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

[MIKA27]

Legendary Monster ‘Pig Nose’ Fish Captured in Canada

Before the screaming begins, the headline would read “Captured and Released” if we had enough space.

This fish has been the talk of fishing and sporting goods shops for years.

How many years? Try at least 80. That’s the estimated age of Pig Nose, a legendary 10-foot-long, 650-pound white sturgeon that has prowled the waters of British Columbia’s Fraser River for decades, scaring anglers and boaters with its massive size and monstrous pink nose. Many fishermen and women have tried to capture him but only one has ever been successful.

He is the sturgeon whisperer.

That’s what customers of River Monster Adventures in nearby Lillooet call 19-year-old guide Nick McCabe and he lived up to his name this week he reeled in the legendary Pig Nose from the Frazer River about 60 km downstream from Lillooet. McCabe’s co-guide Jeff Grimolfson and clients on a fishing trip witnessed the 2-hour struggle to bring in Pig Nose, who was then measured at 10 feet 2 inches long with a 5-and-a-half foot girth.

Grimolfson explained how the monster got the proboscis that gave him his name.

His name is Pig Nose and you can see why – he damaged his nose 40 years ago. So when his nose healed, it looks like a pig nose. As the legend lives on, you’d be in a sporting goods shop and you’d hear, ‘my buddy was sure he had Pig Nose on the line.’

In this case, Grimolfson was telling the truth. He and McCabe followed proper procedures when Pig Nose was finally brought to the boat.

Take some photos, videos, scan the fish with a scanner to see if he’s been tagged then as soon as it beeps, we know it’s been tagged. Take some measurements, make sure the fish is healthy then let him go. That fish is probably close to 80 years old. You want to handle them very carefully.

That’s right … they let Pig Nose go. To be fair, they admit he had a microchip implanted, indicating they were not the first to capture the legend. And now they won’t be the last.

[MIKA27]

8BITDO DESKTOP ARCADE JOY STICK

Designers and purveyors of some very cool retro video game gear, the folks at 8Bitdo Tech HK LTD. have a talent for updating the design and technology of classic gaming accessories – especially those originally introduced by Nintendo in the 80s and 90s. And that is reflected in their company slogan: Everything Old is New Again. Their latest project takes a step even further backward into the history of gaming to the days before video game consoles and into the world of arcade machines.

Teased on their Facebook and in a display case at their booth at the Gamescom trade fair in Cologne, Germany, this is a prototype version of their newest upcoming product: the Desktop Arcade Joy Stick. A beautiful melding of old-school arcade tech and mid-century design – evident in the seamless sweeping wood exterior – this miniature gaming cabinet is like the grownup version of the arcade machines we loved as a kid. And, if the still of Street Fighter on the screen is any indication, it will be able to run some of our favorite games, as well. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

8 Bottled Cocktails to Save You Some Time

For that last few years, bartenders all across the US have been making cocktails in batches. From Negronis to Manhattans, bartenders have tried them all.

The main reason for this is ease. Pouring someone a well-made Old Fashioned from a pitcher is a lot less work than mixing up a bunch of individual ones.

Another reason is consistency. Pre-made cocktails are guaranteed to be the same every time, even when your bar is packed with drunk people.

There’s also speed of service to consider. “For the bartenders, all the labor for the cocktail has to be done before service, so they are able to get a drink to a customer quickly, since all they have to do is prep the glass and garnish, and then open and pour the cocktail,” says Kenny Arbuckle, lead bartender at Cassia in Santa Monica, California. Now, with bottled cocktails at your local liquor store, you can get in on some of that sweet cocktail action.

Bully Boy Old Fashioned

The folks at Bully Boy were tired of mixing up cocktails themselves, so they decided to combine their American Straight Whiskey with Angostura bitters and muddled sugar and bottle it. What they ended up with was a balanced Old Fashioned worth drinking. It saves you the trouble of making an Old Fashioned, while also saving you the trouble of making an Old Fashioned badly and getting disappointed. BUY

Jefferson’s Barrel Aged Manhattan

This bottled Manhattan is made with 125 proof bourbon that is then mixed with dry vermouth and cask-matured black cherry bitters. Once it’s all combined, the folks at Jefferson mature the cocktail in bourbon casks for the next four months before it’s bottled and ready for you to pour into a glass with ice and enjoy. BUY

Crafthouse Cocktails

On top of running Crafthouse Cocktails, Charles Joly is a working bartender. He knows a thing or two about mixing up drinks. This line of bottled cocktails came to be because Joly realized that he’s mixed three pretty good cocktails in his time behind the bar, the Southside, Moscow Mule and Paloma. Instead of just writing down the recipes he used, he decided the time was right to package and sell them to the masses. BUY

Arty’s Old Fashioned Whiskey Sour

The whiskey sour is a classic cocktail that can easily be ruined by cloyingly sweet sour mix. Arty’s understands that there is a fine line between too sweet and too sour when it comes to the creation of this drink. It’s made with the perfect ratios of whiskey, bitters and sugar to create a unique flavor with just a hint of carbonation to finish. BUY

Fluid Dynamics Brandy Manhattan
Fluid Dynamics makes a few different bottled cocktails and they are all really good. One of the best is their version of the classic Brandy Manhattan. Their version is made with Germain-Robin Brandy and Andy Quady’s Vya sweet Vermouth. They invite you to enjoy it as is or add your own dash of bitters. If you have them, we recommend the bitters. They compliment what’s already in the drink and really, the work’s been done for you anyway. BUY

Hochstadter’s Slow and Low Rock & Rye

The first well-known bottled cocktail was the “rock and rye.” Originally, it was sold at apothecaries and pharmacies as a medicinal tonic in the 1800s. This version is made with rye whiskey, dried naval oranges, raw honey, angostura bitters and rock candy to give the potion a sweet finish. So drink like you’re sick, but maybe not until you’re sick. Although, that means you need more tonic. BUY

Austin Cocktails Cucumber Vodka Mojito

Austin Cocktails take on the classic mojito is made with vodka, cucumber, mint, lime and organic agave nectar. They chose a specific type of mint that, even when bottled, will keep its flavor and get the right hit of mint that you expect in a mojito. The addition of cucumber gives this drink a subtle freshness that propels it beyond the norm. It also means it counts as a serving of vegetables. BUY

Watershed Old Fashioned

If you’re going to try one bottled cocktail, this one should be it. Watershed perfected the bottled Old Fashioned by mixing together bourbon, orange and aromatic bitters along with cherry juice and raw sugar. The result is a complex cocktail that stands up after pour. BUY

 

[MIKA27]

MWC Altimeter Wall Clock

Military Watch Company (MWC) makes watches for everyone from the military and policy forces, to antiterrorist units and, yes, for the rest of us. They’ve taken that sleek, minimalist, rugged style that made all their watches beautiful workhorses and turned it into this MWC Altimeter Wall Clock. The 9″ clock features an altimeter inspired face housed in a high-impact polycarbonate case and is powered by a quartz movement with a silent sweep (no more ticking!). This clock will look great on walls in offices, living rooms, garages or workshops.

[MIKA27]

Tobacco Humidor Candle

If you have a penchant for lighting up a fine cigar after a long workweek, you’re no doubt familiar with the intoxicating aroma that comes from a fully-stocked humidor. Cedar and dry tobacco smell so good together that we’ve considered just leaving our humidor open to inhale that scent 24/7. Problem is, that would mean a quick death for our precious cigars. So we came up with a better option. When lit, the Tobacco Humidor Candle will fill your space with the rich scent of a loaded humidor. Musky cedar and earthy tobacco fill the air when you spark this 100% soy wax candle. Each Tobacco Humidor Candle is handmade in New Jersey. Save the Cubans for smoking. Fill your room or office with the scent of a stocked humidor with this candle.

[MIKA27]

Garmin Fenix Chronos

Garmin has introduced a new premium version of their Fenix sportswatch - the Fenix Chronos. The premium multisport watch is based on the Fenix 3 but smarter, with titanium and other blingy elements. The Fenix Chronos is built to last, with waterproofing to 100m and a sapphire display to avoid scratches, it features an optical heart rate sensor built into the back of the watch, which is packed with sensors, giving you GPS tracking, a barometer, altimeter and compass, allowing you to track your activities no matter where they take you. And the fitness focus, goes way deeper, since the Chronos gets modes for tracking not just all-day activity but also running, cycling, swimming open water or in the pool, SUP, skiing, and paddling. The Chronos will come in titanium and two stainless steel versions, one with a leather band, one metal.

 

[MIKA27]

MAMMOTH DRY STACK VODKA

There are plenty of Vodkas to choose from at your liquor store, but not enough are handmade in the USA.

Mammoth Dry Stack Vodka is made using locally grown grains and botanicals from Torch Lake, Michigan. Using their 650 liter copper pot still from Goppingen, Germany, Mammoth uses two types of yeast in the fermentation to maximize yield and create complexity. Made in the USA and ready to play nice in any cocktail you whip up.

[MIKA27]

OMEGA SUNGLASSES

With designs inspired by a mix of classic silhouettes and details from the company's timepieces, Omega Sunglasses are an ideal companion for your Seamaster. Available in a handful of designs, each pair is crafted in Italy, comes in a Zebrawood hard case, and has scratch-resistant, anti-reflective lenses. No matter which pair you buy, you'll find they have subtle details that recall the company's watches, such as crown-like hinges, metal-injected frames, and black finishes similar to the ceramic of the company's Dark Side collection.

 

[MIKA27]

THIS JAPANESE AD FOR THE MCDONALDS GOLDEN NUGGET IS THE WEIRDEST THING

The iconic McDonalds "golden arches" are taking on a whole new meaning in Japan. In a crazy attempt to win over new fast food fans, the burger empire is offering customers a solid golden McNugget.

Now that's a "Happy Meal" toy we'd be happy to collect for the rest of our lives!

Of course, McDonalds isn't going to literally hand over a golden McNugget to ever customer who orders a burger meal. Instead, they've spun a strange story involving a gold thief named Kaito Nuggets who prefers to wear a yellow suite, magician's hat, and mask.

Kaito Nugget recently stole the awe-inspiring golden nugget and now, customers are invited to help solve the mystery for a chance to receive a golden McNugget. So if you see the flamboyant thief, you're supposed to take a picture of him and post it on Twitter using his name as a hashtag. This automatically enters you into a lottery for the golden McNugget (valued at $2,000).

Think the back story is a little odd? Watch the commercial McDonalds unleashed on the public for the special occasion. It's truly bizarre.

 

[cosmoker]

10 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Tobacco Humidor Candle

If you have a penchant for lighting up a fine cigar after a long workweek, you’re no doubt familiar with the intoxicating aroma that comes from a fully-stocked humidor. Cedar and dry tobacco smell so good together that we’ve considered just leaving our humidor open to inhale that scent 24/7. Problem is, that would mean a quick death for our precious cigars. So we came up with a better option. When lit, the Tobacco Humidor Candle will fill your space with the rich scent of a loaded humidor. Musky cedar and earthy tobacco fill the air when you spark this 100% soy wax candle. Each Tobacco Humidor Candle is handmade in New Jersey. Save the Cubans for smoking. Fill your room or office with the scent of a stocked humidor with this candle.

Is the a Fohiba

[oliverdst]

1 hour ago, cosmoker said:

Is the a Fohiba

HELLYEAH

 

Does anybody know the candle? is it good? 

[MIKA27]

6 hours ago, oliverdst said:

HELLYEAH

 

Does anybody know the candle? is it good? 

It's only $23 I think so how about you buy it and let us know?

[oliverdst]

20 minutes ago, MIKA27 said:

It's only $23 I think so how about you buy it and let us know?

+$29 to ship to Brazil 

[MIKA27]

The 5 Films That Helped Define The Career Of Gene Wilder

Today brought the horrible news of the passing of Gene Wilder. The iconic comedic actor left behind an undeniably impressive and timeless body of work that was exceeded only by his own talent. To pay tribute, here’s a video of five films that helped define his unforgettable career.

 

And to think those are just small, safe for work, slivers from five films out of dozens. Surely, arguments could be made for several others, too, proving there’s nothing Wilder couldn’t do.

Think about this. Gene Wilder hadn’t starred in a movie since 1991. That’s 25 years. And yet, his legacy meant he was never far from our minds. His loss is one we’ll feel for a long, long time.

 

[MIKA27]

Let The Right One In Will Be A US TV Show Because Vampires Never Die

John Ajvide Lindqvist’s teen vampire tale Let the Right One In began life as a best-selling book in Sweden, rose to international prominence in 2008 thanks to a Swedish film adaptation, then got a 2010 American cinematic re-do. Now, TNT is ordering a pilot based on Lindqvist’s book. Vampires really are eternal!

Unlike Twilight — the film version of which also came out in 2008 — Let the Right One In veered into darker turf; the protagonists were younger and the violence was far more shockingly visceral, and the same mostly held true for the English-language remake. While the original movie was set in Sweden and the US movie set in New Mexico, the TV show, which has been in development for a while, will be set in Vermont, which will allow for plenty of blood-on-the-snow imagery:

Let the Right One In is an eerie drama about a young boy, long tormented by his classmates, who finds solace in a friendship with a charismatic female vampire who appears to be near his age. The vampire settles into the boy’s small Vermont town with her mysterious caretaker, just as a series of bizarre murders begins attracting the attention of law enforcement.

The pilot hasn’t been cast yet, but the behind-the-scenes talent seems perfectly suited to the material. The script will be by Jeff Davis (Criminal Minds, Teen Wolf), who will also executive produce along with a list of names that includes Hammer Films president Simon Oakes, whose horror-centric credits include Let Me In.

[MIKA27]

Australian Motorists Could End Up Paying For New Fuel Emissions Regulations

The Federal Government has assured industry and the public that tougher CO2 regulations will have no negative impact on consumers, as the fuel savings will cover the additional upfront cost of more fuel efficient vehicles.

But new analysis by the Centre for International Economics shows otherwise, and the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has called upon the Federal Government to re-explore all costs and benefits associated with proposed vehicle emissions regulations.

The CIE analysis commissioned by the AAA shows that, like any other regulatory intervention, a mandated CO2 standard brings consumer costs, as well as greenhouse and consumer benefits. These costs could include not only a higher vehicle purchase price and increased fuel prices, but the loss of attributes valued by Australians such as vehicle size, carrying capacity, and engine power.

“Previous Environment Minister Greg Hunt claimed that while improving fuel efficiency could mean higher upfront costs for car buyers, the average car owner could recover these costs through fuel savings,” AAA Chief Executive Michael Bradley said. “The CIE analysis indicates the modelling upon which this claim relies doesn’t fully take into consideration the potential higher costs to consumers of more refined fuels and the loss of vehicle attributes”.

Bradley says the analysis makes it clear these are real costs that would be paid by consumers, and as such they ought to be considered to ensure Australia arrives at the least-cost and fairest abatement system possible.

“The AAA supports the consideration of a vehicle CO2 emissions standard as part of a package of measures to meet Australia’s greenhouse reduction targets,” Bradley says. “But abatement must be achieved at the lowest cost to the economy and those costs must not fall unfairly on motorists”.

It is also important to note that the Government cannot regulate what it currently cannot measure, Bradley says, stating that before any regulation of emissions is introduced, the Government needs to fulfil its obligation to measure actual vehicle emissions in Australia — not simply rely on laboratory testing performed in other nations and in some cases, by car manufacturers.

“The Volkswagen scandal has highlighted the need for far greater scrutiny of laboratory testing, which is why the AAA continues to advocate for local, independent emissions testing that can determine the difference between real-world and laboratory results,” Mr Bradley said.

The AAA has been working with the CIE to undertake an analysis of various light vehicle emission abatement options being considered by Government, and specifically, the introduction of mandatory CO2 emissions standards.

A critical component of this benefit-cost analysis is fuel. The AAA says it continues to urge the Government to establish clearly what fuel types would be required to support the regulatory changes under consideration by the Ministerial Forum on Vehicle Emissions.

“If the introduction of emissions regulations mean that higher fuel specifications are also required, then the higher price of these fuels must be factored into the regulation impact statements (RIS),” the AAA points out.

Last week the AAA released Australia’s first Transport Affordability Index, which showed the average Australian family is spending $22,000 a year to cover its transport needs.

Badly designed and implemented regulations could see consumers needlessly and unfairly pay even more of their household budget for transport, the AAA warns.

“A range of complementary measures to reduce vehicle emissions and running costs need to also be considered by the Government. These include the abolition of import taxes and restrictions that could help to make newer, cleaner, safer cars more affordable”.

 

[Fuzz]

48 minutes ago, MIKA27 said:

The 5 Films That Helped Define The Career Of Gene Wilder

Today brought the horrible news of the passing of Gene Wilder. The iconic comedic actor left behind an undeniably impressive and timeless body of work that was exceeded only by his own talent. To pay tribute, here’s a video of five films that helped define his unforgettable career.

 

And to think those are just small, safe for work, slivers from five films out of dozens. Surely, arguments could be made for several others, too, proving there’s nothing Wilder couldn’t do.

Think about this. Gene Wilder hadn’t starred in a movie since 1991. That’s 25 years. And yet, his legacy meant he was never far from our minds. His loss is one we’ll feel for a long, long time.

 

His last feature film, "Another You", was also Richard Pryor's last starring film. After that, Gene went into semi-retirement and took up painting and writing, besides his charity work.

[MIKA27]

Is There An Explanation For Everything? 5 Weirdest Unexplained Phenomena

Some things, science just can’t explain. How could an explosion 1000 times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima not take any human lives? How did the fumes emitted by a living human cause more than twenty people to become ill? And why is there a bridge in Scotland that compels dogs to throw themselves off it? We look into some of the strangest mysteries ever to be documented on this earth.

The Tunguska Event

In the early morning of June 30, 1908, a huge explosion 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima flattened 2000 square kilometers of forest in the sparsely populated Siberian Taiga. Astoundingly, there were no known human casualties from the event.

Evenki natives and Russian settlers played witness to an intense blue light, almost as bright as the sun, moving across the sky. It was almost ten minutes later that there was a flash and a huge sound, accompanied by a shock wave that broke windows and knocked people off their feet even hundreds of kilometres away.

The explosion was registered across Eurasia, but even more astoundingly, the event caused the skies to glow over the next few nights — a phenomenon visible from across Europe and Asia. Interestingly, a very similar glowing-sky event was reproduced later in the century by space shuttle launches. The following comes from an eyewitness account of the event

At breakfast time I was sitting by the house at Vanavara Trading Post, facing north. … I suddenly saw that directly to the north … the sky split in two and fire appeared high and wide over the forest. The split in the sky grew larger, and the entire northern side was covered with fire. At that moment I became so hot that I couldn’t bear it, as if my shirt was on fire; from the northern side, where the fire was, came strong heat. I wanted to tear off my shirt and throw it down, but then the sky shut closed, and a strong thump sounded, and I was thrown a few metres. I lost my senses for a moment, but then my wife ran out and led me to the house. After that such noise came, as if rocks were falling or cannons were firing.

While the Tunguska event is technically classified as an impact event, no trace of meteoric impact has ever been found. No object was ever detected approaching the Earth, either. Other theories propose that the object could have been a comet — composed of ice rather than rock — that disintegrated as it entered the atmosphere.

The most scientifically accepted explanation is that of an air burst from an asteroid or comet, or even an explosion caused by the ignition of natural gas from within the earth’s crust. However no one has ever been able to confirm the cause of the huge explosion. With an event like this, conspiracies are bound to crop up.

Alternate explanations range from alien visitors to supernatural events — some have even hypothesised that a miniature black hole impacted the earth. Considering the similarities between Tunguska and much later space shuttle launches, the UFO theory is the most popular alternate explanation.

Also unusual is the extreme remoteness of the occurrence. The Tunguska area is essentially uninhabitable for humans, and the huge explosion caused no known casualties – though charred reindeer corpses were found in their hundreds. If this had occurred over a highly populated metropolitan area, it could have razed an entire city and wiped out literally millions of people.

Was the location of the explosion just divine good luck, or is it evidence that the event was planned by intelligent beings, whether human or otherwise?

The Toxic Lady

One night in February 1994, a woman was admitted to the emergency room of Riverside General Hospital suffering the effects of advanced cervical cancer. Something else was wrong, however. The woman had an oily sheen covering her skin, and she had a fruity, garlic-like odor about her. When her blood was drawn, the tube had a vaguely ammonia-like smell.

At this point, attending nurses and medical professionals began to pass out. The first was Susan Kane, the nurse who had drawn blood from the woman. Once she was removed from the room, the medical resident Julie Gorchynski began to feel lightheaded, and she also passed out after leaving the trauma room. A respiratory therapist named Maureen Welch was the third to pass out, at which point the emergency room was evacuated aside from a skeleton crew who remained to look after the toxic woman.

The woman, a housewife named Gloria Ramirez, died after 45 minutes of treatment, but her unusually potent toxicity will live on as one of medicine’s most enduring mysteries. Overall 23 people became ill and 5 were hospitalised, with those who had worked within two feet of Ramirez being at the highest risk. Symptoms included loss of consciousness, shortness of breath and muscle spasms, though all affected appeared to have normal blood tests after the exposure. An initial investigation blamed the phenomena on mass hysteria.

Some of the medical professionals who had been exposed to Ramirez’s odd sickening effect denied the idea that they could have been affected by mass hysteria, however, denying this conclusion. Maureen Welch recalled waking after she had passed out, finding herself unable to move her limbs. Gorchynski experienced particularly severe symptoms in the aftermath of her exposure — after she had passed out on the night Ramirez was admitted Gorchynski suffered from apnea, where her breathing would intermittently stop, and then start again. She spent two weeks after the incident in the intensive care unit with breathing problems, and later developed hepatitis and avascular necrosis in her knees.

Livermore Labs was called in to investigate after the initial conclusion was deemed unsatisfactory, and this team hypothesised that Ramirez could have been using a compound called dimethyl sulfoxide or DMSO as a home remedy for pain. It is known for this use, and users even report it having a garlicky odour. The compound is a solvent and a powerful degreaser, sold at hardware stores.

Livermore scientists theorised that kidney failure in Ramirez’s body could have led to a buildup of DMSO in her blood. Then, when paramedics administered oxygen, it could have combined to form DMSO2, or dimethyl sulfone. This could be an explanation for the crystals found in Ramirez’s blood, as DMSO2 can crystallise at room temperature. From there, the electric shocks could have converted the compound into dimethyl sulfate or DMSO4, a powerful poisonous gas.

From top to bottom: Dimethyl Sulfoxide, Dimethyl Sulfone, Dimethyl Sulfate

But some people aren’t convinced. No one has ever been able to reproduce the chemical reaction that supposedly occurred within Ramirez’s body, and others have pointed out that the symptoms of those in the trauma room do not align with the symptoms of exposure to dimethyl sulfate, which reacts more like tear gas. To make the case even more questionable, the body was not released for an independent autopsy until it was badly decomposed and largely contaminated. Her heart was also missing when it was handed over. Could they have been trying to cover something up? Some believe so.

An article in the now defunct New Times Los Angeles called the DMSO conclusion ridiculous, and put forth their own theory – that Riverside General was harbouring a hidden drug lab.

It’s sensational, yes, but not entirely unlikely. Hospital staff could easily order the chemicals needed without suspicion, and the building is already equipped with legitimate labs. Beyond this, Riverside was even known as the “methamphetamine capital of the world” in the years surrounding this case. A similar operation was uncovered in a hospital in Denver in 1990.

If this was the case, then Riverside likely would have been producing chemical ‘precursors’ that could then be turned into meth, rather than the finished product itself. Some of these chemicals are known to release dangerous chemical fumes like those encountered in the trauma room on the night of Ramirez’s death.

Charles Cox, a Cal/OSHA district manager postulates that hospital staff could have been storing these chemicals in IV bags to be sent out on the black market, at which point one had accidentally been hooked up to Gloria Ramirez. Most of the staff who were strongly affected by the fumes were those who directly handled the woman’s IV lines.

It’s a plausible theory, and even more likely when you consider the secrecy that followed. Ramirez’s body was kept hidden away, the syringe used to draw her blood was lost, the bedding materials thrown away and the IV bag never tested. Her heart was never returned with the body.

Coverup, medical anomaly or something else entirely, someone has gone to lengths to make sure the truth about Riverside’s Toxic Lady is never discovered.

Dyatlov Pass

I've said it before, everything weird seems to happen in Russia. In the early days of February 1959, a group of nine hikers failed to return from a challenging trek they had undertaken through the northern Ural mountains.

It wasn’t until they were more than a week overdue that the first search and rescue groups were sent — at first consisting of fellow teachers and students at the Ural Polytechnical Institute and later of military including search planes and helicopters. It took searchers almost a week to find the battered and slashed remains of the group’s tent — which was empty.

The tent was only the beginning of the Dyatlov Pass mystery, but it baffled the searchers. All the groups belongings and shoes had been left behind, and the tent was cut open from the inside as if they had fled in panic. Many different sets of footprints left by people wearing socks, a single shoe or even barefoot, led down towards the edge of the forest. Down here, the searchers found the remains of a fire — and the first two bodies.

These two hikers were dressed only in their underwear, and were shoeless. Branches on the tree they were under were broken at heights that suggested that the men were trying to climb up, or had climbed up before their death. In the stretch between this tree and the tent the searchers found three more bodies buried in the snow, their poses looking like they were attempting to return to the tent.

The remains of the hikers’ tent.

It was more than four months before the remaining four hikers were found in a ravine under four meters of snow, almost 100 meters further into the woods from the forest’s edge. These four were better dressed, as though the others had relinquished their clothing to them.

While some of these events are consistent with hypothermia and a phenomenon called ‘paradoxical undressing’ — where hypothermia sufferers will undress as they begin to feel unexpectedly hot as their nerves and mental faculties fail — there were still elements that didn’t make sense. Three of the hikers had fatal internal injuries, with one doctor comparing the force required for such trauma to be comparable to that of a car crash. Some sources even claimed that there were high doses of radioactive contamination on some of the bodies, while one witness claimed that the corpses had a “deep brown tan”.

While theories on what happened to the hikers range from cryptozoological to extra-terrestrial to the standard secret Russian weapons testing, it’s unlikely we’ll ever know what really happened on Dyatlov Pass.

Isdal Woman

If you’ve devoured all the details of the mysterious demise of the Somerton man — the so-called Tamam Shud case — then you’ll want to know about the eerily similar case of the Isdal Woman. With a burned body, a glamorous woman, multiple identities and mysterious men in black, the case strongly suggests that the Isdal Woman was involved in something beyond most people’s understanding.

On November 29, 1970, a man and his two young daughters came across the charred remains of a naked woman, hidden among rocks on a remote hiking trail of Norway’s Isdalen Valley. What remained of the woman’s neck was bruised from some sort of blunt force trauma. Near the body were a handful of pink sleeping pills, a packed lunch, an empty bottle of liqueur and two plastic bottles that had held gasoline.

Police called to the scene later found a burned out passport in the area. The autopsy showed that she had died from a combination of burns and carbon monoxide poisoning, while traces of at least 50 sleeping pills remained in her body. Her fingerprints were also found to have been sanded away.

22 years after the Somerton Man was found dead in South Australia, this case in Norway seemed to repeat those strange happenings all over again. In an odd reflection of the earlier event, two suitcases belonging to the woman were found checked in to a train station in Bergen. When searching through the possessions inside, police found that the labels had also been removed from every piece of clothing she owned. Also inside was a prescription for a lotion, on which the doctor’s name and date had been removed.

In the trunk was a small notebook in which the woman had jotted down several coded entries, though there was no key to the code. When police eventually cracked her code, it was found to detail dates and places of the woman’s previous travels.

Investigators were able to find out much more about the Isdal Woman than has ever been evident about the Somerton Man. She had dental work that was distinctive to Latin America. She spoke French, German, English and Dutch. She was fond of porridge and milk. She often changed rooms after checking in at various hotels. She had a provocative style of dress. She wore a number of different wigs, and one was found in her possessions along with several pairs of non-prescription glasses. She called herself an antiques collector from South Africa. She went by nine different identities when travelling around Europe: Jenevive Lancia, Claudia Tjelt, Vera Schlosseneck, Claudia Nielsen, Alexia Zarna-Merchez, Vera Jarle, Finella Lorck and Elizabeth Leen Hoywfer. None of them were her own.

The various sketches of her that exist are evocative — conjuring the perfect image of a glamorous Bond girl or Hollywood spy — though it should be noted that one photograph commonly connected with the Isdal Woman is actually that of another unknown decedent, the Ophelia of the Seine.

An account of her last days comes from the Doe Network:

•March 20, 1970 – she travels from Geneva to Oslo
•March 21-24, 1970 – she lives at Hotel Viking in Oslo using the name “Genevieve Lancier”.
•March 24 – flies from Oslo to Stavanger, takes the boat to Bergen, stays the night at Hotel Bristol using the name “Claudia Tielt”.
•March 25 – April 1- stays at hotel Scandia in Bergen, still as “C. Tielt”
•April 1 – travels from Bergen to Stavanger, and on to Kristiansand, Hirtshals, Hamburg and Basel. Thats the last trace of her in Norway until she returns six months later.
•October 3 – travels from Stockholm to Oslo, and on to Oppdal, stays the night at the hotel there together with Italian photographer Giovanni Trimboli
•October 22 – stays at hotel Altona in Paris
•October 23 – 29 – stays at Hotel de Calais in Paris
•October 29 – 30 – goes from Paris to Stavanger and on to Bergen
•October 30 – November 5 – checks in to hotel Neptun using the name “Alexia Zerner-Merches”; she meets an unknown man at the hotel.
•November 6 – 9 – she travels to Trondheim, lives at hotel Bristol using the name “Vera Jarle”.
•November 9 – goes to Oslo and on to Stavanger where she stays at Hotel St. Svitun using the name “Fenella Lorch”.
•November 18 – goes with the boat Vingtor to Bergen where she stays at hotel Rosenkrantz using the name “Elisabeth Leenhower” from Belgium.
•November 19- 23 – stays at hotel Hordaheimen, stays in the room a lot and seems watchful.
•November 23 – leaves the hotel in the morning, pays in cash and goes to the railway station where she places 2 pieces of luggage in a depository box.
•November 29 – she is located dead in Isdalen.

The Italian photographer she had met up with was tracked down through a postcard she had of one of his photos. He had given her a lift and had dinner with her some time before her death. He told police that she had told him she was from South Africa, and that she had six months to see the most beautiful places in Norway. Ultimately, this line of investigation didn’t turn up any new information as to the woman’s identity or mysterious demise.

Other witnesses came forward with their testimony, with one woman claiming that she had overheard the woman talking to a man in a hotel in Bergen. The woman had allegedly said to him “Ich komme bald” — “I am coming soon” in German.

Real Life Is Horror: The Isdal Woman

On November 23, the Isdal Woman was seen for the last time as she checked out of her hotel. She paid in cash, then asked for a taxi to be called for her. While at the hotel, staff said she seemed like she was on guard all the time. The taxi took her to the railway station, where she left two pieces of luggage — and the trail ends there.

Further information was revealed only a few years ago in the early 2000s, when a hiker came forward to reveal that he had encountered the woman on a hike on November 24, 1970 — five days before her body was found. It was nearing dusk when he saw the woman hurrying along the trail towards her, dressed for the town rather than the mountains. Her face was distorted by fear, and she seemed to want to say something to the hiker, though appeared intimidated by two black-coated men who followed. He described the two men as being of foreign appearance.

As soon as the hiker heard of the body that was found in the mountains, he contacted police to tell what he had seen, though was met with a puzzling response. The policeman he talked to told him: “Forget her, she was dispatched. The case will never be solved”. The man kept his silence for 32 years, only recently speaking out about what he had seen.

The police eventually ruled the death a suicide, but in light of the evidence that’s been unearthed, that conclusion has always been highly controversial.

Overtoun Bridge

There’s nothing particularly special about the Overtoun Bridge in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It was built in 1895 for ease of access to Overtoun house, and while it is quite a nice looking bridge, it isn’t anything special compared to most historical sites in Scotland. Except for the fact that dogs crossing the bridge feel compelled to throw themselves from the bridge to their inevitable demise.

This phenomenon has been occurring since the 1950s or 60s, with the bridge claiming the lives of dogs at an average rate of one per year. At this stage, it has claimed more than 50 dogs’ lives. Some dogs will even leap off the bridge a second time if they happen to survive the first.

There are some similarities in most cases of dog suicides at Overtoun. Most of the incidents seem to happen at the same place — between the final two parapets of the bridge on the right hand side. It mostly happens in clear weather, and it also tends to happen with breeds with long snouts such as labs, collies and retrievers.

The mystery has been studied in depth, and the best answer anyone could come up with was that dogs were being lured to their death by a potent odor of male mink urine. This is despite a local hunter swearing that there were no mink nearby. Even if there were, mink are not confined to that one corner of Scotland, and this phenomenon doesn’t seem to happen anywhere else.

The Overtoun Bridge mystery opens up a lot of questions about domesticated animals and whether they would deliberately commit suicide. Considering it only happens at that one spot, there seems to be something else at play here, however.

Local legend claims the bridge is haunted, and at least one human victim has experienced its effects. In October 1994, a man named Kevin Moy threw his two week old son from the bridge, condemning the infant to death as he believed the child was the Anti-Christ. Moy then attempted to end his own life in the same way, though was unsuccessful.

A sign has been erected in recent years at Overtoun Bridge, warning dog owners to keep their pets on a lead.

[MIKA27]

LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 SPECTRE EDITION

If it’s in a Bond movie, it’s cool. That simple rule has held true for a surprisingly long time. For over fifty years the Bond films have featured some of the most impressive guns, clothes, and cars that the world has had to offer. Often they’ve been so rare (or imaginative) that no one could get their hands on them, but that hasn’t always been the case. It just so happens that you can actually buy one of the most recent inclusions in the film’s franchise – the Spectre Edition Land Rover 90 by Tweaked Automotive.

Built by the London based shop, this blacked out monster of a car was made to be an exact replica of the one that appeared in the 2015 Spectre. It’s more than just a looker. Featuring a 4 cylinder turbodiesel engine that pumps 165 horses through a manual 6 speed transmission, this can take on terrain just as rough as Craig’s Bond conquered in the film. Given that the vehicle boasts 4 wheel drive, 35 inch tires on 16 inch beadlock wheels, and 361 pound feet of torque, that should come as no surprise. When it comes to the interior of the car – every part of it can be customized to the owner’s request. Well, unless you’re looking to equip missiles and an ejection seat. Those come separately. Prices are available on request. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

TWO JAMES CATCHER'S RYE WHISKEY

The rye whiskey renaissance continues with Catcher's Rye Whiskey from Two James Spirits in Detroit, Michigan. Two James is the first licensed whiskey maker to open in Detroit since Prohibition, and they distill Catcher's Rye using 100% rye from Michigan and pure water from the Great Lakes. Aged for a minimum of two years in new charred American oak and bottled at 98.8 proof.

[MIKA27]

A New Doctor Strange Video Finally Gives Us Some More Insight Into The Villains

 

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Alleged 145-Year Old Man Can’t Wait To Die

One of Mbah Gotho’s grandsons had a gravestone made in 1992, when Gotho was 122 years old. Twenty-four years later, that gravestone is still waiting on the world’s alleged oldest living man to fill it. Based on Indonesian records, Mbah Gotho is the world’s oldest living human. The 145-year old Indonesian man was born on December 31, 1870, according to documentation verified by authorities in the local government of Sragen, central Java, where Gotho lives.

Gotho’s identification card, showing his alleged December 31, 1870 birthday.

Gotho’s already-built gravestone lies near the graves of his own children. In his alleged 145 years on Earth, Gotho has had to suffer through the deaths of ten of his siblings, four wives, and all of his children. He now has three generations of progeny walking the Earth, and was 77 years old when World War II ended. What’s the secret behind Gotho’s mysteriously long life? According to Gotho, one thing: “patience.” So that’s what I’ve been doing wrong…

 

In recent months, Gotho has become so frail that he must now be spoon fed and bathed by assistants. Due to his long-gone eyesight, the supposed 145-year old spends his days mostly listening to the radio.

What does the world’s presumably oldest man wish for? According to Indonesian news outlet Liputan 6, an end to the cruel joke nature has played on him:

What I want is to die. My grandchildren are all independent.

Gotho’s age has not been independently verified by international authorities, however, making the claims of his age still unofficial and ruling out any Guinness World Record titles.

Gotho speaks with a reporter from Indonesian news outlet Liputan 6.

Gotho’s claims then have to placed alongside other unverified ‘world’s oldest people’ such as Ethiopia’s 163-year-old Dhaqabo Ebba and the 171-year-old James Olofintuyi from Nigeria. The world’s official independently verified oldest person was France’s Jeanne Calment, who died at 122 in 1997.

 

[MIKA27]

DJI OSMO+ HANDHELD GIMBAL CAMERA

Ever wonder how videographers get the camera to feel like it is just floating around the room or over terrain? The answer is surprisingly simple – gimbals. Used primarily by professionals, they eliminate shake and make for a clean and steady shot no matter what you’re doing. Now, thanks to DJI’s release of their Osmo+, you can bring that professional quality into your own home videos.

While this is only DJI’s second dedicated handheld gimbal release, they’re far from amateurs in the area of high quality video. Not only does their new Osmo+ feature a professional grade 3-axis stabilization system for smooth shots, it also boasts a hefty 7x zoom for getting those far away shots. Along with being able to eliminate all that shake and zoom in close on a subject, users will have the ability to capture moments in 4k video at 30 frames per second, in full HD, or at 1080p 100 frames per second, or in 12 megapixel still images shot in a RAW format. Can you submit home videos to the Oscars? Prices are set at $650. [Purchase]

[MIKA27]

TRUE SYRUP

Created to bring cocktails back to their original pre-prohibition era taste, True Syrup is replacing those gross chemicals with wholesome ingredients. Each batch is made from the real stuff, so instead of reading high fructose corn syrup, chemically-sourced quinine, and red 40 dye on the label, you see cane sugar and cinchona bark. Available in Tonic and Grenadine, mix them with any booze for authentic Shirley temples and gin and tonics or you can even use them to spice up your hot cider or wine. 

[MIKA27]

SMITHEY IRON SKILLET

Whether in the kitchen or at the campground, cooking on cast iron has been the way to go for generations, and the Smithey Iron Skillet is built to keep that tradition alive. Each piece is handcrafted in Charleston, South Carolina and is polished down so you get a satin finish, unlike most of today's grainy surfaces. This smooth finish provides a natural non-stick surface for perfectly fried eggs from the first use. It's durable enough to go from the range to the oven, while it's ability to retain heat allows it to maintain your desired temperature using less energy. The skillet also features top and bottom holes, dual pour spouts, and an ergonomic handle.