Shady Grove and Foggy Bottom sound like Westerosi names anyway...
July 17, 2013 1:46 PM Subscribe
You know how you had heard there was a cool video out there showing the growth and construction on Capitol Hill rendered in 3D animation and you were all, eh, I'll watch it once somebody puts it on the same page as the Game of Thrones theme so that I can get the full experience? Well now you have no more excuse.
All that beautiful introduction and we spend the whole season talking about fucking Dorne (ps: Florida is Dorne).
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:06 PM on July 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:06 PM on July 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
I know I'm a geek, because I was upset that they omitted the 1958 reconstruction of the East Front of the Capitol Building.
(What? You actually thought that it was old? Would you also be surprised to know that the White House was completely gutted in 1956?)
Also, I'd love to find the guy who thought that the Capitol Visitors Center was a good idea. Putting all of the support staff underground in tiny offices with no windows has really done wonders for employee morale.
posted by schmod at 2:10 PM on July 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
(What? You actually thought that it was old? Would you also be surprised to know that the White House was completely gutted in 1956?)
Also, I'd love to find the guy who thought that the Capitol Visitors Center was a good idea. Putting all of the support staff underground in tiny offices with no windows has really done wonders for employee morale.
posted by schmod at 2:10 PM on July 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
The White House renovations were under Harry Truman, starting in 1950.
posted by Longtime Listener at 2:18 PM on July 17, 2013
posted by Longtime Listener at 2:18 PM on July 17, 2013
Alternatively, given the ever and ongoing power consolidation towards America's capitol, The Hunger Games music may be a more apropos accompaniment for this nifty animation.
posted by cleancut at 2:20 PM on July 17, 2013
posted by cleancut at 2:20 PM on July 17, 2013
On the other hand, I didn't know about the East Front of the Capitol. From a 1958 Associated Press story: "The first operation was erection of the scaffolding against the time worn sandstone. That is to permit making of molds of the carving and other details so they can be reproduced precisely. But this time they will be in marble. The soft sandstone now bears 35 coats of paint applied over the years in an effort to head off wear."
posted by Longtime Listener at 2:23 PM on July 17, 2013
posted by Longtime Listener at 2:23 PM on July 17, 2013
I was so going to post this, you bastard. The only reason I didn't because the Capitol Architect hadn't actually used the GOT music. Ah, well, to the winner go the favorites.
I guess I could tell people to replace the original version with the one where the actors who play the Stark kids sing the theme instead. I'm not sure if they watched the rest of the episode, though, and I don't know if I want to.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:28 PM on July 17, 2013 [6 favorites]
I guess I could tell people to replace the original version with the one where the actors who play the Stark kids sing the theme instead. I'm not sure if they watched the rest of the episode, though, and I don't know if I want to.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:28 PM on July 17, 2013 [6 favorites]
The Capitol, itself, is just one long slog of additions.
Bring back the Bulfinch Dome! (no, not really - the new one is better). I'll definitely need to watch this video later when I have the opportunity.
posted by Atreides at 2:37 PM on July 17, 2013
Bring back the Bulfinch Dome! (no, not really - the new one is better). I'll definitely need to watch this video later when I have the opportunity.
posted by Atreides at 2:37 PM on July 17, 2013
Oof. That music just makes me feel that in the next season our capitol is going to get sacked. Sacked hard.
posted by Phredward at 2:55 PM on July 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Phredward at 2:55 PM on July 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
Would you also be surprised to know that the White House was completely gutted in 1956?
Nope! I knew that because some Puerto Rican nationalists tried to assassinate Truman while he was living in whatever the guest house is called. The floors in the White House were shot or something ('shot' as in 'worn out' not as in 'shot by Puerto Rican nationalists').
I may have done a project on Truman in the fifth grade.
posted by hoyland at 2:55 PM on July 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
Nope! I knew that because some Puerto Rican nationalists tried to assassinate Truman while he was living in whatever the guest house is called. The floors in the White House were shot or something ('shot' as in 'worn out' not as in 'shot by Puerto Rican nationalists').
I may have done a project on Truman in the fifth grade.
posted by hoyland at 2:55 PM on July 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
Florida is Dorne
Only if Myrtle Beach is Kings Landing.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:06 PM on July 17, 2013
Only if Myrtle Beach is Kings Landing.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:06 PM on July 17, 2013
On the other hand, I didn't know about the East Front of the Capitol. From a 1958 Associated Press story: "The first operation was erection of the scaffolding against the time worn sandstone. That is to permit making of molds of the carving and other details so they can be reproduced precisely. But this time they will be in marble. The soft sandstone now bears 35 coats of paint applied over the years in an effort to head off wear."
That is interesting -- just a couple of days ago I read that during the carving of Mt Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum took into account that granite is eroded by wind and rain at the rate of one inch per 100,000 years so he made each nose, ear, brow and chin three inches longer than originally planned, so the sculpture will not be done for 300,000 years.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:52 PM on July 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
That is interesting -- just a couple of days ago I read that during the carving of Mt Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum took into account that granite is eroded by wind and rain at the rate of one inch per 100,000 years so he made each nose, ear, brow and chin three inches longer than originally planned, so the sculpture will not be done for 300,000 years.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:52 PM on July 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
There doesn't appear to be any House of Cards/Game of Thrones mashups in existence yet, so it's about time.
posted by Apocryphon at 4:30 PM on July 17, 2013
posted by Apocryphon at 4:30 PM on July 17, 2013
Putting all of the support staff underground in tiny offices with no windows has really done wonders for employee morale.
Offices? Move 'em to cubicles and when they complain move them to "shared open spaces." That's what my last job did.
I find it ironic that they put 3D renderings and floor plans on the internet, but try to take a photo of some of these places and the cops are in your grill. Ok, maybe not these places, but still. We protect bridges and police stations and dams from the dangerous eye of the photographer, all in the interests of making sure the terrorists can't see them, but actual shit terrorists would actually like to attack? Here's a promotional film!
posted by cjorgensen at 4:42 PM on July 17, 2013
Offices? Move 'em to cubicles and when they complain move them to "shared open spaces." That's what my last job did.
I find it ironic that they put 3D renderings and floor plans on the internet, but try to take a photo of some of these places and the cops are in your grill. Ok, maybe not these places, but still. We protect bridges and police stations and dams from the dangerous eye of the photographer, all in the interests of making sure the terrorists can't see them, but actual shit terrorists would actually like to attack? Here's a promotional film!
posted by cjorgensen at 4:42 PM on July 17, 2013
Would you also be surprised to know that the White House was completely gutted in 1956?
Not at all, I read about it on Metafilter.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 6:26 PM on July 17, 2013
Not at all, I read about it on Metafilter.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 6:26 PM on July 17, 2013
I really liked the GoT opening animations (and theme), although I haven't had an opportunity to get into the series yet (stupid HBO exclusivity!), so it disappointed me when I saw that the 2010 miniseries Pillars of the Earth had a ... rather familiar-looking and -sounding opening. Maybe it's just coincidence, but if so it's uncanny (differing styles of animation notwithstanding). Anyway, it's worth watching (produced by Tony and Ridley Scott), and works well enough as a sort of potted history of 11th century Britain.
posted by dhartung at 2:24 AM on July 18, 2013
posted by dhartung at 2:24 AM on July 18, 2013
« Older "We’re going from Bergdorf’s to Filene's here." | Basil Pao: The Man Who Shot Everything Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
I'll let other people provide links with the lyrical version, and the cat version, and the metal version, and the adorable cast members version.
posted by sparklemotion at 2:04 PM on July 17, 2013 [1 favorite]