June 10, 2009
But what would Frank Lloyd Wright say?
"[Jax de Leon's] last project as a student was a graphic representation of every note, word, instrument and voice from Come on, Feel the Illinoise! by Sufjan Stevens." Read an interview with him here.
Atlas Obscura
Karl Junker House is just one of the locations on Atlas Obscura from Curious Expeditions. [more inside]
Sometimes the present is just like the future was supposed to be
Robot penguins of the water and air are manufactured by German robotics manufacturer Festo, as well as aquatic and airborn rays (as in the fish). Here's another aquapenguin video from Festo's YouTube channel. These videos are so futuristic they don't seem real. [via, fittingly enough, William Gibson's Twitterfeed]
Saddam's Palaces
1 dress - 365 days
The Uniform Project - "Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies... The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India."
Discovering the Sun
Sungazer — discover the awesome beauty of the Sun. See images of Earth sized sunspots, towering prominences, and rivers of hot gas. Then, explore the cameras, telescopes, and accessories used in solar astro photography. (previously)
The Seven Types of Bookstore Customer
Hoping to work his way around to describing the graphic novel bookstore he wants to open some day, big box bookstore employee the Rocket Bomber has made strides in natural history by delineating the seven types of bookstore clients. Some snark in the comments has led to a followup post with additional how-to-run-a-bookstore musings.
U know me, and I know u, OMFGWTFBBQ
Woodworker/artist Sam Maloof dies
Self-taught Sam Maloof, who called himself a woodworker, died recently at 93. Here’s a somewhat balky 21-minute youtube of him being interviewed, whilst shaping and piecing a chair. [more inside]
How in the world were they making that sound?
In a fascinating, still-ongoing conference on The inkWell, Richie Unterberger talks about the process of researching and writing about the Velvet Underground, for his recently published day by day chronicle of the group. (book excerpts here)
Permanent Vacation for 17 Only $200M!
Isla del encanto?
With all the dust that's been* riled up by Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor (previously), everyone is suddenly taking an interest in Puerto Rico. A basic question that may come up is why we're there in the first place. Understanding that, we can see how the complicated relationship has played out between Puerto Rico, the US, and, most recently, the United Nations. Although the UN has urged the US to take steps towards establishing Puerto Rico's sovereignty, referendums held on the
island have overwhelmingly preferred the status quo and the US has been indifferent at best. But independence activists, after a twenty-year decline, may be on the rise. The island's current governor, Luis Fortuño, is pro-statehood. But the whole issue has taken a back seat since plans have been made to fire 30,000 government
workers, privatize some public services, and sell some the the government's US$3.2 billion debt. [more inside]
An extremely dangerous man or just a harmless socialite in a glowing atomic suit?
Señor Misterioso: who is he, why is he here? And who trims his mustache? Is he an interstellar voyager, world traveler, or something of a swinging socialite? He may appreciate art, yet he is disdainful of music. His activities have been tracked; his friends, companions, ideals and literarary leanings noted. His words are few, but his stories are many. He is no one, yet he is everywhere.
White-power gunman opens fire at Holocaust Museum.
OMG Did you ever see that show....
Mark Richardson muses about memory, personal history and YouTube. Specifically, he uncovered a storied 1970 Steel Mill gig (with Bruce Springsteen on guitar, audio only) that his wife's uncle MC'ed. And then the 15-year old Boss' garage band, The Castiles. And verified dim memories of seeing Andy Warhol, Bianca Jagger and Steven Spielberg discuss radios in your teeth on TV, and John Cale on a TV game show. And an old Highland Appliances TV ad. That kind of thing.
Djuna Barnes
Djuna Barnes (12 June, 1892 – 18 June, 1982) was an American writer who played an important part in the development of 20th century English language modernist writing and was one of the key figures in 1920s and 30s bohemian Paris after filling a similar role in the Greenwich Village of the teens. Her novel Nightwood became a cult work of modern fiction, helped by an introduction by T. S. Eliot. It stands out today for its portrayal of lesbian themes and its distinctive writing style. - Wikipedia [more inside]
KRAKADOOM!
"George"
Vogue.
When Kevin Atkinson gets home from a long day, he likes to play with his balls. "For those new to the blog, I've written a dataflow framework for real-time video effects, plus a number of effects implemented within that framework (some of which are demoed in the above video). In this post I'm announcing that I'm open-sourcing that framework."
1st day located 9gms crack in a false bottom cheetos container
Technocolor Tarheels
A View To Hugh. After Hugh Morton's death in 2006, the widow of North Carolina's most prolific photographer donated his entire collection, half a million transparencies, photographs, and negatives, to the North Carolina Collection at UNC. The "A View to Hugh" blog details the work of the team of archivists who are organizing and digitizing the collection. [more inside]
The High Line, Transformed
The first stage of New York City's High Line redesign was opened to the public yesterday, and reviews are generally favorable. The city's newest park (whose concept is similar to Paris’s Promenade Plantée,) transforms an abandoned, above-ground, elevated freight train track into a nine block "lofty expanse of walking and green spaces that stretches 60 feet wide in some spots". It also provides visitors with a unique look at some of the city's architecture and layout. (Previously on MeFi) [more inside]
The scourge of wedding registries
The challenge is on...like bacon!
Food writer Michael Ruhlman has issued the BLT From Scratch—Summertime Challenge where participants must cure their own bacon, grow their own lettuce and tomatoes, bake their own bread and make their own mayonnaise.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
A Gay Soldier's Husband — In the backdrop of the conservative activist Supreme Court's recent decision against hearing a challenge to the US military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, one gay American relates the difficulties he faces having a partner on active duty in Iraq. In Iraq itself, death squads continue to murder gay and lesbian Iraqis, while American occupying forces look the other way.
Just getting along
Homelessness is more and more common in the real world - and now it exists within The Sims. Meet Alice and Kev, a father and daughter just trying to get along without two Simoleons to rub together.
Rejoice nerds!
Recent studies indicate that while big muscular hunks get more sex they do so at a cost. Wimps have faster reaction times.
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