Noell's Ark

excerpted from boingboing.net, by an author who collects books (mostly out of print) about apes who live with humans. One is 'The History of Noell's Ark Gorilla Show', a document of a traveling vaudville act that featured chimps who would battle volunteers from the audience (this was the 1940's, and allegedly most people didn't know what "chimps" were, so the proprietors called them "gorillas" instead):

The show began by soliciting participants from the audience; the ones who came forward were a self-selected bunch of drunks and he-men with something to prove. The chimps ate them up. Sometimes literally. Noell writes that the chimps were natural showmen. Because they craved laughter and applause, they needed no training to perform. They would instinctively pull acts that they knew would get a reaction: somersaults and acrobatics, egging on the men, and tearing off opponents' clothes. Once, a chimp named Snookie rammed both thumbs up his opponents nostrils, Three Stooges-style, and stretched them apart until the sides tore. From that point on, all chimps were required to wear gloves and muzzles. Ultimately, of course, government killjoys stepped in and stopped the show...

Read the rest HERE.

Also, here's a long interview with the Mae Noell, the co-founder of Noell's Ark, at the always entertaining Shocked and Amazed website.

Pieces

For this installment of Movie of the Week I had to break tradition and go with the youtube method of cutting the film up into ten-minute segments. But hey, it's Pieces. If any film deserves an exception, it's this one.

Follow the onscreen links to see the rest of the film. If you prefer DVD, it just got released last year through Tarantino's Grindhouse distribution company, and is readily available through netflix or whatever.

It's Alive: Stink Ant

The Stink Ant might be thought of as the mascot for the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, California. The opening lines of Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder (essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Wunderkammern) describe the Stink Ant. A short film made about the museum is titled "Inhaling The Spore", and Museum founder David Wilson has confessed that he started the collection because he figuratively inhaled a spore of curiosity and wonder about the natural world.

Here's how it goes, according to the museum's webpage on the ant:

In the rain forest of the Cameroon in West Central Africa lives a floor dwelling ant known as Megaloponera foetens, or more commonly, the stink ant. This large ant - one of the very few to produce a cry audible to the human ear - lives by foraging for food among the fallen leaves and undergrowth of the extraordinarily rich rain forest floor.

On occasion one of these ants, while looking for food is infected by inhaling a microscopic spore from a fungus of the genus Tomentella. After being inhaled, the spore seats in the ant’s tiny brain and begins to grow, causing changes in the ant’s patterns of behavior. The Ant appears troubled and confused; for the first time in its life the ant leaves the forest floor and begins to climb.

Driven on by the growth of the fungus, the ant embarks on a long and exhaustive climb. Completely spent and having reached a prescribed height, the ant impales the plant with its mandibles. Thus affixed, the ant waits to die. Ants that have met their ends in this fashion are quite common in some sections of the forest.

The fungus continues to consume first the nerve cells and finally all the soft tissue that remains of the ant. After approximately two weeks a spike appears from what had been the head of the ant. This spike is about an inch and a half in length and has a bright orange tip heavy with spores which rain down onto the rain forest floor for other unsuspecting ants to inhale.

Searching for the fungus "Tomentella" online produces many results, but all of them seem to lead back to the Museum of Jurassic Technology's website. Likewise for both "Megaloponera foetens" and the more colloquial "Stink Ant". So when I looked up this information several years ago, I came to the conclusion that it was largely fabricated; Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder specifies that there is indeed a fungus which infects ants, causing death and the growth of a horn from the head. But the rest is hard to believe, especially that a fungus can control an animal's mind.

But it does. There is a parasitic fungi of the genus Cordyceps, and it alters the behavior of the host in order to reproduce more efficiently. The ants do contract the parasite through "inhaling" (via holes in the body called spiracles) and it grows in the body while avoiding the vital organs.

Finally, it attacks the brain. Chemicals are released which cause the ant's perception of pheremones, making it climb to the top of a plant, where he clamps his jaws down and stays there until he dies. After the fungus sprouts through the head, it explodes into many more airborne spores which spread to other members of the colony. The ants are hip enough to Cordyceps that when they notice one of their citizens is infected, they'll carry him far away and leave him to die.



There are thousands of species of fungi that act this way, and they infect at least nine different kinds of arthropods. In fact, they've been introduced as non-toxic pesticides in the last 100 years for food crops and disease control.

Yet another reason to love The Museum of Jurassic Technology; they throw a few red herrings to make you think it's all nonsense, only for you to later discover that much of it is based in fact.

(but until I see it for myself, I refuse to believe in the Piercing Devil Bat)

Empire of the Omnibots

Phase 1- Omnibots serve the humans to win their trust and multiply:



Phase 2- Omnibots kill all humans and take over the world:

Auction Pick: Hollywood Relics

20th Century Props, the world's largest prop house, is closing its doors forever. The reason is simple and sad; they're broke. Items used in films dating back to the silent era will go to the highest bidder. Almost 94,000 pieces will be auctioned in North Hollywood starting tomorrow, July 28 at 9:30 pacific time and will continue until August 1st. Bid in person or via internet. View details and peruse the whole catalog HERE.

The Haunted Mouth

part 2:

It's Alive: Sonar-Jamming Moth

from wiredscience.com:

Scientists have discovered a species of tiger moth that thwarts hungry bats by emitting extra-loud clicks to block the bats’ ability to echolocate.

Researchers have long known that some species of moths send out clicks in response to bat sonar, but until now, no one has been able to prove that the clicks actually interfere with echolocation.

A particularly noisy species of tiger moth, the Bertholdia trigona, was pitted against big brown bats trained to hunt in a flight room. As long as the moths were able to click, the bats couldn’t catch them, even though the moths were tethered on a string.



But when the scientists pierced a small hole in the moths’ sound-producing structures, called tymbals, the silenced moths quickly became lunch.



Not all clicking moths can jam sonar, and that’s part of what makes this discovery so exciting. Previous research revealed that two other varieties of tiger moth make clicks that are too quiet to interfere with bat echolocation. Instead, these moths likely use the clicks as a warning: Because most moths that click back at bats are poisonous, scientists think the noise may communicate, “Don’t eat me, I taste bad.”

But B. trigona isn’t poisonous, and researchers experimented with young bats that had no prior exposure to clicking moths, so they hadn’t already learned to equate clicking with a bad taste. Nor did it seem like the bats were just startled by the clicking moths. Even after multiple attempts on multiple nights, the bats still couldn’t catch the intact B. trigona.

The researchers haven’t yet proven how the moth’s sonar-jamming mechanism works, but they have two leading hypotheses: The moth’s clicks may act as false echoes, essentially making the bat “see” double, or they may interrupt the bat’s own echoes, making its prey appear closer than it is.

Unlike other moths, B. trigona appears to be particularly suited for jamming sonar because it can make up to 4,500 clicks per second. Near-constant noise is important because it prevents a bat from hearing the echoes of its own sonar clicks.

“If the timing is just right, if a click arrives in the two millisecond window shortly before the arrival of a real echo, it’s going to throw off the ranging software of the bat,” said echolocation expert Bill Conner, who led the project. “That’s why this animal, we think, evolved sounds that cover all of acoustic time. If you listen to the recordings, the moths produce clicks all of the time, and that greatly increases the probability that some clicks will fall into that precise time window.”

Elephants and Theremins

At Thailand's Elephant Conservation Center, 46 elephants hit the stage twice a day (and three times a day on weekends) to haul logs and paint for the tourists. But the real highlight of the show is the Thai Elephant Orchestra, comprised of roughly 14 elephants who play custom instruments. It's all improvisational, and they allegedly took to making music on their own without human encouragement.

Some of their music might be called "Free Jazz meets Gamelan":



and some is more avant garde, like "Trio for Theremin and Electric Keyboard":



A 36-minute documentary can be seen here. And buy one of their CD's. a portion of the money goes to helping the conservation center stay afloat.

Cryptid Corner: Ogopogo

On July 9 2009, a "snake-like creature" was spotted in Okanagan Lake, British Columbia. This may be the legendary Ogopogo, the terrifying beast with the whimsical name:

Sanderson, 41, who has lived in Kelowna since she was four, and Krug, an Edmonton welding teacher, were both at the Okanagan Centre boat dock at 10:30 a.m. Thursday because family members were taking a scuba diving course.

“There wasn‘t a single boat on the lake. It was completely calm, absolutely perfect, just the most pristine conditions for this viewing we had,” said Sanderson.
“I‘m not saying I saw Ogopogo. I‘m saying that I saw a big-ass snake-like creature in the lake. It scared the bejeezus out of me. It is creeping me out. It was so huge; I would have said over 30 feet. I‘m thinking, a good three feet out of the water. It formed two to three humps at the same time as it was swimming or slithering from the east to the west across the middle of the lake. For three minutes, we watched it and then it was gone. It was the most amazing thing we ever saw.”

A 22-year-old man fishing off the dock was so surprised he dropped his fishing rod.

“The welding teacher was pacing up and down the dock, screaming at everybody that would listen. He wanted everybody to experience it. I just watched. I had my cell phone on the beach, but I didn‘t even run for it to take a picture. I just wanted to watch,” said Sanderson.
The creature she saw was too large for any snake ever documented by scientists, she said.
(thanks to cryptomundo.com)

Ogopogo sightings date back to 1872. A list of them can be found here.

And now, a 1978 episode of the Leonard Nimoy sitcom, In Search Of:

When Five Isn't Enough...

Ballet Mécanique

The Droids perform their first (and last) single, "Do You Have The Force", on French television in 1978.

Science Is Hard

Found during an image search. I can't give credit, because I'm unable to locate the original author or source site. (click to enlarge)

Chimp to Chump

Encompassing a time frame of about three million years and changing at a rate of 500 generations every second, here's a neat-o animation of our evolution from proto-chimp Australopithecus to Homo Sapien. It's recommended you mute the sound on the youtube player and play the alternate soundtrack instead (more about the music here).

Man vs. Chimp, Round Two

More idiocy from the Fox Network's Man vs. Beast series. Like the obstacle course, motivation is the key factor regarding the outcome.

Bonus video! Chimp Rips the Halfpipe:

Whip It

The Inspiration for Devo's Whip It has been located and posted by boingboing.net.

The Stalacpipe Organ

from wikipedia:

The Great Stalacpipe Organ was designed in 1956 by Leland W. Sprinkle inside the Luray Caverns near Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, USA.

Sprinkle created the Organ over three years by finding and shaving appropriate stalactites to produce specific notes. He then wired a mallet for each stalacite that is activated by pressing the correct key on the instrument's keyboard. The stalactites are distributed through approximately 3.5 acres of the caverns but can be heard anywhere within its 64-acre confines.

Mutilator

I can't help but have deep affection for this. It's as if one of the comic strips I drew in the 7th grade has taken on a life of its own.

Viewer Mail

Another Futurechimp has been located by S.J. of Glassel Park, California:



send your chimp sightings to viewermail@stexeweb.com.

MonkeyBall

Cabaret Voltaire 1990-1994

More HERE.

The Gakken Theremin Premium

There aren't many choices of theremins out there, so this is an exciting discovery. They're inexpensive, and surprisingly hard to find; an ebay search yields just a handful of them available for $80-100 (plus about $20 shipping from Japan). Last week I saw one for $120 at a DJ shop in West Hollywood, though, so ask around.









I haven't played one, but judging by the videos, its quality is proportionate to its cheap price. there's also a wire connected between the theremin and a grounding bracelet on your left wrist, which is extremely un-theremin-like.

If you can spend $400, buy a Moog Etherwave. If you can build, the Paia Theremax kits are $230 and under (I paid just $116 for the electronics and built my own case and antennae). The Gakken is a toy in comparison to either.

But still, it's cheap, and looks like something you can hack easily. It's also battery-operated with a built-in speaker. Take it to social functions to make / lose friends.

ebay link here. Video tutorial here.


Also, an ebay link for the Gakken mini-theremin, about $20 plus shipping. Sounds abrasive as hell, but it's the perfect size for your cat:




And as long as I'm promoting Gakken, check out some of their other amazing toys: an edison phonograph that enables you to record onto ordinary plastic cups, a hand-cranked battery operated super 8 projector, and a pinhole camera that shoots 3D pictures.

Who's New at the Zoo?

This awesome, bizarre movie opens strong (chimps smoking), ends even stronger (chimps boxing), and has all sorts of surreal animal antics in between.

It runs 8:20, so I found a track on itunes which is about the same length; the formidable mind-melter Brainticket (part one), a fitting accompaniment to this unrelentingly weird, videodrome-like experience.






More Brainticket here and here.

The Most Important Person

This aired in Chicago in the 70's to fill up time between programs. I'm sure I experienced it repeatedly, as I'm still knowing every word of the "when you see something sitting there on your plate" song, even though I'm hearing it now for the first time in 30 years. What I don't remember is how bad it is, and indistinguishable from satiric shows like TV Funhouse and Wonder Showzen.

Also, try this one. My classmates and I mocked it constantly in grade school. But be warned: it's an emotional roller coaster.

If you grew up in or near Chicago, you must check out fuzzymemories.tv. They have 2000 (!) video clips of local programs and commercials.

Art-B-Que

My workplace, at about 1:00 this afternoon. 800 employees and 1,600 visitors were slo-o-owly shuttled down in buses after the tram stopped running (the parking garage is at the bottom of the hill, and walking to it was prohibited). As you might imagine, it was quite a scene.

link

Mt. Williamson in 3D

Yesterday we hiked to the top of Mt. Williamson, whose trailhead is only 40 miles from Glendale and an hour's drive from our front door in Silverlake. The hike is five miles round-trip, with an elevation gain of 1,600 feet. Click to enlarge. Glasses On:










and a 2D image snapped up near the top, facing west:



Click here for trail location.

Drugs Are for Kids

Shot in my music room on the 4th of July. They need a little more polishing, but they're already better than the Grateful Dead.

(no, I was not the only adult home at the time)

Monkey Doodle

Galaxy Invader

The Fine Art of Hypno-Rape

Clips from "How to Seduce Women through Hypnosis", an instructional VHS tape found at a thrift store, part of the Found Film Festival DVD collection.

RO-BAMA

Ro-Bama will open to the public on July 4th at the newly remodeled Hall of Presidents at Disneyland Orlando. Visit soon, before America's love affair with the man ends and we come to terms with his overwhelming mediocrity.

Bubbles

A story I read a couple days ago has turned out not to be true. From examiner.com,

The United Kingdom's tabloid "The Daily Mail" is now reporting that Bubbles' body was "plastinated" and displayed with controversial German doctor Gunther von Hagens’ “Body Worlds” exhibition at the O2 in London a number of years ago.

“Plastination” is the practice of preserving corpses with polyurethane. Van Hagens reportedly told the Daily Mail that, "…an agreement is in place to plastinate the King of Pop” and reunite him with his favorite pet.

Unfortunately, the story does not end there. It has been reported that “Bubbles” is not dead, but is currently residing at the Center for Great Apes. Furthermore, the supposed "agreement" with the Body Worlds exhibition may actually be a hoax.

Donate your chimp for plastination HERE.