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

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Uh, So The Pentagon Spent $US22 Million On A Mysterious UFO Analysis Program

The X-Files are real, y'all. No, seriously, here is some wild news for anyone who, like me, cried at the end of Arrival, or perhaps fears that one day aliens will roll on through planet Earth and absolutely wreck our shit.

The Pentagon quietly ran a $US22 ($29) million program to study unidentified flying objects from 2008 to 2012 at the behest of former Senator Harry Reid, the New York Times reported on Saturday, after considering numerous accounts of unexplained phenomena that could involve advanced technology developed by foreign governments or even aliens dropping in to spy on our crapsack world.

For years, this program had federal contractors scurrying around trying to identify unexplained phenomena like Mulder and Scully instead of developing new and innovative ways to kill people.

The unclassified but secretive Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program was funded $US22 ($29) million from 2008 to 2011, with the vast majority of the funding going to Bigelow Airspace. That's a company conveniently owned by one of Reid's friends and donors, Robert Bigelow, though the program was also approved by since-deceased (COINCIDENCE?) Senators Ted Stevens and Daniel Inouye.

That $US22 ($29) million enabled contractors to build a low-key Nevada warehouse for what they claimed was unidentified artefacts obtained from UFOs, as well as compile witness accounts:

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Under Mr. Bigelow's direction, the company modified buildings in Las Vegas for the storage of metal alloys and other materials that Mr. Elizondo and program contractors said had been recovered from unidentified aerial phenomena. Researchers also studied people who said they had experienced physical effects from encounters with the objects and examined them for any physiological changes. In addition, researchers spoke to military service members who had reported sightings of strange aircraft.

Reid has long held an interest in UFOs and it's certainly possible the program essentially amounted to good ol' fashioned DC pork barrel spending at the behest of a dude with a weird hobby and a friend he could hook up with a sweet government contract. The feds have launched numerous investigations of UFOs and found very little, including the 1947-1969 Project Blue Book.

But according to the Times, Reid later decided AATIP had "made such extraordinary discoveries that he argued for heightened security to protect it," requesting the deputy defence secretary list it as a "restricted special access program" which would keep its findings in the hands of just a few officials. AATIP analysts claimed compelling evidence the unidentified objects in question used some kind of next-generation propulsion technology and that the US was incapable of defending against them if they turned hostile (yeah, sounds about right).

The restricted access designation was denied, though, and the program was eventually canceled to free up its resources as it failed to turn up further leads. Per Politico, even Reid agreed AATIP had reached a dead end -- though it did turn up some unnerving incidents.

One of the accounts, extensively detailed in the New York Times, involved two F/A-18F Super Hornets dispatched to investigate "mysterious aircraft" detected by the USS Princeton off the coast of in 2004. The UFOs were detected appearing out of nowhere at an elevation of 24,384m, plummeting towards the sea, and then hovering above the water at 6096m. They then shot back into the air or descended below radar range.

Per aviation enthusiast site FighterSweep.com, at the time the Princeton's SPY-1 system was "the most sophisticated and powerful tactical radar on the planet."

The two pilots, Cmdr. David Fravor and Lt. Cmdr. Jim Slaight, flew so close to the location of the aircraft that their radar signatures couldn't be separated from the unknown object's. They then noticed that the sea appeared to be churning before the scene descended into utter f**king madness, per the Times:

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Hovering 15.24m above the churn was an aircraft of some kind -- whitish -- that was around 12.19m long and oval in shape. The craft was jumping around erratically, staying over the wave disturbance but not moving in any specific direction, Commander Fravor said. The disturbance looked like frothy waves and foam, as if the water were boiling.

When the aircraft approached, Fravor told the paper, "It accelerated like nothing I've ever seen" and disappeared, causing him to be "pretty weirded out." But then something happened that weirded him out even more. When the jets began to retreat to another position 97km away, radar showed the object reappeared there in less than a minute.

What's more, there's some pretty freaky video of the encounter showing an unidentified object pirouetting in the sky as the pilots marvel:

This isn't necessarily evidence of aliens and there's probably a rational explanation for this! But if the descriptions of the object's behaviour are accurate and not describing some kind of illusion, it seemingly defies humanity's current engineering ability or understanding of physics -- suggesting either a foreign power has made amazing advances in aeronautics or, well, an extraterrestrial tourist. So it's maybe not so surprising that someone took an interest in verifying the phenomena and figuring out what to do about it.

Reid insists the program was money well spent at the time.

"I'm not embarrassed or ashamed or sorry I got this thing going," he told the Times. "I think it's one of the good things I did in my congressional service. I've done something that no one has done before."

One of the researchers involved, military intelligence official Luis Elizondo, has since resigned after the budget for the program was killed but told the Times that an unnamed successor at the Pentagon has continued to investigate aerial phenomena. 

Per Reuters, Defence Department spokeswoman Laura Ochoa declined to comment on whether the program continued in some fashion in the government, writing "The DoD takes seriously all threats and potential threats to our people, our assets, and our mission and takes action whenever credible information is developed."

[MIKA27]

Hopsy Brings Fresh Craft Beer on Tap to Your Home

There's no shortage of great taprooms in the area--why shouldn’t your home be one of them? Enter The SUB, a revolutionary home draft system from Hopsy. The plug-and-play countertop system uses 67oz mini-kegs delivered cold and direct to your door by Hopsy. So whether you’re thinking of giving yourself a little something, or making the season bright for the beer aficionado in your life, don’t hesitate. Hopsy is offering an exclusive $110 discount to Cool Material users this holiday, meaning The SUB is yours for $39 when you sign up for their monthly beer subscription.…

 

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Meet Wassail, the One Drink You Should Make This Holiday

For those of us in colder climates, this time of year is the hot cocktail’s time to shine. It’s the perfect drink. The warmth gets you through the chill and the alcohol keeps you feeling loose, and that’s just on the surface. When it comes to making the drink, heating it up means you can extract a ton of flavor from whatever juice, spirit, spice, or fruit you’re using. Plus, you can make the cocktail in a Crock-Pot, meaning the delicious drink your partygoers are going to love took as much effort as an easy chili.

Of all the hot and mulled cocktails, wassail is the one with the deepest connection to Christmas. For centuries, people have been drinking some iteration of this drink, and while traditional wassail is fairly limited in scope these days, we think it deserves to come back into the holiday spotlight. The history of the drink is wildly interesting, and it would be a huge shame to let something as steeped in culture as this fade away.

Almost Ancient Beginnings

The first provable appearance of wassail comes from Beowulf, the 8th century epic poem in which the Danes are terrorized by Angelina Jolie’s CGI boobs. In the Project Gutenberg copy, wassail comes up a few times, mostly as hyphenations on buildings and furniture. Wassail-halls and wassailing-benches are the two main types, so at this point, the word hasn’t quite come to specify a drink yet.

There are rumours about earlier instances though. Three hundred years earlier, in the 5th century, Rowena, a pagan princess, ignited the desire of Vortigern with the simple toast, “Lord king, wassail.” She’s also not held in particularly favorable regard in British history, as she soon betrayed Vortigern at Stonehenge, where he was killed, presumably brutally.

In both examples, wassail is meant as something you say over a drink, not a word you use to describe the drink itself. Kind of like how making a toast isn’t done with crispy pieces of heated bread. Everyone understands it’s a figure of speech.

The word is also rooted in a much older version of English, from when “was hael” was a phrase used to wish someone good health. The closest translation we have now would be something along the lines of “be well,” though that has some awkward sentence construction to it. Better to pretend it’s another language than try to directly translate it.

It’s Finally a Drink

When medieval times rolled around in Britain (the actual medieval period, not the exhilarating period piece enthralling audiences of all ages), wassail got much closer to what we know today. The tradition surrounding it evolved from a simple toast to a much larger celebration. As the story goes, tenants and servants would gather at their employer’s house during the holidays for their annual party, where they get to eat, drink, and party on their employer’s dime. During the party, the host would hold up a steaming bowl of punch and, harkening back to Rowena’s toast, shout “Wassail!” The partiers would respond, as Vortigern did, with “Drink hail!”

That’s the first instance of wassail being used as a verb and a specific drink. Guests now had something they could point to as an example of wassail in addition to the activity it used to generally refer to. In fact, the communal bowl quickly became a sticking point for the tradition. From the manor parties on, wassail included a big, alcoholic bowl of punch.

Roving Bands of Drunken Carolers

Around the same time landlords are celebrating with their tenants and large bowls of punch, unruly mobs of sloppy peasants roamed the land, carrying wassail bowls, seeking out the homes of the wealthy, and demanding Christmas goodies. You’ve heard the line, “Now give us a figgy pudding. We won’t go until we get some.” That used to be literal, not a cute line you record your nephew singing in his Christmas concert. These crowds would gather outside the estates of lords and ladies and wouldn’t disperse until they were placated with treats.

To be honest, that’s the part of the tradition we miss the most. Imagine you and your drunk friends could wander your city, town, or neighborhood, drinking in public, demanding (and receiving) delicacies from everyone making seven figures and above. For one, it reminds rich people we could totally take them if we needed to. For another, it guarantees everyone gets something delicious for Christmas, rather than the less fortunate of us celebrating with whatever they could scrounge together.

This rougher version of Christmas carried through to the 19th century. Wealthy residents of England and America both recount stories of less-than-pleased wassailers vandalizing shopfronts, accosting families, and demanding more than might otherwise reasonably expect. Shopkeeper John Birge of Deerfield, Massachusetts, recalled wassailers in 1794 breaking into his establishment and carrying away food and clothing.

Back a little further, in 1679, four young men very much overstayed their welcome with John Rowden and his wife, who were both known for their perry, a cider/wine made from pears. When they didn’t get any, they tried to counterfeit money, quite poorly at that. After that failed, they threw things at Rowden’s house and adopted son for half an hour, then wrecked poles, fences, stone walls, and stole six pecks, roughly a bushel and a half, of apples.

As with most fun traditions, a few rabble rousers ruined the thing for the rest of us.

Wassailing Mellows Out

Because a destructive and maligned tradition, like what wassailing was quickly becoming, couldn’t sustain itself, it had to be changed. Though we just told you two stories about North American settlers and early American citizens raising hell right before Christmas, what’s closer to the truth is wassailing’s more volatile aspects didn’t completely survive the Atlantic voyage. Before long, it became something much closer to what we’d recognize as caroling. Groups of people would travel house to house, sing a few songs, and offer some wassail from their bowl. This tradition had some legs, though by the 20th century, drinking had just about left it.

Beside caroling, the other path was a simple cocktail party. Close friends or family would gather during the holiday season and a bowl of wassail would be served. Drinking survived in this part, but if there were problems, they generally didn’t involve assaulting unsuspecting members of the public.

As you can probably already guess, in living memory, only elements of wassailing remain. Some communities still have mobile groups of singers, while New Yorkers of the 1930s and ‘40s remember children purposefully making themselves look dirty and stereotypically poor, and then going door to door asking for pennies. You might even make holiday punch without calling it wassail. The only place you’ll find something solidly reminiscent of the old ways is in rural English towns or farms.

Receipes For Your Wassail This Christmas

If the stories are to be believed, wassail has existed for upwards of 1600 years. That means there’s a ton of freedom inside the recipe, since nothing survives unchanged across two continents for a millenium and a half. From what we can tell, there are only two mainstays for wassail. A giant bowl and apples. Everything else is up for interpretation. But we’ll still provide you with a few choices.

Wassail (from the UK)

Why Christmas has a good recipe for something close to traditional. There’s cider, ginger, the mace you can eat (not that you spray in protesters’ eyes), nutmeg, and cloves. Those are all our favorite mulling spices, excluding mace, because we just found out what that was too. Plus, you drop a few lemons and some sugar in the bowl, because what’s mulling without citrus and sweetness? Recipe

A Traditional English Wassail Recipe

This one stuck out to us for its inclusion of red wine, which just feels right. None of the sources we read said Madiera was mandatory, but it brings out a color that fits the season perfectly. Other than that, it has everything that came up as what passes for mandatory. Cider, apples, nutmeg, sugar, and lemons all show up here, with a healthy serving of port poured on top. Of the recipes we’ve read, this is the one that seems most likely to incite those belligerent Christmas riots people used to have. Recipe

Traditional Wassail

This is definitely the easiest one, if you’re concerned with prep time. You just chuck a bunch of stuff in a big pot and boil it. The most complicated it gets is cutting up oranges and floating them on top. That might seem lazy, but we’ll defend it by saying, if you think you need complications and multipage recipes to make a drink colonists used to drink while they beat up adoptees, you’re kind of missing the point. Recipe

Two Recipes for the Favorite Christmas Drink

The Spruce has two recipes on the same page, and both seem delicious. They also seem like they’re throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks, and we love it. One is a little brandy and a ton of dry sherry, while the other dumps a nearly insane amount of rum and beer into the bowl. Either one is enough to convince us to come to your party. All we need is an invitation. Recipes

[MIKA27]

JOHNNIE WALKER GHOST & RARE WHISKY

Ghost & Rare is the first release in a new series from Johnnie Walker. Production begins with Master Blender Jim Beverage choosing barrels from iconic distilleries that have long since closed and blending with the revered Blue Label. For this release, he's chosen a single malt from the legendary Brora distillery which has survived since production ceased in 1983. The result is a complex expression with plenty of tropical fruit, dark chocolate, and a light, smoky finish.

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FERRARI 250 GTO LEFT FENDER

$10,000 to $15,000 USD may sound like a lot of money to pay for a fender, but this isn’t just any fender. It’s an original new-old stock unit from a Ferrari 250 GTO – the most expensive and sought after classic car in the world – now fetching somewhere in the region of $50 million USD each.

The fender has been fitted to a barn-style wooden base ready to be displayed as an art piece. Non-car people may wonder why you have a fender on your wall, but anyone with even a passing interest in classic vehicles should know exactly what they’re looking at.

As an added bonus, its obviously made from aluminium alloy so you’ll never have to worry about rust. The listing on RM Sotheby’s helpfully suggests that it could be used “in case you bang up your GTO”, which gives you an idea of the kind of person who’ll be lifting their bidding paddle on during the auction.

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THE OMINOUS SKYLINE OF A BOND VILLAIN'S REAL-LIFE LAIR

IN THE 2012 James Bond film Skyfall, Daniel Craig’s 007 is lured—by a mysterious woman, naturally—to the island lair of the villainous Raoul Silva, a former MI6 agent gone rogue. Silva, the story goes, took over the island after hacking into the computers of the local chemical plant and simulating a leak, forcing the panicked inhabitants to flee overnight.

The real story of Hashima Island, which lies off the coast of Nagasaki in the East China Sea, is almost as dramatic. From the 1880s until 1974, when it was abruptly abandoned, the tiny island was a major Japanese coal mine, with tunnels stretching almost 2,000 feet under the earth. To house the miners and their families, the Mitsubishi corporation built a miniature city on the island, complete with apartment towers, a school, a hospital, and Buddhist and Shinto shrines. By the mid-1950s, the 16-acre island was inhabited by over 5,000 people, making it the most densely populated place on earth.

In 1974, the coal ran out; Mitsubishi closed the mine, and the island was evacuated. Since then it has become a ghost town, its concrete buildings slowly crumbling. Growing up, the Japanese-born, UK-based photographer Makiko remembers seeing pictures of the island—popularly known as “Gunkanjima,” or “Battleship Island,” for the appearance of its silhouette on the water. “The image kept haunting me,” she said. “I kept thinking, I have to go there.”

Until recently, that was impossible—Battleship Island was closed to visitors. Then, in 2015, UNESCO designated it a world heritage site, along with 22 other sites that played significant roles in the Japanese Industrial Revolution. Shortly afterward, Makiko received permission to spend a day taking photographs on the island. She brought along an acquaintance who spent part of his childhood on the island, and remembered it as a “paradise” because of its well-furnished apartments. (Not everyone has such pleasant memories. In the 1930s and 40s, thousands of Koreans were forced to perform slave labor in the mines; the Japanese government was forced to acknowledge this dark chapter in its UNESCO application.)

Inspired by her friend’s stories, Makiko decided to capture the island from the perspective of a child, using low angles to look up at the post-apocalyptic skyline of decaying towers. She shot the images in monochrome on a Leica M, using an Elmarit-M 21mm lens that she purchased with this shoot in mind. “Even from a distance, it really captures the details of buildings,” she explained. “In the photo of the hospital, you can really see all the stains and how the building has deteriorated. You see the decaying beauty.”

Today, visitors can take a ferry from Nagasaki for a guided tour of part of Battleship Island; however, most of the island is still considered too dangerous for the general public, although Makiko was given special access. Her photographs have been exhibited in Japan and England, and will be published in January by Dewi Lewis Publishing.

 

 

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HAMILTON KHAKI X-WIND CHRONOGRAPH

With a rich aviation history dating back to 1918, Hamilton has partnered with leading air squadrons and world-famous pilots for their Khaki Aviation collection featuring classic aviator styling and pilot-specific functions. The rugged and yet stylish Khaki X-Wind Auto Chrono is part of this collection.

Powered by a Swiss automatic chronograph movement modified into the Hamilton caliber H-21, this 44mm timepiece hosts a stainless steel case, 60-hour power reserve, large Arabic numerals, and a day-date function. What really sets this watch apart though is its drift angle calculator – one of the world’s first ever embedded in a watch – that enables pilots to calculate and record crosswinds they encounter on a planned journey. A timeless and heirloom-worthy piece for any pilot or fan of America’s aviation history. $1,595.00

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Below Zero

Cold temperatures invite a variety of unique ways to interact with nature, from dog sledding to ice fishing to waterfall climbing to bandy, ice motocross and figure skating, countless possibilities await beyond the crowded ski slope and traditional winter activities. Below Zero is a new book by publisher Gestalten, it features dazzling images and explores the brisk side of nature’s beauty and the adventures that await when the temperature falls.    

 

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RIP To Alfie Curtis, Who Played Mos Eisley Cantina's Most Dangerous Drunk

Alfie Curtis, who played Cornelius Evazan in Star Wars: A New Hope, has died, according to Jedi News. If the character name doesn't ring a bell, the dialogue uttered in his single, memorable scene ("I have the death sentence on 12 systems!") opposite Luke Skywalker in the Mos Eisley Cantina certainly will.

Evazan's backstory was that he was, at one time, a promising plastic surgeon whose unorthodox methods ended up harming his patients more than hurting them. A life of smuggling and piracy soon followed -- which led him to link up with Ponda Baba, who liked to drink just as much as he did. (They were wanted men, after all. Too bad buzzkill Obi-Wan Kenobi popped up right when a decent bar brawl was about to get going.) To the delight of many fans, Evazan and his partner notably pop up in Rogue One, lurching around Jedha, though the younger version of the character was played by Michael Smiley.

The London-born Curtis, who was born in 1930, had a long career that also included roles in David Lynch's The Elephant Man and on numerous British TV shows. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time.

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Here's Why NASA Selected Its Two Potential New Missions

Space is great, and it is very fun to have an agency that funds research missions to explore things far from our little planet. NASA has announced two new potential robotic missions: one to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and one to Saturn's moon Titan.

These missions are the finalists from 12 proposals submitted to the New Frontiers program back in April. Only one of them will move forward and launch in the mid-2020s.

Last year, we watched the European Space Agency's comet-orbiting Rosetta craft meet its end by slamming into 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. NASA has selected the Comet Astrobiology Exploration SAmple Return, or CAESAR, to one-up the Rosetta mission. CAESAR will hopefully bring a piece of the comet back to Earth. Steve Squyres of Cornell University will lead the project.

Scientists think that comets contain materials from our early solar system, such as ancient ice, rock, and even complex carbon-based molecules. Bringing a physical sample back to Earth will help us discover how these materials played into the formation of our own planet.

NASA will also fund Dragonfly, literally a super-high-tech quadcopter that would explore several sites on the surface of Saturn's huge moon Titan. Titan is the second-largest moon in the solar system, larger even than planet Mercury, and has a dense atmosphere. Elizabeth Turtle from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory leads the Dragonfly mission.

Titan is a weird one - it's got oceans like ours, with hydrocarbons instead of water. The planet is full of complex carbons of its own - ones like vinyl cyanide that could potentially form "membrane-like" stuctures. It has carbon in its atmosphere, too, as well as precipitation like we have here on Earth. Basically, it could host a very weird form of life, maybe.

On top of that, NASA will partially fund two other concepts to prepare them for future competitions. One, called ELSAH, is designed to find ways to de-contaminate spacecraft in order to better find life. The other, VICI, is a mission designed to withstand the tough conditions on Venus.

We won't get both the CAESAR and the Dragonfly missions, unfortunately. NASA will fund both until the end of 2018 to allow the teams to mature their concepts. In the spring of 2019, it will select one of them to move forward.

I'm on team Titan, personally. But may the best concept win.

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BMW R nineT Hera Project

This impressive masterpiece would probably be more at home in a museum as an artwork, than in a garage. The Hera Project was born from the minds of the team at Italian publication Chop and Roll Magazine, in collaboration with the artists at South Garage Motor Co. Using a BMW R nineT as the base, the bike was stripped to its essentials and completely rebuilt it with a distinctive one-piece aluminium alloy body cradled by a handmade leather saddle, a new titanium twin exhaust, new suspension, a new aluminum fender, integrated indicators in the handlebar, new wheels and dual sport tires by Metzeler to give the beauty grip both on road and off.    

[MIKA27]

NORTH GEORGIA WHISKEY + MOONSHINE STILL

The North Georgia Still Company prides themselves on making world class copper stills using traditional techniques. They use 100% American copper, and they ship all their moonshine and whiskey making gear out in plain brown boxes – so the boys in blue and the nosey neighbors don’t know you’re turning to a life of bootlegging like Popcorn Sutton.

The still you see here is their 2.5 gallon kit, made from pure copper with lead-free silver solder, and each still is precision cut, hand rolled, assembled, and soldered by the same craftsman from start to finish.

Once complete, they’re then pressure and leak tested – this ensures that each still is safe and ready for distilling. The North Georgia Still Company have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and they’re happy to take orders for custom-sized stills.

The 2.5 gallon still costs $240 USD – making it a very affordable entry to the world of home distilling, whether you plan to make whiskey, vodka, gin, bourbon, or moonshine.

[MIKA27]

MUSK SKATEBOARD GUITARS

Punk rock and skateboarding have been inextricably linked for as long as I can remember – but they’ve never been quite as linked as they are when they roll out of the Musk Skate Guitars workshop in Argentina.

Musk is run by Gianfranco De Gennaro (skateboarder and guitarist), Ezequiel Galasso (an instrument maker), and Diego Niembro (a television producer). All men skate and play to one degree or another, and all were joined together by their passion for skating, music, and the second-chance-sustainability of repurposing old decks.

Among Musk’s many celebrity guitarists is Pearl Jam frontman Mike McCready, who played a Musk Skateboard Guitar at a concert in Buenos Aires as a hat tip to the local company.

The are two versions of skate guitars built by the company, each of which costs a rather reasonable $380 USD.

Differences between the two types of guitar largely come down to the pickup type and location, however I’m not an expert in this field so I’m not going to try to explain it. Rather, I’ll link to the listings for them both below and you can take a look for yourself.

EAGLE Guitar 

CRAFTMAN Guitar 

[MIKA27]

Here's What Life is Like in Puerto Rico 3 Months After Hurricane Maria

Two people on the ground provide an update on the American territory's sluggish recovery.

Last week marked three months since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, unleashing the full force of a Category 4 storm on the American territory. The intensity of the 155 mile-per-hour winds and the ferocity of the rainfall led the island's residents to believe they had encountered something not of this world. One woman standing in a foot of water in her bedroom nearly a month later told a CNN reporter that "when that roof came off, what came in here was the Devil."

The troubles were never going to recede with the storm. The recovery was always going to be long, hard, and frustrating. But reports on the ground in the ensuing weeks quickly made it clear that the federal government's effort was unacceptably slow and perilously inept. One month after the storm, one million Puerto Ricans—American citizens—were without water. Three million were without power. Two weeks after the storm, international relief organization Oxfam elected to intervene for the first time on American soil since Hurricane Katrina. They did so for the same reasons as in 2004: the U.S. government's response was insufficient, and people were suffering—and likely dying—as a result.

Eventually, the federal government's response picked up (notwithstanding the visit of President Trump, widely characterized as a "political disaster" that culminated with him shooting paper towels into a crowd of hurricane victims). FEMA picked up some slack, and so did a massive deployment of military and federal personnel. Still, even now, Puerto Rico is in serious trouble. More than 200,000 residents have fled for the mainland United States, but those that remain are widely without the resources they need. The military and its helicopters are gone now, but Oxfam remains. So does FEMA. And they all have a lot more to do.

We spoke by phone with Oxfam America President Abby Maxman, on the ground in Puerto Rico this week to take stock of things, as she drove the winding roads down from the island's highland areas back to San Juan. We also spoke with Daniel Llargues, FEMA's national media lead stationed in San Juan. Here's what they had to say about the state of affairs in this American territory three months after Maria.

Authorities are still struggling to restore power.

According to The New York Times, the power grid on the island is still only operating at 70 percent of its capacity before the storm. The preexisting weakness of the grid has been widely reported, but it's a problem that has wreaked havoc across the island over the last three months—particularly the more rural areas.

"In the two municipalities where we were today, it was really only very center of town buildings had power," Maxman says. "In Comerio [a rural municipality] the power for the center of town only came on Sunday of this past week. The whole community was living without power."

Llargues directed me to status.pr, a website for tracking FEMA's recovery efforts, for statistics on power restoration. That seemed to indicate that "AEE"—the Spanish name for the Puerto Rican Electric Power Authority—was generating at 65.4 percent capacity.

Access to clean water is still a major problem.

Finding clean water was once so difficult that Puerto Rico's residents turned to water at toxic waste sites. Now, status.pr indicates the Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewers Authority is operating at 86 percent capacity, but it's unclear whether all of that is potable and accessible to citizens.

"Water is the most serious issue, and continues to be," Maxman says. "Some of Oxfam's work includes providing water shelters and training to help people keep their water clean while the water systems are not yet functioning." That's linked to the failure of the electric grid, "but also the water is contaminated. Even if someone's able to get the whole system working, there's a need to do water testing. It's critical to people's health and daily lives." She related the story of one woman whom her Oxfam team had given water filters some weeks ago, when she was experiencing lots of intestinal issues and very unwell.

Access to food and functioning hospitals has improved.

"100 percent of hospitals are back open, treating patients," Llargues said. "Dialysis centers are opening as well." Status.pr echoed that, and also lists 92 percent of supermarkets—and 84 percent of gas stations—as open. "There are some food distributions provided through the local authorities, and shops are now open," Maxman adds. "There's issues of cost affordability, but people are able to go to the stores and purchase [food]."

Cell service is returning.

Mobile phone service "has been spotty, but I'm told it's vastly improved over several months ago—and even several weeks ago," Maxman says. "So there is progress." Status.pr indicates 91 percent of telecomms service has been restored, along with 86 percent of "cell sites."

Paperwork remains a significant obstacle.

Getting disaster relief involves filing a lot of paperwork. That can be an obstacle for many people, who might not be familiar with the process—or their rights. "We're providing support to families in terms of their FEMA forms and applications and appeal processes," Maxman says. "Now [the effort] is with local FEMA authorities as well. But groups of lawyers and notary services are providing support in the municipality of Comerio for just 80 families today.

"There's the issue of land rights, and their ability to access the basic forms and services," Maxman continues. "Some have submitted their applications and been rejected. We're not getting anything close to the compensation that is required to rebuild. It's important to build back strong and build back better—that's critical right now. By underinvesting in that, it perpetuates a week system and a weak cycle. People have a voice now and understand what their rights are and have support to make the claims of what they're entitled to."

She added: "There has been underinvestment in disaster preparedness, planning, and basic infrastructure and support services. There's an expectation in the world's wealthiest country that those basic services should be in place."

The recovery has been significantly slower and less effective in remote and highland areas—but parts of San Juan, too.

"At one point, we had 78 choppers from DHS and DOD and other agencies doing air commodity drops," Llargues said, "bringing in food and water to the communities that otherwise couldn't go through roads or through a convoy." But by Maxman's account, that hasn't been enough. The roads are mostly cleared now, but more help hasn't followed as quickly as expected.

"I think it's important to note that it's not only in the Highland municipalities where services are just coming back," Maxman says. "It's also in San Juan itself. It's really quite shocking how long and slow it has been, and what it's taking to get back and move the recovery forward." That's where the comparisons come in: "By any standard, three months where a majority of the population don't have access to clean water or electricity is a sign that it's been an exceptionally slow and really unacceptable level of response. And I think that it is exposing issues that remind us of things from Katrina as well."

Llargues, though, maintained the challenge was always extraordinary: "Puerto Rico suffered two major hurricanes in this one season. You know not only Maria, but Irma came by. The recovery process is going to be long. Puerto Rico hasn’t seen a storm such as this one since 1928. This is an island that's a thousand miles from the mainland. It's not Texas, where you can preposition commodities [supplies] at five or six different points. There were 350 to 400 [federal] employees here before Maria hit, and the distribution center in San Juan was stocked up. We started moving commodities immediately, but you also have to make assessments: Which roads can we go to? Are the ports open? Is the airport open? So to say that it was slow or inadequate—I think it is inaccurate."

The problems have roots well before the storm, and will take a long time to remedy.

"We still have a long road ahead of us," Llargues says. "We're going to be here for a long long time to support the government of Puerto Rico." The problems restoring power are rooted in an already weak power grid, which Maxman boils down to preexisting social inequities. "There are underlying issues of poverty and inequality here that have been hidden," she said, "and what Maria did is really expose that I think to the country and to the world as well." Puerto Rico's economy has been in dire straits for some time, as has the island's budget. That likely won't be helped by the tax reform bill that passed Congress this week, and will almost certainly go into law with President Trump's signature. The bill's reorganizing of Puerto Rico's tax status will see a 12.5 percent tax imposed on intellectual property in the territory, which could see the manufacturers who make up a huge share of Puerto Rico's GDP flee the island.

Maxman sees Oxfam's role as more than supplying water filters. It and organizations like it are charged with bringing—and maintaining—awareness of the problems on the ground. "There's a risk at this point when you're three months after a disaster of the media cycle ends, interest ends and it becomes an abandoned recovery if you will," she said. FEMA is receptive to the role of Oxfam and other NGOs. "The more nonprofits and organizations that come together to help, the better," Llargues says. "Working with the Red Cross, working with Salvation Army—this is a whole community approach and that's well what about how we approach disasters and preparedness to make sure that everybody is involved."

[MIKA27]

IF YOU DON’T LIKE TEQUILA, YOU’VE BEEN DRINKING IT WRONG

Few spirits are more infamous than tequila. High-minded drinkers have given it a bad rap, dismissing it as neither dignified nor delicious. They smugly sigh at holidaymakers who sip slushy frozen margs while singing Jimmy Buffet, and at raucous college students who laud the end of finals with shots lined up at the local dive bar.

It’s their loss. Tequila is so much more than a face-numbing, night-obliterating architect of shameful hangovers. It’s complex and sophisticated, and those who love it are a breed all their own – ready for a good time and occasionally rowdy, but just as worldly and refined as their bourbon-imbibing counterparts.

Today’s tequilas have matured with class and are right at home on the drinks trolleys of all fine spirit purveyors. And one of the most prestigious names in the agave game? 1800 Tequila.

The Problem: You’ve Only Ordered Off The Rail

Every budding tequila buff has to start somewhere. For many connoisseurs-in-the-making, that “somewhere” is the house bottle, likely swigged as a celebratory shot or knocked back off a stranger’s torso in Cancún. While many an uppity drinker would frown at the thought, we’re not here to tell you a bellybutton isn’t a perfectly good cup – we’re just here to remind you it’s only a stop on the road to tequila savant status.

You’ve grown up and so should your tastebuds. Follow the lead of your whiskey-loving friends who have graduated to finer fare by saying farewell to the well and embracing the back bar. A 100% agave tequila will seriously upgrade your spirit experience.

The Cure: 1800 Silver

1800 Silver is made from 100% Weber blue agave plants aged for 8-12 years and hand-picked at their peak from the highlands of Jalisco. The brew is double distilled, then blended with a selection of white tequilas to add greater complexity and character to the spirit.

Smooth and clean with a hint of sweet fruit, this is a fine option for sunset dwellers to sip neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail.

The Signature Cocktail: 1800 Summerita

Glass: Highball

60ml 1800 Silver
30ml Watermelon juice
15ml Lime juice
7ml Agave spirit
Pinch of ground coriander
Champagne to top

Garnish: Coriander leaf

Directions: Add all ingredients but champagne to shaker. Shake for 15 seconds. Strain over fresh ice. Top with champagne. Garnish and prepare to have one of the best summers of your life.

The Problem: You’re Worried About The Worm

Worms are for early birds, not for beverages. For starters, the worm is not a worm at all – it’s a moth larva called a gusano de maguey.

More importantly, it was never meant to be in your tequila. The worm you’ve been brought up to believe marks a “real” tequila actually belongs in mezcal, tequila’s smokier cousin, and even then it was probably just a marketing ploy to sell cheap mezcal to tourists in the 1940s.

If you’ve been avoiding tequila because you can’t stomach the thought of a creepy-crawly in your cup, consider your excuse debunked.

The Cure: 1800 Reposado

1800 Reposado is a visually commanding bottle with a distinctive flavour profile to match its good looks. The tequila is crafted using 8-12 year old 100% Weber blue agave which has been aged for no less than six months in American and French oak barrels.

The process imparts a bright honey hue, as well as notes of buttery caramel, mild spices and a touch of smokiness. Trust us: you won’t miss the pickled invertebrate.

The Signature Cocktail: 1800 Daybreak

Glass: Champagne Flute

45ml 1800 Reposado
30ml Blood orange liqueur
15ml Blood orange juice
2 Dashes Angostura orange bitters
30ml Champagne

Garnish: Orange twist

Directions: Blend all ingredients in glass, garnish and serve for the perfect start to golden hour with friends.

The Problem: You’re Fixated On Shots

Since when do you take life advice from Lil Jon and LMFAO? When it comes to consuming tequila, shots shots shots shots shots are not the way to go. Quality tequila is meant to be sipped like a Scotch or whiskey, not pounded between a salty lick and a bite of lime.

The infamous tequila shot was motivated by survival more than anything else, but these days there’s no need to mask astringent flavours. Today’s tequilas are refined, complex, and tasty spirits that should be savoured.

The Cure: 1800 Añejo

Like the Reposado, 1800 Añejo is made using 100% Weber blue agave aged anywhere from 8-12 years. But unlike its younger counterpart, the Añejo it spends a minimum of 14 months maturing in French Oak barrels, giving it a much richer flavour that’s ripe for sipping.

Expect a luxurious texture and a spicy finish, with well-rounded flavours of toasted oak, vanilla and butterscotch,

The Signature Cocktail: 1800 Jalisco Negroni

Glass: Rocks

30ml 1800 Añejo
30ml Italian Vermouth
30ml Italian orange liqueur

Garnish: Orange twist

Directions: Stir down ingredients over ice. Top up with fresh ice, garnish and serve to accompany your warm balmy nights.

The Problem: You’re Afraid To DIY

There’s more to tequila than margaritas, but the drink is a classic for a reason. It’s a damn good way to drink this sassy spirit, but watch out for the serial offender that has ravaged many an at-home margarita game: bottled lime juice.

We get it – who has time to squeeze all those limes before a Sunday Funday? – but trust us on this one. That seemingly-inoffensive supermarket purchase is making your drinks taste cheap. Swap it for something unexpected like pineapple juice and no one will miss the mediocrecitrus substitute.

The Cure: 1800 Coconut

Take the winning characteristics of 1800 Silver, infuse them with the natural flavours of ripened coconut, and you get a slightly-sweet, medium bodied tropical tequila that’s made for sipping during summer.

Perfect on the rocks and equally enticing with pineapple juice, 1800 Coconut is the ideal beverage for adding a hint of island life to your social gatherings on the beach or harbour.

The Signature Cocktail: 1800 Coconut Crusher

Glass: Rocks

45ml 1800 Coconut
90ml Pineapple juice
Garnish: Pineapple wedge

Directions: Shake and pour over fresh ice. Garnish and serve immediately to bring a taste of the tropics to your beach party.

[MIKA27]

‘Sicario 2: Soldado’ Official Trailer

2015’s Sicario delivered far more than we could have hoped for in a standard thriller. Sure it had all those sweaty palm moments, but it mixed them with fantastic performances from Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro, and beautiful cinematography. Now we have the next installment in the saga centered on the lawless border between the U.S. and Mexico. Sicario 2: Soldado sees the cartels starting to traffick terrorists across the border and the only way to stop it is a Benicio Del Toro with “no rules this time.” It looks just as fun and equally well made. Here’s your first look.

[MIKA27]

STONE XOCOVEZA BOURBON BARREL MOCHA STOUT

To finish off 2017, Stone Brewing is releasing five barrel aged beers. Among them is this 2016 Xocoveza Charred, a mocha stout Stone releases during the holidays, but aged in bourbon barrels. Time in the barrel gives the already flavorful Xocoveza extra caramel and vanilla flavors that play nice with the spices that help the regular version stand out. Corked and caged 500ml bottles are available in small batches.

[MIKA27]

BACHELOR BAR CART

From the first collection of New York design duo Roman and Williams, the Bachelor Bar Cart is an impressive way to serve your drinks — married or not. At the base of this piece is a tapered leg frame. Each one is made to order in your choice of wood and features metal details in a variety of brass, pewter, and nickel finishes. It's topped with a silver or black mirrored top and finished with a set of wheels to ensure the booze is always within reach.

[MIKA27]

HIGHLAND PARK THE DARK SCOTCH WHISKY

The Dark is a new single malt scotch from Highland Park released to celebrate the winter solstice. This 17-year-old whisky was drawn from European oak Sherry butts, adding a rich, complex flavor that mingles well with the smoky peat. Limited to 28,000 bottles worldwide, this release will be followed by The Light in the spring of 2018.

[MIKA27]

TERMINAL NEIGE REFUGE DU MONTENVERS HOTEL

Overlooking the La Mer de Glace, the Terminal Neige Refuge du Montenvers Hotel has been housing mountaineers and travelers of France since 1880. Each of the 20 rooms and suites has since been renovated but still maintain the spirit of their mountain refuge roots with miner's lamps, travel trunks, and reclaimed wood paneling. Along with tradition rooms, accommodations also include an old-fashioned dormitory that sleeps 10 in its capsule style bunk-beds. A pair of restaurants and an on-site coffee shop serve local alpine cuisine. Whether you dine inside or out, panoramic views of the surrounding landscape are always on full display.

 

[MIKA27]

PEACE BOAT ECOSHIP

Determined to build the most eco-conscious cruise ship in the world, Peace Boat teamed with Oliver Design on the Ecoship. Using a series of ten retractable wind generators and ten retractable solar sails, it is projected to cut emissions by 30 percent, while lowering electricity use by 50 percent. It also aims to reduce ocean sewage with a closed-loop water system that uses greenery placed across the five decks to absorb water and a built-in vertical farm to produce vegetables and herbs. It will carry up to 2,000 passengers per voyage when it sets sail in 2020.

 

 

 

[MIKA27]

2018 KTM X-BOW GT4

Those that live and breathe auto racing know the GT4 European Cup Series is the premier venue to spot up-and-coming amateur drivers. The class rules allow only non-professional drivers operating factory-made vehicles that must be publicly available.

Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM has been a contender in global auto competition since 2015 and have cemented their entry to the GT4 Series with their newly launched X-Bow GT4. Working with German powerhouse Reiter Engineering to produce 15 race-ready units for 2018, the X-Bow GT4 is a fully homologated track machine, so you won’t be seeing any on your daily commute. Updates to the GT4 over previous models include a fully covered jet-fighter style cockpit, multiple chassis and suspension modifications, and a transmission capable of harnessing a sustained 515 foot pounds of torque. Audi supplied the ponies for the GT4 with a turbocharged 2.0-liter pumping 360 HP to the 2,200 pound racer, making this feather light whip a power packed asphalt annihilator.

[MIKA27]

AIRBNB SUMMIT PRAIRIE LOOKOUT TOWER

Before satellites, digital cameras, and airplanes — the best way to stay on the lookout for new forest fires was from the top of a ridge lofted 40 feet from the ground in a United States Forest Service tower. Erected in the early 1900s, these cabins provided advanced warning to the small mountain towns scattered throughout the woods. Now, nearly 100 years later, these old cabins serve as exotic vacation spots and inspiration for new homes like the Airbnb Summit Prairie Lookout Tower.

Located on a 160-acre property in Southern Oregon, this cabin boasts a modern set of amenities with an uninterrupted view of the surrounding Umpqua National Forest. The only way to access the cabin is by hoofing it up 4 flights of stairs and climbing up through a trap door. Once above the treeline, guests will find a large, open-plan room with full kitchen, propane heater, guest beds, and surrounding 8-foot deck with open-air shower. Couches in the cabin can be converted to sleeping areas, while the fold-down ladder on the ceiling leads to a private room at the tip-top of the lookout tower. The only downside? The outhouse is 4-flights down and in the woods.

 

[MIKA27]

APPLE SLAMMED WITH MULTIPLE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS OVER IPHONE SLOWDOWN

Apple’s number one resolution for 2018: hire a good lawyer. The company now faces at least nine class action lawsuits after admitting to slowing down older iPhone models without warning to compensate for poor battery performance.

iPhone users have filed suits in California, New York, and Illinois so far, saying they upgraded their devices after updating to new versions of iOS caused their phones to become sluggish. If they had known their batteries were to blame for the slowdown, they claim, they would have simply replaced the batteries instead of buying a new phones.

Apple acknowledged last week for the first time what many users had already suspected – iPhones slow down as they age, and it’s not the result of natural wear and tear, but rather a deliberate decision by the company.

“Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components,” Apple explained in a statement. “Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions.”

iPhone users who have brought suits against the company allege that Apple’s silence caused owners around the world to reach the false conclusion that they needed to buy newer, pricier iPhones instead of replacing their batteries in order to solve the performance issues.

One suit accuses Apple of fraud through concealment and unfair business practices, reports the Los Angeles Times, while another accuses Apple of breaching an implied contract and a third levies a laundry list of claims against the company including fraud, false advertising, and unjust enrichment.

iPhone owners in Israel have also filed a class action lawsuit arguing that Apple breached its duty toward consumers by failing to disclose that software updates would slow the performance of older phones.

Transparency is at heart of the Batterygate scandal. While users are undeniably (and understandably) angry over upgrading unnecessarily, Apple’s secrecy is the most troubling issue for many.

“Rather than curing the battery defect by providing a free battery replacement for all affected iPhones, Apple sought to mask the battery defect,” a suit filed in San Francisco said.

James Vlahakis, an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the Illinois lawsuit, told the Los Angeles Times Apple should have disclosed that a software update could affect the phone’s performance so consumers would have known replacing the battery was an option.

“We think they could have extended the phones’ life if [Apple] had been more honest,” he said.

One lawsuit, unearthed by Patently Apple, is seeking an insane US$999 billion payout. Other suits are asking for a court order barring Apple from slowing down iPhones in the future or requiring Apple to notify owners when an iOS update will affect phone performance.

How this will all shake out remains to be seen, but Apple had better get to work on becoming the US’s first trillion dollar company just to be safe.

[MIKA27]

Chris Hemsworth Is Done With Thor, Contractually

Mere months after the release of Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth is done with Thor - on paper, at least. He's finished filming Avengers: Infinity War as well as Avengers 4, and those two films mark the end of his contract.

"Contractually, right now, yeah, this is it," Hemsworth told USA Today. "I'm done. I won't be playing the character again. It's sort of a scary thought. This really seemed like this never-ending thing. And now it's potentially finishing."

In the past two years, Hemsworth went from filming Thor: Ragnarok, to filming his new movie 12 Strong, and then shooting back-to-back Avengers movies, which took up the bulk of 2017. Those films mark the sixth and seventh films in which we'll see his portrayal of the thunder god on-screen. The films aren't fully completed, so it's possible he'll need to pick up Mjolnir for additional filming and ADR, and of course, he'll be doing promotion both this coming May and May 2019, too. Plus, the actor makes it seem like he's already putting it in the ear of Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige that he wants to come back.

"[Feige] said, 'Look, we just have to concentrate on [Avengers] now,'" Hemsworth said. "So who knows? There are 76 cast members in these two Avengers films. They will be the biggest films of all time, far bigger than my character. It's a conversation for further down the road, if it was going to happen."

The actor also admitted he and Ragnarok director Taika Waititi were recently tossing around Thor 4 ideas at a party, suggesting now would not be the time to stop the story.

"I felt like we re-invented him," Hemsworth said. "There is a bigger platform now to continue if we want to."

With first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe coming to a close, it seems likely some characters won't be coming back for phase four. It sounds like Thor's odds of survival have just gone up.