A Trove of Historic Jazz Recordings has Found a Home in Harlem, But You Can’t Hear Them

It turns out that one man — a jazz musician and technical genius — figured out a way. But during his lifetime, William Savory kept these recordings largely to himself. He refused to reveal how many recordings he had and what performances they contained. He let only a very few of his recordings be heard by a small number of acquaintances. Over time, the Savory collection became a tantalizing enigma to jazz connoisseurs who yearned for access to its treasures.

The mystery ended last summer. Six years after Savory passed away, his collection was acquired by the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. And jazz experts were stunned. The extent and quality of the Savory collection was beyond anything they had imagined.

I figured there was maybe 50 to 100 unreleased recordings, says Loren Schoenberg, the museum’s executive director. I expected to see one box. Instead, I saw dozens of boxes. The Savory collection comprised about a thousand discs of the greatest performers of all time. And all of this was unknown music. It was immediately clear this was a treasure trove — via redwolf.newsvine.com

YouTube to launch movie rental service in May

YouTube is launching a movie rental service in a partnership with Hollywood film giants including Sony and Warner Bros, to rival Netflix and Apple’s iTunes.

The video website will expand into streaming big-name, full-length blockbusters in May, according to reports. With the premium movie-on-demand service, film lovers will be able to stream new releases for as little as $2 (£1.20), though prices will differ for each movie.

Three of the six major film studios – Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros and Universal – have reportedly agreed licensing terms with the Google-owned video giant. Paramount, Fox and Disney have not yet committed to the plan, it is understood. The service is expected to be limited to the US for the foreseeable future — via carloz.newsvine.com

Does America need a full-size, fully functioning AT-AT? Do we even need to ask?

Patriotic geeks who hoped to build a fully functional imperial walker out of the Star Wars universe have run up against Lucasfilm’s intellectual property rights. But at least the indefinite delay gives them time to consider the massive engineering challenges of re-creating a 50-foot-tall robotic vehicle — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Sheep Impact

A competition organised by Carlton Dry where the winner’s short story is made into a mini-film starring Steven Seagal has led to the production of Sheep Impact, in which the martial arts legend and friend attempt to kill a sheep, evade a policeman and pursue an attractive young woman — via Mumbrella

US to fund $20m remake of Sesame Street for Pakistan

The United States is funding a Pakistani remake of the popular TV children’s show Sesame Street.

In a new effort to win hearts and minds in Pakistan, USAID – the development arm of the US government – is donating $20m (£12m) to the country to create a local Urdu version of the show.

The project aims to boost education in Pakistan, where many children have no access to regular schooling.

The show is to be filmed in Lahore and aired later in the year — via richardfarner.newsvine.com

How not to handle bad reviews

Writers, said the science fiction author Isaac Asimov, fall into two groups: Those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review.

Jacqueline Howett falls into the former category. Her now-infamous online outburst against a two-star review of her self-published novel The Greek Seaman on Big Al’s Books and Pals, a website devoted to reviewing the output of the independent presses, is less bleeding visibly, more an out-and-out gorefest — via redwolf.newsvine.com

Peeping Cthulhu Suction Cup Plush

Cthulhu is watching you! Best to keep the blinds closed and any secrets covered, for the Old One is at the window. Don’t turn your back to this Peeping Cthulhu, a cute and colorful plush that proves that even the Great Cthulhu himself has a voyeuristic side. Whether looking inside your house, through your shower door, outside your bedroom, or just staring down drivers in the cars behind you with his evil gaze, this 7? tall suction-cup plush will produce many smiles. So, suck it up and get yourself one of these Cthulhu plush toys! — via GeekAlerts

Rock Paper Scissors / Eric Karjala

I understand that Scissors can beat Paper, and I get how Rock can beat Scissors, but there’s no fucking way Paper can beat Rock. Paper is supposed to magically wrap around Rock leaving it immobile? Why the hell can’t paper do this to scissors? Screw scissors, why can’t paper do this to people? Why aren’t sheets of college-ruled notebook paper constantly suffocating students as they attempt to take notes in class? I’ll tell you why, because paper can’t beat anybody, a rock would tear that paper up in 2 seconds. When I play rock/ paper/ scissors I always choose rock. Then when somebody claims to have beaten me with their paper I can punch them in the face with my already clenched fist and say Oh shit, I’m sorry, I thought paper would protect you — via Fail Blog

Hitchhiker’s Guide Tattoos

Love these (sadly unattributed) Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy tattoos. Illustrating the flowerpot/whale scene is particularly poignant, as it is perhaps the most humorously existential moment in one of the great existential comedies of all time — via Boing Boing

Eric Clapton auctions dozens of guitars for charity

British rock legend Eric Clapton parted with 70 of his guitars in a charity auction that drew hundreds of fans and aficionados, and broke sale estimates.

Clapton’s 1948 Gibson hollow body guitar on Wednesday brought in $83,000, making it the most expensive item in the auction. Its estimated value stood at $30,000.

Most items sold for much higher than estimated by Bonhams auction house — via redwolf.newsvine.com

1970s Starsky and Hutch-style Ford Gran Torino

Here’s something that’s guaranteed to make men (and women) of a certain age feel nostalgic for their youth, a 1974 Ford Gran Torino car, which is available to buy via eBay.

Of course, it’s the car made famous by Starsky and Hutch, with this particular model coming complete with the paint job from the TV show, not to mention a flashing red light. It’s a childhood dream come true — via Retro To Go

Game Not Over

“Sexier than Ms Pacman. Tougher than Donkey Kong”. That’s how Arcade Tables summarize the look and feel of their retro arcade games. Cocktail-style tables that offer up to sixty different games, LCD screens, high-quality joysticks and sound systems. Designed in Australia, they interprate the old classic clean lines with a cool twist, quality workmanship and rugged construction. Models available in Classic, Custom Classic and modern Stealth styles — via RJ TimeouT