They weren't born this way. No innocent furby is born a monster. They become monsters because depraved people live out their sick fantasies by experimenting on them.

In one of the darker corners of the internet, there is a community of "scientists" who perform extreme body modifications on furbies. Yes, you've seen the centipede furby. But that was only the beginning. These self-proclaimed artists decided how far they could push their crafts.

Photo: Devin Gardner

One of the greatest aspects of Sesame Street in recent years is that it directly addresses the emotional needs of kids who face problems that are bigger than themselves. One muppet character has HIV. Another is homeless. Another has autism. There's a muppet whose father is in prison.

No kid should have to deal with these ordeals. But they do, so Sesame Street steps up to help.

Most recently, the show introduced Karli. This muppet's parents are in recovery from drug addiction. Karli and her friend, the human character Salia, talk about their challenges. WTHR 13 reports:

In the segment, Karli and Salia each hold up hand-drawn pictures of flowers, with multiple petals representing "big feelings" — like anger, sadness and happiness. They offer ways to feel better, including art and breathing exercises.

The segment leans on carefully considered language. Creators prefer "addiction" to "substance abuse" and "recovery" to "sobriety" because those terms are clearer to children. Despite the subject, the mood was light in the room, largely thanks to Jenkins' calm and empathic manner.

"I know it feels awkward because people don't normally have conversations standing shoulder-to-shoulder," she told Salia between takes. "This is weird, but trust me, it looks good."

Karli had already been introduced as a puppet in foster care earlier this year but viewers now will understand why her mother had to go away for a while. The introduction of her backstory follows other attempts by entertainment companies to explore the issues of addiction, including "The Connors" on ABC and "Euphoria" on HBO.

-via Instapundit

This gentleman (we are certain that he is one because he knows how to play the pipes and does so) performs "Scotland the Brave" while bungee jumping.

Doing so reveals, as he plunges to the crevasse below, that he has failed to dress regimental style and thus is no true Scotsman.

-via TYWKIWDBI

I have two daughters, so I know all about Lisa Frank. For those of you not so blessed: Lisa Frank is a person, a company, and a brand of rainbow-y psychedelic merchandise of all kinds aimed at young girls.

If you can think of it, there is Lisa Frank of it.

And now there's a Lisa Frank hotel suite in Los Angeles.

It's a wonderland of bright--very bright--colors in all of the rooms, along with appropriate accessories. All of this is available for $199 a night. You can see a photo slideshow here.

-via Ian Miles Cheong | Photos: Hotels.com

Jean Marie Smith is the artist-in-residence at the Creasey Mahan Nature Preserve in Goshen, Kentucky. It's a garden and family fun center that educates people about nature. To entertain visiting kids (and probably adults), Smith decorates hay bales for Halloween. She writes:

After reviewing popular trends and interviewing friends and family, I finally settled on which characters I would use. My criteria include one book character, one iconic cartoon character, and something for all ages. Some of the bales are double-stacked, or placed on end or on sides, depending on the character to be sculpted.

You can see them all at Bored Panda.

Holly Persic of Pittsburgh found that her car made an odd sound and smelled strange when she drove it. Opening the hood revealed a vast reserve of winter supplies left by enterprising squirrels. A cornucopia of more than 200 walnuts and lots of grass filled the engine compartment. Q13 FOX reports:

There were so many walnuts and so much grass under the hood of the car that it took almost a full hour to get the car clean enough to take it to a local auto repair shop.

Once they got the car to the shop, mechanics were able to put it up on a lift and remove the protective plate from under the car. Walnuts they couldn’t reach fell out and covered the floor. There were enough walnuts to fill half a trash can.

The car worked fine once it was cleaned. But given the destruction of their winter nest, the squirrels may be in for a rough time.

-via Geekologie | Photo: Chris Persic

Erik Rintamaki of Michigan is an avid rock collector. While searching for agates along Lake Michigan in 2017, he found stones that glowed under ultraviolet light. This is how he discovered a previously unknown mineral: yooperlight.

The name comes from the word "yooper" -- someone who lives on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Rintamaki has trademarked that name. The scientific term is "cyenite clasts containing fluorescent sodalite." These stones were brought to Michigan from Ontario by glaciers thousands of years ago. You can learn more about yooperlites in this video by Wonder World.

-via TYWKIWDBI

The manufacturer calls it the "SteerMaster." If riding the range is too hard on your joints, you can still get a thorough cardio workout on this custom-built stairclimbing machine by eBay seller Gym Store.

It's built onto a StairMaster 4400CL stairclimber. The spur and nose ring are a nice touch. Now go burn off those calories you picked up at the chuckwagon.

-via Dave Reaboi

Michigan's band went all-out for the halftime show with Iowa on Saturday. During that spectacular show, band members held a drummer upside-down while he performed flawlessly.

The football team did well, too, beating Iowa 10-3.

We can only hope/fear that some enterprising bagpipe band will attempt the same stunt at Michigan's drummer.

-via Super Punch

Because the cats have found a wonderful new toy: an ice machine. Just press your paw here to annoy the humans.

-via Super Punch

Are you more likely to use the light on your phone or an actual flashlight? Do you open your car with a car key? Randall Munroe of xckd shows how the phone is becoming a universal multi-tool.

I grate enough cheese that I'd probably try a cheese grating app.

One tool that could be added to this graph: dice. I see many young Dungeons &Dragons players using dice rolling apps instead of actual physical dice. It's unsettling for reasons I can't explain, but Douglas Adams could:

I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:

1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.

2. Anything that's invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.

3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things.

Poor kitty can't get any traction! The polished floor is just too smooth.

That's my best explanation. Alternatively, he's dancing with expertise.

-via Geekologie

Meredith Root-Bernstein, an ecologist, observed Visayan pigs for three years at an anthropological museum in Paris. During that time, she saw two mated pigs repeatedly digging in the ground with sticks. The Daily Mail reports:

Whenever nesting season would return, the warty pig would find a stick and burrow, though the pigs didn't shows signs of tool use at any other time during the year.

Over the course of three years, she observe both the mother and father pig using tools a total of 11 times.

As part of her research, she introduced four kitchen spatulas to the pig habitat to see if they might prefer those slightly more efficient tools.

Root-Bernstein observed one pig try the spatula out on two separate occasions, but sticks seemed to be their preferred helper.

It's only a matter of time before they start building and using spears and other weapons once they realize that we humans regard them as food.

-via Dave Barry

Crazy Coffins is a company in Nottingham, UK that makes unique coffins and urns for people who wish to depart this world in style. Each one is custom-designed and built to suit the specialized tastes of the deceased customer.

Great art takes time, though, so be sure to order yours before your expiration date. This kind of work can't be done quickly. Browse the gallery and read the stories behind these designs as you plan your own.

I had never heard of Avner the Eccentric until a couple days ago. I've missed out on so much!

Avner Eisenberg has spent decades perfecting his crafts, which include clowning, prestidigitation, pantomime, and acting. Every detail in his staging, movement, and expression is executed at genius level. He is a wonder to watch.

You can watch a much longer performance here.

-via reddit