You're just a skeleton.

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending MANCHESTER PUNK FESTIVAL for the second year running. A collaboration of hard work by TNSrecords, Moving North and Anarchistic Undertones, I sit here now struggling to process the fact that the last three days were only the second time they’ve done this. Over 700 tickets sold out in advance and I think as unsurprising as that was to us attendees, it was still amazing to see that “SOLD OUT” post go up on facebook. But it was bound to happen. The line up promised the best of what the DIY Punk scene has to offer, with bands including the mighty Wonk Unit, the ever riveting Black Volvo and the culmination of the best kind of headache only Chewed Up and Casual Nausea can bring.

From arrival the atmosphere was palpable with excitement; the upstairs of Retro Bar vibrated with the impatience of punks and those alike from up and down the country ready to fill their insides with booze and their ears with that refined noise only punk and it’s sub genres bring. It was a Thursday night kicking off 3 days and you knew it was going to be something special when it almost hit capacity. Skip forward to 20.30 the next night and Roughneck Riot broke their capacity limit in Sound Control before they’d even set up (but that’s hardly news, of course they would, have you heard those northern buggers play?)

If you wanted to drink outside, it was pretty tough going, the line up was so impeccable there wasn’t a band you’d want to skip. I definitely struggled there, there’s not much that I’ll pass cheap beer up for, but a mad dash from Down and Outs, to Roughneck Riot, to Wonk Unit is definitely something I’d rather do.

I can’t stress enough how (mostly) flawless this weekend was. As I said, it was only their second run and if there were any hiccups, they were handled so well us drunks gig goers didn’t have a clue. My fb timeline today has been flooded, by which I mean at least every 6 posts in a row, with appreciation and gratitude for what TNS, AU and Moving North have managed to accomplish. The dedication, the utter passion, the relentless drive that’s given so many of us the treat that was this weekend means I’m already excited and eager to buy my ticket for next year. This is something pretty special to be a part of, and to be there from the beginning and see it evolving from individual all dayers, to a 2 day, to a 3 days, leaves me with baited breath for the future of MPF.

For more info on attendance/playing/what the future has in store, check out

The Life in the Machine

by reddit user unpatriotic

This story was a top rated story. It’s one of those that make you hit an existential crisis. 

Being a programmer, one of my dreams has always been to create an original video game, something that nobody in the industry has done before.

After seeing Spore, I became intrigued. Here was an attempt at putting people in control over a universe. After looking at what made videogames popular, I realized the main aspect was control.

The Mammoth Hot Springs of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico is Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a series of more than 119 caves that were formed from sulfuric acid that dissolved its surrounding limestone to create a fascinating underground world.

The Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve in Dripping Springs, Texas, features a jade green pool fed by waterfall flows. 

The Fly Geyser is a rainbow-colored geological wonder on the edge of Black Rock Desert Nevada that was created through accidental well drilling. The geyser is known for its stunning changing colors.

Deep inside a mountain in east Tennessee is the Lost Sea, America’s largest underground lake. Stretching more than four acres in size, the lake is part of a cave system called Craighead Caverns.