July 12, 2014
Where Have You Gone, Easily Recognized References?
"The Joe DiMaggio line was written right away in the beginning. And I don't know why or where it came from. It seems so strange, like it didn't belong in that song and then, I don't know, it was so interesting to us that we just kept it. So it's one of the most well-known lines that I've ever written." An analysis of Simon and Garfunkel's 1968 hit, "Mrs. Robinson". [more inside]
Buffy Stunts
while my guitar not-so-gently weeps
An ornithologist, an editor, & a VP walk into a conference room...
"We ornithologists, with our Important Capitals, continue to look Curiously Provincial" : copy-editors and ornithologists fight a very pilkunnussija-esque war over conventions of bird names.
Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho
Japanese Doctor Who (SLYT). A highlight clip from the long-running tokusatsu series which featured a multitude of actors, in addition to a variety of period costumes and wood-and-resin models, and location shots mostly based in a public park or rock quarry. The program's haunting soundtrack can be heard in the later portion of the piece.
Playgrounds as nightmare fuel
Creepy masterpieces of sculpture and landscaping masquerading as children's playgrounds. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
I rode my mountain bike over the continental divide and it was so Galaga
"Galaga" is an excerpt from Michael Kimball's book of the same name about the classic arcade game of the same name. Kimball is also the author of the heartbreaking novel Us and the experimental non-fiction Michael Kimball Writes Your Life Story (on a postcard), his selected favorites from which are
45,
46,
51,
52,
54,
66,
70,
75,
86,
98,
99,
100,
101,
102,
103,
112,
114,
118,
128,
129,
131,
133,
160,
165,
167,
171,
192,
195,
199,
209,
216,
221,
225 and
240. Postcards 54, 75, 98, 114, and 225 feature non-human subjects. 131 is Tao Lin, and 128 is Kimball himself. [Via.]
A Life In Bits
“For the past 105 days, I've been tracking everything about myself.” Anand Sharma shows the progress of his life through a beautifully designed site. [more inside]
Fascinating Articles About Mental Illness With Misleading Titles
MIT Technology Review summarizes new directions in medical research, while a Pacific Standard writer experiments with Botox to treat depression.
The Many Faces Of Commuter Fustration
Stay. Stay. Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! NOPE!
Kate Davies visits the Great Tapestry of Scotland
The Great Tapestry of Scotland is an embroidered artwork of 160 panels illustrating the whole history of Scotland in the style of the Bayeux tapestry. Over a thousand stitchers collaborated to make the panels, and the design is the largest of three large-scale embroidery projects by Andrew Crummy. Kate Davies visited the Great Tapestry of Scotland at the Scottish Parliament and took some amazing close-up pictures... [more inside]
Charlie Haden has gone Home
Charlie Haden, one of the most influential jazz musicians of our time, is going home Here is Charlie, singing the old ballad Wayfaring Stranger - a fitting song for this occasion. Previously (somewhat repetitive, for background [more inside]
No Mozart Tonight
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart...for this appalling breach of taste." Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett made three television specials together and, from the looks of it, had an absolute blast. (PDF) [more inside]
Who owns a gesture?
On July 8, the Daily Mississippian published Sierra Mannie's Op-Ed, "Dear white gays", which was then picked up by Time Magazine, and has spurred discussion on whether white gay men are stealing the culture of black women.
The Ghetto Is Public Policy
Ta-Nehisi Coates writes in The Atlantic:The Effects of Housing Segregation on Black Wealth. As the wealth gap widens between whites and blacks in America, and after reading this list and this list, he concludes The Ghetto Is Public Policy. [more inside]
The Scandinavians love it!
The Umbilical Brothers are the best mime with words duo act you might ever have the chance to see. Their performances combine mime with ordinary dialogue and vocal sound effects. They use puppetry, slapstick, mimicry and audience participation, and make scant use of props and lighting. [more inside]
John Legend Says You're Beautiful
Singer John Legend's latest video, "You and I," celebrates all kinds of beauty. And he's getting all kinds of press for it.
From Laverne Cox removing her makeup to Tig Notaro fixing her hair, the video features four minutes of women contemplating their reflections while Legend sings that they're beautiful. [more inside]
Farm Tools for Women
Farming and gardening tools that are actually useful for women. “Women play a critical role in producing food,” she says. “Our philosophy is to build on the strengths of women.”
An interactive paper sculpture
“Every time the paper blade falls a camera will be triggered to capture the expression of the those who have put their neck on the line for an art experience like no other. Each fearful facial expression, forever immortalized on the PaperCuts-Exhibtion.com.”
Rocklopedia Fakebandica, the wiki of Fake Bands
If you've ever found yourself reading or watching something that references a particular band or musician and you've wondered "is that a real group?" then Rocklopedia Fakebandica (aka FakeBands.com) can help you out. The old site was (and still is) categorized alphabetically, from The A-Men and The Ace Tones (IMDb) to The Zits and Zorak. The new site is wiki-based, so anyone can submit new musicians, but the organization is a bit different. There is no alphabetical grouping (yet), but you can browse by Years, Medium, and other Categories. So you can take a jaunt back, way back, to 1700 and learn about Pietro Caraffa, the musical quack, or find a really obscure reference to Slab Hauler.
Dilma Rousseff's Political Future and the World Cup
Dilma Rousseff is the current president of Brazil and the first woman to hold the office. She faces re-election in October this year. While by the end of her first year in office she held higher approval ratings than any of her directly elected predecessors (59%), by early June of 2014 her approval rating had fallen to its lowest point (33%) since she assumed office in January 2011. A major contributor to this decline in approval ratings has been the country's hosting of the World Cup, plagued by cost overruns and accidents during hasty infrastructure construction. Estimated to have cost the country between $11 and $14 billion, the World Cup sparked protests up to the opening game (previously). Stadium construction was carried out in 12 instead of the required 8 cities, resulting in white elephants projects in Brasília and Manaus. Brazil's crushing 7-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup semifinals generated speculation about its impact on Dilma Rousseff's political future. While some sports moments are attributed to have changed the course of national politics and identity, how the World Cup loss will affect Dilma Rousseff's re-election chances remains murky.
A Tale of Internet Spaceships
A Tale of Internet Spaceships - A crowd funded documentary on the video game, Eve Online. Filmed at the annual CCP FanFest, a look at the unique world of spaceships, spreadsheets, diplomacy, community, and inevitable betrayal.
The Singh Thing
Jason Singh is a "beatboxer and vocal sculptor" who creates music using only multi-layered recordings of his voice. Watch him perform Tiberian Sun live at Music TechFest, using software to loop and mix samples of breath, beatboxing and vocal techniques. [more inside]
Zwarte Piet wiedewiedewiet
Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan has been told by a court in the capital to reconsider the licensing of the Sinterklaas parade through the city last year, which became mired in controversy because of the Zwarte Piet character. The administrative court says the mayor has six weeks to look again at the decision to allow the parade to go ahead last year and determine if the correct one was taken. The administrative court said in its ruling the Zwarte Piet character a negative stereotype which is insulting to black people and the mayor must decide which interest is more important: that of black Amsterdammers or society in general, news agency ANP reported.It's official: Zwarte Piet (previously) is a racist, negative stereotype according to the Amsterdam courts. [more inside]
1-2-3-4... and yet all the Eagles are still alive
The last remaining member of seminal 1970s New York punk act, Tommy Ramone, has died, aged 65. [more inside]
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