caption contest, Darth Vader on a swingset

We missed last week’s caption contest for various reasons, so perhaps this week’s should be double the awesome?  Well, I don’t know about that, but how about one with double the Darth Vaders?  It’ll have to do.  There’s some potential with this one, for both puns and Star Wars references, as well as original humor.  So put your thinking cap on (or take it off if that’s how your randomness flows better), and come up with something funny to explain this picture.

(To see our other caption contests, click on the “Say What?” category in the sidebar.)

funny pictures, episode 9

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared more funny pictures with everyone.  This set has no theme, covering everything from video game characters, to overthrowing dictators (world politics), the status of Pluto, and there might even be a pun for those of you who appreciate such “humor”.

Periodic Table of Video Game Characters -- how many can you name?
It sounds like regime change is contagious...
We could vote Pluto back to planetary status... it doesn't matter how many scientists are there to vote.
Fortunately you can now surf the Net on your cell phone or laptop.
Nun of them can drive...

(To see more funny pictures, click on the “Funny Pictures” category in the sidebar.)

explaining Japan’s nuclear situation to children

Someone sent me a video of a cartoon character named Nuclear Boy, who explains the nuclear disaster in Japan, but in a format for children.  This video (below) has captioning translated to English.  Apparently it was designed by someone in Japan, so I don’t think it’s meant to make light of the situation, just putting it in terms children can relate to, like passing gas / farting, poo, and diarrhea.  Yeah, this video compares radiation emissions to gas, and a complete meltdown like Chernobyl is diarrhea.

Just to be clear, this is not to make fun of what’s happening in Japan right now.  My heart goes out to them.  I can’t imagine what they’re going through.

This video is a lighter take on it, for children — well, also for teenagers and adults who are still fascinated by flatulence and poop.  Not everyone understands nuclear meltdown, but everyone understands diarrhea.

The name of the video translated into English is: A Nuclear Reactor Explained by Poop and Farts: Nuclear Reactor Boy’s Tummy Ache.

I’ve wondered if this is an actual translation, so I looked at the comments on the original video, and someone there translated it very similar, so it appears legit, as far as I know.

Will the Supermoon destroy us all?

I saw an interesting headline in the news recently: Will March 19 “Supermoon” Trigger Natural Disasters? Uhh… What is this “Supermoon”?  Apparently it’s just that the moon will be closer to the Earth than it has in the past 18 years (“just” 221,567 miles away), and it will be a full moon.

Here’s what is amusing to me about the article:

“One astrologer believes it could inflict massive damage on the planet.”

Notice the first word of that quote.  The guy is Richard Nolle, who runs a website, and he termed this upcoming event an “extreme supermoon”.  He says when this happens, “chaos will ensue: Huge storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters can be expected to wreak havoc on Earth.”  If there’s truth to that, then we should be very concerned.   But the very next sentence of the article clarifies the situation:

(It should be noted that astrology is not a real science, but merely makes connections between astronomical and mystical events.)

Ahh…   Back in factual terms, a seismologist has said it does cause more “stress” to the Earth, but it’s a less-than-1-percent increase in earthquake activity and slightly higher in volcanoes.  He thinks there should be more of an effect, but the evidence just isn’t there.  The U.S. Geological Survey has done a lot of studies and haven’t found anything significant at all.

The article goes on to say, “Most natural disasters have nothing to do with the moon at all.”   Notice the first word again.  So the moon is to blame for some Earth destruction after all!  Well, as they say, you can’t be too careful — so obviously we should blow up the moon! (There are numerous discussions here at Buffet o’ Blog on why the moon should be destroyed.  Feel free to search the archives and join the discussion.)