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Ok, 1. What is this black magic?!?! 2. Who the heck is Prince Rupert?? 3. How do I not know this exists?? This video helps answer 2 of these 3 questions.

This freaky material is sometimes called Dutch Tears, and here's the wikipedia entry for further reading:  Prince Rupert's Drop 

I was just in LA for a secret weekend. It was hot as hell, so I just padded down the closest cafe. 

I wouldn't call myself a coffee snob - I don't complain when all that's available is watered down, utilitarian brownish liquid - but with the right cup'o joe, I'm a better human.

Enter BOBO'S COLD BREW.

Not to judge a book by its cover, but ...I liked the bottle. It said NOIR, so I added my choice dairy+sweetener. What happened next was nothing less than a BRAINGASM.

"What is this elixir? What the hell is a cold brew?? Why does it feel like I'm drinking some high grade dark chocolate?!"

I did a quick google for ingredients. Surely it had cacao, or SOMETHING.... nada.

I needed more info. So I reached out to Bobo himself. 

Turns out, "Bobo" is a Vietnamese-born San Diego resident.

Vietnam is the second largest exporter of coffee in the world, and one of his earliest memories is of his father taking him to a soccer club across the street from a coffee roasting facility.  

"I still remember being completely transfixed by the sound of the crackling beans and the sweet chocolaty smell."  

  Q: Why does my brain think it's drinking high grade dark chocolate?

A. That comes from our exclusive blend of beans, from central and South America, and roasting profile to achieve the chocolate note.

Q. Does that mean Cacao beans are involved?

A. I do not use cacao beans, just coffee beans and water.

Q.  Have you infiltrated the rest of the world yet?

A. I'm only in California but expanding soon.

Welcome to the world of FATAI. 

She's a former The Voice - Australia 2012 finalist, but none of that matters. I just sat and watched every single one of her youtube videos, and while all showcase an incredible voice, something has changed in the last few months. She's taken a big artistic step up, and when she picks up a guitar, she's an alien.  

Allow these two videos to start your fandom. 

ps: She's 18.

I've wanted to be friends with this d00d since I saw his documentary Kumaré two years ago. Anyone with the balls big enough to dupe the world into believing he's a Guru from the most far of regions of India is someone I want to hang out with.

Also, I'm going to see if he'll do a hangout with all of us, here at BRAINULES, because he's now a correspondent for HBO's Vice, and the stories he told me at dinner are... insane. (You should hear them from him.)

I wanted to wait a week to post this, hoping the passed time would help you click and listen with more ease.

This is a fantastic and deep interview. Maron himself reposted it, giving it a new, long, and thougtful intro (which you can hear here) that included an explanation of the conversation:

...It is delicate in it that he does discuss his battle with drugs and alcohol. He does talk about his depression. He talks about his heart attack. He talks about his career. And he talks about a lot of things. And he talks about it in a way that most people had never heard him talk about anything...

Here is the conversation, from the moment they start speaking, in William's home in San Francisco. 

I love me some Ira Glass. A few weeks ago, This American Life posted a great story by David Hill that centered around the board game Diplomacy. I've never played it, because... well, no one ever invited me over to play it! (It's fine, it's fine. My instruments kept me company, and I didn't know what I was missing!) Much like the games Risk,  Settlers of Catan, and Axis and Allies, you spend the game making/backstabbing alliances to rule the world.

I had a roommate who took Settlers of Catan so seriously, he's ruined this kind of game for me, forever. Well, the story teller, here, had a similar experience. .So when he decided to go to the World Championships, he enlisted an ACTUAL U.S. Ambassador (Dennis Ross) as his coach. 

Heads up! Every weekend I'm going to (try to) post a D0P3 movie for you to stream. 

Everyone knows Elizabeth Moss from MadMen, but if you haven't seen her performance in the chilling series Top of the Lake, you MUST watch it (AFTER you watch this movie).

Most people know Mark Duplass from The League, but if you don't yet know that he's also one hell of a filmmaker (along with his brother, Jay, and wife Katie Aselton - "Jenny" on The League),  then you've been living under a rock. That's ok! Brainules to the rescue!

Back to THE ONE I LOVE. Its director, Charlie McDowell is a buddy of mine, and invited me to a screening of it in LA. They did it on a shoestring budget, and there are parts that make me STILL wonder, "how the hell did they pull that off??" Without giving away the twist, I'll just say a couple go away to reconnect...

It's streamable as VOD, and you can watch it before it even hits theaters:

I can't tell you how many times this lil guys has saved me.

Since moving to NYC, I feel like my phone can't keep a charge to save m'life. Erg. Not only do I hate carrying cables around with me, I don't carry a purse. Double Erg. Then I got one of these ChargeKeys. I popped this guy is on my keychain, and all I do is find a USB input. Total life hack. 

World's smallest, most portable Lightning cable

Shaped like a key and fits onto your keychain

Allows for charging from any USB port (works just like your standard iPhone 5 cable)