October 1, 2015
Bird bird bird, bird is the word
Fourteen-year-old Bridget's summer camp experience takes a turn for the bizarre when her otherworldly bird dreams start bleeding into reality.
Birdland is Brendan Patrick Hennessy's (with illustrations by Izzy Marbella) delightful entry into the 2015 Interactive Fiction Competition. It follows on from the equally delightful Bell Park, Youth Detective with the earlier title's eponymous heroine featuring as a character to be met rather than the one whose choices you are making. (Brendan Patrick Hennessy previously, IFComp previously)
You had an entire day ahead of you.
"A tumor stole every memory I had. This is what happened when it all came back."
Sure I'd love to see Ron get punched...
Hogwarts Nine Nine... Two great tastes that go surprisingly well together.
UCC Shooting Is The 142nd School Shooting In Three Years
President Obama says mass murder has become routine, and prayers just aren't enough. Since the Sandy Hook massacre in December of 2012, there have been 142 school shootings in the United States, including today's murder of 10 students. In total, there have been been nearly 1,000 mass shootings in less than three years, "with shooters killing at least 1,234 people and wounding 3,565 more."
An $18 grilled cheese sandwich?
"The way to kill a complex city is to chase out all the poor people – and their food" "When greed makes a place like New York, London or San Francisco unaffordable, the non-wealthy leave, and the city loses the smells and tastes that made it great." [SLGuardian]
Primates meet primate
This would have been Luke’s 13th birthday
Rosie Batty's son was murdered by his father.
Her bravery since has led her to become Australian of the year. She dedicates the award to her son. She has praised the coroner who led the inquest into her son's death.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced a $100 million package to address domestic violence.
Musician Chris Brown has been denied a visa to enter Australia on the basis of his domestic violence record. [more inside]
Grange Hill with Daleks
After teasing for hours on the official BBC Doctor Who twitter feed about #bigdoctorwhonews leading to a fever pitch of speculation re potential mega famous guests stars, new companion(s) or the recovery of lost episodes... it was finally announced that there will be a new spin-off YA series Class written by Patrick Ness centered around Coal Hill School in London
Are you brave?
OCLC consciously uncouples from catalog cards
On September 30th, OCLC ended support for Accessions List and Catalog Cards. What does this mean? It means they will no longer be supplying such cards to libraries, special collections and information filers. Partially filling the gap are suppliers of blank cards e.g. [1] [2] [3]. Also, books about cards.
Mom News Daily
Mom News Daily has been rated the #1 source of information by woman parents. It's satire. [more inside]
A clothing line for us really busty ladies? Well, it's a start.
“Accommodating a large bust is not taught in fashion school,” Love says simply. A Calgary woman decided to create her own fashion line for the generously endowed lady.
Concussions, CTE, and the NHL
Last month, former NHL enforcer Todd Ewen committed suicide. Earlier this year, former NHL enforcer Steve Montador died suddenly after struggling to cope with substance abuse and depression. In 2011, former NHL enforcer Derek Boogard overdosed on alcohol and painkillers, former NHL enforcer Rick Rypien committed suicide, and former NHL enforcer Wade Belak (probably) committed suicide. In 2010, former NHL enforcer Bob Probert died of a heart attack; his brain showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). As of today, the NHL "has 'no desire' to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleges negligence and fraud by the League regarding concussions." [more inside]
"The Cost Of Doing Business"
"We thought we’d rather die in a plastic boat than die there."
"For the next several days, I’m going to be sharing stories from refugees who are currently making their way across Europe." Humans of New York went to Greece (and will go to other locations) to talk to newly-arrived refugees fleeing Iraq as well as some locals. It will be posting their stories and photos. There are spots of kindness, however, as you'd expect, they are largely terrifying and tragic. (Warning: Human suffering and death.) [more inside]
The Hart Island Project: history is created through storytelling
Hart Island is a 131 acre island found at the western end of Long Island Sound. From the air, you can see paths, clearings, buildings and docks, but you can't clearly see the Riker's Island inmates who bury the forgotten dead in mass graves. Since 1869, there have been close to a million bodies buried on the 101 acre potter's field, but only recently was the site re-opened to the public. Still, access is limited, and finding a grave site is difficult. That's where the Hart Island Project comes in, by helping to map graves, identify the dead, and allow people to share their memories of loved ones. [more inside]
Lincoln impersonator Jim Getty has died
James Getty, who lent his voice to the recordings played at the Lincoln Memorial, has died at 83. (He lived in Gettysburg, PA.)
There will also be a Track Managing Droid
Nick Burcombe, who worked at UK developer Psygnosis on WipEout, gave Eurogamer permission to republish the design document, which includes additional pages intended to support the game's later US launch. [more inside]
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SPRAY A STRANGE BEAR IN THE FACE, MARY!
Mary Maley records her recent encounter with a bear in Berg Bay, Alaska. Despite her cajoling and her persistent attempts to reason with it, the bear insists on destroying Mary's kayak, even after she has pointed out that the kayak is made of plastic, does not taste good, and offers no nutritional value. The bear ignores Mary's repeated requests to explain its actions and throughout the incident Mary fails to connect the bear's actions to the stimulus that immediately preceded it. Bears everywhere know exactly why this bear is destroying Mary's kayak. [more inside]
Authenticating American-ness
Bolerii
The Wiener Cello Ensemble presents 5+1: Bolero
High Hitler: A look into the megalomaniac’s drug addiction
From Guernica:
At the end, when he was already hiding in his wet and dark Fuhrerbunker and his beloved Eukodal was no longer available, the dictator was in a frail state. He had lost his teeth, he was drooling and he was hallucinating. Hitler, the man who believed in what he called the “Aryan master race,” had ended up a junkie...
who want lasagna
Hungry? Check out FoodP0rnn for delicious inspiration. (SLTwitter)
Daredevil unavailable for comment.
"In August we asked readers to settle age-old disputes and draw where their neighborhoods begin and end. More than 12,000 New Yorkers responded, drawing maps in more than 280 neighborhoods and giving us a pretty detailed look at the local geography."
“It still feels like a dream,”
Toronto Blue Jays win first American League East division championship in 22 years with victory over Baltimore Orioles [National Post] [more inside]
Fifty years and two documentaries since the Indonesian coup
It has been fifty years since the attempted coup in Indonesia which kicked off a series of events that led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Indonesians.
The reprisals, urged on by the West, mainly targeted the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), the largest non-ruling Communist Party at the time. Documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer has made two powerful and haunting films about this episode, The Act of Killing (2012) and The Look of Silence (2014). [more inside]
"The sad state of web app deployment"
Getting to the Point with Senator Elizabeth Warren
Senator Elizabeth Warren addresses the Edward M. Kennedy Insitute for the United States Senate on the subject of inequality in the US. Transcript [but her delivery is so terrific, watch the video, really. -ed.] Slate reflects on the speech. [more inside]
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