March 29, 2011
Use the Force, Luke.
Jedi Badminton. [SLYT] For the inner geek in you.
Pakistan's Secret Dirty Little War
Make Believe
It's like band camp, only with magic nerds.
Hitler. In a red gingham dress. Baking.
Sixty Unusable Stock Photos. Does what it says on the tin.
Tabor Write The Songs
It was song number 3 on John's last CD. "I'm gonna make it through this year if it kills me". And it almost killed me.
Craig Finn from The Hold Steady joins The Mountain Goats on stage to sing 'This Year'. [more inside]
Kickflip, Ubu, kickflip! Good dog.
you've heard him a million times, but he ain't no millionaire
Give the drummer some? Nuh-uh. PAY the drummer some! Living Legend Tries to Make a Living. I'm talking about the man who gave us the drum solo (at 5:35) that launched a thousand hip hop ships, James Brown's funky heartbeat, Clyde Stubblefield. [previously].
Abode of Peace
The Santiniketan Park Association, known informally as "The Family" was a group founded around 1964 after Dr. Raynor Carey Johnson began hosting regular meetings of a religious and philosophical discussion group led by the yoga teacher Anne Hamilton-Byrne on his property on the outskirts Melbourne, Australia. The group began to recruit potential new members from Newhaven Hospital, a private psychiatric hospital, owned and managed by Marion Villimek, a Santiniketan member, and staffed by other Santiniketans psychiatrists who would administer LSD to patients. [more inside]
rageguy.$
Cheezburger gets 30 million dollars in venture capital, peels off a couple million to buy Know Your Meme.
Nothing suits them like a suit!
For over a year now, Righthaven has been suing bloggers, news websites, and now even journalists covering Righthaven for reproducing, in full or part, articles and pictures from newspapers that it purchases the copyright for. But it might be starting to backfire. [more inside]
Brit creates 'Quakebook' to help disaster victims
Last Friday the blogger “Our Man in Abiko” launched an effort to produce a crowd-sourced collection prose, photos and illustrations that would be compiled into a self-published book to benefit the victims of the Japan earthquake | The title of the book is 2:46: Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake. [more inside]
Being Gay in YA
Last Monday, young adult author Jessica Verday announced that she'd pulled out Wicked Pretty Things, an anthology forthcoming with Running Press, after the anthology's editor asked her to change a romance between two teenage boys to a heterosexual pairing. The editor responded, "These teen anthologies I do are light on the sex and light on the language. I assumed they'd be light on alternative sexuality, as well. Turns out I was wrong!" [more inside]
"You do not sew with a fork, and I see no reason why you should eat with knitting needles." - Miss Piggy
Artificial Leaf
"A practical [inexpensive] artificial leaf has been one of the Holy Grails of science for decades. We believe we [Sun Catalytix] have done it." Video: Professor Daniel Nocera at MIT
The artists who crossed the line
Voina are a group of revolutionary artists. The most controversial of all was Voina's final stunt before the arrests, which the artists called "Palace Revolution". Members overturned seven police cars, some of them with officers inside, at St Petersburg's Palace Square one night last September.
Obviously, a group called "war," is going to attract a certain amount of controversy, but they're also going to attract some allies.
Right now, they're just trying to dodge the fuzz. Who knows? Maybe they're just dicks.
Cosmic Dudes
For all your italo/euro/synth/space-disco needs, Cosmic Dudes record store has you covered. Sample tracks: Richie Heinen - Beach Freak or Torelli/Massiera - Afro Disco (scroll down for both)
No matter what we get out of this, I know, I know we'll never forget
"Smoke on the Water", as performed by Germany's military brass band and Berlins guard battalion, part of the farewell to German defense minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. [more inside]
1.1 million people ride NYC subways every day, but nobody talks. Until now.
Blodes Orchester
8 years in the making, ~200 antique appliances comprise Michael Petermann's Stupid Orchestra (SLVimeo).
"This partnership between our extraordinary artisanal brewing team and one of the best brewers in the world in Anheuser-Busch..."
Popular Chicago Brewery Goose Island has been bought by Anheuser-Busch. Moreover, brewmaster Greg Hall has resigned and will be replaced by Brett Porter, former head brewer of Deschutes Brewery.
Build a Boat!
Boat builder, model enthusiast, author, World War 2 veteran, and all-around fascinating character Harold H. "Dynamite" Payson passed away last week at the age of 82. [more inside]
"Your eyes hurt, and there was a metal taste in your mouth. Those are the two things you felt."
How do you clean up a massive nuclear disaster? With 800,000 people, 45 seconds at a time. The Liquidators, Chernobyl's "biorobot" cleanup crew: Part 1, Part 2. [more inside]
Unshelved.
Book Review Commentary Goes Awry (read: Entertaining)
An author takes exception to a review of her book & comments on the reviewer's site. What could possibly go wrong?
Perlman and Zukerman in London - 1997
Halvorsen's Duo for Violin and Viola (after Handel), played by Itzhak Perlman and Pinchas Zukerman in London, 1977.
Theological Clusterf***
Who Goes to Hell? An editorial response (by Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, posted on Foxnews.com) to the controversy of Chad Holtz, a Methodist Church pastor in North Carolina, having been fired for questioning whether hell exists.
monkey like jump cuts
If you believe the hype, this is a surfer video edited by a monkey.
#snakeonthetown
Last Friday, an adolescent cobra escaped from the Bronx Zoo. Now, it has begun taunting its former captors. (Via)
From Beyond
Following the success of The Haunter of The Dark, the HP Lovecraft Literary Podcasts presents two new readings, From Beyond and The Picture in The House, by Andrew Leman and Bruce Green. Both recordings are available "In 3D". Alternatively if you like your Lovecraft with both pictures AND sound, the HP Lovecraft Historical Society version of The Whisperer in Darkness is complete and being shown at worldwide film festivals - it's a talkie! (The HPLHS are now also offering a rather handsome "official membership" pack.) Want something more interactive? Cthulhu Dark offers a complete Lovecraftian tabletop RPG system that fits on two sides of a sheet of paper. Please note: "If you fight any creature you meet, you will die. Thus, in these core rules, there are no combat rules or health levels. Instead, roll to hide or escape."
Bill, your beard is ridiculous.
Insulted by Authors. Book lover Bill Ryan had the clever idea to start asking his favorite authors to insult him instead of simply signing their books. (Via)
Chinese Scientific Progress to Overtake American Counterpart Earlier Than Anticipated
According to a new study from the UK's national science academy, the Royal Society, China is on course to outstrip US scientific output as earlier as two years from now. [SLBBC]
Anna Åhman is Birgit Bidder
Anna Åhman performs as the solo artist Birgit Bidder. Her debut album “The Life Home” will be released tomorrow. [more inside]
No Chewbacca?
A growth chart for Star Wars fans.
Walking alone
"It is completely strange, isn't it? It's all fucked up. Where the hell are all the others? No one is coming out." The Guardian interviews Anton Hysén, the world's only openly gay male professional footballer.
The elevator was too easy
Alain Robert has scaled Burj Khalifa in Dubai for a world record. If you are into people climbing skyscrapers, there's Robert in Abu Dhabi or Sao Paulo and other awesome stuff. (Very previously.)
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