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[MIKA27]

Inside Japan's Valley Of Hell

Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido is known for a few things: beer in Sapporo, skiing in Niseko, ubiquitous uni (sea urchin) and beef.

Lesser-known is the isle’s sulphurous, belching and bubbling Jigoku-Dani, or Valley of Hell, a 24-acre geothermal crater that formed from the eruption of Mt Kuttara some 20,000 years ago. Located within Hokkaido’s Shikotsu-Toya National Park, where roiling lava pits and simmering black sulphur calderas quietly lurk under a thick blanket of snow, it certainly might sound like a vision of hell to some. But Jigoku-Dani, 112km south of Sapporo, is also many people’s idea of heaven. It’s home to dozens of onsen (natural hot water baths) that range from simple steamy streams in which travellers can dip their cold toes to modern hot basalt baths where you can meditate over snow falling on bonsai trees.

Not to be confused with the more famous Jigokudani on Japan’s main island of Honshu, where snow monkeys bathe, Hokkaido’s Jigoku-Dani is another flavour altogether. Unlike Japan’s traditionally tranquil onsen, which overlook serene scenes of cherry blossoms or scarlet maples, Jigoku-Dani’s baths have rugged primordial backdrops of bubbling geysers and steamy caves. And they’re especially prized for their variety. Nine different types of thermal water can be found in Jigoku-Dani’s onsen town of Noboribetsu, including acidic iron, alkaline, salt, radium and melanterite springs. Some are even prescribed by balneologists to heal various medical conditions including bronchitis, neuralgia and eczema.

Hot baths in Japan's Hell Valley

I visited Jigoku-Dani in the dead of February, after a few days of skiing in Niseko, 90km to the northwest. Noboribetsu made for a sensible base, both because of its proximity to the park’s blistering blowholes – and because I was very much in need of a post-ski soak. But the first thing I saw when entering Noboribetsu was an 18m-tall red roadside demon (yukijin), lording over the approach road with an angry look on his face. He was fanged and horned and pointed a spiked club at oncoming drivers.

Meant to be a welcome demon, locals believe that yukijin protect the hot springs, ward off evil spirits and pray for the good fortune of humans. Every June, men dress as yukijin, launch fireworks into the air and dance to bass-heavy Japanese taiko (drums) as part of Noboribetsu’s Demon Fireworks festival.

There are nine different demon statues scattered across the town, most of which are newly made tourist attractions. But the yukijin at the town’s Enma Do Shinto Shrine, found in an altar atop a set of tree-shrouded steps, can be traced back to the Edo period (1603-1868). According to Shinto belief, Enma – the King of Hell – stands at hell’s entrance and decides which of the six paths a dead person will take. Some go to right to hell or are reborn into the world of war, while others are reincarnated as animals or go straight to heaven.

An area with volcanic activities

The region’s tendency towards darkness is fitting, considering the island’s history. Although Hokkaido was settled by indigenous Ainu people around 18,000 BC, during the Upper Palaeolithic age, the island wasn’t developed by the Japanese government until the late 19th Century, in an effort to prevent the Russians from expanding beyond Vladivostok, just 725km away across the Sea of Japan. Noboribetsu’s plethora of hot springs were used as a healing centre for wounded soldiers in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, and as a result, the town’s architecture retains a dark Brutalist feel, with many cold concrete hospital towers converted into onsen resorts.

My hotel, the Park Hotel Miyabitei, was such a property. Like many accommodations in town, it catered to the Chinese bus package tours that descend en masse on Noboribetsu each winter. It also sported a whimsical 1970s vibe that is hard to come by in today’s over-renovated megaresorts. Elevator doors were painted with stylized clouds and rainbows; walls were hung with graphic bird art; and the buffet was piled with heaping bowls of snow crab legs and salmon sashimi. There was even a soft serve ice cream station. Even if this was package tourist hell, it had some delightful perks.

More important, its onsen was well maintained and a quiet spot to soak before dinner. Extensive pre-showering is mandatory and strictly enforced, as is nudity while in the bath. So I washed up in the large pre-bathing shower room before gingerly walking to the six soaking baths: five indoor and one outside. Like all onsen, bath admission is included in the price of the hotel stay, and men and women’s onsen are completely separate. The natural water itself was highly sulphurous and quite whiffy, but after a 20-minute soak my skin was ultra-soft.

The source of Noboribetsu's hot spring water in the onsen resort

After a few days, Noboribetsu’s bus crowds started to wear on me so I escaped to the remote and elegant Horo Horo Sanso hotel in the village of Date, about 40km north of Noboribetsu. The drive there passed through a mountainous world of snow and steam where conical mountains and far-off summits seeped spirals of smoke like urban chimneys. The hotel’s tatami mat rooms were cosy and traditional, and its dazzling modern onsen had dozens of stylishly designed indoor baths, with windows overlooking the snow-covered bamboo and bonsai trees outside. I headed to one of the outdoor basalt stone baths; a gentle snow fell on my head while I lingered in the thermal water as long as I could. After my skin turned suitably pink, I slipped into my cotton yukata (robe) for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. The buffet was piled high with excellent tuna sashimi; rich, marbled Hokkaido beef; and simmering DIY nabe (hot pots).

Boiling bubbles in one of Hell Valley's sulphurous lakes

If you get bored of soaking, the other main activity in Noboribetsu is walking the 8km network of boardwalks and trails that meander around the various hot vents, thermal lakes, hot water marshes, geysers, blowholes and steam caves that pierce and singe Jigoku-Dani valley.

The main pathway offers spectacular views of the scorched and rust-stained hills and distant snow-capped-mountains, with lookouts over Mount Kuttara. Other trails lead past the active volcano of Mount Hiyori, the gourd-shaped Lake Oyunuma, the cauldron-like pond gushing out noxious 85C black sulphur water, Oko no Yu, and the boiling geyser centrepiece of the scenic walkway, Tessen Ike.

Oyunumagawa stream

I ventured down a quiet auxiliary trail that ran alongside the steamy 45C Oyunumagawa Stream, where an easy 15-minute walk brought me to the Oyunumagawa Natural Foot Bath, a natural segment of the stream slightly cooled by snow and air. Here, I sat on a ramshackle log bridge and dangled my feet in the hot sparkling water below while gazing out over a hushed and sun-dappled sliver of bamboo forest. You could walk directly in the stream as I did, though the hot squishy mud at the bottom of the river is not for the faint of heart. But even without that, sitting on the streamside rocks in a small patch of February sunshine, I’d found a little slice of heaven in the heart of Hell Valley.

[MIKA27]

The Jewish Origins of Kentucky Bourbon

There’s a fine art to creating a liquor brand. It involves convincing people to buy booze with stories crafted around popular notions of heritage and legacy. Today’s drinkers are familiar with the classic formulas: Rum is named for pirates or tropical islands (think Mount *** or Captain Morgan); scotch brands enshrine beautiful but unpronounceable places in Scotland (Laphroaig, Bruichladdich, Auchentoshan); and gin brands conjure pictures of the British empire sending adventurous young men to India clad in jodhpurs and pith helmets (Bombay Sapphire, Old Raj). American whiskey brands often celebrate individuals who represent idealized values—independence, pragmatism, guts—of the American frontier. It’s a patriotic formula that markets well, even though many of the stories behind the brands are false. For instance, Elijah Craig is sometimes credited with inventing bourbon and Evan Williams is often called Kentucky’s “first” distiller, even though historians have long dismissed the claims. These are little more than marketing shticks built around a romanticized stereotype: WASPs who cleared the land and made it great (with a handful of Catholic exceptions such as Basil Hayden or Henry McKenna).

In 1867, a Jewish immigrant by the name of Isaac Wolfe Bernheim arrived to America from Germany. He rode in steerage during his trip across the Atlantic and survived on potatoes—a humble beginning to the bootstrapping success story he would tell decades later, after building one of the biggest whiskey brands in the world. Despite his achievements within the whiskey industry, Bernheim was always ambivalent about the liquor business, a trade he had fallen into in 1868 after two distillers from Paducah, Kentucky, enlisted him for his bookkeeping abilities. After earning enough money to bring his brother Bernard over from Europe, the two began their own distillery in 1872. The new operation needed its own brand, which presented a dilemma: What should Bernheim call it? His decision would not only reveal how Americans filter notions of history and national myth, but also how the rich Jewish heritage of bourbon, the most iconic of American whiskies, would be lost from the drink’s traditional narrative.

In Bernheim’s time, many of his contemporaries—such as the Beam or Pepper families—were able to use their frontier ancestors for marketing purposes. But Bernheim didn’t have such an ancestor. His last name came from Bern, Switzerland, which his family fled for Germany in the fourteenth century to escape a pogrom. Then, 500 years later, Bernheim left for America. The saga matched any frontier tale, but Bernheim nevertheless felt that his ethnic surname would draw prejudice if he used it as a brand. He compromised by placing the Anglo-Saxon “Harper” after his own first two initials to create I.W. Harper bourbon. In 1944, a year before Bernheim’s death at age 96, he would admit that he borrowed the name from John Harper, a popular horse trainer. At that point the brand was huge and still ascending—by 1966 it could be found in 110 countries worldwide. But, as with many great tales, there would be a downfall. The decades following I.W. Harper’s pinnacle saw U.S. consumer tastes shift toward lighter drinks—wine, vodka, gin—while bourbon sales plummeted. I.W. Harper stopped being sold in the U.S. around 1990, although it continued to be exported to a few foreign markets. Memory of the brand, alongside its true heritage, was nearly forgotten.

But the story would get another act. Bourbon has become popular in the states again, enjoying some of its strongest sales since the 1960s. With marketing that thrives on notions of history, heritage, and authenticity, numerous companies in recent years have resurrected long-forgotten labels. In March, Diageo, the world’s largest spirits producer, announced it is bringing I.W. Harper bourbon back to U.S. markets. The return broadcasts bourbon’s renewed popularity, as well as highlights an oft-forgotten aspect of the spirit’s iconic American legacy.

The Bernheim distillery

[Fuzz]

Look How Extremely Large Europe's Extremely Large Telescope Will Be

The 100m high hemispherical dome of the E-ELT is under construction on the top of Cerro Armazones mountain at 3060m altitude, in the Sierra Vicuña Mackenna of the Chilean Coast Range.

Who knew Chile was part of Europe!

[MIKA27]

Who knew Chile was part of Europe!

It's funny you say that but the majority of the people who run that observatory ARE Europeans! In fact, the best coffee I enjoyed in South America WAS at that observatory because the Europeans want their creature comforts so they had at least 6 large espresso machines throughout their cafeteria.

[MIKA27]

Cry-Baby of the Week: A Guy Allegedly Attacked Someone with a Sword in a Road-Rage Incident

Let's marvel at some idiots who don't know how to handle the world:

Cry-Baby #1: Kia Cameron Paya-Akhavan

The incident: A guy got into an argument with someone over his driving.

The appropriate response: Nothing.

The actual response: One of the men allegedly attacked the other with a sword and attempted to run him over twice.

Last week, 34-year-old Kia Cameron Paya-Akhavan was driving in Austin, in a manner that one onlooker would later tell police was "reckless."

Concerned by this, a man named Rodney Campbell, who is Kia's neighbor, took a photo of Kia's car as he stopped at an intersection. According to a report on KVUE, the local ABC affiliate, the taking of the photo was followed by a "heated exchange" between the two men, which ended with them driving off in opposite directions.

Immediately after this, however, Kia did a U-turn and started to follow the other man's car. When Rodney stopped and got out of his vehicle, Kia allegedly hit him with a water bottle and punched him in the chest, leading to the two men fighting in the street. The skirmish was reportedly broken up by an onlooker.

His bloodlust not satisfied, Kia allegedly followed Rodney back to his house, where he parked behind him, blocking him in his driveway. He then, Rodney says, produced a sword and tried to cut through the door of his car. Rodney claims he reversed his car into Kia's in an effort to escape. After this, Kia fled the scene.

But Kia allegedly still didn't think he'd punished Rodney extensively enough, and reportedly returned a short time later and attempted to run him over twice, before attacking him with a homemade flail he just happened to have lying around. (According to an article in Austin American Statesman, was made from a stick, some rope, and wrench sockets.)

Kia fled the scene, and was later arrested at home. He was charged with aggravated assault with both a deadly weapon and a motor vehicle.

According to police, Kia claims that the epic battle was started when Rodney threw a metal object at his head during the initial stop. He added that following Rodney back to his house was "probably a bad decision."

Cry-Baby #2: Christopher Romoleroux

The incident: A man discovered his wife had been texting a male friend.

The appropriate response: If this is something you're not OK with, communicate this to your partner.

The actual response: He allegedly shot the male friend in the leg.

Late last month, a man in Pompano Beach, Florida, named Clarence Autley got a Facebook message from a woman named Ludwika Duarte, a former friend whom he had not seen in six years.

According to a report on Sun Sentinel, the two exchanged phone numbers and moved their conversation to text to catch up.

At some point, Ludwika's husband, 22-year-old Christopher Romoleroux (pictured above), allegedly discovered that the two were conversing.

According to police, Christopher took his wife's phone and, posing as her, texted Clarence suggesting they meet up. Thinking it was Ludwika asking, Clarence agreed, and sent over his address.

This is when, police say, Christopher drove to Clarence's house and approached him in his driveway, where he asked him, "Why you trying to get with my woman?" before punching Clarence in the face.

A fight ensued, after which terrifying IRL Sideshow Bob returned to his car, where he reportedly retrieved a small-caliber handgun and shot Clarence in the leg.

Clarence was taken to hospital where he was treated for multiple breaks to his femur.

Christopher was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder. He wasn't given the chance to make bail because of separate felony charges he had incurred.

Cry-Baby #3: An unnamed woman in Brentwood, England

The incident: A guy hung a painting with the word **** on it in his gallery window.

The appropriate response: Nothing.

The actual response: An outraged passerby called the police.

Art dealer John Brandler owns a gallery/store called Brandler Galleries in Brentwood, England.

Last month, he hung a painting in the gallery's window. The painting, which is pictured above, is by some artists called the Connor Brothers and, as a pun on Much Ado About Nothing, has the words "A LOAD OF FUSS ABOUT F**K ALL" written across the top of it. It has a sale price of £7,500 ($11,500).

According to a report in John's local paper, the Brentwood Gazette, John got a visit from a police officer a couple of weeks ago. The officer told him that he'd received a complaint from a member of the public about the painting, and told John that he would have to cover up the "f**k."

"There are 60,000 people in Brentwood and one person can object to something and by law it has to be removed," John told the paper. "I think it is f**king bonkers."

John put a piece of paper on the painting, covering up the offending word. Which satisfied the officer.

"He had to photograph that we had covered it so he could show that he had done his job. Is that what we pay the police for?" John fumed.

John says that, due to the UK's data protection laws, the officer was unable to tell him who had made the complaint. All he was able to reveal, John said, is that she had been a woman, and had contacted the police by phone. "Why not just come in and say 'I found that offensive' or phone me?" he said.

Cry-Baby #4: Cheryl Lynn

The incident: A woman was refused a refund for a haircut she didn't like.

The appropriate response: A VERY strongly worded Yelp review.

The actual response: She stabbed the stylist multiple times.

Last week, 20-year-old Cheryl Lynn (pictured above) of Utica, New York, was at a house party when she saw a stylist who had previously given her a haircut she was not happy with.

According to a report on WKTV, Cheryl "approached her, accusing her of styling her hair poorly and saying she wanted her money back."

No further details of this exchange are given in any of the news reports on this story, but, according to police, Cheryl left the party without getting a refund from the unnamed woman.

Some time later that night, police say, Cheryl ran into the hair stylist in the street. The two women then allegedly began fighting and Cheryl stabbed the victim three times in her neck, shoulder, and chest. The victim was able to flee the scene and called the police.

Cheryl was arrested later that night and charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, both of which are felonies.

Cry-Baby #5: St. Joseph Middle School

The incident: A girl missed a lot of school days because she had leukemia.

The appropriate response: Whatever you can do to help.

The actual response: She was expelled.

Twelve-year-old Rose McGrath was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012. Her illness has been in remission since December of last year, but she continues to miss days of school. "Even though she's now done with her treatment you still have a very long recovery process because you've basically just put two and a half years of poison into your body," Rose's mother Barbara McGrath, told WWMT.

Unsurprisingly, this has caused Rose to miss a lot of school. So far this year, she has attended only 32 full days, yet was still passing her core classes, according to her family.

Last week, Rose's middle school, St. Joseph's in Battle Creek, Michigan, sent her family a letter explaining that, due to Rose's poor attendance and academic performance, she was being "dismissed" from the school.

"These were extraordinary circumstances, but so many accommodations were made we felt eventually it became a point where we really had to help Rose, by being able to make sure that she was getting the assistance that she needed and to learn," Father John Fleckenstein told WWMT on behalf of the school.

"It's not really fair, because I didn't do anything wrong," said Rose.

"It's not like she's out at the mall having fun, she's in her bed, sick with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain," her mother told the station. "She's sick. she'd be at school if she could."

Rose told WWMT that the school was the only thing that made her feel normal. "When I'm at home, I'm sick, I don't feel well, no one else does that. But when I'm at school I'm like everyone else," she said.

Cry-Baby #6: An unnamed plane passenger in Chicago

The incident: A man was snoring on a plane.

The appropriate response: Waking him up by shaking his arm.

The actual response: A woman stabbed him with a pen.

Last week, Lenny Mordarski was sitting on a plane on the runway of Chicago's Midway Airport. The plane was bound for Manchester, New Hampshire.

While waiting, Lenny fell asleep and began to snore. "Chucklehead over here fell asleep on the runway," Lenny's friend, Michael Sutton, explained to ABC7. "And I guess his arm kind of brushed over to her."

Lenny was awoken when the woman in the seat next to him started sticking a pen into his arm. It's not entirely clear from the news reports how much force was used (the motion is alternately referred to as " stabbing," "poking," and "jabbing,") but, according to a report on Fox News, the pen left ink marks on Lenny's arm as well as bruises.

"Imagine being asleep and then being stung by bees," said Lenny, to describe the pain.

The woman, who Lenny said was silent and smirking, was removed from the plane by staff. The incident caused the plane to take off a couple of hours late.

Lenny declined to press charges against the woman, who was put on a later flight by the airline.

[MIKA27]

BUCKSHOT PRO PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

The guys at Outdoor Tech know a thing or two about building rugged gadgets, and the Buckshot Pro portable Bluetooth speaker puts that talent on full display.

A wireless speaker, flashlight, strobe light, camp-light and poewrbank, all in one – that’s the Buckshot Pro. The shock and water resistant rugged speaker connects to your devices wirelessly using Bluetooth technology, and offers up 10 hours of rechargeable play and talk time. The speaker attaches to your bike’s handlebars using the included mount, and features 3 light settings on the built-in flashlight including torch, lamp and flash. The USB output makes charging your mobile devices a breeze, and the integrated microphone/speakerphone even lets you take hands-free calls on the go. The 3-in-1 speaker comes in several different colors. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

BURNHAM WATCH BY OAK & OSCAR

A new watch brand from Chicago has entered the scene, Oak & Oscar. They have just launched their limited edition timepiece called the Burnham, an elegant watch that is all about obsessive attention to detail, and a combination of the highest quality materials with authentic craftsmanship and design. Powered by a Swiss automatic Soprod A10 movement, the Burnham features a beautiful Horween leather custom-dyed strap with orange highlights to compliment the seconds hand. Also included is a matching watch wallet that holds 4 watches, an extra strap and a strap tool.

[MIKA27]

LILY CAMERA

Drones are fantastic photography tools. Unfortunately, they typically require someone controlling them, so it's a bit difficult to photograph yourself doing anything noteworthy. The Lily Camera changes all that. This drone-based system uses a simple tracking device to follow your movements, capturing the action in 1080/60p, 720/120p slow-mo, or as 12 megapixel stills. No controller required — just put the tracker in your pocket, throw the camera up in the air, and get going. [Preorder]

[MIKA27]

First trailer lands for Minority Report series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fLl-DMzxrk

The first trailer has arrived for Fox's Minority Report TV show, outlining the set-up for the sci-fi spin-off which follows on from the events of Steven Spielberg's big screen smash.

The new series is set 10 years after the end of Pre-crime in DC, and follows one of the programme's Pre-cogs attempting to lead a "normal" life. However, he remains plagued by visions of the future, and soon teams up with a detective with plans to put his gifts to work.

The compelling Pre-crime concept was one of the main draws of Spielberg's original film, and this new series looks to have done a good job in expanding on that premise. Spielberg has an Executive Producer credit on the project, effectively his seal of approval, so we're quietly optimistic about this one…

[MIKA27]

The New Supergirl Series

Everyone wants to be in the superhero game these days. After the long-running success of Smallville on a rival network, US TV network CBS wants in on the action too. That’s why it made Supergirl: the series adaptation of the DC Comic companion to Superman.

Supergirl centres around Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin who also fled Krypton to Earth before its destruction.

She starts out as just an assistant, but finds it in herself to fly and save her city from peril.

CBS posted a 7-minute first-look piece on YouTube, take a look for yourself.

[MIKA27]

NASA's Kepler Mission Discovered 1000 Planets In Its Quest To Find Life

It was six years ago this month that NASA shot the Kepler telescope to the heavens on a galactic, planet-finding mission. Today, the space agency released this graphic that could also be Kepler’s mic-dropping resume.

Launched on March 6, 2009, Kepler’s duty is pinpointing stars in our galaxy that sport orbiting exoplanets (like sun does with Earth). NASA is especially interested in those exoplanets that fall in the “habitable zone” — that sweet spot where an exoplanet is just close enough to a life-giving star that the planet could have an atmosphere that produces water, and, in turn, foster living organisms.

The telescope’s mondo powerful light sensor is what’s used to find the locations of Earth-sized planets that might dwell in the habitable zone. The sensor spots minuscule changes in brightness around certain stars — these brightness changes suggest an exoplanet that’s orbiting its star.

That’s not an easy task though. According to NASA’s press release:

For a remote observer, Earth transiting the sun would dim its light by less than 1/100th of one per cent, or the equivalent of the amount of light blocked by a gnat crawling across a car’s headlight viewed from several miles away.

Now according to the data released today, Kepler: Exoplanet Hunter has discovered over 1000 of these in only six years. Can we give this spacecraft a raise?

[MIKA27]

An Interesting Look At The Life Of A Master Woodturner

Steven Kennard is a master woodturner, and this is his story. Filmed by Breakwater Studios, this short shows in detail how Kennard transforms wood into unbelievably intricate art pieces and gives you a bit of background on how Kennard became a woodturner.

[MIKA27]

Hunt Hydra At Your High School With A Captain America Shield Backpack

Since both vibranium and adamantium only exist in the comic book world, ThinkGeek had to settle on lightweight plastic to make its new Captain America Shield backpack. So it won’t stop bullets or blows from mythical hammers, but it will be comfortable to carry when crammed full of textbooks and your laptop.

The $US50 pack is an original ThinkGeek creation so you’ll only be able to buy it from its website. But that’s a minor inconvenience given how perfect this officially-licensed Marvel product looks. The leather-looking shoulder straps are reminiscent of Captain America’s suit as seen in his recent movie outings, and the padded back is embossed to look like Cap’s torso.

A pair of zippers reveal the backpack’s guts hidden behind that 18-inch plastic shield with enough space and pockets for a laptop, phone and all the other gadgets you can’t leave home without. All Steve Rogers would need to bring with him is guts and bravery, but the rest of us need a few electronic aids to give us supersoldier-like powers.

[polarbear]

The New Supergirl Series

Everyone wants to be in the superhero game these days. After the long-running success of Smallville on a rival network, US TV network CBS wants in on the action too. That’s why it made Supergirl: the series adaptation of the DC Comic companion to Superman.

Supergirl centres around Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin who also fled Krypton to Earth before its destruction.

She starts out as just an assistant, but finds it in herself to fly and save her city from peril.

CBS posted a 7-minute first-look piece on YouTube, take a look for yourself.

It looks better than I thought it would

[MIKA27]

Few Artists Can Draw Engines Freehand Like This

Last year, I posted an article which showed how Korean artist Kim Jung Gi could create impressive illustrations without prior sketching.

While serving in his country’s armed services, Kim was able to work with a wide variety of machines. His art shows a deep understanding of how things work and a knack for getting that understanding down on paper.

But the cat and the dog people? Those he did not encounter in the military.

[MIKA27]

It looks better than I thought it would

Yeah, I'll watch it and see but I'm not a hge fan of the casting. Especially Calista Flockhart (Spelling?)

[MIKA27]

Tanks Now Have F1-Inspired Suspensions, Because Awesome

TANKS, BY DESIGN, are meant to travel over rough terrain. They’re built with phenomenal suspensions, to ensure they can keep moving over and through any obstacle in combat. But though the machines can keep going when the going gets tough, anything you can do to smooth the ride is an improvement.

That’s why British defense contractor BAE Systems, creator of the CV90 family of tanks, has created a new active damping suspension system to dramatically improve the ride of tracked vehicles moving over rough terrain. Active suspension allows vehicles to manage the ride height and stiffness of the suspension while driving, either by driver activation or automatically controlled via a computer. In this case, the extra flexibility will allow the CV90 to increase its top speed to over 40 mph, a 40 percent increase.

It’s inspired by a technology developed for Formula One, designed to absorb bumps in the road. In racing, keeping as much of the rubber as possible on the tarmac lets cars accelerate and brake faster, and helps neutralize imperfections in the road surface. Active suspensions were banned from the sport in 1994, along with technological “driver aids” like traction control and anti-lock brakes, to put emphasis on the driver rather than the car. It has since found a home in assorted high-end sports cars, and now it’s taken on a military role.

Though the theory is the same, the active damping in the CV90 tank is functionally very different from that in F1, largely because massive tracked vehicles and ultra-light race cars have very different suspension requirements.

BAE is keeping quiet on how, exactly, its tech works, but says the system measures body movement and calculates how each corner of the vehicle is accelerating (that is, leaving the ground). Once the movement exceeds predetermined thresholds, the system starts stiffening the suspension.

When the vehicle comes back down, the stiffened dampers absorb the shock much better than a passive system would. It can handle three times the rigid body movement of the original system, with impacts from bumps both small and large reduced in real time. It also allows for the use of anti-lock brakes.

BAE Systems CV90 is used by a wide variety of armies, including those of Sweden, Finland and Norway

More than keeping those inside from bouncing around, this suspension holds the vehicle steady when it’s firing a heavy gun or mortar system. “That means you can go faster over rough terrain and still keep track on the target,” says Dan Lindell, platform manager for combat vehicles at BAE Systems.. “It is a lot easier for the gunner to find and identify targets in a calm system.”

If the system fails, Lindell says the torsion bars would still be there to hold the weight of the vehicle. “You’d still have mobility, although you wouldn’t be able to go as fast on rough terrain.” That’s important for a vehicle made to take men and women into combat.

The active damping system can be retrofitted to current CV90 systems with just a few weeks of downtime, likely during routine maintenance, says Lindell. If you want to ride in a tank without the risk of bumping your head, you’ll have to enlist in the armies of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, or one of several other countries that use this tank.

[MIKA27]

Derailed Philadelphia Amtrak train 'was speeding'

A commuter train that derailed in Philadelphia, killing at least seven people, was travelling at twice the speed limit, say safety experts.

The driver applied the emergency brakes when the train hit 106mph (170km/h) on a 50mph track, said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

But his efforts had only brought the speed down to 102mph when the deadly crash happened.

The speed was recorded in the so-called black box recovered from the wreckage.

Robert Sumwalt of the NTSB told reporters a speed control system in place along parts of that route along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor was not yet in place on that section.

"We feel that had such a system been installed in this section of track, this accident would not have occurred," he said.

Amtrak Train 188 was going from Washington to New York when it derailed on Tuesday night, leaving more 200 people injured.

The death toll rose from six to seven on Wednesday, as another body was found by the search and rescue team.

The New York National Guard has deployed to Philadelphia to assist local authorities

Hundreds of people were taken to hospital, and seven have died

Only three victims have been publicly identified so far:

• Jim Gaines, a 48-year-old father of two and software architect for the Associated Press, was travelling home to New Jersey following a work conference in Washington DC
• Justin Zemser, a-20 year-old Navy Midshipman, was on leave from the Naval Academy in Maryland, and was visiting family in New York
• Wells Fargo senior vice-president Abid Gilani, the company confirmed

One of the busiest stretches of passenger rail in the country, between Philadelphia and New York, is closed as officials continue to try to establish exactly what happened.

President Obama said he was "shocked and deeply saddened to hear of the derailment".

Funding cut

As emergency crews continued to dig through the wreckage, lawmakers in Washington debated the future of Amtrak's budget, with one spending committee voting to slash their funding by almost a fifth.

"We are divesting from America," accused one member of Congress.

"Don't use this tragedy in that way," another Congressman responded angrily.

Congress has only 18 more days before federal funding for transportation infrastructure expires, but the funding is likely to be temporarily extended.

Amtrak is a national publicly funded rail service, serving tens of millions of people every year.

[MIKA27]

PORT CHARLOTTE SCOTTISH BARLEY WHISKEY

With so many great whiskies being produced in Scotland, particularly in the Islay region, it can be difficult to know what to grab as you peruse the liquor store shelves.

Scottish Barley, a recent release in the Port Charlotte line from Bruichladdich, is more than a worthy choice, presenting the rare combination of great taste and great packaging. It's an Islay Single Malt distilled from 100% Scottish Barley, then matured in the village of Port Charlotte. The casks were hand picked by Master Distiller Jim McEwan and each bottle features a heavy dose of peat, clocking in at 40ppm, a nice uptick from your typical Islay dram.

[MIKA27]

This Simulator's Steering Wheel Is Strong Enough To Break Your Wrists

So how realistic do you like your simulators? Some racing fans are willing to spend thousands of dollars on displays, controls, and seats that move and shake to enhance their virtual driving experience. But a company called CXC Simulations is taking things to a whole new level with a new force feedback steering wheel that’s actually strong enough to injure the driver.

The company’s Motion Pro II simulator starts at a hefty $US54,000, but that includes multiple widescreen displays, speakers, a working dashboard, pedals, and a racing seat that twists and turns along with the action on-screen. It’s so realistic that real-life racing drivers can actually use it to practice a course, but CXC Simulations wanted to improve the setup even more.

The Motion Pro II’s steering wheel has recently been upgraded with a new servo motor that’s now connected to directly to the steering shaft, eliminating the need for belts and gears which can reduce power. As a result, while the Motion Pro II’s original steering wheel could generate two newton meters of force feedback, the new one can now generate a whopping 16 Nm.

So if your virtual car were to hit the wall while driving the simulator and you didn’t let go of the steering wheel in time, it now has more than enough torque to recreate the same crash forces you’d experience in real life which would easily break both of your wrists. It’s a terrifying thought, and that’s why CXC obviously limits the power output of the new servo motor it’s using. A realistic driving experience is one thing, but the whole point of a simulator is take all the danger out of racing.

The steering wheel upgrades also allow the Motion Pro II to better recreate the feeling of every single bump on the road, though, which is the real reason CXC decided to improve the simulator’s force feedback system. Developers of racing simulator software will now even be able to do things like specify how dirty the surface of the road is, allowing drivers to feel every last stone and pebble. And the Motion Pro II will now let those behind the wheel better experience the physics and forces involved with taking a car around a track at incredibly high speeds.

[Fuzz]

Dragon Ball Goku's Hologram Power Level Is Over 9000!!!

You can argue all day about who would win in a fight, but Goku and the entire Dragon Ball series have definitely won the hearts of children who would have been die-hard Superman fans just a generation earlier.

For many, the sight of this noble alien martial artist powering up into his blonde, super strong, Super Saiyan form defines anime or even all of Japanese culture, although that last part might be taking things too far. And now, you can watch that scene play out in real life thanks to this cool holographic trick from Brazilian design company ZW Design.

What starts as a plain old Goku action figure soon becomes a spectacular light show. Energy pulsates around the figure while lightning bolts emanate from his body. Flames surround him as a growing, glowing sphere of power starts to form between his hands. Fans will recognize this as Goku charging up his signature Kamehameha attack. You know it’s never going to happen, but the tension builds up so much that you just can’t wait for the figure to spring to life and unleash his destructive power. The rising Dragon Ball music certainly helps.

So how did ZW Design pull this off without actually setting their action figure on fire? Together with Brazilian marketing firm Front BH, they used a 19th century theater illusion technique called Pepper’s Ghost to project a seemingly 3D hologram around Goku. ZW Design released this video as part of their plan to sell these hologram boxes, but the trick it employs is so simple you can actually do it yourself.

First, construct a pyramid made of four transparent sides. Then, create four animations of your hologram, one from each angle. Arrange the animations on a display, even an iPad will work. Finally, by projecting the animations, in this case various energy effects, through the narrow end of the pyramid, they will appear as a hologram floating in space. That’s why the effect briefly disappears when the camera switches viewing angles.

Fuzz: Shut up and take my money!!!

[MIKA27]

Dragon Ball Goku's Hologram Power Level Is Over 9000!!!

You can argue all day about who would win in a fight, but Goku and the entire Dragon Ball series have definitely won the hearts of children who would have been die-hard Superman fans just a generation earlier.

For many, the sight of this noble alien martial artist powering up into his blonde, super strong, Super Saiyan form defines anime or even all of Japanese culture, although that last part might be taking things too far. And now, you can watch that scene play out in real life thanks to this cool holographic trick from Brazilian design company ZW Design.

What starts as a plain old Goku action figure soon becomes a spectacular light show. Energy pulsates around the figure while lightning bolts emanate from his body. Flames surround him as a growing, glowing sphere of power starts to form between his hands. Fans will recognize this as Goku charging up his signature Kamehameha attack. You know it’s never going to happen, but the tension builds up so much that you just can’t wait for the figure to spring to life and unleash his destructive power. The rising Dragon Ball music certainly helps.

So how did ZW Design pull this off without actually setting their action figure on fire? Together with Brazilian marketing firm Front BH, they used a 19th century theater illusion technique called Pepper’s Ghost to project a seemingly 3D hologram around Goku. ZW Design released this video as part of their plan to sell these hologram boxes, but the trick it employs is so simple you can actually do it yourself.

First, construct a pyramid made of four transparent sides. Then, create four animations of your hologram, one from each angle. Arrange the animations on a display, even an iPad will work. Finally, by projecting the animations, in this case various energy effects, through the narrow end of the pyramid, they will appear as a hologram floating in space. That’s why the effect briefly disappears when the camera switches viewing angles.

Fuzz: Shut up and take my money!!!

Make that x2 though I'd say Bills or Vegeta (Not the spice poweder) are stronger

[Fuzz]

Make that x2 though I'd say Bills or Vegeta (Not the spice poweder) are stronger

Whis is stronger than all three.

[Duane]

PORT CHARLOTTE SCOTTISH BARLEY WHISKEY

With so many great whiskies being produced in Scotland, particularly in the Islay region, it can be difficult to know what to grab as you peruse the liquor store shelves.

Scottish Barley, a recent release in the Port Charlotte line from Bruichladdich, is more than a worthy choice, presenting the rare combination of great taste and great packaging. It's an Islay Single Malt distilled from 100% Scottish Barley, then matured in the village of Port Charlotte. The casks were hand picked by Master Distiller Jim McEwan and each bottle features a heavy dose of peat, clocking in at 40ppm, a nice uptick from your typical Islay dram.

Have an bottle of PC6 and 7 of this stuff opened up an extra bottle I got, really enjoyed the PC7 but it packs an punch with its alcohol contents.

[MIKA27]

Here's One Way To Reuse Old Oil Tankers: Turn Them Into Small Cities

Oil tankers are the skyscraper-sized neurons that power the global economy’s nervous system, so it’s not often that we imagine a future without them. But a group of architects is doing just that — and proposing a way to reuse them as infrastructure.

Right now, decommissioned oil tankers are scrapped, often in ship graveyards in developing countries where poor workers take on the extraordinarily dangerous job of tearing apart the ships by hand, dealing with toxic chemicals and remaining oil, all in order to sell the scrap metals off for a small profit.

It’s a practice that the shipping industry — and governments — are trying to stop, but figuring out what to do with the decommissioned tankers isn’t easy either.

So there’s no good answer for what to do with these hulking giants. Even if they’re repurposed, the task of cleaning and renovating them in a way that doesn’t spew oil and chemicals is tough too.

Still, it’s interesting to imagine how the shell of a mega-tanker could be reused instead of scrapped. A group of Dutch designers named Chris Collaris, Ruben Esser, Sander Bakker and Patrick van der Gronde do just that in a project called Black Gold — a totally conceptual proposal to take an abandoned mega tanker — which run as large as the Willis Tower — and reuse it as a public building.

Eventually “oversupply in crude oil and oil tanker ships [and] changing transportation systems as future transatlantic pipe connections” will make more tankers irrelevant, they write. So what’s to be done with the old ships? Collaris proposes removing the internal structure of the tanker and replace it with conventional floorplates. Since these tankers have massive beds, it would be fairly easy to install ad hoc structure inside the steel shell:

A wide open rectangle cut through the ship’s sides would create air flow and an aeroplane hangar-style interior, where sunshine and wind pass freely.

A winding pedestrian walkway would connect the entrance to the coastline. Inside, you might find a commercial plaza:

Or maybe a sculpture garden:

While the top of the ship could be used for farming or recreation.

The architects propose the idea as a cultural center in one of the countries on the Persian Gulf, since so much of the world’s oil originates there. That seems totally myopic and besides the point, since the rest of the world is engaged in consuming that oil — not to mention producing their own.

Still, it’s an interesting idea, echoed not that long ago by a Washington State politician who proposedusing two decommissioned aircraft carriers to form a bridge across the Puget Sound:

Oil tankers — not to mention aircraft carriers — are hugely heavy and often polluted infrastructure. Could cleaning them out and repurposing them as buildings offset the social and environmental costs of scrapping?