Could You Stomach The Food Of The Future ?

It's called Huel and is ‘human fuel’ designed to replace nature’s version in a hi-tech, fuss-free, nutritionally balanced powder form. On the positive side it comes in seven flavours - Strawberry, Chocolate, Banana, Pineapple & Coconut, Mocha, Toffee, Rhubarb and Custard. But unfortunately, according to one person, it brings to mind "medicine I had as a child for bottom worms."

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Photos of the 70s Hollywood Skate Scene

Photographer Hugh Holland was in LA in 1975 when the city was the epicentre of the skateboarding scene. He captured some amazing photos as the after-school activity morphed into a professional sport, complete with competitions, endorsement deals, and helmets. Look at these kids!

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NYC From Above by Jeffrey Milstein

Jeffrey Milstein, an architect turned photographer, created this stunning series of aerial photos of New York that reveals the geometric nature of the city.

Statue of Liberty

Aerial photo of Stuyvesant Town.

Times Square, named for the New York Times, is the result of a
diagonal-cutting Broadway. Here you can see the pedestrianized
portion of the famous thoroughfare

More here

Thanks Bruce!

Ruined Dog Breeds

100 Years of Breed “Improvement” shows how dog breeders have intentionally selected for traits which result in diseases. If “improvement” in looks imposes a health burden then it is not a breed improvement. The dogs on the left are from the 1915 book, ‘Breeds of All Nations‘ by W.E. Mason. The examples on the right are modern examples from multiple sources.

A shorter face means a host of problems. The modern Boxer not only has a shorter face but the muzzle is slightly upturned. The boxer – like all bracecyphalic dogs – has difficulty controlling its temperature in hot weather, the inability to shed heat places limits on physical performance. It also has one of the highest cancer rates.

The German Shepherd Dog is also a breed that is routinely mentioned when people talk about ruined breeds; maybe because they used to be awesome. In Dogs of All Nations, the GSD is described as a medium-sized dog (25 kg /55 lb), this is a far cry from the angulated, barrel-chested, sloping back, ataxic, 85-pounders (38 kg) we are used to seeing in the conformation ring. There was a time when the GSD could clear a 2.5 meter (8.5 ft) wall; that time is long gone.

The Pug is another extreme brachycephalic breed and it has all the problems associated with that trait – high blood pressure, heart problems, low oxygenation, difficulty breathing, tendency to overheat, dentition problems, and skin fold dermatitis. The highly desirable double-curl tail is actually a genetic defect, in more serious forms it leads to paralysis.

The Dachshund used to have functional legs and necks that made sense for their size. Backs and necks have gotten longer, chest jutted forward and legs have shrunk to such proportions that there is barely any clearance between the chest and floor. The dachschund has the highest risk of any breed for intervertebral disc disease which can result in paralysis; they are also prone to achondroplastic related pathologies, PRA and problems with their legs.

I love Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and had three of them. 35 years ago I was not as informed as I am today and did not know that Cavaliers all descend from only six dogs and any inheritable disease present in at least one of the original founding dogs can be passed on to a significant proportion of future generations. Nearly all Cavaliers eventually suffer from mitral valve disease which shortens their lifespan. All three of mine eventually died of it, one at just 6 years old. It was heartbreaking.

We now have Lizzie, a hardy 13 year old mixed breed who came to us from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

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Sunday Links 14

Your Canadiana summer playlist from NDP HQ

Things the World’s Most and Least Privileged People Say

True Colors, and Where They Came From 

Fantastic infographic of cannabis strains 

Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys: The Story of Pioneering Interracial Rock Band the Equals

The Men Who Dress Like Sex Dolls

Strange and Poetic Series of a Lonely Astronaut

How to Pack for Any Trip is like a Marie Kondo book for travellers 

Terrorism threatens millennia-old mud brick homes in Mali 

Simple Life Hacks Perfect for Summer

Cross section of a flower ovary

From a Pineapple to a Six-Pack, 23 Buildings that Resemble the Things They Sell

Psychological Properties Of Colours 

In praise of Tovolo ice cube trays. Gonna get me some.

So Long, Marianne

Marianne Ihlen, the woman immortalized in “So Long, Marianne” and the woman in Leonard Cohen’s life through the 1960s, died July 28, 2016 after being diagnosed with leukemia less than a week ago.

Here's a version of the song from his 1993 Oslo concert:



Source

How To Survive An Ostrich Attack

You're welcome.

HTML Beer Glasses

Give your favorite coder an HTML-inspired happy hour with this geek-approved glassware.

More: UncommonGoods

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The History Of the Martini Glass

Whether you’re Danny DeVito relaxing on a lawn chair, or Gisele Bundchen dining at the Chateau Marmont, a martini glass looks better in your hand than any other drinking receptacle does. Not much is known of the history of the martini glass, but what is known is fascinating.

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Photo Retouching Before Photoshop

Photo retouching has been around almost as long as photography and originally took place on the negative. It began in 1841 when William Henry Fox Talbot patented the calotype—the first practical photographic process to create a negative that could generate multiple copies. In 1846 Talbot’s colleague Calvert Richard Jones was dissatisfied with a photograph he'd taken of five Capuchin friars on a rooftop in Malta. The fifth friar was awkwardly placed so Jones blotted him out on the paper negative using some India ink.

The practice of touching up flaws became commonplace but was sometimes frowned upon. One writer in an 1890 issue of Photographic Mosaics commented on the ethics of retouching: “Over-retouching is one of the flagrant faults of modern photographers. It was very wrong in you to touch out all the character in the face of your otherwise fine ‘old sea-captain.’”

Neck retouching. Image credit: Complete self-instructing library
of practical photography via Archive.org // Public Domain

Read more about photo retouching here.
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Les Spectateurs

To be a spectator is to feel nostalgia for the world and the life we left behind

A woman regrets her life on a futuristic suburban mega-satellite in the short science fiction film “Les Spectateurs” by director Lucas Monjo.


// ArtFX OFFICIEL // Les Spectateurs from ArtFX OFFICIEL on Vimeo.

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Samurai Noodles

How Momofuku Ando came up with one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century: instant noodles.

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Unfold Your Getaway

Ghent-based designer Otto Van De Steene has designed the ‘ONAK,’ a portable canoe that folds down to the size of a suitcase.

It's ten times as strong as standard polypropylene and the honeycomb-core composite material is also highly durable and fully recyclable.

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Popular Psychological Lifehacks Debunked

We see them everyday: psychological lifehacks that will purportedly improve your life. How many have some basis in science? Apparently not these ones:



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Three Exclusive Clubs

 
The gentlemen in the photo above are members of the Guinea Pig Club, a social club for patients who had undergone experimental reconstructive plastic surgery, generally after receiving burns injuries in aircraft during World War II. It was founded in 1941 by New Zealand plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe who wanted to make the patients’ lives as normal as possible. The club continued to meet for 60 years after the war; annual reunions continued until 2007. The club even had its own theme song, known as “The Guinea Pig Anthem”:

We are McIndoe’s army,
We are his Guinea Pigs.
With dermatomes and pedicles,
Glass eyes, false teeth and wigs.
And when we get our discharge
We’ll shout with all our might:
“Per ardua ad astra”
We’d rather drink than fight.
John Hunter runs the gas works,
Ross Tilley wields the knife.
And if they are not careful
They’ll have your flaming life.
So, Guinea Pigs, stand ready
For all your surgeon’s calls:
And if their hands aren’t steady
They’ll whip off both your ears.
We’ve had some mad Australians,
Some French, some Czechs, some Poles.
We’ve even had some Yankees,
God bless their precious souls.
While as for the Canadians –
Ah! That’s a different thing.
They couldn’t stand our accent
And built a separate Wing.
We are McIndoe’s army …

Read about two other exclusive clubs at Futility Closet

Thanks Bruce!

Beautiful Chemical Reactions

A music video from BeautifulChemistry.net, with music composed by Lani Elisabeth 

Beautiful Reactions from L2Molecule on Vimeo.

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Dean West

New York City based photographer and visual artist Dean West is known for his intricate and highly staged photographs that take everyday occurrences beyond the realm of natural reality. Here are some images from his Under The Sun series:

DIY Lego Minifig Mask

Frank Ippolito’s human-like Lego Minifigure costume freaked out everyone on the internet who didn’t see it in person at San Diego Comic-Con. Learn how to make your own. Frank explains how he formed this massive mask and gave it the necessary detail to make the sculpture look like it had a real skin.



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Nicola Kinloch - Displacement

A Grey Headed Flying Fox drying his wing.

New Zealand photographer Nicola Kinloch investigates the displacement and relocation of Grey Headed Flying Foxes, a threatened species in Australia, and documents their distinct individual personalities.

Grey Headed Flying Fox stretching on its roost.

The curiosity of a young Grey Headed Flying Fox.

More here


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Paris Chimneypots

Chimneypots are a charming part of the Paris skyline. In the 18th century coal was expensive and, because only the rich could afford to have chimneys, they became a status symbol and people had as many chimneypots as possible on their rooftops. Those who couldn’t afford to buy coal had dummy chimneys built to impress their neighbours.

The Victorian era was the 'Golden Age' for chimneypots. During this period, elaborate clay and metal designs were all the rage. Most visitors to Paris, including myself, have snapped a few photos of its chimneys.

Amusing Planet has put together a nice collection of Paris chimneypot photos:

Photo credit: Jessica Mercer/Flickr

Photo credit: Shreyans Bhansali/Flickr

Photo credit: PreteMoiParis/Flickr

And here are some I took a few years ago:

Thanks Bruce!

Which Words Are The Most Metal?

Image Source

An ex-physicist turned data scientist decided to measure the "metalness" of words. He scrapped www.darklyrics.com, cleaned up the data, identified languages and split albums into songs to get a dataset containing lyrics to 222,623 songs from 7,364 bands spread over 22,314 albums to find the words most frequently used in heavy metal songs compared to their use in standard English. Here's what he came up with:

MOST METAL WORDS

Rank	Word	Metalness
1	burn	3.81
2	cries	3.63
3	veins	3.59
4	eternity	3.56
5	breathe	3.54
6	beast	3.54
7	gonna	3.53
8	demons	3.53
9	ashes	3.51
10	soul	3.40

LEAST METAL WORDS

Rank	Word	Metalness
1	particularly	-6.47
2	indicated	-6.32
3	secretary	-6.29
4	committee	-6.16
5	university	-6.09
6	relatively	-6.08
7	noted	-5.85
8	approximately	-5.75
9	chairman	-5.69
10	employees	-5.67

More words here

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Sir David Attenborough Narrating Pokemon Go

 Pokemon Go gets the Sir David Attenborough treatment in a new viral video.

Chronophotographs Capture the Patterns of Birds in Flight

Barcelona-based Xavi Bou‘s photographs record the patterns birds trace while flying in flocks. His Ornitographies series captures different bird species soaring around the Catalonia region using a method based on chronophotography that compresses multiple seconds into a single frame. They are stunningly beautiful.

Xavi Bou, “Ornitographie #06, Ciconia ciconia, white stork,
swamp of Empordà, Catalonia”

Xavi Bou, “Ornitographie #10, Phoenicopterus roseus, Greater flamingo,
Ebro delta, Catalonia” (2016)

Xavi Bou, “Ornitographie #17, Himantopus himantopus, Black-winged stilt,
Ebro delta, Catalonia” (2016)

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Don't Mourn, Organize

Underground alternative newspapers of the 1960s and 70s are important in US history and the history of the newspaper. Stefan Brecht (1924–2009), son of Bertolt Brecht, had a doctorate in philosophy and was an experimental theater performer, champion of radical culture, and avid collector of underground newspapers which he kept in his attic.

Realize Your Desires: Underground Press from the Library of Stefan Brecht is an exhibition at Printed Matter (231 Eleventh Ave, Chelsea, Manhattan) through July 31. It offers for sale papers that range in price from $20 to $1,500, and in date from the mid-1960s to the early ’70s.


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Pirate Printer

Raubdruckerin (German for pirate printer) uses drain covers as a printing module for textiles and paper. By pressing a garment on a drain cover coated with paint, the surface is transferred as a graphical pattern onto the desired object. Currently the collection shows objects from more than 20 cities.

Thanks Bruce!

Darwin, Sinke & van Tongeren's Artful Taxidermy

In 2011, Ferry van Tongeren decided to quit the advertising business and become a taxidermist but soon  began to question the established ‘leg at each corner’ approach to the art. Jaap Sinke, a colleague from his days in advertising, understood his flamboyant approach, one that referenced Old Master paintings while being imbued with whimsical humour. In 2013 they founded Darwin, Sinke & van Tongeren where they create fine taxidermy.

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Lizzie and Joyce

I used this site to colourize it.

Poetic Street Art by Ernest Zacharevic

Lithuanian street artist Ernest Zacharevic integrates facade elements into his artworks in Lisbon, Atlanta, New York, Hawaii and Penang.

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Remembering the Worst Book Signing Ever

When my publisher’s in-house publicist Annie called to say she’d set up a booksigning for me at Sam’s Club, she said, “Don’t snark. It’s a good opportunity.” She said, “It’s not just any Sam’s. It’s a Grand Opening.” She said, “Sam’s moves a lot of books.”

She said, “Sedaris does Costco all the time.”

I know I should be grateful. Years later, I’ll realize how grateful. But for now, this is my first book and with each day its failure, my failure, becomes more obvious and heart-sinking...

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Undrunk Coffee Honours Victims Of Srebrenica Genocide

Coffee cups filled to the brim were left untouched at Yonge Dundas Square in Toronto but their owners will never return to drink them. The Bosnian community honoured those who perished in the Srebrenica genocide with a mobile installation called the Sto Te Nema? (Where Have You Been?) featuring over 3,500 porcelain cups collected from grieving families all over the world that represent the number of body remains found, identified, and buried to date.

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SHOGUN - Scottish Grime Rap

This teenager from Paisley in the UK is apparently the next big name in hiphop but I can't understand a word he's saying.

The Open Air Suite

Would you rent a room that has no roof, walls or bathroom and is made up of only a double bed, side tables and a few lamps? What if it is set in the beautiful landscape of Switzerland?

The new Null Stern Hotel by the conceptual artists, Frank and Patrik Riklin and hospitality professional Daniel Charbonnier can be booked throughout spring an autumn for 250 CHF per night.

Link

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A Recipe For A Disgusting Condiment

Ancient Romans used a condiment called garum more frequently than salt. It was a sauce made from fermented fish guts and I don't even want to think about how it smelled. If you have plenty of time and feel so inclined you can make some.



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New York's Four Seasons Design Treasures On The Block

Today Wright Auction House  is holding an auction of the luxurious mid-century furnishings from the iconic Four Seasons Restaurant in New York. 

Pictured left: the men’s lavatory in its Mad Men glory, designed by Johnson.
Right: designed by Johnson, the serving cart holds silver serving ware
 by L. Garth and Ada Louise Huxtable. Each piece is made of silver soldered metal
(pairs of serving bowls begin at $500 and charges to begin at $1,000 a set)

Wallpaper* has posted an article on this bastion of the New York dining scene as it closes its doors.