May 29, 2013
Supreme
95 minutes of John Coltrane live in 1960-61-65... with Elvin Jones (drums), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and McCoy Tyner (piano), and Stan Getz, Eric Dolphy, Oscar Peterson.
Ironwood Michigan, with Jeff Daniels
How to be a stuffed animal
The bones had been boiled, the skins salted and soaked in formalin, the hoofs and horns measured and labeled, and the disassembled parts crated and shipped to the Upper West Side. There, on Akeley’s production line, the remains were reassembled and processed into a perfect likeness of what had once been, a “real” copy of reality. The animal had become an “animal."[more inside]
But does the dog die?
Do you turn off Old Yeller before the end so you can pretend that he lived a long and happy life? Did a cute pet on a movie poster make you think it would be a fun comedy but it turned out to be a pet-with-a-terminal-illness tearjerker instead? Are you unable to enjoy the human body count in a horror movie because you're wondering whether the dog's going to kick the bucket? Have you ever Googled "Does the [dog/cat/horse/Klingon targ] die in [movie title]?"
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then welcome - DoestheDogDie.com is here for you! [more inside]
Lydia Davis wins Man Booker International Prize
The 2013 Man Booker International Prize went to Lydia Davis, best known as a short story writer—some just a single sentence long—but also a novelist and translator. There is a wealth of material by and about her online, and here are few favorites: Video of Davis reading some very short stories, PennSound MP3 collection of readings, talks and interviews, writer James Salter reads and discusses Davis' story Break It Down, interview by Francine Prose, Frieze Talks reading and interview, video of reading followed by Q&A, "A Position at the University" and a a discussion about the story, and finally, a number of links to her short stories: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. [Lydia Davis previously on MeFi]
I Will Wait For You And I Always Will
Jason Anderson, the singer who's "equal parts Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison" has remastered and rereleased his classic EP 'Omaha' and is offering it for free from his website. You can read an interview with him here, which talks about meeting Calvin Johnson and his days as Wolf Colonel.
Who Wore It Better
Who Wore It Better is an ongoing visual research project presenting associations and
common practices in contemporary art.
Google Maps, Now Customized
For years, Google Maps has been the map of our world in a historically unprecedented way. The new Google Maps (announcement) will eschew the uniformity of the old Maps and instead customize the map experience based on a user's behavior. Some are concerned how this artificial narrowing will affect the way we experience places and relate to our urban spaces. Others believe the customization makes the new maps more honest. Most, however, will probably just want to comment on the huge overhaul to the interface.
Olympus Microscopy Resource Center digital video gallery
The Olympus Microscopy Resource Center digital video gallery, with: live cells, pond life and more, crystals and more.
Modular synthesizer worship music done right
Panos Cosmatos 2010 feature film Beyond The Black Rainbow (previously) was largely panned as being a self-indulgent, incoherent mess. But just about every reviewer who couldn't stand the homage to 70's/80's mindfuck cinema agreed with one thing: Jeremy Schmidts original score for the film, itself distilling all the best essences of 70's/80's era synth experimentation was a triumph.
Not Shazam, Not She Bop...
Hasbro's TV channel The Hub has premiered what it hope will be its next breakout hit after My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic... SheZow. The premise: a 12-year-old boy finds the magic ring that transformed his late aunt into a superhero. He tries it, and gains superpowers... and a girl-hero pink costume, pink lightsaber and a pink batmobile. The Daily Dot covers the inevitable mixed (and mixed-up) reaction. Transgender? Transvestite? Trans-silly? SheZow's creator Obie Scott Wade (a dude) who's on Twitter, explains simply "It's Tootsie with super powers." (Rated Y-7)
"No! I'm Not okay!"
As May evaporates into the lazy haze of June, why not take some time to reflect on that which really matters: The Best May News Bloopers (Some cursing), compiled by NewsBeFunny - a veritable treasure trove of flubs, goofs, spills, and camera-crashing.
Prancercise
The more you ignore me, the closer I get
Let me lay it plain: I have been, by a childish and ignorant member of the online community, banned. More: My input regarding Charli and Nico’s wedding is no longer even considered for publication! I have no idea why, and no one will give me the courtesy of a proper response. At first, I thought perhaps it was benign neglect, to re-appropriate a phrase, but I’ve since realized something much more sinister is afoot, so now—since I am no longer even allowed on Charlico.com—I am bringing this matter before you here on this august and humane recipe blog you call, surely in jest, BrendaCookingFun.com. The More You Ignore Me: a novel excerpt by Travis Nichols. From Electric Literature's Recommended Reading.
Jack Vance, dead at 96
“While we are alive we should sit among colored lights and taste good wines, and discuss our adventures in far places; when we are dead, the opportunity is past.”
― Jack Vance (1916-2013) [more inside]
Where the Garbage goes
I wonder where the garbage goes ? (slyt)
The poverty of suburban America
During the decade 2000-10 in the USA, for the first time the number of poor people in major metropolitan suburbs surpassed the number in cities. Between 2000 and 2011, the poor population in suburbs grew by 64% — more than twice the rate of growth in cities (29%). By 2011, almost 16.4 million residents in suburbia lived below the poverty line, outstripping the poor population in cities by almost 3 million people.
These are some of the grim findings of ‘Confronting Suburban Poverty in America’, a report by the Brookings Institution, and the implications of this report and its contents are that much more significant for Brookings is conservative in its outlook and advocacy. via
What kind of Asian are you?
More inspirational than Bill Cosby
An Alternative History of 11 American Female Doctors
An Alternative History of 11 American Female Doctors: "A new producer, Glen A. Larsons, changed up almost everything fans knew about Doctor Who. Gone was the constant traveling, and in its place Jennifer Jones' Doctor was now a scientist working exclusively for the United States military in exile on Earth. The comedic style that had always been a tremendous part of the show was left behind in order to capitalize on the drama skills of the Academy Award-winning actress." [more inside]
"Women were dying at the hands of butchers and incompetent quacks."
Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who opened the first abortion clinic in Canada and broke the law in doing so - which resulted in the Supreme Court of Canada ruling that criminal laws against abortion were unconstitutional - and who was subsequently made a member of the Order of Canada, has passed away at the age of 90.
Dhcmrlchtdj!
The Library of Babel is online! Recently digitized classics include Rtvcdg Lxcxahssds Qgflvab mge Bjbpd Orrq, Dgqqjv Iqfold xpx Ljg vjd Vapdophr, and Vmcyogxmvyrnle Lgjmyqsh Hfmni Lyvvdahec Bajvp Hlibiov, which appears by the gracious permission of Lbtddnbdqh Pjnghbdtvmi. [more inside]
Mr. Showmanship
Alors on Dance
This Monday the Belgian rapper/musician Stromae released his latest single Formidable to Youtube, where it has already gotten well over two million views. If you've heard of Stromae it's probably because of the success of his 2010 single Alors on Dance, which was an Europe-wide hit, later remixed by Kanye West and Gilbere Forte. That this song became such a huge hit was not entirely a coincidence, as Stromae and his manager hit upon a novel way to promote his music, as he explained in a TEDx talk in Brussel in 2010. [more inside]
Quebec's uncomfortable use of "blackface humor."
Recently, Quebec's annual comedy award show, Le Gala les Oliver opened with its host, Mario Jean, coming out in blackface to imitate a black comedian. Of course, there has been considerable stunned and angry editorials.
But this is not the first incident of the use of "blackface" in high profile in the province. In 2011, a McGill student filed a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights commission after his classmates donned blackface and imitated Jamaican stereotypes. [more inside]
The Unexotic Underclass
You won't have Michele Bachmann to kick around anymore
Controversial US Representative Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), announced on her website today she will not seek re-election in 2014 (NYT). Bachmann, whose 2012 campaign is currently under investigation by the FBI for alleged financial improprieties by top officials, was first elected to statewide office in 2000, defeating long term Republican (18 years) incumbent Gary Laidig in the primary and winning Minnesota's (state) Senate District 56. Two years later she defeated another incumbent, Jane Krentz (DFL) in the newly redrawn district 52. Her term in the MN Senate was marked by a series of cultural conservative initiatives and positions, including repeated attempts to introduce a MN Constitutional Gay Marriage ban (2003) (2005), as well as an attempt to insert creationism into the science curriculum in MN in 2003. [more inside]
Even the smallest dog can lift its leg on the tallest building.
Sailing: "A state of blissful awareness punctuated by sheer terror."
Shaped on all Six Sides: A short documentary about the craft and philosophy of wooden boat carpentry. [via]
Baltimore Train Derailment
A train derailed after hitting a truck near Baltimore yesterday.
TV news / Raw helicopter footage and citizens on the scene. (NSFW Audio and explosion is about a minute or so in)
Producers know what's acceptable. Everyone fears a call from Roger Ailes
"I was a liberal mole at Fox News": Joe Muto explains how Fox News works on the inside and outlines how a day on The O'Reilly Factor works.
Twitter API returning results that do not respect arrow of time.
It started as an afternoon hacking project with your Twitter API. I called it @timebot. I set it running just over a year ago.
"family, nationhood, verbal imperative, and accountability"
"Trading Faith for Wonder: On Judaism's Literary Legacy". The LARB reviews Jews And Words, by Amos Oz and Fania Oz-Salzberger. [more inside]
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