March 14, 2010
The Biggest Little Man in the World
"I used to say that Ali was the best I'd ever seen," says Arum, an industry legend who co-promoted the Ali-Frazier "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975. "I had never said that about another man. I don't use those words cheaply. But here it is: Manny Pacquiao is the best I have ever seen, including Ali.
"Joey, do you like movies about Gladiators?"
"Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?" Veteran actor Peter Graves--who was the star of the original Mission Impossible TV series, most famously (for some of us) played Capt. Oveur in Airplane!, and was the Emmy-winning host of Biography--has died of natural causes. He was 83.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands dead? Those were the good old days.
Remember the many news stories about the femicides in Ciudad Juarez? Since 1993, hundreds of mutilated female bodies had turned up in the deserts surrounding this border city, and these horrific crimes have never been solved. Several books have been written on the subject; you might also recall that Jennifer Lopez made a movie about it. But now, with the (gender-neutral) bloodbath that Ciudad Juarez has turned into, it is shocking, indeed offensive, yet true, that we can look back at the decade of femicides as being relatively peaceful when compared to current events. The annual murder rate is now in the thousands (compared to just a few hundred per decade for the femicides), making CJ the most dangerous city in the world, more so than Baghdad, Caracas, or Port-au-Prince. [more inside]
Horse Fiddles
The etheric, tectonic tones of Tuvan throat signing are familiar to every world music aficionado.
While the singing style itself is captures the spotlight, the Igil, a sort of half-violin, half-banjo , is the traditional accompaniment of the steppe musician.
John Pascuzzi of A Single Thread combines the finger-and-bow work of a classical violinist with electronica and a traditional Igil to produce haunting, dark, gripping, arrangements that really rock.
John Pascuzzi of A Single Thread combines the finger-and-bow work of a classical violinist with electronica and a traditional Igil to produce haunting, dark, gripping, arrangements that really rock.
They Cut the Cheese (Roll)!
After 200 years, The Annual Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake at Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester in England has been canceled due to health and safety fears. (Official site.) The BBC devotes a section of their site to the event, and both ESPN and The Big Picture covered it last year. Previously [more inside]
Digital: A Love Story
Digital: A Love Story a mystery/romance downloadable game for windows/mac/linux by Christine Sarah Love set in the days of BBSes. Features a glorious retro-OS style interface. Mini review by indie dev Auntie Pixelante/Anna Anthropy (recently). Writeup at and via TIGSource.
Live Hummingbird on the Internet!!!
Phoebe, a non-migratory Channel Islands Allen's Hummingbird, has a live webcam and eggs that are hatching soon.
Dosin' the 'tocin
It may increase schadenfreude.
It's an assistant to abortifacients and it's produced by stimulating the nipples. Got a clogged lizard? Your mom used it to turn off your brain for your own good. In women, it peaks at orgasm, but in men, it might be elevated throughout sex without peaking. And what do you mean "social" monogamy!? Is it the love 'em and leave 'em hormone?? Well, it's NOT Vasopressin For Her, contrary to what some people think.
Is it an impedance to feminism? Could it be the key to treating Autism? Ism... ism... jism? YEP. It's in the jism! Its synthesis was the end of A Trail of Sulfa Research, and its master was awarded the Nobel Prize. (Chemistry, not Peace.) You can scent your loveletters with it, but sorry, peaches... you can't huff a good cuddle, but you might like to huff while you cuddle. Previously.
Mac and cheese > bacon
Russia's abandoned beauties
Russia's Wooden Churches - A century after celebrated Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin called for preservation of Russia's decaying wooden churches, architectural photographer Richard Davies revisits the churches to document and raise awareness of these gorgeous historic architectural treasures. [more inside]
"Even heroes face battles they cannot fight alone"
"In the safety of The Sanctum, where they depend on each other for anonymity, superheroes unveil the personal circumstances that have led them to a life of addiction and loneliness." Episode 1: Jason's Story. [more inside]
Orwell Rolls In His Grave
Orwell Rolls In His Grave [trailer, Google Video 1h43m] is a 2003 documentary exploring the Fourth Estate, corporate ownership, and the power to control public perception. [more inside]
Mr. Ecker rolled up a sleeve to reveal a horrifying tattoo of old bites.
Do it again!
The Heavy performing on Late Night, with "an unprecedented encore by request from Dave." (second video courtesy CBS, including off-air encore) [more inside]
Olympic art
Pierre de Coubertin is well-known as the father of the modern Olympics. What is less well-known is that he pseudonymously won an Olympic medal - in poetry (PDF) [more inside]
Shut up! Bloody Vikings! You can't have egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam.
Beheaded Vikings found at Olympic site. Last year workmen for the 2012 Olympics sailing venue in southern England came upon a grisly discovery: fifty-one men had been severely injured, most of them beheaded, and tossed into a mass grave. [more inside]
« Previous day | Next day »