Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?

When Elmo, the Muppet, innocently asked people how they were on X (formerly Twitter), thousands of users replied, sharing their grief and despair.

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The shadow series by Levalet in Paris

Take a look at more images here.

 

The Simpsons' sofa, Peter Hodes

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Dalifornia

Alec Ash in rural China, where he spent three years in the shadow of the spectacular Cangshan mountain.

 How leaving Beijing for Dali, home of China’s urban escapees, was a step on his route to finding serenity. Read more

 

Word on the Street

Sara Lynne Leo 

BSA

 

Announcement

Incidental Comics

 

Michael Dumontier & Neil Farber

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Lefki Savvidou

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Out of the Trap, Rob G Green

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Plastic Fantastic

Hermit crabs all over the world, which scavenge shells as armour for their bodies, are turning increasingly to plastic waste instead.
The conclusion is based on analysis of photos, taken by wildlife enthusiasts, and published online.
Scientists said they were "heartbroken" to see the extent to which the animals were living in our rubbish.
They said two-thirds of hermit crabs species were pictured in "artificial shells" - items that humans discarded.
The discovery is published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
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Butterfly Effect, Masamichi Shimada

Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

 Butterfly Effect, an illuminated sculpture by Masamichi Shimada, in front of Turbine Hall at Battersea Power station in London, England.

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First girls join Lerwick’s Up Helly Aa jarl squad after male-only rule axed

Jenna Moar will win a small place in history next week, marked by the sizzling sound and heat of her flare being lit in the darkness of a January night in Lerwick, Shetland.

 Jenna, 16, wearing her handmade Viking warrior’s uniform, will be among the first female participants, alongside three cousins, at the heart of one of Scotland’s most famous cultural events, Lerwick’s Up Helly Aa fire festival. After decades of quiet complaints, covert attempts at subversion and then open rebellion from feminist Shetlanders, she and her cousins are full members of the jarl squad, the axe-wielding Viking-dressed celebrants who will lead Up Helly Aa on Tuesday. 

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Please stop eating toothpicks!

The alert, which was posted on X yesterday comes as trending TikTok and Instagram "cooking" videos show people coloring, seasoning, and deep-frying toothpicks as if they were noodles and then chomping them down. One such toothpick chef described the attractive culinary delight as being "very crispy," according to Reuters. 

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Stoic Mike

If this is the best of all possible worlds the universe is in serious trouble. -- Michael Lipsey

 

As It Goes By, Katie So

See more from Katie So here.

 

Reality

Incidental Comics

 

How do you fall asleep?

Cartoon by Jess Harwood

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Why Having Fun Is the Secret to a Healthier Life | Catherine Price | TED

 

 Have you had your daily dose of fun?

 It's not just enjoyable, it's also essential for your health and happiness, says science journalist Catherine Price. She proposes a new definition of fun -- what she calls "true fun" -- and shares easy, evidence-backed ways to weave playfulness, flow and connection into your everyday life.

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BOOM

It’s just another pleasant day on the island among a flock of feathered friends when the earth comes literally crashing down. In a desperate bid to save their four eggs, two sparring bird parents try to reconcile their differences while making a grand escape down the side of an erupting volcano, attempting various ways to keep their offspring out of harm’s way. Whether tossed up into a tree or clutched with both wings, getting the awkward orbs to safety proves quite the feat. 

 Directed by students at the École des Nouvelles Images, “BOOM” has been shortlisted in the best animated short film category for an Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards. 

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Oscars nominations 2024

Christopher Nolan’s atomic biopic takes 13 nominations followed by Yorgos Lanthimos’s feminist fantasy with 11.
Killers of the Flower Moon comes away with 10 nods – but Barbie winds up with eight.
One female director on shortlist – and snubs for Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Greta Lee and Andrew Scott.
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And the Oscar nomination doesn’t go to …

Paul Giamatti in Sideways 

 Here are the best acting turns not even shortlisted for an Academy Award in the 21st century.

 

What Time Is It

The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic countdown to human extinction, has stayed at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it had been since it was established in 1947, a panel of international scientists has said.

 

Here and Now and Nowhere, Tauba Auerbach

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Yes/No, Richard Artschwager

Visual-Poetry

 

The move is yours.

Melding traditional techniques with an appreciation for beeswax as a sculptural material, FAUM released an elegant chess set to serve as a new addition to cozy, candle-lit game nights. 

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The best travel photographs from around the globe

The winners of the annual International Travel Photographer of the Year were just announced.

 Here are the most striking images.