May 11, 2011
scarcity is no longer an option
Instant Cinema is a comprehensive platform for experimental film, video and computer art, making the best audio-visual work of artists of all generations available to a worldwide audience. Not a tonne in the archive just yet--it's still in rough beta--but still some nice viewing. For instance: Balance Study, or Trying.
Psygnosis, dev Playstations, SCEA of Europe, logos, Wipeout and LSD
Dream Sequence
Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi + Tere Bina Aag Yeh Chandni: Dream sequence from the 1951 Hindi film, Awara. "The film, generally considered one of Kapoor's finest, is notable for its darkly surreal sets... and for its remarkable dream sequence, which echoes this architecture in an evocation of heaven and hell. Despite its ultimate vindication of patriarchy and capitalism, the film became an enormous hit in the U.S.S.R. and, thanks to Chairman Mao’s reputed fondness for it, in China (to this day, millions of middle-aged Chinese can hum its title song)." You can view the other musical numbers from the film here.
But that's another show
After 249 episodes on a wide variety of ingredients and other cooking related topics, Alton Brown ended Good Eats last week (save for 3 unaired one hour specials). The show leaves behind many unaddressed recipes that were to be in "another show." [more inside]
Return to Sender
So it turns out that the United States Postal Service has lost $2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2011 with estimated losses of $7 billon by September. Despite shedding over 130,000 jobs in the past three years and promises from the Postal Worker's Union to not demand any raises in the near future, some doubt that the USPS has a future in America. Does the future have a P.O. Box? Google sure thinks so.
Liquid Sky
It’s about time people started rendering unto Liquid Sky. Its long lipstick trace is smudged through much of indie cinema. [more inside]
Who cares?
Coal cares! "Puff-Puff™ inhalers are available free to any family living within 200 miles of a coal plant, and each inhaler comes with a $10 coupon towards the cost of the asthma medication itself." [more inside]
Allan Blakeney
Rhodes' Scholar, Canadian Constitutional lawyer, eminent statesman, former Saskatchewan Premier and gentleman Allan Blakeney has died. [more inside]
Better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion
Samoa has seized headlines by moving the International Date Line--leaping forward a day and confusing readers in the process. [more inside]
New U.N. FAO Report Indicates 30% of Food Lost or Wasted
A new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization indicates that 1.3 billion tons, or nearly one-third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted. The full report is available here (Warning: PDF).
Let's find as many suckers as we can as fast as we can, because we'll only make more money as more and more shit hits the fan.
The People vs. Goldman Sachs. Matt Taibbi's latest magnum opus (previous coverage) lays out the full case for federal prosecutions against the Vampire Squid according to Sen. Carl Levin's Senate Subcommittee on Investigations. [Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse 650 page pdf].
I have superpowers? Snap.
"Even beyond the philosophical wonder of passively sampling our outside environment in a shared, meaningful fashion is the ridiculous sensitivity of our senses." [more inside]
Anonymous Satire of Koch Industries Prevails
In December 2010, a Koch Industries press release spoof (Scribd; alt: screencap) was posted on a website that mimicked the appearance of the official site for Koch Industries. The press release stated that Koch would no longer support research and advocacy initiatives that denied or questioned the human role in climate change. The press release was quickly identified as a hoax, and both the fake press release and site disappeared quickly, yet the Koch company pursued the identities of those behind the stunt, going as far as to file a lawsuit to expose the anonymous pranksters as part of a larger lawsuit. This past Monday, the lawsuit was thrown out of court in Utah, with the judge citing that parody is not commercial speech, and thus a First Amendment issue. [more inside]
If you have work to do today, please consider doing that work before installing Angry Birds.
HUD Interactive Map Tool
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has launched a new interactive mapping tool for Community Planning and Development agencies, interested agency partners, and the public. [more inside]
English Language and Usage
Linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts, check out free Q&A site English Language and Usage. [more inside]
Nobody calls me monogamous with malice.
Monogamous Privilege Checklist. Cory Davis, who is polyamorous, wrote a checklist in the style of Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Davis interviews with Cunning Minx of Polyamory Weekly podcast (3:00-28:00ish Site header NSFW) and discusses the nature of privileged relationships and her pushback from monogamous and polyamorous alike.
Bill Gallo joins General Von Steingrabber in the bleachers
Bill Gallo, longtime NY Daily News Sports Cartoonist, is dead at age 88. If you grew up in the NYC area anytime from the the 50s until this April, you've probably seen one of Gallo's cartoons in the Daily News. Although he covered all sports and their fans, blue collar sports like boxing and baseball were his real love. Gallo was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY as part of the Class of 2001 and some of his work hangs in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. [more inside]
Shooting cats with a chronophotographic gun
Do cats always land on their feet? No. Unless...
In an earlier statement issued to the press, Kenobi boasted that striking him down could make him "more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
HIDs
Over the past 30 years, designer, writer and Principal Researcher for Microsoft Research Bill Buxton has collected input and interactive devices whose designs he found "interesting, useful or important. In the process, he has assembled a good collection of the history of pen computing, pointing devices, touch technologies, as well as an illustration of the nature of how new technologies emerge." This week, he unveiled his collection at the Computer-Human Interaction conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. An extensive gallery has been posted online with images and notes at The Buxton Collection. [more inside]
"-No tension contact!"
Claude Shannon and
Marvin Minsky collaborated to create the concept of The Ultimate Machine, a device capable of shutting itself off after activation. Out of the numerous and often transparent homages to the invention, a new variant has emerged, with more rigorous defenses. [via]
Enumerate me
The 40 Literary Terms You Should (maybe, depending on your predilection for books and availability of interstitial moments in which to read) Know
Midnight movie show
A Cult Influence. A short film on cult films. SLYT NSFW
It's Full of Surprise
Christian Schallert transformed his tiny 258 square feet apartment into a much more usable space by creating a vast wall of clickable furniture, and a spring-loaded door swings.
This is more precious than it has any right to be.
A toddler finds a dead squirrel. Cuteness ensues. [SLYT]
42?
'"Is there an answer?": Searching for the meaning of life in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Julia Galef.
I'm a Samantha... err, you know what I mean
What Are the Advantages of Horizontal Fly Men’s Underwear?
Age of the Algorithm. In the age of the algorithm, you can get just about anything you think you want, learn everything you think you need to know, by clicking on a link or typing a few words into a search bar. On SEO, content farms, old media, and 'online sweatshops.' (From Maisonneuve.)
Tell Someone
Glamor magazine is encouraging women to talk about relationship violence—both to ask for help and to offer it without judgment. The most important step - Tell Somebody. [more inside]
Cowabunga d00dz
Michelangelo’s Pizza Taste Test. [Video] Converting the gross-pizza-topping jokes (ex: chocolate sprinkles and clam sauce) from the TMNT cartoon into real world comestibles. [more inside]
Why did I do it? Because I could.
How I invented games, and why not - an essay by game designer Christian Freeling. Between 1979 and 1986 I invented some fourty abstract games, most of which can be found in the ArenA and the Pit. Dameo, HanniBall, YvY and Symple(x) are exceptions. Dameo's invention in 2000, after an incubation period of fifteen years, took two minutes. The invention of HanniBall and YvY in 2009 and Symple and Lhexus in 2010 were 'live' occurences decribed in a late arrival and a final whisper respectively.
Looking back now, from a safe distance, and with the benefit of hindsight, I'd like to clarify how and why I invented these games, and more specifically why not...
Music Beta by Google
Music Beta by Google launches today, so go request an invitation to stream 20,000 songs from your collection for free (for now) .
The Thin Edge of Danger
26 year old Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt crashed and died on a 60mph descent on stage three of this year's Giro D'Italia. The teams paid tribute the following day. [more inside]
Climate Change by Climate Scientists: the musical
In the media landscape there are climate change deniers and believers, but rarely those speaking about climate change are actual climate scientists... From the Power Episode of The Hungry Beast a weekly, half-hour, TV show on ABC (Australia) television combining journalism, comedy and the reportage of weird. It asks questions others don’t, covers stories others won’t and brings them to your screen in ways that only this unique team of broadcasters can do.
I can't wait to grow up
Drinks are good
In the 1940s, he fought Nazis. In the 1950s, he fought the U.S. Civil Service. He's battled the Pentagon, the FBI, the medical establishment, the police, and so on. Generally, he wins. And when he's won, so has the entire gay community.... He coined the phrase ''Gay is Good'' in 1968, when the distance between homosexuality and shame was a very short trip.
He co-founded the Mattachine Society of Washington in 1961, one of the nation’s earliest gay rights groups, picketed the White House, and became the first openly gay Congressional candidate when he ran for DC’s House seat in 1971.Kameny finally got an apology from the government that fired him for being gay. But he didn't get his pension back. And now, "while his mind is sharp, he has difficulty managing his finances. To be brief, one of our greatest heroes needs help." So maybe you'd like to Buy Frank A Drink. (previously, previously)
Tyler Robinson vs. The World
When Tyler Robinson auditioned for NBC's new reality singing contest show The Voice, he sang a great rendition of Train's "Hey, Soul Sister". He also came out as gay (and Mormon) on national television. And he was chosen by Blake Shelton to be on his coaching team for the show. The problem? Blake has a bit of a problem with teh gayz. [more inside]
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