March 2, 2012
Seeing in Circles
RUN DMC is Tougher Than Leather
"The script was originally turned down by Spike Lee who went and directed Do the Right Thing instead. Not a good move on your part Spike, not a good move at all."
In the end, Rick Rubin directed the 1988 Run DMC film Tougher than Leather, which has been described as "vile, vicious, despicable, stupid, sexist, racist and horrendously made." [more inside]
X Planes
X Planes, a tumblr. x planes is a tumblr devoted to historical aviation, and with a specific interest in experimental aviation. [more inside]
U2's POP
Fifteen years and three weeks ago, four lads from Dublin wandered into a K-Mart in NYC and attracted a crowd as they played a song they've never played live since. They then took some questions from the audience about their intentions over the next year or so. The proceedings were carried live on music television stations around the world. (Part 1 2 3 4) The day was February 12, 1997; the song was Holy Joe; the men performing were U2. They were announcing the release of their new album, POP, released 15 years ago, on March 3, 1997. Loved by many critics, adored by many fans, met with an indifferent shrug by the general public, and repeatedly scorned by the band themselves, perhaps it's time to look back again at this controversial groundbreaking album and landmark tour. [more inside]
Is there a Joseph Welch moment underway?
Has Rush Limbaugh misjudged how far he can push things? Efforts are underway at Twitter and Reddit to hit Limbaugh where it hurts, with some degree of early success. While the President called Sandra Fluke to express solidarity, GOP front runner Mitt Romney seemed to think the main problem with Limbaugh's attack on Fluke was one of vocabulary, and Rick Santorum fell back on the "he's just an entertainer" defense.
Biggest fish story of the year
The tuna-fisher Trevignon responded to a call for help from the Costa Allegra... if the crew of the Trevignon are like many other sailors I know, I bet they're swilling champagne and living the high life in Mahé.
But the story may be a bit more controversial.
Yoga can lead to sexy-times!
Yoga can improve your sexual experiences... and perhaps lead to sex with your instructor. [more inside]
Give and Take
Given or Taken – an ABC television documentary by the usually excellent 4 Corners looks at a period in the nation’s history when unwed mothers were forced, coerced or tricked into giving up their babies- often without holding or even seeing their newborn.
Writer Kim Berry describes a little of what it was like to be relinquished by her teen mum.
Yo La Tengo Live on WFMU -- 2012 All-Request Marathon TONIGHT
Yo La Tengo are once again playing requests for pledges Yo La Tengo are once again playing requests for pledges, beginning at 9pm US EST TONIGHT on WFMU. Every year, Yo La Tengo perform requests live on-air in exchange for pledges, to help keep freeform noncommercial radio station WFMU (91.1 FM in Jersey City, NJ) on the air. This year is no exception. They will begin playing at 9pm US EST tonight, and will be playing listener requests for several more hours.
Master of Good Girl Art and Pop Culture Pioneer
The Passion of Dave Stevens — The work of the late, great Dave Stevens is known to comic book aficionados in the form of his enduring creation, The Rocketeer, and to art collectors and illustration enthusiasts for his reverently retro yet brilliantly modern renditions of vintage pulp characters, science fiction adventurers and iconic superheroes. But as dedicated Stevens fans know, the artist's true passion and inspiration manifests in his seemingly countless and unfailingly exquisite renderings of the female form, most typically in the classic pinup and "good girl art" style at which he became one of the very best. [nsfw comic art]
Rhythm Circles
A fun flash rhythm builder based on Euclidean patterns. For those who enjoyed Circuli (previously) and the Whitney Music Box (also previously), I recommend Wouter Hisschenmoller's rhythm builder, which uses a Euclidean algorithm to create African-like rhythms, which you can layer to create some fun and complex beats.
You can't kill me without becoming like me! I can't kill you without losing the only human being who can keep up with me! Isn't it IRONIC?
Batman should kill the Joker.
No, he shouldn't.
Yes, he should.
No really, he shouldn't.
What would Kant, Mill, Hobbes, Nietzsche, and Rawls think? [more inside]
The Tyrese Sessions
When rapper Tyrese saw the name Amber Rose on a cc'd email, he contacted her asking to collaborate on some tracks. Only problem is it was Amber Tamblyn, and she decided to have some fun with him. (site NSFW, bad language in demos) [more inside]
Lindsey Stirling
Ramen Rater
David Letterman Holding Records
But You're Not Really Here... It's Just The Radio...
Flawed Symmetry of Prediction: time-lapse landscape, astrophotograpy and painting in high definition
Flawed Symmetry of Prediction is a 4 and a half minute long video, compiling time lapse images of abandoned buildings in rural, desert settings, plus strategic lighting and an optical illusion painting or two. See also: On the Inside Looking Out (The Brain of Infinity), another "street art" time-lapse video. If you want to see single images in more detail, photographer/videographyer Jeff Frost has a portfolio site up with some of pictures. [more inside]
Hey Girl, I know you think this meme has jumped the shark, but that won't stop me from loving it
Is Ryan Gosling cuter than a puppy? Well, I don't know, but he sure seems to be good at a lot of things. Programmer Ryan Gosling. Silicon Valley Ryan Gosling. Shakespearean Ryan Gosling. Feminist Ryan Gosling. Typographer Ryan Gosling. Librarian Ryan Gosling. Medieval History Ryan Gosling. Public History Ryan Gosling.
Ex Boyfriend Ryan Gosling. Serial Killer Ryan Gosling? He even follows Toronto Politics! (Previously.)
World of Wood (Wally)
Wally Wood is most acclaimed for his comical comic books, mainly his acclaimed work for Mad back in its original, pre-magazine, 1950s incarnation. But his personal life was a drama verging on tragedy and culminating with his suicide in 1981. Only now, three decades later, is his story heading toward a happy ending, with a burst of renewed interest in his work.
A graphics heavy interview with J. David Spurlock, newly named director of the Wood estate, on the renewed interest in the artist and his work. [via] [more inside]
A graphics heavy interview with J. David Spurlock, newly named director of the Wood estate, on the renewed interest in the artist and his work. [via] [more inside]
Slavoj Žižek on The Wire
The Wire or the clash of civilisations in one country is lecture by philosopher Slavoj Žižek on the television show The Wire.
An impressive work history... for a baby.
French photographer Malo imagines a single baby in a number of different jobs with delightful results. [more inside]
Who wants to hear the truth when they can hear they're right?
Is SEO killing America? Clay Johnson about how media gives us what we want, not what we need, and how it's destroying democracy. If you don't have time or can't watch a 17 minute video, read this article discussing and summarizing the video.
The Whole Wide World
AirPano's speciality is stunning panoramic photographs taken in flight: this plunging interactive piece above Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, being a wonderful example. Other pieces include the Maldives, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany. A list of all the works in the catalog, and as locations on a world map. All of the linked panoramas require Flash (amd most have music, which can be muted), but the site also supports lower resolution versions for mobile devices. [more inside]
I Think I'm Getting The Black Lung, Pop
Wilt, Wilt the Stilt, the Big Dipper
This much is fact and legend: Fifty years ago today, at the Hershey Arena, Wilt Chamberlain, then 25 and playing for the Philadelphia Warriors, scored an NBA record-100 points in a 169-147 victory against the New York Knicks. A record which remains unbeaten.
An angel gets its wing[tip]s.
Does this mean Canadians get to put Bjork on the hundred dollar bill?
Iceland eyes loonie, Canada ready to talk. Iceland, still reeling from the aftershocks of the devastating collapse of its banks in 2008, is looking longingly to the loonie as the salvation from wild economic gyrations and suffocating capital controls.... The Canadian government says it’s open to discussing the idea. [more inside]
For the person who's got everything
Odyssey Works makes intensive, multi-disciplinary, multi-hour performances. For a lone audience member. And they're currently seeking that audience member. [more inside]
Geologic time sinks - virtual field trips (VFTs)
Understand something of the earth beneath your feet and the landscape in front of you. These sites provide a chance to see geologic sites and also see expert interpretations.
Geology of Southern England's Jurassic Coast - many pages with detailed strata and sometimes questions to challenge yourself (click photos to enlarge), by Ian West of Southampton University. [more inside]
Old Photos of Baltimore
Sippin' History
Quest for the Perfect Bourbon: Voices of Buffalo Trace Distillery is a documentary from the Buffalo Trace Oral History Project, part of the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History at the University of Kentucky Libraries.
Friday Non-Flash Racing Fun
Trigger Rally is "a fast-paced single-player racing game for Linux" and now, thanks to WebGL, Three.JS, and Jasmine Kent, everyone can play in a browser.
Ex-Senators allege Saudi government role in 9/11
For more than a decade, questions have lingered about the possible role of the Saudi government in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, even as the royal kingdom has made itself a crucial counterterrorism partner in the eyes of American diplomats. Now, in sworn statements that seem likely to reignite the debate, two former senators who were privy to top secret information on the Saudis’ activities say they believe that the Saudi government might have played a direct role in the terrorist attacks.
Call of Apathy: Violent Young Men and Our Place in War
People need to realise that their wars are not fought by the guy on the news that lost a leg and loves his flag — he was the FNG [f--king new guy] that got blown up because he was incompetent, who left the fight before it turned him into one of us. A private military contractor and former infantryman talks about the military PR complex. [more inside]
The more things change...
The Work of Poetry in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Poems While You Wait A group of Chicago poets, led by Dave Landsberger and Kathleen Rooney, sets up shop at festivals, markets, libraries—even a planetarium—and writes "artisanal" poems on demand, in front of their customers, with proceeds going to a literary non-profit. And they're not the only ones.
Speech Jamming "Gun"
The gun effectively shuts down the part of your brain responsible for managing speech, and you fall immediately silent. Japanese researchers have created a hand-held gun that can jam the words of speakers who are more than 30 meters (100ft) away.
"...now I am the Jew here, I am the boss."
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