STUFF: News, Technology, the cool and the plain weird

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Hot Toys' Amazing Captain Phasma Figure Is Shiny And Chrome

Hot Toys’ take on The Force Awakens‘ shiny new Stormtrooper Captain is quite literally rather dazzling.

Somehow, we’re in month two of the Force Awakens merchandise extravaganza, and yet this is the first Captain Phasma toy I’ve seen that actually replicates her stunningly silvered armour with metallic paint — and just how much of a difference that actually makes in turning a good Phasma figure into a truly great one.

I mean, just look at her. You almost want to put her on a coloured light stand and turn her into the First Order’s finest disco ball. For even such a relatively plain figure, Phasma is packed with some fantastic detailing, from wear on her cloth cape to the scuff marks on her helmet.

Captain Phasma was already a spectacular design in the first place, and we’ve had some truly lovely toys that represent that design over the past few months. But Hot Toys, as they do with most things, has really knocked it out of the park here. There’s some shots where you forget that it’s an action figure, and not Gwendoline Christie posing for a photoshoot.

The 33cm-tall Phasma doesn’t come with many accessories — she has her equally shiny blaster rifle and and many alternate hands with which to hold it and pose with it — but honestly, she doesn’t really need much more than that to look fabulous. Maybe, if your wallet allows it, a couple of Stormtroopers to flank her. That’s all you need.

Captain Phasma will ship in the middle of next year, and is currently available to pre-order for $US250 onSideshow Collectables’ webstore.

[MIKA27]

The Flight Of A U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane From Beginning To End

Getting inside the cockpit and seeing the flight of a U-2 spy plane is so damn cool. Not only because it’s such a gorgeous looking plane — it’s basically a glider with an engine attached that can take it to the stratosphere — but because it’s also such a delicate one too. We get to see it take off and do the tenuous dance of landing and see the space suit-like suit the pilot wears and the limited field of vision inside the plane and so much more. So cool.

[MIKA27]

Yes, Guinness' Beer Recipe Uses Fish... And That Shouldn't Bother You

Guinness recently announced that they were making a change to their two century-old recipe, one that wouldn’t make any use of fish bladders. Wait, said many people. Guinness has fish in it?

“There’s fish in Guinness’ beer” has been a popular food rumour for a long time now — and it’s sort of true, sort of not true. According to Guinness, their recipe is a four-ingredient mix of barley, water, hops and yeast. So just where does fish come in?

Through the filtration process.

Just-brewed beer can be pretty cloudy. One very common way brewers clear it out is with a collagen called isinglass, which is made from sturgeon bladders. Isinglass is added to the cloudy beer, where it reacts with yeast. When it is filtered back out it takes yeast with it, leaving the beer clear. It’s a process called fining — and you’re just as likely to find it in juice and wine as in beer.

So why after all these years is Guinness swapping it out? The problem, according to the company’s statement to the New York Times, appears to have been not one of problems with the recipe, but one of marketing to a growing vegetarian market:

“Because of its use we could not label Guinness as suitable for vegetarians and have been looking for an alternative solution for some time.”

The substance is removed from the beer after it has fulfilled its filtration role. Zsoka McDonald, a spokeswoman for the company, said that only “trace amounts” ever make it into the final product. That has been enough, however, to keep most vegan drinkers away.

Of course, that begs the question, if not isinglass, what does Guinness plan to use next to keep beer nice and clear? Various studies have tested out other filtration additives — from avian collagen to pea proteins — with fairly good results, though certainly avian collagen would be unlikely to make it anymore vegetarian friendly.

Though Guinness hasn’t revealed their plan for the switch, it actually sounds like they may intend to move to a mechanical filtration system. (In that same interview, Guinness’ spokesperson was also talking up a new filtration system they had bought.) We’ll have to wait till the end of next year when the new recipe starts rolling out to see if we can taste the difference.

[MIKA27]

NASA's Super Guppy Eats Spacecraft Parts For Breakfast

NASA’s Super Guppy aircraft is one of the most extravagant cargo planes in the world. The awkwardly shaped aircraft has been in service since 1965, and was specifically designed to carry oversized payloads, like rocket stages and spacecrafts. This Tuesday she was fed with the Orion service module stacking assembly interface ring and stack holding stand.

Orion is NASA’s next deep space exploration vehicle, and it will launch atop a new Space Launch System rocket on Exploration Mission-1 in 2018. The ring and stack were secured on a special transportation platform and loaded into the aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Guppy took off from Kennedy to NASA Glenn Research Center’s Plum Brook Station facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Here is a bonus pic of the event for your viewing pleasure:

[MIKA27]

New Zealand's Amazing Trails Are Now On Google Street View

As the nights draw in, your plans for adventure are probably headed in the direction of a new show on Netflix rather than a hike through the wild. But if you want to see something rugged, Google has now added a series of amazing New Zealand trails to Street view.

If there’s one thing New Zealand isn’t short of, it’s… well, it’s actually sheep. But second on the list has to be gloriously rugged outdoor terrain: beautiful mountains, stunning fiords, plunging waterfalls, breathtaking panoramas. No wonder that the Lord of the Rings trilogy was short there.

When I was in the country a few years ago, I was lucky enough to see Milford Sound and part of the Routeburn Track. It felt like Scotland on steroids, at least to this humble Brit.

While seeing the scenes on Street View isn’t quite as good as the real thing, it’s still great fun to explore the views, and think about the adventures that are yet to come. Go take a look.

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NASA Releases Harrowing New Photos Of Last Year's Antares Rocket Explosion

A little over a year ago, NASA’s Orbital ATK Antares rocket, with a Cygnus spacecraft onboard, suffered a “catastrophic anomaly” just moments after launch. NASA has now released a stunning new set of previously unseen photos chronicling the disaster.

The uncrewed rocket was scheduled to make a cargo run to the International Space Station, but six seconds into the launch, it crashed back into the launch pad on Wallops Island in Virginia. It had been carrying more than 2267kg of supplies, equipment, and scientific experiments.

Something went wrong soon after lift-off, causing the flight termination officer to trigger the self-destruct before the rocket hit the ground.

A pair of explosions decimated the rocket, the second one releasing the force of 200 tonnes of TNT.

The resulting explosion, though spectacular, caused no injuries.

The $US15 million repairs to the Wallops Island launch facility were completed last month.

The new photos, which can be found at the NASA Flickr account, appeared yesterday without any explanation.

Last month, an investigation’s findings revealed no root cause for the Antares failure, though it could have been the result of one or a combination of three different technical causes.

On a positive note, the Cygnus spacecraft is back in rotation for cargo runs to the ISS. The cargo craft is expected to launch on an Atlas V rocket in December, while the Antares rocket continues safety upgrades

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This Is The Best Way To Explain A Star Wars: Battlefront Season Pass

If you’ve ever been dumbstruck by someone coming up to you and asking about the merits of dropping $60 or more on a season pass for games, this is exactly what your response should be.

It’s the latest video from the team behind the Unscripted YouTube channel. This time they’ve taken the latest Star Wars: Battlefront gameplay trailer and had a long, funny swipe at season passes and Battlefront more broadly.

Because, as we all know, victory is pre-ordered.

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HOW DANIEL CRAIG DEVELOPED JAMES BOND'S STREET FIGHTING SKILLS

When Daniel Craig made his debut as the legendary agent James Bond in 2006's Casino Royale, he was a revelation in a number of ways. He was blond, first of all, which caused a level of consternation among Bond faithful that seems truly embarrassing almost a decade later. He was willing to do many of his own stunts. He was also grittier than his predecessor, Pierce Brosnan's highly popular but increasingly cartoonish take on 007, both emotionally and physically. His fraught relationship with both Vesper Lynd and his calling as a spy made him seem almost human compared to many past Bond incarnations. And his scrappy, practical fighting style managed to be both a throwback to creator Ian Fleming's original vision and modern enough to keep up with the current cinematic combat climate.

They key to Bond's fighting style has always been that he's a master at no particular art, but skilled enough to handle himself in a street fight. In the original books, Fleming described the agent as having some level of training in jiu jitsu and boxing, which would have been in line with the type of hand to hand combat instruction that the character would have received during his military training at the time.

Craig's Bond shows the occasional knowledge of specific technique—he performs a decent rear naked choke on baddie Steven Obanno at one point in Casino Royale and showed off some Filipino martial arts techniques against a knife-wielding killer in 2008's Quantum of Solace—but he mostly engages in wily street-fighting and self-defense-based skills that would be in keeping with his current background as an ex-Special Boat Service operative.

To help prepare for the physical aspects of his character before Casino Royale, Craig worked with Darren Levine, the founder of Krav Maga Worldwide, who also helped Leonardo DiCaprio train for Blood Diamond. "It's the in thing, for actors and performers," Levine, who called Craig "very impressive—all business," told Details about Hollywood's current interest in the Israeli Defense Forces' martial art. "Not just for the skills they learn, but because it's fun. Their shoulders are ripped, their core is defined, and their legs get really muscular."

The actor didn't rely on Krav Maga alone to help him develop his now iconic speedo-sporting physique, though. He also worked with the man who helped Brosnan and Brosnan-era Bond Girls like Halle Berry and Denise Richards get in shape for previous films in the franchise, personal trainer and former Royal Marine Simon Waterson.

"As an ex-military man, I think I was uniquely placed to understand the discipline, mental strength and stamina required in order to train to become the ultimate cinema super spy, James Bond. Luckily, Dan was no shirk when it came to hard work, so I devised a programme that had diversity and would suit the role of Bond, pushing him to his limits and beyond, like the character demands," Waterson told GQ of the experience in 2011.

"Dan had briefed me on his goals, and was determined to get stuck in. No stone was left unturned in terms of developing speed, strength, stamina and a sharp, focused mind. I'm a stickler when it comes to attention to detail, so posture, definition, movement and confidence were at the top of the list. I also wanted functioning muscle - there's no point in having great muscles if they can't be used in a beneficial way like speeding across the ground, climbing, jumping and fighting"

After Casino Royale, Craig admits to falling off the fitness wagon a little. "After it finished, I stopped training," he told The Times in 2007. " relaxed for three months and ate what I wanted, and then it's hell because as soon as you get back in the gym, you have to work all of that off, and it takes much longer than it does to put it on."

He went on to say that his preparation for what would become Quantum of Solace was going to be a little different. "Last time I did a lot of weights to bulk up because I had to do it quickly. This time I'm going to do more boxing and more running. I need to be physically strong for Bond and, as much as I looked in great shape, I got a lot of injuries, probably due to the fact that I wasn't doing enough running and jumping, which is what I needed to do in the film."

For 2012's Skyfall, Craig also worked with a martial arts instructor, stuntman, and actor named Roger Yuan. In an interview with Gear Patrol, Yuan said that "Daniel has had his own personal trainer, I guess, from the first Bond. I didn't work with him in terms of body shaping. What I did with him was a lot of yoga to loosen him up, a lot of focused moves for boxing, kickboxing, Thai elbows and knees, basically any type of martial arts movements. At the same time, the way that he portrays Bond is much more of a physical, smart, street fighter—a brawler—as opposed to a stylish martial artist. So the way I would hold focus mitts for him and have him throw the punches is more like a boxer, someone who is very good and reactive and has the martial arts skills, but isn't attuned to any one style. This opens him up to do what Bond does. He can be anything and everything. Bond is sound, effective, vicious and lethal. He needs to get the job done."

In the latest Bond film, Spectre, which opens on November 6, Craig gets to show off his vicious and lethal skills against the newest addition to the pantheon of Bond henchmen, pro-wrestler (and one-time MMA fighter) and actor Dave Bautista. And while Craig might be ambivalent about a lot of things Bond-related these days, he's had nothing but positive things to say about their fight scene.

"He moves so quickly and is so agile and for me, I think the sequences with him are all the more terrifying because of his presence," the actor recently told The Belfast Telegraph. "You just want to make the stunts as real and fresh as possible. We try to do stuff that we don't think people have seen before, but having someone like Dave Bautista who spent most of his career being thrown around and throwing other people around, he really knows what he's doing and he's incredibly safe."

Craig, as it turns out, wasn't quite as incredibly safe. He admits to slipping and injuring his opponent during filming.

"Believe me, I was in the other room when I realized I'd done it," he said. "I thought he'd come after me but he was so sweet about it. He said 'Look, it's happened before. Don't worry about it.'"

[MIKA27]

ANIMAL STORMTROOPER HELMETS BY BLANK WILLIAM

Stormtrooper armor was originally imagined only in white and then it was meant only for humans. In a show of true geek bravado and undeniable craftsmanship artist and designer Blank William has devised a set of the plastoid armor that is intended for animals, rather than people. Thus far the pieces include a helmet set for an elephant, a rhinoceros, and a hippopotamus. The designs have been made in both a line of white, honoring the classic look of original stormtroopers, and a black set that nods to the newer uniforms in The Force Awakens.

The black line is certainly suitable for any disciples of Vader with shiny, reflective materials. Accents are done in a shocking gold finish that is a little flashier than the sith lord, but captures the same functional aesthetic. The white line is sterling ivory in color with chrome where the others have gold.

[MIKA27]

BRENNE 10 WHISKEY

While the initial bottling of Brenne Whiskey was impressive, this extremely limited bottling promises even more. Brenne 10 Whiskey is a precise blending of four casks of Brenne French Single Malt Whiskey, selected personally by Brenne's founder Alison Patel. Every ounce of this fine single malt was asleep for a decade in a combination of virgin French Limousin oak barrels and barrels previously used for aging Cognac and the flavors that shine through, making it one of the most unique spirits we've ever had the pleasure of tasting.

[MIKA27]

Tag Heuer's Connected Android Wear Watch Is The First With An Intel Chip Inside

Overnight, Tag Heuer was the first traditional, fashionable, respectable watchmaker to release an Android Wear smartwatch. Now, I’m sticking with my Huawei Watch, but this titanium wearable is quite a bit more expensive, and is the first ever to use an Intel Atom processor inside.

Let’s talk about the new watch for a second. The Tag Heuer Connected ticks off a bunch of firsts for Android Wear — it’s the first Android Wear watch to break the $US1000 barrier, and then some. At a retail price of $US1500, the wristable is almost double the price of the second-most expensive Android Wear watch, but compared to the Apple Watch’s eye-popping $23,000, it feels almost… affordable?

It’s also got the first Intel processor (Z3400 series) inside an Android Wear watch, though many more will be coming over the next year. And finally, the Connected is also the first modern smartwatch designed by an actual watch company, so one would hope that it looks good. It does!

Despite all these firsts, the tech itself alone is obviously not worth the asking price. It connects to Android phones or iPhones — Android Wear functionality is still limited on iOS, but Google says more features are on the way.

So really, if you strip away the Swiss design, you’re not working much more than a muuuuuuch cheaper $US300 Moto 360. In other words, you’re buying the brand, and its promise of superior, luxury design. However, even that promise is a little watered down. At an event today, Tag Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver said that watch won’t be labelled “Swiss Made” but rather “Swiss Engineered,” which means that Switzerland doesn’t make wearable processors.

But that doesn’t keep the Tag Heuer Connected watch from looking incredibly great. It’s built from grade 2 titanium so it feels incredibly solid, and its 46mm diameter display makes it one of the bigger watches out there — but not one of the heaviest. It’s incredibly lightweight, owing to its titanium construction.

The screen is a massive 1.5-inch transflective display, so the watch looks good in doors and out. I couldn’t quite run outside to test that claim without possibly being tackled by security, but we’ve seen this tech in smartwatches like the Sony SmartWatch 3, so it most likely works fine.

Google did add in a few customisations for Tag Heuer. In the app launcher, the background is now a dark grey instead of a standard white to better match the grey titanium watch casing. The watch also has customisable watchfaces that instead of leaving small notifications on the bottom of the watchface, whether completely on or in low-power mode, it creates an icon integrated into the watchface, which helps make the Tag Heuer look more like a watch than a computer.

Other than that, Android Wear remains unsullied. Swipe up for quick notifications settings, down for different Android Wear cards and left to access the app drawer. A single crown at 3 o’clock on the device gives you a quick way to get back to the home screen.

The company is offering several band colours including black, white, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, each available separately. The straps use a pinch-and-release clasp, and are made from sturdy rubber, which is not quite as comfortable as genuine leather. Still, at least itgives you peace of mind if you want to get this thing a little wet. Importantly, the watch is IP67 water resistant.

Biver exclaimed several times throughout today’s unveiling that the Tag Heuer Connected watch was the marriage of Silicon Valley and Watch Valley, America and Switzerland. While that may be true, this hardware union doesn’t fix all the problems that come with smartwatches. If you didn’t like Android Wear before, Tag Heuer isn’t going to win you over on the software side of things, and if you wanted to get started with smartwatches, there’s much cheaper options.

But if you’re looking for something luxe that’s smart and actually made by a watch company, then that’s what Tag Heuer Connected is for.

While there’s no official Australian price tag for the Tag Heuer Connected, you can take a guess from the international pricing of 1500 US dollars, 1350 Euros, 1400 Swiss francs, and 1100 British pounds. We’ve been told to expect a price around the $2000 mark in Australia, from a couple of different local Tag Heuer stockists.

Weirdly, after the Tag Heuer Connected’s two-year warranty runs out, you can take it back to a Tag store and exchange it for “a mechanical Swiss Made Carrera watch, with similar design, also made from grade 2 titanium”. That’s great if you get sick of Android or if something immeasurably better comes along, but at the same time it doesn’t scream confidence in the long-term viability of a smartwatch from one of the world’s leading watchmakers.

TAG Heuer Connected Specs

• OS: Android Wear 1.3 (compatible with Android 4.3+ and iOS 8.2+)
• CPU: Intel Atom processor Z34XX
• Display: 46mm
• Resolution: 360×360 360×360
• Storage: 4GB
• Battery: reported 18-20 hours on average
• Wireless Charging: No
• Wifi: Yes
• Waterproof: No, IP67 water resistance though
• Price: $US1,500
• Available now
• Notable Extras: Two-year warranty, can switch out with a new mechanical watch at the end of the two-year warranty for $US1500.

[MIKA27]

This Christmas Commercial Is A Tear-jerking Reminder Of Childhood Space Dreams

Holiday gift ads usually suck, but this one — a heart-warming reminder of every child’s daydreams of space and the man that lives on the moon — is just too good not to watch.

John Lewis, the British department store that created the video, has a fine track record for heartwarming seasonal ads. Last year it was about this wonderful Calvin and Hobbes-style story about a kid and his penguin. This year’s, I think, is better.

[MIKA27]

JERRY CAN HIP FLASK

The Jerry Can Hip Flask is such a simple and obvious idea that I’m a little annoyed at myself for not having come up with it years ago. Each of these flasks is based on the design of the original German Jerry Can that pre-dates WWII, but it’s been sized down to hold 6 ounces (175 ml) of life sustaining firewater.

The flask is made from stainless steel and it has a screw top to ensure a nice whiskey-tight seal. It measures in at 2.95″ by 1.57″ by 3.86″, so it’ll fit neatly in most pockets.

[MIKA27]

2017 Range Rover Evoque Convertible

Admittedly, this isn’t what you would expect from Land Rover. And sure, you lose some luggage toting capabilities, but be honest, what could be cooler than a drop-top Range Rover? Built on the existing (and wildly popular) Evoque platform, the top on the 2017 Range Rover Evoque Convertible goes down in a speedy 18 seconds, and if inclement weather is imminent, then 21 seconds is all it takes to put it back up. Convertible roof aside, the remainder of the Evoque is unchanged. Available next year.

[MIKA27]

ANCHOR OUR SPECIAL ALE

If it feels early for holiday beers, it's really not, as most are released at the start of November. The best ones, like Our Special Ale from Anchor Brewing, are picked over by the time you're in the holiday spirit, but thankfully no such feelings are necessary to enjoy this time honored brew. The 41st installment of this classic comes once again with a beautiful hand drawn label, unique for 2015. And the beer itself is always a winner. This year's recipe has fewer spices than usual — a nod to earlier recipes when the hop flavors were more pronounced, making it another unique holiday gem that's more than worthy of some of your fridge space.

[MIKA27]

The Incredible 18 Month Process Of Making A Shotgun

It takes decades of experience and hundreds and hundreds of man hours to make a William & Son shotgun. There’s an expert for the barrel, a master to handle the engraving, a wizard to finish it off and many more skilled hands involved in the entire process. We get to see a glimpse of how it’s done in the video below. Steel, wood, art, fire, water — it’s a combination of so much.

[MIKA27]

WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE WITH THESE EPIC STAR WARS WATCHES

It's not long until one of the most anticipated movies of the year Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits the big screen and from the trailers leaked so far, it looks like it's going to be well worth the hype.

To celebrate the start of a whole new chapter in the saga, American brand Nixon teamed up with LucasFilm to create a series of limited edition Star Wars watches designed specifically for the hardcore fan.

Each watch contains unique features and designs specific to the character its based on, along with a unique hallmark on the back. There's the crisp black and white tribute to the Stormtrooper and a striking LED red and black design for the Imperial Pilot.

The best of the bunch though, is the Darth Vader timepiece, finely crafted in a custom titanium case with a dial inspired by Vader's ventilation mask.

We're told that the likes of Luke Skywalker, R2D2, C3PO and even Chewbacca will also have timepieces out in time for the film.

The question is, which side of the force will you choose?

[MIKA27]

Russian Artist Sets Fire to Spy Headquarters

On Sunday night, a fragile, skinny and pale man, with a hood cloaking his head, stood at the entrance to the headquarters of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB)—the inheritor to the KGB—and methodically poured gasoline onto the front door. Then he lit the wooden entrance on fire with his lighter, and waited calmly, with his back to the flames, holding the gas can in his hands as the authorities descended.

It was a scene straight out of an action movie and the arsonist was, in fact, a performance artist—although the fire was very real.

The artist, 31-year-old Petr Pavlensky is well known inside Russia for his outré stunts—including nailing his scrotum to the cobblestones of Red Square, stitching his lips together to protest the imprisonment of ***** Riot members, and slicing off his earlobe in a Van Gogh-ian act atop the Serbsky psychiatric clinic, where the Soviets infamously locked up their dissidents.

But Pavlensky’s Sunday night performance was his bravest—and perhaps his most insane—yet. During Stalin’s years of terror and at the KGB’s height of power, Lubyanka Square was a place of fear, where secret police tortured countless citizens. It is now the site of a yearly protest against Russia’s crimes under Stalin and, of course, still houses the FSB.

Before setting the security headquarters on fire, Pavlensky wrote a statement about his act: “The burning of Lubyanka’s door is a glove that our society throws into the terrorist threat introduced by the FSB, which is using its methods of endless terror to keep power over 146 million people.” In previous interviews with The Daily Beast, Pavlensky characterized his art as being addressed to Russia’s politicians, law-enforcement agencies, and its “terrorized citizens,” whose human and constitutional rights were often abused.

Risking his own freedom and damaging his own body are central to Pavlensky’s idea of performance art. He aims to shock, to shake up, and wake up his audience—even if they react with fear or disgust. Most of Pavlensky’s street theater involves causing himself intense physical pain, and his performances are usually followed by hours of detention and humiliating interrogations by the authorities. Up to this point, though, Pavlensky has escaped prison: “It would look ridiculous, I think they understand that,” he told The Daily Beast in August. “By locking me up, they would just add an element to the picture I put together in my metaphors.”

Shortly after that interview, Pavlensky stood trial for alleged vandalism in a February incident in which he and his friends burned car tires and waved the national flag of Ukraine on the Malo-Konyushennyi Bridge in St. Petersburg, to demonstrate their support for the Maidan revolutionaries and protest Russia’s involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. (The trial is ongoing and has been postponed multiple times.)

A few months prior, in November 2013, Pavlensky had nailed his privates to Red Square, home to mass executions in the Middle Ages and modern-day military parades. At the time, Pavlensky said he was protesting the apathy, political indifference and fatalism of Russian society. “As the government turns the country into one big prison, stealing from the people and using the money to grow and enrich the police apparatus and other repressive structures, society is allowing this, and forgetting its numerical advantage [and] is bringing the triumph of the police state closer by its inaction,” he said in a statement that year.

And this past October, Pavlensky sat for hours atop the Serbsky psychiatric center, bleeding and shivering, holding his own earlobe in his hand. After police arrested and interrogated him—which, he admits, he is afraid of, but which he thinks adds to the power of the performance—he later wrapped himself in a long sausage of barbed wire to indicate the spiraling script of his investigator’s signature.

Meanwhile, the most recent survey by the Levada center found that only 37 percent of Russians say they are interested in politics, with 77 percent of population not expecting mass street protests in reaction to the declining economy. Most state officials ignore Pavlensky’s performances, with the exception of the Minister of Culture, Vladimir Medinsky, who once commented that the only place Pavlensky belongs is in a museum on the history of psychiatric illness.

But Pavlensky is not giving up his efforts to make a difference—and among his fellow artists, he’s generally held in high regard. Cultural critics have compared him to Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose narratives put readers face-to-face with their own conscience. And art expert Marat Gelman told The Daily Beast, “All Pavlensky’s actions are specifically conducted so that as soon as the authorities take repressive measures against him, they immediately act along the lines of his own script.”

Pavlensky has even become friends with one of his former interrogators, Pavel Yasman, who told The Village, an online Russian publication, that “My attitude towards him is normal and human, without antipathy, for sure.”

But this time, after setting fire to FSB headquarters, prison looks more likely for Pavlensky. On Monday, investigators asked Pavlensky if he meant to harm anybody with his actions on Lubyanka square. The artist explained that at 4:30 am, when he poured gasoline on the entrance, he was the only one around. Meanwhile, his statement was released, along with the video of the fire. In it, Pavlensky declares, “terrorism can exist only when fed by animal instinctive fear…but life is worth fighting for.”

[MIKA27]

SNOWBALL BLASTER PRO

As the temperature continues to drop in many parts of the world, I can’t help but think of all the awesome snowball fights you’ll be engaging in (something you never quite grow out of). And while there’s nothing wrong with using your arm to hurl powder at your friends, the Snowball Blaster Pro will ensure you’ll reign supreme on the battlefield.

This toy blaster will let users launch softball-sized snowballs at their enemies, offering a range of up to 80 feet. Ditching traditional battery power, this blaster is powered by elastomers, which means you won’t ever have to stop the game to grab a new set of batteries. Simply load the muzzle, acquire your target, and pull back the slingshot mechanism to fire. You can scoop yours up online for $35. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

Stumptown Grand Cru Cold Brew

Wine drinkers are probably familiar with the term “grand cru.” If you don’t dabble in Pinot, it basically means the grapes are from a particularly special area known for quality. The term has even been adopted by the the likes of Rodenbach and AleSmith when referring to one of their finest beers. And now it’s being adopted by Stumptown coffee.

Stumptown Grand Cru Cold Brew is made from rare Gesha beans. The story goes that Duane Sorenson, the founder of Stumptown, brought some Gesha seeds to a Honduran producer about 10 years ago. After caring for the temperamental plant for a decade, you can now taste the fruits of their labor. Expect to find notes of tea, bergamot and tropical fruit if you stumble upon a bottle at one of Stumptown’s cafes.

[MIKA27]

Excavation of 15th Century Church in the Tropics Reveals a Fallen City's Dark History

Archaeologists digging in the ruins of Cidade Velha, the once-thriving city on the Cabo Verde islands off the west coast of Africa have found the oldest Christian church in the tropics, and the horrible reason why the city was once so rich.

Cidade Velha was at one point the second richest city in the Portuguese Empire. This was no mean feat in the mid-1500s, when Portugal ruled a good piece of the Western world. At first it seems odd that a city on an archipelago three hundred miles off the coast of Africa would be so wealthy and powerful. A recently uncovered church reminds us as to how it got that way.

Nossa Senhora da Conceição was built around 1470, when Cidade Velha was just a small trading outpost for the Portuguese in the Cabo Verde islands. University researchers from Cambridge teamed up with the Cabo Verde government and Cabo Verde archaeologists to uncover the physical remains and virtually reconstruct as much of the church’s history as they could.

What they found was a huge extension to the modest church. The extension was built in 1500, an ever-growing monuments to the population of the island. One of the largest grave stones in the church belonged to Fernão Fiel de Lugo, the town treasurer and a famous slaver. Slavery was what built up Cabo Verde’s wealth, and its population. Thousands of slaves were brought to the island before being loaded onto different ships and sent off to be sold.

But that’s not all of the islands’ heritage. The city was also a melting pot, where people from Africa and Europe lived together and, inevitably, mixed their genes. The bodies in the churchyard can give archaeologists an idea about what that society was like. This is especially important to the people of Cabo Verde. The Republic of Cabo Verde is only forty years old, and its people would like to know the details of their history.

With luck, the church and its occupants can tell them about what went on half a millennium ago.

[MIKA27]

Mount Saint Helens May Share Magma with an Entire Field of Volcanoes

It took 2,500 seismometers, 23 explosive blasts, and countless earthquakes, but researchers now have a much better idea of what the magma chambers look like deep below Mount Saint Helens. The weird bit? It looks like it shares a magma chamber with a whole field of local volcanoes.

The iconic volcano of the Pacific Northwest is directly fed by a shallow magma chamber, but that wasn’t enough to satisfy the researchers behind the interdisciplinary Imaging Magma Under Saint Helens (IMUSH) project. They’re using a variety of geophysical techniques to peer deep into the Earth in an attempt to understand the deeper and more complicated plumbing under the volcano. Their first batch of results suggest that like the second chamber lurking deep below Yellowstone, Mount Saint Helens also has a deeper, larger second chamber.

Initial cross-section of the geology below Mount Saint Helens

Geophysics works by detecting the differences between different physical characteristics of rocks. How quickly seismic waves travel give indications of rock density, while electrical methods can get a glimpse at the rock’s conductivity. By comparing the spacial locations of different properties, geophysicists can interpret solid rock from warm chambers filled with pre-melt magma. These aren’t deep lakes of liquid lava; the magma chambers have shockingly little melt and are more ductile than fluid.

The newly-discovered deeper chamber is big, but we don’t yet know its full dimensions. Although the researchers have so far only put together a 2D slice of the structure, it’s plausible the chamber extends out just as wide. If it does, it could be a single feeder-chamber for the entire realm of inactive and dormant volcanoes in the region like Mount Adams and the rest of the Indian Heaven volcanic field.

Fewer than half the 2,500 seismometer stations used for the research study.

The research team also thinks they’ve found a narrow tube connecting this chamber to the one under Mount Saint Helens. By monitoring for earthquakes along this tube, seismologists will be better able to predict magma movement in advance of any future eruptions.

While most of the seismometers will be removed now the primary active phase of the experiment is complete, 75 will stay in place to continue subsurface mapping using seismic waves from any coincidental earthquakes that shake the mountain.

[MIKA27]

So The Walking Dead Cast a Different Perfect Actor as Its Newest Villain

Hey, remember last week when excellent actor-specializing-in-complex-villains Garret Dillahunt teased that he might be involved in The Walking Dead? Well, that didn’t happen. So instead the hit zombie series cast an even more perfect actor for the role.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has officially been cast as Negan, the next big bad that will menace Rick and the inhabitants of Alexandria. I guess it’s arguable whether Morgan has the same level of talent as Dillahunt, although even if not, Morgan is definitely no slouch. However, Morgan has had experience playing the same type of disturbingly upbeat, larger-than-life villain as Negan—namely his role as the Comedian in theWatchmen movie, in which he was pitch-perfect. Plus, although both characters are terrible, awful people, they both have a code—no, that’s not right— they both have a few lines they won’t cross, which makes them compelling even as they do supremely awful things. Negan is absolutely, 100% in Morgan’s wheelhouse.

I know Dillahunt could play—has played—that type of role in his sleep, but there’s a boisterousness, an energy to Jeffrey Dean Morgan that Dillahunt lacks, but which matches my idea of Negan exactly. So well done, The Walking Dead. Well done indeed,

[MIKA27]

Gunnar Hansen: 1947-2015

Some very sad news: the man behind Leatherface in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre has died.

Gunnar Hansen, who originated the Leatherface role in the horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, died Saturday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Maine. The Icelandic-born actor was 68.

The news was announced by Hansen's agent, Mike Eisenstadt, who called Leatherface "one of the most iconic evil figures in the history of cinema."

The 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was directed and co-written by Tobe Hooper. To horror fans, Leatherface was the cannibalistic hero, protecting family from a group of trespassing teenagers with nothing but a chainsaw.

Hanson was born in Reykjavik, Iceland. He moved to Maine with his family at the age of five. He worked as a computer operator after finishing school and began theatre work during college. Hanson studied English and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Texas.

To prepare for the role of Leatherface, which shot in 1973, Hansen visited and studied children with special needs.

Hansen co-starred in the film Demon Lover, but rejected a role in The Hills Have Eyes. He went back to graduate school in 1975, moved back to Maine and began writing. He edited books and wrote for magazines. He also taught.

A committed naturalist, Hansen published the nonfiction travel memoir, Islands At The Edge Of Time in 1993. He wrote the nonfiction book Chain Saw Confidential in 2013.

Hansen returned to acting for the horror spoof Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers in 1988. He appeared in 20 films including Freakshow, Apocalypse And The Beauty Queen, Wolfsbayne, Swarm Of The Snakehead Gunner, The Deepening and Chainsaw Sally.

Hansen is survived by his partner, Betty Tower.

Rest in peace, Mr Hansen.

[MIKA27]

This Keyboard Is *Just* For Flight Sim Nerds

Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X was an awesome game nine years ago, but it has enjoyed continued success from a dedicated fanbase — the kind of people with multi-monitor, multi-TV rigs with dedicated rooms. Now FSX has its very own specialised, backlit, custom-made keyboard.

The keyboard in question is made by a Manchester, UK company that’s only slightly older than the game itself. Editors Keys came about in 2005, and makes a wide range of silicone keyboard covers and dedicated editing keyboards for professional applications like Final Cut, Pro Tools and Adobe’s various and myriad software options.

With over 100 keys each having their own dedicated function within Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X, the just-launched Editors Keys FSX Keyboard is perfect for the kind of dedicated avionics geek that knows all about flaps and ailerons and take-off procedures, while the rest of us are stuck on the ground randomly stabbing at buttons in the virtual cockpit. You can buy it in Australia, too, with AusPCMarket securing a limited stock at $198 a pop.

Flight Sim X hasn’t actually been sold as a boxed retail edition for some times, unsurprisingly — it was actually the launch title in a gaming showcase of the power of Windows Vista (eurgh). Thank god, then, that it’s available on Steam, and that the developer Dovetail Games is working on DLC as well as future expansions.