January 25, 2009
Robots at War
Robots at War: The New Battlefield. "It sounds like science fiction, but it is fact: On the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, robots are killing America’s enemies and saving American lives. But today’s PackBots, Predators, and Ravens are relatively primitive machines. The coming generation of 'war-bots' will be immensely more sophisticated, and their development raises troubling new questions about how and when we wage war." [Via]
A ground for the love of men
Colm Tóibín reviews Edward Carpenter: A Life of Liberty and Love by Sheila Rowbotham a fine essay and good introduction to the life, thought and work of "the poet, socialist, free-thinker and sexual rebel" of high Victorian England, Edward Carpenter.
eerie imaginings from the East
Asian Horror Movies.com. 100's of free, streaming video, full movies, which have English subtitles. Index of titles updated regularly. Japanese, Korean, Thai. Includes a wide variety of films from an eccentric fantasy like 100% Wool to a psychological thriller like Angel Dust. [more inside]
Pretty Complex Stuff
Leave Me Alone! a jazz opera by Harvey Pekar (libretto) and Dan Plonsey
(music) will have its world premiere on January 31, 2009 at Oberlin College, presented in cooperation with Real Time Opera.
The performance will also be streamed live. [more inside]
"Slowly Screwing My Way Across Europe / They Had To Make A Correction"
R.I.P., Silver Jews. And btw, my dad is the anti-christ. Oh, and come see our last show January 31st. In a cave. [more inside]
Josep Andreu i Lasserre "Charlie Rivel" (Cubelles (Barcelona),1896-1983).
SHOOTING!
Three browser-based shmups for channeling your internet rage: Blueshift, Arcanacra and Rapture Capture. Tips inside. [more inside]
The End of Solitude
The End of Solitude. In an age when many people are rarely alone, in near-constant contact with social networks composed of both friends and strangers, are we facing the end of solitude as we once knew it? Have we lost the ability to enjoy our own company, and learned to fear loneliness instead? William Deresiewicz seems to think so.
Party like it's 1979.
Bang bang bang on the wall from dusk till dawn.
A playfully meta video. for Ladyhawke's "From Dusk Till Dawn."
Not Safe For Kids
The Junior Christian Science Bible Lesson Show is easily the most terrifying "children's show" ever broadcast. [more inside]
I don't mean to burst your bubble, but...wait, I guess I do.
Sunday Afternoon Flash Fun/Metafilter Convalescence Flash Fun: BubbleQuod. You have lived your entire life in a bubble. Now you want out. Burst your bubble.
Golf Course Architecture
Golf course architecture goes back more than 100 years. Golf courses can be incredibly beautiful, very tough, or extreme. Which are the best golf courses? Of course, the golf course critics over at Golf Club Atlas might not agree. [more inside]
A Kitten for Hitler
'Ten years ago, while working on The South Bank Show, Melvyn Bragg and I had a heated discussion on the pros and cons of film censorship. Broadly speaking, Melvyn was against it, while I, much to his surprise, was absolutely for it. He then dared me to write a script that I thought should be banned. I accepted the challenge and a month or so later sent him a short subject entitled A Kitten for Hitler. “Ken,” he said, “if ever you make this film and it is shown, you will be lynched.'That film has been made. The story behind it.
work. buy. consume. die.
UK design studio The Designers Republic has apparently gone out of business after 23 years. [more inside]
Tomato Juice Terrorism in the Skies
Airlines Use Terrorism Law to Punish Unruly Passengers. Since 2003, more than 200 airline passengers have been convicted of felonies for violating terrorism laws, many for incidents only involving yelling, cursing, or behaving drunkenly. One such passenger, Tamera Jo Freeman, was arrested and convicted for "an act of terrorism under the Patriot Act," after she spanked her children for toppling tomato juice, cursed at the flight attendant who confronted her, and tossed the juice can on the floor.
Wobble board, wobble board, I'm so flipping bored
Australia song - Adam Buxton of the Adam and Joe show gives musical tribute to the epically long Baz Luhrmann movie. [more inside]
Better Than 1000 Cookbooks
Recipe Goldmine. There are thousands of great recipes, but what makes this site special are the hundreds of recipes from popular restaurants everywhere. Many are "copycat" recipes and many are the originals shared by the chefs themselves. From Ruth's Chris recipes to Taco Bell, you'll be able to easily make it at home. [more inside]
Tenth and Juniper
Meet Eric, street poet. He's also a doctor of philosophy, but maybe that is the same thing? Sort of SLYTy, but goes to his blog. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Fair and Balanced
The Disasters' Emergency Committee is an umbrella organisation of 13 major British humanitarian NGOs: ActionAid, the British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tear Fund and World Vision. It was created to coordinate a rapid response to major disasters and to launch common appeals for donations to be broadcast in the British media. Since 1963, the DEC has previously successfully run appeals for the victims of a.o. the Asian Tsunami, the Darfur and Chad Crisis, the Congo Crisis, or the Burma and Bangladesh Cyclones. However, their latest appeal has been refused by the BBC. [more inside]
Some hae meat and canna eat, and some wad eat that want it, but we hae meat and we can eat, and sae the Lord be thankit.
Today is the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns, time to toast the haggis (youtube), or even make your own!
The Spice Must Flow
(Some links NSFW) Any down on their luck stoner is familiar with so called, "legal bud" Herbs of all kinds have been marketed online to the connectionless or legally restricted that offered a marijuana like high without the legal consequences. Everyone knows they are all scams.
It might surprise you, that some were not. Commonly sold under the names Spice or Zohai, mixtures of herbs sprayed with synthetic cannabinoid substances such as HU-210 or JWH-018 have been available online for at least the past four years. [more inside]
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