Thursday Overnight Open Thread - August 6, 2026 [Doof]

Howdy Hordelings! Welcome to the Thursday ONT! Mixed bag of content for those who care. Open thread, as always. What's on YOUR mind tonight?

[Top photo: Loch Leven - Highlands of Scotland]

Feel good story

‘It just makes sense!’: 13-year old builds 3D printed wheelchair for 21-month-old girl

While some 13-year-old boys spend their summer playing sports or swimming at pools, Zac Waters spent his time designing a 3D printed custom wheelchair for a 21-month old girl.

After watching a YouTube channel about 3D printing, Waters felt inspired to make a difference using his passion of 3D printing. He discovered MakeGood, a nonprofit organization that 3D prints assistive devices for people with disabilities around the world, and knew he needed to get involved.

Waters dedicated his summer to designing, 3D printing, testing, and assembling a custom wheelchair for a young girl. His favorite part of 3D printing is putting the pieces together, and this chair was no exception. The project took roughly 300 hours.

Waters is thrilled to be part of the 3D printing community that helped bring the wheelchair design to life. He hopes to continue developing his skills and one day reach the level of expertise demonstrated by the MakeGood team that designed the wheelchair he assembled.

The wheelchair has unique features in addition to its pink accents, the young girl’s favorite color. It has a removable cupholder and tray table, and the back of the chair has a space designed for heavier medical equipment. The adjustable straps are made with soft and bendable material for comfort. The footrest and headrest are adjustable for when the child gets older.

Check out the whole thing. Such an awesome idea and great execution!

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Dude has a smooth voice!

Radio play by play is awesome. He did a great job!

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Update your records

World’s third-smallest country changes its name

Nauru, a Pacific Island country, has changed its name to the Republic of Naoero, its president said, matching the spelling and pronunciation in the national language.

According to The Associated Press, the country’s international code will change from NRU to NRO and its people will be known as dei-Naoero instead of Nauruan. Commonly known abroad by the pronunciation of Now-roo, the new name is pronounced as Now-ero.

The article is paywalled, but I told you everything you need to know.

What other name changes have occurred recently? Glad you asked!

According to Google AI:

Recent Country Name Changes
Nauru to Naoero (2026): Restored the traditional local spelling for the Pacific island.

Turkey to Türkiye (2022): Formally requested the United Nations use the Turkish spelling internationally.

North Macedonia (2019): Changed from Macedonia to resolve a long-standing political naming dispute with Greece.

Swaziland to Eswatini (2018 ): Reverted to its pre-independence Swazi name to mark 50 years of independence.

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Not gonna lie - I kinda want one!

Man who built $20,724 solar-powered yacht that can run forever passes 3,000 nautical miles having used zero fuel

A man who built a $20,724 solar-powered yacht that can run forever has now passed an incredible 3,000 nautical miles while using exactly zero fuel.

The DIY vessel has spent months cruising across Europe powered entirely by sunlight collected through standard rooftop solar panels.

After building the boat himself on a budget, Lukas Sjoman says it has completely changed the way he thinks about long-distance travel.

Now, after thousands of miles at sea, he believes solar-powered cruising could be the future for many boat owners.

More at the link, which includes this video

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Did your city make the list?

Mapped: U.S. Cities With the Most Educated Residents (2026)

This graphic ranks the most educated U.S. cities in 2026, highlighting metropolitan areas with high levels of educational attainment and strong local education systems.

The data for this visualization comes from WalletHub. Cities were ranked using a weighted composite score based on educational attainment (80%) and education quality and equality (20%).

Go ahead and read it if you want. Let me know if you find it as useless as I did.

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Here's tonight's Flock segment - will likely be a regular feature

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Here's a cool X account to follow - NOBUNAGA
"A samurai in the America he always dreamed of.
Bigger than the books said. Braver than the movies. Kinder than I dreamed.
Still bowing. Still learning."

Here is one of his posts where he learns the value of knowing a guy with a truck

I needed to move a sofa.

I mentioned this to an American. He said, "You know anybody with a truck?"

I did not know anybody with a truck.

He looked at me with real concern. Not pity. Concern. The way you look at a man who has told you he does not have a name.

"You gotta know somebody with a truck."

I asked how one acquires such a person.

He said, "You just do."

This is the third time I have received that answer in this country. It is the answer to everything here. You just do. There is no process. There is only the eventual fact of having...

Definitely check out the whole thing!

DJ Doof - Blue Edition

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OK for this next "blue" song, please tell us who you think did it better

The original from Icehouse

Or this version from The Killers

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posted by Open Blogger at 10:03 PM

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