September 12, 2016
Current Condition
Current Condition provides soothing vaporwave, folk music, and weather updates to smooth out your workday.
Second Franklin Expedition ship finally located
The HMS Terror, the second ship of Franklin's doomed expedition to find the Northwest Passage, has been located. Today the Arctic Research Foundation announced that it has located what it believes to be the HMS Terror, one of two ships belonging to the 1845 expedition. Official confirmation will come from Parks Canada. [more inside]
Alan Jefferson's one man, self-made space opera, Galactic Nightmare
Alan Jefferson was inspired: he had heard War of the Worlds and wanted to make his own space epic, and he did, between 1979-1984, in his shed ("AJ Studios") in Hull. He wrote and played the music, wrote the story, narrates the story, sings the songs, made all the artwork, the poster, the storyfile etc. He started selling cassette copies of Galactic Nightmare in 1986 in the back of magazines such as C U Amiga and Future Music, but faded from view, with a few copies being traded by friends. Then a recording made its way to Trunk Records, who have now re-released the album, which you can now hear in full on YouTube.
A Timeline of Earth's Average Temperature Since the Last Ice Age
When people say "the climate has changed before," these are the kinds of changes they're talking about. A handy (and terrifying) infographic by Randall Munroe.
The Marvel Symphonic Universe...
... or why all movie scores sound the same. Every Frame a Painting on the usage of temp music. Check out the supplementary video illustrating temp music usage.
Big businesses want to be taxed as if they weren't open
Marquette Township, a small community adjacent to the larger city of Marquette, is in the unique position of having a handful of big-box chain stores. But recently, the township suffered a dramatic drop in its property tax revenue. It had to cut back on spending, trim employee benefits and reduce library hours. The impact has reached up to surrounding Marquette County, which earlier this year closed a youth home to save money. The reason for the lost revenue isn’t declining consumer demand. It’s a series of rulings by the Michigan Tax Tribunal that have allowed large retailers to reduce their property tax assessments, in many cases by as much as half. [more inside]
Akinwale Arobieke
The man who squeezes muscles - "Across the North West, Akinwale Arobieke has become a modern-day bogeyman and an internet sensation, and now a court order that curtailed his activities has been lifted ... For years, stories about this bogeyman swirled around Merseyside.
The tales varied, but they agreed on certain key details - that he was huge and that he liked to feel young men’s muscles. Sometimes he would measure them too.
Parents would tell their children not to stay out after dark or Aki would get them. " [BBC - Apologies for the format, I know some people on here don't like it - if so, complain to the BBC!]
“Work is so never-ending, Rihanna had to repeat it five times in a row”
Ten members of the staff at Pitchfork have put together a list of “The Music That Helps Them Get Shit Done” (NB: Rihanna is not on the list.) [more inside]
"Evils like this are why the world needs a nuclear-armed Britain"
No More Tea Bags is a product that wants to revolutionize tea. With an aerosol squirt bottle. The website copy insists "it's normal tea," but the internet has formed its own opinions.
The desired academy, nine years hence
“What change would you like to see in universities or in your academic field by 2025?” That's the question Heterodox Academy members answer, in honor of their initiative's first year anniversary.
(Previously)
(Previously)
Singing in the Shadow of Pulse
James Croft, a member of the Gateway Men’s Chorus, writes about singing at the GALA Choruses festival, three weeks after the massacre at the Pulse nightclub. Here is their performance. [more inside]
Crisis on Multiple (Duck-Based) Earths
Last week was the 25th anniversary of the premiere of Darkwing Duck, a superhero-themed spinoff of the popular cartoon DuckTales. Except, according to the creator, the two shows were in different universes. Tad Stones told The Hollywood Reporter that "We work in the alternate Duckiverse". James Silvani, artist of the Darkwing comic book, has extended this interpretation into the comics as well, saying "[Darkwing/DuckTales crossover] Dangerous Currency never happened". [more inside]
512K required.
Psygnosis Amiga Game Generator by Boing Boing's Rob Beschizza. Using an assortment of paintings by Roger Dean and a few exotic typefaces, now you can generate the cover of your own technical marvel for the Amiga 500. Hit generate, or tweak your own using the direct link. (via).
Why Flying is so Expensive [SYTL 10 min 31 sec]
Ever wondered what the break down of an (average) airline ticket cost is? "Flying is expensive, really expensive, but only kinda, and it's only partially the airlines' fault." [more inside]
Honestly, it's kind of draining
Coming off Labor Day weekend, the POTUS candidates answered questions in the first Commander in Chief Forum, the clear loser of which was Matt Lauer. Hillary managed to move attention to Trump's "basket of deplorables" for a day, but then drew it back to herself by stumbling or collapsing while leaving a 9/11 memorial. Her camp blamed dehydration, then revealed she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday. [more inside]
No, not those Italians
When you woke up this morning, I'm confident your first thought was: "What is the most ridiculous antelope?" Well, obviously it's the Dik Dik. Whether they are squeaking, fighting, or just being beautiful weirdos, Dik Diks have few competitors. But what do researchers find strangest about the Dik Dik? Well, it's monogamous. [more inside]
Why you cry?
Wings Of A Dove
(contains possibly unrealistic air travel scenes, and a stuffed vulture) Wings Of A Dove, by the group Madness, was a hit single (lyrics) in 1983 in the UK and Ireland. The group, known for their fun and low-budget (dog runs across stage at 2:56) videos, used footage from a French TV van ad. Carl Smyth allegedly had the idea for "Wings of a Dove" while watching the Inspirational Choir of the Pentecostal First Born Church of the Living God on late night television. Smyth claimed, in later album notes, that "a voice spoke to me and said 'Boy, write a song for these good people.'" [more inside]
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