Saturday Matinee – Postmodern Jukebox with Morgan James, Herbie Hancock with Miles Davis, & Frank Zappa

Postmodern Jukebox (featuring the amazing vocals of Morgan James) always gets my attention. Nice ’60s kinda sound happens here.

Watermelon Man.” Herbie Hancock teams up with Bill Evans, Al Foster and Miles Davis on his 1962 soul/jazz/funk classic.

One of my favorite Zappa songs, “Black Napkins,” performed on the Mike Douglas Show in 1976. Kinda reflects my mood these days, but I’ll snap out of it. Meanwhile, have a great weekend, and for those of you in the midwest, have fun with the cicadas.

The .Gif Friday Post No. 435 – Butt Heads, Squirrel Splat & Subway Siren

Butt Heads

Squirrel Calc Fail

Slow Dance

[Found here, here and here.]

Carrie. The Early Years.

There’s some sharp in that girl’s eyes. [Found here.]

VoIP circa 1951

Ham Radio Beer

“Here’s a message from Milwaukee”
This thoughtful wife knows that the moment her husband tunes in on Schlitz the reception is good. For Schlitz has a very special taste that beer-lovers are changing to with ultra high frequency. Taste Schlitz, yourself. You’ll soon know why–

Something’s wrong with that picture. His code key is missing, he should be drinking Hamm’s and he’s leering, but why? Maybe he knows that The 2016 Amateur Radio Relay League Field Day is 25-26 June.

[Image found here.]

Cartesian Bear

Cartesian Bear

Definitely not a polar bear.

[Found here.]

Ridin’ the ‘booth

Ridin' the 'booth

[Found here.]

Elie Aghnedes’ Contribution To The World: The 1954 Rhino

Rhino 1954

Rhino 1954 2

Greek-American inventor Elie Aghnides amassed a fortune coming up with clever inventions.

One of his more unusual creations was the “Rhino,” an amphibious four-wheeled vehicle designed to patrol and defend the vast roadless wastes of Alaska and Canada.

Weighing in at five tons, the four-wheel-drive machine could hit speeds of 45 miles per hour on the highway.

Defining features were its massive front wheels, which had six-foot diameters and weighed 1,500 pounds each. Their hollow, hemispherical shape gave the Rhino its unique all-terrain capability. As the vehicle sank into mud, sand, or other soft surfaces, the bearing surface of the ribbed wheels increased, giving it greater traction.

The Rhino’s massive wheels and low center of gravity also meant it could tip 75 degrees to either side without toppling over.

In the water, the hollow wheels provided flotation, while a rear water jet provided propulsion at speeds of about four miles per hour.

The Marmon-Herrington Company of Indianapolis built one prototype of the Rhino for demonstration. The United States military declined to purchase any, reportedly out of concern that the wheels could be punctured by gunfire, sinking the vehicle [via].

Rhino 1954

Not only could it float, it had such a low center of gravity that it was nearly impossible to overturn. Here it is in action:

Elie Aghnides didn’t stop there. He created another prototype amphibious vehicle named “The Cyclops,” but for some reason the prototype construction failed. Aghnides won a $120.5K settlement with The Marmon Group in 1972.

I want one, if only to crash Burning Man without paying.
[Images from here, here and here. Found here.]

Saturday Matinee – The Cabin Kids, Too Many ZooZ & Lucky Chops

The Cabin Kids from “Teacher’s Beau” in 1935. [via].

Too Many Zooz crank it.

Trumpet player Matt Doe, baritone saxophonist Leo P. and drummer David “King of Sludge” Parks have been rocking the [NYC] subways since August [2013]. Doe, 21, and Leo P., 22, first became friends while attending the Manhattan School of Music, while Leo P. and Parks played together in another busking band, the Drumadics. They all came together with a simple goal: to make some extra cash [via].

[h/t Bunkessa]

Lucky Chops is/are a bit more elaborate and include some cool moves (the trombone player even does the Mashed Potato).

Not bad for buskers. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you shortly.

 

The .Gif Friday Post No. 434 – Oculus Spin, Duomo Rock & Rain Brain [Updated}

Duomo SpinDuomo Rock

RAINBRELLA

[All the above are my own contraptions.]

Update: Image sources below the break. Continue reading “The .Gif Friday Post No. 434 – Oculus Spin, Duomo Rock & Rain Brain [Updated}”

This is all you’ll ever need.

All I Need

[Found here.]