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"Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit, things that are easy, things that are free, things that you can do every day. Civility, respect, kindness, character. You're too good for schadenfreude, you're too good for gossip and snark, you're too good for intolerance—and since you're walking into the middle of a presidential election, it's worth mentioning that you're too good to think people who disagree with you are your enemy.... Don't ever forget that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world. It's the only thing that ever has."

On May 13th, Aaron Sorkin gave the commencement address to the graduating class at Syracuse University, a speech that has been mildly criticized for recycling some lines from his shows West Wing and Sports Night. Video. (Via.)
posted by zarq at 8:20 PM PST - 51 comments

Ernie Kovacs' groundbreaking television special, aired ten days after he died.
posted by timsteil at 8:09 PM PST - 20 comments

If we look at how fast they metabolize, it would take them a thousand years just to reproduce themselves. They may be much older than this. There’s no way of knowing.

Microbes found deep under the North Pacific Gyre in 86-million-year-old red clay, potentially millions of years old, force us to rethink the timescales, ranges, and conditions that life can attain. (The main text of the paper is unfortunately paywalled.)
posted by jjray at 7:38 PM PST - 34 comments

The Rev. Charlie Jackson of Louisiana (1932–2006) was a purveyor of some of the rawest, grittiest blues music about Jesus that you've ever heard. In a TV variety show appearance on his one and only concert tour of Europe, the Reverend maintained a warm and friendly manner through a somewhat condescending interview, and went on to perform Wrapped Up, Tangled Up in Jesus with some backing vocal help from the legendary El Dorados.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:14 PM PST - 11 comments

I got an e-mail from a friend asking if I wanted to attend a screening on the Fox lot of Peter Bogdanovich's original cut of At Long Last Love. And the answer in a case like should always be yes. [more inside]
posted by Trurl at 7:02 PM PST - 17 comments

"The NAACP has opposed and will continue to oppose any national, state, local policy or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the Constitutional rights of LGBT citizens. We support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution." Today, the NAACP passed a resolution endorsing same sex marriage.
posted by cashman at 5:42 PM PST - 99 comments

One of the side effects of being a 5-day, live show was that the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows featured regular technical and acting flubs. Many, many, many flubs [more inside]
posted by The Whelk at 4:43 PM PST - 25 comments

Creating the Windows 8 user experience — an inside look from the Windows engineering team, with a brief history of the Windows user interface.
posted by cenoxo at 4:03 PM PST - 98 comments

Is a List of Greatest Guitarists Without Jimi Hendrix Worth Talking About? vs. SPIN's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
posted by BEE-EATING CAT-EATER at 3:04 PM PST - 119 comments

Webwandern. Hike the Swiss Alps but don't bother getting out of your chair. Site is in German, but easy to navigate.
posted by zardoz at 2:27 PM PST - 13 comments

Radiohead's Kid A has been transcribed to the "8-Bit" style in full.
posted by Algebra at 12:43 PM PST - 35 comments

Is death bad for you? [more inside]
posted by lalochezia at 12:25 PM PST - 99 comments

Tree poaching: 800-year-old red cedar stolen from a provincial park is in the news today, but tree poaching is an ongoing problem in the province. Valuable decorative wood such as curly maple is sought after and stolen eg in 2009 from Burnaby Mountain Conservation area. Another curly maple. To identify which trees to steal, many others may be damaged. Here's a Picture of damage in a discussion where guitar-lovers feel accusations are unjust.
posted by Listener at 12:10 PM PST - 38 comments

Since 2007 (or 1997) Dmitry Samarov has been writing and drawing the highs and lows (mostly lows) of driving a cab in Chicago.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:13 AM PST - 21 comments

Here’s thirteen hypnotic minutes of someone using a lathe to turn a giant jawbreaker into a shot glass. [SLYT] [more inside]
posted by quin at 10:24 AM PST - 49 comments

WFNX is D-E-D, dead. The last remaining Boston indie major market radio station, WFNX, has been sold to Clear Channel Communications. 17 full- and part-time staffers, including almost all the current radio personalities, have been laid off. The station will continue to operate for a few months with a skeleton crew until the FCC approval and changeover. [more inside]
posted by clone boulevard at 9:54 AM PST - 72 comments

Norman Rides Again! [SLYT]
posted by Fizz at 9:29 AM PST - 39 comments

If you asked me two years ago whether I’d have a baby and give it away for money, I wouldn’t just laugh at you, I would be so insulted I might hit you in the face,” said Indirani, a 30-year old garment worker and gestational surrogate mother.
posted by latkes at 8:42 AM PST - 89 comments

Dan Harmon out as showrunner of Community. He responds
posted by whitneyarner at 7:13 AM PST - 276 comments

Would you want Carolyn Abbott, the worst 8th grade math teacher in New York City, to teach your kids? Probably. [more inside]
posted by DarlingBri at 6:57 AM PST - 58 comments

Turkey Dupstep
posted by rebent at 6:14 AM PST - 15 comments

When a Blow to the Head Creates a Sudden Genius
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:51 AM PST - 29 comments

Inside Halden, the most humane prison in the world. Pictures.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:39 AM PST - 71 comments

So-called jazz compositions may contain at most 10% syncopation; the remainder must consist of a natural legato movement devoid of the hysterical rhythmic reverses characteristic of the barbarian races and conductive to dark instincts alien to the German people (so-called riffs)

The story of Nazi jazz. [Previously.] [more inside]
posted by Sonny Jim at 2:28 AM PST - 42 comments

If you are very lucky you may see a fire rainbow once or twice in your life.
posted by Wolfdog at 2:18 AM PST - 39 comments

Kickboxer: Just the Kicking (SLYT) [more inside]
posted by Alex404 at 12:17 AM PST - 25 comments