Tom Waits’ is teaming up with New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band on the benefit LP Preservation inspired by Danny Barker’s 1947 Mardi Gras Indian street chant “Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing”. Waits and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s take on the tune is set to be released as a 78 record on November 19 by Preservation Hall Recordings, with the B-side having Waits’ and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s cover of Barker’s “Corrine Died on the Battlefield”.
And because it’s highly unlikely you have a 78 rpm player, Preservation Hall is coming out with a limited-edition (504 only) 78 player to go along with this release. All proceeds benefit the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz & Heritage Brass Band.
I’m not a big fan of Apple’s war 0n Flash, but I’ve gotta say — it’s time Adobe got their act together and fixed Shockwave, because I’m tired of it crashing, and taking my volume control, access to any kind of media, and Media Player with it.
Well…not really. I convinced the girlfriend to try gaming this weekend, and fired off a character and a solo one-shot adventure in Hollow Earth Expedition — a simple spy story set during the IV Winter Olympics in Germany.
The adventure was a straightforward spy story: she runs into her old friend Col. Stringer, who is here working for MI6’s Z Section (although she doesn’t know this, at first.) She goes to the ski chalet at the top of the Kreuzeck for lunch with the colonel, but he isn’t there — instead, he is skiing away, with a couple of goons in tow. She gets some skis and gives chase only to see him apparently ski off a cliff face to his death. Investigating, she finds out it’s the Gestapo that was chasing him, and through her cousin Sir George Paget — a British consul here for the Olympics — that he was working for His Majesty’s Government, and that he had vital intelligence on Nazi activities that the service was hoping to convince the recalcitrant British government of the dangers of Hitler and his cronies. She finds a key, either a locker or safety deposit key, that the SS missed when sweeping his room and goes through the process of checking it with locers on the Kreuzeck, finally finding out that it is for safe deposit boxes on the Zugspitzekopf — the tallest peak surrounding Garmisch, and where Hitler is having a big party for the Olympic winners and other guests. She has to wrangle an invitation to get to the Zugspitekopf (this was accomplished through the Mitford sisters, Diana and Unity, who were closely tied to Hitler and his friends) when she finds a small camera that Sir George insists she must get to him, or to the consulate in Innsbruch, 25 miles away in Austria.
The adventure was set up for ski chase action (the Kreuzeck sequence), for a possible attempt to search the colonel’s room before the Nazis (the player forwent that in favor of seducing and staying close to the lead investigator and stringing him along), and for discovery of her spy mission while on the Zugspitze (she does arouse suspicion, but not immediately). I had panned for a fight sequence on the long tram line to the Zugspitzekopf, and for a possible horse-drawn carriage or car chase int he snowy streets of Garmisch. The player almost got away without suspicion but a few bad rolls and she raises the suspicion of the Gestapo officer, who was taking her for a visit to the police station. She managed to avoid this by starting the car and driving away, with the officer on the running board and trying to get to her. She purposefully sideswiped a fountain in the town square, injuring the officer badly and making her escape into Austria before the police could catch her.
It was a 4 hour deal, start-to-finish, and played very well. With some tweaking, it could work well for any system or espionage setting.
LANGUAGES: English (native), French, German, Italian, Swahili
HISTORY: Lady Elizabeth is the only child of Lord Thomas Saint and Lady Helen Paget. She was born on the Kenyan family plantation 1 June, 1910. Her father was killed in action in East Africa during the Great War leading African volunteers against German troops on the border of German East Africa. Her mother provided a base of operations for British troops on Lake Victoria and the plantation was attacked by German gunboats and sailors in 1916, but swiftly rescued by elements of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps (led by Cpt. Michael Stringer.) They were evacuated to England shortly afterward.
After the war, Lady Helen and Betty settled in Paddington, West London, and Betty attended St. Mary’s School for Girls from 1918-1926. Her mother died shortly after she graduated from school and Betty inherited the family fortune. She had her interests hit hard in 1929, but still has enough income from her investments to live comfortably. She has traveled extensively, making a name for herself as an explorer and hunter. She is a woman of action, perpetually on the move and trying new things.
She also has a reputation as a fast woman — many of her friends being part of the “Happy Valley Set” of colonials living in Kenya, where many of her hunter expeditions were based out of.
Lady Elizabeth is 5’6″, 130 lbs, with dark hair and eyes. She has a flat in Hammersmith.
Here’s the 15 finalists for the James Dyson Awards — yes, the vacuum cleaner guy with the proper amount of suction…
Minotaur Fire Nozzle System (New Zealand): Instead of holding a fire hose, the Minotaur Dire Nozzle is strapped onto fire-fighters with a harness. This counteracts the opposing water pressure and makes it easier to control.
Water Donut & Ultra Pipe (Germany): A pipe that purifies contaminated water with UV light. During sunless periods, the Ultra Pipe can filter the water through a pressure driven membrane.
Flo2w (Ireland): A new way of delivering oxygen to a hospital patient. The device is fitted on the patient’s head using an adjustable headpiece. Flo2w is more efficient and comfortable than a big, intimidating one-size-fits-all mask.
Reanimations (Switzerland): A resuscitation vest that compresses a patient’s chest as regular intervals and pushes the blood into the brain more effectively and evenly than with a manual cardiac massage
Butterfly Micro Scooter (Switzerland): Butterfly is a compact mobile micro scooter that can be folded away so it fits into a bag. When closed, dirty wheels are enclosed inside a smooth outer shell.
Seakettle (US): A life raft that provides shelter and fresh drinking water for those stranded at sea.
Mantis (US): A portable dental chair, that collapses into a trolley so it can be used to transport heavy equipment.
The Copenhagen Wheel (US): A sleek red hub in the rear wheel contains a motor, batteries and an internal gear system. It stores pedal power to power a hybrid electric motor – and can be controlled from a smart phone docked on the handlebars. Cyclists can use data to plan bike routes and see traffic and pollution levels ahead.
Tablet seed (Japan): A capsule made from water-soluble manure that contains vegetable seeds. When the tablet seed is buried in the ground, surrounding soil dissolves the capsule and chemical changes occur in the soil to promote growth.
Move-it (UK): A simple kit of self-adhesive cardboard parts, which the user sticks on to a cardboard box, turning it into a lightweight, easy-to-use trolley.
Air Free Intravenous infusions (UK): A drip chamber which prevents air entrainments in intravenous drip lines, reducing the chance of fatal air embolisms. It gives visual warning when an infusion has stopped.
Long Reach (Australia): A hand held device which expels a compressed emergency buoyancy aid up to 150 metres out to sea. Longreach helps people remain buoyant during an emergency situation.
BIQUATTRO (Austria): A pedal-assisted electric bike that can be turned into a tricycle when you need to carry a heavy load.
Wanderest seat (New Zealand): A seat designed to be strapped to public spaces such as a lamp post. It is portable so can be easily carried by the elderly.
Pure (UK): UV sterilization water bottle: a water bottle that filters and sterilises the water from a lake or a stream in two minutes. An outer chamber of the bottle is filled with dirty water from a lake, stream or puddle. The inner chamber plunges through the outer chamber, filtering water particles as small as four microns. Once the water is clear of sediment, it is sterilised for 90 seconds using a wind-up ultra violet bulb.
The Black Campbell 