Multi-instrumentalist Chris Calvin Claxton performed a catchy cover of the intro riff to Rage Against the Machine‘s “Killing in the Name” on a sousaphone. While it took Claxton quite a bit of effort, it was worth it in the end.

Apart from this tune taking waaaaayyy too much air out of my lungs, it is fun to get all them low ds sounding phat

Other Rock Covers on Sousaphone and Tuba

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Nepalese athlete Hari Budha Magar, who lost both his legs to an IED while serving in Afghanistan for the British Army, became the world’s first double amputee to climb three of the world’s highest mountains.

In 2023, Magar set the Guinness World Record for climbing Mount Everest, and in 2025, he set the record for climbing Puncak Jaya (Carstenz Pyramid) in Central Papua, Indonesia. In 2026, Magar set another record, this time being the first double-amputee to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica.

Hari Budha Magar is a Nepali double above-knee amputee and record-breaking mountaineer. On 6th January 2026, he became the first double amputee to complete the Seven Summit challenge after climbing Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s tallest mountain. He is also a Guinness World Records Icon. He shares his inspiring story.

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Comedians Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones of Map Men quite amusingly explored the historical context and challenges faced by Ferdinand Magellan and Francis Drake, the first two explorers to attempt to circumnavigate the globe.

Two voyages One was an absolute disaster and the other was an absolute disaster. 

The hosts analyzed the geopolitical motivations of each journey, the logistical challenges faced, and the unintended discoveries that defined these perilous 16th-century circumnavigations.

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A beautiful, overfed orange cat named “Pumpkin” found a loving foster home with Chris Seelbach, the President and CEO of SPCA Cincinnati. Pumpkin was surrendered after her human passed away, and Seelbach acted quickly to foster her.

Pumpkin came to the SPCA Cincinnati in mid-March after her owner passed away. She weighed 25 lbs when she came in. My staff kept saying, “Have you seen this cat? She is just so much personality, but she’s really fat.” And so I went down to met her, talked to my husband, and we brought her home.

Seelbach noted that although Pumpkin appears obese, she is not that overweight.

The thing about Pumpkin is that she’s not a large cat. She’s like a regularsized cat that weighs 25 lbs. So, she literally looks like a pumpkin. We have cats that weigh 20some lb, but they’re ginormous cats. Pumpkin is like an average sized cat that ballooned into pumpkin.

Despite her weight, Pumpkin is quite healthy.

She’s gone through all of the blood work and lab work and x-rays and all of the tests have all come back within normal range. So, there’s no underlining medical condition that we know of.

Seelbach and his husband have decided to adopt Pumpkin and help her return to a more comfortable weight.

Pumpkin, we love you. You were meant to be with us. It’s tough that your owner passed and we know that she loved you very much, but things happen for a reason. You’re safe with us. You’re going to have a fantastic rest of your life. Look at Pumpkin. We’re going to get you to the size where you’re more comfortable.You can move around. You can play. Nothing but good things to come. You’re going to have a great life.

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French multidisciplinary artist Amédæe created a really entertaining electronic bird feeder that interacts audibly with hungry pigeons. This sound installation responds to their pecking at seeds with musical beats that he incorporates into songs.

Sound installations capable of generating semi-random compositions in collaboration with these living creatures, without constraining or confining them. Thus, rather than viewing the pigeon as a problem, he sees it as fertile ground for exploring forms of interspecies coexistence.

The artist described this project to the art gallery Hors Sujet, noting how these birds are so important, yet completely misunderstood.

The rock dove (Columba livia) holds a unique place in our urban landscapes. Descended from a long history of domestication, it was gradually abandoned in modern times. …Often perceived as a nuisance, filthy, or a disease carrier, the bird embodies many negative stereotypes. Yet, these perceptions mask a more complex reality: that of a social and sensitive species whose apparent filthiness is largely a product of our own urban environments.

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Toronto artist Trevor Wheatley and Cosmo Dean of TF Dean Studio collaborated with Puncture Design to create “Global Convenience”, a fully stocked floating store on Lake Ontario at Harbour Square Basin in Toronto. The artists spoke with Waterfront Toronto about this uniquely urban yet global project and its connection to the FIFA World Cup.

The timing of the project felt especially meaningful as Toronto prepares to welcome visitors from around the globe for the FIFA World Cup. We began thinking about the convenience store as a kind of cultural crossroads. It is a place where products, languages, traditions, and identities coexist in one contained space. By filling the store with products from different countries, Global Convenience reflects the ways culture travels around the world.

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While in town for the FIFA World Cup, Scottish bagpiper Neil Wilson of the Tartan Army, came upon a busking bucket drummer outside of Faneuil Hall on Boston‘s iconic Freedom Trail, and began playing alongside without a word. This impromptu collaboration, which drew in an appreciative crowd, really underlined how music brings the world together.

When music brings people together… one lone piper from Scotland and Boston’s finest bucket-drum maestro somehow created the collaboration nobody knew they needed

A similar collaboration occurred between another Scottish bagpiper and another busking drummer.

Other Heartwarming Tartan Army Incidents in Boston

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Google Earth has launched an online flight simulator available globally, allowing home pilots to take to the virtual skies on their own without downloading an app.

Prepare for takeoff… Flight simulator is now available globally on web to all users.

This fully immersive experience allows users to fly all over the world using 3D maps generated by the app. Other features include a 2D view and historical Street View imagery showing changes over time. However, there are also some limitations.

While the flight simulator is designed to provide an immersive flying experience, the following limitations apply:

• Web only: The flight simulator is only available on Google Earth on web.
• Simplified flight physics: The flight simulator is designed for casual exploration rather than high-fidelity aerodynamic training.
• Dynamic loading: As you fly, 3D buildings and high-resolution imagery stream in dynamically. Flying at extreme speeds or over low-bandwidth connections may result in temporary loading delay.

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The mascot for the annual Halifax Oyster Festival is an anthropomorphic oyster named Pearl, who has over a dozen eyes, long legs, and a luscious pair of red lips. This odd choice of mascot was the brainchild of Christine Oreskovich, the publisher of the local newspaper The Coast and the main organizer of the festival, who spoke to the CBC in 2022 about Pearl’s origins.

This was the fun part of the festival, trying to create a look and an ambiance that was just not your regular kind of food festival.

Pearl Has a Partner Named Earl

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Comedic musician Tom McGovern, who previously recorded a modified version of “Jack and Diane”, quite skillfully turned various bird calls into stripped-down heavy-metal breakdowns, mimicking each with his guitar. McGovern used bird footage shot by wildlife photographer Navarre Marshall.

Turning bird calls into breakdowns

Drummer El Estepario Siberiano incorporated his own breakdowns into McGovern’s mix.

‘Jack and Diane’ Sucking on a Chili Dog

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The great Bob Odenkirk recreated his inimitable Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul character, Saul Goodman, to inform Americans of their rights under the United States Constitution.

Did you know you have rights? Well, you do! Sure, they’re old-timey. They were written by a bunch of guys  in powdered wigs and knee socks. Boring. But believe it or not, they’re still surprisingly relevant.

Goodman was particularly familiar with this document, as his entire office was completely lined with it.

You lucky so-and-so, look at you, you got rights coming out the wazoo! All because a whole bunch of good people — two  hundred and fifty years’ worth – sacrificed   everything they had for this awesome wallpaper behind me. Know your rights. And for the love  of Mike, don’t ever give ‘em up.

Jonathon Banks also reprised his role of tough guy Mike Ehrmantraut.

I’m Mike and I approve this message.

How to Get Out of Jury Duty

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The post Saul Goodman Informs Americans of Their Rights Under the United States Constitution was originally published on Laughing Squid.

While in Boston for the FIFA World Cup, a group of Norwegian fans, some wearing horned helmets and flags as capes, collectively sat on an escalator at South Station as if it were a boat and performed a synchronized “Viking Row” up to the next floor. This amusing footage was captured by WGBH news host Jeremy Siegel ahead of the opening game against Iraq.

How do Vikings go up an escalator? They row! Norway fans arriving at South Station in Boston before taking on Iraq at Boston Stadium in the World Cup.

Another Viking Row on an Escalator

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José Bello, a music teacher at Colegio Alicante del Valle in Puente Alto, Chile, taught his young students to sing the classic Depeche Mode song “Enjoy the Silence”. The kids played xylophone with Bello on keyboards and Manuel Molina on guitar.

Enjoy the silence?- DEPECHE MODE

4º básico – Colegio Alicante del Valle (Puente Alto)

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An unexpected orange tabby with perfect timing wandered onto the stage during the incredibly emotional final scene of Romeo and Juliet, as performed by the Imperial Russian Ballet in Izmir, Turkey, and became part of the play.

Juliet tried to save Romeo. The cat had other plans. And by the end of the performance, the entire theater had fallen in love with the unexpected guest.

Photographer Vladimir Snezhin captured this endearing footage of the cat playing with the dead Romeo’s hair, as if to join Juliet in her efforts to revive him.

During the final scene of a ballet performance in Turkey, a curious ginger cat wandered onto the stage and decided that Romeo’s hair was far more interesting than Shakespeare.

The Cat Took a Bow at the End

This is not the first time an animal in Izmir has wandered onto the stage during a performance.

via Neatorama

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George Ntavoutian, a freestyle BMX rider and Red Bull athlete from Greece, completed a daring bike flip between two boats moving in opposite directions on Gooimeer (Gooi Lake) in the Netherlands.

In the open waters of Gooimeer, The Netherlands, Greek BMX athlete George Ntavoutian pulls off a unique open loop between two moving boats sailing in the opposite direction.

The challenge required precise coordination to time the jump perfectly as the platforms drifted apart. Challenges included navigating unpredictable wind and waves, as well as shifting gaps between moving boats. Ntavoutian practiced this amazing feat numerous times before finally making a perfect landing.

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An incredibly affectionate Australian Shepherd named Blue absolutely refuses to let his humans, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, meditate in peace.

Our dog believes that the best way to meditate is to climb in our laps and kiss us. …And you know what, its pretty divine.

Danson gave a funny explanation of why Blue acts this way.

This is called facewash meditation…It cleans all the bad karma on Mary’s face. Oh she seems to have a lot of bad karma because he’s licking her like crazy.

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Alexander Mercieca, a musician and certified CrossFit instructor, demonstrates excellent multitasking by playing different instruments during his weight-training routine.

Examples include doing heavily weighted squats while playing the bass on “Take the Power Back” by Rage Against the Machine, “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys, and “Head Like a Hole” by Nine Inch Nails. Mercieca has between 250 and 315 pounds resting on his upper back during these unique performances.

 Playing bass and signing “Take the Power Back” by Rage Against the Machine while squatting 315lbs (to depth) for reps. 

Mercieca also played keyboards on “Girls” by Beastie Boys during a one-armed bench press and attempted to play the guitar solo on “Eruption” by Van Halen while riding an exercise bike.

via The Awesomer

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Prolific folk singer Jesse Welles played a surprise acoustic set in Washington Square Park in New York City while he was in town. Every song in the set was an original composition, except for a gorgeous cover of the classic John Prine song “Angel From Montgomery” that he performed with country singer Margo Price.

Welles plays a surprise show in Washington Square Plaza in New York City on Tuesday June 2nd 2026. Margo Price joins him late in the set and they sing Angel From Montgomery, a John Prine song.

This impromptu show was recorded by filmmaker Santo Donia, who has been capturing amazing shots of Welles throughout his 2026 tour.

Welles on ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ in 2025

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In an envenomed TED-Ed lesson that was written by biologist Stephanie A. Poindexter and animated by Reza Riahi, narrator Addison Anderson explains how the uniquely adorable slow loris is incredibly deadly.

Get to know the slow loris, the world’s only venomous primate, and explore this complex creature’s fascinating characteristics.

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The post How the Slow Loris Is Uniquely Adorable and Deadly was originally published on Laughing Squid.

Alayna of Three Little Pitties Rescue proudly spoke about her five-year-old son, Cash, who helped her rescue two abandoned puppies from a roadside in Houston.

Alayna shared how rescuing these friendly puppies sparked something in her son — and now he’s ready to rescue more!

Alayna said she got a tip that there might be dogs there, so she decided to stop by. When she found the puppies, Cash was with her and more than willing to help her get the dogs into the car.

I really wanted to save the puppies. I just picked them up and mommy said we can put him in the car.

One of the volunteers at Three Pitties Rescue offered to foster the pups for a couple of months to prepare them for adoption. A couple of months later, Alayna presented the puppies to Cash.

I have a surprise for you. I am going to show you the puppies that you saved. Would you want to see them again?

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The post Five-Year-Old Boy Reunites With the Abandoned Puppies He Helped His Mother Rescue was originally published on Laughing Squid.