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

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BOOKER'S RYE WHISKEY

The Booker's name is already known as one of the best barrel proof bourbons on the market. And now, with Booker's Rye Whiskey, they're aiming to set the bar even higher. The rye is made from some of the last barrels the late Booker Noe laid down 13 years ago in his favorite rack house and selected by his son Fred, the current master distiller at Jim Beam. It's older, darker, and more complex than just about every other rye whiskey you'll find, and packs a wallop at 136.2 proof. A rare, one-of-a-kind rye whiskey that is unlikely to ever be duplicated.

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Giant Jaws of Death: Strange Accounts of Modern Megalodon Attacks

In the history of our planet there are few predators that ever existed that were as terrifying and powerful as Carcharodon megalodon, also simply called the Megalodon. An enormous shark measuring up to 18meters long (60 feet) and believed to have possessed the strongest bite of any predator that ever lived, enough to crush an automobile, the Megalodon was one of the most fearsome creatures our planet has ever seen, terrorizing the seas during the Cenozoic Era, approximately 23 to 2.6 million years ago. It was a potent killing machine larger than a bus, made up of muscle, mouth, and jagged teeth up to 8 inches long, with which it used to tear through pretty much anything it could catch. Indeed, one can only imagine what a horrific, awe inspiring thing the sight of a 60-foot-long shark lurching from the depths would have been.

Or do we have to imagine? It is perhaps no surprise that with such a formidable mega predator that there are some accounts that not only does the Megalodon still exist, but that it is still very much willing to attack with as much ferocity as ever. Among the numerous reports of alleged modern Megalodon sightings, by far the most dramatic and intriguing are those of these ancient monsters attacking other sea life or indeed human beings. These reports capture the imagination with their peek into the possibility that one of the mightiest terrors the ocean has ever known may still be quite alive and well, as well as hungry.

Megalodon jaws

One such account comes from 1918, when Australian naturalist David Stead was visiting Port Stephens, Australia and came across some terrified local crayfish fishermen who refused to venture out to their regular deep water fishing grounds near Broughton Island. When pressed as to what had upset them so much, they related a rather fantastic tale. The fishermen claimed that they had been out fishing the deep waters collecting their crayfish pots when an immense shark reportedly measuring over 35 meters (115 feet) long swooped in, uprooted, and devoured numerous crayfish pots “pots, mooring lines and all,” totally destroying their equipment and eating their catch. The terrified fishermen reported that the massive shark was unlike anything the seasoned crew had ever seen before, and was a pure white in color. The giant shark apparently passed by several times in a threatening manner, causing the water to “boil” over a large swath as it passed. These experienced seamen were adamant that the creature was most certainly not a whale.

While in this particular case the alleged shark did not directly attack the fishing boat itself, it nevertheless serves to illustrate the threatening demeanor and sheer size of this mystery beast. Other reports are of a decidedly more menacing tone. In 2003, headlines were made and the Internet was set ablaze by the story of a 9-foot long great white shark that was inexplicably attacked by some mysterious super predator. In this case, the shark had been tagged with a “black box” of sorts, which had measured the entire incident. When this black box was found washed up on shore in the aftermath of the mystery attack, the data proved to be a conundrum for experts. According to the data, the shark had been suddenly and rapidly dragged down around 609 meters (2,000 feet) into the cold dark depths, yet the temperature reading actually rose to a temperature consistent with the inside of a large animal, although it was considered too low for a killer whale and too high for another shark, unless it was far larger than normal.

Megalodon with great white shark

The story took the media by storm and captured the imagination of the public. What sort of menacing creature could have so decisively devoured a great white shark, the most feared known shark, and what did the mysterious data mean? The puzzle steadily generated headlines proclaiming that the shark had been attacked by an unknown “super predator,” a “sea monster,” or indeed the Megalodon. It is now believed by many experts that the “smaller” 9-foot long shark was taken by a larger, uncommonly huge great white shark, possibly one suffering from gigantism, which could account for the elevated body temperature. Yet speculation continues that perhaps it was the long thought to be extinct Megalodon making an appearance to snatch the great white up. The answer to what exactly killed the shark has not been conclusively answered, so it is likely the Megalodon theory will continue to be bandied about. Whatever it was, it was at least large enough to cause some alarm. Marine biologist Dave Riggs, whose team had tagged the shark, said of the speculation:

The internal temperature of the animal that ate the shark is a weird one. It appears to be too low for a killer whale and too high for another shark, unless it was massive. The big shark scenario is the theory that is most widely accepted although I’ve noticed a lot of other creatures being suggested online – I don’t think that Godzilla is a possibility though!

Another possible Megalodon attack was reported from around 50 miles north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 2013. In this case, a massive shark was seen to drag the carcass of a sperm whale underwater after apparently killing it. Witnesses claimed that they saw the enormous tail fin of a monster shark break the water’s surface, after which the whole carcass was pulled under with breathtaking force. One long time local resident explained in the Sage News:

I have lived on the coast for most of my life. I have never seen a shark’s tail fin that large. It must have been the width of my fishing troller.

About an hour after the alleged attack, the carcass of the whale was said to have washed up on shore, and displayed evidence of having been ravaged by something very aggressive and very large. One marine biologist named Robert Culper, who allegedly examined the carcass, said that it appeared as if the entire lower third of the animal had been “dissected with one bite,” and that a large tooth measuring a whopping 7.5 inches long had been found embedded within the dead whale’s spine. According to the news report, it was estimated from the size of the tooth and the bite radius that whatever had attacked the whale had been far larger than any known specimen of great white, with some estimates claiming that the beast may have been up to 100 feet long and with a bite radius of 7 to 8 feet. In response to rampant speculation that the culprit was a surviving Megalodon, Culper stated:

I cannot say that the whale was attacked by a Megalodon. But whatever attacked and killed this beast should have paleontologists rather excited.

Alleged photo of a whale carcass attacked by a Megalodon

There have been numerous reports of purported Megalodons attacking and maiming whales, and there have been various photos put forth on the Internet supposedly offering proof of this. One such account is that of a whale that had its entire tail allegedly gnawed off in Hawaii in 2009. This propensity for attacking whales would actually fit in well with what is known of the behavior of Megalodon sharks, as it has been discovered in recent years that this predator often preyed on whales and other large sea creatures such as seals, sea lions, giant sea turtles, sea cows, dolphins, and porpoises. Fossilized evidence in the form of ancient whale carcasses has been found that shows the characteristic marks of very large shark teeth, and in the 1990s it was ascertained by paleontologist Dr. Bretton Kent that the Megalodon was far more aggressive in its attack style than previously thought, after examining the remains of a fossilized baleen whale that had been killed by a Megalodon. It was also found that the Megalodon was fond of targeting hard, bony areas of its prey, which it would crush with awesome power, rather than the soft targets preferred by modern great whites.

While stories of surviving giant sharks prowling the seas to wreak havoc are spooky and intriguing, and may not even be impossible, they are not done any service by modern society’s penchant for jumping on them and sensationalizing them to the point that these accounts become hard to swallow. The Internet is awash with numerous videos on sites such as YouTube that purportedly show Megalodons menacing ships or even outright attacking, such as one scary video of a group of cage divers being harassed by a shark that seems to be far larger than any normal great white. Yet as popular and widely viewed as they are, the veracity of these videos remains in question.

By far the worst offender in hyping up the existence of giant killer sharks and surviving Megalodons is the famous documentary network Discovery Channel.

In recent years, the network as increasingly upped the ante on turning up the spooky factor with its annual Shark Week episodes. Each year, the Discovery Channel has become more and more brazen with putting out what have been termed “mockumentaries.” These are programs which go through great lengths to pass as genuine documentaries, presenting footage, evidence, interviews with eyewitnesses, and talks with various “experts” within the field.

The programs are extremely convincing in their portrayal of events, and although they are usually marked as at least partially fictional in fleeting disclaimers at the beginning and end of the programs, to the causal viewer they seem to be the real deal, and indeed they are obviously meant to be taken that way.

Mixed within the realistic depictions of various phenomena, these documentaries make heavy use of “expert testimony” which is often gained through less than reputable means. Real experts are often led along a manipulative, misleading line of questioning meant to draw out the answers producers seek, which are then edited to seem to be endorsements for whatever mystery the show is peddling. If an expert is not available, then the interview is simply faked with actors posing as professionals, with credentials that cannot be traced, and even the eyewitness testimonies can be faked with actors. “Found footage” and photographs are spruced up with clever CGI and spliced together to complete the ruse. The end result is a program that on the surface for all intents and purposes genuinely feels like an authentic documentary portraying real events and exhibiting honest expert opinions, yet which is at its heart a farce.

During Shark Week, the Discovery Channel has released several of these mockumentaries, which have served to draw in viewers and have the unsuspecting masses buy the whole thing hook, line, and sinker. The Discovery Channel released several high profile such programs for several years running concerning the continued existence of the Megalodon, and these often involved supposed stories of aggressive attacks by the beasts. In 2013 and 2014, the network released two programs entitled Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives and Megalodon: The New Evidence.

Photo purportedly showing a Megalodon passing a U-boat

The programs offered up several pieces of supposed photographic evidence for the continued existence of the Magalodon, such as one photo purportedly showing a monster shark cruising past a Nazi U-boat during World War II in what is advertised as a “declassified image.” The photo was claimed to show a shark estimated as being around 100 feet long, and at first glance seems to be genuine, but it turns out that according to many astute commenters it was very likely a complete fake or at least heavily doctored. Other photos presented showed half-eaten whales and extremely large sharks swimming off shore, all of which are of unknown and questionable authenticity. There are also presented sonar readings claimed to be of massive sharks far larger than any currently known to exist.

The same programs presented the harrowing tale of a South African vessel that was purportedly attacked by a Megalodon, killing four of its crew members. The footage is presented as a sort of “found footage” scenario from crew aboard a charter fishing vessel on April 5, 2013 in Hout Bay, South Africa. The video purportedly shows a very large, unknown animal aggressively capsizing the boat either through ramming it or biting it, which allegedly had six people aboard. According to the show, the bodies of four of those aboard were never recovered. The video is presented as absolutely real, and the program goes through great lengths to reinforce the genuine feel of the whole incident, even showing purported news footage in the aftermath that seems to show a news conference with South African authorities speaking on the frightening incident. The problem with this whole amazing account is that follow up investigation has not been able to turn up any official reports or news items that the whole incident ever happened at all, and the South African media seems surprisingly silent on the matter, leading many to suspect the whole thing was a clever fake. In an article called “Megalodon — The Monster Shark Lives! (Not),” dinosaur expert Bob Strauss criticized the whole alleged incident, saying:

What can you say about a TV documentary in which the suspiciously good-looking lead protagonist — “marine biologist” Collin Drake — comes up empty in a Google search? Or, for that matter, his equally attractive “marine biologist” pal Madelyn Joubert, who joins him halfway through the show, and whom a cursory web search easily demonstrates not to exist? And, not to belabor the point, a TV show that starts with suspiciously staged-looking video footage of a charter boat capsizing off the coast of South Africa, and no references can be found about this accident (in which three passengers were supposedly killed) from reliable online news sources? I don’t know much about charter boats, but I do know that people whose ship is in the process of sinking do not take the trouble to center their subjects on frame.

Photo of an alleged Megalodon attacking a whale

Another rather dramatic incident portrayed in the program is the tale of a group of marine biologists who claimed to have tagged a terrifyingly massive shark from a shark cage. The huge shark was tagged and is then said to have lurched at them and then dive at great speed down to a depth beyond which any known shark is capable of. Although the team claims they did not get a good look at the creature, they are fairly certain it was a monstrous shark, perhaps a living Megalodon. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to tell how real any of this account is.

Another Shark Week program called aired in 2014 called Shark of Darkness: Wrath of Submarine, outlines the tale of a colossal, 35-foot long shark, named Submarine, which is said to prowl the South African coast attacking boats and whales. The legendary shark was supposedly first spotted in 1970, after which it is said to have stalked these waters and frequently capsize fishing vessels or ravaged sea life. The program claims that Submarine is well known by locals, and provides interviews with eyewitnesses who have seen it, but it is unclear whether these witnesses are genuine or merely actors. The Discovery Channel attached to the show an easy-to-miss disclaimer noting that the material presented is “based on rumor and hearsay,” but does not actually admit to faking anything. Nevertheless, Submarine is supposedly still sighted to this day. Is it a real cryptid or something totally created by the program? It is hard to say.

These sorts of programs are frustrating in that they so seamlessly blend stage dramatizations and manipulated expert testimony with potentially real evidence that they blur the lines and make it very difficult to ascertain where reality ends and pure fabrication begins. The Discovery Channel, for its part, has defended its programming. In response to the outcry and accusations of misleading the public, the executive producer of Shark Week, Michael Sorensen, stated that three disclaimers had been aired with the shows, including one which read “none of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents.” Other disclaimers stated “certain events and characters in this film have been dramatized,” and that “legends of giant sharks persist all over the world; there is still debate about what they may be.” However, these disclaimers still manage to cleverly avoid outright admitting any blatant fakery, and it is uncertain just what “dramatized” means in relation to the programs or to what extent it is used. Sorensen was similarly evasive when he commented on the shows, saying:

With a whole week of Shark Week programming ahead of us, we wanted to explore the possibilities of Megalodon. It’s one of the most debated shark discussions of all time, ‘can Megalodon exist today?’ It’s (the) ultimate Shark Week fantasy. The stories have been out there for years and with 95 percent of the ocean unexplored, who really knows?

These statements have done little to staunch the anger of those who feel they have been tricked. The shows clearly were meant to be taken as genuine documentaries, and those who feel that the network was dishonest and deliberately misguiding and tricking its viewers have generally been very vocal about it. Actor Will Wheaton (yes, its exactly that Will Wheaton) immediately took to his blog to rant at the network on the matter, lamenting:

Discovery Channel betrayed that trust during its biggest viewing week of the year. Discovery Channel isn’t run by stupid people, and this was not some kind of mistake. Someone made a deliberate choice to present a work of fiction that is more suited for the SyFy channel as a truthful and factual documentary. That is disgusting, and whoever made that decision should be ashamed.

Megalodon tooth

Regardless, the Magalodon shows managed to smash ratings records, becoming the most watched episodes of Shark Week ever aired, so people are obviously interested in the topic. How much of the programs was true and how much is whole cloth fabrications? Is there any merit to what was presented in these shows concerning the Megalodon or is it all just pure made-up hogwash? It is difficult to tell, and the network remains quite ambiguous and evasive about the whole thing. Until a serious documentary that is more interested in informing than in sensationalism, entertainment, and getting ratings, it is probably best to take whatever is presented in these types of programs with a healthy grain of salt. Sadly, there was a time when the Discovery Channel was a place where one could usually rely on getting such genuine, educational documentaries.

So what are we left with? Does the Megalodon still stalk the seas, just as much of a killing machine as it has ever been? Are reports of attacks by massive sharks evidence of surviving Megalodons or simply very large versions of modern great white sharks? With accounts of supposed Megalodons are we dealing with a genuine surviving population, misidentifications of size, or flat out hoaxes? For now, we simply do not know. With the remote vastness of the world’s oceans, it is perhaps possible that these formidable mega predators could exist somewhere out there, but until we find solid evidence of this we can only look out to the waves and wonder if the Megalodon still lurks out there in the deep, cruising around for its next victim.

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This Cocktail Was Once as Popular as the Martini. And Then It Disappeared.

In the cocktail renaissance of the last decade, many classics have been exhumed, polished, and updated for modern palates. Some have taken hold and are now as common on bar menus across the country as the gin-and-tonic. The Bijou is not one of them.

Which is a shame—the drink has a bright sweetness up front that soon gives way to a velvety mouth feel and wonderfully complex bold herbal and bitter notes on the back end. The original 19th-Century recipe for the Bijou—which calls for equal parts gin, sweet vermouth, and green chartreuse (a sweet, herbal, and pungent liquor with a high alcohol content that has been produced for centuries by French monks), a dash of orange bitters, a twist of a lemon peel over the glass before discarding it, and a cherry—embodied a new direction for cocktails. "Beginning in the early 1880s, American bartenders, seeking to cater to a more sophisticated, cosmopolitan clientele, turned to vermouth and other European aperitifs, digestifs, and cordials to broaden the range of colors on their palettes," says David Wondrich, cocktail author, historian, and longtime Esquire contributor. "These proved to be the keystone that capped the structure of the classic mixologist's craft."

FUN FACT: BROADWAY'S ORIGINAL BIJOU THEATER OPENED IN 1880 ON THE SITE OF WHAT HAD BEEN A BAR RUN BY PERHAPS THE ERA'S MOST WELL-KNOWN BARTENDER, JERRY THOMAS. IT EVEN USED THE LAYOUT OF THE BAR AS THE BASIS FOR ITS DESIGN.

The Bijou had a decades-long run of popularity. But while its famous contemporaries, the Manhattan and the martini, continued to thrive post Prohibition, the Bijou—perhaps because it was never updated to reflect evolving tastes—faded into obscurity with only weathered cocktail-recipe books serving as proof it ever existed.

POLISHING OFF AN OLD JEWEL

While updating his bar menu at New York City's Rainbow Room in the 1980s, legendary bartender Dale DeGroff stumbled upon a recipe for the Bijou in Harry Johnson's Bartenders' Manual (1900).

While the green chartreuse provides the Bijou—which translates to "jewel" in French—with a boldness that is the drink's defining characteristic, the original specs were "too sweet and a bit overpowering," says DeGroff. "I wanted a drier and subtler drink that didn't bang me over the head with Chartreuse and vermouth—both complex powerful flavors on top of the complexity of the gin—it was all too much."

DeGroff decided to triple the ratio of gin to vermouth and chartreuse, which softened the taste profile. His updated take—part of his regular rotation for decades and now published in his book, The Essential Cocktail: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks (2008)— wasn't immediately embraced ("it was still a bit too esoteric," he thinks), but he liked its "complexity and flavor nuances." And eventually his recipe became the industry standard.

"I prefer Dale's recipe because I think our collective palate—or at least, my own—has become a bit drier and veers towards the more gin-forward," says Justin Lane Briggs, "Ambassador of Booze" for Skurnik Wines + Spirits. "The Chartreuse is such a powerful ingredient, it's in no danger of being washed away…and the vermouth still rounds the game out and brightens the drink up remarkably."

BIJOU

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Plymouth)
• 0.5 oz sweet vermouth
• 0.5 oz green chartreuse
• 1 dash, orange bitters
• Lemon peel
• Cherry or olive for garnish

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients, except the lemon peel and garnish, to a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the lemon peel over the glass to express the oils and discard. Garnish with the cherry or olive.

 

BIJOU VARIATION

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Tanqueray)
• 1.5 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Martini and Rossi)
• 0.5 oz green chartreuse
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 2 dashes Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters or Angostura Bitters
• 2 dashes Pernod Absinthe
• Orange peel, for garnish

Instructions:

Add all the ingredients except the garnish to a mixing glass. Fill with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Twist the orange peel over the glass to express the oils and discard.

 

THE TAILSPIN

Backstory: Although Tailspin recipes exist from as far back as the 1930s, they are exactly the same as the one for the original Bijou. This one, uncovered and popularized by Robert Hess, uses a Campari rinse. (Feel free to leave a bit of it in the glass.)

Ingredients:

 

• Campari rinse
• 1.5 oz gin (preferably Beefeater)
• 1 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Carpano Antica)
• 1 oz green chartreuse
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Lemon twist, for garnish

Instructions:

Rinse a coupe with Campari and discard, then stir the rest of the ingredients over ice and strain into the coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.

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Boblbee Backpack 

The Boblbee Backpack for motorcycle riders has a cult following, it doesn’t just make it easy to carry your stuff around, it’s also a back protector. The versatile pack was specifically designed with motorcycle riders in mind, it features an aerodynamically molded top to improve the airflow behind the riders helmet, an impact protective ABS shell, a super ventilated soft foam back panel, an inside organizer with laptop case and accessory pockets, a detachable phone pocket, and the top is secured with a new safety lock and side loops that are easy to use even with gloves. If you are looking for top-level protection for your gear and your spine, you should check it out, it is perfect for demanding riders and great for skiers.

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MAUI BREWING COCONUT HIWA PORTER

Even during the summer months there are some darker beers that fit in well with cookouts and beach trips. Maui Brewing Coconut Hiwa Porter is one of those, made with hand-toasted coconut and hints of mocha. It's an easy choice year-round, and is even easier to choose with this newly unveiled can design. A flavorful porter that might be as close as you get to the Hawaiian Islands this summer.

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CASIO EDIFICE BLUETOOTH WATCH

Your phone automatically updates to the correct time wherever you might be. Shouldn't your watch do the same? That's the premise behind the Casio Edifice Bluetooth Watch. Using a Bluetooth connection to your phone, it automatically updates itself four times a day, setting not only the main dial to the correct local time, but also the second time zone subdial, as well as the day and date. You can switch the time between the two using a single button, and also use the watch to track down your phone. Other features include a solar charging system that can use even fluorescent lights for power, 3D rounded indices and a 3D globe dial that shows the time in relation to the Earth's rotation, and a sturdy metal body that's water resistant to 100 meters.

 

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Japan's New Godzilla Movie Has Another Solemn, Stunning Trailer

Shin Godzilla is just about to premiere in Japan, and so it’s time for a new trailer. Just like the first, it’s solemn, but jam-packed with a) concerned Japanese people, and the King of Kaiju shrugging off some pretty hefty resistance like it’s no big deal.

We still don’t know a lot about Hideki Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s movie — which will be called Godzilla: Resurgence when it hits Western shores later this year — but it’s hard to deny that these stark, dialogue-less trailers are extremely effective.

All you need to know is that Godzilla is coming, and no one is prepared to stop him. Hence all the shots of very concerned Japanese officials! You’d be concerned too, if something as freaky looking as the new Godzilla showed up to wreck shop.

Shin Godzilla hits Japanese theatres on July 29.

 

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The Chronicles Of Amber TV Series Could Be The Next Game Of Thrones

Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) will bring Roger Zelazny’s 10-part Chronicles of Amber book series to television, with co-producer David Alpert of Skybound Entertainment calling it “one of my favourite book series of all time” and “a lifelong dream” of a project. Sounds like it’s in good hands.

So far, there’s no other info (no writers, directors, network or timetable), but this is still an announcement worth getting excited about. And not just if you’re a Walking Dead fan. Zelazny’s work had a huge impact on George R.R. Martin, who wrote a touching tribute when the author, who’d become a personal friend, died in 1995:

Lord of Light was the first Zelazny book I ever read. I was in college at the time, a long time reader who dreamed of writing himself one day. I’d been weaned on Andre Norton, cut my teeth on Heinlein juveniles, survived high school with the help of H.P. Lovecraft, Isaac Asimov, “Doc” Smith, Theodore Sturgeon, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I read Ace doubles and belonged to the Science Fiction Book Club, but I had not yet found the magazines. I’d never heard of this Zelazny guy. But when I read those words for the first time, a chill went through me, and I sensed that SF would never be the same. Nor was it. Like only a few before him, Roger left his mark on the genre.

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The New Batman Game Will Be About Finding Balance Between Bruce Wayne And The Dark Knight

 

The first episode of Telltale’s upcoming Batman game will hit on August 2.

If the voice playing Bruce sounds familiar, that’s probably because you’ve heard Troy Baker in a million different video games and animated projects in the past few years. The rest of the cast includes Travis Willingham as Harvey Dent, Enn Reitel as Alfred Pennyworth and Murphy Guyer as Lieutenant James Gordon among others.

Telltale’s had a winning record with adapting genre favourites into video game form, with very good Fables, Game of Thrones and Walking Dead releases under their belt. We’ll see how they fare in Gotham when Batman: The Telltale Series comes out for desktop, console and mobile platforms in a few weeks.

 

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Netflix Has A New Series Of Making A Murderer Underway

Executive Producers/Directors, Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, are in production on new episodes of the Emmy-nominated Making a Murderer.

The new installments will take us back inside the story of convicted murderer Steven Avery, and his co-defendant, Brendan Dassey, as their respective investigative and legal teams challenge their convictions and the State fights to have the convictions and life sentences upheld.

This next chapter will provide an in-depth look at the high-stakes post-conviction process, as well as the emotional toll the process takes on all involved.

The episodes will offer exclusive access to Avery’s new lawyer Kathleen Zellner and Dassey’s legal team, led by Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin, as well as intimate access to the families and
characters close to the case.

“We are extremely grateful for the tremendous response to, and support of, the series,” said creators, Ricciardi and Demos. “The viewers’ interest and attention has ensured that the story is not over, and we are fully committed to continuing to document events as they unfold”

Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentary Programming said it is Ricciardi and Demos’ vision, commitment and keen eye audiences around the globe became captivated by the personal stories of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey, and the unique lens their experiences provide into the criminal justice system.

“We’re thrilled to be continuing our longstanding relationship with the filmmakers, and look forward to giving our global viewers eagerly anticipated updates on this story,” Nishimura said.

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San Andreas Earthquakes Can Be Caused By The Moon And Sun

Since the time of Isaac Newton, scientists have wondered if the gravitational pull of the sun and moon might be strong enough to trigger earthquakes and tremors on Earth. An analysis of 81,000 low-frequency earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault now confirms these suspicions.

The new paper, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that small, deep earthquakes within California’s San Andreas Fault — the primary plate boundary fault in southern California that extends for 1300km — are more likely to occur when the tide is waxing. A team led by Nicholas J. van der Elst from the US Geological Survey chronicled tens of thousands of quakes along the fault during a repeating two-week tidal cycle, known as “fortnightly tides”.

Given the complex dance of the sun and moon relative to the Earth’s surface, different parts of the Earth are subject to different tidal cycles. The classic 12-hour and 24-hour tides are well observed along the coast lines, but other long period tides exist as well, including the fortnightly tide — a recurring tidal phase that varies in magnitude over the course of its 14-day cycle. A fortnightly tide happens when the Earth-moon “bulges” are combined with the Earth-sun “bulges”, resulting in a twice monthly change in the range of the tides.

The idea that the sun and moon might be pulling and pushing the Earth’s crust like an accordion has captivated scientists for hundreds of years. Alexis Perrey, a 19th century French seismologist, suspected a correlation between the moon and seismic activity on Earth, and devoted much of his life’s work to the subject.

Perrey struggled to find empirical evidence to support his assertion, but his followers would have better luck. Today, it’s well established that “solid Earth tides”, as they’re called, can trigger tremors (very slight earthquakes that cause little to no damage) virtually anywhere that tectonic tremors are found. Scientists have also found evidence (though that evidence is scant) that solid-Earth tides can trigger more substantial earthquakes. But these gravitationally triggered events are only observed in very select environments, such as mid-oceanic ridges and shallow thrust faults.

For the new study, van der Elst and his team considered the potential for tidal cycles to trigger slow, deep and relatively weak tremblors known as low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs). They compared the phase of the solid-earth tide with the timing of 81,000 cataloged LFEs that occurred along the fault from 2008 to 2015.

And they discovered that the fortnightly tide cycle triggers earthquakes along the San Andreas fault, but only under certain conditions. The number of LFEs spiked as the two-week cycle was still waxing — not at its maximum peak when the gravitational pull from the sun and the moon is at its strongest.

The researchers theorise that the LFEs are triggered when the stress imposed by the solid-earth tide exceeds the strength of the fault at a given point, resulting in a fault slip. The gravitational pull of sun and moon slightly lifts and lowers the earth’s crust, stretching and compressing crustal rocks. Sometimes this is enough to cause a quake.

This research strengthens the suspected links between tidal forces and earthquakes, while providing a new way of studying plate tectonics. It could even help seismologists predict when earthquakes and tremors might happen.

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Life Doesn't Get Much Worse Than Crashing Into A Cop Car While Playing Pokemon GO

Pokemon GO has suddenly made a lot of people do a lot of stupid stuff. In Baltimore, one man literally crashed into a parked police car while two cops were standing right next to it. Nice job, idiot. Even worse for this dude, the whole crash was captured by police body cameras.

#PokemonGO is not all fun and games. Here is a video of a distracted driver who struck one of our cars. #PlaySafe pic.twitter.com/kOTfbTcILo
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) July 19, 2016

In general, using your phone while driving is a pretty good way to kill yourself and others. Don’t look at your phone in any capacity while driving. It’s extremely dangerous! Pokemon GO can wait.

“That’s what I get for playing this dumb arse game,” the Pokemon GO addict told cops moments after crashing into their parked patrol car. According to ABC, the Baltimore Police didn’t say if this man was facing charges, or if he was seeking treatment for his Pokemon addiction. It doesn’t appear as if anyone was hurt.

This isn’t the first time there’s been a Pokemon GO related crash. Just last week, a man crashed his car into a tree while playing the game.

[MIKA27]

Australian Scientists Find A Key Process In The Formation Of Life

A research project led by The Australian National University (ANU) has closed an important gap in the understanding of a fundamental process of life — the creation of proteins based on recipes called RNA.

RNAs are short-lived copies of genetic information stored in DNA. They are read by cellular ribosomes, which translate the recipes into proteins to become the main building blocks of life.
Lead researcher Professor Thomas Preiss from The John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) at ANU, said the new understanding would open up avenues for treatment of a wide range of diseases including cancer, heart disease and a spectrum of rarer genetic diseases.

“We’ve captured a key process of life in action for the first time,” Professor Preiss said. “This process of translation initiation has puzzled scientists globally for around 40 years.”

The research team took snapshots of how ribosomes distribute along the RNA strings, paying particular attention to how ribosomes make sure they read the recipe from the correct starting point.
Cells throughout the body contain the same complete blueprint for life in their DNA.

“To create and maintain cells as diverse as those in the brain, bone or liver requires great precision in terms of which RNA recipes are made available, where and when,” Professor Preiss said.

How efficiently and accurately ribosomes read and translate the recipes is also critical. For example, ribosomes are known to become over-active in cancer.

“We are now applying our tools and insights to better understand what this means for their interaction with the RNA recipes during tumour formation, with the prospect of developing new and better treatments,” Professor Preiss said.

The research confirms a 40-year-old theory that explains how the ribosome correctly picks up the beginning of the code, even though the code usually only begins some distance inside the RNA string.

Research team member Dr Nikolay Shirokikh from ANU said the project examined where the two components of the ribosome started to attach to RNA strings.

“The theory was that the smaller half of the ribosome attaches itself to the very beginning of the RNA and then scans along the string until it finds the start signal of the recipe. There, the larger half joins and the whole ribosome begins to manufacture a protein,” Dr Shirokikh said.

“Our ribosome snapshot approach has finally provided proof that the scanning model is correct. We also gained new insight into how fast the ribosome can complete the different tasks and how other cellular components come in to help it along.”

Dr Stuart Archer, who initiated the project before moving to Monash University, said it took seven years for the researchers from ANU and Monash to develop the technique to answer a question that has puzzled scientists for 40 years.

“Many thought it couldn’t be done,” Dr Archer said. “It was extremely challenging, because of the transient nature of the interactions with RNA.”

The ribosome snapshot data generated with the new technique was made available to scientists globally via an app for high-content data visualisation developed at the Monash Bioinformatics Platform.

The research was supported by a discovery grant from the Australian Research Council.

[MIKA27]

Fire Was The Future Of Advertising In 1923

Americans didn’t invent outdoor advertising. That distinction would probably have to go to the ancient Egyptians who would put up notices offering rewards for runaway slaves. But Americans certainly moved the outdoor advertising art form forward in their own ostentatious way during the 20th century.

With the rapid adoption of the car, people were increasingly in a hurry during the first few decades of the 20th century. And as such, it became increasingly hard for advertisers of the 1920s to grab the attention of people travelling along at greater speed. Advertisers adopted large and sometimes garish ads on top of their buildings. And sometimes, especially in the Western states, the entire building became the ad.

But one inventor had an idea for something that was not only big but also caught the attention of passersby for the primal fear it might stoke. The idea was to create an advertising sign that appeared as if it was on fire. The “flaming” log sign was patented in 1922 by Jose De Elorza of Madrid, Spain, and it worked by using “logs” of wood that were actually made of amber-coloured glass. The logs, which had slits cut in them, would create quite a smokey red mess.

As you can see from the illustration above, (incidentally drawn by legendary sci-fi illustrator Frank R. Paul), coal was fed into the steam machine below and it would look like the sign was burning red-hot. Exterior lights would also help illuminate the entire display.

As far as I can tell, this idea for the flaming sign of the 1920s never was tried in the real world. Perhaps it would have been a little too terrifying to see the tops of buildings on fire, since Americans were still trying to figure out how to deal with skyscraper fires in the 1920s. But it certainly wouldn’t be the worst advertising idea of the century. It probably wasn’t even the worst advertising idea of 1923.

[MIKA27]

A Massive Crane Collapsed On New York's Tappan Zee Bridge

A crane collapsed across the span of New York’s Tappan Zee Bridge today, blocking traffic and wreaking havoc on the state’s longest bridge.

The crane collapsed just after noon near mile marker 15, NBC reported. Rockland County Executive Ed Day said three motorists and two bridge workers were injured, according to Lohud.

The collapse brought traffic to a standstill. Authorities had said earlier today the bridge would be closed “indefinitely” until the crane was removed, though according to Governor Andrew Cuomo, some lanes on the bridge were set to re-open this evening. The reason for the collapse is still unclear.

“Two cars had minor accidents in avoiding the falling crane, but miraculously there were no serious injuries whatsoever,” Cuomo told reporters. “No vehicle actually hit the crane. The traffic wasn’t that heavy. We were very, very fortunate that the situation wasn’t worse.”

Some damage to the bridge has been reported; Ed Day told Lohud that there was a “punch through” hole on one side of the bridge, as well as a hole in the guard rail.

The crane was being used to build a replacement bridge for the Tappan Zee Bridge, construction of which is slated for completion in 2018 and estimated to cost roughly $US4 ($5) billion. The current Tappan Zee Bridge, which opened in 1955 and was only intended to last 50 years, is something of an infrastructure nightmare.

According to a 2015 piece in the Atlantic, New York had to spend $US300 ($400) million to fix the bridge’s deck “because five-foot-wide holes started opening up along the span.” Meanwhile, the ongoing construction to replace the bridge was delayed for more than three decades in bureaucratic red tape and hand wringing.

Photos and video from the scene show the extent of the collapse:

 

[MIKA27]

BIG RED BEARD COMBS

Don’t let the name fool you. You don’t have to be big, or red, or have a big red beard in order to take full advantage of these handsome combs. Big Red beard combs makes a variety of combs of different shapes and sizes that serve different purposes depending on your preferences. This one, in particular, the Wide Tooth, doubles as both a beard and hair comb.

Each metal Big Red Beard comb is made with stainless steel and features Bolivian Rosewood scales on the handle. The goal was obviously to develop one of the finest combs around and we feel it’s safe to say Big Red got the job done well. Each comb is sandblasted on the face and the edges are polished to provide a smooth mirror finish to the piece. Oh yeah, and there’s also a bottle opener at the butt of each comb as well, because as we all know, behind every well-groomed man is a well-crafted ale. There are also wooden combs to choose from. Prices start at $38. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

RUNAMOK BOURBON BARREL-AGED MAPLE SYRUP

Give your breakfast a hint of smoke to go with the sweetness by pouring on some Runamok Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup. To make this savory treat, they start with their best maple syrup — certified organic by Vermont Organic Farmers — then age it in just-emptied bourbon barrels, letting the liquid absorb the flavors of the bourbon without adding alcohol. Arrives in a 250ml bottle.

[MIKA27]

Hot Toys May Have Accidentally Revealed A Crazy Suicide Squad Spoiler

Hot Toys, maker of preternaturally quality action figures, has their line of Suicide Squad toys on display at San Diego Comic-Con, as is standard procedure. What is less standard is that one of its figures is a character that hasn’t even been hinted at in all of Suicide Squad‘s vast marketing, making it a bit of a spoiler.

So technically, the figure isn’t “crazy” in the sense of “what an unexpected character!” In fact, it’s not actually a new character at all, but it’s a new figure of the Joker. My apologies for the deception, but I wanted to keep it vague for people who don’t want to know this particular spoiler…

…namely that the Joker seems like he’ll be donning his own Batman outfit for some portion of the movie. (If you enlarge the pic, you can see the skin is white, but more importantly he has the Joker’s capped teeth, so it’s definitely not Batman under the influence of Joker gas or somesuch.)

Birth Movies Death seems to have spotted it first, where they mention that all the other Suicide Squad figures are known to be in the movie, implying that presumably this one will be as well. I’ll go one step further and say that I don’t know that Hot Toys has ever created its own variant of a movie character; they stick almost entirely, if not actually entirely, to recreating specific characters/outfits/etc from movies and TV shows and etc.

Assuming the Joker does wear this in Suicide Squad, it begs the question: Where did he get it? Because it looks a lot like Batman’s real outfit, meaning the Joker would have had to steal it from him somehow. I doubt that Batman would discard a uniform — rather, I can’t imagine a situation where Batman would have to strip down and leave an intact Bat-suit behind — which implies that the Joker may have picked it up from the Batcave. Which raises a much larger set of questions…

[demer]

6 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

RUNAMOK BOURBON BARREL-AGED MAPLE SYRUP

Give your breakfast a hint of smoke to go with the sweetness by pouring on some Runamok Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup. To make this savory treat, they start with their best maple syrup — certified organic by Vermont Organic Farmers — then age it in just-emptied bourbon barrels, letting the liquid absorb the flavors of the bourbon without adding alcohol. Arrives in a 250ml bottle.

I have had bourbon barrel maple syrup on some pancakes and it was awesome. Not  awesome though is seeing beer geeks straight up drink it out of glasses because it was from Hill Farmstead. If thats not trying to give yourself diabetes I dont know what is.

[MIKA27]

RIP: Japan Is Making Its Last-Ever VCR

It’s the end of an era as the last Japanese company to make VCRs says it will throw in the towel and stop manufacturing them by August. But also: Wait, people were still making VCRs? Things really do stick around.

The last remaining VCR company isn’t a big name like Panasonic, which gave up years ago. It’s Funai Electric, which is having trouble getting the parts it needs and suffering from (shocker!) lower and lower sales. Funai once sold as many as 15 million a year, but it’s been all downhill from here, leading to sales of only 750,000 VCRs last year.

The days of the Betamax versus VHS technology feud are long over and VHS itself has been declining for years. Still, some stalwarts continue to buy the format, with the top tape being the Star Wars box set. VHS collecting is becoming strangely lucrative.

For cultural purposes, the Museum of Endangered sounds will ensure your kids will recognise the strange whirring of a VCR.

[Fuzz]

19 minutes ago, MIKA27 said:

RIP: Japan Is Making Its Last-Ever VCR

 

Noooooo!!!!!! What am I going to do with my massive VHS tape collection?  Better grab a VCR before they're all gone and transfer everything to digital.

[MIKA27]

8 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

Noooooo!!!!!! What am I going to do with my massive VHS tape collection?  Better grab a VCR before they're all gone and transfer everything to digital.

Move with the times my friend, you can skip to your fave porn scenes a lot quicker 

[MIKA27]

Watching The Filming Of A Car Chase Scene Is Way More Fun Than Watching The Actual Movie (Maybe Not, But It's Still Pretty Cool)

Am I going to watch that new Bourne movie? Absolutely. Are you? You probably don’t need to, because the coolest part of the movie isn’t actually in the movie — it’s this behind the scenes footage showing the filming of a car chase. The B-roll footage shows how the arm of the chase car camera swings around and swivels, tailing the car perfectly so that it can get all the right angles.

Also, as a Bonus, here's an interview with Matt Damon on the new Jason Bourne flick. He seems like a really nice guy.

 

[MIKA27]

See Danny Rand's Horrible, Horrible Life In The First Iron Fist Footage

Marvel’s pushing its Netflix shows hard at Comic-Con today. We’ve had Luke Cage and a hint of Defenders. And now we have Danny Rand (Finn Jones) popping up as Iron Fist.

This less-than-a-minute teaser does not make Danny’s life look easy. We’ve got the tragic K’un L’un expedition and, apparently, Danny strapped to a gurney once he gets back to New York. Thank God he can blow the door off the place.

[MIKA27]

ROLEX DAYTONA RED BY BAMFORD

Bamford is to watches what AMG is to Mercedes-Benz, or what M is to BMW. They’re a division of chronograph performance enthusiasts who take an original item, and modify it – some might even go so far as to say they make it better.

Each Bamford-modified watch comes with its own 5 year warranty, not to mention a bespoke design and the addition of the Bamford text on the dial – something that’ll only be notable to horologists who know their stuff.