May 4, 2008
Figures of Anachronistic Action
Sillof's Workshop features steampunk/gaslight versions of some pop culture's most-loved heroes, as well as dioramas based on Star Wars scenes.
University presses have podcasts
Invisible Handwriting is the blog of Heron & Crane Productions, who do podcasts for the MIT, Harvard, Yale and University of California presses. Heron & Crane link to every episode they produce from their blog. The Rutgers Press and University of Michigan Press do their own podcasts. All podcasts are almost exclusively interviews with authors of books recently published by the presses. Heron & Crane also does a business management podcast called The Invisible Hand.
The Little Aussie Bleeder
Garry McDonald, aka Norman Gunston, aka the "little aussie bleeder," may be well known out Australia way. For most Americans, however, Norman G remains far, far down under the radar. But he's the forefather of the UK's Ali G; he's Canadian Nardwuar thee Human Serviette's nerdier dad; he's America's Lazlo Toth (US) with a combover and a microphone; he's Jiminy Glick's Jack Sprat. Perhaps you saw Norman long ago in a segment on USA Network's Night Flight variety show. [bonus: many many youtubes of Night Flight segments, courtesy of this awesome website.] But I bet you didn't know he released a KIckaSS single (among others), jammed with Frank Zappa, and was at the right place and time to upstage a piece of Australian History. Not bad for someone whom Keith Moon dumped his drink on and called a "great pooftah." [more inside]
The Great White Way?
When Brad and Amy got married, Amy's "Man of Honor" got up to give his toast -- a musical toast. Other friends and family joined in, much to Amy's surprise, and the result, captured here on video, is pretty darned delightful.
Just call 'em slabs of joy.
Bacon caramel. Candied bacon and egg ice cream. Bacon lip balm. Bacon bra (NSFW). Bacon placemants. French-fry coated bacon on a stick. An overabundance of bacon cakes. Bacon cookies. Bacon and bourbon. And fifty other ways to use MeFi's favorite food--BACON.
Hollywood Chinese
Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films (official site w/Flash) Filmmaker Arthur Dong covers the good (YT), the bad and the players (link to Flash video clips) in his latest award-winning documentary. Related MeFi post.
Walk of Flame
Blue, green and grey must have a calming effect. Elsewhere, discussions can be...ignited. Flame Warriors. via
Hmmmm...
The annual northward migration is in full swing. The first time you see one on your feeder for the new season is cause for a big smile (maybe a little waving of arms). These little guys can weigh as little as a penny, yet will consume nearly twice their body weight every day. Have you guessed? Yes, it's a hummingbird flight of fancy. (Attenborough video) [more inside]
Virtual Age and Life Expectancy Calculator
Virtual Age and Life Expectancy Calculator "Your Virtual Age is a reflection of your health and vitality. The lower your Virtual Age the better shape you are in. It is used to calculate the Life Expectancy of someone of your current physical age." [more inside]
Tales of the City
In 1974 - or 1976, depending who you ask - Armistead Maupin began writing "an extended love letter to a magical San Franciscoā€¯ in the form of a serialized, fictional drama published originally in the Pacific Sun, the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner, originally called "The Serial" which then became collectively known as Tales of The City.
It is a suprisingly beautiful, deep, emotional, cosmopolitan and lasting tale about life in San Francisco in the turbulent, heady days of the 1970s and 1980s. Widely credited with and cherished for helping spread a little of the openess, tolerance and acceptance that San Francisco is now famous for. It then became a series of books - Tales of the City, More Tales of the City, Further Tales of the City, Babycakes, Significant Others, Sure of You - and lastly, the spin-off tale of Michael Tolliver Lives. Almost exactly twenty years after first publishing, it then became an excellent miniseries from the United Kingdom's Channel 4, which aired in the United States on PBS, but not without protest or limitations. [more inside]
Never Been
Never Been. A visual description of a year in the life of a fictional Eastern European village sometime around the early twentieth century. To explore "Never Been" click and drag the story. [more inside]
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