June 8, 2020
Deconstring Blip, A Fully Mechanical Version of Pong
The Tragic Lie Behind the Beautiful Dream of Terrace House
Vox [CW: suicide]:
The show, then, is a perpetual commentary on what it means to be a public figure living an “authentic” life in the intensely private space of the Terrace House, nonetheless aware at all times that you’re being filmed. As the house’s residents watch the show on TV, they frequently cringe at themselves and adjust their behavior week after week, trying to recalibrate their expectations of themselves and each other, according to the edits onscreen and the social media reactions of the show’s viewers. Where other reality TV shows normally sequester their stars, Terrace House crafts dramatic narratives for its seasons by doing just the opposite. It allows residents to interact with the world as the world reacts each week to the show. This meta-layering creates what Ridker called “genuine literary excellence.” But it also may have created a parasocial illusion of intimacy that was always destined to blow up — though not in a way anyone could have predicted, staged, or scripted.[more inside]
Gymkata.
Eakins' The Gross Clinic: between gore of surgery and sublimity of art
"These last two months I’ve grown obsessed with one American painting: a bloody masterpiece of pain and healing, made in Philadelphia nearly a century and a half ago. Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) was still a young artist when he completed 'The Gross Clinic' (Wikipedia) an in-action, up-to-the-minute depiction of the vanguard of American medicine that feels particularly relevant right now." Critics initially hated it, but now praise it. Jason Farago reviews the painting, in detail, in an interactive New York Times article [more inside]
Let's build a Pyramid
RAMBONER
Twitter user silliWillis (@bubblemonkey15) dresses a penis (presumably theirs) in cute costumes. So, so NSFW. (h/t ColdChef)
nuance shows up in translation
How do you sign ‘Black Lives Matter’ in ASL? For black deaf Angelenos, it’s complicated.
The phrase begins with four fingers cut across the brow, followed by two thumbs drawn up like breath from navel to chest, ending with a fierce tug with two hands down from the chin into fists toward the heart. Black. Life. Cherish. This is how Harold Foxx and many other black deaf Angelenos sign “Black Lives Matter,” though it is by no means a universal translation.(LA Times link) [more inside]
We Stand Together. Season Three is Available Now. Get the Battle Pass!
The Video Game Industry Has No Clue How to Respond to Protests [Vice Gaming] “As protests against police brutality and anti-Black racism have arced across the United States, the video game industry has been slow to show its solidarity with Black people in the community. When they do, some of these statements are shy of showing an actual commitment to the cause. [...] How can I trust that Activision Blizzard supports these protests when Blizzard suspended players for speaking out about the protests in Hong Kong last year, where protesters were also beaten by the cops? How am I supposed to believe EA is delaying its Madden announcement because it cares about Black lives, when it censored Kapernick’s name in a song in their last game? I am happy to see and hear the solidarity. But the games industry has to clean its own house too, and admit that it is part of the problem.” [more inside]
The Prisoner Audio
The BBC has produced a series of audio adaptations of Patrick McGoohan's series The Prisoner. They are up to Season 3, and three episodes are currently available:
Free For All, The Girl Who Was Death, and The Seltzman Connection. [more inside]
Pup 696
In this series of videos from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, orphaned Sea Otter Pup 696 is rescued, learns to drink from a bottle, has his fur fluffed and brushed, learns to swim, gets strong, chews on toys and gets an otter foster mom for sea-life survival skills. [more inside]
The Hollywood Reporter Pride 2020
The 50 Most Powerful LGBTQ Players in Hollywood: In its inaugural Pride Issue, The Hollywood Reporter honors the most powerful LGBTQ people in the industry who are making global culture more inclusive
3D animated tattoos
We only serve MEATLOAF and STRAWBERRY MILK
Driving into Athens from Nelsonville, it’s impossible to miss the massive billboard sitting on the right side of Route 33. The sign is loud, yellow and black, its text practically shouting at motorists, “WE ONLY SERVE MEATLOAF AND STRAWBERRY MILK.” This is the now-famous sign for Margie’s Meatloaf Mecca, a restaurant that doesn’t, and will never, exist.
Minneapolis Police Force Faces Change
From the StarTribune: In their boldest statement since George Floyd’s killing, nine Minneapolis City Council members told a crowd Sunday that they will “begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department.”
“We recognize that we don’t have all the answers about what a police-free future looks like, but our community does,” they said, reading off a prepared statement. “We’re committed to engaging with every willing community member in the City of Minneapolis over the next year to identify what safety looks like for you.”
Their words — delivered one day after Mayor Jacob Frey told a crowd of protesters he does not support the full abolishment of the MPD — set off what is likely to be a long, complicated debate about the future of the state’s largest police force. [more inside]
"We'll meet again"
Residents of a small street in the ancient city of Chester performed a one-shot “socially distanced production” last week, featuring World War II songs. Orchestrated by a musical director Matt Baker.
Paper models of older computers
"Construct the computer from your childhood or build an entire computer museum at home with these paper models, free to download and share." via Ian Visits.
What was that?! Was it a burp?
Classical flutist Heline reacts to hearing Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson for the first time. She later listens to Thick as a Brick, Bourée, Elegy, and Griminelli's Lament. [Previously]
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