MetaFilter posts tagged with roy

It's just not the same without Caaaaaptain Chaos!

zarq — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:41:03 -0800

There are just 2,795 miles of interstate and 31,000 highway cops between them and the all-time speed record for crossing the American continent on four wheels. Welcome to the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, later known as the US Express race: The Cannonball Run. From the article's sidebar: * Multimedia: The Route, Coast to Coast * Alex Ross' Final Driveplan: 31:39 Driveplan 1 Final (Merciless Assault Reprisal 00) * In Pictures: Transcontinental Speed Demons * Follow Alex Roy's Journey Using Customized Google Earth Maps * Sims Designer Had the Wright Stuff for Street Racing Way Back When * Team Polizei 144 Site * 32 Hours 7 Minutes Web Site * The Driver by Alex Roy Previously on Mefi * 2005: 31 Hours, 7 Minutes * 2007: 31 Hours, 4 Minutes

It always starts the same way.

carsonb — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 17:47:42 -0800

"You are in a spooky cave. Lying on the floor you can see a skull covered with cobwebs and there are rats scurrying through the shadows bent on who knows what acts of unhygiene. You shudder and clutch your terrapin to you for comfort. You review the poor life choices that led you to this unwholesome spot. On a walking holiday in the hinterlands, you foolishly walked off the designated walking path and struck out on your own. In a deep scary forest you saw the cave entrance and in a moment of rash curiosity ventured in. Little did you suspect what was about to befall... Now in your dismal predicament you deplore the neglect and slovenliness around you and prepare to leave. But just then there comes the faint sound of singing drifting out of the depths of the cavern. It seems... somehow familiar... Curiously, you venture in that direction, descending deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth as sinister stalactites drip around you and evil bats wheel overhead and shriek like your ex-wife when you had suggested playing certain harmless dressing-up games with her. At the end of the tunnel you come to a rotting oak door with rusty iron hinges. The handle is in the shape of a skull! From behind it you hear a vaulting tenor voice singing forlornly...

The Roy Orbison in Clingfilm Adventure Game, by Ulrich Haarbürste Read the first Roy Orbison in Clingfilm story Also, here's two recent interviews with Ulrich Haarbürste, by Brian Warfield at his website, and by A. Wolfe at Vice. The conceit has been extended to YouTube, unsurprisingly. Here's an advanced and enlightening xtranormal animation of a Roy Orbison in Clingfilm story. And a musical adaptation of the first Roy Orbison in Clingfilm story. Previously, Ulli's Novel of Roy in Clingfilm and, almost a decade ago, Roy Orbison in Clingfilm.

Eat the Titanic? Or, Biological Relay Chat.

mephron — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:56:20 -0800

In 2000, microbial ecologist Roy Cullimore and Charles Pellegrino (author of Ghosts of the Titanic) discovered that the Titanic was being eaten by an extremeophile super-organism, transforming the steel into huge pillars of rust. [Previously, regarding the Titanic.] The super-organism network communicates through a process called quorum sensing, using chemical transmissions to coordinate the work of the bacterium that compose it. (The Quorum Sensing behavior mechanism is also being experimented with as an anti-technique for antibiotic-resistant organisms, shutting down the disease's pathogenic nature in a way that does not select for resistance in the bacterium.)[Previously on bacterial communication.] [Previously on bacterial evolution..] Dr. Cullimore is a member of an project of the Past Foundation which has been examining a number of these deep wrecks, including ships sunk in the Gulf of Mexico during World War II (the Alcoa Puritan, and as example). Mr. Pellegrino notes on his website that he was a scientific advisor to James Cameron on 'Avatar' and that the theory for dinosaur making in 'Jurassic Park' came from writings he did. There has been some controversy about his work (see the Wikipedia link above), and he has done some work at addressing it on his site.

Talk of the Town: A McCarthy Era trial and tribulation

jeffisme — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:34:40 -0800

Miriam Moskowitz is one of the last survivors of the McCarthy era trials. She was sent to prison after being convicted of obstruction of justice in a trial that Roy Cohn said was a "dry run" for the Rosenberg case. Indeed, Miriam was in jail with Ethel Rosenberg. Her newly published book, "Phantom Spies, Phantom Justice" is one of the only books on the period to write about Ethel as a woman not as a symbol. The gripping memoir of Miriam's trial, her imprisonment and its aftermath, is also the first thing Miriam has ever written. At 94, that's quite an achievement. The Talk of the Town section of the New Yorker has a piece on Miriam. Click on the link to read it.

Listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar...

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:49:29 -0800

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the iconic American folk song The Wabash Cannonball was written as a tribute to an actual train, but in fact, in an interesting case of life-imitates-art, the actual train name was inspired by the song. The Lake Erie, Wabash, and St. Louis Railroad Company was formed in 1852, but there was no train called the “Cannonball” when the song was first sung late in the 19th century. There have been many, many, many wonderful versions through the years, but I think Roy Acuff pretty much owns it, wouldn't you say? [NOTE: See hoverovers for link descriptions] Scroll down on this Dick Kay and the Demise of the Wabash page and you'll find: "Click here to view streaming video of Dick Kay's Wabash Cannonball piece". It's an NBC news report from 1971, when the Wabash Cannonball was taken out of service. Interesting. I had never heard of him before researching this post, but Matthew Sabatella has a nice version that you can hear on this page, selling his CD. Scroll down to "Wabash Cannonball Listen". This version by a coupla good ole boys with 'lectric guitars playing along to a cheesy backing track probably won't win any awards, but they've thoughtfully included, in the text description of their video, a list of "variations" to be found in the lyrics of different versions. Here's a discography for Blind Willie McTell. You'll note his version of Wabash Cannonball was recorded at his "Last Session", in 1956, and released in 1962. Wabash Railroad Wikipedia page. A stretch of former Wabash Railroad track has been reclaimed as the Wabash Trace Nature Trail, popular, apparently, with bicyclists.

"Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money... or candy!"

bunnytricks — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:47:20 -0800

The Magic Hour: The Roy Sterling Story.

Films of Roy Andersson

billysumday — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 08:55:24 -0800

Ingmar Bergman once said that Roy Andersson "makes the best commercials in the world." The 64 year old Swedish director has also made a couple of striking feature films, including the 2000 Cannes Jury Prize winner Songs from the Second Floor (excerpt / reviews) and this year's still unreleased You, the Living (excerpt / review).

Aww, pants!

aftermarketradio — Wed, 02 May 2007 20:25:43 -0800

Meet Roy L. Pearson, Jr.. He's suing a small mom-and-pop dry cleaning business for damages regarding the loss of his prized pantaloons. Nice trousers, to be sure, but are they worth $67 million? Apparently, Mr. Pearson has a history of litigious lunacy (txt file). For more on frivolous lawsuits, check out these articles written by America's sweetheart Seanbaby!

"This One's For You, Walt!"

maryh — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 12:27:44 -0800

Thomas Kinkade, Painter of LightTM, seeks to "to touch people of all faiths, to bring peace, and joy into their lives through the images he creates." Not all of his side ventures have been considered successful. But now the Christian-themed artist is accused of ruthless business tactics and seamy personal conduct, including drunkenly heckling Siegfried & Roy and, um, wantonly marking his territory. Perhaps Kinkade hopes to follow in the footsteps of Jack the Dripper?

"You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train"

iffley — Wed, 10 Nov 2004 03:27:40 -0800

Arundhati Roy's call for action, on accepting the Sydney Peace Prize. (That's action from us specifically). I often find Roy's speeches overblown, overcooked and one-sided, and if that kind of rhetoric bothers you then you might want to skip this link. But she does speak lyrically, and I find it hard to argue against what she says this time.

Captain of Irish World Cup squad Keane sent home

tomcosgrave — Thu, 23 May 2002 06:12:18 -0800

Captain of Irish World Cup squad Keane sent home
This is big news here in Ireland. He's our best player - he keeps the team together on the pitch. But after some incidents in the past couple of days, and some prima donna style behaviour (something he's always been known for), he's been told to feck off. I think the manager did the right thing, but I can't help thinking that our chances of getting out of our group have been diminished...