Bad Things Coming, We Are Safe

Artist: Emmy the Great
Title: Bad Things Coming, We Are Safe
Album: First Love (2009)

PS: Lots of Oxford references in here - Jericho is a magical neighbourhood not far from where I live, and St Giles is one of the arterial roads that bisect the city from South to North...

Yeah they do.

Silver Moons

Sunset Rubdown - Silver Moons
Album: Dragonslayer (2009)

Run

Behold, my techno-savviness!
I ran this route this morning.

Summer 78

Time for me to sleep.
Actually, long past the time for me to sleep!
This instrumental piece is, weirdly, relaxing and beautiful, while at the same time being sad and somewhat unsettling -in a peaceful way. Go figure.
Love to you both in your corners of the big wide world. xx

D'OUGH!

"This is an Indian dish named 'Parotta'. The man makes it flat and throws it to the cook who will cook it in a hot and flat iron top."

The "stacking room" in an opium factory

These two lithographs by W. S. Sherwill show an opium factory in Patna, India, in about 1850.
This series of prints shows the different stages in the processing of opium at the factory in Patna, the centre of the British East India Company's opium plantations in Bengal. The raw opium was formed into a ball about 3½ lb in weight and wrapped in poppy petals to protect it from damage.
The balls were then dried on shelves and boxed into chests each containing 25-40 balls before shipping to China and Europe.
The top image is the "stacking room" and the bottom image is the "drying room."
One can't help but be in awe of the scale of production depicted.
Source: TYWIWDBI

Both images come from the "High Society" exhibit in the Wellcome Collection, via Uncertain Times.

More maps to gently blow the mind

Ah yes, a classic.

Bush- Letting the cables sleep
Cafe Del Mar Remix (2000).

The Universe

Beautifully narrated

Maps from 1942 Imagine an Axis Invasion of the United States

For several months after the US entry into World War II, Americans feared air raids or even invasions of the continental United States by Germany and Japan. An article in the March 2, 1942 issue of Life magazine suggested several possible invasion routes that Axis forces might take. These include a Germany landing at Norfolk, Virginia supported by fifth columnists hidden in the US. At the link, you can view maps of a few other fanciful scenarios.

More maps at the Link

NOTE that on this map, it is posited that a "Fifth Column" in the United States would be providing support for the Axis from within the territory of the US. Who are these native insurgents? German-Americans, Italian-American, and Japanese-Americans....

This was the stated rationale for the mass internment of members of all these groups in both the US and Canada.

Animations of the Molecular

The most expensive gem ever sold at auction

...for 46 million! It was bought by British jeweler Laurence Graff, who thought it was mighty purdy. Though to be fair, it's still a downright bargain compared to this vase!

so absurd

Gone Fishin'

I nearly choked to death on my toast-with-Nutella while watching this.

Genuine vs Fake Smiles

Take this TEST that gauges your ability to distinguish real versus forced/fake smiles. It turns out most people are surprisingly bad at it!

Also, some of these faces are marvels of interesting proportions (and the teeth! My god, the teeth...)

Bonus Points if you can figure out this one ...

Oh Hai!