In the 1980s, Michael Jackson put his 2,700-acre California ranch under an agricultural preservation programme; years later, officials found an amusement park, a zoo and other unapproved developments

In the 1980s, Michael Jackson put his 2,700-acre California ranch under an agricultural preservation programme; years later, officials found an amusement park, a zoo and other unapproved developments

Michael Jackson‘s sprawling Neverland Ranch in California benefited for years from a state agricultural land-preservation programme that reduced its property-tax burden, but the arrangement came under scrutiny after county officials discovered extensive development on parts of the estate. The roughly 2,700-acre ranch in Santa Barbara County included Jackson’s home, an amusement park, zoo and other … Read more

In 1927, John D Rockefeller Jr secretly used a shell company to buy over 35,000 Wyoming acres for $1.4 million; NPS says acquiring the same amount of Jackson Hole land today would cost over $1 billion

In 1927, John D Rockefeller Jr secretly used a shell company to buy over 35,000 Wyoming acres for $1.4 million; NPS says acquiring the same amount of Jackson Hole land today would cost over $1 billion

Rockefeller toured Jackson Hole in 1926. (Alamy stock photo) In the 1920s, Jackson Hole in Wyoming was changing quickly. Tourism was growing, development was spreading and wealthy visitors were arriving in the valley for an authentic cowboy experience. At the same time, local ranchers and businessmen were becoming concerned about the growing number of cabins, … Read more

Music by Tesseract: Sounds of Truth

Music by Tesseract: Sounds of Truth

There’s a moment near the end of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut when a waltz plays out over a scene of unsettling beauty. The piece, Shostakovich’s Waltz No. 2, was composed for a Soviet film in the mid-1950s, was completely mistakenly attributed to another suite, and is now one of the most recognized orchestral works … Read more