August 30, 2018
Trump Has Changed How Teens View the News
“There was no assumption that the news would convey the truth or would be worthy of their trust,” the study reported.
Teenagers, in particular, appear to be increasingly questioning the credibility and value of traditional media organizations.
MoMA Curator on Lau Kar-Leung Grandmaster of Kung Fu Films
...no one compares to Lau Kar-leung (1937–2013) as a purist of the genre and the Kung Fu form What makes a true kung fu film? Many directors and actors have been associated with the Kung Fu genre, Hong Kong cinema’s most unique creation, but no one compares to Lau Kar-leung (1937–2013) as a purist of the genre and the Kung Fu form.
Associate curator La Frances Hui explores the history of the Kung Fu films, the actors and filmmakers associated with the genre like Bruce Lee, Gordon Liu, and Jackie Chan, and why Lau Kar-leung has been hailed as the grandmaster of kung fu films.
On Electric Scooter Shares
Palestine's first aquarium brings marine life to landlocked West Bank
On July 23, 2018, Palestine's first aquarium opened. Schools of fish and creatures in every colour of the rainbow dart across the tanks or sit motionless. Some have travelled from as far as Southeast Asia to grace the Palestinian public, such as the Giant Gourami. Even the Iguana, a reptile native to Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, greets curious visitors with its solemn stare.
Sofia Qawasmeh believes everyone should be able to see these types of creatures. [more inside]
“Kitty, the internet is dangerous,”
“Hello! I'm Hello Kitty!” [YouTube] Hello Kitty finally makes her long-awaited debut as a vlogger.
Just a man pointing a bull tranquilizer at a coworker
Tom Clancy’s Jim Ryan: Up-and-coming CIA analyst and paper salesman Jim Ryan (John Krasinski) is thrust into a dangerous field assignment for the first time...
"How would an alien see us?"
Earlier this year, the Aquarium in Bergen, Norway hosted "Fish To Mars," a "metal science opera" with story by [MeFi's Own] Peter Watts, score by Arild Brakstad, and libretto by Karin Pittman. Much more at the Fish To Mars website. [more inside]
Give us our son. Of course, we want him back
Allen would be a gestational surrogate, carrying a baby made from the egg and sperm of a couple from China, the intended parents....DNA tests soon showed that one of the babies was not in fact related to the Chinese parents at all.
Food fight: don't cook at home, or make your own fast food at home
Opinion: Never cook at home. Trust me, I know it’s a drag. (NYT) Deb Perelman, author of the cooking blog Smitten Kitchen says it's cheaper and easier to let someone else do the cooking, at least when talking about NYC. Counter-argument: here is the fast food worth making at home (GQ), in which Drew Magary shares his experiences, and recipes, from catering to his three children. Bonus: 22* more fast food favorites to make at home (Buzzfeed).
Overthinking a Plate of "Summertime"
Actually, now that I think about it, forget everything I just wrote. “Summertime” is perfect and unassailable. I Know It’s Been 27 Years, but I Have Some Notes on DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s “Summertime” by John Gonzalez [SLTR]
When the earth opens up
Judging #bookstagram by our covers
Book covers are art, and the designs are influenced by not only the story's content but also the trending styles of our days. Is that influence today pushed by social media? "For a time, it seemed that eBooks and kindles would displace their physical counterparts, but this didn’t quite come to pass... Part of this has been in direct response to eBooks; a tactic to boost the sales of physical books is to remake them as desirable objects, and a way to make objects desirable is, of course, to make them aesthetically appealing. But social media – specifically Instagram, which promotes the coveting of beautiful covers on hashtags such as #bookstagram – is putting a new emphasis on cover aesthetics. We no longer need to go home with someone in order to see their bookcase." -Holly Connolly, for The Guardian. [more inside]
From tear gas and LSD to highly lethal nerve agents, like VX
Operation Delirium: Cold War Experiments in Chemical Warfare The soldiers were never told what they were given, or what the specific effects might be, and the Army made no effort to track how they did afterward. "At an Army research facility, a soldier given a powerful mind-altering drug said, “I feel like my life is not worth a nickel here." (SL New Yorker) [more inside]
Annotating the First Page of the First Navajo-English Dictionary
“It is one thing to play dress-up, to imitate pronunciations and understanding; it is another thing to think or dream or live in a language not your own.” [content warning: domestic violence, child abuse] [more inside]
Riz Ahmed Acts His Way Out of Every Cultural Pigeonhole
Gold, Mine
The Golden Mile at Kalgoorlie-Boulder, 600km east of Perth in Western Australia, was once considered the richest square mile on Earth. 60 million ounces later, this week marks 125 years of gold extraction, from the first lease registered in 1893 to the current Super Pit mine. This year the centuries collided when old tunnels and shafts caused a million tonnes of rockfall down the mine's eastern wall.
The Assembly Instructions Will Come in 250 Volumes
LEGO builds a drivable Bugatti out of 1,000,000+ Technic elements The LEGO Group unveils their latest creation - a drivable full-scale model of the Chiron supercar. The model took 13,438 man-hours to build, includes a 5.3 horsepower motor made from 2,304 Power Function motors and has a top speed of just over 20 km/h. (Top speed of the Chiron is 420 km/h)
Of course, this would assume that Jar Jar is even alive
Speculation late last year implied Episode IX could be the final installment of the famed Skywalker saga, meaning it would have to feature the ultimate destruction of the First Order. It's already been established that Jar Jar is haunted by personal demons, and there's something undeniably appealing about the infamous clown exorcising them by proving his worth once more.
How A Star Wars Movie Cameo Can Redeem Jar Jar Binks.
Why shouldn't I put ten times more doors in my films if I feel like it?
"The Doors:" every single shot of a door opening and/or closing in Robert Bresson’s L’Argent (1983) in sequential order. [more inside]
Wil Wheaton decides he’s done with social media.
Wil Wheaton writes about why he left Twitter, and why he’s leaving social media altogether. [more inside]
China builds a giant panda-shaped solar farm
Here’s a bit of good news for today.
Not A Single Origin
Not A Single Origin takes demographic data from suburbs in Sydney and turns it into chocolate - each box representing the different dominant cultures in each suburb.
Social Wealth Fund for America
The big idea that could make democratic socialism a reality - "An ambitious proposal to create an Alaska-style social wealth fund that could transform the global economy." (previously) [more inside]
Vespa, East of Java
Extreme Vespas in Indonesia. Hundreds of Indonesians gather in Java each year to celebrate their love of the world-renowned Italian scooter – and many customise their rides to resemble punk mutants straight out of Mad Max.
The untouched beauty of Kyrgyzstan
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