Music!

If this works, I have embedded a YouTube video of a couple of YouTube "stars" singing a medley of some of the best villain songs from Disney movies. As I thought they did a great job, and I don't have a Hugo review to post, I figured this was worth putting up to amuse you.

A Bunch of Videos

After the fold, of course, to keep the main page a little tidy...

Thoughts

Some pointless thoughts after the jump...

DuckTales!

It's the End of the Year As We Know It...

Via.

Cosplayers are awesome part ....?

Linkdump!

Did flails even exist?

Here's another article about albinos in Africa. Depressing read, but important, I think.

Atlas Obscura, which has become a favorite destination but threatens to overwhelm with too many articles, had a fun story about a nuclear bomb that was dropped on South Carolina.

So, are there no secret hidden chambers off King Tutankhamun's tomb, or is Egypt suppressing the truth? I don't know, but I'm curious to see how it turns out.

MetaFilter has a history of Looney pyramids. These come from the same guy who created Fluxx.

It seems to me that if police are scared to beat people up because of viral videos, then that should be considered a good thing.

Ever wondered why it's called "drop candy"? Well MetaFilter has a link to a video that explains it (5 minutes in!). I'd love to try the nector candy, but I'm not a huge drop candy fan and I'm broke, so I'll just share it instead.

A story linked on Slashdot says Apple doesn't know why its online streaming service is deleting people's files.

Transgender folks are, sadly, able to tell us about our biases.

DC Comics honors Darwyn Cooke.

Let's finish with Simon's Cat:

Thursday afternoon Linkdump

Well, crud. A frozen vegetable recall due to possible listeria contamination has expanded and now includes all the veggies we get from Costco, including one bag that's half eaten. Ug.

Syrian refugees in Canada have very little, but what little they have they are giving to help people affected by the massive wildfires. Via MeFi.

One thing I hated about importing some of my music into Amazon's music app is that, if it thought it knew what song it was, it would replace my music with a "higher quality" version. Because computer algorithms are imperfect, I would sometimes either get a different version of the song or, in one case, a completely different song. An example would be a live duet version of a song replaced by the more popular single singer version that I didn't like as much. Well, at least Amazon didn't delete my original songs. Apparently, Apple Music deletes original song files when you import them into it. Yikes. That's some serious damage to many people's music collections.

Supergirl is in danger of not being renewed, mostly due to the cost to make the show. I really enjoyed the first season, despite some clunky writing and plots. The cast is terrific and I want to see more of it.

How about some ghost stories? Here's a tale of ghosts on a plane. I'm not sure whether to believe the tales or not, but they are fascinating. I'm moderately sure I would freak out if I experienced something like this, seeing as I already have massive anxiety attacks on planes. The last time I flew, from San Diego to Seattle, I needed some serious help to stay calm. I'm not entirely sure I could force myself onto a plane again if there is any other option for getting to where I'm going.

Another interesting story I read today is about two women who just wanted to live without men in a time when women weren't really allowed to do that. But they managed their happily ever after despite the forces around them (and despite being a bit silly with finances).

Trying to trick drivers with an optical illusion might work for a bit, but it generally wears off once drivers figure out what they are.

A woman paints an octopus using 95 million-year-old octopus ink (Google Translate version). Original article in Norwegian. Via MeFi

This story doesn't comfort me regarding medical procedures in our high-tech world. I'm just wondering why the software was set up to do a scan at that point in time.

Every single authority figure failed this child who lost out on her lunch and was accused of a crime for trying to spend a legal $2 bill. The fact that the cop had to go to a bank to figure out it was real shows such ignorance I can hardly stand it. My former boss at Math 'n' Stuff used to get $2 bills on purpose from the bank to hand out as change. I swear I'm going to start getting them myself and spending them everywhere to raise awareness that they exist and are legal tender.

Augie reports that some Marx Brother Movies have been restored, including cut footage. I think I wouldn't mind seeing one of these all cleaned up... movie night!

If I had more money, I'd definitely be supporting a bunch of people on Patreon. One I'd support is Otis Frampton, creator of Oddly Normal. Unfortunately, I'm worse-than-poor at the moment (cash flow is good right now, but soon to be a right mess). So the best I can do is pass this along and hope someone else supports him until Eric and I get our feet back under us.

People who are thinking about trying to break into writing for comics could do worse than looking into this DC Writers Workshop. I am considering applying, although I suspect I a) do not qualify and b) wouldn't be able to afford the trip if I got accepted. Folks have until the end of the month to enter.

Firefly Theme in 8-Bit

"The Ballad of Serenity" by Joss Whedon. 8-bit version by David Joseph Wesley. Made with 2A03 chip from the Nintendo Entertainment System. Firefly Online original soundtrack by David Joseph Wesley.

Linkdump

Demystifying the opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night".... ooo, music!

Check out this neat visualization of falsehoods that people actually believe.

Fun MetaFilter thread about Ace and Doctor Who and companions in general.

Some people are really annoyed that DC is going to have in comic ads.

Does This Thing Really Work? - energetic reviews of "As Seen on TV" junk.

Literally, gun nuts... lead poisoning. This is an aspect of shooting ranges I never would have suspected.

Life and Death at Cirque de Soleil, the story of how and why an acrobat fell to her death during a performance.

If I understand the history correctly... Yeah, that's Matthew 7:5 for you.

You asked me to write my life, the story of Omar ibn Seid, an educated man who was captured and sold as a slave at age 37 in 1807.

A Sunday Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Apr 29th
• Multiversity #2 - Ok. Well. The Earth-11 Aquawoman kicking butt was nice, but overall, this was a disjointed mess of a story that made little sense without multiple re-readings. Oh, it's fun, but it's not really a good read except for the joy of seeing so many alternate heroes. Overall, the whole series, I'd say it was average. It had potential, but it kind of just fizzled.
• Justice League #40 - This isn't really a book about the Justice League, it's a prologue to the next big DC Universe event. As such, I find it minorly annoying. At least it has a funny variant cover.
• Convergence #4 - Ooh, so we finally get Brainiac? Yay.
• Convergence: Justice Society of America #1 - That's an intense JSA there. This is a sad book about aging, but then the super-heroes jump forth and... one last time.
• Convergence: Shazam #1 - Ah, so much fun for the Marvel family. Not much else to say about this one, except I'm looking forward to seeing them battle the Gaslight team.
• Convergence: World's Finest Comics #1 - Scribbly is one of my favorite comic book characters, for all he represents and all he doesn't represent. This is a pretty good tribute to him.
• Hoax Hunters 2015 #2 - Ah, so we finally get to see the other side. Does this mean the team will eventually be reunited?
• Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz: Reign of the Witch Queen #1 - Well, the nice summary made some of what happened before make actual sense. It doesn't make a ton of sense, but more than it did to me before. I'm afraid this book just doesn't really grab me.

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Hubby and I watched two movies this past week. One was Meredith Willson's The Music Man from 2003, starring Matthew Broderick in the title role and Kristin Chenoweth as the librarian. Overall, a very satisfying version. Chenoweth is amusing and amazing throughout and Broderick is born to play lovable rogues. Taken as its own movie and not in comparison to previous versions, this is a decent little flick. Of course, there seems to be a lot of hate out there for Broderick, so if you don't like his acting, then you'll probably want to avoid this. Personally, I've enjoyed him in most roles I've seen him in, so take that as a warning.

The other movie was Divergent, based on the book by Veronica Roth. I have read the book, and in fact have a few serious issues with how the series ends, although the series is actually pretty satisfying (if depressing) on the whole. The movie condenses the book nicely while keeping the key plot points, and in some cases even explains them better than the books did (which is really odd when I think about it). In short, this is a pretty good adaptation of a problematic book. I think I'm looking forward to seeing the next one, but I am really tired of young adult dystopias. Is society really so screwed up that the only way to imagine a good story is to imagine a major disaster that tears it all down?

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Fortean Times #327 (May 2015). I really like the "northern light" ghosts on the cover of this issue, although I feel like the design itself is missing something. The story it's based on is good, with the "vardøger" being something I've actually experienced a couple of times with my husband. Since he's of Norwegian descent, maybe it's just something the Norse do? If you are wondering, it's when you are home and you hear familiar steps come to the door, the door opens and you hear a person doing what they always do when they come home, like take off their shoes or hang up keys or something. But if you check, nobody is there at all. A few minutes later, the person arrives and does EXACTLY what you heard a few minutes earlier. It hasn't happened often to me, but I have experienced it with my husband. I put it off to my imagination... I mean, I'm wishing so hard that he's home that I just imagine him coming home. But the article makes it seem like it's much more widespread and common than I'd ever thought. I'd never thought of it as paranormal, but then I've never been with other people when it happens, and that is what propels it over the edge of imagination. It happens when groups of people are together and they all hear it. Slightly freaky when I think about it, but not scary... just perplexing.

Another main article in this issue is about "the most haunted house in England" which supposedly was a jail for a bit before it became a home. The woman who bought it in 2005 has had trouble renting it out... or rather, trouble keeping renters once they've lived in it for a bit. So she decided to "rent" it out to paranormal investigators to try to figure out what's wrong with it. Lots of interesting stories around the place, a bit of woo about the house choosing its owner, but not a bad article.

The third of four main articles is about early radio in English and the problem of "oscillation". Since radios people had in their homes were not simply receivers, they also broadcast as people tried to tune into a station, there was a common problem with heterodyning... causing interference on a station as you tuned to it. And humans being what they are, some people took advantage of the problem to intentionally interfere with broadcasts. Now, I don't understand the issue well enough to explain it, but I found the article to be both hilarious and informative about a problem I never knew existed. It's almost enough to make me want to take up radio as a hobby to figure it all out.

The final article is about strange rains, like fish and frogs and killer smogs. It's a good summary of strange rainfall throughout recorded history with a major emphasis on modern cases. The article is an extract from a book about rain by Cynthia Barnett, and ends with a reminder about how important the health of animals, particularly frogs, is in telling how healthy the planet is.

Going to the regular features, Strangedays has the usual line-up, starting with stories of people who hoard the dead bodies of their loved ones. There's also a section of follow-ups, which I always enjoy. The Conspirasphere presents an argument that Putin is a double, since the real Putin died during his recent 10-day disappearance. There's also an excellent photo of what looks like a skeleton in mud in the Thames, but was actually metal pipes and old rope. Science has more information on how electricity is being used to heal, with a grim reminder about electroshock therapy. Archaeology reports on a long-lasting embrace, Mongolian structures, a sunset that rolls down a hill and a misinterpreted DNA study. Classical Corner looks at ancient electioneering tricks.

Ghostwatch examines an apparently debunked case of a ghost channeled by a psychic, asking if what she did really was either a fraud or subconscious cues. I'm not really convinced either way. Alien Zoo looks at a recent online campaign that apparently showed dodos caught on a trail-cam in Costa Rica. The video attracted a lot of attention, as did the follow-up, which showed it was a conservation campaign. Fairies, Folklore and Forteana is about hurlers. Just go read it. The UFO files continues its look into the strange UFO sighting, part three of I don't know how many.

The Forum has three pieces. The first is about a sailor who drowned in 1850. After his death, it was discovered he was a woman. The article asks some questions about women dressing and living as men, and lists a couple of other examples before wondering how many cases there were that we don't even know about.

The second article is about Dresden and a survivor who went on to live a very long life marked by pain and tragedy. It's a good story, one I kind of feel honored to get to read.

The last article is about OOPARTS (Out of Place Artefacts), particularly metal that should not have been possible to make in the distant past that nevertheless exists despite being "impossible" for our ancestors to have made with the skills and tools they had. There happen to be a lot of them mentioned in the article, so many that the author wonders if we just have a huge gap in our understanding of the past, rather than these things being rare and strange.

The reviews are fun, as always, starting with a book about Bilderberg and another asking if dolphins are really as smart as we think they are. There's an absolutely bewildering review of a book that's apparently a companion to a spoof tv show along with a brutal review of a book on Christianity's origins and another brutal take-down of a book about Heaven's Gate. Nothing really jumped out enough to go on the wishlist this month. The letters were also good, with one even including an extensive bibliography. All-in-all, another solid issue of the best magazine in the world.

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Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist -- My Kindle Wishlist -- My Camera Wishlist

Neat little promo

Friday! But not my last day of work this week...

So this is the first day this week that I don't have to head into work before 8 a.m.

Not a complaint, really. My editor gets in at about 5 every morning. More of an observation of how strange life can be. So... um... I'm going to post some links. At least one of them is not something you should read if you are feeling grief and despair at the current situation in the United States.

Ok, I'm going to leave that particular link until last. In the meantime, I'm going to be a little more lighthearted.

So, this kind of makes me want to try knitting again. I was pretty miserable at it, I think this project is well beyond my foreseeable capacity.

The source of rubber bricks washing up on the shore may have been discovered.

The second part of the Breaking Cat News Christmas Special has been posted. Poor kitty!

Inkwell will be sad: Cat Fancy is going away.

Do What You Wanna Do - DJ Earworm's United State of Pop mashup for 2014.

Now to get serious. Let's start with Jon Stewart's serious reaction to the Eric Garner decision.

Strange Fruit, a multi-link MetaFilter post that connects historical racism to current events.

Linkages for a Monday Morning

The Way. I actually quite like the song, although I knew it had to have a sad story behind it. I still find it to be powerful. Maybe even moreso now that I know what really happened.

How about another song, on a slightly more silly... um... level... Fact-Checking "Don't Fear the Reaper". I just don't know what to say about the level of pedantry in this post, but it's ... um... I think I'll just go listen to the song again.

Dumb but fun.

Someone who knows more about geology can tell me if this video of the effects of the 2011 Japan earthquake is real.

And lastly, I was blown away by this piece of art merging Seattle with Van Gogh's Starry Night. Prints are avaiable, and this is one I would definitely get if I could afford it (I would want to get one framed, and I just can't justify the cost right now *sigh*).

It's Friday, what have I accomplished?

My favorite piece of classical music as I'd never heard it before.

That's your fun from me for the day. After the jump I'm going to post some general thoughts...

Massive Linkdump

While I've never been a huge P!nk fan, I do like some of her songs. Now I like her even more. Showing basic human decency in the middle of a concert can be tough in today's world. But she showed it.

Cake mixes make life a little easier. But you don't have to buy them. Here's a brownie mix you can pre-make and prepare when needed. Also, the comments on this post are very interesting for the potential substitutions.

I kind of want this T-shirt, but a) I haven't got any money and b) I don't really need any more t-shirts. So I guess I'll just enjoy the illo as is.

This is freakin' cool. Leonard Nimoy writes a response to a teen's letter about how difficult it was to be a half-white, half-black child. Really worth reading. Via Blastr.

Need to make a quick meal? Cressida Bell created an awesome poster that can get you started with some basic ingredients (there's also a vegetarian version).

I can't decide whether I like the videos of a Russian bus driver who doesn't stop for vehicles that cut him off or I'm horrified by his aggressive driving.

I'm not sure I believe this story, but it's an interesting argument about violence in games.

Cracked tends to language that I think of as lazy (e.g. swear words) but I have to admit I like a lot of the articles. Like Five shockingly advanced ancient buildings and Six most (awesome) way people have escaped countries

Linken Dinken

Hidden TARDIS scarf.

Eric and I saw this documentary and very much enjoyed it. I would love to see the DVD release. Someday.

Some of these life hacks are pretty good. Others... well, your mileage may vary.

Need a QR Code? Use this to generate one.

Online comic for you to enjoy: The Honor Brigade.

Boing Boing introduces us to an amusing photo set: HadOneJob.

I don't believe every story on Not Always Right, but I still enjoy them. Here's an example of one I enjoyed.

An explanation of why there are so many Russian dash cam videos on the internet. Because of the tons of dash cams, the Chelyabinsk meteor was extremely well documented.

The subreddit "Explain it like I'm 5" has a decent explanation of the LAPD and Dorner incident. Warning: strong language, graphic description. Some of the comments are also insightful if you really want more information.