What is it about comedians that makes them crave a dramatic turn later in their careers? From Robin Williams to Jim Carrey, it seems like the comedian's arc in Hollywood isn't complete until they try their hand at Oscar bait. What's even stranger is that the decision usually proves fruitful, despite a little trepidation from the audience.  — Read the rest

Watching experts talk shop can either be edifying or alienating. If you're in or, at the very least, a fan of the industry being discussed, you can enjoy a dialogue between seasoned masters. Not only do you garner entertainment from it, but their insights on the unseen mechanics that govern their vocation can also elucidate the field for you in unexpected ways. — Read the rest

Video Link, from Everything is Terrible. Be sure your AFDB is on your head and fitted snugly before clicking "play." — Read the rest

A 1954 version of René Magritte's The Empire of Light sold for $121 million at Christie's in New York, much more than expected. One of 27 renderings of the scene by the French surrealist, the eerie canvas is the largest of the bunch and described by the auction house as the "crown jewel" of former owner Mica Ertegun. — Read the rest

Every night, something knocks over my trash cans. I don't know if it's a raccoon, a weird neighbor, or some sort of Bigfoot situation, but I'm going to find out. Here's how.

These Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars are my new favorite nighttime surveillance system. — Read the rest

No smoke, just water in the Sherman Oaks, California location of Guitar Center yesterday after two cars collided outside the store and knocked over a fire hydrant. The broken pipe released a continuous torrent of water onto the roof of the Guitar Center. — Read the rest

A Vermont man was so bladdered when arrested by Ontario Provincial Police that he did not realize he had made his way into another country. CNC News reports that the 52-year-old man was charged with impaired driving in Cobden, Ontario after the truck he was driving was found with flat tires "stuck in a drive-thru" at about 5 a.m. — Read the rest

Jeremiah Fufeyin heads an evangelical church in Nigeria and runs a standard televangelist grift. Authorities there have had enough, warning that the "miracle healing water" that Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry pitches does nothing useful.

[Drug approval agency] Nafdac said the products – which have names such as "miracle water" and "River Jordan water" – claim to have "bogus" healing properties, such as the ability to cure women of infertility.

The Mashco Piro, an Indigenous tribe in the Peruvian Amazon, have had almost no contact with the outside world and we should leave them alone. Unfortunately, logging companies are now operating just miles from their home. The Mashco Piro have been frequently emerging from the rainforest in recent months as the loggers increase in numbers and proximity. — Read the rest

A video from April 2022 shows Trump announcing the Heritage Foundation's work on his platform and plans for 2025.

Project 2025 is the Christian fascist takeover plan for America. Many of Trump's allies, stooges, and largest financial donors are behind this plan, which he recently began to claim no knowledge of. — Read the rest

A field trip to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles turned into a bummer on Tuesday afternoon when eight high school students freaked out after consuming cannabis edibles. The teens, who were on a chaperoned excursion, caught the attention of a security officer who noticed they were "acutely ill" and promptly called 911. — Read the rest

The chronically angry Donald Trump bashed a key witness to his Jan. 6 election interference case — Mike Pence — reposting a meme that calls out the former vice president — along with President Biden and Nancy Pelosi — as his enemy. — Read the rest

Columbia University shut the entire school down today.

This comes after after hundreds of pro-Palestine protestors were arrested yesterday, followed by hundreds of school faculty members walking out in solidarity with the students. Then, overnight, dozens of protestors broke into and and barricaded the inside of Hamilton Hall, one of the university buildings that was also occupied by students in 1968 during Vietnam protests. — Read the rest

Magic usually involves creepy old men with doves in their pants; this removes hair and lint from clothes.

I have three dogs: one white, one brown, and one black. This tool removes all sorts of pet hair, from thin and whispy to fur tumbleweeds. — Read the rest

Twitter recently imposed blue checkmarks, previously assigned only to people paying to use the site, on all users meeting a certain threshold of paid followers. And soon users assigned blue checkmarks will no longer be able to hide them.

The blue checkmark, originally a form of verification and implicit status, was turned into a paid feature after Elon Musk's takeover of the site. — Read the rest

Some people believe that the white streaks that jets leave in their wake are actually chemtrails—chemical or biological substances that the government is using for undisclosed and/or nefarious purposes. These may include weather modification, population control, psychological manipulation, or even secret military testing. — Read the rest

President Joe Biden and former one-term president Donald Trump are neck and neck in the polls, with the latest Emerson College poll showing Trump ahead of Biden by one point (45%–44%).

But, although astonishing that a self-described pussy grabber who has racked up 91 felony charges and spouts Nazi rhetoric could even come close to Biden, Trump would fare even better were he to run against a popular Democratic alternative, according to the poll results. — Read the rest

The New York Department of Motor Vehicle blocked requests for more than 3,000 vanity license plates in 2023. WGRZ asked for and received the list of them all. There are many reasons why a plate request may be rejected, ranging from the "use of the number zero (0) between two letters to form a word" to, of course, "combinations that are considered obscene, derogatory or offensive." — Read the rest

A dog fell into the surging Pacoima wash section of the LA storm run-off system, prompting its owner to jump in and require an even more dramatic rescue by emergency services. The dog rescued itself.

A huge reminder to people is that if your dog is swept out to sea or falls in a raging river, it is more likely to save itself than to need your assistance. — Read the rest

A Florida nurse who allegedly poisoned two cats and a pregnant dog faces three counts of felony animal cruelty and one of depositing poison in a public area. Polk County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that they arrested Tamesha Knighten, 51, after the three pets were killed. — Read the rest