Archive of entries posted on 28th August 2026

Friday Night Open Thread: It’s Been Ten Years

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Well, were they?

These ‘crazy ants’ love to munch on cellphones and TVs. Are they headed your way?
the news tribune | 6 Dec 2016 | Ben Guarino

Although the insects are so named for their swarming maneuvers, the term is equally apt for the damage they inflict on the human psyche. For reasons not fully understood, the ants are found in large numbers near electrical equipment and wall sockets. Cellphones and television sets have succumbed to the ant swarms, and the insects damaged electronics in a Houston-area industrial park…

Like the infamous fire ant, the crazy ant is a South American native that made its way to the Lone Star state. The animals do not coexist peacefully. The crazy ant – despite its less painful venom – has a chemical upper hand, scientists discovered in 2014. The crazy ants secrete a substance that neutralizes the fire ant acid, and are thus able to overwhelm the enemy ants….

Straight Line of the Day: Other Antiquities You Could Fake: …

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The Fake Ancient Theater in Italy That Fooled Ticket Buyers for a Decade
Weird Italy | July 25, 2026

Marketed as a Neolithic and Roman find, the site was in fact assembled with concrete and grouted stone blocks. 

A man in northern Italy has been sent to prison after Italy’s highest court gave final confirmation to his conviction for illegally constructing a fake ancient theater and presenting it to the public as a genuine archaeological site, charging visitors an entrance fee of up to 40 euros. 

The structure still stands in Arcugnano, in the province of Vicenza. It consists of tiered stone seating built from stacked stones that were worked to look ancient. The columns are fake too, made of concrete, along with plaster statues and an artificial small lake dug beneath the tiers in the arena area. 

Bond Girlathon Friday : Results from 8/21/2026 : New Matches for 8/28/2026

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You voters wouldn’t use the force for selfish purposes, now would you?

 

Results from 8/21/2026

 

 

Denise Perrier No Preference Tsai Chin
122 3 42

 

 

(16)Izabella Scorupco No Preference Karin Dor
125 1 69

 

New Matches for 8/28/2026

 

Match 1

 

(8) Jill St. John (Tiffany Case) vs (4) Famke Janssen (Xenia Onatopp)

 

 

Contestant Record Total Scores
(8) Jill St. John 6 – 1 – 0 1035 – 5 – 481

 

Tiffany Case

 

Actress: Jill St. John
Nationality: American
Bond Movie: Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Synopsis:

Tiffany Case was a diamond smuggler in part of a pipeline of smugglers that ultimately ended at Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Courier Peter Franks was supposed to pass the diamonds to Tiffany, but Bond intercepted and impersonated Franks, and managed to take the diamonds for himself. Bond’s involvement saved Tiffany being murdered, and she eventually switched to Bond’s allegiance.

 

Jill St. John

 

VS

 

 

Contestant Record Total Scores
(4) Famke Janssen 7 – 0 – 0 1034 – 8 – 305

 

Xenia Onatopp

 

 

Actress: Famke Janssen
Nationality: Dutch
Bond Movie: Goldeneye (1995)

Synopsis:

Xenia Onatopp was a henchwoman working alongside the traitor General Ourumov. She stole a Tiger Helicopter, a new prototype that was resistant to electromagnetic pulses. She then helped Ourumov steal the codes and launch key for the Goldeneye satellite weapon from the Severnaya Space Control Centre. She killed the staff and programmed Goldeneye to destroy the facility with electromagnetic pulses that wouldn’t effect the Tiger. She flirted with Bond and tried to kill him on multiple occasions, but Bond ended up onatopp.

 

Famke Janssen

 

Who do you prefer?
58 votes · 58 answers
Vote

 

Match 2

 

(2) Jacqueline Bisset (Giovanna Goodthighs)  vs Serena Gordon (Caroline)

 

 

 

 

 

Contestant Record Total Scores
(2) Jacqueline Bisset 7 – 0 – 0 1065 – 2 – 326

 

Giovanna Goodthighs

 

Miss Goodthighs is a Smersh agent who attempts to kill baccarat master Evelyn Tremble (operating under the alias James Bond 007) at Casino Royale in a bid to prevent him from bankrupting her employer Le Chiffre. She meets him in a hotel room, wearing a nightgown and cradling a large bottle of champagne suggestively in her arms. Despite successfully seducing and poisoning him with a spiked drink, he is rescued by his recruiter and ally Vesper Lynd. When Tremble asks what became of her, Lynd remarks that she “took care of her”.

 

Jacqueline Bisset

 

VS

 

 

Contestant Record Total Scores
Serena Gordon 1 – 6 – 0 481 – 16 – 768

 

Caroline

 

Actress: Serena Gordon
Nationality: English
Bond Movie: Goldeneye (1995)

Synopsis:

Caroline was a psychological evaluator working for MI6. She was sent by M to evaluate Bond, who took her for a drive in his Aston Martin DB5. Bond drove very fast and engaged in a race with Xenia Onatopp, making Caroline very uncomfortable. After screaming at Bond to slow down, Bond came to an abrupt stop, and seduced Caroline with a bottle of Bollinger champagne hidden in an armrest. The two proceed with a “very thorough evaluation.”

 

Serena Gordon

 

Who do you prefer?
48 votes · 48 answers
Vote