Russian animator Alexey Zakharov created a very cool little animated film from old photos of American cities in the early 1900s.
Romanian Cave Reveals Insect Kingdom
A lost world for Science Tuesday!
About five million years ago, while humans were evolving in Africa, Movile Cave in Romania became cut off from the surface world, leading to a dramatic turn in evolution for its insect populations.
In the late 1980s, the cave was discovered and opened, and now offers scientists a look at a different world, though only some scientists have been allowed in out of fear of destroying the ecosystem’s balance.
With only half the oxygen as the surface atmosphere, the cave’s atmosphere is poisonous, rank with carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. The air temperature is very warm. These conditions are very similar to what the surface on Earth was like billions of years ago. The ecosystem is based on bacteria that pull carbon from the air without the use of light. The bacteria form slime on water and walls that is eaten by small creatures that are in turn eaten by larger ones, everything in competition.
The cave’s denizens include spiders, water scorpions, centipedes, leeches and more. Most insects evolved to adapt to the darkness by losing their eyes while developing longer legs and antennae.
Learn more at Geek.com here, including some photos of the creatures.
THE SMILING MAN, a Creepy Horror Short
It’s Horror Monday! And today that means a super creepy horror short, THE SMILING MAN.
A little girl is watching TV when she is drawn downstairs by balloons left on the stairs like breadcrumbs.
Into the kitchen, where the smiling creature reveals itself and a special surprise …
Often, in these short horror films, the creature element is lacking, and the actors have to carry the weight of creating a sense of fear. Some hit the mark, others don’t.
I loved the “smiling man.” One of the creepiest things I’ve seen in a horror short in a long while.
THE RETREAT #4: ALAMO Coming End of June
Coming the end of June! THE RETREAT, Episode #4: ALAMO, the apocalyptic/zombie thriller series I’m writing with Stephen Knight and Joe McKinney. I’m happy to return to this series as the author of #4; I also wrote #1. The series was inspired by THE ANABASIS.
During the long retreat out of Philadelphia, First Battalion arrives at High Point Special Facility, the Alamo of the U.S. government. Lt. Colonel Lee secures the fort built around the facility but learns of an outbreak in the underground bunker, where the U.S. government is hiding. The President has been infected.
While thousands of laughing infected lay siege to the base, Sergeant Muldoon, Corporal Rawlings, and a platoon of lightfighters go deep into the bowels of the earth on a deadly mission: terminate the President of the United States.
The President is waiting.
Get ready for another action-packed adventure as First Battalion makes its way to Florida through an apocalyptic America overrun with genocidal maniacs.
History Thursday! Bastogne Commander Told the Germans, “Nuts!” Why?
The U.S. Army published a short article about the events surrounding why the American commander at Bastogne, confronted with a demand by the Germans to surrender, famously replied, “Nuts!”
Christmas 1944, Bastogne, Belgium, Battle of the Bulge.
The German high command had unleashed thousands of tanks and troops at what they saw as a vulnerable point in the Allied lines, deep in the Ardennes in northeastern France.
During the attack, the 101st Airborne was sent to the line to reinforce it. They held Bastogne, Belgium, site of a critical road intersection. The Germans surrounded the town during one of the coldest winters on record and pounded the airborne troops.
Three days before Christmas, four Germans soldiers approached the American positions with a request to see the commanding officer. They carried a message from the German commander–a request to surrender.
Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe famously sent back a formal reply: “Nuts!”
When McAuliffe had been told of the request to surrender by a subordinate, he said, “They want to surrender?” When corrected, he added, “Us, surrender? Aw, nuts!” to the amusement of his men.
The answer was no, but the Germans needed a formal reply. McAuliffe, who had more pressing things to deal with, didn’t know what to say. One of his subordinates told him his initial reply was hard to top. So that’s what he sent back:
December 22, 1944
To the German Commander,
N U T S !
The American Commander
When the German officers saw the message, they were confused – with how many states in Germany had different dialects at the time. An American translated, “The reply is decidedly not affirmative.”
Click here to read the whole story.
Science Tuesday! Girl Builds Shitty Robots
Simone Giertz makes a living building hilariously crappy robots, from an alarm-clock that slaps her to wake her up to a life-affirming applause robot. I love it.
Check out some of her creations below and at her YouTube channel here.