February 21, 2015
The Boys Who Loved Birds
“In this area you should go just behind me,” the stout man says, the th of his this buzzing like a bee. Then, as if to reassure me, he adds, “I’ve been here before, with other colleagues and journalists, and no one died.” I’ve traveled here, to the former Iron Curtain, still studded with the occasional land mine, in pursuit of a love story. It’s an improbable tale about two boys, a friendship, and a passion for birds. Twenty-five years earlier, in 1989, the man in front of me had hatched a plan to transform the former no-man’s land that separated Western Europe from the Eastern Bloc into an eco-corridor running through the heart of Europe. It was a preposterous idea. The Iron Curtain had been just that—a series of steel-reinforced barriers. Electrified fences, razor wire, land mines, trip lines, and machine guns: If it could stop, maim, or kill you, the Soviets put it there. Not exactly “eco.”
“You see the words hit the paper. There’s no distractions.”
The Last of the Typewriter Men: “Years ago, if you looked at the yellow pages, there were six pages of typewriter companies in Manhattan. Now, there’s us.” [more inside]
Yes we're gonna have a wingding 🎵
"These vintage GE appliances are original to my house circa 1956. The house was never occupied and appliances were never used. The manuals were still taped to the appliances..." (Flickr) Welcome to the New Frontier - as defined by mid-century American suburbs. via
Follow The Leader right to that ribcage...
Follow The Leader is a new webcomic by Jonas McCluggage about cannibal children making a living in a rundown city park. Jonas' previous work is the slice of life comic entitled "The Adventures of Jonas" and has been released in dead tree form.
Deeper Ties to Corporate Cash for Doubtful Climate Researcher
For years, politicians wanting to block legislation on climate change have bolstered their arguments by pointing to the work of a handful of scientists who claim that greenhouse gases pose little risk to humanity. [more inside]
the notorious hermit, lured into public by a burrito
That goat does not care.
Cooking with Christopher Walken Spoiler: They roast a chicken.
Ganges Delta Blues - from A Meeting By The River
An Answer to the Novel’s Detractors
"The world exists. Why recreate it?" Adelle Waldman explains why.
"One of these lives has a future, and the other... does not."
Smith confronts Neo like this - his intent is hostile, and yet it's also friendly in the same way. He acknowledges how he himself has been changed by Neo's defeat of him in the previous film - "I'm a new man," he says. The way the two rivals look at one another and shrug is not unlike two trans people who knew one another before transition meeting one another, either; it's clear that Smith has been "queered" in some way, as the other agents act creeped out by him in an explicitly homophobic way.Looking at The Matrix series through a trans lens.
"I always said 'I want to go to space.'"
Samantha Cristoforetti is an European Space Agency astronaut, Italian Air Force pilot and engineer and polyglot, fluent in Italian, English, German, French and Russian. She is also the first Italian woman in space and cheerfully tweeting and taking photos from the International Space Station.
Hi. Can we go in there?
In 1988, two college students filmed themselves sneaking into the Oscars. It landed them a spot with Johnny Carson.
Everyone should take it easy on the robot stuff for a while.
There's been a small, but influential, hysteria surrounding the idea is that a huge wave of automation, technology and skills have lead to a massive structural change in the economy since 2010. The implicit argument here is that robots and machines have both made traditional demand-side policies irrelevant or naïve, and been a major driver of wage stagnation and inequality. Though not the most pernicious story that gained prominence as the recovery remained sluggish in 2010 to 2011, it gained an important foothold among elite discussion. That is over.David Autor and Larry Summers tear apart the idea that a Machine Age is responsible for our economic plight.
It's not Ikea Sans—Sweden's new national typeface
Stockholm-based design firm Söderhavet has designed a typeface for Sweden that it thinks sums up the country's own design heritage. The resulting typeface is a practical serif/sans hybrid that is inspired by Sweden's tradition of minimalist design, and the principal of lagom—not too much, but not too little.
Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years
Flula with his Mama & Papa (on the accordion) - "Mama Said Knock You Out", and Flula with Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back (remix)", more autotunes (playlist).
But I believe Aang can save the world.
Ten years ago today, two teenagers found a boy and his sky bison in an iceberg, and Avatar: The Last Airbender began. Set in a world where people can control one of the four elements - fire, air, water, and earth, the Avatar is the one being who can control them all, reincarnated life after life to bring balance and harmony to the world.
The creation of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, The Last Airbender drew upon fully fleshed-out characters, stirring music, and Japanese-inspired animation to convey the serialized story of Avatar Aang, siblings Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, Toph Beifong, and the rest of Team Avatar as they faced off against the Fire Nation and the evil Fire Lord Ozai. And, in the process, changed our world as much as theirs. [more inside]
The creation of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, The Last Airbender drew upon fully fleshed-out characters, stirring music, and Japanese-inspired animation to convey the serialized story of Avatar Aang, siblings Katara and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, Toph Beifong, and the rest of Team Avatar as they faced off against the Fire Nation and the evil Fire Lord Ozai. And, in the process, changed our world as much as theirs. [more inside]
Every Letter, A Place
2,345 Booking Idiots
After receiving over 2,300 complaints from UK television viewers regarding Booking.com's "Booking dot Yeah!" ad campaign, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority investigated and ruled that it was not, in fact, profane. [more inside]
Remembering Malcolm X
February 21st is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X. This might be a good time to review this African-American civil rights activist’s life and discuss his legacy.
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