February 27, 2011
Have yourself some shivers.
"Not a sun rise, but a galaxy rise. A morning filled with 400 billion suns. The rising of the Milky Way." Beautiful time-lapse of the Milky Way over Lake Tahoe.
Willie Lives
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider, also known as "The Silver Fox," has passed away at the age of 84. Snider played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers for the bulk of his career, in which he hit 40 or more home runs in 5 consecutive seasons and hit the last home run in Ebbets Field. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, Snider was the least-known of the famed trio of New York center fielders from the 1950s, but enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after his induction and the release of "Willie, Mickey, & the Duke" in 1981. Mickey Mantle died in 1995, but Willie Mays is still going strong.
Pussy Galore.
In a world much like our own, mouse society is imperiled by a wave of organized cat crime. A top special agent is coaxed out of retirement to transport the blueprints for a top secret weapon that is the last hope of the civilized mouse nations. Macskafogó ("Cat Trap") is a feature-length Hungarian animated film. Released in 1986, it's also available in a dubbed English version titled Cat City. [more inside]
Paul Bowles
A Booth, a Mic, and a Tower
It’s increasingly rare for musicians to come into a radio station for anything more than a concert or album promo, but you can still find live performances from the booth if you know where to tune in:
WNRN, an independent radio station in Virginia, has regular live acoustic performances of touring musicians, and records them in HD: The Punch Brothers covering Reptilia and Rye Whiskey; Locust in the Willow and Sometimes in This Country from Crooked Still. (much more)
Stevie Wonder and Eric Benet improvising on “You and I” at Stevie’s own radio station, KJLH.
Eminem freestyling on BBC Radio 1. BBC Live Lounge.
Howard Stern has supported live acoustic acts for a long time: Elton John, “Why Isn’t Howard Stern On TV?”; Dave Grohl, Everlong, My Hero; Counting Crows. A few public radio stations have dedicated performance spaces used for live shows : WNYC’s Greene Space and the BBC’s Maida Vale. [more inside]
Stevie Wonder and Eric Benet improvising on “You and I” at Stevie’s own radio station, KJLH.
Eminem freestyling on BBC Radio 1. BBC Live Lounge.
Howard Stern has supported live acoustic acts for a long time: Elton John, “Why Isn’t Howard Stern On TV?”; Dave Grohl, Everlong, My Hero; Counting Crows. A few public radio stations have dedicated performance spaces used for live shows : WNYC’s Greene Space and the BBC’s Maida Vale. [more inside]
Benshi
The benshi of Japan were live narrators of silent films.
"To many 'silent' cinema fans in Japan, benshi were a major attraction. It was usually the film that drew people to the theater, but it was often the benshi which determined which theater a person would attend. Benshi were huge cultural stars of the time, with benshi earning as much, if not more, than many actors." [more inside]
Old School Weblog
This Isn't Happiness — what we remember weblogs to be a decade ago, like MeFi, it's all about the links. It features art and photography, music and books, even occasional politics. But it never fails to be beautiful. [occasional nsfw image]
Bidder 70, your bid for fame has been accepted.
Tim DeChristopher goes on trial in a Salt Lake City District Court today [Case No. 2:09-CR-183], facing a ten year sentence and/or $750 000 fines. His crime? Intentionally making false bids on fossil fuel leases. His supporters include Dr James Hansen and Bill McKibben. (previously)
I gave her my heart, but she wanted my soul
Suze Rotolo, artist, muse and covergirl has died, aged 67. She was Bob Dylan's lover and muse meeting him soon after he moved from Minnesota to New York in 1961. An artist in her own right, Suze explored the idea of books as artefacts, focusing on their appearance rather than their contents. She also published a memoir of early 1960's Greenwich Village. Ironically for an artist concerned with paratext she will most likely be remembered as the girl from the cover of Freewheelin', Dylan's early masterpiece. The image of Rotolo and Dylan strolling along a frosty Jones Street has fixed itself in the popular consciousness and is one that Tom Cruise will take to his death.
Dictator Chic
February 25, 2011: Vogue calls her "a rose in the desert": "Asma al-Assad is glamorous, young, and very chic—the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies."
(Wikipedia about her husband: "He has been criticized for his disregard for human rights, economic lapses, sponsorship of terrorism, and corruption.") [more inside]
He sees you.
No matter what you do, no matter where you go, Watson will find you.
Like a fox...
There is some debate as to why he torched it. But here he is in all his glory, at the location where some the most innovative sounds the world has ever heard were recorded. Lee Scratch at Black Ark. (first post...good to be here)
And the Beat goes on.
RIP Jay Landesman founder and editor of Neurotica; publisher of Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Marshall McLuhan.
A St Louis native he founded the Gaslight Square's Crystal Palace played by Woody Allen, Alan Arkin, Phyllis Diller, Barbra Streisand, the Smothers Brothers, Lenny Bruce, Mike Nichols and Elaine May and where the Beat Musical The Nervous Set written with his wife Fran, was first produced.
In the sixties he and Fran moved to London and he became artistic director at an failing nightclub which later went on to became the famed Middle Earth (after his departure).
He then became the salesman for Macrobiotic wholesalers Good afternoon, this is Stan Stunning of Harmony Foods, have you heard of us, no?, well, tell me, do you get young people coming into your shop asking for things like miso, tamari, brown rice and aduki beans?
In the Seventies he started Polytantra Press publishing Elizabeth Smart and Hancocks last half hour.
Obituaries: Guardian and NYT.
A St Louis native he founded the Gaslight Square's Crystal Palace played by Woody Allen, Alan Arkin, Phyllis Diller, Barbra Streisand, the Smothers Brothers, Lenny Bruce, Mike Nichols and Elaine May and where the Beat Musical The Nervous Set written with his wife Fran, was first produced.
In the sixties he and Fran moved to London and he became artistic director at an failing nightclub which later went on to became the famed Middle Earth (after his departure).
He then became the salesman for Macrobiotic wholesalers Good afternoon, this is Stan Stunning of Harmony Foods, have you heard of us, no?, well, tell me, do you get young people coming into your shop asking for things like miso, tamari, brown rice and aduki beans?
In the Seventies he started Polytantra Press publishing Elizabeth Smart and Hancocks last half hour.
Obituaries: Guardian and NYT.
Lewis and Clark's air rifle
National Firearms Museum credits "parlor trick" for American exploration success. Apparently the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition carried a single Girandoni air rifle, giving routine demonstrations to the awe and amazement of hostile tribes the entire way. [more inside]
The Son of a Libyan Exile Reflect on his Childhood
As Libya's Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi fights to keep power, author Hisham Matar remembers some very emotional childhood experiences.
"How can fringe benefits be nearly as much as salary?"
WSJ bravely criticizes the "excessive power of collective bargaining." Robert M. Costrell of wsj.com explains how the governor's proposal to restrict collective bargaining...seems entirely reasonable. via twitter.com/ftrain
Robotron Rogue-like
Shoot First is a fast paced top down shooter with randomly generated levels, a kickin soundtrack, and a Spelunky style sense of humor. (via Pixel Prospector)
Repoed
'The studios have won' Interview with Alex Cox, director of Sid And Nancy, Repo Man and more recently Repo Chick.
s/Reed/Redwood/g
University of Redwood sounds a lot like Reed College, down to faculty and building names. And apparently it doesn't exist. [more inside]
Leo Justi
Good morning. I know that every second of weekend freedom is precious to you so I won’t waste your time with superfluous verbiage. Or superfluous links, for that matter. So here goes: Leo Justi is a DJ from Rio De Janeiro. He has quite a few tracks on his Soundcloud page but the three that come highly recommended are: "Dunno Riddim (Kid Conga Remix Instrumental)", "Floor Crank 3.3" and (mildly NSFW language)"Blacqstar – Go Get My Gun (Leo Justi Remix of Carli’s Remix)".
MM in the NYRB
Marilyn by Larry McMurtry.
diddiewadiddiewahdittywahdiddydowahdiddydiddydumdiddydo
Historical currents in American pop music, where nonsense syllables have always held a special place: Blind Blake, in 1929, recorded Diddie Wa Diddie, which Ry Cooder covered in 1974, and which Leon Redbone also covered in 1977. Now, folks, that tune is not to be confused with Bo Diddley's 1956 recording Diddy Wah Diddy, which a young Captain Beefheart covered in 1966, and which was also covered by Aussie garage rockers the Missing Links. Likewise, that tune is not to be confused with a little ditty recorded in 1963 by the Exciters, called Do Wah Diddy Diddy, which was covered with great commercial success in 1964 by British band Manfred Mann. [more inside]
I live in a rectangle, but I like these anyway
Vincent Callebaut has been pursuing visionary architectural projects; Coral Reef housing in Haiti, Urban Jungles in Hong Kong, high-flying Algae Airships for the South China sea, and Lilypads for global warming.
Dancing fool?
How would your life be different if your daddy loved to dance like this? SLYT
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