I’m in love with this woman.

I’m in love with this woman. Or she is at the very least my heroine. And envious of her children. Those kids are rich beyond words. To have a parent who spends quality time with them, showing them how to make things, to use their imagination, to use tools, to repurpose stuff, to solve problems, etc. In an age when so many parents think merely buying something for their kids will suffice, those kids are learning real skills and will have memories they will cherish

If she hasn’t, this mom should be nominated for a super cool mom of the decade award.
 
Come on...re-enacting the Battle of Hoth with ice cream and printable figures?
http://www.filthwizardry.com/2013/05/battle-of-hoth-ice-cream-dessert.html

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2012/03/kids-diy-star-wars-x-wing-fighter.html

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2012/01/r2d2-mini-secret-storage-box-from.html

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/10/milk-jug-storm-trooper-helmet.html

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2009/01/giant-cardboard-rocket-ship.html

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/07/diy-land-of-oz.html

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/10/diy-star-wars-toys.html

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2013/03/milk-jug-dragon-mask.html

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2012/05/coffee-cup-sleeve-printable-for-your.html 

http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/08/diy-remote-controlled-dalek-from.html

Fastener Chart

This handy visual overview of fasteners is courtesy of Bolt Depot, who also provide this as a printable PDF.

Fastener Categories

Head Styles

Drive Types

Nut Types

Washer Types

S.o.t.D. - Obsession – Djrum

Obsession – Djrum

What does anyone know about spacesuit design?

NASA wants the world to vote on its new spacesuit designs.

You can go here to see what they look like.

http://jscfeatures.jsc.nasa.gov/z2/

Other than the obvious “Buzz Lightyear” reaction most will have about the first suit you see, all I can think is that the average person out there knows nothing about space suit design. Why would the opinion of a yokel like me or you matter? And given that the information given is little more than a cursory look at the appearance of any of these, how could anyone provide an opinion that is worth anything? This is the lowest common denominator of American Idol being applied to something as crucial as the design of a suit meant to protect those going into outer space. This is a shallow popularity contest.

This nonsense is too goofy to be believed: “The third option is called “Trends in Society,” and with a bright color scheme mimicking athletic training gear, it’s supposed to reflect what everyday clothes might look like in the future.”

Bio Diversity Library

A friend contacted me asking about old flower illustrations for a tattoo idea. I knew I had bookmarked this. It took some digging around, but I finally found it again.

Now while the internet has made it really easy to search for images, as someone who works in a tattoo shop, the preponderance of people who come in with a small, low rez image they found on the internet, and think that that will suffice, is driving all of us to despair and drinking. Please go to the goddamn library, or buy some books that have big, clear images. Please.

Failing that, I feel I have to share this almost demented amount (1727 sets) of beautiful old illustrations of natural history of all sorts. You can spend days in here.

Flowers, leaves, animals, insects, birds, bones, eggs, horns, shells, trees, fruits, etc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/sets/

S.o.t.D. - On My Mind – Rui Da Silva (w. Ben Onono)

On My Mind – Rui Da Silva (w. Ben Onono)

Stuff like this and the classic Touch Me, show that Da Silva knows how to craft fun, funky tunes. And he seems to be able to pick vocalists to collaborate with that really complement the track. In this instance, the singer being Ben Onono.

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

I post this every year. 

Drowning people don’t look the way movies and television portray them. Not just people with small children should read this, but I think it’s important for everyone to be able to recognize the signs of someone drowning. Far too many people drown every year, just in this province alone. Thank you to Mario Vittone for writing this.

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Please read it and share it widely.

S.o.t.D. - Fading Lights – Synkro

Fading Lights – Synkro

Synkro knocks another one out of the park. Atmosphere and breaks.

How To Build An Igloo

Another great short film from the treasure that is the National Film Board of Canada.

From 1949, this ten minute film directed by Douglas Wilkinson shows how two Inuit men build a shelter in an hour and a half. I’ve expressed my admiration for the Inuit’s ability to harness what’s around them and use it in a harmonious way. And it also shows how magical the spiral is.

I’ve always harboured a dream about wanting to build an igloo and spend some time in one. But I’ve never lived anywhere that had the type of snow this requires. 

S.o.t.D. - Estrange – Shed

Estrange – Shed

Love that incredible echoing, booming sound René Pawlowitz manages to get on those kick drums.

Artspiration – Predators by Maxim Shkret

Young Russian artist called Maxim Shkret who creates these 3D paintings inspired by vector images.

More at the link.

FalconWatch is back

The falcon cameras are back up and running again in Crackson Square. At least one egg has been hatched. 

But you don’t even have to be there to be able to watch the falcons. Sometimes they’re terribly inconsiderate and go off flying, so there’s not much to look at. But check back.

http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/

How To Forecast Weather Without Gadgets

I don’t know the source for this, but thought it was worth sharing. As neat as all the weather predicting high tech gadgets that are out there are, people are way too caught up in the gee whiz factor of them all. Don’t become unwilling or incapable of looking around you at your environment and observing the information it presents to you.

I already knew most of these, but there were a few I didn’t know. You’re never too old to learn something new.
(Click for a larger version.)

S.o.t.D. - Different Reality (Tripswitch Remix) – Liquid Soul and Symbolic

Different Reality (Tripswitch Remix) – Liquid Soul and Symbolic

I had a shorter version of this, a teaser of the full track. Despite not being the whole song, I played it on repeat, many, many, many times. I kept periodically punching it into YT to see if it was up. Finally. Holy moly is this ever a goose bump inducing slice of smooth grooviness.

Below The Boat – Wooden Contour Maps

Discovered this recently. US company called Below The Boat, which offers wooden contour maps of various bodies of water. Various locales are offered – west coast, east coast and interior bodies of water.

The contours are crafted from laser-cut layers of Baltic birch, hand coloured and glued together. Sizes seem to be around the 3 foot by 2 foot range. It’s ready to hang, pre-framed in a custom, solid-wood frame. Prices aren’t too bad – about $250.

A few examples:

Great Lakes

Chesapeake Bay

San Francisco Bay

I’m keen on these two.

Lake Erie

Lake Huron

Just wish there was one for Lake Ontario.

Me on reality TV? Ha!

I received a message recently from a producer in New York, working on a reality TV show for A&E based on a British version called The Sewing Bee. The usual format - 8, 10, 12 contestants, and each episode they have some kind of a challenge they have to complete, and if not, off they go. I guess they’re trying to find a man / some men that sew. Looking around on the internet, she came across my blog and wanted to know if I had any interest in being on the show. Uhhhh.....no. I’m grotesquely hideous and have an atrocious personality. So I don’t think I should be on a TV show. But mainly, it’s all clothing. And while I’m certainly interested in making clothes, I don’t think I know nearly enough to even contemplate it. Too many other activities competing for my time and money have seen to it that that interest hasn’t received the attention it deserves.

But I sent her a message, gave her some info, some sights to check out, told her I know men that sew, but it’s often very specialized sewing they do - upholstery, parachute rigging, sail making, saddlery, outdoor gear making, etc. - and not the typical sewing on the show, ie clothing.

So if you’re a man, know something about sewing clothing and want to be on TV, get in touch and I’ll put you in touch with her.

A Tour of Accents Across the British Isles

A while back I posted something that touched on the languages in my homeland and the surprising number of accents and dialectic variation in a place so small and flat.

Old English in Friesland

Just came across this short video, that demonstrates the variety of accents to be found in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

S.o.t.D. - Hide U (Madd-Slinky & Silva ES Dubs Remix) – Kosheen

Hide U (Madd-Slinky & Silva ES Dubs Remix) – Kosheen

Like last nights track, another great one from the height of the whole garage sub genre.

S.o.t.D. - Bad One – Bass City Rollaz

Bad One – Bass City Rollaz

Spent a fun evening tonight with a friend as he dug through his crates playing a set of old garage tunes from about a dozen years ago. This track has a mind meltingly great bass line. Surprising to me how unknown / unappreciated a lot of this stuff is. 

AustriAlpin Cobra Buckle versus ADF Raptor Buckle

I’m a big fan of what the fine folks at CTOMS do.

They have just posted the testing they had done on two buckles. And I thought their findings were important enough to pass on.

The buckles in question are AustriAlpin’s Cobra Buckle:

And the ADF Raptor Buckle:

While there are some hipster bag makers out there using them in an absurdly overkill manner, the idea behind these buckles is to use them in critical applications – fall arrest harnesses, rappelling gear, parachuting rigs. Not only are they designed to withstand tremendous forces, but more importantly, to not open under load.

They tend to be a more expensive option, (another reason why hipster bag makers using a $25 buckle when a 25¢ buckle will suffice is so laughable), but if your life depends on it, that price is perfectly acceptable.

AustriAlpin’s offerings, as the name alludes to, come from Austria. American Direct Fabrication came along and offered a made in the U.S.A. option.

CTOMS did some tests last year on Raptor Buckles, that showed them breaking at a rating less than what is stamped on the buckle itself.

Raptor™ Buckle – Put to the Test

They just posted the results of some testing they had done of both buckles by an independent testing facility. Again, the results show Raptor Buckles breaking at a rating less than what is stamped on the buckle itself.

Cobra vs. Raptor – Head to Head

At this point in my life I have no real need for buckles like this. Sure I could use them in something I make, but truly, they would be overkill. But like I said, if you really do do things that require a buckle like this, you want to make absolutely certain that they perform as promised.

The last paragraph in the most recent article sums it up well.

“Some will argue that the Raptor Buckle is still ‘strong enough’, but I think this has become a question of integrity and accountability. If it was simply a head-to-head, one product is almost always going to be better than the other and, in this case, that appears to be so. In a free and open market, competition is a good thing and that difference in quality might be offset by price, location of manufacture, and other preferred criteria when making purchase decisions. The problem though is that pesky stamped rating that is the same between the two buckles/companies, except that the Raptor Buckle seems to have trouble meeting it, except in questionable test configurations. My question is, if you were a company, why wouldn’t you do exhaustive testing on your product in proper configuration?”

S.o.t.D. - Let The Music Play – Shannon

Let The Music Play – Shannon

Another 30 year old track that still sounds as good today as it did when it first came out. Damn are those drums sounds ever punchy.

This was one of the first tracks to sync together a Roland TR-808 (with a reverb placed across the kick and snare and then hard gated) and a Roland TB-303 bassline, which years later would become one of the predominant features of the whole acid techno sound.

S.o.t.D. - The Very Best In You – Change

The Very Best In You – Change

Super smooth funk. James Robinson does the lead vocals on this rather than Luther Vandross.

S.o.t.D. - Rapper’s Delight – Sugar Hill Gang

Rapper’s Delight – Sugar Hill Gang

Crazy I haven’t posted this classic. And where the hell did rap go so terribly astray from stuff this fun?

I was always under the impression that one of my favourite musical crews ever (Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald and Keith LeBlanc - aka Tackhead, aka the dudes who played on countless On-U-Sound records) were the musicians on this. It was actually a group called Positive Force. They did however play on “Apache” by the Sugar Hill Gang. (What I never knew is that they also did the music for “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “White Lines” by Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel, “New York, New York” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.)

Bibliophilia: The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900 – David Edgerton

The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900 – David Edgerton

Interesting, alternate look at the history of technology, which is often dominated by paeans to the latest and greatest gee-whiz technology. This book argues that it is often the relatively mundane technologies have the largest and longest impact. Actual manufacture, implementation and maintenance, rather than breathless announcements of new innovations are what count. Many things we use are very old, and many things that are invented are never actually used. Not many people regard corrugated iron as a very exciting technology, but in terms of how long it has been used, and how much has been sold all over the world, it is very important. For all the promises of jet-packs and flying cars, bicycles are still going strong, 200 years later, constantly updated and improved, and in use globally. Many people the world over are employed in maintaining and improving older technologies, but their contribution to the greater good are overlooked in the headlong rush to praise the newest invention.


It certainly provokes thought, even if I thought it was a little plodding and scattered in places. And his anti-American slant was tedious and predictable.

S.o.t.D. - The Whistle Song – Frankie Knuckles

The Whistle Song – Frankie Knuckles

Damn. Just heard that this legend of house music has passed away. Fortunate to have had the chance to see him twice back in the day. 

Bibliophilia: How To Wrap Five Eggs - Traditional Japanese Packaging – Hideyuki Oka

How To Wrap Five Eggs - Traditional Japanese Packaging – Hideyuki Oka

Something I’ve always found fascinating and admirable about Japan is their painstaking attention to detail. I don’t think there is anything, any craft or art, they do in half measures.

Packaging was no exception.

First published in 1965 (with an English version 2 years later), Japanese graphic artist Hideyuki Oka, set out to chronicle older, and by that point disappearing, forms of packaging foodstuffs.

The items encased range from sake to miso to sushi to confectionaries and...eggs. Many of these would have been the efforts of simple merchants. Both to protect and transport the goods they sold, but also to give it a distinct visual presence. Very early, not quite corporate branding – market stall branding maybe. And the material used was often bamboo, rice straw, hemp twine, paper, and leaves. Beautiful examples of using the natural resources available. But, cloth and also more sophisticated pottery, baskets, and wooden boxes were used.

Bamboo is split to form the sticks that candies unique to Sendai are stuck on to. The holder is also bamboo.

Box made of Paulownia wood, with a polished bamboo knob, containing candies from Nagoya.

Oh come on! Sugarcoated beans from Mamemasa confectionery in Kyoto arranged in tiers in a diagonally cut cardboard box pasted over with decorative printed paper.

A wooden box containing a 15 inch sponge cake called kasutera. But check out that ribbon.

Dried flying fish from Miyagi Prefecture in northern Honshu. Strung together with straw, this allowed them to both dry and be conveniently stored, and then used as needed.

​Anyone with an interest in packaging, basketry, box making, ceramics and pottery, Japanese arts and crafts, inventive uses of natural resources, and anyone with a sense of wonder, will find this book very appealing.

If I have a criticism of the book it’s that I wish the photos were in colour (but given that the photos date back more than fifty years, maybe not so surprising) and also that the descriptions were on the same page, rather than grouped together at the back. But in all, minor quibbles. Oh and there is no description of how to wrap five eggs. No how to of any kind. But again, many of the items photographed were by that time already artifacts of a by gone age. Oka was a chronicler of a historical practice, not an expert practitioner of these crafts.

(I originally enjoyed this book when I found it more than 25 years ago in the library of the city I grew up in. The memory of it had faded in that time and I was thrilled to find it again in the library of the city I now live in.)

If you were traveling by train in Japan, you could purchase tea at a train station, and this is how it would be served. The lid serves as a cup.

Now if someone could make something like this, about a liter in size, with a larger screw off cup on the top, and a nestled pot on the bottom, in aluminum, stainless steel or titanium, I would buy one and die a happy man.

S.o.t.D. - The Great Divide – Portion Control

The Great Divide – Portion Control

Freaky to think this track is getting on to 30 years old. Loved this driving beat when I first heard it, and it still sounds great to me all these years later.

S.o.t.D. - North To Future – Solar

North To Future – Solar

I think this would be good to listen while racing around on a bicycle.

3D Terrain Maps for 3D Printing

At the Dundas Valley Trail Centre is a very large and very impressive diorama of the whole valley. I covet it. Way too big for my space, but if I buy that huge mansion one day, I might make something similar.

I know I’m nerd, but I’ve thought that it would be neat to have a 3 dimensional representation of favoured areas. A mountain you’ve climbed, a trail you’ve hiked, a park you’ve canoed, even just an area you’ve lived in, etc. A sculpture to remind of good times. Or, a SAR team might benefit from a model they could use to brief their team members with. Use topo maps enough and you learn to be able to visualize the terrain, but there is something to be said for a physical, visual representation. 

Well, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, their national mapping and surveying authority, offers a free web-based three-dimensional topographical map of Japan that can be used for 3D printing.

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20140322-japan-now-offers-free-3d-terrain-maps-for-3d-printing.html

Uhm....yummy. Given that Canada has largely given up on updating their topographical maps, it might be a bit much to assume that our government will offer anything similar soon, but one can hope.

S.o.t.D. - Grace (Synkro Remix) – Indigo

Grace (Synkro Remix) – Indigo

S.o.t.D. - Stay With You – Lemon Jelly

Stay With You – Lemon Jelly

Super fun summer song.

S.o.t.D. - A Certain Something – Taxi

A Certain Something – Taxi

There may have been a time when giving your band a name like Japan or Taxi wasn’t such a bad idea. With the advent of the internet, a search on a band with a name like Taxi proves to be a frustrating experience. All I know about them is that it is producers Paul Cullen and Simon Lovejoy with studio vocalist Jo Laundy, and they formed in 1996 in Norwich, England. They released a few records on INFRAcom!, but I think they are now defunct. But, I don’t know for sure, because trying to find out anything about them requires more work than I want to bother with.

S.o.t.D. - Amtrack – Trace & Nico

Amtrack – Trace & Nico

Uh, yeah, harder!

I want a new razor

I shaved off my beard today. I’ve always been clean shaven, and I’ve only ever made two efforts to grow a beard. Just a weird sensation, and not sure I can get used to it. Then I get a wild hair up my butt and there it goes. Don’t think I’ve ever been able to get past the 2 month mark. One day I might persevere, but for now I think I will remain a shaver.

I’m embarrassed that I usually use some crappy disposables. There are a lot of things to say against them, and one of them is that on two occasions the razor has broken in my travel toiletry kit. The head has snapped off the handle. And at that point it’s pretty much unusable.

I’ve tried a few different ones over the years, but at the end of the day, they’re still plastic that clogs up landfills. And I’m not buying expensive 5 blade vibrating head razors.

I’ve looked around in antique stores on a few occasions without any luck for an old razor that I could use double sided razor blades in. Yes, those are also a disposable item, but much less so. The other thing I would really like is a head that screws off. Mainly for the sake of making it a little bit less bulky for packing.

I’ve thought of straight razors, since they fold up nicely and can be stropped with just the leather belt you have on. But straight razors make me a bit squidgy.

Looked around and found Standard Razors

Made in the USA of aluminum, and the reviews I read were all very favourable.

I think I will order one soonish and see for my self.

Vintage Dutch Safety Posters

Maybe I’m biased, but I love Dutch graphic art.

Stumbled across these safety posters, spanning from the 1920’s to the 1970’s.

A small selection.

From 1972 – Look Out - Sharp

From the 1950’s – Protect Your Eyes - They’re Worth It

From 1969

Many more examples:
http://50watts.com/Vintage-Safety
http://50watts.com/Hoogspanning-More-Dutch-Safety-Posters

S.o.t.D. - Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime – The Korgis

Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime – The Korgis

Kevin Crompton recently made me aware of this. From 1980, and it was apparently something of a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.....but I had never even heard of it.

S.o.t.D. - Stay With Us – Seoul

Stay With Us – Seoul

Montreal band, with a really smooth sound. Dream pop is how I would describe their sound. Nice stuff.

S.o.t.D. - The Loophole – Garfunkel and Oates

The Loophole – Garfunkel and Oates

I rarely, come to think of it, never, post any comedy songs, but this one made me laugh out loud. Avoid if you’re easily offended or religious. Which often seems to be the same people.

S.o.t.D. - I’ll Go (Ft. Jenny Mayhem) – O S L O

I’ll Go (Ft. Jenny Mayhem) – O S L O

I think I hear a little sample of yesterday’s Acid Bitter and Sad by This Mortal Coil in there.

S.o.t.D. - Acid Bitter and Sad – This Mortal Coil

Acid Bitter and Sad – This Mortal Coil

Off of Lonely Is An Eyesore.

S.o.t.D. - Wake Up – Herbert

Wake Up – Herbert

Consistently great stuff.

S.o.t.D. - For Real (AtJazz Remix) – AtJazz

For Real (AtJazz Remix) – AtJazz

Is it kosher for an artist to do a remix of their own stuff? When it’s someone whose stuff is as consistently good as AtJazz, what the hell.

S.o.t.D. - Transgenic – Trifonic

Transgenic – Trifonic

Another recent discovery that has really impressed me.

S.o.t.D. - Spy – Journeyman

Spy – Journeyman

A Ninja Tune artist I’ve never heard.

Straight Lines North & South

S.o.t.D. - Rhubarb – Aphex Twin

Rhubarb – Aphex Twin

One of the most exquisite pieces of music ever.

S.o.t.D. - Bronchusevenmx24 – Autechre

Bronchusevenmx24 – Autechre

I’m not a very big fan of Autechre, but this track is exceptional. And a good example of what made Warp Records such a great label.

S.o.t.D. - Night Bus – Burial

Night Bus – Burial

Burial can do no wrong.

S.o.t.D. - Quincy – Utah Jazz

Quincy – Utah Jazz

I have to wonder if the Mormons actually even allow jazz in Utah. And I suspect this Summer In The City by Quincy Jones sampling track makes them uncomfortable too.

S.o.t.D. - Murano (Onka Onichi Mix) – Vs_Kurayami

Murano (Onka Onichi Mix) – Vs_Kurayami

Crunchy and dubby and angular.

S.o.t.D. - Windschatten – Extrawelt

Windschatten – Extrawelt

S.o.t.D. - March – Trampique

March – Trampique

Trampique is a new guise for Volor Flex. Same quality - different name. Nice imagery too.

Sosoetry – Brycely

Wrote this about the shop apprentice, Bryce. Well, to be honest, I don’t think it took too long for him to outpace the term “apprentice”. Given how quickly he was knocking them out of the park, and where he’s at now, I think it’s fair to call him a full fledged tattooist. 

guys think that he’s disarming

find him a total hoot

gals regard him as charming

giggle that he’s cute

that the lad has some talent

is quite readily apparent

clearly evident was a strong work ethic 

his prodigious output was tremendous

not to mention his very unique aesthetic

he was asked to become the shop apprentice

he proved to be one of those quick studies

rapidly grasping the art of dermography

with the trust of some uninked buddies

that didn’t end in multi-hued catastrophe

he has a distinctive style all his own

his skills by leagues they’ve grown

but he gets dirty handprints on the door

and drops ink splatters all over the floor

gets to watch a hot young thing get stripped

before etching into her flesh some silly script

there isn’t much he hasn’t depicted

no style to which he’s restricted

whether sea monsters from the briny deep

or skeletal remains that from crypts creep

from a cybernetic cricket skull

to barnacles on a frigate hull

from the characters of Lewis Carroll

to snarling badgers on a large mural

he can render on a young lass a delicate bird

or a comic book super hero sleeve on a nerd

he can wax poetic about fossilized whale poop

while tattooing a plesiosaur in ectoplasmic goop

studies up on cryptozoological pathology

while painting scenes of future mythology

reads books on Pleistocene megafauna

while snuggled up with his pet iguana

even though his name is Huffman

he absolutely refuses to puff one

at one of our safety meets

he defers the tasty treats

Bryce will tell you he likes beers

but on this point he is clearly fibbin’

anything with flavour or body he fears

preferring instead Pabst Blue Ribbon

he’s very slack about pop can recycling

and isn’t visible enough while bicycling

too consumed painting zombie snails

to answer his many unread emails

too busy drawing a musk ox

to deal with his stuffed inbox

Bryce fails to update his blog

his talents he refuses to flog

on the goodness of his co-workers he’s hopin’

always leaving his email and Facebook open

regrettably he listens to whiny screamo bands

“oh...turn that shit off!” everyone commands

S.o.t.D. - Kalyke – Nanobyte

Kalyke – Nanobyte

Digging that deep bass and those pitched Lisa Gerrard vocals. 

S.o.t.D. - Time Change – Marko Fürstenberg

Time Change – Marko Fürstenberg

Seeing as today is the day the clocks spring forward, this seemed appropriate.

S.o.t.D. - Seek – Upwellings

Seek – Upwellings

The architectural imagery is an apt accompaniment to this track.

S.o.t.D. - Turn It On Again – Genesis

Turn It On Again – Genesis

I’d forgotten how great a track this is. 

S.o.t.D. - Firefly – Echospace

Firefly – Echospace

Can’t get enough of this sound. That echoing, pulsating sound really gets me.

S.o.t.D. - Beats Still Own The Rhythm – Bachelors of Science

Beats Still Own The Rhythm – Bachelors of Science

After a long  and brutal winter, the imagery in this is especially appealing.

S.o.t.D. - Needing You – Soular Order

Needing You – Soular Order

S.o.t.D. - Summertime – Smote

Summertime – Smote

Yeah. Summertime. Can’t wait.

S.o.t.D. - All For You – Tom Day

All For You – Tom Day

I’d like to watch whatever movie this beautiful track should score, although the gorgeous nature scenes that accompany this track are also entirely appropriate.

S.o.t.D. - Another Promise – Nanobyte

Another Promise – Nanobyte

Love the image that accompanies this dreamy piece of dub.

S.o.t.D. - Broken (Ficci Remix) – Trifonic

Broken (Ficci Remix) – Trifonic

This totally worked its way into my head.

S.o.t.D. - Angels (Huglife Remix) – The XX

Angels (Huglife Remix) – The XX

Ha! Huglife. Love it. Song is good too.

S.o.t.D. - Dreams – Tom Day (ft. Monsoonsiren)

Dreams – Tom Day (ft. Monsoonsiren)

The only thing not good about this track is that I am only  now learning about it and this artist.

S.o.t.D. - Night Groove (Bluetech Remix) – jdn

Night Groove (Bluetech Remix) – jdn

Whether his own stuff or remixes, it’s all really great.

S.o.t.D. - Adrift – Polyphony

Adrift – Polyphony

Lovely piece of music.

S.o.t.D. - Voulez Vous (DJ Boris Remix) – Miguel Bastida & Roy RosenfelD

Voulez Vous (DJ Boris Remix) – Miguel Bastida & Roy RosenfelD

I can almost smell the dry ice.

S.o.t.D. - The Fire – The Roots (ft. John Legend)

The Fire – The Roots (ft. John Legend)

Generally not a big fan of hip hop, but this is just a really uplifting song.

S.o.t.D. - 125 MPH – New Model Army

125 MPH – New Model Army

Another of those groups that in my not very humble opinion deserve to be mammoth.

S.o.t.D. - Universe – Kashuks

Universe – Kashuks

Intriguing piece of music, accompanied by a gorgeous video.

S.o.t.D. - Calling Elan – Watershell vs Incarnate

Calling Elan – Watershell vs Incarnate

Fond memories of hanging out at Jay and Jarkko’s as this track was crafted, and hearing dub plates of this.

S.o.t.D. - The Race – Yello

The Race – Yello

Never featured Yello before? What?

A video of scenes from the only motor-sport I could ever be interested in.

S.o.t.D. - Mind/Body/Light/Sound – Swans

Mind/Body/Light/Sound – Swans

Swans are so timelessly great because they manage to meld beauty and power. I miss what Jarboe added to their sound in their recent re-incarnated form. Her voice was a great counter-point to Gira’s sonorous voice.

Waterwalker by Bill Mason

Arguably the best movie ever made about canoeing. (No, Deliverance doesn’t count.) From the National Film Board of Canada, of course. I can watch it for the umpteenth time, and recall canoe trips that have been and dream about canoe trips to come. Pretty much sums up what Ontario and canoeing means for me. Released in 1984, although some of the imagery was recorded more than a decade earlier. With a fitting soundtrack by Bruce Cockburn. (Also worth checking out is Song of the Paddle and Paddle to the Sea.)

S.o.t.D. - Over And Over – Cabaret Voltaire

Over And Over – Cabaret Voltaire

Off of The Crackdown, which had a huge impact on me when I first heard it. These guys were a big influence on me, and remain so.

S.o.t.D. - Com’era Dov’era – He Said

Com’era Dov’era – He Said

Yesterdays inclusion of Dome led me to thinking about Graham Lewis’ solo project, He Said, and this track off 1986’s Hail LP.

S.o.t.D. - Cruel When Complete – Dome

Cruel When Complete – Dome

When Wire went on hiatus from 1980 - 1984, Graham Lewis and Bruce Gilbert collaborated as Dome, putting out several albums. Assisted here on vocals by Angela Conway, aka A. C. Marias.

S.o.t.D. - Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust – This Mortal Coil

Sixteen Days / Gathering Dust – This Mortal Coil

Originally 2 Modern English songs that they would close out their shows with. Ivo Watts-Russell brought together M.E.’s Gary McDowell on guitar and Michael Conroy on bass, Colourbox’ Martyn Young on keyboards, Cocteau Twins’ Elisabeth Fraser on vocals and Robin Guthrie on guitar and Cindytalk’s Gordon Sharp on vocals, to record this cover.

S.o.t.D. - We Fall Like Love – Christian Death

We Fall Like Love – Christian Death

I had some friends who were really into this band long ago, but I never felt the same way about this band. They had an okay track or two, this being a case in point, but I couldn’t get that excited about them. 

S.o.t.D. - Move – Keith LeBlanc

Move – Keith LeBlanc

There is also a version of this by Tackhead called M.O.V.E. 

One of the greatest drummers ever.

Gentlemen of Letters - A Dublin Sign Painting Film

S.o.t.D. - September Nights (Daniel Fritschi Remix) – Anders Ilar

September Nights (Daniel Fritschi Remix) – Anders Ilar

I bought a track years ago by Daniel Fritschi, that I periodically search for on here. No luck, but this remix is very nice.

S.o.t.D. - Steh auf Berlin – Einstürzende Neubauten

Steh auf Berlin – Einstürzende Neubauten

It made me happy to discover E. N. and their utter disregard for musical convention.

S.o.t.D. - Open My Eyes (Eccodek Peripheral Vision Remix) – Lenka Lichtenberg

Open My Eyes (Eccodek Peripheral Vision Remix) – Lenka Lichtenberg

I gather this is a traditional Jewish song, sung on the Sabbath – which happens to be today!

S.o.t.D. - Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson

Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson

Classic song.

How A Firearm Works

The title on the vid is slightly misleading. 1940’s film explaining how a firearm works. A bit quaint in some regards, but very impressive due to the large models they built to demonstrate the principles of how they operate. Slightly out of date style wise, but still perfectly current as far as an educational tool to explain the inner workings of a rifle.

S.o.t.D. - Cherry Coloured Funk – Cocteau Twins

Cherry Coloured Funk – Cocteau Twins

Off of 1990’s Heaven or Las Vegas, their last for 4AD. Still a great album, even if I think they reached their peak a few years before.

S.o.t.D. - Fuel To Fight – Test Department

Fuel To Fight – Test Department

From the height of the English coal miners strike of the early 80’s. Never agreed with the politics, but it produced this album. This track in particular helped cement my love for the mighty Test Dept.

S.o.t.D. - Monotone – I:Cube

Monotone – I:Cube

I’ve been on the hunt for this one for years. Epic track.

Wintry Day by an Icy Bay

S.o.t.D. - Says – Nils Frahm

Says – Nils Frahm

Wow. A little bit reminiscent of Tangerine Dream or Vangelis, not so much stylistically per sé, but in terms of the journey the track takes you on. Makes me think a little of the calibre of work produced by Jon Hopkins as well.

S.o.t.D. - Universal On Switch – Govinda

Universal On Switch – Govinda

Exceptional track.

S.o.t.D. - Get Ready [All Junglists] (Kosine & Dialect Remix) – Rebel MC

Get Ready [All Junglists] (Kosine & Dialect Remix) – Rebel MC

I wasn’t ready for hearing jungle for the first time. I recovered quickly.

Popular Science Archive

All 140 years of Popular Science available online - for free!

www.popsci.com/archives

S.o.t.D. - Sarangi - NumberNin6

Sarangi - NumberNin6

Dubby track with some nice middle eastern touches.

S.o.t.D. - Vacuum – Conforce

Vacuum – Conforce

A dub-techy soft shoe shuffler.

S.o.t.D. - Gimme Some Lovin’ – The Blues Brothers

Gimme Some Lovin’ – The Blues Brothers

High energy cover of the rocking Spencer Davis Group hit.

S.o.t.D. - Parks on Fire – Trifonic

Parks on Fire – Trifonic

A level of production sophistication on par with stuff like Tipper, Ochre, Bluetech, Lusine, Bassnectar.

The whole track is amazing, but after the 4:30 mark, when those little whooshing wind sounds pop up a few times - especially nice.

S.o.t.D. - String Track (Changing Faces Bootleg) – Bachelors of Science

String Track (Changing Faces Bootleg) – Bachelors of Science

Bouncy D&B.

S.o.t.D. - Calling – Trifonic

Calling – Trifonic

The description calls this “Quite possibly one of the most beautiful tracks I have ever heard!” – and I am inclined to agree. This artist should be scoring movies.

Falcons Catching Prey

I admit to having a huge thing for critter cams. I haven’t had a TV in a long time, but I occasionally house sit for friends who do. With the novelty of cable access, I gravitate towards science or technology or nature or history shows and documentaries. Several times in years past I have marvelled at images brought back by seals and narwhals and raptors that have small cameras mounted to them. To be able to see what they see is one of those things I’m grateful to modern technology for.

This footage of falcons (in what looks to be the Netherlands - although the researcher is at an American university) catching crows is awe inspiring. The imagery suffers from some scenes of vertigo inducing pitching and yawing of the horizon as the camera is jostled on the birds back as it moves itself about seeking out its quarry. And then there is the not so pleasant sounds of wind whistling past a microphone. But when it locks on and dives for prey the scene levels out and the wind is ignorable. The last minute or so as a few falcons team up to hunt crows among a tree lined road with flat empty fields beside it, is truly breathtaking.



And you can read the article published about the findings revealed by the cameras in the Journal of Experimental Biology, “Falcons pursue prey using visual motion cues: new perspectives from animal-borne cameras” by Suzanne Amador Kane and Marjon Zamani.

S.o.t.D. - Point In Time – Lake People

Point In Time – Lake People

If I was playing a set which featured Lusine, this would complement it nicely.

S.o.t.D. - The Visitors – Orange N Blue

The Visitors – Orange N Blue

The 3 minute intro is all right, but after that it really kicks into gear. Apollo mission dialogue sampled in tracks is something I always enjoy. Cool space mission imagery in the vid too.

S.o.t.D. - White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes

White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes

Always cool to see a plasticene stop motion video, but the vocal harmonies on this are particularly nice.

S.o.t.D. - Now You Has Jazz – Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong

Now You Has Jazz – Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong

Take a Cole Porter song, then add these guys, plus the under rated talents of Billy Kyle on piano and you have a winner.

S.o.t.D. - Trippy (feat. Damar) – Fanu

Trippy (feat. Damar) – Fanu

This whole track is a humdinger, but the point at about 2:30 when it starts to really kick in - mmmmm.

Mysteries In Science: Ballistics Explained

I was trying to explain the differences between various bullets to a friend, and I was quite happy with how I explained it all, the ballistics involved. This video showed up when I went looking for some documentaries to watch for an hour. Looks to be from the 1950’s but does a good job of explaining it to a lay person. I think I touched on all the highlights, but showing this would have been easier.

U-Haul Super Graphics

That’s what they call those illustrations of the tourist attractions, historical interludes, and geological quirks in various provinces and states they put on the side of their trucks and trailers. There are examples of current and past illustrations, the older ones appear to be going back about a quarter century.

An example for the province I reside in.

They are all vector graphics, and done in Illustrator and the artist is Steve King.

http://www.uhaul.com/SuperGraphics/3/Commemorative

http://www.kingillustration.com/u-haul-graphics.html