September 21, 2019

"The most distinctive and promising American symphonic proclamation"

Dvořák once predicted that American classical music would be rooted in the black vernacular. Why, then, has the field remained so white? [more inside]
posted by Ahmad Khani at 6:12 PM PST - 23 comments

Prepare to be disappointed in yourself.

The moral and emotional failure of the jerk is obvious. The intellectual failure is obvious, too: no one is as right about everything as the jerk thinks he is. He would learn by listening. And one of the things he might learn is the true scope of his jerkitude – a fact about which, as I will explain shortly, the all-out jerk is inevitably ignorant. Which brings me to the other great benefit of a theory of jerks: it might help you figure out if you yourself are one. (Eric Schwitzgebel, Aeon) [more inside]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 5:53 PM PST - 46 comments

A video of Holland in the winter, 1917

1917 - Winter Scenes in Holland (speed corrected w/ added sound) - note, the "added sounds" are terrible; we suggest muting [via my mom]
posted by jjray at 5:49 PM PST - 15 comments

ButtyStock - the number one site for free crisp sandwich photos

ButtyStock - the number one site for free crisp sandwich photos [via mefi projects]
posted by aniola at 5:24 PM PST - 16 comments

You thought they'd be gone in a day or two

(Inspired by a recent previous post) A large portion of the mammoth success of a-ha's first single Take On Me was because the music video was so simply magical. It still is. Hand drawn animation blends with live action in an entertaining comic-book-intersects-with-reality story. a-ha went on to do a LOT of innovative music videos (to great songs!), and those released between 1985 and 1991 were assembled into the DVD compilation Headlines And Deadlines: The Hits Of a-ha. Covering the first four of their albums (they have released 10, the most recent in 2015), the second of their 1985 videos was The Sun Always Shines On TV. [more inside]
posted by hippybear at 4:08 PM PST - 27 comments

The Real Paleontologists of Orange County

Welcome to the Cooper Channel, archival YouTube home of the John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center! Let's hearken back to the glorious yesteryear of 2012-2014, when Cal State Fullerton and OC Parks were partners and made videos about science. Here you can guess the Friday Fossil Mystery, learn about archaeological artifacts, meet some scientists and watch them work, view archaeology and paleontology lectures*, and even delve into the mysterious flavors of a monkey chow pellet. [more inside]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 3:44 PM PST - 2 comments

Imagine not being screwed with while you play mobile games.

Apple Arcade Is Mobile Gaming Without All The Bullshit [Kotaku] “The Apple Arcade service is an all-you-can-play offering of more than 70 new games that is available starting today for $5 a month, with a one-month free trial.. It runs on iPhones and iPads now and will soon also work on iMacs and other devices including Apple TV. Because of the way the games are being offered, there’s no need for the developers to include any of the aggravations typical of modern gaming. There are no timers designed to stop you from playing the game you’re enjoying unless you pay extra. There are no ads. There are no energy meters, and no microtransactions. There are, simply, none of the manipulative systems that have contaminated nearly all of mobile gaming.” [more inside]
posted by Fizz at 2:42 PM PST - 114 comments

Iglooghost: Kinda like when a kid's cartoon hits you with something deep

Iglooghost is Seamus Malliagh, an English artist who makes noises (Bandcamp) & pictures (Instagram, Tumblr) & creatures (YouTube) & tiny gods (interview with The Fader). He's signed to Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label, so his defiance of genres is to be expected (Pop Matters interview), "[splicing] divergent and disparate sounds together [...] From grime and garage to Japanese ambient techno, from rave to dancehall, [...] [showcasing] his eclectic tastes as well as his talent for layering intricate sounds and textures." [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief at 12:59 PM PST - 4 comments

Ba duda, ba duda, ba duda, badu

That's today, again! (Previously, and previouslyer)
posted by octothorpe at 11:26 AM PST - 24 comments

The unkillable, oh-so-profitable afterlife of a-ha’s '80s classic

The first time a-ha singer Morten Harket heard the now-famous synthesizer hook in “Take on Me,” a bell rang in his head. He knew the fleet, perky melody would launch him into a noteworthy music career.
posted by Etrigan at 11:23 AM PST - 26 comments

Mini Milky Way

I build miniatures and shoot them with real milky way to create realistic scenes. What it says on the tin. And now I need to have a new miniature model building hobby. Dang it.
posted by y6y6y6 at 9:05 AM PST - 11 comments

6:50 of "Happy to be Alive"

People dancing to "Let's Groove" (SLYT) Happy Weekend, everyone!
posted by dfm500 at 8:09 AM PST - 19 comments

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