October 3
Vivaldi's Four Seasons - as you have never heard them before
Nigel Kennedy, best known for this performance of the Four Seasons by Vivaldi at the Proms in 1989, decided to give the popular classical piece a make over. He invited the Palestine Youth Orchestra to ". . . bring(s) fresh insights to these visionary concertos, including the addition of his own improvised links between them." Youtube Link [more inside]
Opplopolis
An esoteric ensemble of characters scour the city of Opplopolis for clues to the mysterious Marvedyne. (by Kit Roebuck, formerly of Nine Planets Without Intelligent Life [previously])
Tough enough to be a Sissy in Wyoming
'Longtime cross-dresser Sissy Goodwin of Douglas, Wyo., has been anything but weak as he stands up to bigotry in the Cowboy State.' 'A stranger once drove up to his house and kicked out his front teeth. People called him a queer and a pervert. He's also been booted from countless stores, hotels and restaurants, all because of the way he dresses.' 'While Wyoming is the self-proclaimed Equality State, Goodwin has another name for the place: the Mississippi of the West, where equality comes only to the majority. He says his greatest insults have come not from any homophobic cowboys, but from people he'd known since childhood who snubbed him in public. He was once asked to avoid a local Democratic Party peace rally because organizers were embarrassed by his cross-dressing.'[LAT link, use privacy settings in browser, if needed]. [more inside]
Everywhere you look, something tells a story.
Gizmodo's look at the "Wildly Functional Studio of Video Wizard Casey Neistat." (SLYT) [more inside]
There's danger in everything
Music video for 'Wor' by Django Django filmed at the Indian Well Of Death in Allahabad (SLYT)
The One and Only Damita Jo Freeman
Damita Jo Freeman is awesome. In more ways than one. Her appearance with Joe Tex would have gotten her fired had it not boosted Soul Train's ratings. As one of the more successful of many Soul Train Dancers, Damita Jo was instrumental in standing up for better working conditions for the dancers. Also, she is is partially responsible for teaching Michael Jackson how to moonwalk. Read all about this amazing woman here.
Journal of Irreproducible Results
No, no, no---the other custom of the sea
You know what they say… When in Africa, create a mimed rendition music video of the 1983 smash hit “Africa” by Toto and post it on Youtube? I actually don’t know anyone who says that, but that’s just what the crew of a Subsea 7 contracted OSV did and their video is making the rounds this week on the internets. (slytp via gCaptain) [more inside]
Does it turn into energy? Does it go into the toilet?
In a TEDx talk from Queensland University of Technology, Ruben Meerman asks and answers a question many everyday people seem not to know the answer to: When you lose fat, where does it go? [more inside]
Whose's afraid of the NSA?
Tired of having all your posts and emails read by people you don't know? Aware that Congress will do nothing to change domestic spying; your president will not to stop it. And technology seemingly unable to restore privacy? Well here is your chance to Occupy NSA
Feral cat wranglers vs. Trapper John
On the mean streets of Chicago, it's feral cat colonists versus Trapper John, the rogue former Animal Control worker.
Three strikes
Lakisha Briggs was a victim of domestic abuse, having been beaten unconscious by her boyfriend. When a neighbour called the cops, the boyfriend went to prison for assault. And then the police served notic to her landlord to evict her and her 3-year old son or lose his rental licence. The reason? She'd made three 911 calls in four months and a local Norristown, Pa. police ordinance calls for tenants who do this to be evicted. [more inside]
"Making a The Field song is a bit like making a risotto."
Kompakt records is streaming The Field's fourth album, Cupid's Head, on Soundcloud. As that stream will eventually expire, some more information is below the fold. [more inside]
10 Things You Need to Know About Asgardians
MediAvengers: Earth's Mightiest Gossip is a blog of media parodies set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why Are There Still So Few Women in Science?
Last summer, researchers at Yale published a study proving that physicists, chemists and biologists are likely to view a young male scientist more favorably than a woman with the same qualifications. Presented with identical summaries of the accomplishments of two imaginary applicants, professors at six major research institutions were significantly more willing to offer the man a job. If they did hire the woman, they set her salary, on average, nearly $4,000 lower than the man’s. Surprisingly, female scientists were as biased as their male counterparts.
A wonderful long article by Eileen Pollack where she talks to her former mentors, the study authors, and the other female science professors at her alma mater. NYTMagazine, worth reading especially for the absence of glib simple answers.
(Previously, of course.)
you are watching us fight
When Turntable.fm launched in 2011 it served as a unique way to listen to music virtually with friends on the web. It works on the basis of groups that let users play music on virtual decks with a queue system, chat room, and the ability to search and upload music. Two years after its introduction, its creators are fighting to keep it alive.
There will always be scammers
Forbes provides a list of 5 major scams that have popped out of the woodwork with the beginning of deployment of the Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare). Be on the lookout! [more inside]
"Enclosed is a rough draft of a F.F. page..."
Sean Howe digs up "a February 1966 letter from then-Staff Writer Denny O’Neil to Marvel fan Jay DeNatale, [which] includes what’s possibly the earliest insider account of Marvel from someone other than Stan Lee." (via)
Fact Man Says: Learn an Instrument, Because It's Fun.
More wreck than Wrecking Ball?
Sinead O’Connor’s Remarkable Open Letter To Miley Cyrus "Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited, and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent."
"...somewhere where no one was asking me for anything.”
This does not stink.
Ultra-prolonged activation of CO2-sensing neurons disorients mosquitoes. It’s hard to hide from a hungry mosquito: the insects home in on their human targets by detecting body heat, carbon dioxide, and odors. Repellents containing DEET ward off mosquitoes and other bugs, but until recently (pdf) no one knew why. Some research indicated that mosquitoes smell and avoid the insect repellent DEET. (pdf) Armed with the knowledge that carbon dioxide (CO2) present in exhaled air is the most important sensory cue for female blood-feeding mosquitoes.... [more inside]
i want my mommy
Deadly Asian giant hornets - aka Vespa mandarinia - kill at least 41 people in China. Hundreds more have been hospitalized by these 2+ inch beasts with a sting that packs a human-tissue dissolving neurotoxin. Survivor stories are terrifying. Think you are safe in the U.S. or Britain? Nope and nope. (via @BitterOldPunk)
Dead drop "peer-to-peer" file sharing
Aram Bartholl created the first file-sharing dead drops as an art project in 2010, but since then the more than 1200 USB dead drops have been installed around the world (28c3 talk, blog). Also, WiFi based dead drops called WiDrops offer better security than USB dead drops, especially for Windows machines, but require power. [more inside]
Nope Nope Nope
Map animations of history
Youtube user EmperorTigerstar draws animated maps. Like this one, plotting the Franco-Prussian War, this one, depicting World War I, or this one, showing every day of World War 2 in Europe.
Previously, previously.
October 2
I might have stared too long at the paintings
Comics artist Grant Snider's (previously) ongoing series Who Needs Art? is part whimsical introduction, part loving tribute to the great artists and art movements of the 20th century. [more inside]
“No, it's WEE-ner. Like a penis.”
You are what you read
Pump action oreo separator
The Slingshot Channel presents: The pump action oreo repeater, with optional separator. The toilet brush sniper rifle. The toilet brush revolver. Bonus - Can a slingshot hit harder than a handgun?
Hey, let's go see that movie soon as we get off the plane!
Swinging Sixties Film Posters from Japan - Bootleg Film Posters from Ghana - Retro Film Posters from Thailand
My God, it's full of stars
Chandra Sky Map - Joe DePasquale runs through the process of creating the map and some helpful tips for using the interactive tool.
Don't Look Down
Menace
The thing about being an unstoppable force is that you can really only enjoy the experience of being one when you have something to bash yourself against. Allie Brosh is in fine form in the latest Hyperbole and a Half, which is oddly appropriate for almost-Halloween.
Previously. Previouslier. Previouslierer. Previousliererer.
You, sir, are a fine dog.
I Was Made For Dancin'
The fever spread to fans across the country and every conceivable economic circumstance -- from an ex-Playboy Bunny to a hardcore riot grrrl, from a Park Avenue princess to an ultra-feminist dockworker. Their idol worship might have made for an innocent story of feminine fawning, but it escalated into a tragicomic odyssey, an interactive soap opera of warring Web sites, giddy cross-country road trips and existential epiphanies. A look at the twisted world of Leif Garrett fandom, from 2000.
Feminist Video/Film Artists
ROSLER, Martha: Martha Rosler Reads Vogue (1983) and Born to be Sold: Martha Rosler Reads The Strange Case of Baby S/M (1988) are accessible works of video art created by Martha Rosler in association with Paper Tiger Television to illustrate basic issues in feminist thought. Rosler is also well-known for her video performance piece, Semiotics of the Kitchen (1975), which continues to inspire new work. Her Vital Statistics of a Citizen, Simply Obtained (1977) has a similar take on the measurement of a woman's body.
KREISINGER, Elisa: Pop Culture Pirate is the home of remix artist Elisa Kreisinger's feminist utopian works, including videos related to Mad Men: Set Me Free (2012); Don Loves Roger (2012); and The Evolution of Peggy Olson (2013). But also Queer Housewives of NYC (2009): One & Two. Queer Carrie (2009-2010): One, Two, & Three. The Real Feminists of Beverly Hills (2011). The Real House Husbands of New Jersey (2012). Ann Romney Loves Women (Remix) (2012). And For Your Consideration: Oscars 2011 (2012).
That's two ... [more inside]
Your face might melt before the popsicle.
Dean Martin used to make a joke in his stage shows: "I don't drink anymore. I freeze it and eat it like a Popsicle". But how exactly does that work? It's not exactly as simple as whipping up some Koolaid, poring it in a mold and sticking it in the freezer. And though summer is over and autumn is here, that's no reason not to indulge in a Tequila Lime Margarita Pop or a Havana Mojito Popsicle. And if you're feeling really daring, how about some Absinthe Pops?
Matana Roberts - Coin Coin
Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile (full album stream) is the second instalment in Matana Roberts's projected 12 part Coin Coin series of albums, "using the language of acoustic jazz to look at ideas of race, class and gender politics in American society".
Coin Coin was the nickname of a totemic figure from African-American history, Marie Thérèse Metoyer – a freed slave who founded a community along the Cane River in Louisiana in the late 18th century where people of colour enjoyed greater freedoms and opportunities than they could in most other places in the South. [more inside]
Things... that deserve a cease and desist order
Terrible Things is a party-style board game that recently finished a successful Kickstarter campaign. Yesterday Quinn & Sherry, the publishers of Things..., sent a cease and desist order to the makers of Terrible Things demanding that the game's title be changed.
"Is your position that any board game published with "Things" in the title infringes on Quinn & Sherry's trademark?"
Their answer was a simple "Yes." [more inside]
"Is your position that any board game published with "Things" in the title infringes on Quinn & Sherry's trademark?"
Their answer was a simple "Yes." [more inside]
The Perils of Presidentialism, in Action
Political theorist Juan Linz died Tuesday at the age of 86. His work focused on comparative government, including studies on totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. Linz was also a prominent critic of the presidential system of government used in the United States and in much of Latin America. In his essay, "The Perils of Presidentialism" (later expanded into book form as The Failure of Presidential Democracy), Linz argued that presidential systems are inherently unstable, as they invariably lead to standoffs between the president and the legislature, each with competing claims to legitimacy. Thus, as in many Latin American countries, presidential systems frequently collapse, and often are replaced with dictatorships. The one exception to that pattern has been the United States--at least until recently. In an interview in January of this year, Linz argued that the US was succumbing to the same dysfunction as other presidential regimes. In Slate, Matthew Yglesias commemorates Linz by warning that the American system of government may be doomed to an endless cycle of crisis and constitutional disintegration, as evidenced by the government shutdown. Dylan Matthews concurs, arguing that the shutdown is "James Madison's fault."
Ten movable bridges (plus two bonus items)
Ten movable bridges for you.
“I tell them you learn to write the same way you learn to play golf...”
Silk Road shut down, owner indicted
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has seized the domain of the popular online black market site Silk Road (previously), and indicted the site's owner, Ross Ulbricht, better known as Dread Pirate Roberts (previously).
"This is just a fashionable jacket."
There has been much debate about how to respond to Russia's recent anti-LGBT laws in the context of the upcoming Sochi Winter Olympics. This previous post on the Blue covers it all in fine detail.
In potentially related news, Germany unveiled their uniforms their athletes will wear during the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as during medal presentations. [more inside]
Applying Nicoll's Law
"Voyager's main transmitter shines at a feeble 22 watts, which is comparable to a car-mounted police radio or -- in visible light -- a refrigerator light bulb. Though incredibly weak by the standards of modern wireless communications, Voyager's signal is astoundingly bright when compared to most natural objects studied by radio telescopes." -- Even as Voyager 1 has left the Solar System (again), it can still be easily detected by telescopes on Earth, showing once again there ain't no stealth in space.
The Leidenfrost Maze
When a liquid is dropped onto a smooth plate that is heated to a specific temperature well above its boiling point, boiled vapor will get trapped underneath the remainder of the droplet insulating it from the hot plate, allowing it to dance around the plate like oil on a wet surface in what is known as the Leidenfrost effect. Intriguingly, surfaces that are grooved into the shape of a saw blade will cause droplets suspended by the Leidenfrost effect to predictably skitter in the direction of the groove, allowing University of Bath undergraduate students Carmen Cheng and Matthew Guy to build a fascinating maze. [more inside]
"Between the pit of man's fears, and the summit of his knowledge."
On this day in 1959, The Twilight Zone premiered. Here is the orginal pilot with a long pitch from Rod Serling to sponsors explaining the show, and previewing the first season up front
Mutual Interests: Running, Balls, Water, Rolling
Need six minutes of idyllic friendship, peace, and harmony in your life? Horse and dog are friends.
(dance break)
Marina V. Shifrin, a news clip producer, was frustrated with her job. So she made a video, and using the power of interpretive dance, she sent her boss a message. It is awesome. [via]
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