Friday, May 29, 2026
Monkeys can communicate with us? What would they say?
During the 1970s, researchers at Columbia University conducted an experiment involving a chimpanzee named Nim Chimpsky, who was raised in a human environment in Manhattan. This initiative was a direct challenge to linguist Noam Chomsky's assertion that only humans possess the capacity for true language.
Nim was integrated into a human lifestyle, including wearing clothes and sleeping in a bed, and was taught 125 signs from American Sign Language. One of his most frequently cited phrases in animal research was: "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you."
However, subsequent analysis of video recordings revealed that Nim's signing was primarily a form of mimicry rather than genuine communication. Researchers observed that Nim's trainers unconsciously cued him with specific gestures just before he made a sign. This indicated that Nim had learned to associate these movements with receiving rewards, rather than spontaneously expressing thoughts or initiating conversations.
Chomsky himself commented on the findings, stating, "The ape was no d0pe. He'd throw in the sign for banana randomly, figuring he'd brainw@shed the experimenters. Final result? Exactly what any sane biologist would have assumed: zero."
The experiment concluded in 1977 after Nim bit a handler. He was subsequently transferred to a medical laboratory and later to a sanctuary in Texas, where he passed away in 2000 at the age of 26.
While Nim never acquired the ability to speak, his case continues to be a significant point of discussion in the study of animal communication and language acquisition
It's not that I mind being chained in the basement...
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Each item comes with free shipping.
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A plug-in Ferrari. Enzo is spinning in his grave...
“Look at the people writing to us, the people placing orders,” he said Thursday at an event in Modena, Italy, as he sought to staunch the backlash. “Some are existing clients and others are new.” Car fanatics have accused the Maranello, Italy-based sports car maker of breaking from its legacy with its first-ever five-seater, designed by former Apple exec Jony Ive’s firm, which will use new-age tech to replicate the sound of its iconic engine growl. The ride was unveiled on Monday.
The fury over Ferrari’s break from combustion-engine sports cars extended to the brand’s former chairman, who could barely contain his distaste for the new EV.
“I cannot say what I really think: I would harm Ferrari. We risk the destruction of a legend. So sorry,” former Ferrari chairman and president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who stepped down in 2014, told Italian news agency Askanews, as translated from Italian. “Take the Prancing Horse off. At least the Chinese won’t copy this car,” he jabbed, referring to Ferrari’s logo.
The kids wanted to get high, but...
Eight students were stranded on a rollercoaster dangling 100 feet in the air for four hours before they were rescued by firefighters. The Iron Shark roller coaster of Galveston, Texas’ Pleasure Pier malfunctioned on Thursday evening, leaving the group of students from Houston facing straight up just before the peak of the ride’s famous 100-foot drop.
The pier was evacuated and firefighters extended a massive ladder and carefully brought down each student one by one in a harness. They were all safely on the ground around 8:30 p.m. - roughly four hours after they had gotten stuck. Reports from spectators at the scene indicated a number of the students had called their parents asking for clean underwear...
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Springsteen announces new 'Who gives a shit' Music Fest. And other none-notable items...
Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Brittany Howard and Joan Baez will headline a star-studded protest festival set for the Washington, D.C., area a month before the midterm elections.
Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello announced the festival Wednesday while performing together at Nationals Park in Washington as Springsteen winds down his Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour.
At the concert Wednesday, Springsteen played many of his most political songs, including “American Skin (41 Shots)” about a fatal police shooting and “Streets of Minneapolis,” in response to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents. “The Gestapo tactics of this president and this administration will not stand here,” Springsteen said. I wonder if they'll have to bring Joan Baez out in a wheel chair. When was the last time she was relevant? Oh, she never was - my bad.
He's starting to sound like a cross between Jane Fonda and Robert DeNiro.
Helluva combination.
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Whoever the writer and editor are, they obviously
didn't grow up in the same neighborhood that I did.
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A day after the President Donald Trump -affiliated Freedom 250 announced the “first wave” of performers for “The Great American State Fair” shows on Washington’s National Mall in June and July, the lineup has been hit with a wave of cancellations.
Young MC, Morris Day, the Commodores and Martina McBride are among the scheduled acts who have said they will not be appearing. Scheduled performers also include Milli Vanilli, the pop duo from the 1980s who were discredited after it was revealed that their frontmen, Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan, were only lip-syncing.
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This is Barbara Stanwyck (colorized by me for effect) in the screwball comedy 'The Lady Eve', Co-starring with Henry Fonda and Directed by Preston Sturges in 1941, wearing a gown designed by Edith Head.
"I'm tellin' ya - it's the same dame..."
One of my all time favorite movies. A classy outfit for sure.
Anyway, me and my wife have this argument every time I'm watching a movie with her in it. I think she was funny as hell and a really good actress - and really, REALLY attractive. My wife thinks she was a dog. This argument will not end well. Is this kinda shit acceptable as grounds for a divorce?
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Handmade gifts are extra special when
they're for someone extra special.
It's one-of-a-kind and comes with free shipping.
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The crew of B-29 Superfortress 42-24598 "Waddy's Wagon",
20th Air Force, 73rd Bomb Wing, 497th Bomb Group, 869th Bomb Squadron, the fifth B-29 to take off on the first Tokyo mission from Saipan on November 24, 1944, and first to land back at Isley Field after bombing the target. Crew members posing here to duplicate their caricatures on the plane.
Light-hearted humor in the face of death and destruction. My father's generation were incredibly brave guys...
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Thursday, May 28, 2026
What kinda dog does that?
Biologist Con Slobodchikoff found that prairie dogs can encode information about a predator's size, shape, and even color. In one study, they produced one call for a tall human in a yellow shirt and another for a shorter human in blue . They can even coin new terms for something they've never seen before, like a triangle-shaped silhouette.
This is beyond instinct - it might be the most sophisticated non-human language ever decoded. No gossip, just life‑saving intel.
Is that a pickle in your pocket?
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Handmade gifts are extra special when
they're for someone extra special.
It's one-of-a-kind and comes with free shipping.
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Remember your Grandfather's car when you were a kid? I bet he had one of these...
Whatever happened to the empires that built the GTO, the Superbird, or the Tucker 48? Let’s take a ride down memory lane and see how 12 legendary American car brands left their mark on history, and why they eventually disappeared from the road.
1. Pontiac (1926 to 2010)
Founded by General Motors as a step up from Chevrolet, Pontiac truly found its soul in the 1960s when performance became part of its identity. Cars like the GTO helped define the American muscle car era and made Pontiac famous for driving excitement. Over time, though, the brand lost some of its unique personality through corporate rebadging, and after the 2008 financial crisis, GM chose to discontinue it.
2. Plymouth (1928 to 2001)
Launched by Walter P. Chrysler to compete with Ford and Chevrolet in the affordable car market, Plymouth became a familiar name for generations of American families. By 1970, it was building wild performance machines like the winged Superbird, one of the most unforgettable cars of the muscle era. But by the late 1990s, Plymouth had lost much of its distinct identity, and Chrysler eventually ended the brand.
3. Packard (1899 to 1958)
James Ward Packard was disappointed with an early automobile he purchased, so he decided to build a better one himself. For decades, Packard stood near the top of American luxury, known for quality, elegance, and the famous slogan “Ask the man who owns one.” After World War II, changing tastes, stronger Cadillac competition, and a difficult merger with Studebaker made survival increasingly hard.
4. Mercury (1938 to 2011)
Created by Edsel Ford to sit between Ford and Lincoln, Mercury gave buyers a little more style and prestige without going fully luxury. The 1949 Mercury became a custom car icon and remains one of the most beloved shapes in American car culture. Over time, however, Mercury became harder to separate from Ford, and by the 2000s, the brand no longer had a clear place in the market.
5. Oldsmobile (1897 to 2004)
Founded by Ransom E. Olds, Oldsmobile was one of America’s earliest and most important automobile pioneers. It became a major force inside GM and often served as a place for new ideas, new technology, and memorable performance cars like the 442 W 30. But as buyer tastes changed, Oldsmobile struggled to attract younger customers, and GM gradually phased out the 107 year old brand.
6. Hudson (1909 to 1957)
Backed by department store magnate J. L. Hudson, this independent automaker became famous for smart engineering and bold design. Its step down body gave cars like the Hudson Hornet a lower center of gravity, helping it become a major force in early 1950s stock car racing. But developing new engines and fresh models was expensive, and Hudson eventually merged with Nash to form American Motors.
7. AMC, American Motors (1954 to 1988)
Born from the merger of Nash and Hudson, AMC became the creative underdog of Detroit. It built compact cars, unusual designs, and performance machines like the AMX and Javelin, often doing more with less than its larger competitors. AMC fought hard for decades, but Chrysler eventually purchased the company in 1987, with Jeep becoming its most valuable prize.
8. Studebaker (1902 to 1966)
Studebaker began long before the automobile age, building horse drawn wagons in the 1800s before moving into cars. The company became known for distinctive styling, including the futuristic 1963 Avanti. But financial pressure, rising costs, and intense competition from larger automakers made it difficult for Studebaker to continue, and production eventually came to an end.
9. DeSoto (1928 to 1961)
Created by Chrysler for the mid priced market, DeSoto became known for handsome styling, chrome, tailfins, and the jet age look of the late 1950s. For a time, it had a loyal following and a strong place in Chrysler’s lineup. But recession, shifting buyer habits, and overlap with other Chrysler brands weakened DeSoto’s position until the name disappeared.
10. Nash (1916 to 1957)
Founded by former General Motors president Charles W. Nash, the brand became known for practical innovation and unusual styling. Nash helped popularize features like advanced heating systems, compact cars, and rounded Airflyte bodies that people often nicknamed “bathtub” cars. Like many independent automakers, Nash faced growing pressure from the Big Three and eventually merged with Hudson to form American Motors.
We may never see an era of automotive history quite like this again. These were more than just cars. They were rolling pieces of American ambition, creativity, risk taking, and style.
I can vividly remember seeing one or more of every one of these at some point on my street growing up. My Mother's Father drove a DeSoto. My Uncle Joe a Nash Rambler. My father had a Plymouth when I was small. My Uncle Nicky drove a Hudson Hornet, Uncle Carmine a Packard. Great big tanks - not like today's cookie-cutter small SUV's. All incredibly comfortable. All gone, but for the memories.
I really do like this guy, but damn - that ego. Yikes...
Donald Trump’s name may already dominate politics, but some of his allies now reportedly want his face printed into American money. Treasury Department officials appointed under Trump have pushed for a new $250 bill featuring the president’s portrait to mark America’s 250th anniversary, according to reporting cited by The Independent and The Washington Post. A mock-up obtained by the Post reportedly shows Trump centered on the note with the words “250 AMERICA.”
The idea tracks with a design Rep. Andy Barr shared earlier this year while posing with U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach. The Independent reported that Beach has “repeatedly urged staff” at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to move forward with the proposal. British artist Iain Alexander, who designed the version Barr displayed, told the Post that Trump “absolutely loved it.”
However, the plan has a major legal wall in front of it. Federal law says, “Only the portrait of a deceased individual may appear on United States currency and securities.” That rule is listed under 31 U.S.C. § 5114, meaning a living president cannot simply be placed on paper money without Congress changing the law.
This cat played both sides to the middle...
This one was smarter than your average feline - and don't kid yourself - cats are a lot smater than you think. This clever little furball managed to live the kind of double life most pets could only dream of, quietly convincing two different families that he belonged to them.
To one household, he was Simba - a beloved cat who wandered off now and then but always seemed to come back. To the other, he was Crazy Horse - a friendly visitor who showed up, made himself comfortable, accepted food, curled up like he owned the place, and slowly became part of the family.
Neither side realized they were loving and caring for the same cat until he came home needing stitches, and a trip to the vet revealed that someone else had already been taking care of him too.
Instead of turning the discovery into a fight, the two families chose the most wholesome ending possible: they agreed to share him, let him keep both names, and allowed him to continue living between both homes - proving that sometimes the cat doesn’t choose one family, he chooses all of them.
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