Weird, Strange and Interesting Things

After the initial wonder of re-connecting with friends and kin wore off, the enduring magic of Facebook became its ability to spit up random thoughts and facts that linger - too good not to share. And that's what makes this Facebook group - a gallery for exactly those kinds of treasures - so compelling. It curates an eclectic mix of life hacks  and reality checks; unusual architecture and jaw-dropping professions; unique communities and glitch in the matrix video clips; actor memes and hilarious animal videos; and fun facts of everything from Antarctica to bananas. Share or post your own additions. 

Members: 251.5k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

The Sean Bean Club

 He was in not one, but two of the most iconic fantasy series of the past 25 years. As Boromir, he is also the face of a meme that refuses to go away. In Game of Thrones, he played the embattled Ned Stark. But he is also Richard Sharpe, from the series of TV films. More recently, he appeared in Snowpiercer as the morally ambiguous billionaire Wilford, builder of the eternal engine. And this versatile actor has appeared in over 70 different roles in a career spanning forty years. So, it's hardly surprising that there should be a Facebook Group dedicated to the awesomeness of Sean Bean. And even despite the fact that this group seems to be plagued by fake Sean Bean Facebook accounts, it is still well worth a visit. 

Members: 4k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: Spoilers

Gen X

If you can remember eighties big hair and teen movies, record stores that sold vinyl, banana hair clips and add-a-bead necklaces, you probably belong to the Generation X demographic. Gen X is generally defined as those born between 1965 and 1980, so it's not really a surprise that the Facebook group is jam-packed with pop culture references and memories. See and share personal snapshots from your youth, eighties lifestyle memes, forgotten snacks from the past and remember your hard rock/hair metal heroes. Nostalgia is integral to connecting with this group. Remember the world that made you what you are today. 

Members: 497.3k members, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None

Go here to visit or join. 

The Council of Cattos

16 October is Global Cat day and as any cat lover has to know already, you hardly need an excuse to post and share one more cat picture. Cats are almost supernaturally photogenic and often accidentally quirky as well. Or they can be cute and diabolical at the same time. If you had any doubts about whether cats are running the world already, this Facebook group dispenses plenty of casual evidence to support the argument in favor, as yu will see cats twisting grumpy dads around their tiny paw pads, cats ingeniously subverting human machinations and any number of other expressions of cat worship. You may also see cats on the job, cats complaining about human roommates and the various impossible group formations adopted by cats in multiple-feline households. 

Members: 228,2k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join.

From Ukraine with Art

Since the Russian invasion of 24th February 2022, there has been a lot of attention on the Ukraine, its people and its culture. This Facebook group provides a diverse Showcase of the visual diversity of Ukrainian art. There are numerous expressions of the traditional Petrykivka style folk art that is native to the Petrykivka village in the Dnipropetrovsk province. But there are also landscapes, vividly rendered still lives, colorful floral studies and even examples of wearable and edible art. A few paintings use the theme of traditional dress and there is also a striking image featuring a section of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor.

Members: 121.3k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

Star Trek Memes

 There has to be a lot of Star Trek Memes floating around social media. After all Captain Picard (or was it Commander Riker?) practically invented the facepalm. But there's so much more to the Star Trek memes group than just that famous duo. Beloved characters from the franchise give their take on 21st century situations, but there are also mash-ups and cross-overs that poke fun at other intellectual properties, such as Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and even Barbie. In between there are posts about toys and fan cosplays. Other posts give new takes on well-known plot-holes or cliches or pay tribute to iconic character actors, or supporting technicians such as prop designers. Two really fun memes I enjoyed was Car Talk with Martok, which poked fun at a certain Voyager episode, as well as the Voyager Bingo display, which made me laugh out loud. 

Members: 298.2k, at time of writing. 

Trigger Warnings: None

Go here to visit or join. 

Medieval Mirth & Jollity

 Hollywood often paints the Middle Ages as a grubby, depressing time of religious conservatism and superstition. But even a quick glance at surviving media from the period will cure you of that misbelief. The medieval era was gaudy, ribald, naughty and funny. They enjoyed feasts and jousting, mischievous monks and naughty nuns. And this Facebook group is a great space for sharing the lighter side of life in the Middle Ages or expressing a yearning for simpler times. Enjoy knightly humor, kings and queens, fair maidens and hilarious re-interpretations. 

Members: 166.5k at time of writing

Trigger Warnings: Gruesome medieval depictions.

Go here to visit or join. 

Urban Street Photography

 

Street photographers have the wonderful ability to freeze moments and capture slices of life. Famous street photographers such as William Klein, Helen Levitt, Vivian Maiar, Dorothea Lange and Eugène Atget offered us tantalizing glimpses of bygone worlds and characters, as seen through their lenses and provided social commentary with their images. While the internet era has brought new concerns regarding ethics and how people can be portrayed, it is good to know that street photography has not quite gone away just yet. The photographs posted show urban settings and city dwellers from around the world, frozen in moments of solitude or connection. It is both fascinating and thought-provoking.

Members: 586.9k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: None

Go here to visit or join. 

New Cranky Old Women

Aging isn't what it used to be. These days, for good or for ill, seniors have social media and that has to count for some kind of empowerment. This lovely group shares the whole package. The down-to-earth normalcy of aging celebs who are comfortable in their own wrinkled skin. The incredibly swift passage of time when you are trying to savour it like a good vintage of fermented grape juice. Old age humor and old school common sense. Hilarious T-shirt slogans. The beauty of female solidarity. The frustrations of parenting and the magic of grand-parenting. You may wonder who that bemused old lady in the mirror is, but you'll recognize yourself and your world in many of the posts.

Members: 442.4k, at the time of writing

Trigger warnings: None

Go here to visit or join. 

HARDCORE SCI-FI AND HORROR ART AND ARTISTS GROUP

If you still think fondly of the days of pulp fiction, when barbarian heroes (and sometimes heroines) took on fearsome monsters and then enjoyed trysts with sexy alien princesses with unworldly pets, you will certainly enjoy the vivid images that fill the news feed of this Facebook group. But that comprises only an inkling of the visual feast that awakes you. There are also robots, supernatural apparitions, vampires, Lovecraftian horrors, vintage black and white media, as well as gothic noire and psychedelic visions. I particularly enjoyed the jaw-dropping futuristic architecture of the German artist Thomas Thiemeyer.

Members 11k, at time of writing

Trigger Warnings: Monsters

Go here to visit or join. 

Music Humor

 Music is universal and the appreciation of music transcends boundaries. But it should be remembered that it is also a coded language with its own inherent puns and plays on, well playing. To get some of the jokes it will help if you can read music, but there are cartoons that allude to inside jokes about bands - the uncanny longevity of Keith Richard, for example - or offers play on song names. And then there are sentiments to which only a musician can relate. There's even a meme that speculates on what happens to missing guitar picks. Your appreciation of this Facebook group for musicians will probably be directly proportional to the depth of your musical knowledge.

Members: 434.2k, at time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

Birding, Nature & Wildlife Diaries of World

For World Animal Day, this awesome community shares the wonder of birds animals and nature.

What makes this Facebook group different? It's in the details. The main focus is on birdwatching, which is why you will see spoonbills, kites, ibis, heron, bunting, water hens, egret, cormorant, stork, hawk, crows and shrike (amongst others) captured in London, Portugal, USA, India, Italy, Brazil, Bangladesh and the Netherlands. There is a directive to share at least some information about the location and the species captured, but some posters are even more generous than that, chronicling details of the encounter and sometimes even the equipment used to capture. Besides avians, there are also rabbits, red deer, black bears, chipmunks, elephant and wolves. Some images capture the subject matter in exquisite detail (there's that word again) while others show unique moments. 

Members: 17.8k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

(Photo credit: Alexas Fotos on Pixabay)

Dogspotting

Still thinking of World Animal Day, which is tomorrow, let's meet some dogs. 

Meet all the dogs of Facebook and the big wide world. Meet dogs on trains and in pubs. Meet dogs in cars, on balconies and on park benches. Meet dogs in bags, in trucks and wearing bow ties. Meet dogs at the farmer's market. Meet dogs in Japan, in Manhattan and the Cotswolds. Meet dogs at concerts and fundraisers. Meet dogs on campus. Meet dogs on the beach and in bistros. Meet dogs in departure lounges and dogs with their own golf carts. Meet dogs on roof tops or on bicycles. Meet dogs everywhere you go. Snap and share. That's what this popular Facebook group is for. 

Members: 1.9 million, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join.

(Photo credit: Seadog on Pixabay)

THE BLACK CAT APPRECIATION GROUP

Continuing our special focus on animal friendly communities for World Animal day on October 4th, here's a very timely Facebook group, since October is also the month of Halloween. 

According to statistics, black cats are often last to be adopted from shelters. Whether this is due to superstition or because of a witchy reputation, it's really heartening to know that black gets get plenty of love in this welcoming Facebook group for cats and their owners. If you have an appreciation for the mystique and composure of black cats, this is the perfect space for a daily fix of black cat images. You will see black cats chilling, black cats all spruced up and shiny, black cats showing off (toys, furniture, bow-ties, Halloween costumes, birthday treats) and black cat GIFs. There are also tributes to departed black cats and appeals for prayers, advice and good vibes to benefit black cats in need. Tuxedos are honorary members, and there will be the occasional non-black cat making an appearance.

Members: 170.7k at time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: sad cat stories. 

Go here to visit or join. 

(Photo credit: Lolame on Pixabay)

Animal Lovers Society

With World Animal Day upcoming on October 4th, we  will be featuring a few animal friendly communities this week.

Animal Lovers Society is one of those Facebook groups that will surely tug at your heartstrings, especially if you are a pet parent yourself. Dogs and the magic of dog ownership is definitely at the heart of many of the posts. There's plenty of love for dearly departed doggy angels and also everyday moments that define life with dogs. Here and there a feline inevitably pops up as well, and there are some posts featuring other animals - rare albinos and barnyard newborns for example. 

Members: 239.2k, at time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None

Go here to visit or join.

(Photo credit: Pexels on Pixabay)