Nice Weather – Second Hand
Nice Weather, the ambient project of Philadelphia musician Justin Pittney, has released a new track titled “Second Hand.” The piece, recorded live to analog tape in January, expands on the baritone‑guitar‑centric soundscape introduced in the earlier “Room Tone.” At roughly double the length, it deepens the brooding, spacious atmosphere while emphasizing negative space as a compositional element. The track is now available exclusively through Nice Weather’s Bandcamp page.
Are You Throwing Away Your Fireplace Ash? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t
Fireplace ash, though seemingly inert, can retain hot embers for up to 72 hours, posing fire and health hazards if stored improperly. Expert Lo Choe advises using a metal container with a tight‑fitting lid, keeping it on a non‑combustible surface,...
Print Publishers Demand Optimal Length; Ebooks Allow Flexibility
Book length is a lot more important for traditional publishers because too long & it might be too expensive to print, but distributors/stores also don't like super skinny books that much. But someone whose main market is ebooks, as is...
Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith – "This World Is Full of Everything Good, Everything Beautiful."
Joy Harjo and Tracy K. Smith, former U.S. Poet Laureates, held a vibrant conversation at Symphony Space in New York celebrating their new books, *Girl Warrior* and *Fear Less*. The dialogue framed poetry as a technology for navigating grief, mystery,...
From Fallen Branches to Functional Fencing: Make a DIY Dead Hedge
A dead hedge is a DIY natural fence built by stacking and weaving branches between two parallel rows of stakes. Homeowners can turn fallen branches into a low‑cost barrier that provides privacy, wind protection, and erosion control. Horticulturist Deryn Davidson...
Scary Mommy 2026 Readers' Choice Best Book Subscription Box
Scary Mommy’s February 2026 feature unveils its Readers' Choice finalists for the Best Book Subscription Box. The shortlist spotlights 15 services—including Aardvark Book Club, Banned Books Box, The Strand’s Book HookUp, and Book of the Month—spanning genre‑specific, niche, and first‑edition...
Get Rich or Die Trying: John Patton Ford Shows Us How to Make a Killing While Balling on a Budget
John Patton Ford’s new film How to Make a Killing, released by A24, reworks his 2014 Black List script “Rothchild” into a modern American take on Kind Hearts and Coronets. The story follows anti‑hero Becket Redfellow, who murders seven heirs to...
Ancient Crunch Makes Health, Taste And Beauty The New Snack Standard As It Expands Its Tallow-Fried Masa Chips In Retail
Ancient Crunch, a snack brand focused on pre‑industrial processing, is scaling its tallow‑fried masa tortilla chips from online‑only to roughly 2,000 retail doors, including Sprouts and an upcoming rollout at Whole Foods. The company’s chips use nixtamalized organic corn and...
Why Grey Washable Rugs Are A Smart Choice for Modern Homes
Grey washable rugs are gaining popularity in modern homes for their blend of style and practicality. Made from durable fibers like polypropylene, they resist stains, water, and high foot traffic while being easy to clean with soap, water, or machine...
Top Truck and Trailer Accessories
The article spotlights essential truck and trailer accessories for boat owners, from a Curt Rebellion XD cushion hitch that dampens sway to a battery‑powered RinseKit that blasts away salt and grit. It also recommends Proven Industries coupler locks to deter...
Review: Scream 7
*Scream 7* returns with original creator Kevin Williamson at the helm, yet critics say it lacks the sharp wit of earlier installments. The film leans on new cast members and forced references to past characters, but delivers weak kills and overused...
The Film Comment Podcast: Akinola Davies Jr. On My Father’s Shadow
Filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. discusses his debut feature My Father’s Shadow on the Film Comment Podcast. The film, set in Lagos in 1993, follows two boys spending a day with their often‑absent father amid looming political unrest. Davies, who recently...
5 Ways to Prepare Your Teen for an Unpredictable Future
Parents face a rapidly evolving technological landscape that makes future planning for teens challenging. The article outlines five strategies: fostering curiosity, prioritizing people skills, cultivating wisdom, instilling purpose, and emphasizing a strong work ethic. Each approach aims to equip adolescents...
Best New Music: Mavo and SSSoundgawd’s “Aura Salad” Is Peak Dancefloor Filler
Mavo and South‑African producer SSSoundgawd drop “Aura Salad” as part of the two‑track ‘Breaking’ EP, delivering a high‑energy blend of Afropop, Amapiano and lamba rhythms. The track is praised as a peak dancefloor filler, showcasing both artists’ knack for crafting...
Understanding Schlieren
The article explains schlieren imaging, an optical technique that makes density variations in fluids visible. It focuses on a spherical‑mirror configuration that can render invisible gases, candle plumes, and shock waves detectable on camera. Sample images show carbon‑dioxide vortex rings...
Researchers Aim to Visualize Brain Activity at True Speed
Johns Hopkins researchers, led by Adam Charles, secured a four‑year, $2.7 million NIH grant to build an AI‑enhanced optical imaging system that can record brain activity 20 to 50 times faster than current methods. The platform will translate voltage spikes and...
10 Do’s and Don’ts When You’re Helping a Heartbroken Daughter
A recent article outlines ten practical dos and don’ts for fathers supporting a heart‑broken daughter. It emphasizes removing the teen from painful environments, validating her emotions, and maintaining a calm, non‑judgmental presence. The piece also warns against blaming others, using...
Mortality in Color: Anna Tuori’s First Berlin Solo Exhibition
Finnish artist Anna Tuori opens her first Berlin solo exhibition, "Paradise News," at Contemporary Fine Arts, showcasing twelve newly commissioned 2025 paintings. The works employ sand‑laced pigments on unprimed canvas, blending expressionistic still lifes with abstracted figurative scenes in a...
It Holds Up: Life Without Buildings – ‘Any Other City’
Life Without Buildings marked the 25th anniversary of their sole album *Any Other City* with sold‑out reunion shows in Glasgow and London. The band’s cult classic gained fresh exposure after a 2020 TikTok trend featuring the track “The Leanover,” now...
Resilience Revisited
Jodi Weiss reflects on resilience through personal loss, a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia, and a decade of ultrarunning. She explains how heart‑rhythm disruptions mirrored emotional turbulence and how ritualized running, yoga, and stillness helped rebuild her sense...
Meet the Author: Oliver Johnson
Oliver Johnson, a former Waterstones bookseller and Hodder & Stoughton commissioning editor, has debuted as a crime novelist with the thriller *Caller Unknown*. The novel follows amnesiac protagonist Ed Constance, whose childhood hostage trauma is re‑triggered by a mysterious phone...
Nobody Wanted This Olympic Hero—Yet He Never Stopped Showing Up
Connor Hellebuyck, once an undrafted high‑school goalie, delivered a near‑perfect 40‑save performance in the 2026 Olympic gold‑medal game, keeping Team USA competitive against a dominant Canadian attack. His rise began with a 12‑hour drive to a Texas minor‑league tryout, followed...
What to Cook when You Don’t Feel Like Chopping an Onion
The article explores the growing "lazy cooking" trend, highlighting how home cooks can skip onions without sacrificing flavor. Chef Stephen Chavez outlines five onion‑free dishes—scrambled eggs, cacio e pepe, pesto pasta, chicken piccata, and breaded chicken cutlet—and recommends flavor‑boosting substitutes...
Saving The Life We Cannot See
Scientists across the globe are sounding the alarm that microbes—tiny organisms driving half of Earth’s oxygen production and key carbon cycles—are under unprecedented threat. Long‑term monitoring programs such as the Bedford Basin Time Series reveal rapid shifts in microbial communities,...
Costco’s Rotisserie Chicken Is Caught in a Legal Broiler
Costco’s Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken, long‑priced at $4.99, is now the subject of two class‑action lawsuits. The first, filed in California, alleges the chicken contains sodium phosphate and carrageenan despite marketing it as preservative‑free. The second, filed in Washington, claims...
Animal POVs Add Quirky Depth to Adult Fiction
Be forewarned, if you write fiction involving animal characters, especially for adult readers, people will likely refer to your story as “quirky.” Book coach Erin Radniecki advises on when animal POVs can benefit your story: https://janefriedman.com/embrace-quirky-5-benefits-of-using-animal-point-of-view-characters/
Literary Agents' Hidden Work Revealed—Read Newsletter
Ever wonder what literary agents are doing behind the scenes? Check out my new newsletter post in the comments
Landmark Vote Positions Helsinki as a Plant-Based Policy Frontrunner
Helsinki City Council approved a landmark initiative to cut the city’s meat and dairy procurement by 50 % by 2030, replacing them with plant‑based meals in schools, daycares, hospitals and other municipal venues. The motion passed 57‑23 with broad cross‑party support...
Mass Mastery: H.I.T. Conditioning for Combat Athletes
Understanding MASS and how it relates to the Combat Athlete. GET H.I.T. Strength & Conditioning
Space Dust: The Unsung Hero of Astrophysics
Want to learn more about space dust? Check out this post about why dust matters for astrophysicists https://open.substack.com/pub/observinghope/p/the-universe-could-use-a-swiffer?r=dx2wl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Study Reveals Genetic Balancing Act Between Autoimmunity and Cancer Risk
Researchers at the Broad Institute and University of Helsinki analyzed over 81,000 individuals with autoimmune hypothyroidism (AIHT) and identified more than 400 genetic markers, including nearly 50 protein‑coding variants. The study distinguished genetic signals specific to thyroid autoimmunity from those...
Season 5 Ep. 8: The Chess Game, Sofonisba Anguissola
In this episode the hosts Phil Grabsky and Laura Bentham sit down with author‑filmmaker Howard Burton to explore Sofonisba Anguissola’s 1555 painting “The Chess Game.” Burton outlines Anguissola’s remarkable life – a noble‑born woman who, despite lacking a painting family, received...
Candida Biology, Pathogenesis, and Genetic Susceptibility
Candida species normally coexist harmlessly on mucosal surfaces, but immune disruption can trigger a shift to opportunistic infection ranging from mild thrush to invasive candidemia with mortality over 30%. Genetic variants in innate and adaptive pathways—such as CARD9, Dectin‑1, and...
The Biggest Band You’ve Never Heard Of
Stray Kids, the South Korean boy band, posted the second‑highest‑selling album worldwide in 2025, trailing only Taylor Swift. The group’s success reflects K‑Pop’s expanding global footprint and the power of fan‑driven streaming. Their Hyde Park headline show underscored a growing appetite for...
Rolex's Wildest Tale: The Ejection Seat History
🎥 NEW VIDEO: The Most Insane Rolex Story - History of the Ejection Seat. LINK IN PROFILE
Skeptical Science New Research for Week #9 2026
The latest Skeptical Science weekly roundup highlights mounting climate risks across multiple sectors. A new study finds 67% of U.S. national parks are vulnerable to transformative impacts such as fire, drought, and sea‑level rise, while research on extreme fire weather...
The “Freest Writer” In Stalin’s Russia
The new scholarly work uncovers how Laurence Sterne’s 18th‑century novels resurfaced in Soviet Russia despite Stalinist censorship, becoming a covert touchstone for intellectuals seeking artistic freedom. By examining letters, diaries, translation drafts, and editorial correspondence, the authors trace Sterne’s reception...
Every Critique Holds a Grain of Truth, Embrace It
I just found this vid by @gillieandmarcart It does touch on a big issue: How does an artist respond to critical reviews? I always say, “You could be right …” For me whenever I get a negative review: 1. There is...
The 8 Best Luxury Sleep Retreats to Book In 2026
The luxury travel sector is capitalising on a booming $0.5 trillion sleep economy by launching specialised sleep retreats that blend clinical diagnostics with high‑tech amenities. Properties such as Murrieta Hot Springs, Lefay Resort, and Carillon Miami embed biometric tracking, AI‑powered beds,...
Fear as a Pathway to Loving Presence - Night Travelers
Tara Brach argues that fear, when met with mindfulness, becomes a gateway to a loving, present awareness. She explains that suffering stems from identities built on fear, and that attentive, compassionate observation can transform that energy into tender presence. The...
Swap Screen Time for Reading: Same Minutes, Bigger Gains
Want to read more books? Here's a fun challenge for you. I'm calling it "Screen Time to Read Time": 1) Open your screen time app to see your daily average screen time 2) Read a book for that same length of time If you...
Just in Case Tells Fascinating True Story of Svalbard Seed Vault
The new picture book *Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault* by Megan Clendenan and illustrator Brittany Cicchese celebrates the vault’s 18th anniversary. It explains how the Arctic facility stores nearly one million seed samples as a safety...
Your Lovely Writing’s On The Wall
A Thousand Mad Things’ William Barradale released the single “Promises,” a synth‑pop track steeped in Depeche Mode and The Cure influences. The song pairs a frosty electronic arrangement with wry, breakup‑centric lyrics delivered in a classic new‑wave vocal style. While not groundbreaking,...
Beyond Meat Expands New Line of Protein Drinks with Four Additional Flavors
Beyond Meat announced four new flavors for its Beyond Immerse sparkling protein drink—Cherry Berry, Strawberry Lemonade, Piña Colada, and Cucumber Grapefruit. The beverages, available in 10‑gram and 20‑gram protein versions, also deliver 7 grams of fiber, antioxidants and electrolytes. Launches are limited‑time and...
Eye Candy for Today: Sargent Watercolor From Villa Di Marlia
John Singer Sargent’s watercolor "Villa di Marlia, Lucca – A Fountain" (16 × 21 in.) resides in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and was featured in a recent Brooklyn Museum exhibition. The work demonstrates Sargent’s practice of mixing Chinese White (zinc white)...
A Handbook to Spirit-Hunting
The newly surfaced "Handbook to Spirit‑Hunting" compiles Yoruba mythological entities into a practical field guide for aspiring spirit hunters. It categorises spirits as dark, nature, or transcendental, offering detailed descriptions, behavioral cues, and specific tactics for capture or avoidance. The...
Author Spotlight: Susan Palwick
Susan Palwick discusses her speculative story where AI legal personhood emerges after a human population collapse, drawing on pandemic‑era tech dependence and AI‑generated art. She explains the alien surgical enhancements, like a tentacle, as AI’s literal misreading of human comfort....
![[PREMIERE] Succulents – Underdog](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://fortherabbits.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/laurie-band-high-res-1.jpg)
[PREMIERE] Succulents – Underdog
Manchester‑based lo‑fi indie duo Succulents, featuring Laurie Hulme and photographer Lucy Ridges, have released their debut single “Underdog.” The track was recorded in a South Manchester bedroom, mixed by Laurie’s brother Alex, and reflects a period of creative retreat while...
Anna Quindlen on MORE THAN ENOUGH
Anna Quindlen discusses her new novel *More Than Enough* on the *Poured Over* podcast, describing it as a tender exploration of self‑discovery later in life. The conversation, hosted by Brenda Allison, weaves in topics such as friendship, motherhood, chosen family,...
Weekly Review: Wild Izakaya
Wild Izakaya opened in the City of London, converting a former Brown’s office into a sleek Tokyo‑inspired bar. Backed by the team behind Pinna, Beast, and Goodman, it offers authentic izakaya dishes led by Chef Satoru Hashimoto. The venue boasts...