November 1, 2018
Why didn't humanity save the planet?
49 Elegies
PULSE Nightclub: 49 Elegies is a series by artist John Gutoskey "to honor and commemorate–-with a monoprint–-each of the 49 people massacred at the LQBTQ PULSE nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016... This exhibit addresses not only the loss, the grief and the aftermath of such a tragic event, but also intersects with the current issues of gun violence, homophobia, Hispanophobia, violence against people of color and the transgender community, and LGBTQ rights. The 49 mixed media monoprints in this series combine woodcut, collage, digital images from photographs and scans, stencil, spray enamel, glitter, colored pencil, art paper, gift wrap paper, and alcohol gel transfer decals." [more inside]
do the right thing, do things right
Taipei's mayor, Ko Wen-je, released a rap video [YouTube] less than a week ago and it's already gotten over 1.2 million views. [more inside]
Portable sundials
Ancient Romans say it's Pork O'Clock.
Chaucer says it's Pryme of Day.
Pyrenean shepherds say it's
time to take the sheep home. Maybe it's time for you to make your own.
The failure mode of righteous is petty
World history is peppered with petty—the small-minded revenge seekers and the even smaller-minded ones, too. A building constructed just to block a neighbor’s light; a lawsuit over a too-short Subway sandwich; a 300-year war started over a stolen wooden bucket.
To honor this ignoble part of human nature, we have made the Petty Hall of Fame. It is a massive 60-item mountain of petty, created from humans’ entire history of molehills.
Bob Dylan - If You See Her Say Hello (Take 1) (Lyric Video)
Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series Vol. 14 More Blood More Tracks is completely concerned with the many previously unreleased studio performances from 1974's (some have called it his best album) Blood on the Tracks. This is If You See Her Say Hello (take 1) with the words as they hit the page. [more inside]
How to Watch a Thai Ghost Movie
Imagine watching the Exorcist without any understanding of Satan or Catholic rites.
In Western horror, the vulnerable characters—the virginal women in slashers or children in paranormal flicks—are often in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Thai horror movies are often driven by an idea of karmic justice: you reap what you sow, and the consequences of your intentions (Sanskrit, cetana) can unleash paranormal punishments. Novice explicitly introduces these Buddhist themes, which the remaining four films explore further.A review in Tricycle magazine of the Thai horror movie Novice, which is part of the five-part Phobia 2 series of films (currently available on Netflix).
100,000 tote bags can't be wrong
Hermione 2020. "I’m going to be very careful about overstepping into rhetorical hyperbole that makes you doubt my ability to process scales of importance or things in relation to other things. But I still have to tell you: There are so few objects in this world that fill me with as visceral and physical a rage as a “Hermione 2020” sticker."
(sl Vox, Cursed Child spoilers)
Database of Paper Airplanes
40 Designs of paper airplanes with folding instructions. Each one has a difficulty rank and indications for specific use, such as distance or aerobatics.
“life is suffering”
An interview with Jordan Peterson. [GQ] “As part of our 30th-anniversary dissection of masculinity, Helen Lewis interrogated controversial Canadian academic and bestselling author Jordan Peterson about the patriarchy, #MeToo, the alt-right, gay parenting, fascist ideologies, his all-beef diet and much more...” [YouTube][Full Video of Interview] [more inside]
Road to autonomous vehicles update: take (parts of) California
You might have been taken aback by headlines like "Waymo can test fully driverless cars on California roads" (Engadget), and while it is big news, the official California DMV notice is limited in scope, in part that this permit is limited to Santa Clara County, and requires remote engineer monitoring. The CA DMV also notes that "60 manufacturers are currently permitted to test autonomous* vehicles in California with a safety driver." But autonomous vehicles aren't just coming to Silicon Valley, they're rolling out around the world, as summarized by Synced Review (via Medium), who keep up with self-driving news from around the world, and also pulled from KPMG’s AV readiness index (summary; full PDF report). [more inside]
Flasher Music Video
YouTube music and video fun.
By Flasher
Bringing DC to DC
Mass Halogenization
The halogen oven is a relatively new technology that has attracted favorable attention. This innovation provides convection at a fraction of the price of a full-size range and is even cheaper than many toaster ovens. Plus, it looks cool. [more inside]
Safe For Work
How do you check whether a candidate's really withdrawn?
After heavy criticism for her past statements, Josephine Zhao says she's withdrawn as a candidate for the San Francisco school board. But her name's still on the ballot for next week's election, and her supporters are still campaigning for her. What does it mean to withdraw, and what if she wins anyway? [more inside]
GIFs Out of Balance
GIFaanisqatsi is a visual remix of the trailer for the 1983 film Koyaanisqatsi using random Giphy 'gifs'. (Previously and previously)
Back On My Beat
Carly Rae Jepsen has at long last returned with a new single and video (content warning for sex toys). [more inside]
"No wolf can blow my house down"
The Song of Abby the Spoon Lady via The Washington Post Magazine. [CW: dv/abuse, mental illness, homelessness] [more inside]
The past is a country that issues no visas
The lives of great artists and thinkers and statesmen are like the lives of the great extinct species, the tyrannosaurs and stegosaurs, while the lives of the obscure can be likened to extinct species of beetles. Six Glimpses of the Past, by Janet Malcolm.
“Parker, who brings a life-sized Bob Ross cutout to her events, agreed.”
American Libraries: “The show ended in 1994 and Ross died in 1995, but the internet and streaming services have given new life to him and his program. Libraries have taken up the palette, hosting paint-along nights that blend nostalgia and stress relief - and bring new audiences through their doors.” Also covered by Deseret News and Wbur. In Loveland public library, East Brunswick, Cass County, Pima County, Salt Lake City, St. Joseph, Waupaca and this evening in Ann Arbor.
"Today's first one was tassiujak — a saltwater pond"
Chicken Noodle Doom
Japanese noodle company Nissin's mascot Hiyoko-chan has done something incredibly dangerous! Oh wait, that when they opened the Ark of the Covenant. I'm talking about when they made an unholy bargain and became some kind of Demonperson. More recently, Nissin's search for a solution continues, but will it just drag on? [more inside]
The time of their lives.
Noah and PJ's wedding dance. A few minutes of love and levity. This couple absolutely smash their wedding dance mash up (SLYT), with some inspiration from Ex Machina thrown in there!
Rampant sexism killed the British computer industry
In addition to doing all of her normal work, our programmer also had to train two new hires. These new hires didn't have any of the required technical skills. But once she trained them, which took about a year, they stepped up into management roles. Their trainer, meanwhile, was demoted into an assistantship below them. She succeeded at her job, only to fail in her career.That the trainer was a woman, and that her trainees were both young men, was no coincidence.
« Previous day | Next day »