July 21, 2017
Wet White Shirt
Jane Austen died 200 years ago this year. There are events planned. There are too many adaptations to list, though most will cite the BBC's production of Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth in a wet white shirt. Australian improv artists and rappers Sense and Spontaneity pay tribute to the scene, which wasn't in the book, in Dear Mr. Darcy. Jane's portrait will soon feature on the British £10 note.
TAKE TRADEMARK REGISTRATIONS WITH A BOULDER OF SALT
Nintendo trademark suggests Nintendo 64 Classic Edition [Polygon] “Nintendo may be planning to release the next iteration of its “Classics” console series: the Nintendo 64, if recent European trademark filings from the company are any indication. On July 18, Nintendo filed four graphical trademarks with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. Each one is a simple piece of black-and-white line art, a 2D graphical representation of a Nintendo console or controller.”
😮
History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes
Sixty-odd years ago, at the height of the Cold War, the Australian Labor Party (a predominantly working class political party founded in the union movement, and with a large, largely Irish and Italian, Catholic constituency) was torn apart when a faction of social and religious conservatives, citing the threat of Communism, split off to form the Democratic Labor Party. Led by Catholic hardliner B.A. Santamaria, the DLP would keep the ALP in opposition for almost two decades, giving the (right of centre, and then predominantly mainstream Protestant) Liberal Party a long spell in office. Now, lead by Santamaria's intellectual heirs, the same thing may be happening again—this time to the Liberal Party. [more inside]
They're good wolves, Bront
Your dog is basically a super social wolf, and scientists may have found the gene that makes him want to cuddle with you. [more inside]
So then Jada said, "Tiffany, what the hell is a Groupon?"
Comedian Tiffany Haddish tells Jimmy Kimmel about hanging out in New Orleans with Will and Jada Smith.
Euron Greyjoy looks like a guy ...
Uproxx shares a list of 22 things Euron Greyjoy looks like.
Lying to ourselves about mortality is what separates us from cats.
It's Okay to be a Coward about Cancer. Josh Friedman, tv writer and showrunner of the (late, beloved) tv series Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles, shares some thoughts on dealing with cancer. Cancer doesn’t give a damn how tough you are. Cancer doesn’t care if you stared down the North Koreans, or won the Tour De France, or wrote two seasons of a scary robot show.
A setup; a reveal; a slow Homeric smile.
A treasure trove of electronic tunes from Aphex Twin and his aliases
Aphex Twin recently launched a countdown on his website. It began on the same day he performed at Field Day festival in London, where he sold a mysterious 12" and, for the first time in his career, live-streamed his set. And then he dropped the biggest bomb: an expanded collection of the Richard D. James releases since 1991, even pulling from some of his alternate alias side projects (AFX, Polygon Window, The Tuss, etc). You can buy FLAC or MP3s, or use the embedded streaming audio player with unlimited access to the entire catalog, and there's still more to come...
The moustache is still there and will be for centuries.
Why Women Pretended to Be Creepy Rocks and Trees in NYC Parks During WWI
Imagine taking a quiet stroll through the expansive wilderness of Van Cortlandt Park in Bronx, New York. You’re surrounded by a forest of oak trees, stony ridges, and a tranquil lake—completely isolated and alone in nature. But in 1918, visitors to the 1,146-acre park were unaware that they were in the company of a group of women hiding among the rocks, trees, and grass. [more inside]
Mathematical Paintings of Crockett Johnson
From 1965 until his death in 1975 Crockett Johnson painted over 100 works relating to mathematics and mathematical physics. Of these paintings, eighty are found in the collections of the National Museum of American History. We present them here, with related diagrams from the artist’s library and papers. [more inside]
Or at least those that a relatively well read American would know
The Most Iconic Books Set in 150 Countries Around the World is probably a deeply silly list, but perhaps fun to argue about on a Friday afternoon?
there is a reason it looks like pvc piping and couplings...
In 2002, the Science Museum of Minnesota absorbed the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices when the curator's health failed. Many of them are still on display, but even those of us unlucky enough to live far from St. Paul can still tour the museum virtually. Come see the foot-powered breast enlarger! Feast your eyes on the Prostate Gland Warmer! Marvel at the Timely Warning! But whatever you do, perhaps don't sample the delights of the Shoe-fitting X-Ray or the Relaxacisor.
Big Pacific Behind The Scenes Filming Pufferfish Building A Nest
Take 15 minutes to watch "Chapter 1" of this Big Pacific episode "Behind The Scenes", wherein a film crew innovates ways to film a pufferfish building a nest to attract a female. I'm sorry there is no transcript, and I can't check for region blocking. [more inside]
Does “Fuel On Hand” Make Coal and Nuclear Power Plants More Valuable?
Does “fuel on hand,” stored onsite in substantial amounts, make fueled power stations somehow more resilient and valuable than other generators? It’s a good question with more claims than analysis, but historical experience may suggest useful insights. (Rocky Mountain Institute)
« Previous day | Next day »