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

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Phantom Reactor Speaker

French audiophile brand Devialet take sound seriously and recently, they downsized their popular Phantom model to a more manageable size, they named it Phantom Reactor and tried to maintain the impressive sound quality similar to its bigger brother. Now the brand is applying a new matte black finish to its Phantom Reactor model, and boy does it look fine. The sophisticated design of the Reactor makes the speaker both impressive in power and appearance. The stealthy speaker is available with 2 power options: 600W or a 900W. The smaller size also makes it more portable to carry around from room to room or even to get it with you on a trip. Its made of almost 1000 components and has more than 100 patents, you also get full compatibility with modern streaming such as Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Airplay, and should you need to, you still have the possibility to connect through classic analog or optical audio jacks.

 

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Lost Blade Runner Game Is Given A Second Life

1997's Blade Runner was a point-and-click adventure like no other at the time. But any attempts to re-release the game, let alone re-master, were made impossible after the original source code was lost during a Westwood Studio move.
This meant only those with an original CD copy could play it but anyone hoping to try it out in the digital age would have a hard time making it possible.

ScummVM developers have been working for months at getting the game back up and running and made a breakthrough back in June 2019. After months of public testing, ScummVM is now supporting Blade Runner, as noticed by RockPaperShotgun. This means you'll now be able to play the game how it was meant to be, rather than relying on fan patches, which, while appreciated, could sometimes be janky.

So, why bother with a 22-year-old game? This version of Blade Runner was an impressive beast at launch, offering a stylistic world and multiple endings, at a time when video games focused on much simpler mechanics. Unlike the name suggests, the story didn't follow the 1982 film starring Harrison Ford. It's certainly in that world, and there are references to it, but instead, you take on the role of Ray McCoy, rookie blade runner on a case to figure out who's killing the world's remaining animals. Adding to intrigue, it's set in 2019.

Even though it's a point-and-click by name, gameplay focused more on searching for evidence, questioning suspects and analysing clues. To make things more difficult (and re-playable), the culprit was randomised on each playthrough. While the cast of characters remained the same each time, who was guilty changed so you'd need to do your diligent detective work each playthrough to ensure you were targeting the right person and to figure out who was human or replicant. It left you guessing, just like the movie.

So, how can I play Blade Runner now?

Now that ScummVM has made it all possible again, it's become a whole lot easier. While the main issue is still regarding the missing source code, those with a copy often had troubles playing it due to advances in computer technology. First, you'll need to have a copy (whether it's the original CD or downloaded from somewhere). Then head to ScummVM and download the software. The ScummVM community has a multitude of other early PC classics to browse if you want to take a walk down nostalgia lane.

If you still can't quite remember Blade Runner or have slept on it for the past 22 years, relive its glory in the gameplay below.

 

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THE JAMES BOND ARCHIVES 

Beginning with 1962's Dr. No, the James Bond series has become the most successful, longest-running film franchise in history. The James Bond Archives chronicles it all. This scaled-down version of the massive XL release contains all the same on-set photos, unreleased stills, production memos, storyboards, and set designs as the original. The illustrative material is set beside an oral history recounted by over 150 cast and crew members, making this the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at the storied secret agent. $60.00

 

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BOLLINGER MOONRAKER LIMITED EDITION CHAMPAGNE

When 007 is ready to celebrate, he reaches for a bottle of Champagne Bollinger. The official champagne of James Bond since 1979, Bollinger is ready to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their partnership with a special limited edition release. The release pays homage to Moonraker, the film on which the Bond and Bollinger partnership began. The bubbly is packaged in a Moonraker-inspired space shuttle box made from pewter and wood veneer that holds a Saint Louis crystal ice bucket and a magnum of Bollinger 2007. Only 407 were made, each of which arrives numbered and was crafted and finished by hand. $5,660.00

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Dormant For 500 Years, A Potentially Deadly Fault In California Has Started To Move

A USGS Earthquake Science Centre Mobile Laser Scanning truck analyses a surface rupture caused by the M7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake in July.

This past US summer, southern California experienced a significant earthquake swarm. Analysis of the event suggests earthquakes unravel in a more complicated manner than is typically appreciated. What’s more, this event has perturbed a major, previously idle fault nearby—and scientists aren’t entirely sure about the potential consequences.

New research published this week in Science details the Ridgecrest earthquake sequence, a seismic storm that unleashed two large tremors and thousands of aftershocks in southern California this past July and August. The new study suggests earthquakes are more multifaceted and complex than we thought; like dominoes, rupturing faults can prompt the movement of neighbouring faults, including nearby faults that don’t immediately appear to be connected, according to the new research, which involved scientists from Caltech and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence started on July 4, 2019, when a magnitude 6.4 earthquake—a foreshock—struck southern California. The magnitude 7.1 mainshock occurred 36 hours later (the effect of which could be seen from space), followed by approximately 100,000 aftershocks.

It was the most significant earthquake storm to hit the region in two decades. The shaking earth was felt across much of southern California, but the areas around Ridgecrest, a town located 190 kilometers (120 miles) north of Los Angeles, had it the worst. Incredibly, the swarm included 20 smaller faults that were previously unknown to scientists.

“It ended up being one of the best-documented earthquake sequences in history and sheds light on how these types of events occur,” said Zachary Ross, a geologist at Caltech and the lead author of the paper, in a press release.

People crossing Highway 178 next to a crack left created by the Ridgecrest earthquake in July.

Alarmingly, the shifting and settling of the numerous faults has added pressure to the nearby Garlock Fault. This major east-west fault extends for 300 kilometers (185 miles) along the northern boundary of the Mojave Desert and intersects with the San Andreas Fault to the west.

Garlock Fault has been dormant for the past 500 years, but the Ridgecrest quakes placed considerable strain upon it, causing the fault to move in a process known as fault creep. The scientists report in the new paper that Garlock Fault has slipped 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) at the surface since July.

“This is surprising, because we’ve never seen the Garlock fault do anything. Here, all of a sudden, it changed its behaviour,” Ross told the LA Times. “We don’t know what it means.”

This doesn’t mean a major earthquake is inevitable, but should Garlock Fault continue to move, it could destabilise the San Andreas Fault, which runs along a different tectonic system.

For the new study, Ross and his colleagues combined data gathered from ground-based seismometers and orbiting radar satellites operated by NASA and Japan’s space agency, JAXA. They used an automated computing process to make sense of the tremendous amount of data generated by the earthquake swarm, which allowed them to produce a map showing the precise location of the fault ruptures and to create a new model showing how the faults slipped beneath the surface. The research is improving our understanding of the relationship between big faults and the copious number of smaller quakes associated with the largest shocks.

“I was surprised to see how much complexity there was and the number of faults that ruptured,” said JPL co-author Eric Fielding in the press release.

Map showing all earthquakes stronger than M2.5 in the Ridgecrest area from July 4 to August 15, 2019 (grey circles). The red stars show the location of the biggest two quakes. The Garlock Fault south of the earthquake cluster is also shown.

Indeed, the model displayed a web of tangled inter-causality not typically associated with large seismic events. Big quakes, it was previously thought, were triggered by a rupture along a long prominent fault, and the maximum strength of the ensuing quake was related to the total length of the fault. But observations of quakes over the past three decades, including the 1992 Landers earthquake in California, cast doubt on this assumption, with the new paper now adding further evidence to the contrary.

As shown in the new map, the smaller faults intersected with each other at surprising angles, in what’s considered to be geologically young fault zone.

“We actually see that the magnitude-6.4 quake simultaneously broke faults at right angles to each other, which is surprising because standard models of rock friction view this as unlikely,” said Ross in the Caltech press release. “It is remarkable that we now can resolve this level of detail,” but the event shows how much we still need to learn about earthquakes, he said, adding that scientists “can’t just assume that the largest faults dominate the seismic hazard if many smaller faults can link up to create these major quakes.”

Frustratingly, this also means that predicting the timing and impacts of earthquakes could be next to impossible.

“Over the last century, the largest earthquakes in California have probably looked more like Ridgecrest than the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which was along a single fault,” said Ross. “It becomes an almost intractable problem to construct every possible scenario of these faults failing together—especially when you consider that the faults that ruptured during the Ridgecrest Sequence were unmapped in the first place.”

Again, a major earthquake along the Garlock Fault is not a certainty, so there’s no need for panic. At the same time, however, Californians need to be mindful of the grim possibly.

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Mexico’s Murderous Super-Cartel CJNG Is Winning the ‘Narco Game of Thrones’

VALLECITOS DE ZARAGOZA, Mexico—There is only one hotel still open in this cartel-besieged town, and I am the only guest in it.

The former owner of the Sierra Inn here in western Mexico’s Guerrero state is a local businessman and political candidate who was run off the road and shot to death by sicarios [hitmen] two years back. He’d envisioned turning Vallecitos into a hot-spot for eco-tourism—the town is nestled in an idyllic, wooded valley in the Sierra Madre del Sur—and at the time he was killed he had several other development projects in the works. Now only this lonely hotel remains.

It’s early fall and the rainy season is underway in these mountains. When the storms are too bad to go out, I wander the deserted halls, the silent dining room. I look at the empty pool, study paintings of the slain owner’s horses on the walls. All kept immaculate by the gerente, the caretaker, and his wife. The gerente went to school with the murdered owner and weeps to talk of him. The wife will not speak to me at all. 

“We keep hoping some day things will get better here,” says caretaker José Ramos, 46, while inspecting bullet holes in the hotel facade caused by a recent gun battle outside. “If the fighting ever stops, and the people come back, we want to be ready for them,” Ramos tells me. “That’s our dream.”

The surrounding streets are almost as deserted as the hotel itself. Like many rural hamlets across Mexico, Vallecitos has become what’s known as a pueblo fantasma. A ghost town. Shuttered shops. Bullet-riddled schools. Unstaffed clinics. The town’s population has dwindled from a high of about 6,000 people a few years ago to around 700 today. And locals say those numbers are still falling, as residents flee cartel assaults and growing poverty.

A study this year determined that Mexico was home to 1.13 million people displaced by violence. Guerrero, long among Mexico’s most dangerous states and the nation’s top heroin producer, is also a leader when it comes to internal refugees, many of whom flee north to seek asylum. The U.S. border patrol deports more residents from Guerrero than from anywhere else in Mexico.

There are two main factors driving the flow of refugees from small towns and villages like Vallecitos, and they are both tied to seismic changes in the cartel universe. The first has to do with an ongoing power struggle in the wake of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s capture and extradition to the U.S. The second is related to a profound shift in the habits of the cartels’ best customers: American drug users.

These two key issues combined to push Mexico's homicide rate to historic levels this year. October has been marked by several major clashes, including one involving El Chapo’s son and another last week here in Guerrero that cost 15 lives. In all, some 17,000 people were killed in the first half of 2019, making this year the bloodiest in the 12-year history of the drug war.

THE FALLEN

To better understand these changes, and how they impact communities, I’ve sought out a mysterious man named José Ángel Contreras, leader of the powerful Contreras clan, and the de facto authority in this lawless stretch of the sierra. 

Some townsfolk I’ve spoken to claim Contreras is a freedom fighter, bravely resisting cartel incursions in order to protect his home. Other sources indicate he’s the leader of a crime family that until recently enjoyed a near-monopoly on heroin production in these parts, enabled by the tacit support of local authorities. In fact, both versions of the story could be true, as Mexico’s changing underworld landscape pits the old guard of quasi-paternal godfathers against the bloodthirsty new breed of narcos.

Contreras, 66, sits on the porch of his house at the center of town, not far from the Sierra Inn. He’s soft-spoken and thoughtful. Almost dotingly polite. Dressed in a white cattleman’s hat and a button-down shirt. He is not armed, but his brothers and sons and nephews drift in and out of the house toting G3s and AR15 assault rifles. One of the men wears a Kevlar vest that bears the insignia of the Mexican marines. 

As soon as we sit down, it begins to rain again. The sound of the downpour hitting the porch roof is so loud it’s impossible to converse. When the storm finally slacks off, Contreras leans in to speak:

“We first began to hear of them in 2015,” he says. “At that time we thought they were nothing. An upstart band of thieves. Stealing our cattle. Robbing our people. But when they killed my brother Gerónimo [in 2017], we knew they were a real threat. That is when we began to confront them.”

The “them” he’s referring is a well-connected gang of drug traffickers called the Cuernudos, so named for their members’ affinity for the cuerno del chivo [horn of the goat] which is what the AK47 rifle is called in these parts because of its curved clip. 

The Cuernudos, Contreras tells me, are a local cell of the larger Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which has risen to prominence over the last few years, and is now the most powerful criminal organization in the country, with a confirmed presence in 22 Mexican states. The CJNG is also active in the U.S., Central America, and South America.

Before his downfall, Chapo Guzmán’s Sinaloa Cartel was so dominant it was able to maintain a so-called “Pax Mafioso” in which other, smaller cartels were kept in line. After Chapo’s arrest, the Sinaloa syndicate splintered, touching off a couple of years of brutal infighting to see who would emerge as the new top dog. 

Now the dust seems to be settling. Chapo’s old outfit has weakened considerably—as evidenced by his son being easily found and temporarily detained a few days ago—and it appears the CJNG behemoth has emerged victorious. Under brutal leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, aka “El Mencho,” the CJNG has surpassed the Sinaloa Cartel and appears to be hell bent on taking over the rest of the country as well.

“Mencho’s current positioning at the top in the ongoing ‘Narco Game of Thrones’ in Mexico is due to a combination of luck, ruthlessness, timing, and organizational skills, as well as well-placed bribes to federal officials,” says Robert Bunker, a professor at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College, in an email to The Daily Beast.

Just last week, in the neighboring state of Michoacán, Mencho’s bunch showed just how ruthless and organized they can be by ambushing and killing 14 police officers, apparently because the cops had refused to take orders from the cartel. 

Bunker describes the CJNG as having “achieved dominance by being edgy, dangerous, and highly profitable” and of “building out its presence through acquisitions of local criminal and drug gang cells as it franchises its operations throughout Mexico.”

Provincial factions like the Contreras family are forced to compete with the CJNG’s sprawling, franchise approach, which includes providing gangs like the Cuernudos with funding and weapons in return for allegiance. It’s not unlike corporate superstores overwhelming mom-and-pop shops in the States.

Contreras describes himself as the leader of an autodefensa (self-defense) militia, as opposed to a drug trafficker. Many of the locals I’ve met also see him as a sort of Robin Hood-like figure who aids the poor and staunchly suppresses crime in the region. But his sect has been unable to prevent the Cuernudos from killing and otherwise harassing citizens in and around Vallecitos. And that deadly violence is a major reason why so many residents have fled.

“They are too powerful now,” Contreras says of the Cuernudos. “We still hold the center of town but they control all the land outside. They own the roads. So we can’t leave Vallecitos. We can’t sell our products. It is like they’re strangling us,” he says. Even with his large extended family enlisted in the struggle, their fighting force is no match for the scores of sicarios the Cuernudos can deploy against them.

“I never thought my children would grow up to become prisoners in their own town,” Contreras says.

SURRENDER AND DIE

In addition to the charter-cell strategy, another factor that has allowed the CJNG to thrive and dominate has been its ability to take advantage of a rather sudden shift in Mexico’s narco-economy.

The power of the old-school dons dates back to the colonial era when their families came to power as landed elites in Guerrero, raising, and sometimes rustling, cattle and horses. Then came the heroin boom of the 1970s, which “empowered local strongmen,” according to Chris Kyle, an anthropologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Kyle describes the sierra around Vallecitos as Mexico’s “Wild West.”

“It’s almost feudal up there,” Kyle says in a phone interview. “And so it was ready-made for opium production. Local criminals have always been present, but centralization [of the drug trade] was very rare.”

That free-wheeling approach wasn’t an issue while heroin prices were high, as groups like Sinaloa or the Beltran-Leyva Cartel paid as much as 20,000 pesos [$1,040 USD] per kilo of opium gum—the main ingredient in heroin—to local suppliers.

However, heroin use in the U.S. has fallen sharply of late, as addicts increasingly turn to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The lack of demand is causing opium prices to plummet in Guerrero and the rest of Mexico, sometimes by as much as 90 percent. The sudden drop has undermined the revenue streams of smaller traffickers, while also destroying the livelihood of thousands of farmers who once eked out a living growing opium poppies.

Bunker calls the shift from naturally produced drugs to synthetics “highly disruptive” for rural communities, as many families once reliant on growing poppies have been “forced to migrate to where they can find work.”

The CJNG and its affiliates, on the other hand, have been able to take advantage of these changes to the black market. Due to its “economies of scale and extensive networks” Mexico’s new super-cartel has “a better chance to exploit the fentanyl market than smaller criminal players,” Bunker says.

The CJNG now controls several of the key Pacific ports where fentanyl and the precursor ingredients used to make it arrive from Asia. The next-gen narcos then funnel the chemicals up to their labs in the mountains of Michoacán and Guerrero where they can be processed or blended with cheaply bought heroin.

This allows CJNG to make a profit while its competitors are being starved out. Fentanyl is faster to produce and far more potent—and deadly⁠—than heroin. It’s also easier to ship and smuggle across the U.S. border, and cartels can charge more for it, or even disguise it as legal opioids like Oxycontin.

These emerging trends “may well force the smaller players into other illicit activities such as extortion, kidnapping, gambling and prostitution, or even the body-parts trade,” Bunker says. The also drive the forced displacement that is crippling rural communities like Vallecitos.

Bunker goes on to call the growing problem of internal refugees and ghost towns evidence of “localized state failure” on the part of Mexican authorities in the face of a “criminal insurgency” by the CJNG.

Mencho’s insurgent network remains an existential threat to José Ángel Contreras, be he a vigilante patriarch or a mafia capo. The last time I see him he’s with some of his men on a hill overlooking the main road through town, taking advantage of a break in the rain to set up defensive breastworks against the next attack by the CJNG-allied Cuernudos. 

“We’re not going to give up our homes; we’ve shed too much blood to protect this land,” Contreras says, but his voice is weary and he sounds every one of his 66 years. In addition to his brother, at least eight other family members have died in the ongoing turf war, including two more this month. He also knew the owner of the hotel where I’ve been staying as the town’s lone guest, and had backed his candidacy for mayor before he was murdered.

“We’re totally isolated now. We can’t surrender, because they’ll kill us,” Contreras says. “But we’ll fight until the end.”

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Microsoft's Over-the-Top VR Rig Lets You Explore A Virtual World While Walking IRL

Microsoft’s latest VR experiment is going to appeal to those who had to settle for living in a less than appealing neighbourhood to take advantage of cheap rent. Called DreamWalker, it’s a virtual reality rig that lets the user experience a completely different VR while they’re walking through the real one.

With smartphone-based VR on the way out, big companies like Microsoft, who’ve poured millions of dollars into researching and developing the technology, are still trying to find the “killer app” for VR; the one application that will make every consumer want to run out and buy the hardware. DreamWalker isn’t exactly that, but it’s an interesting use case that takes advantage of what VR does best: taking people somewhere else.

Before heading out for a stroll, the user provides a path planning software the route they’ll be taking, or their ultimate destination. The software then analyses an existing virtual world for a route that’s as similar as possible, to ensure minimal modifications have to be made to virtual streets, virtual buildings, or other rendered objects that exist in the virtual world of the user’s choosing — it doesn’t necessarily have to be another city.

Once that’s set, the user straps on a virtual reality rig that’s, admittedly, quite cumbersome given it’s still in the prototype stages, and because it includes a portable computer, virtual reality goggles, a pair of RGB depth cameras, GPS, and a smartphone providing a mobile data connection. As they walk in the real world, the wearer’s motions and movements are mirrored in the virtual world they’re experiencing.

The most obvious question that comes to mind is, in a big city setting, or really anywhere, how is the person wearing the VR rig going to avoid the random and ever-changing obstacles that exist in the real world that they can’t see?

That’s where the rig’s sensors and depth-sensing cameras come into play. In the example that plays out in this video demo of a virtual city, computer-generated pedestrians can be generated on the fly to represent people walking by in real life so they can be avoided in both the real and virtual worlds. And other real-life obstacles or safety hazards could be represented by various virtual objects that act as a safety barrier.

For example, a dangerously deep pothole in the real world could be covered up with a computer-generated car in the virtual world that a user knows not to try to walk through. Or freshly poured cement could be protected by a pack of yapping virtual dogs the user doesn’t want to get close to.

Different techniques could be used in the virtual world to protect users from hazards in the real world, without taking them out of the blissful virtual experience they’ve chosen. Although there’s one harsh dose of reality this VR system can’t hide using virtual reality tricks: the batteries dying on that giant rig.

MIKA: ....WHY!?

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Georgia Driver Somehow Escapes Massive Windshield Impalement With Minor Injuries

I know. Upon seeing the photo above, which features perhaps a dozen or more logs impaling a Nissan Xterra’s windshield, you thought you clicked the wrong window and accidentally brought up that Final Destination movie you started for the millionth time last night — for reasons unbeknownst to you or anyone else.

But as it turns out, this was a real thing that really happened, and the driver somehow escaped with minor injuries.

The Whitfield County Fire Department in Georgia posted that photo, along with several others, on its Facebook page this month, saying in the caption that the impalement happened on Cleveland Highway the morning of October 11. The post alluded to only one person being in the Xterra at the time the logs went through the windshield, saying the “patient had only minor injuries.”

That was all the post said, and news stations that covered it, such as WTVC in nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee or Fox 12 in not-nearby Oregon, didn’t have further information on the cause of the incident as of their writings. The department told us that Georgia State Patrol responded to the crash, and we’ve reached out to ask if cause was determined. We’ll update this story if we hear back.

But until then, just know that someone in Georgia entered the universe of Final Destination — not the one where the deaths are just scripted plot elements, either — and somehow escaped with minor injuries. That’s probably better than most of us could’ve done.

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Vin Diesel's Bloodshot Trailer Promises Bloody Revenge And A Billion Baby Robots

The first trailer for Bloodshot has arrived, and Vin Diesel (looking very Vin Diesel) is on a mission to avenge his lost love, aided only by his desire for payback... and one billion nanobots.

Sony’s first Valiant Comics adaptation — after spending years trying to get a cinematic universe based off of the indie superhero comics universe off the ground — tells the story of a soldier named Ray Garrison (Diesel) brought back to life thanks to Rising Spirit Technologies (RST). Not only that, his blood was filled with nanobots that can repair his body and give him super-strength.

Garrison uses his new superhuman abilities to go after the person who killed his partner — except he’s doing it over and over and over again. It doesn’t take long for the truth to come out: The corporation that rebuilt him is manipulating his memories to get him to kill people for them. Turn’s out Garrison’s not too pleased with that, and now RST has an unkillable and very angry Vin Diesel on its blood-stained hands!

In addition to Diesel, Bloodshot stars Guy Pearce, Toby Kebbel, Sam Heughan, Eliza Gonzalez, Talulah Riley, and others. The film is Dave Wilson’s directorial debut, having previously worked as a creative supervisor on Avengers: Age of Ultron and designing video game trailers... including trailers for Bioware’s sci-fi epic Mass Effect 2, which featured a similar “let’s put tiny bots inside to repair a person” sequence and may explain why they look pretty familiar. Shame that Bloodshot is no Commander Shepard, though.

Bloodshot arrives in U.S. theatres on February 21, 2020. It does not have a current Australian release date.

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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Final Trailer

It’s been a whopping 42 years since the first Star Wars movie premiered. And now, after all that time, the epic Skywalker-focused space opera is finally coming to its final conclusion. But there’s still one more film to go, and the final trailer for Rise of the Skywalker has us itching to see it.

There’s been a lot of speculation as to where this final piece of the 9-flick Skywalker saga might be headed. And this absolutely stunning 2-minute and 37-second teaser does a lot to set the stage — albeit without giving away too much. It’s now clear that Emperor Palpatine, the chief antagonist and puppeteer of both the original and prequel trilogy, is making his return — though it’s still unclear as to how that’s going to happen, as he was presumed dead following Return of the Jedi. Similarly, it appears we’ll finally get to see where Rey and Kylo Ren’s enigmatic and entangled storyline is headed. And if the trailer is to be believed, this final entry should have some of the most legendary fight scenes and sci-fi space battles ever put on film.

Catch Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker in theaters on December 20th of this year.

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A Legendary Bartender’s Last Drink Before Dying

Brad Thomas Parsons interviewed bartenders across the country, including Toby Cecchini, about their desired final drink before dying for his new book, “Last Call.”

Toby Cecchini, a self-described “senior statesman” of the bar world, has been tending bar for thirty-one years. The Madison, Wisconsin, native was living in Paris but moved to New York to chase after a girlfriend. That didn’t work out, but wandering the city streets ended up steering the direction of his career when he walked past the Odeon, the legendary Tribeca bistro whose neon sign illuminated the downtown scene in Lower Manhattan in the 1980s, drawing a cast of boldface regulars. “I had read Bright Lights, Big City when I was Paris,” says Cecchini, of Jay McInerney’s breakout 1984 debut novel that featured an illustration of the Odeon on the cover, “and was walking around New York kind of destitute when I looked up and there was the neon Odeon sign. I said to myself, Hey, that’s the cover of that book. And I literally walked in and was greeted with, ‘Yes, can I help you?’ And I said, ‘Yes, I would like a job I think.’” Cecchini’s legacy lives on at the Odeon due to creating a certain pink-hued cocktail that became a pop-culture phenomenon. 

Living in Brooklyn, Cecchini was one of the many people to walk past the long-shuttered Long Island Restaurant on the corner of Atlantic and Henry in Cobble Hill and shake his head in disbelief at the potential of the historic space and its art deco bar and glorious but long-dark neon sign. “The story went that three Spanish women owned it and they wouldn’t talk to anybody. Every restaurateur in the city was trying to get in there.” Cecchini eventually managed to arrange a walk-through of the space with Emma Sullivan, who had run the bar with her husband, Buddy, and her two cousins, Pepita and Maruja. Alperin. The bar seemed frozen in time, as if they had shut down and locked the doors after a long-ago last call. Sullivan sized up Cecchini and didn’t believe he was a bartender—he was too professional-looking—until Cecchini showed her his calloused, banged-up hands, still rough from years behind the bar. Once he established his bona fides as a bartender, there was a spirited conversation and the impromptu interview turned into a handshake deal. Soon he and his business partner took over the lease and the neon sign was back on in 2013. “My basic philosophy is that we have this amazing space,” says Cecchini. “I want a really easygoing place where you walk in and think the food and drink are unnecessarily good. People are working super hard behind the scenes to make a very casual-looking place elevated.” 

What is the last thing you’d want to drink before you die?

It’s not the Cosmopolitan. Once this woman came in and said, “I want something with whiskey and bitters.” Oh, that’s easy enough. “Not just bitters, but amaro. Do you know what amaro is?” Yes, I think I’m familiar with the concept, thank you. The particular thing I was messing around with at the time was the China-China from Bigallet, which I knew and loved. I had been playing with Suze on some things. Other than that, you’ve got sweet vermouth and whiskey, and that’s a no-brainer. And then swapping in the China-China. That’s just a take on the Manhattan. But put an equal part of Suze in there, and you’ve got something vinous. Something sweet. Something bitter. This woman loved it and said, “Oh my god, what do you call this?” I said, “Up to you.” She said, “I call it The Erin.” I thought, Oh no, don’t tell me your name’s Erin? That’s the worst. I hate that. I’ll come up with something else later. But of course I never did.

Look, if you’re about to kick and you’re looking back on your life, you want something to bring you back in—something that’s going to take in all the facets. The Erin is a big drink that’s just swirling with complexity, with all kinds of big flavors and aromatics. My father was a huge fan of brandy, and when he was on his deathbed, I brought him a 1951 Cognac from Delamain. The year he came to America from Italy was 1951. He was incredibly ill when we busted into it at his bedside with my sisters and my brothers gathered around, but he was so game about it. He took on this very strong spirit when he was so sick. I was very much brought back down to Earth by my father’s death. It really brought it home. You know that people die, but when you see your father die in front of you, you understand that you’re going to die. If I’m on my deathbed, I’m sure going to have something strong. You’re looking back on your life, so I would want something strong, sweet, and bitter.

The Erin

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz New York Distilling Company Ragtime Rye
.5 oz Bigallet China-China Amer Liqueur
.5 oz Suze
.5 oz Sweet vermouth (preferably equal parts Cinzano Rosso and Carpano Antica Formula)
5 dashes St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
Glass: Double Old-Fashioned
Garnish: Lemon twist and orange twist   

DIRECTIONS:
Add the rye, China-China, Suze, vermouth, and allspice dram to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir until chilled and strain into a double old-fashioned glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with the lemon twist and orange twist.

[MIKA27]

FEW X ALICE IN CHAINS ALL SECRETS KNOWN BOURBON

Chicago-based FEW Spirits teamed up with the rockers, Alice In Chains for this unique spirit. Whiskey and tequila are probably the two spirits most associated with the rock lifestyle, and while regularly melded together when finishing tequila, it's rarer to find them mingling the other way around. All Secrets Known takes its name from the opening track on Alice In Chain's 2009 album Black Gives Way to Blue and begins as FEW's 101 proof bourbon. The bourbon is then finished in wood barrels that once held tequila for a sweet, spicy kick in each pour. The first and possibly only batch is available to buy online now. $75

[Fuzz]

8 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Microsoft's Over-the-Top VR Rig Lets You Explore A Virtual World While Walking IRL

 

MIKA: ....WHY!?

Because real life just isn't real enough any more. I mean, just imagine it, real life in 8K!

[Fuzz]

7 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Vin Diesel's Bloodshot Trailer Promises Bloody Revenge And A Billion Baby Robots

 

I have the first issue of Bloodshot. It was the first chromium cover comic book.

[MIKA27]

Here's Your First, Tiny Glimpse Of Netflix's New Ghost In The Shell Series

The Major’s back, and looking a bit more three dimensional than you might have hoped.

Netflix has dropped its first look at Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, the upcoming series from Appleseed’s Shinji Aramaki and Stand Alone Complex’s Kenji Kamiyama. Barely anything is known about this iteration of the beloved Shirow Masamune manga — which follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a special cyborg operative with Tokyo’s Section 9 — other than it’s set after a default of global capitalism, which sends Section 9 into action to conduct covert cyber operations.

Oh, and now we know it’s a 3D/CG anime. That too.

The new trailer is incredibly brief, and reveals little beyond the series’ aesthetic, which is bound to get people talking, especially considering its vast difference in style to the imagery Netflix first revealed the series with last year.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is set to hit Netflix in 2020.

[MIKA27]

FAMILY HEIRLOOM QUALITY – WHISKEY LEATHERWORKS CLARK FORK COPPER FLASK

This is the Clark Fork Copper Flask by the team at Whiskey Leatherworks, they designed it to be an heirloom quality flask that can be passed down from one generation to the next – once the next generation is old enough to drink of course.

Each flask is made from food-grade 18/8 stainless steel that’s been plated with pure copper, they hold 6 ounces (177 ml) and have a screw down cap to keep your firewater safe.

The folks at Whiskey Leatherworks in Montana then make each leather case by hand from premium American Horween leather, they use traditional sinew stitching, and they offer three colorways – natural brown chromexel, English tan Dublin (shown), and black latigo.

Hip flasks can be a good item to have in your pocket at some of life’s most important events, and the person with the flask often ends up with a group of people slowly gathering around them hoping for sips (so be careful who sees you whip it out).

Whiskey Leatherworks was founded 6 years ago in Montana, they hand make traditional goods from American leathers, using as many American-made parts as possible.

They now supply goods to distilleries and many other local businesses, they also offer small production runs of monogrammed products using either a person’s initials or a company name. $85

[MIKA27]

New ‘Antlers’ Trailer Dives Deeper Into the Guillermo Del Toro-Produced Horror Starring Keri Russell

Fox Searchlight and Walt Disney Pictures has released a new trailer for Antlers, the horror story directed by Scott Cooper (Black Mass) and produced by monster maestro Guillermo del Toro (Shape of Water). The film’s script was co-written by Henry Chaisson (Breaker Breaker) and Nick Antosca, based on Antosca’s short story “The Quiet Boy”, which you can read in its entirety right here.

Keri Russell is set to star as an Oregon teacher who, along with her small-town sheriff brother (Jesse Plemons), discovers a local boy (Jeremy T. Thomas) is hiding a horrifying secret. Outside of that scant plot synopsis, not a ton of info is out there about Antlers, but the first teaser trailer did offer up plenty of small-town spookiness and an aesthetic that fits right into Del Toro’s usual dark wheelhouse. When we spoke to Cooper last year, the Crazy Heart filmmaker told us the movie was influenced by John Carpenter‘s Halloween, William Friedkin‘s The Exorcist, and Andrei Tarkovsky‘s Stalker.

Wow, wow, wow, where to begin on this official trailer? It does a heck of a job at setting up the atmosphere, with a notably grim vibe descending on a small town surrounded by forests reminiscent of Twin Peaks or Twilight. The trailer also removes all but one word of dialogue from the trailer, instead showing us glimpses from the movie. We see a lot of the young boy, played by Thomas, and his daily routine in feeding what appear to be another member of his family who is in a much worse condition than he is. Whatever is going on with this person it doesn’t look good because they’re living in an attic and eating whole skunk on the reg. There’s also a lot of Plemons and his big boy mustache and Russell, alternating between looking worried and perturbed at every turn. But the real win for the trailer — and the one that should convince you this frightfest is worth checking out — is the very brief glimpse of a man transforming into an otherworldly creature with (you guessed it) antlers. Sold!

Antlers hits theaters on January 1, 2020. The film also stars JT Corbitt, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, and Amy Madigan. For even more Antlers, make sure to check out that first teaser trailer.

[MIKA27]

WhistlePig’s ‘Samurai Scientist’ Whiskey Is Finished In Japanese Umeshu Barrels

One of the most lauded names in the business of making American rye whiskey, WhistlePig has solidified their spot amongst the greatest distilleries of all time. And they’ve managed that, in part, by always keeping things fresh and interesting — especially when it comes to their highly-coveted Boss Hog offerings. Their latest endeavor in that lineup, ‘The Samurai Scientist’ is an especially unique experimental spirit.

Bottled between 120–122 proof, this straight rye whiskey was created using koji fermentation and is finished in the Kitaya brewery’s Umeshu barrels — a traditional Japanese fruit liqueur. And it’s the first ever American whiskey to be finished in this manner. It’s said to have a spicy nose, earthy flavors of tobacco and baking spices, and a lingering smoky finish. Another masterwork of this exceptional distillery, each bottle is adorned with a special cap featuring a statuette of Jōkichi Takamine, the “Samurai Scientist” who pioneered koji fermentation in the American whisky industry over a century ago. It’s available for preorder now at a price of $500 a bottle.

[MIKA27]

The Complete History Of The Japanese Samurai Sword

Before firearms dominated warfare, the blade ruled the battlefield. And, out of all the gleaming swords in history — from the saber to the broadsword — the katana of feudal Japan is by far the most iconic. The slender, razor-sharp sword is easily recognizable thanks to the popularity of the samurai, fierce warriors wrapped in menacing iron armor ready to die honorably on the battlefield. As the years went by, their katanas were made for swift, precise kills and became known as artistic masterpieces of death.

You’ve seen katanas plenty of times on the silver-screen and fought many imaginary battles with a plastic samurai sword in hand as a child. But, what do you really know about the elegant weapon made to cut through a human being with one strike? The katana is a legendary sword with a history worthy of dissection and discussion. Looking back at the blade’s roots, the weapon was a loyal protector, leaving trails of blood with every fluid slash. It’s unlike any other blade in existence, which is why we’d like to take a closer look and dive into its Bushido roots, influential design, iconic status, and pop culture fame. And, just in case you become obsessed over them as we did, we have some recommendations to add to your blade collection.

Legend of Amakuni - The Creator Of The First Katana

As we all know, perfection takes a bit of practice, which is why the first katana didn’t have the familiar curved silhouette. The first known katana sword was a straight, double-edged iron blade inspired by Chinese swords. At the end of the 10th century, the Japanese severed cultural ties with the Chinese and went on to establish their own class divisions within their society. The military warriors guarding the society became the first samurai and the Japanese began to make their way toward creating the famous katana.

Although there isn’t solid evidence as to who improved the design of the samurai sword, transforming it from a straight sword to a curved, killing beauty, legend has it Amakuni was the swordsmith who forged the first single-edged longsword with a curvature in the Yamato Province around 700 AD. He noticed half of the samurai came back from the battlefield carrying broken swords, especially after battling Mongolian invaders, leading him to redesign the samurai sword so that it would be nearly indestructible. Finding the best iron sand ore, he built the katana with a curve, making it optimal for slicing through the enemy. The myth states Amakuni’s death is not known and he earned immortality from all the blood his blades absorbed.

Bushido - Way Of The Warrior

An elite member of the Japanese military, samurai were fierce warriors who followed the Bushido, which means “way of the warrior.” This code of ethics was a moral compass for samurai and consisted of several values, including courage, integrity, loyalty, compassion, and respect. They were armor-clad, civil-minded savages who made it their goal to live and die with honor. Their main weapon, the katana, was thought to be an extension of their soul.

The katana was such a crucial part of a samurai’s life that when a young warrior was on the verge of entering this world, the sword he would use as a protector was brought into the delivery room as if to greet the young one. And, when a weathered, old veteran warrior was on his deathbed, ready to cross over into the White Jade Pavilion of the afterlife, his katana was placed at his side, as if to protect him one last time.

Masters of the killing stroke, each samurai had a collection of swords: a katana, the long sword, and a wakizashi, the short sword. Think of it as an equivalent to a rifle and sidearm pistol. The set was called a Daisho, and if the samurai needed something extra up their sleeve, in case the opposition was daunting, the warrior would add a tanto blade to their collection. The wakizashi was to be carried at all times and even kept under the pillow while the soldier sleeps, as it was used for close-quarter combat, emergencies, and ritual suicide. On the other hand, the katana was the head honcho on the battlefield, cutting through flesh like butter and chopping off heads, freezing the stunned faces of the enemy.

THE ART OF SWORD FIGHTING

An entire martial art was created to learn how to appropriately use the samurai sword and it was dubbed Kenjutsu (or Kendo, which is its modern day, non-military incarnation). The importance of studying Kenjutsu was crucial for samurai, as their proficiency in the ways of the sword was a life or death situation. Those who didn’t understand the intricacies of each weapon were considered uncultivated. Think of how useless a soldier would be today if he didn’t know how to fire a gun in a war zone. The art of sword combat, as with all martial arts, had both a physical and spiritual level. Kenjutsu taught the samurai every single aspect of war, including how to effectively gaze at the enemy to rattle his cage, a concept that’s been utilized ever since, most notably by a prime Mike Tyson.

Taught by a sword master, a young samurai would learn everything from how to draw the blade efficiently and how to manipulate it in a battle to prevail. The mindset of the samurai was also rooted deeply in Zen Buddhism. In terms of sword mastery, the goal of the Zen Way was to allow a warrior’s thought and action to be one, making their movements instantaneous. In other words, samurai blended Zen Buddhism in training to allow them to draw their sword without hesitation and kill unconsciously. A young George Lucas admired the honorable, fierce way of the samurai, using many of their beliefs to create the Jedi in a little film called Star Wars.

In Kenjutsu, there are five basic blows: from top to bottom, left to right, right to left, and straight through the throat. Samurai trained to slash like lightning and with a mind void of everything else but the mission. To execute an enemy in one graceful stroke was called nukiuchi, which only the best could do consistently. By the 12th century, the skills of the samurai became legendary. For example, there was the Japanese epic, Heiki Monogatari, which was written about the Gempei War in the 1100s. It told the story of a warrior-monk who wielded a katana with so much precision he stained his blade with the blood of eight men in a few strokes.

KAISHAKUNIN

The katana was not only a weapon of protection but a mercy tool to assist in a ritualistic Japanese suicide called seppuku, which was carried out when a warrior brought shame to himself. A kaishakunin, or an appointed second person on duty for the ritual, is typically a samurai on standby who is ready to behead the person performing seppuku. The kaishakunin stands on the left side of the person committing the ritual suicide and draws his sword slowly and silently, raising it with his right hand, waiting for the seppuku to be carried out.

The man performing seppuku would pierce his stomach with his blade to redeem his honor. Then, the kaishukunin double-grips his blade and performs a downward cut, or kiritsuke, beheading the former warrior. The katana helps the kaishukunin perform a controlled cut through the neck of the shamed warrior, relieving him of pain. Seppuku was a regular occurrence in feudal Japan. The 47 Ronin legend, a tale of masterless warriors avenging their leader, made seppuku well-known, as the remaining warriors perform the ritualistic suicide in accordance with the samurai code.

Deadly Design - A Weapon Of War

In Quentin Tarantino’s popular revenge flick, Kill Bill, master sword maker Hattori Hanzo forges a katana so sharp it could cut God. For all the legend, myth, and pop culture hype surrounding the katana sword, it actually has a marvelous, revolutionary design. Masamune, a man thought to be Japan’s greatest swordsmith, faced a technological hurdle in forging a sturdy, sharp sword. The samurai’s blade had to be made in a way it would stay razor sharp, yet could still withstand furious blows in a duel. However, steel that’s formed to be indestructible can’t take a keen edge, which became the main issue.

In order to jump this hurdle, Masamune and other swordsmiths used four metal bars consisting of a soft iron bar to protect the blade from breaking, two hard iron bars to keep the steel from bending, and a steel bar to be sharpened. All of the bars are heated at temperatures reaching 2,500° F and hammered down into a slender, rectangular bar to create the tamahagane steel blade. The swordsmith pulls the katana from the fire and plunges it into the water for a rapid cool down. Since the inner core contains small amounts of carbon, the blade can contract, forming the famous and functional curve. The steel would be sharpened to create the razor edge and the soft metal made the katana unbreakable in duels. This special forging process creates the Hamon (differential line), which is a critical factor when sword connoisseurs analyze a katana’s artistic value. When the katana is fully forged, a professional sword polisher rubs the blade with a series of grinding and polishing stones, creating a mirror-like finish, perhaps so enemies might catch a glimpse of their reactions before death.

The creation of a katana was so vital Shinto priests were called in to bless the process, as well as perform a spiritual purification of the swordsmith. Creators of these glorious katanas were considered artists, as they poured their hearts into the forging of these incredible weapons. In the golden age of the samurai between the 13th and 17th centuries, swordsmiths were as renowned as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. These rockstar artisans were surrounded by myths, just like the samurai. A tameshigiri (test cut) was performed with a newly forged katana by slicing through a stack of dead bodies or even live criminals. Of course, tameshigiri could only be done by a master swordsman to ensure the quality of the build.

PARTS OF A KATANA

In order to fully understand the katana, you must know its parts. Here is a comprehensive list that defines each part of the iconic blade.

Hamon: The differential line in the hardening of the blade.

Hi: A longitudinal groove on the blade to make it lighter. It also absorbs and distributes shock stress, preventing the blade from being damaged.

Habaki: A wedge-shaped metal collar used to keep the blade from falling out of the wooden scabbard.

Kaeshizuno: A hook used to lock the katana’s scabbard onto the obi (sash on a kimono).

Kissaki: The tip of the katana.

Koiguchi: The opening of the katana’s scabbard.

Menuki: The ornaments found on the hilt of the sword.

Nagasa: The length of the sword.

Same-kawa: Liner for the handle of the blade.

Saya: The wooden scabbard for the sword.

Sori: The curvature of the blade.

Tsuba: A guard or buckler used for decoration.

Tsuka: The handle of the blade, which is made long enough two hands to grip.

Tsuka-ito: The stringing of the handle.

Wari-bashi: A pocket to store metal chopsticks.

Post-Samurai Japanese Swords - The Katana Lives On

The samurai era came to an end in 1868, and the next four decades saw the samurai armor and swords being replaced by Western uniforms and weapons. However, during the Showa Period and into World War II, Japanese swords saw a resurgence.

Between 1894 and 1905, the Murata-to became the sword that replaced the traditional samurai blade, which then transformed into the Kyu Gunto, taking on the style of American swords with a wraparound hand guard. However, between 1935 and 1945, the Shin Gunto sword became a symbol of rank in the Imperial Japanese Army. It borrowed the design of the traditional slung tachi carried by the samurai, resembling a smaller katana. In a world now filled with gun-smoke, the swords stood mostly as military flair.

After World War II, there was a prohibition placed on the creation and possessions of swords until 1953. By 1960, the Society of Preservation of the Japanese Sword came to light, helping to bring back the ancient techniques to create the tamahagane steel needed to forge authentic katanas. Today, a licensed swordsmith must craft katanas the same way it was done 1,000 years ago.

Silverscreen Samurai Swords - Katanas In Pop Culture

Take a look at some of the greatest action and martial arts films in cinema history, and you’ll find the katana sitting pretty in the double-grip of the main character’s hands. Beatrix Kiddo slaughters the Crazy 88 with her insane Hattori Hanzo katana in Kill Bill Vol. 1, Samurai Shinzaemon slices through a small town of invaders in 13 Assassins, and Deadpool turns a goon into shish kebab in his first proper outing on the big screen. That’s just scratching the surface of all the action the katana gets in pop culture. It’s up there with chainsaws, spiked baseball bats, and crossbows on the “weapons I would use in a zombie apocalypse that aren’t guns” list.

Of course, Akira Kurosawa’s classic Seven Samurai tops all the appearances of katanas in film history. In the epic film, a masterless samurai, or ronin, answers a village’s call for help when he hits rock bottom. To protect the town from bandits, he recruits six other ronin to help him defend the village. Kurosawa’s masterpiece is thought to be the definitive samurai movie by many film junkies. Not only does it contain moving battle scenes, but it also lets the katanas become an extension of the characters, just as intended by the Bushido Way.

As long as there are zombies, vampires, aliens, or baddies that need slicing, the katana won’t leave Hollywood any time soon. Although the katana isn’t typically used on a real battlefield anymore, it’s still a formidable protector in the realm of cinema and TV.

Katanas For The Blade Collector - Fine Additions For Your Expanded Daisho

Quality katanas are hard to find especially if you’re looking for authentic renditions. There are plenty of samurai swords on the market, but a good amount of them aren’t the real deal. We took the time to dig up a few katanas you could consider adding to your blade collection. They range from functional katanas to ones too beautiful to actually use. And, we even threw in a quality bokken, in case you want to follow the Bushido and pick up some sword fighting skills for a potential zombie apocalypse in the future.

Tozando Sunuke Bokken

If you want to satisfy your craving for Japanese sword fighting, you’re going to need a kendo bokken. This Tozando Sunuke Bokken is made from the Iso no Ki or Japanese Isu tree. However, it is mixed with Sunuke, wood from chocolate-dark trees over 250 years old. Analyzing its hardness and weight, Sunuke is one of the best materials in Japan. This expertly crafted bokken will allow you to perfect the art of kendo.

Condor Tool And Knife Tactana

Constructed with 1075 high carbon steel, this Tactana sword by Condor Tool and Knife is extremely durable. It has a Micarta handle, comes with a handcrafted welted leather sheath and a professional black textured powder coating. Although it’s not as long as a traditional katana at 30.75 inches, having a compact blade with the strength of a katana is invaluable. It’s also a more affordable option if you’re looking to use this as a tool. $166

Cold Steel Katana Sword

Made with fully sharpened 1060 carbon, the katana sword from Cold Steel’s Emperor Series is a reliable update to a classic weapon. The blade is heat-treated to a tough spring temper and finished with an immaculate mirror polish. It also has a ray skin handle, black braid cord, and brass menuki, along with a black lacquered wood scabbard. Cold Steel demonstrates their sword can cut through five pieces of bamboo with ease. $880

Thaitsuki Nihonto Furui Shishi Sanmai Katana

Thaitsuki only produces high quality, hand-made Japanese swords and their Furui Shishi Sanmai Katana is a masterpiece. Forged and folded with 1,024 layers of Japanese high carbon steel, reaching an impressive 60 HRC, this katana is a genuine samurai sword made for warriors of long ago. In its production, the blade was clay tempered, heat treated, water quenched, and hand polished. The eight-pound blade also comes with a limited lifetime warranty. $2,280

Musashi Kobuse Kitae Katana

For serious collectors of anything blade-related, this rare Kobuse Kitae Katana from the Musashi Platinum Collection is epic. Forged using the traditional Kobuse Kitae technique, placing a soft steel core in a hard steel jacket, the shock absorption of the blade is upgraded immensely. The blade is made from traditional tamahagane steel, showcasing a Mino style Gunome Midare Hamon used from the Kamakura period, which was known for its cutting ability. $6,931

[MIKA27]

Lexus Unveils New Electric Car Concept

Luxury car manufacturer Lexus has given motorists a taste of what electric vehicles will look like in the near future. Dubbed the LF-30 Electrified, it represents the apex of Lexus' electric production vehicles which will start hitting roads in 2020.

We were lucky enough to see it in the flesh at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. Here are the photos and specifications.

Lexus dedicated its entire Tokyo Motor Show press conference to a single advanced concept car - the LF-30 Electrified. Designed at the ED2 European Design Centre in France, it is a bold departure from Lexus' previous models, being a full-electric BEV with a fully autonomous driving mode.

Here's the official announcement video:

Lexus' sleek launch advert showcases some very glamorous LF-30 owners.

The design is futuristic in every sense of the word. It looks like the kind of vehicle you'd see in a big-budget sci-fi flick - from the touch-screen laden Tazuna cockpit and continuous wrap-around windows to those huge gullwing doors.

The LF-30 boasts maximum outputs of 400kW and 700Nm and a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.8 seconds. Noteworthy features include an advanced posture control that regulates the drive-power output from high-torque electric motors, opacity-adjustable windows, inbuilt gesture controls and - get this - a personal drone for transportation of the driver's luggage.

As mentioned, the car also boasts a fully autonomous driving mode. In a handy touch, the colour of the vehicle's front face changes to identify whether or not a human is driving. Interestingly, the front seats have taken their design cues from first-class seats on an aeroplane. This suggests drivers will be able to catch up on some sleep during lengthy road trips.

The LF-30 is an acronym for ‘Lexus Future’, with the ‘30’ representing Lexus' 30 years in the business. In typical luxury car fashion, Lexus has likened the LF-30 to several majestic beasts in a presumed bid to inject some additional gravitas.

According to Lexus, the LF-30’s designers embraced a theme of “predator chasing prey” that evokes the cheetah. Because one metaphor is never enough, they were also inspired by the reigns that connects a horse to its human rider.

"The cockpit design is based on the new Lexus concept of “Tazuna”, a Japanese word for “reins”. Inspired by how a single rein can be used to achieve mutual understanding between horse and rider, the steering controller-mounted switches and head-up display have been co-ordinated to a high degree," explains Lexus' marketing material.

"The driver is therefore able to focus on driving while controlling various functions, such as the navigation and audio system and driving-mode selection, without having to shift their vision or operate manual switches."

But don't expect to see LF-30-style cars at your local dealership any time soon - according to Lexus' own projections, production models that utilise this technology won't be available until around 2030.

Instead, you'll need to make do with Lexus first full-electric production vehicle which is due to arrive in 2020. Lexus plans to have electrified versions of all models available by 2025 at which point sales of electrified vehicle models are anticipated to outpace its conventional petrol models. Lexus will announce detailed release plans next month.

 

[MIKA27]

In The New Trailer For The Witcher, Foul Beasts And Fouler Men Abound

You know how it is in dark times—it’s not just the monsters that are capable of being monstrous.

Debuting at the Lucca Comics and Games Festival today, Netflix just dropped our latest look at its adaptation of The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill as the grumpy, titular sword-swinging mercenary hero.

Based directly the cult hit fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski rather than the beloved CD Projekt Red video game adaptation that catapulted the franchise to international renown, The Witcher follows Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia—part of a declining, supernatural order of warriors who train in magics, poisons, and the martial arts to hunt down monstrous creatures.

But it’s not all fun and monster stabbing. When a young, fate-burdened princess named Ciri (Freya Allan) flees her war-ravaged home hoping to get Geralt’s aid, Geralt finds his life of bounty hunting caught up in a war between the nations of Cintra and the invading Nilfgaardian Empire. And, it seems, he’s going to learn the lesson that not all of life’s problems can be solved with a sword.

We’ll have to wait a little while longer to find out: The Witcher hits Netflix December 20.

 

[MIKA27]

The Ancient Origins Of Werewolves

In Ancient Greek texts, the king Lycaon is punished for misdeeds by being turned into a wolf

The werewolf is a staple of supernatural fiction, whether it be film, television, or literature. You might think this snarling creature is a creation of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, a result of the superstitions surrounding magic and witchcraft.

In reality, the werewolf is far older than that. The earliest surviving example of man-to-wolf transformation is found in The Epic of Gilgamesh from around 2,100 BC. However, the werewolf as we now know it first appeared in ancient Greece and Rome, in ethnographic, poetic and philosophical texts.

These stories of the transformed beast are usually mythological, although some have a basis in local histories, religions and cults. In 425 BC, Greek historian Herodotus described the Neuri, a nomadic tribe of magical men who changed into wolf shapes for several days of the year. The Neuri were from Scythia, land that is now part of Russia. Using wolf skins for warmth is not outside the realm of possibility for inhabitants of such a harsh climate: this is likely the reason Herodotus described their practice as “transformation”.

The werewolf myth became integrated with the local history of Arcadia, a region of Greece. Here, Zeus was worshipped as Lycaean Zeus (“Wolf Zeus”). In 380 BC, Greek philosopher Plato told a story in the Republic about the “protector-turned-tyrant” of the shrine of Lycaean Zeus. In this short passage, the character Socrates remarks: “The story goes that he who tastes of the one bit of human entrails minced up with those of other victims is inevitably transformed into a wolf.”

Literary evidence suggests cult members mixed human flesh into their ritual sacrifice to Zeus. Both Pliny the Elder and Pausanias discuss the participation of a young athlete, Damarchus, in the Arcadian sacrifice of an adolescent boy: when Damarchus was compelled to taste the entrails of the young boy, he was transformed into a wolf for nine years. Recent archaeological evidence suggests that human sacrifice may have been practised at this site.

Monsters and men

The most interesting aspect of Plato’s passage concerns the “protector-turned-tyrant”, also known as the mythical king, Lycaon. Expanded further in Latin texts, most notably Hyginus’s Fabulae and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Lycaon’s story contains all the elements of a modern werewolf tale: immoral behaviour, murder and cannibalism.

In Fabulae, the sons of Lycaon sacrificed their youngest brother to prove Zeus’s weakness. They served the corpse as a pseudo-feast and attempting to trick the god into eating it. A furious Zeus slayed the sons with a lightning bolt and transformed their father into a wolf. In Ovid’s version, Lycaon murdered and mutilated a protected hostage of Zeus, but suffered the same consequences.

Ovid’s passage is one of the only ancient sources that goes into detail on the act of transformation. His description of the metamorphosis uses haunting language that creates a correlation between Lycaon’s behaviour and the physical manipulation of his body:

Quote

…He tried to speak, but his voice broke into
an echoing howl. His ravening soul infected his jaws;
his murderous longings were turned on the cattle; he still was possessed
by bloodlust. His garments were changed to a shaggy coat and his arms
into legs. He was now transformed into a wolf.

Ovid’s Lycaon is the origin of the modern werewolf, as the physical manipulation of his body hinges on his prior immoral behaviour. It is this that has contributed to the establishment of the “monstrous werewolf” trope of modern fiction.

Lycaon’s character defects are physically grafted onto his body, manipulating his human form until he becomes that which his behaviour suggests. And, perhaps most importantly, Lycaon begins the idea that to transform into a werewolf you must first be a monster.

The idea that there was a link between biology (i.e. appearance) and “immoral” behaviour developed fully in the late 20th century. However, minority groups were more often the target than mythical kings. Law enforcement, scientists and the medical community joined forces to find “cures” for socially deviant behaviour such as criminality, violence and even homosexuality. Science and medicine were used as a vehicle through which bigotry and fear could be maintained, as shown by the treatment of HIV-affected men throughout the 1980s.

However, werewolf stories show the idea has ancient origins. For as long as authors have been changing bad men into wolves, we have been looking for the biological link between man and action.

[MIKA27]

The Inquisition Strikes Back In The New Jedi: Fallen Order Trailer

Everything we’ve seen of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order so far has shone a spotlight on its light side protagonist, Cal Kestis—a Padawan survivor of Order 66 trying to hide who he is in the rise of the Empire. Our latest look at the game gives Cal a very good reason to be doing that.

The Imperial Inquisitorious has been one of the most fascinating additions the reshuffling of Star Wars canon under Disney’s auspices has made to the well-trodden ground that is the two decades between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.

A sinister conglomerate of archly-titled Jedi killers, there’s a layer of tragedy to them—they’re former Jedi broken down by horrific torture and built back up as hunters of their old allies, shattered, hateful remnants of their past selves. That, as well as the layer of intriguing Imperial bureaucracy they bring to the command structure around Palpatine, Darth Vader, and the rank-and-file of the Empire elevates them beyond simply being the kind of fodder you introduce just because Darth Vader can’t personally go around lopping Jedi heads off for 20 years.

That, and on a primal level, they have cool uniforms and rad spinny lightsabers, and hell, that’s just fun.

Which means it’s going to be a hell of a time going toe-to-toe with them in Fallen Order as Cal, joined by fellow escapee Jedi Cere Junda, attempts to relight the fire of the Jedi once more. While we know he can’t truly succeed in that regard—Luke’s got that one on lock—it’ll be interesting to see what becomes of this little pocket of the Star Wars galaxy when Jedi: Fallen Order hits PC, Xbox One, and PS4 in a few weeks on November 15.

[MIKA27]

In The Grudge's First Trailer, A Familiar Horror Finds A New Home

Evil has gone stateside. The first trailer has arrived for writer/director Nicolas Pesce and producer Sam Raimi’s The Grudge, a kinda-sorta-reboot that brings the famous Japanese horror series back to the United States with a new home and recognisable story.

The first trailer for The Grudge (via IGN) hits a lot of the same notes as the previous American adaptation, which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and was helmed by Ju-on creator Takashi Shimizu (who is not involved in this latest film).

This latest version takes place at the same time as the Gellar film, but at the other end of the world in a small American town.

The mystery starts with a large, abandoned house that’s been up for sale but can’t seem to find a buyer. It isn’t until real estate broker Peter Spencer (John Cho) enters the house that we find out why: There’s a g-g-g-g-ghost.

Andrea Riseborough stars as a detective who starts investigating the house, learning more about a terrible murder that happened there and how it seems to be leaving a trail of bodies in its wake. The detective ends up bringing the problem with her, as the Grudge invades her home and goes after her and her son.

But she’s not alone: Other folks in her town—played by Lin Shaye, Betty Gilpin, and Demian Bichir—are also pulled into the Grudge’s wrath.

The Grudge comes out on January 9, 2020.

[MIKA27]

Howard Hughes' 'Spruce Goose' Made Its First (And Only) Flight 72 Years Ago

It was November 2, 1947, and five years after the project to create the world’s largest aeroplane began, the Hughes H-4, known to almost everyone else as the ‘Spruce Goose,’ lept off the surface of the water off of Long Beach, California for its first and only flight.

This British newsreel about the short test flight gives some insight into the excitement the project drove. Hughes is a veritable superstar in this film, with footage of the man testifying in congress about the importance of the project as well as behind the controls.

Built mainly out of birch with the wing surfaces covered in fabric, the eight-engined plane with its 320-foot wingspan was conceived as a kind of early strategic airlifter when the project began. It was designed to carry two Sherman tanks or up to 750 soldiers at maximum capacity.

The Evergreen Aviation Museum, which houses the plane today, explains that the Spruce Goose was originally a collaboration between Hughes and ship-building magnate Henry J. Kaiser. The plane was envisioned as an alternative to Kaiser’s Liberty Ships, which had been beset by German U-Boat attacks for most of World War II.

By the time the war ended the plane still wasn’t ready. Kaiser’s interest waned and he left the project but Hughes pressed on. It would take more than two years after V-E day for the plane to reach flight-readiness, by which point the plane was no longer needed. Hughes pressed on though and continued development. After all, he had put more than $US17 ($25) million of his own money into the project by the time the plane finally flew.

After that day in November 1947 when the plane made its first mile-long flight, the airframe was put in storage. It never would fly again. Eventually, when Disney needed to use the massive hangar the plane was stored in as a sound stage, the Spruce Goose would be moved to the Aero Club of Southern California before being shipped once more to where it remains today in Oregon. But it wouldn’t fly.

The plane was moved piece by piece by rail and river to its new home, but that’s a story for another day.