January 27, 2010
The Downside of High
THE DOWNSIDE OF HIGH (trailer) tells the stories of three young people from British Columbia who believe – along with their doctors – that their mental illness was triggered by marijuana use. [more inside]
The life of an ant colony, with a touch of poetic license
I wonder if Roy has seen the President. Aunt Winifred says she does not doubt it.
About 2% of the US population died while serving in the military during the US Civil War, roughly equivalent to about six million people today. A few years after the war the best selling book at 100,000 copies was Elizabeth Stuart Phelps' The Gates Ajar, which deals mainly with heaven and what exactly happens there. Spoilers follow. [more inside]
Ad Vocal on My Ass! WTF?
During the broadcast of the upcoming Super Bowl XLVIl (February 7th) CBS has agreed to air a $2.8 million television ad, featuring football star Tim Tebow (Heisman Trophy-winning Florida Gators quarterback) in which he advocates against abortion. The 30-second ad has been produced and paid for by James Dobson's Christian group 'Focus on the Family.'
Compare/contrast. For the 2004 Super Bowl broadcast CBS rejected the U.C.C. (aka Congregational Church) advertisement that promoted inclusion for mixed race and gay/lesbian couples, etc. CBS then deemed it an "advocacy ad" not worthy of airtime.
So what exactly is CBS' Super Bowl policy on "advocacy ads?" [more inside]
We Have a Gang of Dinosaurs to Kill
You're an Idiot of the 33rd Degree
In November of 1905, an enraged Mark Twain sent this superb letter to J. H. Todd, a patent medicine salesman who had just attempted to sell bogus medicine to the author by way of a letter and leaflet delivered to his home.
Just keep telling yourself: "It's only a logo! It's only a logo! It's only a logo!"
The S From Hell is a new documentary/horror film about the 1964 Screen Gems logo, a company ID that struck terror in the heart of a generation. The film's premiere at Sundance sheds some light on the fascinating and bizarre subculture of Logophobics [previously | via]
now we're rocking
A People's Historian
The Boston Globe reports that historian Howard Zinn has died of a heart attack. The pioneering radical historian is best known for A People's History of the United States.
That Ain't The Way To Behave
Oil City Confidential is a new film from director Julien Temple, previously responsible for The Filth and the Fury, about the Sex Pistols, and Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten, focusing on Strummer and The Clash. This time round, in a kind of prequel to both those films, he tackles the life and turbulent times of Dr. Feelgood. Finding fame on the same Pub rock circuit (as remembered by writer and Kursaal Flyers drummer Will Birch) that also supported Ian Dury's Kilburn and the High Roads (not to mention Eddie and the Hot Rods and Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band The 101ers), Dr. Feelgood played stripped-down, taut and aggressive R&B. Hailing from the wildlands of Essex's Canvey Island – the "Oil City" of the film's title – Dr Feelgood were punk before punk really hit, a whirlwind of raucous energy, with a fierce work ethic. In Wilko Johnson, they had a guitarist with a scorching, slash and burn technique, while their singer, Lee Brilleaux (1989 interview), who died of cancer in 1994, aged just 41, oozed cheap-suited menace, and, into the bargain, helped found Stiff Records. [more inside]
Your browser fingerprint appears to be unique.
In another of their many efforts in the field of digital rights and laws surrounding them, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has released Panopticlick, a tool to analyze the information your browser shares, revealing how personally identifiable your browser's footprint is. [more inside]
WORK HARD PLAY HARD
WORK HARD PLAY HARD - Vice Magazine presents a mens fashion photo shoot where all models are sporting erections. [more inside]
corroborating evidence: cats! cats! cats!
A Crime of Shadows
A Crime of Shadows: Mark Bowden shows both sides of a police sting of Internet child predators. [more inside]
One step closer to the mile-high club...
Forget cosmetic upgrades—Air New Zealand has been working on improving the actual flight experience, first introducing In-Flight Concierge Service, and now, the Skycouch - a row of seats that convert to a bed—in Economy Class.
via mathowie's delicious
via mathowie's delicious
Truly Inspirational
Seven-year-old Charlie Simpson of west London set out to raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti. His efforts were wildly successful, and he has been heralded as a "shining example" of Britain's compassion for Haiti. His goal? £500. The amount he's raised so far? Over £170,000.
Paying Zero for Public Services
Protesting corruption with the zero-rupee note. Indian NGO 5th Pillar has a come up with a unique project to help India's poor fight against institutionalized bribery.
Saying goodbye to a newspaper's driver in Iraq
A farewell to Yasser. The Times of London's driver of seven years in Baghdad was killed in a bombing this week. This was his story. [more inside]
"it is an unusual shark in that it has a spiral dentition."
Meet Edestus Giganteus and Helicoprion. The Edestidae family of sharks had a single row of teeth in the upper and lower jaws, creating, in effect, a scissors. Helicoprion's teeth grew in a buzz-saw shaped whorl in the lower jaw! Both sharks are known only from their fossil teeth, leading to mystery and detective work. [more inside]
The Tobolowsky Files
The Tobolowsky Files is a series of podcasts by character actor Stephen Tobolowsky - one of Those Guys, a recognizable face that has popped up in a multitude of productions but stayed mostly in the background. Following the style of Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party, where he shares many stories from his experiences, the podcasts bring a fascinating, sometimes humor-filled and sometimes tragic, look on the life of this almost jack-of-all-trades actor. It is hard not to be pulled in as he speaks of the death of his mother, his wild journey through Paris as a young student with his girlfriend, and many other tales from acting jobs to the random people he's encountered throughout his years. [more inside]
The rise of the Growler
As craft beer brewers and brewpubs in the US grow in popularity among the population of discerning beer consumers, a new (to the US, anyway) container has emerged for the take-home beer buyer. Growlers, reusable half-gallon glass jugs, have become popular recently for the take-home crowd. [more inside]
Dr. Tiller: The lost tapes
Dr. Tiller: The lost tapes. In never-before-seen footage, the slain abortion provider explains his career choice. Physicians for Reproductive Choice has released two "never-before-seen" video clips of the slain abortion provider talking about why he chose his line of work. [more inside]
It's lonely in the modern world.
It's lonely in the modern world. Pictures from Dwell magazine, with Edward Gorey-like captions. [more inside]
We are gonna have ourselves a time
Not one to shy away from ambition, Joanna Newsom went from writing sparse harp tunes to releasing a lengthy orchestral album in two years' time. Four years later, her new album's on the way — and it's a triple. Yesterday her label Drag City released its first song, '81. [more inside]
"Advertising without posters is like fishing without worms."
"Hatch Show Print: We Print and Sell Posters." And the Nashville landmark, just down the street from the Ryman Auditorium, has been doing exactly that, with wood type and a gigantic Vandercook press, since 1879. Take a video and photo tour through the press, and read about how they do their work (with videos of the printmaking process). Manager Jim Sherraden's motto is “preservation through production”: all the equipment, all the wood type, everything, is still used regularly, even if it’s for a run as small as one print. [more inside]
Bill Mazeroski statue to be built at PNC Park.
Bill Mazeroski, Hall of Fame second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates, will join Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, and Honus Wagner as players with bronze statues outside of PNC Park, where the Pirates play. [more inside]
Well since you don't want it any more, here you go.
"You have to put two and two together, and hopefully you come up with a high-speed rail project."
The St. Petersburg Times announced today that the state of Florida will receive funding for a high speed rail project, to be announced today by President Barack Obama in his Tampa visit. [more inside]
The St. Petersburg Times announced today that the state of Florida will receive funding for a high speed rail project, to be announced today by President Barack Obama in his Tampa visit. [more inside]
Because Sloppy Joes are *such* a culinary challenge.
Ellie Krieger is a well-known registered dietician and author of The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life. Her bio says she was "director of nutritional services at the prestigious La Palestra Center for Preventative Medicine for several years where she worked with a team of physicians, psychologists and fitness specialists to create a multi-faceted obesity treatment program." She's also the host of "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger" on the Food Network. With this kind of pedigree, you'd assume her recipes would be the paragon of nutritious, healthy eating, right? Wrong. [more inside]
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