March 27, 2008

They carried the joys and sorrows of those living with the sea

Iwase Yoshiyuki "In the late 1920s, young Yoshiyuki received an early Kodak camera as a gift. Since the main livelihood of the town came from the sea, he gravitated there, and soon found a passion for "the simple, even primitive beauty" of ama – girls and women who harvested seaweed, turban shells and abalone from beneath the coastal waters." "By the late 1960s, they had disappeared. This body of work stands as the final, most comprehensive visual document of the life and work of these divers." [NSFW] [more inside]
posted by tellurian at 10:45 PM PST - 48 comments

The Truth Is Still Out There

The Truth Is Still Out There [link includes embedded video, scroll down for article]. Members of The X-Files' cast and crew (minus Anderson/Scully and Duchovny/Mulder) discuss the myths and legends surrounding the show, as well as the upcoming new movie, at the 2008 Paley Festival, sponsored by The Paley Center for Media (named for broadcaster William S. Paley, and formerly known as The Museum of Television & Radio). [Previous X-Files-related posts here.]
posted by amyms at 10:41 PM PST - 23 comments

The Way To The Top

Take A Walk In The Woods
posted by auralcoral at 9:13 PM PST - 21 comments

enough to kill a small horse

"I found these in a red photo album marked "Darlene" at a swap meet in Huntington Beach, California." The Cocaine Photos. Images from a more innocent time.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:03 PM PST - 91 comments

The Wakefield twins are back... and thinner?

If you're a girl and you grew up in the 80's, chances are you read Sweet Valley High books. Guess what? They're being re-released. Don't worry, they're being updated to reflect the times- Jessica and Liz will be a size 4 now, and Liz's gossip column will be a gossip blog instead. Those wishing to relive the glory days can read reviews of the old series at The Dairi Burger, a blog devoted to all things Sweet Valley. [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:43 PM PST - 63 comments

Super-targeted spear phishing attacks

The recent cyber attacks on pro-Tibet groups in the U.S. (attack details, technical data) and on the Save Darfur Coalition, among others, have managed to catch the attention of some in the mainstream media. Such super-targeted spear phishing attacks have been on the rise for several years, and have become an important tool for corporate espionage and military infiltration attempts. Teaching users to recognize such attack emails is probably the most effective deterrence, as technology solutions have shown to not be particularly effective. Some companies and government agencies even conduct sting operations to ferret out which internal users fail the test, targeting them for additional training. [more inside]
posted by gemmy at 8:34 PM PST - 22 comments

Dennis Potter

WithoutWalls "This video, filmed in April 1994, records the final public words of the genius behind such films as Brimstone and Treacle, Pennies from Heaven, and Dreamchild. It's the last record of a man facing--with dignity, intelligence, and surprisingly good humor--death from cancer. Recorded as a television special by Britain's Channel Four, the documentary can be unsettling. Potter's inflamed hands can barely hold his ever-present cigarette (which he refers to as a "little tube of delight"), and he alternately sips champagne and swigs liquid morphine from an antique hip flask. But for those who have enjoyed Potter's wildly creative work--or those simply interested in the creative process itself--it's a fascinatingly funny glimpse into the mind of a master." (amazon)
posted by vronsky at 7:18 PM PST - 17 comments

Damn his science is too tight!

The SEO Rapper (a.k.a. The Poetic Prophet) spits rhymes on such topics as Design Coding, Link Building, Paid Search, and Conversion Closing for all your marketing campaign and web design needs.
posted by dhammond at 4:28 PM PST - 9 comments

North Korea's Soccer Hero

70 year old Pak Doo-Ik will lead North Korea's prestigious Olympic torch bearers to Beijing this summer. In the 1966 World Cup at Middlesborough, Pak scored the goal that lead his team to a stunning 1-0 upset win over Italy (video). Pak Doo-Ik and the team returned home as heroes, but ultimately fell under the suspicion of North Korean leadership. The team underwent "mental re-education" and were exiled, Pak Doo-Ik spending ten years as a forest laborer. Dear Leader Kim Jong-il later allowed Pak to coach North Korea's national soccer team, and a fascinating 2002 BBC documentary brought Pak Doo Ik back to the international stage.
posted by Chinese Jet Pilot at 3:46 PM PST - 12 comments

My fight for you is like a truck - Berserker

Want to fight like a Viking , hahaha? When was the last time you were attacked by someone dressed in hot pants, wearing leather gloves, hahaha? Berzerker Viking Fighting Arts, for all your frozen carrot fighting needs (hail Thor) [more inside]
posted by Smedleyman at 3:34 PM PST - 29 comments

The Documentary Blog

Do you love documentaries? The Documentary Blog offers reviews and news about documentary films. Check out their list of the Top 25 Documentaries.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 3:01 PM PST - 54 comments

Fitna

Fitna, a Koranic term translated as 'strife', shows footage of the attacks on the US in September 2001, and images of the bomb attacks on London and Madrid. Geert Wilders, Dutch politician and leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), has called his just-released Fitna a ‘respectable film’. He admitted that Muslims may not be happy with it, but emphasised that he had always stuck to the facts. He said he believes that the film is also ‘one thousand kilometres within the framework of the law’. [more inside]
posted by DreamerFi at 2:39 PM PST - 48 comments

Still no similar offers for actual democracy in China

Perhaps inspired by Taco Bell's World Series Stolen Base promotion, Dr. Pepper has promised to give every American a free soda if Guns N' Roses' long-awaited "Chinese Democracy" is released in 2008. Well, every American except for Buckethead and Slash, of course.
posted by Navelgazer at 2:26 PM PST - 53 comments

Influenza in the Amazon

A British TV crew have been accused of spreading flu to a remote Peruvian tribe of 250 members, leading to 4 deaths. [more inside]
posted by roofus at 2:19 PM PST - 17 comments

Mapping the election conditions in Zimbabwe

Mapping the election conditions in Zimbabwe - A project of Sokwanele , the Zimbabwe Civic Action Support Group. Zimbabweans vote in presidential and parliamentary elections on March 29th.
posted by PenDevil at 2:02 PM PST - 17 comments

How Not to Run a Bookstore

The Demise of Borders Books. Once calling itself a collection of individual stores and denying it was a chain, Borders, begun in 1971 by brothers Tom and Louis, is in deep financial trouble. [more inside]
posted by malaprohibita at 1:17 PM PST - 119 comments

There are no Escalators in Wyoming.

Wonkette asks: How many Escalators are there in Wyoming? [more inside]
posted by Lord_Pall at 12:39 PM PST - 112 comments

Bald Eagle Cam

Mounted 70 feet up in a white pine tree on the coast of Maine, the BioDiversity Research Institute's live eagle webcam provides, "live video of a nesting pair of bald eagles, 24 hours a day. These eagles are the most successful pair in the state. They have nested at this site for 13 years, and raised 20 offspring." Warning: the live stream can be habit forming (especially when waiting for the eggs to hatch).
posted by VicNebulous at 12:11 PM PST - 14 comments

Emos Hunted

Violence against emos sweeps across Mexico. [more inside]
posted by BigSky at 11:17 AM PST - 136 comments

Don't copy that floppy (or workbook)

An associate professor and former librarian is collecting education copyright infringement cases in a database. [more inside]
posted by starman at 9:05 AM PST - 15 comments

Horns: how big do you like them?

Horns: how big do you like them?
posted by Wolfdog at 8:25 AM PST - 29 comments

Pretty much everywhere, it's gonna be hot.

Then I don't need a jacket! (Videosift link) From start to finish, the most inexplicably joy-inducing 9 seconds the internet has to offer.
posted by ghastlyfop at 8:25 AM PST - 104 comments

three squares greetings

Three Squares Greetings is a new greeting card line designed to keep you in touch with your family members or friends who are in custody. NPR interview with the founder.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 8:03 AM PST - 18 comments

Researchers Play Tune Recorded Before Edison See also Phonoautograph

Researchers Play Tune Recorded Before Edison
The Phonoautograph
The history of the Phonoautograph. A technology in which you can still buy stock.
posted by y2karl at 7:49 AM PST - 35 comments

Get to da chopper

Predator, reinterpreted through the medium of UK hiphop.
posted by Jofus at 7:32 AM PST - 23 comments

neutral games

Japanese Myst-like escape games from neutral (Flash)
Vision - Hints
RGB - Hints
Sphere - Hints
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:31 AM PST - 14 comments

The Invisible Life of Poet

The Invisible Life of Poet is a webcomic by Christopher Stetson Wilson that's been published weekly for three and a half years. It features the adventures of nerdy high school student Poet and his retinue (mostly his friend Ben). There are many ways to navigate the archive. For a quality skim, check out the author's favorites. If you want a more indepth look you can check out the tag categories, characters (e.g. Seph the Corruptor, Coach Fathead), contemporary issues (e.g. class warfare, gender issues), culture and society (e.g. mass media, religion), hyperreality (e.g. board games, hallucinations), miscellaneous (e.g. great art, lowbrow humor) and psycho-social constructs (e.g. bullying, love and seduction).
posted by Kattullus at 6:54 AM PST - 17 comments

outsourcing the country

The Governmental Printing Office prints all United States passports but they decided that it was time to outsource part of the work. They claim it is secure [pdf].
posted by mustcatchmooseandsquirrel at 6:47 AM PST - 22 comments

Fnarr Fnarr Fnarr

Viz Comics have some wonderfully puerile games for you to enjoy- and needless to say, probably NSFW. Try your hand at Roger's Profanisaurus Hangman [Previously] Or play a round of Lesbian Tennis (PC only download, Mac users, you're not missing much). Perhaps you would like to keep a virtual pet, perhaps a Sim City style holiday resort game is more your cup of tea (Download). Full collection here.
posted by mattoxic at 6:06 AM PST - 10 comments

Photoshop Express - beta version

Photoshop Express Adobe has launched a beta version of its Photoshop Express image hosting and editing site. Two gigs of storage and some basic editing tools. A neat feature is being able to connect to your Picassa page and edit those photos as well.
posted by HuronBob at 5:47 AM PST - 10 comments

bank shot

Little by little, millions of Americans surrendered equity in their homes in recent years. Lulled by good times, they borrowed — sometimes heavily — against the roofs over their heads.

Now the bill is coming due.
posted by plexi at 3:57 AM PST - 122 comments

Magnificent Views and Vistas, Mountaineer's Climbs 1912 to 1916

"The object of this organization shall be to explore the mountains, forests and water courses of the Pacific Northwest, and to gather into permanent form the history and traditions of this region; to preserve, by protective legislation or otherwise, the natural beauty of the Northwest coast of America; to make frequent or periodical expeditions into these regions in fulfillment of the above purposes. Finally, and above all, to encourage and promote the spirit of good fellowship and camaraderie among the lovers of out-door life in the West." Thus reads the charter of the Mountaineers. Explore the Tacoma Public Library's online exhibit of the Mountaineer's early history, Magnificent Views and Vistas, Mountaineer's Climbs 1912 to 1916.
posted by maxwelton at 2:03 AM PST - 5 comments

Give me convenient bacon or give me death

Hi-fi spheres, bacon toasters, translated Pravda on demand, and other changes to come in 1975 A.D. [ via Bostworld ]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:36 AM PST - 18 comments

"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect was already in the cause."

USA 1940-1950 USA 1939-1969. Color photographs. [Possible NSFW ads.] [more inside]
posted by orthogonality at 12:12 AM PST - 22 comments

Y dutew ofwetiapwotf wt peqgwtmeyvd.

Y peqgwtmeyv od y peqgwtmeyguop ptfafieav of luopu owd yawute lokk dlowpu y dqvntk of y dweofm tx lteid xte yf yfyktmtad dqvntk, yfi qta vadw lter taw owd teomofyk dyqofm. Uodwteopykkq, Dgyewyf vokowyeq ptvvafopywotfd ioi kyq metafilter, te yw vofovav ypw yd yf ofowoyk dutlofm tx peqgwtmeyvd, yfi gtkowopyk yggkopywotfd nq Etvyfd ioi xtkktl. Ftl, y peqgwtmeyv od, xte vyfq, y gtgakye utnnq. Yf yggetypu wt y dtkawotf pyf waef taw nydop, dapu yd kttrofm xte dutew lteid, te ioxxopakw--peqgwyfykqdod, adofm cayfwowq tx ofiojoiayk dqvntkd te iomeygud. Getmeyvd pyf ykdt yddodw, ox y peqgwtmeyv weakq ptfxtafid qta. Y ltei tx lyefofm, wutamu--peqgwtmeyvd pyf eaf ag ymyofdw domfoxopyfw ptvgkopywotfd ox netamuw ag ymyofdw y kogtmeyv, luopu od y xtev tx lteigkyq of luopu y gyewopakye dqvntk od ktdw xetv y gyeymeygu tx leowofm. Te, ox y gyeymeygu od wtt voki, y nttr tx xoxwq wutadyfi lteid. (Y jykoyfw iodgkyq tx vydtpuodv.) Y dyvgkofm tx geote yew.
posted by Upton O'Good at 12:00 AM PST - 39 comments

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