Prequels to the Watchmen comics/graphic novels, which were confirmed this week with rumors that lend credibility to previous rumors (or something), will probably happen. And any fan of the Watchmen should be excited about it. Or at least, not immediately scream from the highest tower that it’s an abomination.

This is not a ringing endorsement that I think they’ll be good. The Watchmen is/was Alan Moore. It’s a masterwork amongst a legendary career. The book stands as a common inspirational thread for so many brilliant creators of popular books, television and film. It’s not good for a comic book, it’s so good you wish your other favorite books had pictures.

But Moore is not involved. It is logical to assume that is bad.

So why should you be excited, knowing it’ll probably not be in the same quality universe as the source material?

Because statistically, maybe it will. And we will never know if that’s true unless we, as a genre fan base, encourage people/companies/artists to try.

This goes for every sequel, prequel, special edition and remake. Sure, they will probably suck, but usually the existence of the new project does not completely erase the existence of the original property you know and love.

Consider each project a lottery ticket, the vast majority will be a bust. But maybe… just maybe we hit the numbers exact and get another amazing fan experience in a universe we already know and love.

On a personal note, hating is easy. It takes very little effort to poop on everything and then come back and join the party when something is proven out. Believing takes courage. Hope is fun. Don’t be the frowny-faced coward who sneers when something fails. Be the pioneer who is rewarded on the front lines when a project is better than everyone thinks it would be.

Chinese message boards have lit flame with a romantic controversy filled with taboo, lust and well-lit viewing areas. A sheep and deer have fallen in love at the Yunnan Zoo. When first reported, many reacted skeptically, believing the report to be a cutesy ploy to draw attention to the tourist attraction.

But doubters were proven dead wrong when zoo officials posted the above photo on their weblog. The indisputable evidence shows the hot couple in flagrante delicto.

Thanks to Weird Things writer Ryan for passing this along.

[ChinaSmack]

Okay, it’s not bigger on the inside but this TARDIS themed door to a DVD closet is the coolest DIY project you’ll see today.

Thanks to Steven Lauren on G+ for tipping us off to it.

Find a few more pictures AFTER THE JUMP…

[TheRPS]

Read the rest of this entry »

[Animal Planet]

The Saint Louis Zoo has bred Ozark hellbenders in captivity for the first time. This is most definitely a worthwhile achievement and a step forward in retaining as much of Earth’s rich diversity as possible.

But if you thought Ozark hellbenders was a good name, check out this lizards nicknames…

Also known by the colloquial names of “snot otter” and “old lasagna sides,” the adult hellbender is one of the largest species of salamanders in North America, with its closest relatives being the giant salamanders of China and Japan, which can reach five feet in length.

OLD LASAGNA SIDES! That is a name! Of a lizard! At some point in the Ozarks, someone said to someone else “Hey, did you see Old Lasagna Sides running up the river bank?”

I can’t get over this.

[Science Daily]

25 miles off shore, this big lug (let’s call him Alfie) decides to ominously circle this fishing tourists boat. You know, just for the lulz.

It should also be noted that this video was captured on an iPhone. Which could have lead to the greatest interaction with Siri ever.

Tourist: A Great White Shark is circling my boat, what do I do?

Siri: Let me think… Yeah, you’re screwed.

[KING 5]

Catch the rainbow and you could be $500 richer.

The South Florida rainbow snake has been categorized as extinct since last month, but The Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson and the Center for Snake Conservation in Louisville, Colo. is now offering a cash bounty for proof it exists.

The SoFla subspecies was last identified in 1952. But since then we had like first gen iPhones that ran on EDGE speeds, so how could anyone be expected to get another photo?

Young says they do not want people going out of their way to catch a snake: “If you see one, it’s likely to be basking on the riverbank while eating an eel or having just finished one.” Eels are the snake’s primary diet. “Take a photo of it. We don’t have to have an actual snake.”

Fisheating Creek in Glades County, FL is a short one hour, 56 minute ride from Weird Things HQ. So… we’ll see you later.

[Scientific American]

The market price for a 1 lb Bigfoot steak skyrocketed yesterday when a $50,000 offer was made on a $10,000 item. You may remember the man worried about Sasquatch murder charges from earlier this year. Well, apparently, he has a souvenir from the occasion.

“On Wednesday evening, Richard Stubstad and Robert Lindsay were guests on the Tom Biscardi radio show talking about the Sierra Kills. As reported by Lindsay earlier, Justin Smeja was selling his Bigfoot steak for $10,000. Biscardi thinks Smeja deserves a lot more than what he’s currently selling it for and he is offering $50,000 for the steak.

We got Justin on the phone and told him about Biscardi’s offer. He said that it is a really good offer and he’s considering accepting Biscardi’s dough in exchange for the 1lb Bigfoot steak he found in the Sierra Buttes location after shooting an adult Bigfoot and it’s child.”

With this kind of market volatility, Sasquatch better watch his back even more than usual.

[Bigfoot Evidence]

Does a new Mayan relic currently being researched confirm the apocalyptic date of December 21, 2012?

The answer: an emphatic “maybe, probably not.”

The ‘Comalcalco Brick’, as the second fragment is known, has been discussed by experts in some online forums.

Many still doubt that it is a definite reference to December 21, 2012 or December 23, 2012, the dates cited by proponents of the theory as the possible end of the world.

‘Some have proposed it as another reference to 2012, but I remain rather unconvinced,’ said David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin.

What is known is that the carving found at a ruin in Comalcalco, Mexico does make reference to the end of the 13th Baktun, a 394-year period which will come due next year. However, there is not much evidence to suggest that any apocalyptic event will come along with it.

In fact, many scholars are quick to remind worry warts that Mayan culture believed time constantly began and ended cycles without world ending punctuation.

[Daily Mail]

In a first for wild animals (not named primates) researchers have concluded that raven utilize gestures with their wings and beaks to communicate to other ravens. This includes pointing at items.

This is different than domesticated animals like dogs using gestures since the raven behavior is occurring naturally without intervention.

[Live Science]

Netflix has made waves with their original programming pickups like House of Cards and Arrested Development, but either will have the honor of being the first original Netflix programming. Example Show is an avant guard tour de force featuring an unnamed protagonist doing gymnastics, running a model train and most notably giving a violent reading of a monologue from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Just search for “Example Show” in Netflix.

Example Show actually a in-house production done by Netflix staff (presumably shot on campus) to test screen resolutions and streaming capabilities for various levels of audio and video fidelity. It’s also awesome.

We recommend everyone add it to their queue and demand a season two.

SAVE EXAMPLE SHOW!

We’ve posted a poorly screen capped version of Julius Ceasar monologue (capped off by some awesome mouth pops) for those without Netflix. Thanks to Colleen Kelly for tipping us off to this.

Click AFTER THE JUMP to see a massive picture of this dude doing a cartwheel.

Read the rest of this entry »

Wow.

GUEST: Bonnie “The Invisible Wife” Brushwood

Brian and wife Bonnie open up a respectable genetics laboratory only to find out that their mischievous for-hire scientists have concocted a horrific brew that could save the world. Or end it. One of the two. Maybe both. Justin helps dream up all of the ways that 3D printing can revolutionize the way we look at keychains and society. Andrew recounts his recent trip to China complete with dazzling light tunnels and curious acrobats.

Support the show by purchasing Andrew’s new book The Chronological Man: The Monster In The Mist for only 99¢ at Amazon.com by clicking the image below!

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Picks:

Brian-

• Penn & Teller Magic And Mystery Tour

• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

• Into The Universe with Stephen Hawking

Justin-

• The Muppets

Andrew-

• The Edge

It was announced last week that Think Geek would soon be selling branded breakfast Star Wars breakfast drinks including Dark Side Coffee, Hoth Cocoa and Dagobah Green Tea. But that’s not nearly the weirdest food tie in to the most iconic SciFi franchise of all time.

Yoda Approved Cup Of Noodles

Although not branded specifically, Yoda did hawk the classic boil n’ eat treat loved by stoners world wide in this commercial. What did you think he ate in exile for all those years? It wasn’t like there was a Chick-fil-a around the corner.

Carmel Corn Tubs

The force is with you. And so is that kernel in your teeth that you ate like five hours ago.

Tuna Fish Disco

We are pretty sure this isn’t officially sanctioned by Pope Lucas but it is too awesome not to post. We could have solved this whole galactic rebellion over a nice can of tuna. Disco style.

In 2003, a South African family met curious creature. His name was Rah. He was a goblin.

The little guy became a part of the family. For seven years he fit in like Harry did with the Hendersons. He even spoke two languages! What a charming little fellow.

Until one fateful day in 2009 when he made a very strange request to the matriarch of the family.

“…he woke up and said he was tired of goat meat and as such wanted human flesh.”

When asked whose flesh specifically, he mentioned daughter Sithokozile.

Drawing a line in the sand between hospitality and murdering their children, the family politely declined. This did not please Rah.

“I was not going to sacrifice myself for the goblin and my mother could not do the same. Rah got angry and started beating everyone in the family. We have never head peace since he demanded that I become part of his meal,” she said.

It is said that at times Rah would tie children onto a tree using jerseys and spend the whole day thrashing them with switch.

And so it came to pass, the family fled their home. Rah remains missing, quite possibly looking for a new family to befriend.

The moral of the story? If a bilingual goblin requests residence in your house, kick him out after six years.

[Byo Daily]

What’s that? The muffled whisper in the cool British night?

If you are a metal thief, ripping apart a track so you can sell the scrap for drug money, it’s the sound of justice.

Police are employing “ghost trains” rail cars with the lights dimmed and engine muffled in the dead of night to catch the brigands using infrared technology.

They employ thermal-imaging equipment with a range of 440 yards to scour the sides of the track for criminals, and use torches to inspect cables running above the train for evidence of damage or theft.

The officers are also poised to trigger powerful lamps mounted alongside cameras on the front of the train, positioned to record any suspicious activity ahead.

Still more, authorities have installed motion sensitive cameras in unsuspecting rocks which broadcast live images to the trains so they know where crime needs to be stymied.

[Daily Mail]