“Experience added to Experience has produced The 1932 Kelvinators...with the World’s Fastest Freezing”

- from the Montreal Star. April 1, 1932. Page 14.

Blatz Brewing Co, 1952

John Hanson Walker (1844-1930), detail

via herta_d on pinterest

How did the ancients keep food fresh before refrigerators were invented? In the deserts of Persia, they built Yakhchal, covered ice pits that preserved food and drink.

Basically everything we see in RW is a direct descendant of heavily modified organisms, with a bit of a split between fully organic genetic modifiers to the introduction of foreign parts. This is undeniable. However I'm begging people to understand that nature routinely produces weird shit on its own and that's so much cooler than just 'anything slightly weird must be the result of modification and meddling in the process'

Please have some whimsy!!! bioluminescence!! Tool use!! Communication via static electricity! Electrical shocks as an attack method!! Beetles that spray caustic acid that can burn skin! Lizards that fire slime out of their tails!! These are all real things that are on this earth just because nature gets weird with it!

USS Texas (BB-35): Butcher Shop

The butcher shop onboard USS Texas (BB-35) was located on the main deck.

The meat was stored in the refrigeration room on the 3rd deck and could hold 30 tons.

"As built, the ship had a significant ice making capability. They used large, low pressure CO2 compressors to make ice. The ice was used in a heat exchanger in which salt water was circulated through pipes. It was then piped to cool powder magazines and reefers (refrigerated compartments). The preferred refrigerant of the day was ammonia, but that was far too dangerous to use on a ship. A small leak could quickly and painfully kill crew. With CO2, it's not toxic, but you will gasp for air and hopefully have time to get away from it before smothering."

Informatiom from Tom Scott.

source, source

LIFE Magazine Archives: link

Midshipmen took a full part in the watch system of the ship. According to Basil Hall, ‘These young gentlemen are divided into three watches, and the individuals of each part are stationed on different parts of the deck. The mate of the watch, who is the principal person amongst them, with two or three youngsters, walks on the quarterdeck ... Another midshipman, generally the second in seniority, has the honour of being posted on the forecastle; while a third, stationed abaft, walks on the poop.’ As a seaman, Robert Wilson saw midshipmen differently. ‘Their duty in watches is to call the officer of the next watch, to heave the log and mark the log board, and many other things as required.’ During tacking ship, ‘The midshipmen stand on each other’s toes on the quarterdeck, except one or two who are on the forecastle.’ Another was in charge of signals. However, at other times a midshipman’s life was more exciting. He often had command of one of the ship’s boats, and might even be allowed to take command of a prize, and navigate into port.

— Brian Lavery, Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men and Organisation, 1793 - 1815

'Lieutenant Blockhead keeping the Morning Watch', drawn by Captain Frederick Marryat, 1820. Two midshipmen with white collar patches and round hats stand at top left.

just found out my apartment complex’s office has been lying to us about our air conditioning working 😟

A recent playthrough of Dragon Age Inquisition gave me a line of dialog that sparked a bizarre question.

Sera was speaking in her usual childlike demeanor + British accent combo, and was saying something about superstitious reactionary excuses people use to justify violence. In the line there is a supporting part of dialog for the "children that they DON'T EVEN HAVE go missing!" banger of an ending, in which Sera mentions the example of blaming milk spoiling as an example.

I know ice magic exists in the setting and maybe I'm forgetting about a deep freezer existing in some butcher shop somewhere in the massive expanse in the Dragon age series-but refrigerators wouldn't exist for the historical context its based on. I got an image in my head of a peasant woman getting accused of witchcraft because she made the villagers milk go bad, and was struck with the curiosity to whether this particular thing actually occurred in our history? Milk going bad when your a medieval peasant (or something historically accurate that I'm ignorant of rn) with no concept of refrigeration is going to happen a lot...

But there i am again assuming things, there very well might be some form of rudimentary method to preserving milk from animals akin to refrigeration, but still milk going bad seems so mundane yet outlandish for a reason to witch hunt someone.

[mgs stepbro au] Reference sheet for members of the Snake-Emmerich household, with a bonus Raiden. Process gifs for every character except John and Huey.

I really want a 1950s fridge. Wanna know why? ROTATING SHELVES. Think about it! The stuff in the back of the fridge doesn't have to go bad and you don't have to take everything out of the fridge just to get to it! Fuck smart fridges, idc about having a tablet built into my fridge, I want THIS

"Yakhchal" is refrigerator in Iranian to this day.

tumblr poll.

which book should I take on holiday with me

history of the world in 10 ½ chapters - Julian Barnes. Assigned uni reading and the first book we're doing when I start. idk anything about it. should I get ahead of my readings. Will it feel like im doing homework on holiday

The refrigerator monologues - Catherine m. Valente. I have some idea of what it's about. not assigned reading BUT I am doing a graphic novels and comics course this semester and it could be helpful for that. pleasure reading.

i think that awakening is a dumb fire emblem game for many reasons, although i still enjoy it quite a lot; it's just really good at slamming your suspension of disbelief into a brick wall

dei ex machinae that have no buildup, characters whose personalities only exist to be jokes (even in main story scenes), but the most jarring thing imo is the wacky modern thing references (not just modern ideas, but modern Things)

one of which you get to experience as soon as chapter 3:

"looks like teach just got tenure!"

people getting mad about the “wasted potential” of characters who were literally created to die in a backstory and barely were even seen enough to have personalities 

. death tw below