October 26, 2015
Deutsche Seelebahn
Archaeology from the Air, the photographs of Charles and Anne Lindbergh
In 1929, two years after his historic solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne photographed archaeological sites in the American Southwest and Mayan sites in Central America (Google books preview) as a side-gig while Charles helped set North America air mail routes. Almost 80 years later, Erik Berg re-visited those same Southwestern sites, as seen in the exhibition Oblique Views: Archaeology, Photography, and Time (media bank) and book Oblique Views: Aerial Photography and Southwest Archaeology. [more inside]
Ben Zeik competes in the 2015 O'Henry Pun Off
Glasgow Hurlant
Cheap AND Good.
"And if you believe that . . .
. . . I've got a bridge to sell you," says the dadjoker in your life when expressing doubt. But why exactly do we speak of selling the Brooklyn Bridge? Because, in the Ellis Island days, people did indeed sell famous landmarks to recent immigrants. NYT. One George C. Parker, between 1883 and 1928, was in the Brooklyn Bridge-vending business full time. [more inside]
Leave nothing but footprints
Buy Nothing Day has a long history but it's what one expects from a magazine like Adbusters, not a large retailer with $2B in annual sales. But REI plans to close on "Black Friday" and suggests people opt outside. People outside of the US can continue to live their lives as normal.
"Whiz kids need geezers."
Medium's Steven Levy asks for ideas on how to end age discrimination in tech companies. Readers respond. [more inside]
Silenced by SouthWest
On Monday, October 26, SXSW Interactive made the call to cancel two sessions for the 2016 event: "SavePoint: A Discussion on the Gaming Community" and "Level Up: Overcoming Harassment in Games." We had hoped that hosting these two discussions in March 2016 in Austin would lead to a valuable exchange of ideas on this very important topic.[more inside]
However, in the seven days since announcing these two sessions, SXSW has received numerous threats of on-site violence related to this programming.
Toward a Sociology of Living Death
In some areas (e.g., Pittsburgh, Raccoon City), zombification is now more common than attending college or serving in the military and must be understood as a modal life course event. Even if one is “objectively” a mindless animated corpse, one cannot really be said to be fulfilling one’s cultural role as a zombie unless one shuffles across the landscape in search of brains.
I think the internet might be running out of supercut material.
Penetrating the eye of Patricia
Viaducts and bridges, as made in China
"shoot the [lieutenant] if he tries to launch"
On October 28, 1962, U.S. strategic (i.e., nuclear) forces were at DEFCON 2 due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, including missiles on Okinawa, Japan. That evening, the operators of those missiles received launch instructions. [more inside]
" She had not realized how very different people were"
Throwing some sand in the gears
Mindset Revisited
Psychologist Carol Dweck (previously and previously) looks at how educators are (mis)interpreting her research on growth vs. fixed mindsets, and shares her reflections about what works and what doesn't.
Grave of the Griffin Warrior
Archaeologists have discovered one of the richest Mycenaean Greek tombs ever found: a mostly intact shaft grave in Pylos dating from 1600-1400 BC. [SLNYT]
"Ma'am, this is a jail."
"GetYourCare.org was created to show that women have real choices when it comes to health care," the site says. "All across America, thousands of low-cost health centers offer women and their families high-quality health care." A press release from the Alliance Defending Freedom claimed that the facilities listed on the map "typically offer the full range of women's health services without all the scandal of Planned Parenthood." But in an investigation into the facilities, RH Reality Check has found that these "real choices" include hundreds of elementary, middle, and high schools; clinics that provide care for homeless people; nursing homes; pediatrics centers; and even the D.C. jail. [more inside]
“I tell my son: be safe, don’t be just sleeping around with girls.”
26-year-old radio producer Ana Adlerstein was walking in Oakland when she was catcalled by 51-year-old Jerome. She pulled a microphone and her, Jerome, and Jerome’s son’s mother had a short conversation.
After some wrangling, Ana got Jerome into the studio and the conversation continued. Love + Radio presents: “An Old Lion, or a Lover’s Lute”
After some wrangling, Ana got Jerome into the studio and the conversation continued. Love + Radio presents: “An Old Lion, or a Lover’s Lute”
The 1st World Indigenous Games
Sandwiched between Brazil’s hosting of the 2014 soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games next summer in Rio de Janeiro, the Indigenous Games are being advertised as a low-budget, low-key alternative to the marketing-hyped and TV-driven sports culture of the 21st century.
Walk against the wind. Climb mountains. Look to the North. More often.
The most cut-off man on Earth. The story of Slava, a meteorologist who works at the most remote weather station on Earth and in a time capsule all his own.
It's an asteroid! It's a comet! No, wait...
On November 13, 2015, astronomers will get the chance to observe an object that will hit earth at 6:20 UTC, around 65 kilometres from the southern tip of Sri Lanka. This little guy is rare - even though there are many pieces of space junk in orbit around the earth, none of the artificial objects in distant orbit are known to have made the return trip to Earth. [more inside]
Indoor skydiving
How do you learn to keep your balance when skydiving? Take lessons in a wind tunnel
What America’s immigrants looked like when they arrived on Ellis Island.
Suspense, X Minus One, Lights Out! Mercury Theatre and more...
The Message
Robin: And just to clarify, Nicky, your recording equipment is live right now, yeah?
Nicky: Yes.
Robin: So if, Perry, you really meant what you said about this being declassified, you won't mind saying it right now.
Col. Eubanks: Can we sit down first, or...?
Robin: Right after you repeat the thing. On the record.
Col. Eubanks: The NSA would like to hire Cypher to decode a message we have reason to believe was transmitted by an extraterrestrial. Now can we sit down?
The Message Podcast, Episode One [more inside]
Nicky: Yes.
Robin: So if, Perry, you really meant what you said about this being declassified, you won't mind saying it right now.
Col. Eubanks: Can we sit down first, or...?
Robin: Right after you repeat the thing. On the record.
Col. Eubanks: The NSA would like to hire Cypher to decode a message we have reason to believe was transmitted by an extraterrestrial. Now can we sit down?
The Message Podcast, Episode One [more inside]
Grow, grow, grow your boat
Pumpkin boats, whether captained by avant-gourd record-smashers or costumed squads of competitive squashbucklers, have sprouted up as part of fall festivals across North America. The splashing pumpkins have been spotted in Tualatin Oregon, Elk Grove California, Salt Lake City Utah, Cooperstown New York, Damariscotta Maine, and Lake Pesaquid in Nova Scotia, home of the Windsor Pumpkin Regatta.
Old NYC
Old NYC Mapping New York City (and beyond) using old photos from the NYPL.
“Impressive. Most impressive.”
Lenin Statue in Ukraine Turned Into Darth Vader [The New York Times]
A statue of Vladimir Lenin in Odessa, Ukraine, has been refashioned into Darth Vader. A Ukrainian artist, Alexander Milov, whose work appeared at Burning Man this year, transformed the statue in response to recent decommunization laws, which require the removal of Communist symbols in Ukraine. Lenin’s face has been covered by Darth Vader’s mask, and his coat has been turned into a cape. The helmet also reportedly serves as a Wi-Fi hot spot.[Image] [Image 2] [more inside]
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The 25 best horror movies since 2000 (according to AVClub)
"Ask horror-movie buffs to name their favorite decade for the genre, and you’ll likely receive a variety of answers. The ’30s had several of Universal’s classic roster of monsters. The ’40s had Val Lewton. The ’70s had zombies, and giant sharks, and Texas chain saw massacres. (The ’70s is a good choice.) But at the risk of speculating wildly, it seems safe to assume that not too many hypothetical fans would single out the current or previous decade as horror’s finest. Classics take time to solidify, reputations take a minute to build, and hindsight is 20/20. Plus, you know, Uwe Boll." [more inside]
How Friendships Change in Adulthood
The voluntary nature of friendship makes it subject to life’s whims in a way more formal relationships aren’t. In adulthood, as people grow up and go away, friendships are the relationships most likely to take a hit. You’re stuck with your family, and you’ll prioritize your spouse. But where once you could run over to Jonny’s house at a moment’s notice and see if he could come out to play, now you have to ask Jonny if he has a couple hours to get a drink in two weeks. [more inside]
Where Daughters Are Preferred
Mosuo, Kingdom of Daughters Not All Chinese Want Sons
Anthropodermic Bibliopegy
The Macabre Practice of Binding Books in Human Skin: Whether a reminder of mortality, a strange souvenir, or a punishment for a crime, the impetuses behind anthropodermic bibliopegy are as varied as the lives of their skin donors.
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