October 9, 2013
Malala Yousafzai leaves Jon Stewart speechless
“I’ll tell him how important education is, and that I even want education for your children as well. And I would tell him, ‘That’s what I want to tell you, now do what you want.’” - Malala Yousafzai (previously), shot by the Taliban a year ago, talks to the Daily Show's Jon Stewart about what she would do if a gunman came to shoot her again, as they have promised.
Absolute power! Bzzz Bzzz.
Give me your firstborn... to cuddle
In Egypt, a campaign to promote an ‘Egyptian Islam’
In Egypt, a campaign to promote an ‘Egyptian Islam’ “This is the new regime trying to create an official Islam, a state Islam, which doesn’t exist within the Islamic tradition,” said Emad Shahin, a professor of public policy at the American University in Cairo. “It’s providing a religious justification to tolerate the killing of possibly thousands of people, and it is sending alarming signals into many segments of society. This is exactly what you call fascism.” [more inside]
Why I Stopped Writing Recommendation Letters for Teach for America
As Lightning Prepares To Strike...
Claiming they haven't been asked any interesting questions in 17 years, Pearl Jam aren't [isn't?] doing any "press" for their new album release, but they have done some unconventional, interesting interviews: with director Judd Apatow [50m, via NPR.com], with Portlandia's Carrie Brownstein [part 1 of interview linked here, right-click and choose "open menu" or discover menu at end of each segment to view more parts, or those with FaceBook can "like" to gain access to full interview, around 1h total], with Down-Under surfer Mark Richards [34m, via Brisbane Times], and with former NFL star Steve Gleason [YT, 9m30s]. (This last is less an interview and more a news magazine feature on Gleason and his struggle with ALS.) [more inside]
Human - Remote Control Tourist(s)
For eight hours a day to Oct. 13, Facebook and Twitter users can log on to the Melbourne Remote Control Tourist website and "control" two volunteer explorers with helmet-mounted streaming video cameras. Users can check out the explorers' Instagram feeds, track their locations using Google Maps or FourSquare and ask them (via a tweet or Facebook) to visit certain places, check things out or even sing a song. via adage [more inside]
Ten UK album cover locations
Look Around You. Marijuana MAKES You Violent.
Marijuana MAKES You Violent "We are a community based organization that aims to raise awareness that marijuana causes violence. We are a science based, secular, apolitical group. We are seekers of peace and truth. Don’t believe the lies put out by the media that marijuana addicts are just harmless peaceful hippies. Anyone who consumes marijuana becomes violently enraged and is capable of committing atrocious acts of violence. The toxins in the marijuana destroy the hypothalamus and amygdala, all centers of reason and rationality disappear from the brain." [more inside]
Clearly you think you're a home design genius.
Mazal tov!
Penis Beaker
Mumsnet, the popular social network of (mainly UK) parents, suffered traffic load issues today due to a post-coital hygiene question. [more inside]
Can Even $200,000 Justify the Playing of a Bon Jovi Song
Factory Farm
"With the cold, atmospheric music and time-lapse shots, it’s more like an eerie, futuristic sci-fi film than an in-your-face animal rights video. There's no gushing blood here — just slow pans that gradually reveal the immensity of scale." Samsara (previously), from the directors of Baraka and Chronos.
Elvis Costello and the Roots: 'There's no such thing as too funky'
Ahmir Thompson, aka ?uestlove from The Roots, and their producer, Steven Mandel, are secret "Elvis freaks." One of their early discussions about agreeing to their gig on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon was the possibility about playing with Elvis. The Roots took the job, and Elvis has now played on the show five times. From these collaborations, the seeds of something bigger grew, and that came to a very funky (and political) fruition with Wise Up Ghost, embedded as streaming tracks in this Guardian review, and available in a single stream from a fan on YouTube. If you'd like to hear more about how the "remixing" of some prior Costello pieces (Pills and Soap, National Ramson, and Hurry Down Doomsday, to name a few songs), Costello and Thompson spent about 40 minutes with NPR's World Cafe, or you can read their interview with the Guardian.
We are wallowing in an atemporal zone of cultural production
Habitually verbose pontificator Will Self reviews the latest tome from Mark Kermode - Britain's Rockabilly Ebert - and in doing so, reviews the changing nature of criticism.
True blue or skewed hue?
Know your shades of corporate blue!
The Ultimate (Frisbee) Argument For Visiting Healthcare.gov
John Hodgman posted about the ACA, which led his followers to tweet him about the various health problems they had encountered and the effect insurance or a lack thereof had to their lives. Hodgman retweeted many of the stories from people in their 20's and then posted 17 reasons for young people to get insured to his blog.
Even a rising tide can't raise a sinking ship...
With the government shutdown now well underway and the effects beginning to be felt, the first debt default by a major world power in modern history since the collapse of the Soviet Union speeding toward us in what could be as little as a week, what will Americans and the world think of the US Congress that refused to pay the nation's outstanding debts, making America look like a dead-beat nation to potential investors around the world? Polls show Americans overwhelmingly blame congressional Republicans for the political standoff and shutdown. With some Republican congressmen on the record arguing that a US debt default may actually be necessary to rein in further government spending, it's easy to see why many Americans blame them. [more inside]
These were the people I loved. They said "Chink" and they said "faggot."
Why I Stay Closeted In Asia (SLBF)
I denied it, as my father and sister begged me to.
I couldn't exaggerate to you how much my mother's face lit up, or how much I wanted, for a shameful second, for my lie to be true. I began to tell her a story, got into the groove, told it with what could be called pizzazz, or maybe just mercy. A monthlong fling with a Korean girl became a year ("I liked her; she had a cocaine problem"). Immediately she laughed with relief.
"I wouldn't know how to deal if you were, you know, that" she said.
As a conversation topic, witchcraft can elicit all sorts of reactions
Humming Ashokan Farewell While Viewing Is Optional
More dogs than you can throw a stick at
Are you a dog lover? Better yet, are you a dog lover who also likes vintage photographs and other imagery, featuring our canine friends? Well then, you'll want to trot on over to Vintage Dog Postcards and Ephemera. Endless scrolling awaits you. I really do think it's endless.
HTML5 Super Mario Bros.
That deserved a good kick in the shin.
Jésus-Christ Marie! Ils sont des minéraux!
Ooooh. Aaaah. Pretty. Woaaaaaah.
Do you like looking at pictures of rocks and minerals photographed against dark backgrounds? Me too. It's Bijoux et Minéraux.
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Who is William Onyeabor?
William Onyeabor is, or was, a funk musician from Nigeria. He self-released 8 albums between 1978 and 1985 and then became a born-again Christian, refusing ever to speak about himself or his heavily rhythmic and synthesized music. Despite giving up music for a life in the church, Onyeabor can count Fourtet, Caribou and Damon Albarn as fans. The Luaka Bop record label is releasing World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who Is William Onyeabor? next month
I'm just a bloody normal bloke... who likes a bit of torture
“There is no doubt some of Read’s stories are embellished, polished or, in some cases, stolen, but there is also no doubt that through the 1970s and 80s he was one of the most dangerous men in Australia.” RIP Mark 'Chopper' Read [more inside]
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