands, working under the direction of Professor H. A. E. van Dishoeck. As the advances were fairly new and surprisingly varied, Drost felt a phonograph album demonstrating the techniques would be useful for those in the field. Buccal speech (limited to certain consonants), parabuccal speech (collecting air in a space between the upper jaw and the cheek), glosso-pharyngeal speech (a method deemed obsolete where air is forced between the tongue and the palate), esophageal voice (made by reconditioning one's esophagus via swallowing, suction, or injection), various injection techniques and devices such as the larynxophone, pipa di tichioni, and "western electric" are all explored here, along with other aspects of the larynx and its absence. [YouTube Playlist | Spotify] [more inside]
The Credibility Conundrum of Bigfoot Research, in Ohio and beyond
I found Bigfoot ... maybe -- I spent a weekend with the Bigfoot Field Research Organization searching for the large primate. We didn’t find the elusive creature. Or did we? Matt Blitz writes for Popular Mechanics, documenting his experiences, and recapping the research efforts of others, to find Bigfoot in Ohio, home to Bigfoot enthusiasts (Cincinnati Refined), if not the sasquatches themselves. Ohio is "teeming" with sightings (Travel Channel), from amateurs and the Sasquatch Research Team at Bigfoot Ohio.
🐈🍑👃💥
Cats 'Farm' Bacteria in Their Butts (Live Science). Why do they do this? Cats use their anal glands to produce a stinky pheromone spray made up of many volatile chemicals (which they use to mark their territory with messages that tell others who they are and whether they're ready to mate). And it turns out they probably don't make most of those smelly chemicals themselves; they outsource a lot of the production to microbes that live in those glands, new research reveals. (bioRxiv) (PDF) [more inside]
From New Mexico to Silicon Valley, UFOs represent the religion of tech
Belief in aliens could be America’s next religion (The Outline). American Cosmic explores how the once-fringe phenomenon has taken root among the powerful, with "alien locations" as new holy sites, by Dr. Diana Pasulka, Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, who cites the New York Times cover article from 2017 (previously) as to bringing credibility to this general study, and Jacques Vallée (Wikipedia) as a credible ufologist with a lengthy history of research. Lengthy interview on Spaced Out Radio (YouTube).
Poo Flip
First watch the ‼️ NSFW ‼️ video (Twitter | Threadreader), then read the story behind it (ALSO NSFW).
“Taste the rainbow”
(CW) Rare: Putting edible glitter on your dog’s testicles is a trend now, apparently. Originally posted on a North Carolina salon's Facebook page, the multi-colored edible cake glitter - which is non-toxic - is "applied to the dog's scrotum using corn syrup", making the full ensemble edible (presumably for the dog?). It is unclear whether this results in glitter poop some time later, if this is a career choice, or whether this has yet been tried on cats. (Post title from Facebook comment)
Winter is coming?
Punxsutawney Phil isn't the only weather-predicting groundhog. Staten Island Chuck gained fame for biting Bloomberg and fleeing from de Blasio. Georgia has Gen. Beauregard Lee (yes, really), Ohio has Buckeye Chuck (more beloved than fellow Marion native Warren G. Harding), Nova Scotia boasts Shubenacadie Sam (the furthest-east, and thus the first to emerge), and Ontario is home to albino groundhog Wiarton Willie. CBC reports on Alberta's Balzac Billy, who is actually a guy in a groundhog suit. Washington, DC, however, has something truly special: Potomac Phil, a dead, stuffed groundhog who is trotted out every year for the Dupont Festival. He has his own Twitter account, of course. He got his own float in Capital Pride, too. HuffPo reports on Potomac Phil's origins. (Previously on MeFi: Groundhog recipes.)
Adult Baby Boom
(nsfw) The ABDL (Adult Baby/Diaper fetish) community is bigger and more common than you thought with almost as many brands of ABDL diapers as regular diapers. Some retailers even have storefronts with oversized nursery furniture. Several incontinence supply companies even cater to the ABDL market too. [more inside]
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An ill wind that no one blows good
In 2010, musicologists and artisans from Oxford's Bate Collection of Musical Instruments teamed up and worked for months to faithfully recreate ten instruments depicted in Hieronymus Bosch's famous triptych, The Garden of Earthly Delights. The results were less than successful (though sadly, no audio or video exists), and since I know you're all wondering: it is not possible to play the flute with your bottom. [more inside]
Experience Something
If the idea of a German Sparkle Party fills you with anticipatory glee instead of unholy terror, you may like The Something Experience. (If it does not fill you with glee, it is recommended that you not click on the links in this post.) After your sparkle party, you may wish to have a Boys Nite In to celebrate all your new friends--just keep reminding them that I Like Technology (Better than you).
For games unplayed and unknown
An Atlas Obscura of Film Locations
Where filmmakers go to find their next film location. Shooting a film and need a covered bridge? Wondering where you can film in front of an impressive public art mural? Do one room school houses still exist? Yes, take your pick! Maybe you want something more industrial: abandoned structures, old factories and mills, or shipyards. How about one of these drive-in theatres in Ohio, Texas, Pittsburgh, or Utah? [more inside]
Cilia later
Hunter and Bears, obviously
pick two of the options here. They will defend you; the rest come to kill you. The options are: 50 eagles, 10 crocodiles, 3 bears, 7 bulls, 1 hunter, 15 wolves, 10,000 rats, 5 gorillas, and 4 lions. Your picks are wrong and bad and you should feel bad.
Space Knights
Ever wanted to see the Arthurian legend retold in space? Time to see a weird and obscure kids show from 1989 New Zealand. [more inside]
Same procedure as every year?
Dinner for one is a comedy sketch, recorded for the German Norddeutscher Rundfunk in 1963. It went on to become a New Years' Eve tradition, not only in Germany, but also in other European countries. Despite being in English, written by a British author and performed by British actors, it is mostly unknown in the English-speaking world. Happy New Year.
Slip the surly bonds of symmetry
The Grinch needs a good cardiologist
It’s almost Christmas. And so researchers at Johns Hopkins, Georgetown University and other learned places are bringing their expertise to some of the holiday’s classic tales.
Georgetown professors answered questions such as: Does Santa use big data to find the perfect gift for every child? Why doesn’t Claus age? And they even wondered — Grinch-like — whether there might be some toy-licensing violations going on in Santa’s workshop.
Bonus, just because: A Peacock Spider Christmas shamelessly stolen from a previously.
Georgetown professors answered questions such as: Does Santa use big data to find the perfect gift for every child? Why doesn’t Claus age? And they even wondered — Grinch-like — whether there might be some toy-licensing violations going on in Santa’s workshop.
Bonus, just because: A Peacock Spider Christmas shamelessly stolen from a previously.
Wiggle He
In 2006 a british man named Dave Bulmer went on the Something Awful forums and wove what is undoubtedly the silliest Christmas story ever told. [more inside]
"Like someone spray-painted their pigs to look like sheep"
Modern Farmer's Sheep Week 2017 does not disappoint. Check it out: The 12 Sickest Sheep Breeds in the World, 8 Sheep That Don't Require Shearing, and 6 Fun Facts About Sheep You Might Not Know.
*cue palm-muted wah-wah guitar and reverb*
"Tantric" and "sexy" are not generally the first words that spring to mind when thinking about chess, but the logo for the 2018 World Chess Championship has provoked an unusual reaction.
Jingle Rock Bell
Spoiler: Zelda is the boy.
Christmas is coming, the wind is come to you
And Santa baby bore sweet Jesus Christ, And the chimney the angels sing - Christmas Carols, generated by a neural network [previously]
Winter is coming
'The Climate of the world of Game of Thrones' (pdf) an academic paper by Samwell Tarly (also available in Dothraki and High Valyrian) [more inside]
“‘Cause I wanna learn more, about letters!”
"Roob" for Short
Reindeer Boob is the new (NSFW) holiday trend you need in your life.
"Birds’ eggs have an erotic aura all of their own"
As ornithology became a more rigorous science in the 1800's, egg collecting, or oology, took off as both a hobby and a lucrative career. Egg collection is now a dying hobby – it has been illegal since 1954 - but egg collecting is still a thriving crime. [via]
The uncanny valley of babies
A woman posts a photo of knitting supplies she bought but people on Twitter are concerned about the baby in the background. I should say "baby," since it's not an infant human but a werepup. What's a werepup? Glad you asked. Can't afford to adopt? Make your own. Many more, uh, "babies" inside! [more inside]
The Frog, The Dog, and The Devil
"pixel spider boat game"
If you can't be with the one you love…
Sexual interactions between snow monkeys and sika deer could be a new behavioural tradition within a group of monkeys observed in Japan, researchers have suggested.
While the first report of a male Japanese macaque, or snow monkey, and female sika deer taking to each other was revealed earlier this year (previously), scientists say they are now confident the behaviour is sexual after scrutinising adolescent females suggestively interacting with stags at Minoo in Japan.
From agorism to neozapatismo
You Know You Want To Believe
The Pentagon’s Secret Search for UFOs [Politico]
Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program [NYT]
2 Navy Airmen and an Object That ‘Accelerated Like Nothing I’ve Ever Seen’ [NYT]
Merry Christmas!
Danish boy choir sings Christmas carol angelically, and a second time with a kick.
Because a chicken does not have a penis.
What's the egg industry's biggest logistical challenge right now? Distinguishing whether a seconds-old chick is a male or a potential egg-layer. That's where chicken sexers come in; they're essential, and accurate sexers are prized in the industry. But how do they know what they know? And what can their well-developed pattern recognition teach us? James McWilliams, for Pacific Standard: The Lucrative Art of Chicken Sexing.
The Younger Miss Bennets Expose Themselves at the Netherfield Ball.
Pride and Prejudice reimagined. TL: DR version: Just check the tags.