Time Marches On: Cat defies gravity and underwater checkers in Estonia

KEITH OLBERMANN: First, the “Sanity Break,” and on this date in 1907 was born the native Canadian, adopted Brit actor Alexander Knox.

At the age of 37, he got an Academy Award nomination for portraying President Woodrow Wilson at the age of 60. At the other end of his 50-year career on film he appeared in “Gorky Park.”

And, perhaps most enduringly — in the role just reprised by John Hurt — as “Control” in the original version of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”

“Time Marches On!”

We begin, as we always do, with a cat that defies gravity.

Hey, buddy, I think you left your brights on. That’s a devil cat.

After listening to Lionel Richie’s “Dancing on the Ceiling”, Mittens here has found a new way to travel. Unfortunately, his friend doesn’t seem to be getting on board.

Reached for comment, the exorcist kitty said, “The floor is totally 2011, man. Welcome to the future.”

And we close by traveling to Estonia to check in on a new innovation in the game of checkers.

I know what you’re thinking, “But checkers is already as exciting as it gets.” Or so you thought.

We introduce to you — underwater checkers.

The game was created as a way for divers to have some fun during the cold winter months when the water reservoirs in Estonia are covered in ice. Participants say the game is just like regular checkers, except for the flooding.

One year ago, these same divers broke the world record for the most people playing checkers underwater at the same time. The record is yet to be broken. And Pat owns a nice, Republican cloth coat.

“Time Marches On!”

Read and download the complete transcript of the January 16, 2012 edition of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann.”