This video shows a kabura-ya (鏑矢), a turnip-headed whistling arrow, fired by a master kyudo archer at the Albert Park Sports Stadium in Melbourne on 13 February, 2010. Contrary to my jokey headline, they were used mostly in formal exchanges, as signals, or to carry messages, not as terror weapons like the Aztec Death Whistle.
Japanese whistling arrow not what ashigaru wanted to hear today
Casa Susanna was a secret resort for gender non-conformists in the 1960s
In one of those triumphant stories that reaffirms every junk hound's eternal quest for treasures, antiques dealer Robert Swope and his partner Michel Hurst stumbled across a collection of photos at a flea market that revealed an underground community in the Catskills that may have otherwise remained a secret forever. The early '60s photographs featured… READ THE REST
Animation explains Martin Luther and the Reformation in under 5 minutes
I love these KIS KIS (Keep It Short) animated videos and other short-form content. This one looks at Martin Luther and the Christian Reformation. Bonus track: Image: Screengrab READ THE REST
A new digital archive contains 374 US-Native American treaties, available for the first time ever
From Smithsonian Magazine: Thanks to a newly completed digitization effort by the U.S. National Archives and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) in Santa Fe, researchers and the public now have unprecedented access to hundreds of these critical agreements. The online collection features 374 ratified Indian treaties from the archives' holdings. According to ablog post, these documents are housed… READ THE REST
Tired of marketers stealing your data? Winston can protect your home's internet traffic
How do you protect yourself from everybody online trying to get all up in your business? And we aren't just talking about cybercriminals and other malevolent black hats rummaging around the internet either. We also mean all those "legitimate" businesses that use trackers, cookies, and other online tricks to harvest as much usable information from… READ THE REST
These modular wall tiles turn any wall into a technicolor light show for $50
Everybody strives for truly unique home decor. That would seem to make a lot of sense, because who wants the same stuff that everybody else has? Of course, unique often translates to handmade, so unless you've got a knack for carpentry or know a great art dealer, unique can be both tough and costly to… READ THE REST
This farm-to-table subscription box provides healthier and fresher meat
If you aren't horrified by the state of America's food supply chain, then it's because you haven't been paying attention. Prices on food items keep rising, yet the farmers who make that food are taking home less and less. Part of that broken system is because farmers don't sell directly to you, the customer. Instead,… READ THE REST