the perfect “just thinking of you” gift

From APOD:

Are square A and B the same color? They are. Are too. To verify this, click here to see them connected. The above illusion, called the same color illusion, illustrates that purely human observations in science may be ambiguous or inaccurate. Even such a seemingly direct perception as relative color. Similar illusions exist on the sky, such as the size of the Moon near the horizon, or the apparent shapes of astronomical objects. The advent of automated, reproducible, measuring devices such as CCDs have made science in general and astronomy in particular less prone to, but not free of, human-biased illusions.

such hawks, such hounds

This looks pretty dope:


From the website:

"For every music fan who says rock ’n’ roll ain’t what it used to be; for every pundit who concurs with Hunter S. Thompson’s assessment of the music business as “a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free;” there are an equal number who will say that the business of creating and releasing innovative and satisfying music is as healthy as ever — it’s just done on a smaller scale.

Such Hawks, Such Hounds is a testament to the vitality of rock music. Relying only marginally on nostalgia, it says that at any point in history, the music being made is as worthy of attention as that of times past. It’s an introduction to an underheralded subgenre and a realization of its cinematic possibilities.

Such Hawks tells a story that needs to be told. Since the Alternative Revolution of the early 1990s, there has been a heightened interest in music with roots in the underground, hence such excellent genre studies as Hype!, Scratch and American Hardcore. While a similar celebration of sounds held dear, Such Hawks captures a moment as it is happening.

Such Hawks explores the music and musicians of the American hard rock underground circa 1970-2007, focusing on the psychedelic and ’70s proto-metal-derived styles that have in recent years formed a rich tapestry of unclassifiable sounds."



Get yourself a copy here.

the word

He had me going from the Ahmadinejad bit:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Don't Ask Don't Tell
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Michael Moore

Killin' me: Getachew Mekuria & The Ex

"This was the first time Getatchew played with the Ex.
It was also his first time in Europe. We invited him to play with the ICP orcestra, which was a great success, but during the tour he discovered the energy of The Ex and he started to play one song together with them every night. From that experience came the idea to record a cd (Moa Anbessa)." -- Terp Records

If you haven't heard Moa Anbessa yet, you'd be wise to remedy that. here's a taste:

Aynoche Terabu/Shemonmwanaye

There's also a great DVD available that mixes practice footage with live performances from Banlieues Bleues Festival in Paris. Very worth your time and spare ducats.

Here's Getachew w/ the ICP Orchestra:


more Mekuria:

we've got a rep for that . . .

via PA

bollywood tackles the jim hat

wow:

toppin' your rocket

gotta black hole in my pocket

dizzy with haranguing

* * *

all which isn't singing is mere talking
and all talking's talking to oneself
(whether that oneself be sought or seeking
master or disciple sheep or wolf)

gush to it as diety or devil
-toss in sobs and reasons threats and smiles
name it cruel fair or blessed evil-
it is you (ne i)nobody else

drive dumb mankind dizzy with haranguing
-you are deafened every mother's son-
all is merely talk which isn't singing
and all talking's to oneself alone

but the very song of(as mountains
feel and lovers)singing is silence
- E. E. Cummings

anything that can fight to the death and not utter a sound, well, . . .

Warren Oates is the shit:

Chladni plates

Chladni modes of a guitar plate:

The Barthelme Syllabus

Get the story behind the list here.

Origin of the wedding tree?

Umbilcomdum - Julie Evans

See it up there?

Cool Story Alaska Premiere

Tonight in Los Anchorage: The Alaska premiere of Think Thank's new film "Cool Story."






Keep your ears peeled for los gran torinos' "Deathbird" used on Mark Thompson's part.

Here's the official trailer:

Juneau athletes will be subjected to mandatory drug testing.

So damn lame.

The question I want answered is: does this include mathletes?

You're the Hasidic Jew who tried to kill me.

As someone who rides a bike to work 6 days a week and has at least 1 weekly encounter that sets me to cussing, I'd like to give a hat tip to the petite brunette in a white sundress, riding a red road bike in the rain for so elegantly articulating some of the finer points my giant flipping finger just never seems to convey.

sick darbuka rhythms

you've got to be fucking kidding me

Apparently, the Bible is just a bit too liberal for some folks out there and they're looking to re-write it to better suit their (ahem) standards.

Among the many items you will soon find on the cutting room floor: the word "peace." Seriously. Will the expression now be: "Prosperity be with you?"

"Thou shalt not kill" and "Love thy neighbor as thyself" don't really jive with current conservative ideals, what will become of them? And what about that whole deal about rendering unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s? Seems to be pro-taxation, no?

One of the bigger questions I have is where do they find the time to re-write the Bible what with all the cheating on wives, war-mongering, and boy on boy action in airport bathroom stalls?

I still can't tell if this is a hoax or not but if it's true, it looks as though it will shape up to be the antithesis of the only Bible I can dig, the Jefferson Bible.


via

mad skills

I came really close to spitting coffee everywhere the first time I watched this:

The surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean

This is brilliant:

'A Glorious Dawn' - Carl Sagan ft. Stephen Hawking


via the ever dope Arthur Magazine

Surprise: Former Alaskan Governor's fiction co-authored by Racist/Creationist

Mr. Munger over at Progressive Alaska profiles Lynn Vincent, the piece of trash that co-authored Alaska's infamous quitter's ego trip Going Rogue.

Check it out here.

She definitely seems worthy of the C-bomb.

big ups

I know, I know, you've seen this already on CNN or Daily Kos or The Huffpo but I don't give a shit. This clip deserves to be posted everywhere:




From Grayson diary at Daily Kos:

Last night, I went onto the House floor and did something that the Republicans aren't used to. I told the truth about the Republican health care plan. The plan is simple:

Don't get sick.
If you do get sick...
Die quickly.

My speech has been replayed on CNN, Redstate, Huffington Post, etc, and mainstream media pundits are saying that I'm the Democratic Joe Wilson. Of course, unlike Joe Wilson, I wasn't rude to the President. Unlike Joe Wilson, I didn't break a rule of the House. And unlike Joe Wilson, I actually told the truth. Every single year, over forty-four thousand people in America die because they don't have health insurance. Read this Harvard study. That is the plain truth.

Alan Grayson's diary :: ::

And now the Republicans claim they are going to introduce a resolution "disapproving" of my behavior. (**)

What is this, junior high school? Do they think my feelings are hurt? Just what do these people think health care means? It's not some abstract "issue", we're talking about life and death! And the Republicans, who ran the government in full or in part from 2001-2009, chose to let those 44,000 people die, every single year when they were in power. And George W. Bush, whom the Republicans somehow pretend was not President for the last eight years, just let them die. He even vetoed health care for poor children.

So apologize? I don't think so.

Now, my office is getting slammed with calls. Some people are saying "I will do anything in my power to get you out of office." But many of you are calling and saying "Thank you for speaking the truth, and don't you dare apologize."

The Republicans are serious about getting rid of me, because they are scared. They have already set up a site to attack me. And the reason is simple; they don't want my tough attitude to rub off on other Democrats. And the Democrats aren't sure what to think about this new, I don't know what you call it, truthtelling?

(**) Apparently, they have changed their minds about introducing this resolution.

So, hats off to you Mr Grayson (though I personally would have steered clear of the Holocaust).