The days of the legendary late-night FM DJ are pretty much behind us...with one notable exception.
Vin Scelsa, whose radio career spans 43 years on six different New York City FM stations, has developed a uniquely passionate following through his free-form show
Idiot's Delight, which blends an idiosyncratic array of music new and old, commentary, and
book recommendations. For decades, Vin has used his on-air time to read entire chapters of books, wax philosophical, and add to his
remarkable roster of guests.
Faithful fans chronicle
every aspect of the show, archive
past playlists and
articles, and even create works like this very homemade but very informative and worthwhile Unofficial Documentary: Parts
1,
2,
3,
4,
5.
[more inside]
posted by Miko
on Jun 29, 2010 -
11 comments
State of decay :"Over the years, Boston artist
Rosamond Purcell has photographed goliath beetles and translucent bats culled from the backrooms of natural history museums; a collection of teeth pulled by Peter the Great; moles flayed by naturalist Willem Cornelis van Heurn; and scores of worn and weathered objects, like termite-eaten books and fish skeletons."
posted by dhruva
on May 28, 2008 -
6 comments
Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show hosted by Jools Holland and David Sanborn which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists.
[YouTubeFilter, via] [more inside]
posted by carsonb
on Sep 16, 2007 -
32 comments
The Zobo! Spanish-American Chess Men! Where can you find these amazing products, including
Sanitary Belt Pads the
Toilet Mask, or a handy
goat harness, at amazing, rockbottom prices? The
Sears, Roebuck Catalog, of course. Everything you could need for the modern American family! They did
houses (
1,
2) even. Starting in 1888 and mostly selling watches, this venerable institution of consumerism spent its first
10 years rapidly growing and adding products, lasting for over 100 years before finally folding in 1993. The catalog still stands as a detailed historical document of what the average American would buy to get through life. They make a fun collector's item,
too (1902 available on
CD-ROM as well).
[ This post inspired by the 1902 Sears, Roebuck Catalog blog. ]
posted by tweak
on May 26, 2006 -
11 comments
Apparently the Web is getting less eclectic. The basic gist is that the Web, once a vibrant and quirky place, is just becoming a repository of dullness and repetition with such an overabundance of information that people tend to stick to sites that they know and love. What's your take on it?
(Thanks to Zach at Thinky.org for the link.)
posted by bshort
on Aug 27, 2001 -
35 comments
