This rare instrument sounds like human voices
by u/Due-Explanation8155 in Romania_mix

Hans Reichel was an "experimental luthier" from Germany. He adapted and invented various stringed musical instruments, including, in 1987, the daxophone demonstrated above. It's an idiophone--a musical instrument in which sound is caused by vibrations through the entire body of the instrument rather than strings or membranes.

When played, the box produces sounds that resemble a human voice. Or the voice of something that used to be human before...changes took place. I don't know the origins of this specific daxophone, but Daniel Fishcan, a master woodworker, produces many and offers recordings on SoundCloud.

-via David Thompson

It was time for this ball of fur to go to the vet.

He disagreed.

Fox 4 News Kansas City reports that the cat in the suburb of Overland Park worked his way into the interior of a recliner and then became stuck. It became necessary for firefighters working with animal control to cut the chair apart to rescue him.

Thankfully, the cat was able to arrive at the veterinarian's office in time for his appointment.

Scooter the cat, the master of a home in Asheville, North Carolina, is completely unafraid of anyone or thing considering intruding into his territory. Human servant Will Jones recorded this video of Scooter standing his ground and driving the two black bears from his territory.

He is an inspiration to cats everywhere.

The UK division of Kentucky Fried Chicken is promoting pickles with a limited-time menu of pickle-infused foods, including Pepsi with pickle juice and French fries with pickles. KFC thinks that you love pickles (and you know that you do) and would do anything to have more pickles in your life.

FoodBeast reports that the company is now offering a puffer jacket that consists of pockets filled with pickles and pickle juice. There are siphons so that you can drink the pickle juice while on the go as well as refill the reservoir. Now if we can just hook in a pressure washer motor....

-via David Burge

As always, Japan gets there first. Sora News 24 tells us that public restrooms in the Umeda Station of Osaka will be the site of a new toileting experience. Technicians will install screens that will show video content, including advertisements. Railway passengers will be able to avoid the most awkward aspect of using a public toilet: not having a screen in front of them.

The photo that I selected is not from Japan, a nation with famously clean public restrooms. It's not even Texas's own Buc-ee's, which has a similar reputation. But I want to set realistic expectations for the time when this trend comes to America.

Photo: THe GoOgLeR

The Vulgar Chef, as you expected, produced this culinary marvel.

On Instagram, he says nothing. He just shares this image of the pastry masterpiece. On Facebook, he describes experiments with donut sorcery, including a shepherd's pie donut.

But he says nothing about how he created this salty, choclately beauty. The Vulgar Chef just lets us imagine it as we salivate hungrily and lick our computer screens.

The Little Free Library movement has inspired people to create free public activities and opportunities for strangers, such as art galleries, dog stick libraries, and even a bocce court.

You can think of these expansions of the Little Free Library movement as a Sidewalk Joy trend. People feel inspired to bring joy to passersby who need free experiences that help us feel like we're part of communities.

Portland, Oregon goes all out on Sidewalk Joy. You can follow a map to walk through the city and find opportunities to take and share toy cars, jigsaw puzzles, toy dinosaurs, or play miniature golf.

Photo: Free Toy Library

Phoebe Sanders can be called an experimental banjoist as she is constantly pushing the limits of how this classic American instrument can and should be played. In addition to traditional playing of traditional songs such as "Big Rock Candy Mountain," she's played her banjos underwater and built a functional banjo out of trash.

Sanders's performances include playing her favorite instrument while simultaneously controlling marionettes. In the above video, she makes her raccoon dance by pumping pedals that pull the strings of the puppet.

Canada and France share a maritime border, despite the ejection of France from North America in the Seven Years' War. Article 6 of the 1763 Treaty of Paris allowed France to retain the tiny islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to facilitate French fishing in the region. France retained control over them despite losing the Napoleonic Wars to Britain and her allies.

During the Twentieth Century, the great powers gained increasing interest in directly controlling the seas from which they were able to extract wealth in the form of oil. So the precise border between these French islands and the now independent Canada was not a matter to ignore.

The two nations concluded arbitration in 1972, leading to the sea borders illustrated above. The map is provided by Sovereign Limits, a website about maritime boundaries. France maintains a sizeable Exclusive Economic Zone dangling inside otherwise Canadian waters.

-via Amazing Maps

"Master of Puppets" is among Metallica's most famous songs. Since 1986, it has captivated audiences and been covered by many musical groups (my favorite of which is Apocalyptica's).

In this 2024 cover, the famous Kunst en Genoegen marching band in Leiden, the Netherlands, smoothly marches through the streets performing a perfect "Master of Puppets." The traditional marching band instruments work well for this thrash metal classic.

-via The Awesomer

Do you want to get fit, but worry about being vulnerable to close-quarters melee attack during your exercises? Then sword yoga is for you! The New York Post reports that performing yoga routines while holding swords is becoming a popular activity in some studios in The City. It's a synthesis of vinyasa yoga, tai chi, and kung fu.

Sabrina Stoberg founded WeaponUp, a sword yoga fitness firm. Her background in Shaolin kung fu provided her with a foundation for this vigorous yoga practice that demands strength, balance, and flexibility. It also encourages women who participate to feel strong and develop what Stoberg calls "main character energy."

-via Jarvis Best | Photo: Sabrina Stoberg

In 1892, Arthur Hotchkiss patented what he called the "elevated railway." Hotchkiss and other innovators imaged rail travel for individuals by pedal-powered machines that rolled over specially-built rail networks.

My Modern Met introduces us to Amanda Meyer, an art student in Madrid who works with fashion, fabrics, paint, and tattoos. She spent 40 hours and 100 meters of thread to compose this mini dress that is literally made of leaves. The preservation process leaves the leaves looking like leather and somewhat sturdier than untreated leaves. Although the dress is delicate, it is wearable.

"Datalore" is the thirteen the episode of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In this episode, we learn more about Data's origins and are introduced to his brother (of sorts)--the villainous Lore who lacked his successor's moral character.

Dallas-based artist artist Heather Lynn creates in a variety of media, often drawing inspiration from the Symbolist and Art Nouveau movements, as well as images from high fantasy.

In this tattoo, she shows Data and Lore as they appeared in one particular moment of the episode, attending to the details of Lore's gesture and Data's first season uniform. Lynn's organization of the image is drawn from Art Nouveau playing cards.

The Kunlun Mountains form the northern boundary of Tibet. If you stand on summit of them and look northwest, you should be able to see Pik Dankova, the tallest mountain in the Tian Shan range of Kyrgyzstan 329 miles away--provided that the weather is clear.

This is the farthest line of sight on the planet Earth.

Google Maps Mania directs our attention to All the Views, a fascinating interactive tool that allows you to calculate the farthest line of sight from any location on Earth.

It's an interactive tool that is fun to explore. I learned that the farthest line of sight in Texas is Guadalupe Peak which has a line of sight of 140 miles to the southeast.

-via Nag on the Lake