Thursday Overnight Open Thread - February 5, 2026 [Doof]

Snowy, wooden bridge - Stare Juchy, Poland

Howdy Hordelings! Hope you're having a nice Thursday evening. Welcome to the ONT. What's on your mind tonight?

Moron worthy behavior.

Fess up - is this one of you??

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Bring on the fish puns.

Quite the fish tale: Muskie caught in 1918 restored

An Ogdensburg taxidermist has completed restoration work on the oldest creature of his career: a muskie caught in 1918 by a 92-year-old woman.

The 50-inch fish was originally caught by Margaret Harden just off Wellesley Island. The catch made the newspaper at the time.

Captivated by the story, Frances O’Tool commissioned the restoration.

“At 92, I just thought that was gumption and it’s a very, very fun story,” O’Tool said.

O’Tool received the muskie from a family friend who was one of Harden’s descendants. Time had taken its toll on the mounted fish.

“It was sagging. It was discolored. It looked like a big sweatsock kind of,” O’Tool said.

TV news segment video at the link.

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From fish to Florida Man Snake

A Routine Hunt in the Everglades Turned Into a Record-Breaking Python Capture

In the annals of record-breaking animals, there is big, and then there is Florida python big. Leave it to a professional python hunter to encounter one of the more impressive specimens in the history of the Sunshine State.

Capturing this creature required a hard-fought battle, during which a professional python hunter was dragged over an anthill. Some people may even consider this an injustice. The truth, however, requires an understanding of the Florida Everglades, the invasive species that have taken over its ecosystem, and the people who answer the call to combat a problem that is growing out of control. Let’s learn more about Carl Jackson and how his foray into the Everglades in search of one particular invasive species led him to capture the second-largest python ever found in Florida’s history.

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Carl Jackson is one of the few people in Florida equipped for dealing with these massive, monstrous invasive snakes. He is a licensed, full-time python hunter with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Jackson was on assignment in the Everglades on the afternoon of January 13 when he came across a sizable specimen. As reported by USA Today, Jackson was traveling on Turner River Road in Big Cypress National Park when he saw a Burmese python’s tracks snaking across the road. Jackson assumed they were from a smaller python, perhaps eight or nine feet long.

Jackson headed into the vegetation to get a closer look. He told the Naples Daily News, “I go in [to the bushes] and walk around, and I see a head.” In an instant, Jackson knew he was dealing with a much larger snake than he expected. He started wrestling with it, but the snake easily dragged him back over a red-and-black anthill. He said, “It was like riding a slow horse. It was insane.”

Long article at the link. Check out the whole thing.

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Both of these articles hit my feed today. I have no idea if they're directly related. Probably. I just can't bring myself to read about these boondoggles. Maybe one of you will read them and give us an overview?

Engineers confirm construction has begun on a vast underwater rail line designed to link entire continents through a deep-sea tunnel

Bold vision or reckless fantasy: engineers race to build a high-speed train under the ocean, promising to link two continents in minutes and split public opinion

I'm reminded of this tune from the early 80s. Solo work from Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan).

"On that train all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris"

Cool tune. And here's a decent cover version from Howard Jones.

DJ Doof - Guess The Theme

New difficulty scale in effect. Easy / Moderate / Difficult. This one is Easy.

What's the common thread / common meaning / common leitmotif?

Tonight's ONT brought to you by empathy

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posted by Open Blogger at 10:02 PM

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