May 3, 2007
52 weeks, 52 wonderful pieces of art
Start here and work your way up to page one to see the most remarkable achievement of DC Comics just-completed weekly series, 52. 52 weeks worth of amazing covers by artist J. G. Jones! A weekly blog for each cover starts here. This one was my favorite. 52!
Do penguins fly?
Unarius
Welcome, space brothers, from representatives of planet earth! It's the Unarius Academy of Science. (wp)
Story of two CIA operatives captured in China in 1952 who were held for 20 years
There may be some among us who can imagine 20 days in captivity; perhaps a fraction of those can imagine a full year deprived of liberty and most human contact. But 20 years? Downey and Fecteau have consistently sought to downplay their period of imprisonment; and neither has done what arguably too many former CIA officers do these days with far less justification: write a book. Downey has said that such a book would contain "500 blank pages," and Fecteau says the whole experience could be summed up by the word "boring."Extraordinary Fidelity: Two CIA Prisoners in China, 1952–73 [secure link] by Nicholas Dujmovic, a CIA historian and a veteran intelligence analyst. Time article about Downey and Fecteau from 1954.
Cycle crash cover-up uncovered?
Has Australia's largest cycling club attempted to cover up the possible causes of a fatal crash at its latest event? The Canberra Cycling Club's press release says that the race was conducted in accordance with Australian road rules. Their photo gallery for the event certainly shows small groups of riders keeping to one side of the centre line. Local sleuths The RiotACT say different.
"Donny Osmond, watch your back! This is Mitt Romney,"
Sizzlingly Inappropriate Republican Debate Hottie Rundown! --in what's becoming a recurring series (see her UK Hostages and Dem candidates here), Werthmann rates (in a supergroovy Tiger Beat/fan mag way) the 10 GOP hopefuls appearing tonight in the Debate. On Rudy: ... The way he burns through spouses, we think he's fair game. Hey, Rudy, we need some "consulting"! ... : >
RIP Wally Schirra
RIP Wally Schirra, 1923-2007. One of the original Mercury Seven "Right Stuff" astronauts (just two left now), Schirra flew on Sigma 7, Gemini 7, and Apollo 7. From there on, it's stationkeeping.
Danny DeVito's Premium Limoncello
Ok, so do you remember Danny Devito's appearance on the view last year? The one during which he was obviously drunk? He blamed it on the "last seven limoncellos..."
And now he has his own line of limoncello, which its own awesome theme song. (Last link has auto-playing music, but it's so worth it.)
Conspiracies eldritch and bizarre
Matthew Rossi spins elaborate conspiracies out of obscure and esoteric history: explaining the disappearance of Jamestown with reference to ancient Persian cults and secret books of knowledge, or exploring the idea that Ben Franklin worked with Thomas Jefferson and François Fourier to perfect a method of living forever. Several more ornate pseudohistories are available at the Encyclopedia of Heresies. There is an interview with Rossi about his "New Weird" science fiction book Things that Never Were, though Rossi seems to have vanished since, his homepage with other tales available only in archive.
Spatula of Death
Instead of yet another social networking site, why not try an anti-social networking site? Presenting Spatula of Death, where the goal is enmity, not community. Smite your friends enemies or watch other people smite theirs, and you'll get to watch a poor stuffed monkey get whapped on the head with a spatula over a live web feed. Rate other users' smites, and have your own smites rated, earning Douchebag Points (TM) for the most cutting remarks and cruel behavior. The site was created as a thesis presentation for Tisch ITP at NYU; watch the creator discuss it.
Pop your funk
Disco cellist Arthur Russell is the subject of a new documentary. MP3s for those who don't know him: Sidebar here, here, here (photo may be NSFW), more here.
"Like the Soviet state, Google does not forget."
Useful Void: The Art of Forgetting in the Age of Ubiquitous Computing. Like they said in Strange Days, "Memories are meant to fade. They're designed that way for a reason." What happens when there's a record online of every site you've ever visited, every flippant comment you've ever made, every embarrassing question you've ever asked? Maybe computers, like people, should be designed to forget.
What do you think of that, Charles?
Here's a little DogFilter for you, courtesy of Drew of Toothpaste For Dinner fame. Not only does Charles get a finger up his ass, but he also has a licking problem.
Yurts!
Modern yurts. Not just for hippies/nomads/ren fairs anymore.
Gain 34 pounds of muscle in only four weeks!
Tim Ferris claims to have gained 34 lbs. of muscle in 28 days while exercising for only four hours, total.
Geek fight
Freaks and Geeks keeping it real. [TNR login=metafilter pwd=metafilter] In late March, New Republic columnist Noam Scheiber posted an article strongly criticizing, among other things, Chicago Economics Professor Steve Levitt's "cute and clever" approach to the dismal science, now famously known as Freakonomics. Levitt replied last week with a post of his own. And now, Scheiber has appears to want some more of this.
Accident Prone
Through A Child's Eyes
Reality, Imagination and Fear. Three short animated films by young students and artists. [more inside]
The most pressing issue in Canada today.
Controversy in Canada! It seems that Canadian politicians have nothing better to do. The hockey Don weighs in. The issue described in brief here. More press links here. Lastly, some comparible(?) incidents.
WE IN UR STATION CONSUMIN' YOUR QUADROTRITICALE
Aptitude Schmaptitude!: innumeracy in America
Aptitude Schmaptitude! While the state of mathematical incompetence in this country has been much lamented, most famously in Paulos's brilliant 1988 book Innumeracy, it is still tacitly accepted . . . Being incompetent in math has become not only acceptable in this widely innumerate culture, it has almost become a matter of pride. No one
goes around showing off that he is illiterate, or has no athletic ability, but declarations of innumeracy are constantly made without any embarrassment or shame.
Solar tower in Spain
Solar Tower (text and video). "The rays of sunlight reflected by a field of 600 huge mirrors are so intense they illuminate the water vapour and dust hanging in the air."
If you're pregnant this will give you something to do
"Where's the 'T' at?" she asked.
The caferteria had garbage an all tables. At my middle school in Staten Island, thought the dean, this cannot stand. So he sent home a letter.
The Wrong Trousers Killed the Radio Star
The Wrong Trousers (Quick! If the goofy song "Calvin" starts playing, click to play the other song, "Had") are an unconventional
three-piece
folky music group, with an average age of 16. Their stated influences are: Alfred Lord Tennyson, Joseph Campbell, Joni Mitchell, Salvadore Dali, Neil Innes, Thomas Jefferson, Matta and mom & dad. A friend of mine found them when he was nostalgically searching for an 80's music video and instead found this. At first watch, I thought it was a gag (either intentional or not), but found it somehow compelling to watch. I think they remind me of what my brother and I and our friends would do in hish school, except with some talent. I really like I their original song,"Had." (The other song is a burlesquey thing that I don't). The word on this odd-looking group is apparently spreading.
Socially responsible design
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