Suko

Hi everyone. Not surprisingly, I’m getting a lot of requests for pantry soup recipes right now. I made a couple myself this week (a red cabbage version of ribollita, and a simple farro & bean soup), and it’s the kind of cooking I love most. I hope you’ll find some inspiration in this collection of favorite soups and stews that rely on pantry staples like beans, grains, rice, canned tomatoes, and the like – ingredients you might have in your cupboard. Keep in mind, many of them are very adaptable, meaning that I encourage you to make substitutes if you don’t have an ingredient or two! I’ll give some easy swap suggestions in the list below. And if you aren’t sure if a substitution will work or not, please message me on Instagram – I’m more than happy to help you come up with a plan.

1. Chickpea & Rice Soup with Garlic Chile Oil – A chunky rice soup, studded with lots of chickpeas, flecked with kale, and drizzled with a vibrant garlic-chile oil. It has peanuts, and a dusting of turmeric. It freezes beautifully, and you can experiment with a range of toppings.

2. Ribollita – This classic Tuscan stew is such a great way to get everything you need to use in your kitchen into one delicious pot – day (or two)-old bread, carrots that are no logger snappy, leafy greens, etc. I had a cabbage that needed a purpose the other night – chopped it, and into the pot it went. Use beans from your pantry stash, canned tomatoes, and a medley of vegetables. It’s also a great way to eat the rainbow, and get a wide range of healthful ingredients into your bowl.

3. Green Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter – Green lentils (or split peas), topped with a curried brown butter drizzle. This version calls for cubes of pan-fried paneer on top, but you could skip that and just do a bit of grated cheese. Or! You can certainly explore a vegan version – infuse some olive oil or coconut oil with spices, and brown some tofu in place of paneer. A different beast, but also really good.

4. Curried Tomato Tortellini Soup – A fortifying lentil and tomato-based stew, dotted with plump, tender dumplings, spiked with a range of spices, and boosted with plenty of spinach. It’s so delicious, and simple, week-night friendly, and great for leftovers. Also, no shame in using frozen spinach, here. It cuts the already minimal prep time here down to near nothing.

5. Spicy Taco Soup – You can make this one in an Instant Pot, but you don’t have to. It’s pretty much just a dump & stir situation consisting of a hearty melding of beans, corn, taco spices, and quinoa. Frozen corn is fine. I bring the creaminess and crunch factor in via the toppings – toasted pepitas for the later, ripe avocado or guacamole, and a dollop of yogurt for the creamy.

6. Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup – A simple yet satisfying lentil soup where the tang of tomatoes plays off the earthiness of lentils, with a fragrant bolt of saffron yogurt as the closer. It has been up on my site for years, and I’ve been meaning to reshoot the photos for nearly as long. A lot of you have cooked this, and have left some great adaptations in the comments – I’ve pulled a few favorites into the main post.

7. Vegetarian Split Pea Soup – A delicious, healthy, textured soup made from an impossibly short list of ingredients. Seriously, just five! Simply green split peas and onions cooked until tender, partially pureed, seasoned and flared out with toppings.

8. Coconut Red Lentil Soup – Based on an Ayurvedic dal recipe in the Esalen Cookbook, I love this recipe so much. It’s worth trying even if you don’t have the exact spices. Just wing it a bit! No ghee or coconut oil, use olive oil. No ginger? Try some garlic instead.

9. Simple Farro & Bean Soup – The sort of hearty, timeless, comforting soup that helps in times like these. I made it earlier this week and felt a bit better because of it. There’s chopping to do, which keeps the hands busy and mind focused. The foundation ingredients are flexible and straight from the pantry – grains, canned tomatoes, beans. And if you have a lot of produce that needs to be used, a soup like this is perfect – eat some, freeze some. The ultimate pantry soup.

10. Richard Olney’s Garlic Soup – The ultimate comfort soup. Creamy and full-bodied without the use of cream, it is made by simmering a dozen or so cloves of garlic in water with a few herbs, then thickening the broth with a mixture of egg and shredded cheese. It’s hard to beat a big ladleful poured over crusty, day-old walnut baguette with a finishing slick of olive oil.

And if none of these pantry soups seems to hit the spot for you, here’s an entire section of soup recipes. Or, here’s a round-up of blender soups. Or a collection of amazing vegetable broths. xx, -h

Continue reading Ten Freezer-Friendly Pantry Soups on 101 Cookbooks

Chris Grady, the Lunarbaboon, has succeeded as a webcomic artist. If you can develop even just one dedicated hater, you've made an impact on the world.

Grady recorded a time-lapse video of himself drawing this cartoon. The creation process is itself interesting--perhaps even more so for whichever sad person seems to hate him.

There’s a Secret Library That Opens Up When You Pull a Special Book in This Hotel Room

How do you like our secret room? from r/secretcompartments

If you visit the “100 Years of Hollywood” room at the Bella Vista Bed and Breakfast in Coloma Lotus, California, you’ll find that there’s something extra as part of your stay. The homey accommodation is equipped with a hidden quarter that you can only access by opening a special book on the bookshelf and pulling it open from there. Marc Bächtold, a content creator for tourism and hospitality, revealed the room’s secret while staying there as a guest. His video makes it look every bit as charming as it sounds.

This well-appointed accommodation is comfortable sans the secret room, but its addition adds cozy whimsy to a getaway. While the main room is inspired by old Hollywood, the extra space has a different vibe. “The hidden room is a two-story library with a winged back chair, large picture window, and art gallery wall,” Bächtold explains to My Modern Met. Together, the rooms offer striking views of the South Fork American River and the hotel grounds, which feature ponds, streams, waterfalls, and more.

Scroll down to see some more shots from Bächtold’s stay. Learn more about how you can enjoy the secret room by visiting the Bella Vista Bed and Breakfast.

The “100 Years of Hollywood” room at the Bella Vista Bed and Breakfast in Coloma Lotus, California has something special.

Pull open the bookcase and you’ll discover a hidden room!

Marc Bächtold: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Marc Bächtold.

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READ: There’s a Secret Library That Opens Up When You Pull a Special Book in This Hotel Room

You see wonderful wildlife pictures on the internet, but for every "perfect" picture, there are hundreds that didn't quite make the grade. For those that might have been discarded, there's a Facebook group called Crap wildlife photography. Some are just awful, some are blurry, and some are downright hilarious. There are a lot of pictures that would have been great a millisecond before or after. And some come with a story.

You'll have to join the Facebook group to see all it has to offer, but you can see a ranked list of their best images at Bored Panda.

Yo, the Doctors are in the house and they're going to drop some sick rhymes on you. That's Dr. Seuss and Dr. Dre, whose works are now combined by Wes Tank. This media producer from Milwaukee says that Seuss and Dre were made for each other. CBS 58 quotes him:

"I would pair them with Dr. Dre beats because it was kind of a funny doctor and doctor thing." Tank said, via FaceTime from his home in the Washington Heights neighborhood. "But for some reason, the beats and the books just go together really well. Kind of scarily well."

Tank was asked to perform Dr. Seuss raps at an annual fundraiser at Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan. He was booked to perform at birthday parties. He says people always told him he needs to put it on YouTube. He agreed, but he wanted to make sure it was done right.

"I'm very busy with video work most of the time." said Tank. "I don't really prioritize my rap career. But during quarantine, I'm kind of stuck in the house and I'm like this is kind of a perfect thing to do right now."

Tank also has videos for Green Eggs & Ham,The Cat in the Hat, and The Lorax.

-via Twisted Sifter

adventurecore-suggestions:

i love all the words we have that mean traveler. i love the shades of difference between wanderer and rambler and rover. i love the boldness of adventurer and the purposefulness of explorer, the lawlessness of vagabond and the capability of wayfarer, the quiet reverence of pilgrim and the wild rootlessness of nomad.

During this difficult time, we can rely on our xenomorphic friends from the Alien movie franchise to protect us. Let one embrace you during its Facehugger developmental stage. Horror filmmaker Jeff Barnaby made this mask to illustrate its life-saving properties.

-via Super Punch

Yes, your Barbie Dreamhouse, has an elevator, but it's not motorized like a real, modern elevator. This one, built in 1912, does. Nag on the Lake dug up information about this masterpiece of craftsmanship made by a teenage boy for his sister:

The four-storey dwelling is housed in a repurposed glass-front display cabinet standing over six feet high. It was created in 1912 in Sweden by John Carlsson when he was just 18 as a gift for his sister Eva. It comes complete with detailed Victorian furniture, lights and decorative objects and tiny porcelain people. Attached to the outside is a working elevator made of metal and powered by an electric clock motor.

Bored Couple in Quarantine Builds a Tiny Art Museum for Their Pet Gerbils

The coronavirus quarantine has left many of us with extra time on our hands. Some people have taken up baking, others have adopted a new craft, but for one London-based couple, being stuck inside for the foreseeable future resulted in building a tiny art museum for their pet gerbils, Pandoro & Tiramisù. Filippo Lorenzin (an independent curator at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum) and artist Marianna Benetti spent one lazy Sunday—their 14th day in quarantine—meticulously hand-making the incredibly detailed, miniature gallery from cardboard, paper, and wood.

The artistic couple clearly spent a lot of time planning the layout of their gerbil museum and curating the exhibited artwork. “It was fun to make every single detail,” Lorenzin tells My Modern Met. “My partner and I love museums. When we visit a gallery, we always spend time enjoying not only the artworks on display but also the mastery it takes to present them to visitors.”

The opening exhibition features gerbil versions of famous artworks, including Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Scream. The tiny museum even features little cardboard benches and a sign that says “Please Don’t Chew.” The two adorable gerbils are captured on camera enjoying a private viewing of the exclusive show. However, the furry art lovers clearly enjoy breaking the rules—a video captured the cheeky pair taking tiny chunks out of a cardboard stool. Lorenzin and Benetti say, “They came for the paintings, they stayed for the stool.”

Since posting photos and a video of their creation online, Lorenzin and Benetti’s gerbil museum has gone viral. Lorenzin says, “It was surprising to see such a positive response on the Internet, and we both hope this will remind everyone a good experience in a museum and lead them to support these institutions in such an uncertain time.”

Check out the fantastic gerbil museum below and follow Pandoro & Tiramisù on Instagram for more adorable shenanigans.

Filippo Lorenzin and Marianna Benetti spent their 14th day in quarantine meticulously hand-making a miniature art gallery for their pet gerbils, Pandoro & Tiramisù.

The furry duo are captured enjoying a private viewing of the exclusive, gerbil-themed exhibition.

Filippo Lorenzin: Twitter
Marianna Benetti: Instagram
Pandoro & Tiramisù: Instagram | YouTube

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Filippo Lorenzin and Marianna Benetti.

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READ: Bored Couple in Quarantine Builds a Tiny Art Museum for Their Pet Gerbils

Missed the original #QuarantineWatchParty from ComicBook.com for Thor: Ragnarok? Well, you’re in luck! Director Taika Waititi is hosting his own viewing of the Marvel movie on Instagram Live today at 4PM (PST). So … you know that it’s going to be the kind of chaos we all need right now.

How exactly is it going to work? I have absolutely no idea, but from the picture Waititi posted on Twitter, he’s going to bring a random guest in (someone who isn’t even in the movie), and they’re just going to watch it and make a commentary. So what a time for us all!

Tomorrow (Thursday April 9). 4pm PST on INSTAGRAM LIVE.
I’ll be doing a live commentary with at least one special guest (they aren’t in the movie).
Also I spent 3 minutes drawing this flyer and that is not wine, they’re teardrops of BLOOD. #ThorRagnarok #LiveScreeningParty pic.twitter.com/IA2FFibb0N

— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) April 9, 2020

I don’t completely believe Taika, but if he wants to tell me they’re teardrops of blood, I’m going to believe that he is actually his vampire character Viago from What We Do in the Shadows and he drew this in a church. That’s where vampires cry (as you all know, obviously). But it’s probably wine. Definitely wine. I’m going with wine.

Recently, Waititi has taken to Instagram a lot more frequently to give fans something to do, like watch him get his hair cut by his kids for no reason other than they were all bored. Truly, I wish I knew what day it is. Can Taika Waititi start announcing the day of the week on Instagram live, too?

This is going to be fun, though, mainly because you never really know what Taika Waititi has in store for us. Sometimes, he’s extremely serious and heartfelt about things, and other times, he’s … well, he’s Taika. And as he once pointed out to me, he’s not a celebrity. He’s a Taika.

I’m not a celebrity. I’m a Taika.

— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) January 9, 2020

Can’t wait to see what behind the scenes information we get from Taika Waititi and his guest tonight. I’m assuming his guest is going to be a pet or a stick figure of a random actor. What’s your bet?

(image: Marvel Entertainment)

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Augmented reality (AR), simply put, is an interactive experience where computer-generated images enhance real-world environments. Japanese motion graphics artist Keisuke Terashima has utilized the technology to developed one of the more practical uses of AR that we’ve seen recently. Terashima developed a script that you can download to your iphone, which creates a virtual ruler so […]

The current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), but those who are crafty enough have been making their own face masks from recycled fabric at home. The CDC has approved many of these homemade masks as acceptable precautionary protection, but there’s one design flaw—by covering our mouths with fabric, the masks make it impossible for the deaf and hard of hearing to communicate. That’s why Kentucky-based, 21-year-old college student Ashley Lawrence designed a reusable face mask with a see-through window.

“As a college student studying Education for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, I have a great appreciation for the ways in which the world is designed with hearing people in mind,” says Lawrence. “Those who rely on lip-reading or ASL to communicate are often cut off from their source of communication when doctors and nurses don surgical masks.” Using some old bedsheets and translucent plastic fabric for the window, Lawrence cleverly modified the standard mask so that it’s suitable for those who lip-read or who rely on the facial expressions.

Lawrence launched her idea on GoFundMe to help cover her production costs, and, as of April 2, 2020, she reached her goal. Lawrence is now distributing her masks to anyone who needs one, free of charge. And she even plans to upload a DIY tutorial on YouTube, so you can make her face mask design at home.

Although Lawrence has already raised the funds she needs, you can still donate to her cause. Profits will be donated to Hands & Voices, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Find out more about the reusable masks for the deaf and hard of hearing on Lawrence’s GoFundMe campaign.

College student Ashley Lawrence designed a reusable face mask with a see-through window for people who are deaf or hard or hearing.

Ashley Lawrence: GoFundMe
h/t: [Hello Giggles]

All images via Ashley Lawrence.

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The post College Student Designs Face Mask for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing appeared first on My Modern Met.

Heidi Oley, a hairstylist at the Chroma Station Salon in Atlanta, can't work on her clients due to the coronavirus shutdown. But she has a boyfriend, Geoff Clark, to work on while they hole up in a cabin in the woods in northern Georgia.

Heidi keeps creative and Geoff keeps beautiful as she gives him daily makeovers. You can find his many transformations on Instagram.

Heidi and Geoff talked to the Today show about the experience. He enjoys bringing some happiness during a painful time:

“I kind of like it because we get a lot of comments from people who are out there — the health care workers and stuff — who say they love coming home and seeing a new picture of me,” Clark told TODAY. “I like that we’re making people smile.”

-via Design You Trust

One silver lining of the global pandemic (if there can be such a thing) is the many and varied ways that people have found to reach out and connect with others through social media. From Instagram livechats and concerts, to virtual tours and lessons, to singalong on Facebook, people across the world have found a way to keep their fellow humans entertained and bring a little joy into their lives.

The crew of entertainers on social media includes among its number a few Tony-winning composers. Andrew Lloyd Webber has started a daily series of concerts from his home at his piano, playing requests from Twitter, and it honestly brings me such joy. Maybe that’s because Lord Andrew started things off with one of my favorite shows, and his most popular by far, Phantom of the Opera.

I didn’t think I’d ever get such a response to this little tryout! Here I am in my own self-isolation. The song that came out on top was ‘All I Ask Of You’ – ALW pic.twitter.com/NCSujNwBPd

— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) March 19, 2020

What an incredible number of responses we have received to All I Ask Of You! As requested by many of you, including @KChenoweth, here’s Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, as well as a bit of insight into a hidden secret on Phantom – #TeamALW #MusicInIsolation pic.twitter.com/ac7GCwkFpr

— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) March 20, 2020

Of course, when one legendary broadway composer does something, it can start a trend, and in this case, known fan of musicals Lin-Manuel Miranda enjoyed the show and … maybe was up for a challenge?

Thanks mega maestro @Lin_Manuel, now it’s your turn. Let’s have a play off?! – ALW https://t.co/UIGRfJGHUf

— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) March 19, 2020

I don’t think I can fully express the happiness it brings me to see one of my favorite composers singing the work of another, especially with a phantom mask on his piano.

PLAYOFF ACCEPTED!
Here’s “Everything’s Alright” from Jesus Christ Superstar.
Your move, @OfficialALW,
aka A-L Dubs.
(And of course, imagine a red bucket on this piano labeled https://t.co/d5YxoarPgB) https://t.co/ijOty38ymF pic.twitter.com/MTyCPMvqI2

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 20, 2020

This is a perfect choice in song too from Miranda, given that Jesus Christ Superstar was Hamilton before Hamilton. Lloyd Webber’s rock opera was a massively successful show that took a staid topic and set it with a modern musical language in a way that was hugely successful, and controversial. Lloyd Webber of course built on that and took up the story of another modern political figure for another show with Evita.

And since Lin honored Lloyd Webber so appropriately, it was only right for Lord Andrew to sing the song of British nobility right back.

Hi mega maestro, probably not checkmate! – ALW #MusicInIsolation @Lin_Manuel https://t.co/8jlesozHuo pic.twitter.com/IuMt8f8xzE

— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) March 21, 2020

Love it.

Our latest performance was from Lloyd Webber’s first show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, which as he reminds us in this video, he started work on when he was nineteen (way to make us feel like underachievers).

Something a bit more fun today from me. I’d love to see you all singing along! Post your covers and tag @OfficialALW! – ALW #HomeIsWhereTheMusicIs pic.twitter.com/yAisOrAfa3

— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) March 24, 2020

Between these and the digital release of Cats this month, Lloyd Webber had brought audiences around the world some pretty good bits of entertainment through quarantine, and that makes him, in my book, a Superstar.

(images and video via: OffcialALW on Twitter)

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hunxi-guilai:

(and I do genuinely mean conversation, I’d love to hear other people’s input on this, because I did just write a long-ass post about the subjectivity of interpretation in translations)

So when I started interacting with the fandom and reading people’s fics, I got really confused by the way some folks were writing dialogue for Lan Wangji; he often sounded super awkward, spoke in fragments, and sometimes exclusively in third person. To be fair, all of those are elements of his speech at various times, but like, seeing it in English-language material felt like a really heavy-handed way of rendering it in translation?

I guess when you use third person within the first three episodes of the show, it makes a pretty big impression on the audience

This is not at all intended to be a criticism of people who are 1000% writing and creating wonderful work, which is more than I can say for myself, but I want to poke and prod and tease at some linguistic nuance here.

Take a deep breath, grab a pot of tea (this’ll take more than a cup), because we’re going to take the scenic route on this one–

Keep reading

The further you go in this stop-motion video, the more amazing it gets. Eventually, the laws of physics are broken in all sorts of ways! Omozoc made this with no CGI at all, just stop-motion animation -and at least a dozen new decks of cards. -via Digg

Legendary Disney composer Alan Menken was a guest on the new, live Rosie O’ Donnell Show, according to io9, where he revealed that while production has stopped on the new Little Mermaid movie, they did manage to record all the songs for the movie, which includes four new songs.

“This has been a great time for writing,” Menken said. “Production stopped on The Little Mermaid movie. We recorded all the songs, and I wrote four new songs with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the lyricist for Mermaid. And I’m working on Disenchanted, the sequel to Enchanted. And I have another Broadway show. Oh, and Hercules is coming to the stage, of course. We did that in Central Park last summer. Just a whole bushel of new projects.”

First of all, congrats to him for his own writing goals (remember, don’t hold yourself to anyone else’s standard), but also, the Disney purist in me is screaming, “Four more songs?!”

The Little Mermaid is, narrative-wise, not one of my favorite Disney films, but it launched the Disney Renaissance for a reason. The music that drove the 1989 film was superb and really understood the magic of animation combined with the theatrics of the musical. Every song perfectly fits the movie, and the only reason I could think of why they are going to add more is that Halle Bailey, who is playing Ariel in the remake, is an incredible singer and they want to take advantage of that. But the original’s Jodi Benson was also amazing, and that’s what made the absence of her voice for the second half of the movie so striking.

I’m aware that the Broadway stage musical also added music, but let’s not forget that the only good thing to come out of that production was Tituss Burgess. It’s very easy to bloat a simple story that was only 83 minutes long when you’re trying to make a 2-hour aquatic spectacle, but that’s not what made The Little Mermaid amazing. Howard Ashman’s lyrics are part of the power of the songs, and that presence was sorely missed when works like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were brought into other mediums.

While I will always defend the casting of Bailey from the racists out there, it doesn’t erase the fact that Disney has struggled to make these live-action musical adaptations as thrilling or interesting as their original counterparts. They see the dollar signs and the nostalgia, but they so frequently lack the heart—putting all the pressure on their actors to deliver when so little is being done to help the film be the best it could be.

Also, Hercules is coming to the stage, and I’m both intrigued by it and wondering how the Greek Chorus and monster fighting will work into it. A sequel to Enchanted sounds cute, and Idina Menzel can collect another Disney check.

(via io9, image Disney)

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Listen, there’s social distancing, and then there’s spending 38 years locked in a house, building and adding to it constantly so that ghosts won’t torment you. You may think you have this isolation thing down, but you’re nothing compare to Sarah Winchester. If you’re unfamiliar with her story, you’re in luck: because you can now take a virtual tour of her expansive “mystery house” for free.

Sarah Lockwood Pardee was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1839. She went on to marry William Winchester, the heir to the Winchester arms fortune and company, in 1862. Sarah’s early life was marred by tragedy and turmoil. Her only child died in 1866, even as her husband’s fortune and the family company grew. They released the Winchester Repeating Rifle in 1873, which came to be known as “the gun that won the west.” But less than a decade later, both Sarah’s husband and father in law would be dead.

Legend has it that Sarah was told by a spiritualist medium soon after her husband’s death that the tragedy in her life was due to the souls of those that had been killed by the Winchester rifles coming after her family, and that the only way to confound the spirits out for her would be for her to find a house and start building it out and never stop.

Sarah purchased the small, two-story farmhouse in San Jose that would become her sprawling villa in 1886 and did as the medium suggested. She started building and didn’t stop until her death in 1922. She was able to do this thanks to inheriting a fortune from her husband’s family and maintaining a large stake in the Winchester company.

The house, which Sarah called “Llanda Villa,” is full of details that are both confusing and creepy, from the doors and staircases to nowhere, secret seance rooms where she would receive building instructions from spirits, and a preoccupation throughout the house with the number thirteen, as well as spiderweb patterns. It’s a major tourist attraction in San Jose and the name Winchester has become synonymous now not just with guns but with mystery and the, um, Supernatural.

With sites like the Winchester Mystery House shut down, it’s easy to think you can’t visit. But that’s not the case. You can enjoy the house’s free, 45 minute (!) virtual tour. This tour is usually something you have to pay for, even to watch online, so it’s a very cool opportunity to see all the secrets of the estate while you’re staying home.

And hey, you might feel inspired to do some home improvement of your own after. We don’t think it will help keep away coronavirus, but it will certainly keep away the boredom. Take the tour on this link.

(Via: BoingBoing Image: Winchester Mystery House LLC/Screencap)

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Mesmerizing "Time Slice" Photos Show Single Locations at Different Times of Day:

stumpyjoepete:

femmenietzsche:

cool…

Found in the westernmost part of Canada is the Canadian territory of Yukon. Out of all the provinces and territories in Canada, this place has the smallest population, with only a little over 40,000 people. Found in this territory is the Takhini Hot Springs, which lies just outside Whitehorse, the capital city of Yukon.

For most of the year, visitors spend hours relaxing in the mineral-rich and odorless waters, which are privately owned by the company Takhini Hot Pools.

But when the winter months come, the hot springs become a heated battleground for the Hair Freezing Contest, the world’s only frozen-hairdo competition. In this contest, …

Participants dunk their heads underwater, emerge into the frigid air, and style their locks into stiff, eye-catching sculptures. Depending on one’s creativity and luck with the elements, the results range from frosty, mop-like tangles to dramatically manicured spikes.

“All this rising steam collects on your hair and freezes really quickly when it meets the cold air,” says Andrew Umbrich, co-owner of Takhini Hot Pools. “You can get good results within 15 minutes if it’s cold enough.”

It’s worth splitting hairs when deciding on a final look: Winners for this year’s contest, which opened last December and closed earlier this month, earn $2,000 (in Canadian dollars), free soaks, and a 12-punch pass for a new facility set to open this fall. Hair must be completely frozen—a feat best achieved when the air is 40 below zero. Once coiffed, entrants ring a wireless doorbell to notify a staff member to photograph them.

Well, what do you think?

(Image Credit: Takhini Hot Pools/ Atlas Obscura)

You can chalk it up to the isolating effects of COVID-19, but when Essie Davis’s Phryne Fisher appeared on screen in Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears, I cheered out loud in my living room. Much like the Downton Abbey film, the return of Miss Fisher is akin to being reunited with a dear old friend. And the thrill of seeing Miss Fisher back in action offers almost enough goodwill to buoy the film itself.

If you’re new to Phryne fandom, here’s the gist. Based on the novels by Kerry Greenwood, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries was an Australian television series that followed the adventures of Phryne Fisher (The Babadook‘s Essie Davis), a stylish aristocrat who moonlights as a private detective in 1920s Melbourne. Each episode finds Miss Fisher investigating a murder with the reluctant help of Detective Inspector (and long-simmering love interest) John “Jack” Robinson (Nathan Page). But if you’re new to Miss Fisher, don’t worry. The film works as a standalone piece, and you can always watch all three seasons of the show on Acorn TV.

The film, written by series creator Deb Cox and directed by Tony Tilse, opens with Miss Fisher in Jerusalem, where she breaks a young Bedouin woman, Shirin (Izabella Yena), out of jail and brings her to England. Shirin is the last of her tribe after a mysterious massacre claimed the lives of her family and friends. But was the massacre part of a mysterious curse or a government cover-up?

Set against the backdrop of British-controlled Palestine, Miss Fisher seeks to solve the mystery of the massacre with help from her estranged paramour Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. The duo travel from London to Jerusalem to the Negev desert (with Morocco subbing in for filming) as they collect ancient artifacts and piece together the mystery.

From the very opening, the film conjures the vibe of a classic serialized adventure. But unlike those films of yesteryear, the protagonist is a thoroughly modern woman. Miss Fisher operates like a cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond. She’s stylish, fearless, and preternaturally skilled in a variety of things, from flying a plane to firing a gun to breaking hearts across the Continent. Essie Davis brings confidence and joy to the character just as she did in the series, and Miss Fisher’s bon mots and derring-do are almost enough to carry the film.

I say almost, because while Davis remains a delight, she’s hampered by a muddled plot that doesn’t quite come together. The mystery itself is overly complicated and the pacing drags as a result, especially in the second half. In the series, the mechanics of the mystery are bookended by smaller plots involving Miss Fisher’s companion Dot (Ashleigh Cummings) and her awkward romance with Constable Hugh (Hugo Johnstone-Burt). Unfortunately, Dot and Hugh barely appear in the film.

And while the whodunit is lacking, there’s still plenty to enjoy in the film. Davis sports some truly fabulous costumes and the scenes in the desert are gorgeously shot. And of course there’s the witty and flirtatious banter between Phryne and Jack, which continues to delight. While Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears doesn’t reach the heights of the original series, there is plenty to enjoy in this adventurous romp.

There’s something to be said for an adventure film (and a period piece especially) where a woman is the hero. You can’t help but cheer as Miss Fisher refuses to be a damsel in distress and rejects the expected conventions of 1920s womanhood. Miss Fisher’s pluck and optimism, as well as her inimitable style, offer a welcome respite from our real world problems.

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears premieres March 23rd aka tomorrow on Acorn TV. You can enjoy a 30 day free trial with the code FREE30.

And check out our interview with Miss Fisher herself, Essie Davis.

(image: Acorn TV)

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It’s been over a year since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse hit theaters, but we’re still in love with the ridiculously clever and gorgeously animated film. In fact, doctors agree that re-watching the film lowers blood pressure and eases anxiety (okay, they didn’t say that, but it sounds true right?).

Like all great films, Spider-Verse began with a great script. But that script went through countless revisions and adjustments before becoming the movie we know and love. Phil Lord, who wrote the script with Christopher Miller, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, shared pictures of the massive whiteboards the team used to break the story and build the world of the Spider-Verse.

These dumb whiteboards became our bible

— Phil Lord (@philiplord) March 22, 2020

This is not a flex. This is embarrassing that we hadn’t figured it out this late in the process. It’s more to illustrate that it IS a process. Always. pic.twitter.com/9JvSP4X43b

— Phil Lord (@philiplord) March 22, 2020

Editor Andy Leviton then shared his own board:

That’s the white board for only one of the Act III “rebreaks”… We rebroke it again the July before release with another beautiful mind-y whiteboard. I locked myself in my edit bay for 3 days and mocked something up based on this. pic.twitter.com/gyl3sjH3nK

— Andy! Leviton (@AlliterAndy) March 22, 2020

Fellow writer Rodney Rothman shared his copious notes:

This Persichetti doodle stands out. This might have been the lodestone pic.twitter.com/MPT8L3RvQm

— rodneyrothman (@rodneyrothman) March 22, 2020

These tweets are a great peek behind the curtain at the intensive labor and hard work that goes into developing a feature film. Creating multiple universes is not easy! It’s also a fascinating look at the creative process the team went through, and how they kept re-envisioning the story until very late in the production process.

While the road to getting there was messy and disorganized, the final result was pretty much flawless. Well done, Team Spider-Verse.

(via io9, image: Sony Pictures Animation)

• Here are 12 RPGs and board games you can play while social distancing. (via io9)
• Comedian Ian Abramson hosted a one-man version of Saturday Night Live in his home, and the results were bananas. (via AVClub)
• The Australian indie comedy classic Muriel’s Wedding celebrates its 25th anniversary. Muriel, you’re terrible! (via Variety)
• Neil Diamond is an American treasure:

Stay safe out there! “Hands… washing hands..” 🎶 pic.twitter.com/QaRB1qZshp

— Neil Diamond (@NeilDiamond) March 22, 2020

• Find the British murder mystery series that’s right for you! (via Jezebel)
• Michael Giacchino on writing the score for The Batman. (via Collider)
• Wow, Central Park looks great!

this is how central park looks after environmental normalization. as humans decrease their presence and species return to their natural habitat 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/c9IDZ6NJ1x

— catalina (@christanbaIe) March 21, 2020

What are you up to today, Mary Suevians?

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—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Learning a new skill can be daunting, but embroidery artist Michelle Staub (of Stitching Sabbatical) is proof that practice makes perfect. She recently shared a stitched portrait of her cat Purrl that she made in 2014, next to one she created in 2020—and the difference is mind-blowing! Over the last 6 years, Staub has clearly worked hard to purrfect the art of embroidery. Today, each design she creates captures her furry subjects in hyperrealistic detail.

Staub began crafting as a way to pass the time while her boyfriend (now husband) finished grad school. “Feeling listless and uninspired during the summer months, I decided to take up a new hobby, cross stitching,” says Staub. “I quickly grew bored and decided to move on to embroidery. I loved how free I was to make whatever I wanted on my fabric. My stitches didn’t have to be in uniform sizes or widths. I could do whatever I wanted with it. And I did.”

Staub has come a long way since her first embroidered portrait of her cat Purrl in 2014. Today, her fluffy friends are stitched with so much detail, they almost look like photographs. Every whisker and furry feature is intricately rendered in thread using multiple stitch styles to capture the animals’ tones and textures. “The main thing that drives me to keep improving is that I want my pet portraits to look as realistic as possible,” Staub tells My Modern Met. “I like the challenge of only using thread to capture the pet’s features and represent their likeness. I see ways I can improve with each portrait I make and try to apply that knowledge to the next one.”

Staub’s progress shows that with enough dedication, anyone can become a master of their chosen craft. “If you want to be good at embroidery, or even art in general, it really does just take practice, curiosity, and time,” she says. “We all start somewhere.⁣”

Take a look at some of Staub’s pet portraits below. If you’re inspired to learn embroidery, check out our ultimate guide on how you can get started today.

Embroidery artist Michelle Staub stitches purrfect pet portraits in hyperrealistic detail.

She began learning embroidery in 2014, and has since become a master of the craft.

Each design is rendered in thread using multiple stitch styles to capture the animals’ tones and textures.

Michelle Staub: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube
h/t: [Brown Paper Bag]

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Michelle Staub.

Related Articles:

Hyperrealistic Pet Portraits Rendered with Up to 18 Hours of Exquisite Embroidery

Brilliant Bead Embroidery Turns Earth’s Beautiful Animals into Dazzling 3D Stitches

Ultimate Guide to Embroidery: How It Started and How You Can Get Started Today

20 Nature-Inspired Embroidery to Melt Away the Winter Blues

The post Embroiderer Reveals Amazing Growth as an Artist in Then & Now Photos appeared first on My Modern Met.

In an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, many public-facing businesses have had to temporarily shut their doors, leaving many of us with unexpected time on our hands. However, thanks to the power of the Internet, there’s still plenty to do while we’re cooped up indoors. From online art courses to live, home concerts, countless companies and individuals are generously providing free entertainment online. Monterey Bay Aquarium is one establishment that recently closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy its resident animals—you can now watch them all via live webcams!

From watching cute African penguins waddle and nest to catching a glimpse of sharks gliding around the aquarium fish tank, it’s easy to spend hours watching each live stream. “Be delighted by the antics of our sea otters or mellow out to the hypnotic drifting of our jellies,” says Monterey Bay Aquarium. “With ten live cams to choose from, you can experience the wonder of the ocean no matter where you are.”

Check out some of the aquarium’s live footage below. Want more? Here’s 10 wildlife live streams you can watch 24/7.

You can watch the aquatic animals at Monterey Bay Aquarium via these free live streams.

Monterey Bay Aquarium: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube
h/t: [Colossal]

All images via Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Related Articles:

10 Wildlife Livestreams You Can Watch 24/7

Staff Allow Curious Penguins to Explore Empty Aquarium and Meet the Other Animals

Live Weather Cam on Top of Tower Captures Curious Hawk Investigating the Lens

Pet Owner’s Webcam Captures Adorable Lovefest of Her Cat and Dog While She’s Away

The post Watch Penguins, Jellyfish, and More via This Aquarium’s Free Live Streams appeared first on My Modern Met.

Praise the Dark Lord, What We Do in the Shadows is returning to FX next month for its second season! The brilliantly funny series is based on Taika Waititi’s 2014 cult classic mockumentary film about vampire roommates struggling to find their place in the modern world. The FX series features the same premise, but centers on all new characters sharing a home in Staten Island.

Last season, we met the four main vampires, Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), along with their human servant, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). The series explored their mundane adventures like attending a city council meeting, partying with Manhattan vampires, and dealing with the local band of werewolves.

The first season featured several high-profile guest stars, a trend which continues in season 2. Craig Robinson (The Office) joins the series as Derek, “the leader of a team of underground amateur vampire hunters,” and Space Dad Mark Hamill will be appearing in a cameo role—no details yet on who or what he will be playing.

Unfortunately, Beanie Feldstein will not reprise her role as awkward college student-turned-vampire Jenna. It’s hardly a surprise, given her breakout success in Booksmart and her upcoming role in American Crime Story: Impeachment as Monica Lewinsky. However, since Jenna’s vampire power is invisibility, she could still be “appearing” in upcoming episodes.

The trailer finds the gang attending a neighbor’s Superb Owl party, as well as Nadja and Laszlo working out their musical number, “Horny for Blood.” We also see Guillermo developing his innate vampire-slaying abilities and Colin using terrible jokes to suck the energy out of the room.

We talk a lot about living in the golden age of content, where there is such a surplus of quality entertainment out there that we are simply inundated with stuff to watch. If you haven’t checked out the series yet (or the film, for that matter), you should immediately add them to your binge-watch list.

What We Do in the Shadows returns on FX on April 15th.

(via A.V. Club, image: John P Johnson/FX)

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So many businesses are having to shut down (hopefully temporarily) in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, especially those with public-facing operations. The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has had to close its doors to the public but what does that mean for the animals left inside?

It means they get to have an adventure!

With no patrons visiting, three penguins–Edward, Annie, and Wellington–were allowed out to explore the aquarium. Here’s Wellington visiting his Amazon fish friends:

Penguins in the Amazon?! 🐧🌴

Some of the penguins went on a field trip to meet other animals at Shedd. Wellington seemed most interested in the fishes in Amazon Rising! The black-barred silver dollars also seemed interested in their unusual visitor. pic.twitter.com/KgYWsp5VQD

— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 15, 2020

Meanwhile, Annie and Edward, who are a bonded pair preparing for nesting season, explored the rotunda.

The adventure continues! 🐧🐧
This morning, Edward and Annie explored Shedd’s rotunda. They are a bonded pair of rockhopper penguins, which means they are together for nesting season. Springtime is nesting season for penguins at Shedd, and this year is no different! (1/3) 👇 pic.twitter.com/VdxN3oQAfe

— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020

Penguins like Edward and Annie will begin to build their nests next week. Join us digitally for nesting coverage! In the meantime, we will be sharing lots of different animal updates (and yes, Wellington will return!) 🐧👀 (2/3) pic.twitter.com/eCYKOwdOMz

— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020

Honestly, this looks like a fantastic date.

While this may be a strange time for us, these days feel normal for animals at Shedd. Our caregivers are constantly providing new experiences for the animals to explore and express their natural behaviors with. Let us know what penguin activities you would like to see! (3/3) pic.twitter.com/ftlow7iPHl

— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 16, 2020

The penguins also aren’t letting a lack of visitors stop them from enjoying St. Patrick’s Day. They’re gonna get dressed up and celebrate, no matter what.

It’s a #StPatricksDay penguin party! 💚🐧 While we can’t go out & party, the animals can! Our caretakers are committed to providing enriching activities (like edible shamrocks) for the animals with or without guests here to see it. Check in throughout the day to see more! pic.twitter.com/Xz1bXd2zk0

— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 17, 2020

It’s not just the penguins who are having a great solo time. Ellie here got a St. Patty’s treat.

Top of the morning (er, afternoon) from Ellie “in a top hat”! We managed to snap this photo before Ellie took off with her #StPatricksDay party food. Even though sea otters are the smallest marine mammal, they eat a lot—about 25 percent of their body weight daily! ☘️ 🦦 pic.twitter.com/uDmIjeNkKz

— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 17, 2020

And this turtle even got to have its birthday party!

While we are closed to the public until March 29, animal care staff are onsite 24/7 to continue looking after the animals, including celebrating birthdays! Today on #PiDay giant river turtle Yam turns 28 years old…and so does animal care specialist, Evan! 🐢🥧 pic.twitter.com/068wcmrn6E

— Shedd Aquarium (@shedd_aquarium) March 14, 2020

Thank you to the Shedd Aquarium for putting this penguin joy into our lives. We needed it.

(image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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artfulfashion:

Liza Korol photographed for Saber Viver Magazine, November 2019, by Goncarlo Claro

Henry Cyril Paget, the fifth Marquess of Anglesey, was a 19th-century Welsh eccentric who was almost erased from history. While he was well-liked by the local population, his family downplayed or ignored his flamboyant lifestyle. As a young man, Paget inherited his father's wealth and the family estate, and proceeded to blow it all on lavish productions he staged at the theater he built in his home.   

He then hired a professional theatre company, and set about putting on pantomimes and plays for all to see - for free.

Playing centre stage in every performance was Paget, who became known as "The Dancing Marquess" by the newspaper gossip sheets.

He used every show to put on a "butterfly dance" display, adorned by costumes which would literally cost millions of pounds today.

"He didn't understand the concept of costume jewellery - he thought it all had to be real," explained actor and writer Seiriol Davies, who wrote and performed an acclaimed musical show based on the life of the marquess.

Indeed, when Paget wanted a green jacket, he had it encrusted with real emeralds. The lavish costumes were prone to theft, and were mostly sold to pay off debts after Paget's death in 1900. However, one diamond tiara from his collection is now up for auction. Read about the short but notorious life and spending habits of the Dancing Marquess at BBC News. -via Strange Company