August 27, 2017
But how does he draw with boxing gloves on?
Strong Bad provides a few short lessons in how to improve your Skills of an Artist™:
Strong Sad’s Severed Soolnds* · Sammich · Cannonmouth · Posh Toilet Paper · Muscleman
*Soolnds
Strong Sad’s Severed Soolnds* · Sammich · Cannonmouth · Posh Toilet Paper · Muscleman
*Soolnds
The Spice Flows
How Mushrooms Became Magic - "Psilocybin affects us humans because it fits into receptor molecules that typically respond to serotonin—a brain-signaling chemical. Those receptors are ancient ones that insects also share, so it's likely that psilocybin interferes with their nervous system, too. 'We don't have a way to know the subjective experience of an insect', says Slot, and it's hard to say if they trip. But one thing is clear from past experiments: Psilocybin reduces insect appetites. By evolving the ability to make this chemical, which prevents the munchies in insects, perhaps some fungi triumphed over their competitors, and dominated the delicious worlds of dung and rotting wood." (via) [more inside]
"Myths help us act; history helps us understand."
Max Gladstone: DEAR SOPHONTS—
Your Harvest issue’s cover feature (“Heroes of the Galactic Revolution: A Twenty-Year Retrospective”), however well-intentioned in its commemoration of the anniversary of our galaxy’s liberation from the Palpatine Regime, indulged in and perpetuated many damaging and historically inaccurate popular fantasies. However widespread the folk narrative of the Skywalker and Solo families has become in the decades since liberation, we expect more from a journal of your self-professed dedication to intellectual rigor. The Great Sophont Theory of History has been deservedly discredited for decades; our galaxy’s very size—millions of sentient species spread across billions of worlds—should be enough to discredit any notion its history might be shaped by the decisions of a few individuals. What steersman could seize the wheel of such a vessel?[more inside]
Integration is a bitch!
In 1969, Tom Floyd, an African-American editorial cartoonist who owned an advertising firm in Gary, Indiana, published Integration is a Bitch: An Assessment By a Black White Collar Worker, a 116-page set of cartoons about his experiences working at the Inland Steel Company and the experience of black college educated workers following the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. The book has been scanned and posted to tumblr (annoyingly, in reverse order); it's worth starting from the very beginning (scrolling down to the bottom), because although the panels are all vingnettes there is an arc to the book. [more inside]
No...Not your weiner!!!
Hey, You Got Your Jazz In My Math!
'Beginning at one, start counting upwards. When you reach seven, say, "Unh." When you reach ten, say "Woof." When you reach any number containing a seven, or any number into which seven can be divided, say, "Unh, unh." When you reach twenty, thirty, or any number up to seventy that ends with a zero, say, "Woof Woof." All right, boys – here we go!' —Mezz Mezzrow and his Swing Band, "I'se A Muggin Part 2" (1936). Milton "Mezz" Mezzrow was an adequate instrumentalist, but was better known for three things: he arranged some classic recording sessions; he was the jazz scene's main weed dealer back in the 1930's and 40's, so much that musicians and others referred to marijuana as 'Mezz'; and he crossed racial boundaries without effort and with pride in an age when it was dangerous to do so, calling himself a "voluntary negro". Here's a link to his autobiography, Really the Blues.
Twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!
Another busy week for the President: on the eve of Hurricane Harvey slamming into the Texas coast, Trump pardoned Arpaio, and banned transgender people from future military enlistment, but has difficulty staying on message as historic flooding threatens Texas. Meanwhile, the Russian collusion probe proceeds apace, as additional subpoenas are issued for testimony, while Gorka wins the weekly White House purge lottery.
Number Five Is Alive
Machine Girl Live at Milkrun
John's Fake Nantucket Crisis
The sound of the ocean. Two men walk along a waterfront. A young narrator, "People tried to help him. They knew he was searching. He listened... but he knew he was alone." A man stands alone on the beach. "They didn't know him." ... I think? It's mumbled. Anyway, that's it, the whole video: John's Fake Nantucket Crisis is the first clip on the erbp production company's vimeo channel since their last film, Upstream Color. [more inside]
Q: Are We Not Men? A: No, We Are Chi Chi Rodriguez
"All our efforts were, in fact, in earnest," Jerry says. "But what it looked like in the end is that Devo had meanly tricked Chi Chi Rodriguez and put out something that made him look hideous. It was — you know, it was a mess."
Gladwell, eat my shorts P. 2
Mike Boyd is a Scottish lad who challanged himself to learn many specific skills. He documents the actual time it takes to 'master' them (or at least achieve a certain milestones of mastery). So far he uploaded 35 videos. (Previously.)
Savion Glover and Happy Tapping Feet
Savion Glover is arguably the finest tap dancer of his generation, and yet his contribution to the movie "Happy Feet" was widely overlooked. His credit is way way down the list as choreographer for a movie that is based on tap dancing. He is working hard to redress the reputation that tap has. He teaches and tours relentlessly. My first exposure to him was when he was 16 and was already an up-and-coming star—this movie was Tap with not only Gregory Hines but also Sammy Davis jr, Jimmy Slyde, Sandman Sims, one of the Nicholas Bros., and others. It's a loving tribute to old-time hoofers. [more inside]
The Tax Shelter Era
In 1974, in order to boost the Canadian film industry, the Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) was increased to 100%. This meant that as long as their productions met a number of standards that made it “Canadian”, investors could deduct 100% of their investment from their taxable income. Thus began the Tax Shelter Era (1975-1982) of Canadian film. [more inside]
All the tea in Marin County
Marin County tea guru David Lee Hoffman, subject of Les Blank's documentary All In This Tea still has literally tons of tea, puer (previously) and otherwise, in his tea cave, but also has long battled county government over building codes and his vision of sustainability (previously, including a link to a 2012 Vice article with more pictures of the Last Resort.) [more inside]
The simple cat and dog comics of Q-Rais
Q-Rais is a Japanese illustrator/cartoonist who draws short stories about cats and dogs. The site is all in Japanese, but the comics generally speak for themselves. You can also browse the site through Google Translate for a bit of auto-translated context, or enjoy a context-free gallery on Imgur.
My family's always been in meat.
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