July 23, 2010
There is no try.
In Lesbo-Vision!
Susan Bell, mild-mannered secretary, thinks that pirates, space aliens, and lesbians are only found in pulp adventure novels. Until she is Kidnapped by Lesbian Pirates from Outer Space! And finds out that she's one of them!
You don't have to be a lesbian, a pirate or a space alien to read this web comic, but it helps.
An intimate evening ... with 6000 friends
The BBC Proms season is underway, and this year also they are running some 'late night Proms', second concerts held after the first concert of the evening is over. A couple of days ago, the Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires (Wikipedia) took over the cavernous Royal Albert Hall at ten in the evening for an all-Chopin, all-Nocturnes late night recital, attended by nearly 6,000 people. That may sound like a recipe for disaster, but she pulled it off wonderfully; it was an unforgettable experience, and you have until next Wednesday to hear it, on the BBC iPlayer. [more inside]
Poetry in Hell
Poetry in Hell contains a complete collection of poems recovered from the Warsaw Ghetto's Ringelblum Archives. The project, which took ten years to complete, gives English translations of poems that are shown in their original Yiddish. [more inside]
In the Spotlight, China Re-Finding Religion
This week NPR featured a five part series of stories entitled, "New Believers: A religious revolution in China" that explores the growth and status of religion in China today. [more inside]
Bug of the Day
Flickr user Urtica posts pictures of elusive luna moths, surly bees, gregarious aphids, insect eggs, and of course beetles.
Most of these she finds in her backyard in Framingham, MA. She posts a new Bug picture every single day.
I give you Urtica's Bug of the Day!
Most of these she finds in her backyard in Framingham, MA. She posts a new Bug picture every single day.
I give you Urtica's Bug of the Day!
Great American Bike Race
In 1982 John Marino first organized The Great American Bike Race (now known as Race Across America, or RAAM.) The rules were simple: start at the Santa Monica Pier and end at the Empire State Building 2,968 miles with a small support team. Along with Marino were three other riders: Lon Haldeman, John Howard, and Michael Shermer (a decade later being a founding member of Skeptic Magazine.) Haldeman won with a time of 9d 20h 02m with second place, Howard coming in 14 hours later. ABC covered the race that first year as part of their Wide World of Sports [part 1 of 10]. [more inside]
Default Setting
The Government Accountability Office discovered that "23% [of for-profit university graduates] default [on their student loans] after four years compared to fewer than 10% of public-university grads." Unless for-profit universities can prove at least 45% of their students repay their debts (one among a number of benchmarks,) said universities may lose federal funding.
Grieving through photography
Sometimes thought to be a bizarre Victorian custom, photographing corpses has been and continues to be an important, if not recognized, occurrence in American life. [more inside]
"The Smith & Wesson Coloring Book for Kids"
SlushPile Hell (tagline: A grumpy literary agent wades through query fails) asks readers to come up with the WORST CHILDREN’S BOOK…EVER
30 dollar Linux tablet?
An Indian laptop priced at just Rs.1,500 ($30) and touted as the world's cheapest will come as a godsend for students for whom it has been specifically designed. [more inside]
Project Sissy
New Orleans Bounce music is here. But, it's always been here, in the projects (nsfw), on the streets (gratuitous).
Sometimes I forget how lucky I am, not living in Iran.
Iranian kids brush off the government's approved hair cuts. For shame! A video at Al Jazeera's channel about hair drama in Iran. Read the Youtube comments if you have an intolerance-tolerant stomach.
Die Young, Live Fast: The Evolution of an Underclass
Mila's Daydreams
Mila's Daydreams: "This is my maternity leave hobby. While my baby is taking her nap, I try to imagine her dream and capture it." Almost too cute.
A "Living History Book"
Daniel Schorr is dead at 93. Schorr began a career in journalism which spanned more than six decades at 12 years old, when he wrote a story for the Bronx Home News about a suicide. A woman had jumped from the roof of his building, he phoned the police and then wrote and article about the event, for which he was paid $5. After serving in military intelligence during World War II, he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor and the New York Times before joining CBS in 1953 as one of the legendary "Murrow Boys". [more inside]
The f**cking dolphins are f**king blowing oil out of their blowholes
Unf**k the Gulf has lots of swearing, lots, they're mad as f**k and are not going to take it anymore. Spend 13 on a Tee and 5 go to unf**king the gulf.
Why Movies Suck - Part 42
Hollywood ate my childhood [or] Why film remakes are desecrating our most precious memories.
Hint: it's the money. [more inside]
Come Again
The Kleptones work their mashup magic on The Beatles' Come Together vs. a whole slew of other songs, and then Crumbs Chief turns it into a dance extravaganza. Celebrate your Friday with Come Again. (SLVimeo, 8m17s)
Ex Libris Metafilteris
"The Extraordinary World of Ex Libris Art." A collection of bookplates of the famous and the obscure, from Charles Dickens to Greta Garbo to Jack Dempsey. (Via VSL.)
Smiling computers and smoking bombs
Learn a little about the history of computer icons, and the theory behind what makes a good icon. The original computer icons were rather crude, but the art of icons has evolved. Even the once-ugly Windows computer icons have become pretty over the years (a slightly abbreviated one-page version). Among the memorable icons of icons is the once ubiquitous Mac icons of Susan Kare, the "Betsy Ross of the personal computer." [more inside]
Just be real
Good evening, America. He's Chloe Sevigny.
Harry Beckett RIP
Harry Beckett RIP Jamaican born trumpeter and flugelhornist Harry Beckett was one of the most hard working and adaptable players in UK jazz, playing with everyone from Chris McGregor to Jack Bruce. He's heard to great effect on this too, which is probably where I first heard him. He wasn't averse to spot of free improvisation either. He'll be much missed.
A 360° tribute to Escher.
"He wanted, he said, to die with his family around him."
Free Geography Tools
Brandon Shaeffer's Movie Posters
Graphic designer Brandon Shaeffer blends conceptualism, block graphic, op-art and deco/streamline sensibilities. His movie poster re-designs are particularly fabulous. Much more can be found in his Flickr stream and tumblr blog.
Boing Boom Tschak
The Dream Machine
The Dream Machine is a flash point and click adventure game done entirely in claymation. A beta for chapter 1 is available if you sign up with an email address and password, a demo is available without signing up. (via JiG) [more inside]
I don’t care that I’ve never seen Paris
"All these worlds are (like) yours except . . . "
Cartracing game and zombie shooter from ConixGames
Skid MK is a fiendishly addictive and entertaining Mario Kart clone which has already taken up far too much of my week. Developers Conix Games also made a top-down zombie shooter in the Robotron tradition called Daytraders of the Dead, which is just about as addictive.
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