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Six Strings
I'm looking for the very best guitar shop in Europe. Where is it?
"Almost true freedom."
Off The Grid: Life On The Mesa.
A new documentary explores life in 15 square miles of northern New Mexico. With no cops, no official authority, and barely any understanding of who even owns the land, a special environment has arisen. Hippies, rednecks, and other assorted loners exist in either the last outpost of true American freedom or "the largest outdoor insane asylum" - and then they are tested by self-proclaimed revolutionaries with their own idea of how to run things. Check out the official MySpace page for the trailer and some clips.
The fourth part of three
The fourth part of a trilogy
of interviews with Douglas Adams before he got all famous. "I find the difference, for me, between having no money and having quite a bit is that the bills get bigger. And that's it. The lifestyle doesn't change." Well, he certainly didn't. And for that, much thanks.
'The story is dark enough, drawn from the plain public records, to send a chill to any heart.'
How the Other Half Lives
:: Studies Among the Tenements of New York (1890)
SomeEcards
SomeEcards
: When you care enough to hit send.
Photoshop -3.0
"Tall-tale postcards emerged around the turn of the 20th century, when postcards came to function as surrogates for travel. People soon realized that postcards could be used to create or sustain a certain utopian myth about a town or region, and crafty photographers began to physically manipulate their photographs. Nowhere did these modified images, or "tall-tale postcards" as they came to be called, become more prevalent than in rural communities that hoped to forge an identity as places of agricultural abundance to encourage settlement and growth. Food sources specific to the region — vegetables, fruits, or fish — were the most common subjects."
I've been oddly fascinated with scenes in movies when the theme of the music diverges from what is going on in the movie. What is this device called?
I've been oddly fascinated with scenes in movies when the theme of the music diverges from what is going on in the movie. What is this device called?
Galloping Gertie for the 21st Century
Galloping Gertie
for the 21st Century. A friend sent me a link to this photo set. Quite something. Let's hope this doesn't happen again.
Recycle your computer junk
Recycle your computer junk.
A large US office supply retailer just became the first to offer everyday, in-store recycling for computers & other office technology, and will recycle them using EPA guidelines. Only $10 an item (smaller stuff like mice and keyboards are free).
The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, and more...
The Internet Library of Early Journals
:: A digital library of 18th and 19th Century journals
why is E not E?
i'm a total guitar noob and have been learning for only a month now, so please forgive what may be a really dumb question. why is it that to play certain chords on the guitar (for instance, C major, or A minor) you don't play the open low-E string, but you do play the open high-E string. it's the same note, isn't it? so why doesn't it sound as good?
Which books are most representative of each country?
I plan to read a novel from every country. Which books are most worthwhile, both as a means to gain the truest insight into the soul of each land, and also from a literary standpoint?
Sixty years of amazing photography
Magnum Photos turns 60 this year. A retrospective of some of their best photos is featured on their site, and over at Wallpaper.
Web 2 point ohhhhh.
The Unofficial Web Application List
has a lot of neat applications. Some favorites include an amazing Ajax newsletter generator, a tool that lets you convert between any file formats, Rogue in Java, a free browser-based VoIP system that can call landlines, a music search engine that accepts humming as an input, and the lovely Flash Earth. You can also generate your own warning signs and use a page that makes browser content seem to be a MS Word document - you know, for work.
"The field of evolution attracts significantly more speculation than the average area of science."
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in light of evolution." Despite Theodosius Dobzhansky's succint description of natural selection at the core of biological research since Darwin's fateful trip to the Galapagos, evolutionary biologist Michael Lynch respectfully dissents, asking "whether natural selection is a necessary or sufficient force to explain" the complexity of multicellular organisms we see today, where mutation, recombination and genetic drift are often overlooked, but critical factors in evolutionary theory and understanding.
Khalil al-Zahawi, RIP
Famed Arabic calligrapher Khalil al-Zahawi murdered.
(Arabic: خليل الزهاوي; 1946 - 25 May 2007) Khalil al-Zahawi was the most famous practitioner in Iraq of the art of writing classical Arabic script. He was shot to death Friday as he left his home.
Walking the streets of Google
The most amazing Google thing in awhile launched today. Walk the streets of New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Denver, and Miami using Google's new Street View. You can look and move in any direction, and the detail is good enough to read license plates. It is getting lots of attention, though it makes some people a little afraid and has others scrambling. [Requires Flash. Click on the city names, really, it is worth it.]
Inside the Creation Museum
For those of you curious about the newly opened $27 million dollar Creation Museum, but unable or unwilling to travel to Kentucky for a visit, Zachary Lynn has posted a photo essay of his visit (sadly missing is the opening diorama or human babies playing with dinosaurs).
Help an old software engineer find work!
What software development skills are in high demand right now?
Dr. Grordborts Infallible Aether Oscillators
Dr. Grordborts Infallible Aether Oscillators
is "a line of immensely dangerous yet simple to operate wave oscillation weapons" - rayguns - that includes the Manmelter 3600ZX, the Goliathon 83, and the F.M.O.M. Industries Wave Disrupter Gun. Designed by Greg Broadmore to evoke the old-school Flash Gordon serials, they bring a fun steampunk aesthetic to Weta's Collectibles' traditional movie tie-in fare.
FOGERRRRRRTYYYYY!!!
Happy Birthday John Fogerty!
Swamp rock progenitor, Vietnam and Iraq War opposer, 40th greatest guitarist of all time, and performer at Woodstock, John Fogerty turns 62 tomorrow. Prolific singer, guitarist and composer extraordinaire with Creedence Clearwater Revival on such hits as Have you Ever Seen the Rain?, Who’ll Stop the Rain?, Bad Moon Rising/Proud Mary, Born on the Bayou, Green River, Travellin’ Band, Whitfield and Strong's Motown classic I Heard it Through the Grapevine, Susie Q, and last but not least, Fortunate Son, a song whose message has again become so timely, more than a handful of prominent musicians have covered it over the few years, including Pearl Jam, Sleater-Kinney, the Circle Jerks, Bob Seger, Sublime, Ivan Neville, Brandi Carlile and .38 Special. As a solo artist, Fogerty also penned such hits as Centerfield, a song purported to be one of George W. Bush's favorites (to Fogerty's apparent amusement), and The Old Man Down the Road.
Demetri Martin - Some Jokes
Fans of the late & much missed comic Mitch Hedberg might enjoy the stand up routine of Daily Show correspondent Demetri Martin: Some Jokes, Some More Jokes, Other Jokes & These Jokes.
Dracula Man X2 Alpha Turbo
Awesome stuff, guys. I'll represent retro/chip music:
I'm involved in the niche hobby of writing new music with old videogame hardware. The music you are hearing was programmed in notepad using a TurboGrafx 16 (PC Engine). It's meant to combine Capcom and Konami videogame soundtracks of the late 80s, hence the weird title.
I perform this music live in NYC, with guitars and lasers. I got awesome advice on Ask MeFi about how to get my equipment to shows, and as thanks I'll share my stuff with whoever might enjoy it. More of it is at my site, and my friends who also do this share it also.
Non-toxic psoriasis medicine?
I have the psoriasis and I am looking for non-toxic palliatives.
Migrant Mother
Her name is Florence Owens Thompson.
In March 1936, FSA photographer Dorothea Lange took a series of photos of a 32-year-old woman and her children in a pea pickers' camp outside
Nipomo, California, including one of the most famous photos in American history. Mrs. Thompson talked about the photos in 1979. [more inside]
Not just for hanging on the doorknob
How to tie a Prince Albert.
Or, a four-in-hand, a full Windsor, a bowtie, an ascot, and a few others to suit your particular fancy/fetish.
All your Favourite Conspiracies in Technicolor
The Internet Reposity of Free Hidden Information Videos:
There's something for everyone here folks, whether you want to learn about The Truth behind September 11, The JFK Assasination Unmasked, Satanism and the CIA, The Masonic Origins of America, The Occult History of the Third Reich, The Flouride Deception...or just The Deepest Thoughts of Dolphins.
Burp
You cannot live in Malaysia or Singapore without being a foodie on some level. Makan lah! or come and eat is a common and popular expression of welcome. Uniquely in the region, both countries have multiethnic populations each of whom have added their flavours, spices and condiments to the region's foodie heaven. There is Chinese food - Kuay Teow, Chicken Rice, Char Siu and Yong Tau Foo. There is Malay food, rendangs, sambals, petai and belacan adding a certain something to the mix. South Indian food proliferates like banana leaf restorans, idli-thosai pure vegetarian fast food joints like Komala's and of course the fish curries and prawn curries of the coastal regions. The colonial influence is felt with Roti John served up in hawker centres and food courts across the peninsula and islands, ending with cooling desserts like cendol, sago pudding with gula melaka and santan or 'pancake'.
Poverty and the right to council
In 2005, the Supreme Court of British Columbia decided that taxing the legal services of the poor "constitutes indirect taxation and is a tax on justice contrary to the Magna Carta and the Rule of Law." Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the decision, rejecting "the respondent’s contention that there is a broad general right to legal counsel as an aspect of, or precondition to, the rule of law." The case was largely the initiative of Dugald Christie, a Vancouver lawyer and political activist who devoted his life to the cause of improving access to the legal system, before dying on a cross-Canada bicycling fundraiser ten months ago. He is well remembered by lawyers and cyclists.
The Maestro
Being a huge fan of the late, great Mr Harrison, I was hunting around youtube and found this video of a sitar lesson... which led me to this stunning performance by Ravi Shankar on Dick Cavett's show.
[Previously]
But who wants to do math? Math is hard. Scaring ignorant people is easy.
Wi-fi Routers: Silent blinking death. Via badscience.net, where it was posted in response to what sounds like a truly awful show. Electrosensitivity previously discussed here.
You are likely reading this in the city.
This week, the world became more urban than rural for the first time in human history. Trace urban growth over the past century, or with more detail over the last 50 years, and see how the idea of the city has evolved. When you are done admiring the skylines (more from US cities) and singing the songs, reflect on the best and worst of cities: the richest by GDP and personal earnings, the worst slums, the best skylines, the worst polluted, the fastest moving, the most expensive, and the most polite (New York?). What does it all mean? Stuart Brand [video] (slideshow here) and other experts weigh in. [see also my previous post on the names of cities]
The Intersection of Origami & Escher
Origami Tessellations
is the website of Metafilter member Eric Gjerde. In addition to the many interesting posts on the main page (such as this article about an artist who lasercut an 85:1 scale model of his house into a hardback book), the site features many original pieces by Gjerde, with downloadable PDF diagrams & graphics to show you how to make your own geometric art out of paper.
In the Moment
Consciousness is a mystery, and Paul Broks thinks Nicholas Humphrey (not to mention jazz guitarist Pat Martino) may have some answers.
Highly Sensitive People: if you prick us, do we not bleed? and burst into tears? and run from the room and fling ourselves down on the bed?
Are you a Highly Sensitive Person?
This trait ... is inherited by 15 to 20% of the population, and ... seems to be present in all higher animals. Being an HSP means your nervous system is more sensitive to subtleties. Your sight, hearing, and sense of smell are not necessarily keener .... But your brain processes information and reflects on it more deeply. Being an HSP also means, necessarily, that you are more easily overstimulated, stressed out, overwhelmed. This trait ... has been mislabeled as shyness (not an inherited trait), introversion (30% of HSPs are actually extraverts), inhibitedness, fearfulness, and the like. HSPs can be these, but none of these are the fundamental trait they have inherited ...
yahoo group | latest research (fascinating!) | newsletter | wikipedia | blog | via
yahoo group | latest research (fascinating!) | newsletter | wikipedia | blog | via
NYT Magazine's Lauren Slater on Self-Esteem
NYT Magazine's Lauren Slater on Self-Esteem
Last year alone there were three withering studies of self-esteem released in the United States, all of which had the same central message: people with high self-esteem pose a greater threat to those around them than people with low self-esteem and feeling bad about yourself is not the cause of our country's biggest, most expensive social problems. The research is original and compelling and lays the groundwork for a new, important kind of narrative about what makes life worth living -- if we choose to listen, which might be hard. One of this country's most central tenets, after all, is the pursuit of happiness, which has been strangely joined to the pursuit of self-worth.
Great, long article on the change in perspective on self-esteem. Do you question yourself? How does your self-esteem impact yourself or others around you? Is high self-esteem importatnt to you? What if your high self-esteem could negatively affect others around you?
Last year alone there were three withering studies of self-esteem released in the United States, all of which had the same central message: people with high self-esteem pose a greater threat to those around them than people with low self-esteem and feeling bad about yourself is not the cause of our country's biggest, most expensive social problems. The research is original and compelling and lays the groundwork for a new, important kind of narrative about what makes life worth living -- if we choose to listen, which might be hard. One of this country's most central tenets, after all, is the pursuit of happiness, which has been strangely joined to the pursuit of self-worth.
Great, long article on the change in perspective on self-esteem. Do you question yourself? How does your self-esteem impact yourself or others around you? Is high self-esteem importatnt to you? What if your high self-esteem could negatively affect others around you?
Medical Video Repository
Medical Video Repository.
Educational Videos for Medical Students and Doctors.
Public libraries with Online Content
Public libraries with Online Content: Residents of Missouri can get a free account at the Kansas City Public Library that will let them access digital databases including the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and downloadable audiobooks. Residents of the Empire State can get a digital library card at the New York Public Library to access a wealth of digital databases. (The rest of us can get a NYPL card for $100.) And the Boston Public Library will give digital access to most of the above, plus JSTOR and (sigh) the Early American Imprints collection of nearly everything printed in North America to 1820. Unfortunately you have to show up at a branch of the BPL and prove Massachusetts residence to get your card.
Your turn--what other public libraries offer access to subscription online information databases?
The Demon of Delightfulness
An informative, gossipy and surprisingly engaging 6-page exploration of the life of Charles Dickens, including his up-and-down relationship with the U.S. press, his inexcusable behavior during his messy and very public separation from his wife, the "histrionic flair" of his performance career, and, of course, his works, including the one George Bernard Shaw called "a more seditious book than Das Kapital." Lots of interesting images, too.
Energy Vampires
How To Deal With Negative People. "They are like human black holes which suddenly come out of nowhere and just suck the life out of you." Via The Presurfer.
free-willy?
According to this guy, you’re not ultimately morally responsible for choosing whether to snark or not to snark in response to this FPP. A discussion of the philosophical problems surrounding freewill from British Analytic philosopher Galen Strawson. (Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s throw in this unrelated review of Strawson’s latest work on consciousness, just for an extra splash of color.)
Video journalism!
Business POV
It is a forum for state-of-the-art business journalism using an innovative format: online video.
Viewers can watch new, completely original, locally produced video profiles of companies, people and products that fall into our three main interest areas: innovation, entrepreneurship and the creative culture (advertising, graphic design, architecture, the arts).
New content is posted Monday-Friday. Check out the archives section (Jason Fried, from 37 Signals is interviewed). Enjoy!
Great Guitar Education site
Guitarweek is quite easily one of the best, if not the best, guitar education websites on the web.
Check out the Chord worksheets. The load of free lessons, plus some members-only flash lessons.
It's a real labor of love by a pretty interesting guy, who like a lot of people who work more for a passion than money, appears to have trouble making ends meet on it. Membership is amazingly cheap to boot.
Learn me some French language history
Recommend to me a history of the languages of France.
Vous aiment les Français ?
Looking for views of French and the French in North Africa.