The sweater worn by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana's performance on MTV: Unplugged in 1993
Image: Julien's Auctions

Nirvana founding member and grunge god Kurt Cobain's sweater sold to an anonymous bidder for $140,800 at auction on Saturday. The sweater, which Cobain wore during Nirvana’s celebrated 1993 MTV: Unplugged performance, was expected to sell for approximately $100,000, according to Los Angeles-based entertainment memorabilia auction house Julien’s Auctions.

Four months after the MTV performance, Cobain committed suicide in his Seattle home. An unnamed person described as a "friend of the Cobain family" put the sweater up for auction. The fact that the mohair-blend garment was stained and cigarette burned likely only added to its distinction as a grunge collectible.

See Nirvana's great performance of the Meat Puppets' "Lake of Fire" from the aforementioned MTV: Unplugged — as well as some banter between Kurt Cobain and the audience — below. Via Dangerous Minds

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This 2013 Japanese video is only now getting attention. Four-month-old female polar bear cub Milk is not yet able to swim, but that doesn't make her any less roly poly playful. Her exuberance is such that she slips into the pool of her enclosure. Milk's mother Karumi acts quickly, keeping Milk afloat but also seemingly helping the cub get used to the feeling of being in water. What an attentive, loving mom. Via Viral Viral Videos

These beautiful videos tell the story of Bigbird, a pelican who was injured and orphaned during a storm in Tanzania. When employees at a safari camp discovered the bird, he was bad off: unable to fly, not having learned to fish and ill equipped as to knowledge of basic survival skills. 

As the narrator of one video explains, pelicans are part of a flock, with the younger birds following the lead of the older ones. Without that guidance and experience, they may not survive.

Anyone who knows a clothing designer or has seen programs like Project Runway is aware of the material miracles designers can make from surprisingly meager beginnings. South Carolinian writer and designer Jillian Owens has definite opinions about the clothing industry, particularly its wasteful nature and often unethical labor practices. Owens said via her blog,

"I was worried about the impact on our planet as people tossed out their one-time-wear duds more and more quickly to make room for the newer & cheaper clothing." 

Her solution? Transforming thrift store finds from muumuu to marvelous, and for as little as one dollar an outfit! Check out the closetfuls of Owens' new threads at her blog Refashionista. Via My Modern Met

Rachel Kauffman and her foster dog Hank | Image: Mark Weber 

Rachel Kauffman, a veterinary tech residing in Memphis, Tennessee, already had two dogs at home and another she was fostering. She had no plans to expand her menagerie. Yet when she saw a picture of Hank, a beautiful white shepherd, in a newspaper, his expression of fear and sadness tugged at her every proverbial heartstring. Hank needed a home; he was too thin and sick with heartworm. That was October 22. 

That day, Kauffman brought Hank to her home. Seemingly quite happy with his new surroundings, Hank bonded with Rachel and her animals. She could tell that Hank enjoyed the newfound attention and the walks that they all took. Yet as planned, six days later Kauffman handed Hank over to a longer-term foster care situation in which he could further convalesce. 

But Hank evidently couldn't get his first foster mom and her loving home out of his mind. When his new foster parent left home and locked Hank in, he managed to unlock the door and bounce. 

Read about Hank's eleven mile trek across town to return to Rachel's house and see a video of their reunion (in which Hank is seen beaming, despite the footage being blurry) here. Via Arbroath

Painting entitled Premature Burial by Antoine Wiertz | Image: Boston College 

It was common for members of the public to suffer from taphophobia (the fear of being buried alive) during the 18th and 19th centuries. Outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and smallpox were events in which many bodies were buried in a short period of time; sometimes victims of illnesses would be incapacitated, unable to move or speak.

The linked article below lists accounts of people being buried alive that were published in various American newspapers. The author uses quotes around the word 'true' when describing them as "'true' stories" probably because some are hearsay. Here's one story from the January 2, 1904 issue of The Wichita Beacon:

"Independence, Mo. Jan. 2.— George Hayword, a manufacturing jeweler,died here recently. He was 82 years of age. Until two weeks ago he was strong and worked every day at his trade. Mr. Hayward when a young man in England was buried alive.

This is the story of his startling experience as told by Mr. Hayward:

'It was in Marshville, County of Gloucester, England, where I was buried. While helping to haul straw one day by accident I was struck in the head with a pitchfork. It penetrated my skull and made me feel faint and dizzy. Two doctors were called. One of them insisted that my condition was due to a blow on the head and the other that I had pleurisy...

Two weeks elapsed and my eyes closed in supposed death... Yet I was painfully conscious of every movement going around. As soon as the undertaker arrived I knew I was to be buried alive.

Well the time for the funeral arrived and then the burial. Suddenly the shoveling ceased and the silence of the tomb was complete. I did not seem to have the fear then that a person would naturally expect under such circumstances. All I remember is that the grave is a lonely place and the silence of the tomb was horribly oppressive.  A dreamy sensation came over me and a sense of suffocation became apparent.

 Read the rest of Hayward's story and a collection of other accounts of being buried alive here.

English Poet Francis Thompson (b. 1859, d. 1907) | Image: Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Yet another theory regarding the identity of English serial killer Jack the Ripper has been publicized, this time by Australia-based, English-born educator Richard Patterson. After a 20-year study of the case, Patterson believes the once revered English poet Francis Thompson was the Whitechapel Murderer. 

Some of Patterson's reasoning, which he related to the Mirror in an interview, follows:  

• Thompson had surgical experience and hinted at a double life in some of his written works, in which he talked about killing people
• The poet "kept a dissecting knife under his coat, and he was taught a "rare surgical procedure that was found in the mutilations of more than one of the Ripper victims"
• Thompson "helped with surgery and is known to have cut up heaps and heaps of cadavers while a student" 
• Thompson was an opium addict and maintained "close links" to at least one East London prostitute

Patterson believes Thompson snapped and began murdering prostitutes when his relationship with one ended badly. 

Watch an (autoplay) video about Patterson's research and read more on this story here.

Tom Cruise in 1989 | Image: Alan Light

With the release of the HBO documentary Going Clear, new attention is being paid to the allegedly dishonest, unethical and illegal practices of the Church of Scientology. Though other articles that detail the behind-the-scenes goings on within the church have preceeded the documentary, the doc has delved the deepest, revealing unprecedented detail about Scientology's strongarm tactics, illegal wiretapping, stalking, threats and other alleged deplorable behavior. 

Leah Remini is an actress who famously parted ways with the church several years ago. She has written a book elaborating on her involvement with Scientology and its more famous devotees. The memoir, entitled Troublemaker, has plenty of information about actor Tom Cruise, as he is one of the most powerful Scientologists. Here are a few of the incidents Remini relates that involve Cruise:

Bella and Connor Cruise don't talk to their mom, Nicole Kidman, because she's "a f**king SP."

Remini was going back to the airport with Bella and Connor Cruise, the kids Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman adopted when the pair was married. When Remini asked them about their mom, Bella replied, "Not if I have a choice. Our mom is a f**king SP." An SP, you'll remember, is a Suppressive Person, which is basically Scientology lingo for scum. She observed:

"Connor just looked out the window. There was something more human about his silence and the sadness I felt in it. My heart broke for him, his sister, and their mother as we rode the rest of the way to the airport without saying another word."

There was an incident with cookie dough.

Remini writes that people were "terrified of offending Tom." Once, he wanted to make cookies, and there was a package of prepackaged cookie dough on the counter. He asked, "Guys, where's the cookie stuff?" The assistants fluttered around but they didn't point out to him that it was right there on the counter. "Tom seemed like a child who had never been told no," Remini observes. "Get in the f**king present time, is what you need to do!" he screamed at his assistant. He then gave a rundown of the hierarchy:

Still not noticing the log of pre-made dough on the counter, Tom raised his hand above his head. "LRH [L. Ron Hubbard] is here," he said, then lowered his hand to his chin and said, "And Dave and I are here." Then, with his hand down at his waist, he said, "And you are here."

Read about other Cruise-control, Scientology-related incidents at Vulture.

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In 1957, herpetologist Karl Schmidt was bitten by an extremely venemous snake species: the boomslang. There was no antivenom, and even then, Schmidt was under the mistaken impression he had not been injected with enough venom to kill him. In what turned out to be the last hours of his life, Schmidt's scientific side took over, and he carefully recorded his symptoms as the hours dragged on. ScienceFriday presents Schmidt's "Death Diary" in all its graphic detail.  Via Gizmodo

Goliath, a calf rescued from a dairy farm by his human Shaylee Hubbs, may think he's a dog, like his housemate Leonidas. Goliath was sickly from birth, and Hubbs saved the calf's life by bringing him home and nursing him to his current healthy state.

Leonidas, the Hubbs family dog, is a Great Dane who took to Goliath immediately. He would often lick the calf in the face and nudge him when he was sick in an attempt to get him to stand. Hubbs told Country Living magazine, 

"He would lay down with the sick little cow for hours just to keep him company. The Great Dane and [Goliath] became the best of friends.​"

Hubbs didn't realize the extent of Goliath's comfort with his new surrounds until one morning when she went to the barn to feed her other animals. Upon returning from the barn, she couldn't find Goliath. Hubbs said she was panicked until,

"We found, lounging ever so comfortably on our couch, Goliath! This was triumph and victory, a nice comfortable place on the couch!​"

Way to assimilate, little guy! 

As it should be for all lovable dog/calf hybrids, Goliath can be followed on social media via Twitter.  

Via My Modern Met | Images: Shaylee Hubbs

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In this beautiful footage, two tiny caracal kittens named Nandi and Nisha warily explore their enclosure at the Oregon Zoo wth their mother Peggy. Caracal cats, native to Africa, Central Asia, Southwest Asia and India, are not a common sight in nature, as the species is shy as well as nocturnal. The cat's name comes from the Turkish word "karakulak," meaning "black ear."

Read more about Nandi and Nisha here. 

Via Laughing Squid

Robotic Ewe (featured on Neatorama with his own section in the Neato shop) is a Glasgow-based artist who creates a number of impressive products. His artworks include this series of classic movie posters in which the images are composed of words from their film scripts, arranged in colorful displays. See an example of the detail on these works underneath the poster for Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, below.

Check out the entire series, including a number of classic science fiction, horror titles and more, at the artist's website.  

Via Design Taxi | Images: Robotic Ewe

Detail of Rear Window Poster

Image: Paolo Neo

A McDonald's restaurant near Lyon, France was allegedly serving up their own unique version of the Happy Meal through their drive through window, according to workers that reported the activity. Some employees claim that a group of approximately eight of their coworkers cut up, measured, bagged and distributed dime bags of marijuana via the drive through. 

Customers who wanted the drugs texted certain employees, arranging times to show up at the restaurant. One detail that likely led to the whistle being blown was the fact that late-night parties featuring drugs, booze and card games were regularly taking place at the restaurant at night. 

Read more on this story at French site The Local. Via Grub Street

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In this latest episode of Simon's Cat, the cat is trapped in the dreaded "cone of shame." The cone not only proves to be shameful, but it prevents the cat from doing practically anything it desires to do. Who could have imagined that the cat would discover there is at least one good use for a pug? Via Laughing Squid

City workers digging to improve water mains beneath Greenwich Village in Manhattan recently made a historical find when they uncovered two burial sites that date back to the 19th century. The first discovery, a vault containing ten human skeletons, led to the finding of a second tomb, which contained 20 intact coffins.

The site, in an eastern section of Washington Square Park, will be excavated with the help of anthropologists and archaeologists. Those professionals, in cooperation with the New York City Landmarks and Preservation Commission, will work to ascertain the historical significance of the burial place. 

Read more on this story at The New York Post.

Images: NYC Department of Design and Construction