Archive for the ‘cool things’ category

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Lady Gaga’s “The Dead Dance…”

September 4, 2025

Lady Gaga has given us all of us Halloween heads a great early gift for spooky season in The Dead Dance, a masterpiece of song and dance. It ranks up there with Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Wednesday’s dance from the Netflix series Wednesday. There are some Jacksonian moves to it, yet the production, directed by Tim Burton, is unique and distinctly Lady Gaga’s.

For one thing, the video incorporates the feeling of Mexico City’s Island of the Dolls, a place where aging, discolored, rotting, and dismembered dolls are strung up in trees and around the landscape. Such dolls are rather creepy, and appear right from the beginning of Lady Gaga’s video wheas such does not appear in Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Lady Gaga’s zombified dead also seem to do a lot more twitching as they hover in that nether world between death and a recall to life…

Is there anything that Lady Gaga cannot do? She sings, dances, and writes songs, and The Dead Dance can easily be interpreted to represent recovery from romantic break-ups, depression, and other forms of mental illness and personal setbacks in life. Although its topic is dark and presented in terms of the paranormal, the video is both dazzling and yet uplifting…what a triumph! Enjoy, if this is your first viewing of the video…

Categories: bizarre, Brilliant but twisted, cool things, creature features, fantasy, historical perspectives, horror, Questionably creepy, spooky
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It’s “Wednesday” Again, and Full of Woe!

August 9, 2025

It’s been a long time waiting until Season 2, but Wednesday Addams is finally back on Netflix, which has added nicely to the series. For one thing, Wednesday’s brother Pugsley is now in the cast, and is far more fleshed out as a character than in previous imaginings of him…for one thing, he stands taller than Wednesday, although she remains dominant, and Pugsley has the ability to cast bolts of electricity from his hands, an electrical affinity that he shares with Uncle Fester…

Now the ability to readily tolerate and produce electrical current is a gene that apparently skipped father Gomez, who can boast no such powers. But thankfully Fester is back and wonderful, and we see him enjoying electroshock treatment in a psychiatric hospital, where he begs for more treatments! “They used to call it a Funny Farm!,” Fester reminds us about the institution where he self-admits to gather information for Wednesday. Warned that he may be tortured, Fester gleefully exults, “Oh, this is gonna be FUN!” You gotta love the guy…

Wednesday has a number of psychic gifts including precognition, and she can envision the past or future of an object or person by touching them. When her gifts are used too much, however, black tears stream from her eyes. At the Nevermore school (like Hogwarts but darker), Wednesday has become an icon for her fellow students, but despises that role. “Put me on a pedestal,” she counsels, “and I’ll burn it down!” Wednesday is kind of at odds with her mother Morticia in Season 2, at one point engaging in a blindfolded duel with her in the woods after dark (a family tradition, we are told)…

Unfortunately Season 2 thus far is just Part 1 of 2, and we must wait until September to see the remaining four episodes, but I’m sure that it will be worth the wait for Wednesday, a force of nature or perhaps the unnatural…

Categories: alternative realities, Brilliant but twisted, cool things, horror, television
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“The People’s Choice” with Cleo, the Talking Basset Hound!

June 8, 2025

Before Mr. Ed, a forgotten show of the 1950’s called The People’s Choice starred Jackie Cooper but the real attraction was a basset hound called Cleo who appeared to be talking or at least projecting her thoughts to the human characters…

Now Jackie Cooper was one of the few child stars who actually found work as an adult actor once his 1930’s role in The Little Rascals was over. In The People’s Choice (1955-1958), he played an aspiring politician who initially was secretly married to the mayor’s daughter. Cooper would later go on to play Perry White in the first three Superman movies…but this post is about Cleo, who would offer sardonic commentaries upon the human actions about her.

This was hokey 1950’s comedy, but the concept of a talking dog was innovative for its time, and Cleo often did steal the show, paving the way for Mr. Ed and future anthropomorphic animal characters. Hard to find now, some full episodes of The People’s Choice may be viewed free of charge on YouTube…Woof!

Categories: absurdities, alternative realities, anthropomorphic, comedy, cool things, furry, furry television, Vintage
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The Wisdom of the Ancients!

June 3, 2025

Now here’s an idea from antiquity that we moderns could really benefit from adopting! Although the Egyptian pharaohs were considered as gods by their subjects, usually in the 30th year of a pharaoh’s reign and every three years after that, he had to prove his worth by participating in a footrace during the Heb-Sed or Sed festival! During this observance, they might construct temples and sculptures. The tradition dated back to the first dynasty of ancient Egypt, around 3,000 BCE…

Now it gets better! The pharaoh while competing was dressed in a kilt with an attached animal tail! I am so envious…they had animal-headed deities, plus their king got to act like a furry, all to demonstrate their physical fitness for office! If a pharaoh couldn’t complete the race, it meant that it was time for a younger, healthier ruler as the ancient Egyptians related the health of their head honcho to the overall health and vitality of the kingdom…

Since 30 years was a long time against the life span of an ancient Egyptian, only a small percentage of pharaohs lived long enough to celebrate a Heb-Sed, and many kings and queens were troubled with various maladies caused by inbreeding. Still, the idea of running a footrace to prove physical fitness might be worth incorporating into the American political system. Healthy mind in a healthy body, ‘ya know. I’ll bet that Kamala could have run the course…I doubt that the Orange Dude would have. I’d race, if I got to wear a fox tail…better a partial fursuit than none, I always say…

All of this shows us once again why the ancient Egyptians rocked!

Categories: anaimal deity cultures, antiquity, cool things, furry, great ideas
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“Secrets Declassified” With David Duchovny Is Coming!

March 15, 2025

It’s hard to believe that The X-Files aired thirty years ago, and equally hard to fathom that David Duchovny is now 64 years old. Rejoice at least that the guy who brought Fox Mulder of the FBI to life is hosting and producing a new 10-part documentary show on the History Channel called, “Secrets Declassified” that may at least have something of an X-Files vibe to it…

David Duchovny and mysterious secrets seem to go together, and the series promises to “profile the government’s most secretive, strange and mind-blowing activities that have been declassified throughout history.” Topics will, of course, include Area 51...

Secrets Declassified will premiere on The History Channel April 4th, and I’m on board for it!

“The truth is out there” – –Fox Mulder

Categories: anomalies, cool things, mysteries, noteworthy, paranormal, speculation, strange happenings, television, unexplained
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Prepare for “Spooky Season!”

August 22, 2024

I’ve already seen fall and Halloween stuff in the stores for several weeks, and with August nearly over, who can blame me for anticipating a time yet two months away? It’s not like I’ll be accused of “Seasonal Spread,” which Xmas gets away with increasingly every year. Besides, what other holiday is near…and I doubt that American “Labor Day” will be offended. Christmas steps all over Halloween annually too, so we Halloween spirits might as well get our licks in early! 🎃

We Halloween heads are getting a special blessing this year with the arrival of Beetlejuice 2 (also referred to as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in some references) opening n theaters on September 6th! I can’t think of any movie whose sequel I’ve anticipated for as many years as Beetlejuice (1988), with Michael Keaton thankfully returning in the titular role.- – This is truly the Ghost With The Most!

Set over three decades since the time of the original, Lydia, played by Winona Ryder, is grown-up and has a daughter, Astrid, played by Jenna Ortega. The actress had memorably played Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series, Wednesday. As the protagonist, Astrid discovers the model of the town in the family homestead that is the portal to the Afterlife, triggering Beetlejuice. Willem Defoe plays a new character (Wolf Jackson), a jaded movie star in life who is now a deceased police detective! We’ll be seeing a lot more of the afterlife and its denizens in the sequel, including Bob, the guy with the shrunken head we last saw sitting in the waiting room with Beetlejuice.

The original film used practical special effects rather than CGI, which gave the movie its distinctive and striking award-winning design. Michael Keaton to his credit insisted that practical or handmade special effects likewise be used in the sequel to preserve the flavor and continuity of the series.

So if you enjoy horror comedy, you may want to see the “Juice turned loose” in Beetlejuice 2. I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for it! It gives a whole new meaning to the expression, “spill your guts!”

Categories: alternative realities, cool things, movies, paranormal, spooky, weird
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Comments: 6 Comments

Ultra-realistic Collie Fursuit…

July 25, 2023

Like many furries, I have a cheap fursuit, plus a full wearable head and a mask. They are all in shall I say the economy range, as that’s my budget. But what might be possible if you chose and could afford to throw over $15,000 into the creation of a stunningly realistic and detailed fursuit? The awesome results may be seen above…yes, that’s a suit, with a dude inside it!

The gentleman, identified only as Toko or in some locations Toco, chose to transform into a collie because of its size, the fact that it was his favorite dog, and also because he felt that a collie’s long hair would help to hide his human form. He hired the Japanese company Zeppet, known for creating sculptures and models for movies and commercials, to craft the suit. Creation of it took 40 days as numerous fittings and adjustments were made to get the best look and fit…

Now Toko-san as one might expect is somewhat limited in his movements while within the suit, and cannot move all of his limbs freely or excessively. But he is living the dream that he has had since childhood, and who are we to deny him that? The results are uncanny…

Categories: anthropomorphic, cool things, fantasy, furry, fursuits
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The Lykoi, or “Wolf Cat…”

June 23, 2022

I like Lykoi cats, because they look feral and mildly scary, and I have a dark side. Like unto itself is drawn, ‘ya know! Because of their appearance, Lykoi cats are also known as Wolf Cats or Werewolf Cats. I figure that one might be a good sidekick or henchman for me when a door-to-door salesman, political aspirant, or religious proselytizer comes calling. Then it would be, “Are you gonna leave quietly, or do I have to turn the cat loose on you?”

But despite their appearance, these cats are actually quite sweet and affectionate, even if they do look like a witch’s familiar. Lykois have a naturally-occurring genetic mutation, and are a new breed recognized in 2012. They have no undercoat, so their hair tends to look coarse and mangy. They often develop a hairless “mask” of skin around the eyes, nose, muzzle, , and the back of their ears. Relatively rare, there are fewer than 100 show-standard Lykoi cats in the world.

So if you’d like a cat linked in name and appearance to the wolf who looks like Lon Chaney in transition, the Lykoi cat may be your ticket. They’re not really bad, they just look that way; magnificent! – – Rawrr!

Categories: animals, anomalies, cool things, furry, rare animal

Comments: 6 Comments

Here Come the Mummies…

June 8, 2022

Where hot funk music meets the paranormal and an iconic horror tradition, you have Here Comes the Mummies. Everyone has to have a gimmick, right? Well, the members of this band dress up as mummies at every performance, complete with subtle variations in their wrappings, make-up, and individual names such as Mummy Cass.– – Get it? A play on Momma Cass! Oh, some of you are too young to remember her. A pity, that…

There’s a backstory, too. It seems that these guys hit on Pharos’ daughter, and so were cursed. Yes, these guys suffered for their art! An early album of the Mummies is titled, Undead Live. Many of their concerts begin with the band members entering to an impressive throbbing drum line as an Egyptian-esque theme plays, with the lead singer roaring at the crowd when all are assembled. Then it’s on with the electric guitars and a brass ensemble that includes saxophones and trumpets as well as a keyboardist. These Mummies have their act together, and know how to put on a show! It’s comic and cool at the same time. Crowds leave their concerts smiling, so it’s a happy afterlife. Prepare to be mummified…Arrrgh! 🙀

Pharonic sax…no, not sex, get your minds out of the gutter!

Some early hits of The Mummies such as Believe include nice musical evocations of ancient Egypt and paranormal references, as in the lyrics, “Do you believe in things you cannot see? Do you take your superstition seriously?” Ancient astronauts theorists would be pleased…

It’s bizarre but wildly entertaining, and these guys are accomplished musicians who even incorporate some choreography into their numbers. I swear that I saw a mummy twerk at me! Anyways, I like these guys, and if that makes me a Mummy’s boy, so be it! They’re on tour this summer…

As the Mummies would tell us in Ra Ra Ra, “When all is said and done,/ we’re not the first to be here / There’s nothing new underneath the sun.” We could all use a little twisted ancient Egyptian revival in these mad times, right? So spread the word and rock on, bandaged brothers! 🦊

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https://youtu.be/ETHvSTT6PA8

Categories: absurdities, alternative realities, Brilliant but twisted, cool things, furry, horror, Mythological, paranormal
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Comments: 5 Comments

“Alter Ego” Coming to Fox…

September 11, 2021

We’ve all probably gotten a bit weary of singing competitions, even the offbeat ones such as The Masked Singer where contestants perform in full body costumes that disguise their identity. Now in an attempt to pique our jaded tastes, a new type of singing competition has hooked into technology, and is allowing contestants to perform as their chosen avatar.

These are not static avatars, but 3D moving, full-bodied representations limited only by the imagination. Want to perform as a humanoid with purple skin? – – Got you covered! Prefer to be singing with butterfly wings? – – No problemo.

You can also be gender fluid on the show, looking like someone androgynous or other than your sex assigned at birth. Your performing avatar can interact with and respond to competition judges as well.

Performing in motion-capture suits, the singers will control their avatars and appear before the judges as them. It’s kind of like American Idol meets Ready Player One, and just when you thought singing competitions were old hat…

So September 22nd and 23rd on Fox, contestants “from all walks of life” will compete, but not as themselves. They will have such names as Lover Boy, Night Journey, and Fern. Cartoonish? Perhaps…but if you could perform as an avatar, what might that “alter ego” be, hmmm? I think that I should like to perform as a demonic fox, just to stretch myself creatively a bit…then if the judges didn’t like me, they’d be sorry, heheheh! “Mr. Producer, need a new panel of judges here, ASAP!” Oh well, singing was never my strong suit…

Categories: alternative realities, Brilliant but twisted, cool things, fantasy, television
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