November 2016 – Page 34

November 20, 2016

The United States Postal service delivers…

The United States Postal service delivers mail daily via mules, to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Each mule carries about 130 pounds of mail, food, supplies and furniture down the 8-mile trail to the Havasupai Indians at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, averaging 4,000 pounds per day.

November 20, 2016

The word “ok” as we know it today, as a synonym…

The word “ok” as we know it today, as a synonym for “alright”, is only about 175 years old. It was originally written as a joke that went viral in 1839 by a Boston editorial writer satirizing people’s bad grammar and use of abbreviations, and was an abbreviation for “oll korrect”.

November 20, 2016

‘Home Alone’-Themed Bobbleheads Are Here

Kirstin Fawcett

filed under: Movies, museums, Pop Culture, toys

Image credit:

National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

Since Home Alone (1990) is a quintessential holiday movie, it makes sense that the film would inspire the ultimate quirky stocking stuffer. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—which bills itself as “the world’s largest collection of bobbleheads and exhibits”—recently commissioned a line of limited-edition, Home Alone-themed bobbleheads.

Produced by the National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) and officially licensed by 20th Century Fox, the toy collection features bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister and the film’s bungling burglars, Harry and Marv, a.k.a. the Wet Bandits. (Marv even comes complete with an iron-shaped burn on his forehead.)

The bobbleheads will be sold through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame’s online store, starting on Tuesday, November 22. Only 5000 of the Kevin figurines and 3000 of the Harry and Marv ones will be available for purchase.

All images courtesy of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

November 20, 2016 – 6:00am

November 20, 2016

Watch: Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes

Chris Higgins

filed under: documentaries-i-like, Movies, video

Image credit:

Getty Images

In 1996, author/documentarian Jon Ronson received a phone call from someone representing Stanley Kubrick, requesting a copy of Ronson’s Holocaust documentary. Ronson figured that was a bit weird, but it was Kubrick, so he’d go along with it.

After Kubrick’s death in 1999, Ronson gained access to Kubrick’s legendary boxes, the more than 1,000 vessels of ephemera hoarded by the master. So, uh, what’s in the boxes? Lots of photographs, memos, letters, you name it.

Ronson made a 45-minute documentary about the boxes, including a tour of Kubrick’s estate and the various box storage locations. He even interviews the writer of one of the “crank letters” sent to (and kept by) Kubrick. Kubrick had simply written “crank” on it and filed it away.

This is a terrific watch for anyone interested in filmmaking, Kubrick, or—let’s face it—storing stuff in boxes. There’s even a segment about half an hour in about how Kubrick worked out the optimal size for a box and its lid, then had them custom-made. Enjoy:

If you’re not into the whole video thing, check out Ronson’s feature for The Guardian on the same subject.

[h/t: Kottke.]

November 20, 2016 – 4:00am

November 20, 2016

Make Christmas Weird With Candy Canes That Taste Like Pickles, Gravy, Wasabi, and Bacon

Rebecca OConnell

filed under: candy, christmas, Food, holidays

Image credit:

Amazon

Candy canes are a classic seasonal snack that you can pluck right off the tree. Some might argue that the traditionally red-and-white candies are perfect the way they are, but some holiday deviants disagree. If you’re sick of peppermint, you might be tempted to try a candy cane that tastes like a pickle.

Believe it or not, Amazon has a whole slew of questionable candy cane flavors to choose from: You can try intriguing flavors like bacon, wasabi, gravy, coffee, and, of course, pickles. The unusual flavors are perfect for anyone with offbeat taste buds or a mean sense of humor. The pickle ones are decorated in bright green, so they look festive enough for even the most traditional tree. If you’re looking for something equally quirky but not necessarily disgusting, there are also flavors inspired by different sodas and sour Warheads.

[h/t Simple Most]

November 20, 2016 – 12:00am

November 20, 2016

Experience Voyager’s Golden Record in 360 Video

Chris Higgins

filed under: space, video

Image credit:

NASA/JPL via Wikimedia Commons

Science Friday made an immersive 360 Video to explore the Golden Records on the Voyager probes. While I’ve been hearing and reading about these records for decades, I found this immersive viewing experience a truly useful way to understand the data encoded on the disc. How exactly does that hydrogen-atom-speed thing work? How are images encoded as sounds? This video shows us.

If you have a VR headset, put it on. If you don’t, fire up Chrome, play this video, and click or tap around in the video to navigate. There are various points of interest throughout (and the whole presentation is only 3:35 long), so you might end up taking two trips through it in case you miss something.

Let’s hear it for using spatial video technology (“360 Video”) to explain spatial concepts! Enjoy:

Golden Record image courtesy of NASA/JPL, public domain.

November 19, 2016 – 8:00pm

November 19, 2016

7 Advanced Facts About the GOES-R Weather Satellite Launching Today

Dennis Mersereau

filed under: technology, weather

At Cape Canaveral, a crane lifts the GOES-R satellite to join it with the Atlas V Centaur rocket that will take it up into orbit. Image Credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky via Flickr

The future of weather forecasting weighs more than 6000 pounds and is patiently spending its final days on Earth overlooking the glistening Florida coast. NASA will soon launch the latest addition to its arsenal of tools designed to help meteorologists track and predict the future movements of our fluid atmosphere. The GOES-R weather satellite will provide scientists around the world with a trove of data to monitor the latest movements of storms both near and far.

1. GOES-R IS THE MOST ADVANCED WEATHER SATELLITE TO DATE.

Barring any last-minute issues, GOES-R is scheduled to begin its journey on November 19 just after sunset from Cape Canaveral. GOES-R should have already been in space by now, but like many space projects before it, the new satellite’s launch has suffered several minor delays in the months leading up to launch.

The original launch date was November 4, but in a fitting sendoff for the country’s most advanced weather satellite to date, Hurricane Matthew’s terrifying brush with Florida pushed the launch back by a couple of weeks to November 16 due to safety checks. The launch was further delayed by a couple of days while crews worked out some issues with the booster rockets that will help GOES-R reach orbit.

2. IT WILL FOLLOW A GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT.

The name “GOES” stands for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, a mouthful that alludes to the very orbit that makes these satellites so useful. Unlike many spacecraft that actively circle the Earth every hour or two, weather monitoring satellites like the GOES series are parked in a geosynchronous, or geostationary, orbit. Satellites that follow a geosynchronous orbit exactly match the speed at which the planet rotates, allowing the satellite to remain over one fixed point on the Earth’s surface. Scientists achieve this feat by sending satellites into orbit exactly 42,164 kilometers (26,199 miles) away from the center of the Earth—or about 36,000 kilometers (22,369 miles) above the surface at the equator—giving the satellite a consistent view of half the planet for its entire service life, which in this case is anticipated to be about 10 years.

3. GOES-R WILL BE IN GOOD COMPANY.

A map showing the locations and coverage area of the three GOES satellites in active service. Image credit: NOAA/NASA

We currently have three different GOES satellites that help us monitor the Western Hemisphere. The two satellites that are in active service are GOES-13 and GOES-15. The former satellite is commonly called GOES-East, while the latter is aptly known as GOES-West. Each satellite covers about half of the Western Hemisphere. GOES-East watches over most of North America, all of South America, and the Atlantic Ocean, while GOES-West primarily keeps tabs on the eastern Pacific Ocean and parts of western North America. GOES-14 serves as a backup satellite, filling in for the other two satellites if they encounter any issues.

4. IT’LL GIVE US A BETTER VIEW OF OUR SKIES THAN EVER BEFORE.

A low-pressure system in the western Atlantic Ocean as seen by GOES-East on November 10, 2016. Image credit: NASA/NOAA

The most important feature of GOES-R will be its Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), the device that will give us a more detailed view of the atmosphere much faster than its predecessors. The current generation of GOES satellites generate “full disk” images (meaning of the entire Earth face) every three hours and higher-resolution views every 15 minutes. In contrast, GOES-R and its successors will take full-disk images every 15 minutes and a higher-resolution image of the United States every five minutes. If there’s an active storm, it’ll take two images of it every 60 seconds. See it in action below.

The new satellite also has the ability to give us rapid scans of smaller areas—think on the level of a couple of states—to track events like tornado outbreaks or the eye of a hurricane. The satellite will be able to give us rapid updates for two small areas every 60 seconds or one small area every 30 seconds, which will be a tremendous help in tracking important changes in rapidly-developing weather systems.

5. IT CAN TRACK LIGHTNING AS IT HAPPENS.

GOES-R’s primary capabilities. Image Credit: NOAA/NASA

GOES-R will also host a nifty device known as the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), making it the first satellite to track lightning flashes from geosynchronous orbit. The sensor will monitor the atmosphere for sudden flashes of light that indicate the presence of lightning, mapping this data to give us a near-real-time look at just about every thunderstorm within the satellite’s range of sight.

Among other uses, data collected by the GLM could help forecasters extend warning lead times ahead of intensifying severe thunderstorms, adding crucial minutes for people to act before dangerous wind, hail, or tornadoes strike their area. It’s also useful in helping us monitor rapid intensification of hurricanes, as increased lightning activity in the eyewall of a tropical cyclone often precedes strengthening.

6. IT HAS ADVANCED SOLAR MONITORING.

The satellite will also have several sensors dedicated to monitoring activity around the Sun, some of which can have serious implications here on Earth. The Extreme ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) will help us track solar flares that could disrupt communications and potentially damage satellites. Several of the sensors will also measure different types of radiation approaching the planet, which can also damage satellites and pose harm to astronauts and even passengers on airline routes that travel over the poles.

7. GOES-R WILL BE RENAMED AFTER LAUNCH.

The GOES-R satellite in the payload processing facility two months before launch. Image Credit: NOAA Satellites via Flickr

It’s customary for GOES satellites to be named sequentially by letter before launch and by number after launch. Once it reaches a successful orbit and begins operation, GOES-R will become GOES-16. NOAA hasn’t decided which current satellite the new one will replace, though GOES-East is the odds-on favorite for replacement as it’s passed the end of its expected 10-year lifespan.

8. GOES SATELLITES HAVE A SIZEABLE FAMILY TREE.

GOES-R represents the fifth generation of GOES satellites, a series that began with the launch of GOES-1 back in 1975. Each new group of satellites improved by leaps and bounds over the previous generation. The first three satellites had limited abilities and provided limited data compared to what we can gather today; they took little more than a picture of the Earth. Each generation after that grew more advanced with improved image resolution, improved speed, more data points, and better data quality.

9. GOES-R IS THE FIRST OF THREE IN ITS GENERATION.

The next two satellites in GOES-R’s class are scheduled to launch before the end of the decade, finally phasing out the fourth generation of satellites in use today. Barring any major issues with GOES-R, the next satellite, GOES-S, is tentatively scheduled to launch in the winter of 2018, and GOES-T will follow behind it in the fall of 2019. After that, we have to wait until the middle of the 2020s to enjoy the technological advances of the series of satellites that will replace the one launching this Saturday.

November 19, 2016 – 12:00pm

November 19, 2016

You Need to See This Weekend’s Top Amazon Deals

Smart Shopping Team

filed under: shopping

Image credit:

amazon / istock

As a recurring feature, our team combs the Web and shares some amazing Amazon deals we’ve turned up. Here’s what caught our eye today, November 19.

Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers, including Amazon, and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!

November 19, 2016 – 11:00am

Amazon Product Id:

B017JIWGQG

November 19, 2016

15 Things You Might Not Know About ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’

Michael Arbeiter

filed under: Lists, Movies, Pop Culture

Image credit:

YouTube

Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which premiered 41 years ago today, won critical acclaim, box office success, and a shelf full of Oscars. But even if you love the complex exploration of life inside a 1960s psychiatric hospital, there are a few things you may not know about its behind-the-scenes story.

1. CUSTOMS NEARLY DOOMED THE PROJECT.

Despite the middling success of the 1963 stage adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel starring Kirk Douglas, Hollywood legend Douglas was dead set on adapting the story for the screen. Douglas contacted Czech director Miloš Forman about the project, promising to send Forman a copy of the book for his perusal.

Douglas mailed Forman the novel, but the package was confiscated by Czechoslovakian customs and never reached the director. Unaware of the parcel’s fate, the filmmaker resented Douglas’ broken promise, and Douglas thought Forman rude for never bothering to confirm receipt of the novel. It took a decade to sort the mess out, and things only cleared up when Kirk’s son Michael Douglas took another crack at production and contacted Forman once more.

2. ONE STUDIO WANTED TO CHANGE THE ENDING.

When producers were shopping the picture to studios, 20th Century Fox was interested, but with a catch. Fox would distribute the film, but only if the filmmakers would agree to rewrite the ending; the studio wanted McMurphy to live. Producers Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas wisely considered this a deal breaker, and United Artists eventually distributed the film.

3. JACK NICHOLSON AND LOUISE FLETCHER WERE NOT THE FIRST CHOICES FOR THEIR CHARACTERS.

When Kirk Douglas spearheaded the first attempt to bring One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to life on the big screen in the 1960s, he had intended to play the Randle Patrick McMurphy role himself, just as he had on stage. When production began in earnest 10 years later, Douglas was too old for the part, leaving director Forman to consider and contact the likes of Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, and (his personal favorite) Burt Reynolds before finally settling on Jack Nicholson.

A number of different actresses were considered for the role of Nurse Ratched, the film’s central antagonist, as well: Anne Bancroft, Colleen Dewhurst, Geraldine Page, and Angela Lansbury were all in the running, before Louise Fletcher ultimately got the part.

4. LOUISE FLETCHER CHANGED FORMAN’S VIEW ON THE CHARACTER.

Forman’s original view of Nurse Ratched was as “the personification of evil,” a characterization that made Louise Fletcher a bad fit for the part in the filmmaker’s mind. As Fletcher pressed for the role, Forman’s perspective of Ratched evolved: “I slowly started to realize that it would be much more powerful if it’s not this visible evil,” he said. “That she’s only an instrument of evil. She doesn’t know that she’s evil. She, as a matter of fact, believes that she’s helping people.” This new take on the character paved the way for the official casting of Fletcher.

5. SEVERAL OF THE FILM’S STARS WERE NOT ACTORS.

Following the production team’s decision to use Oregon State Hospital as its shooting location, the producers hit on the idea of casting facility superintendent Dr. Dean Brooks as Dr. John Spivey, the doctor charged with assessing R. P. McMurphy’s psychological health. Brooks agreed to play what turned out to be a sizable role, though it would be the only acting job he would ever take. He also helped secure employment for many of his hospital’s patients as extras and crew members during production.

Mel Lambert, another non-actor, was wrangled to play the harbormaster who protested McMurphy’s ad hoc fishing trip. What’s more, Lambert—a respected area businessman who had a strong relationship with the local Native American community—introduced the production team to Will Sampson, the 6-foot-5-inch-tall Muscogee painter who would make his acting debut as the major character Chief Bromden.

6. THE STARS LIVED ON THE WARD DURING PRODUCTION.

All of the actors who played patients actually lived on the Oregon State Hospital psychiatric ward throughout production. The men personalized their sleeping quarters, spent their days on campus “get[ting] a sense of what it was to be hospitalized” (as actor Vincent Schiavelli put it), and interacting with real psychiatric patients.

7. MANY SCENES WERE SHOT WITHOUT THE ACTORS’ KNOWLEDGE.

To complete this realistic immersion, Forman led his performers in unscripted group therapy sessions in which he directed the actors to develop their characters’ psychological maladies organically. He would often capture footage of the actors, both in and out of character, without explicitly mentioning that the cameras were rolling. The film’s final cut includes a shot of a visibly irritated Fletcher reacting to a piece of direction fed to her by Forman.

8. FORMAN AND NICHOLSON HAD A TREMENDOUS SPAT OVER THE FILM’S PLOT.

While the intensity of the turmoil varies from rumor to rumor, reports from the set were consistent on one fact: The star refused to speak with Forman for a large chunk of the production process. Nicholson took issue with Forman’s suggestion that the hospital inmates would be an unruly bunch upon the initial arrival of McMurphy. Instead, the actor insisted that such disavowal of the medical staff’s authority should only begin after the introduction of McMurphy into their lives and routines.

Although the version of the story that we see in the film today is more closely associated with Nicholson’s alleged reading, suggesting that Forman ultimately took his advice, Nicholson refused to interact with his director from that point forward. When the star and Forman needed to communicate with one another, they used cinematographer Bill Butler as a middleman.

9. DANNY DEVITO CREATED AN IMAGINARY FRIEND DURING PRODUCTION.

Emotionally strained by a demanding shooting schedule that kept him 3000 miles from his future wife, Rhea Perlman, DeVito developed the coping mechanism of an imaginary friend with whom he would have nightly chats. Concerned that his own sanity might be slipping away, DeVito sought the advice of Dr. Brooks, who assured him that there was no reason to worry as long as DeVito could still identify the character as fictional.

10. THE CREW WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE SANITY OF ONE CAST MEMBER.

While Dr. Brooks had no concerns about DeVito, he echoed the rest of the cast and crew’s apprehensions about the psychological state of Sydney Lassick, who played Charlie Cheswick. Lassick exhibited increasingly unpredictable and emotionally erratic behavior during his time in character, a pattern that culminated in a tearful outburst during his observation of the final scene between Nicholson and Sampson. Lassick became so overwhelmed during the scene that he had to be removed from set.

11. FLETCHER TOOK OFF HER CLOTHES IN ORDER TO GET FRIENDLIER WITH HER CO-STARS.

Envious of the camaraderie her male costars had forged, and hoping to dispel any associations with her tyrannical character, Fletcher surprised the cast one evening by ripping off her dress on the crowded ward. Years later, the actress laughed about the display, saying, “‘I’ll show them I’m a real woman under here, you know.’ I think that must have been what I was thinking.”

12. THE FISHING TRIP SCENE BARELY MADE IT INTO THE FILM.

Initially, Forman was vocally opposed to including a scene that took place beyond the grounds of the hospital out of concerns that a temporary liberation would undercut the dramatic force of the film’s ending. In the end, Zaentz convinced Forman to shoot the fishing trip sequence. It was the final scene filmed and the only piece shot out of chronological order.

One thing to look for in the fishing scene: A very subtle Anjelica Huston cameo. Huston, who was dating Nicholson during production, has a nonspeaking role as one of the spectators on the dock as McMurphy and his fellow patients steer the stolen boat back to shore.

YouTube

**13. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST WAS THE FIRST FILM TO WIN ALL “BIG FIVE” ACADEMY AWARDS IN 41 YEARS.**

Not since 1934’s It Happened One Night swept the Oscars had a film walked away with awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest took home the lot, with Nicholson and Fletcher winning the top acting awards. The feat would not be matched again for another 16 years, with Silence of the Lambs becoming the next (and last to date) movie to earn the distinction.

14. THE FILM ENJOYED ONE OF THE LONGEST THEATRICAL RUNS IN MOVIE HISTORY.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was revered worldwide, but Swedish viewers developed an especially soft spot for the film. Cuckoo’s Nest remained a regular option for Swedish moviegoers through 1987—11 years after its initial release.

15. KESEY REFUSED TO SEE THE FILM (BUT MAY HAVE BY ACCIDENT).

The poster child for the “the book was better” movement, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author Kesey disapproved of a big screen adaptation of his novel as soon as he found out that the filmmakers had abandoned the use of Chief Bromden as the story’s narrator. Kesey never intended to see the movie, but one story says he inadvertently caught a few moments during a bout of channel surfing one evening. Once Kesey realized what he was watching, he promptly changed stations.

According to fellow novelist Chuck Palahniuk (who has famously praised director David Fincher’s adaptation of his novel Fight Club, plot changes and all), Kesey once stated privately that he did not care for the material.

November 19, 2016 – 10:00am

November 19, 2016

New Social Media Photo Sharing App Is Just for Foodies

Rudie Obias

filed under: Food, photos, technology

Image credit:

Nom/Facebook

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a photo of your breakfast can be so much more. A new smartphone app called Nom is giving gastronomes more than just the ability to share their food porn. According to Fast Company, the app allows users to tell stories and share their experiences of cooking and discovering new and fun dishes, all while building a community of foodies and award-winning chefs.

YouTube co-founder Steve Chen and former YouTube engineering lead Vijay Karunamurthy created Nom to give users a way to share their love of fine food by putting together a series of photos, short video clips, and live broadcasts in one story to share and discover recipes, new restaurants, and food experiences. Think of it as a sustenance-only Instagram Story.

Though it’s only just launching, the app has already curated an impressive lineup of contributors, including Vice’s Munchies, ABC’s The Chew, and professional chefs like Corey Lee, Tim Hollingsworth, Brandon Jew, and Michael Tusk. So if you have a question or comment about a recipe or meal from a how-to video, the chef can respond to it in real time.

“Food touches people of all different cultures and backgrounds, people in different parts of the world,” Karunamurthy told Fast Company. “It’s become an important part of people’s lives and what they want to share online about themselves.”

Nom is free and now available for iOS and Android.

[h/t Fast Company]

November 19, 2016 – 8:00am

1. GOES-R IS THE MOST ADVANCED WEATHER SATELLITE TO DATE.

2. IT WILL FOLLOW A GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT.

3. GOES-R WILL BE IN GOOD COMPANY.

4. IT’LL GIVE US A BETTER VIEW OF OUR SKIES THAN EVER BEFORE.

5. IT CAN TRACK LIGHTNING AS IT HAPPENS.

6. IT HAS ADVANCED SOLAR MONITORING.

7. GOES-R WILL BE RENAMED AFTER LAUNCH.

8. GOES SATELLITES HAVE A SIZEABLE FAMILY TREE.

9. GOES-R IS THE FIRST OF THREE IN ITS GENERATION.

GADGETS

KITCHEN

HOME

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

OFFICE, SCHOOL, AND CRAFTS

OUTDOORS, GARDEN, TOYS, AND SPORTS

ELECTRONICS

TOOLS

1. CUSTOMS NEARLY DOOMED THE PROJECT.

2. ONE STUDIO WANTED TO CHANGE THE ENDING.

3. JACK NICHOLSON AND LOUISE FLETCHER WERE NOT THE FIRST CHOICES FOR THEIR CHARACTERS.

4. LOUISE FLETCHER CHANGED FORMAN’S VIEW ON THE CHARACTER.

5. SEVERAL OF THE FILM’S STARS WERE NOT ACTORS.

6. THE STARS LIVED ON THE WARD DURING PRODUCTION.

7. MANY SCENES WERE SHOT WITHOUT THE ACTORS’ KNOWLEDGE.

8. FORMAN AND NICHOLSON HAD A TREMENDOUS SPAT OVER THE FILM’S PLOT.

9. DANNY DEVITO CREATED AN IMAGINARY FRIEND DURING PRODUCTION.

10. THE CREW WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE SANITY OF ONE CAST MEMBER.

11. FLETCHER TOOK OFF HER CLOTHES IN ORDER TO GET FRIENDLIER WITH HER CO-STARS.

12. THE FISHING TRIP SCENE BARELY MADE IT INTO THE FILM.

13. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST WAS THE FIRST FILM TO WIN ALL “BIG FIVE” ACADEMY AWARDS IN 41 YEARS.

14. THE FILM ENJOYED ONE OF THE LONGEST THEATRICAL RUNS IN MOVIE HISTORY.

15. KESEY REFUSED TO SEE THE FILM (BUT MAY HAVE BY ACCIDENT).

**13. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST WAS THE FIRST FILM TO WIN ALL “BIG FIVE” ACADEMY AWARDS IN 41 YEARS.**