Sunday, July 31, 2022
London Day
London Day from urbanTick on Vimeo.
Music For Sunday Morning
Lately I've had the music of Kate and Anna McGarrigle running through my head - music of my youth. I saw them perform so many times back then.
Sunday Links
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| Buckminster Fuller and Shoji Sadao, Project for Floating Cloud Structures (Cloud Nine), c. 1960 |
Cloud Nine Could Buckminster Fuller's airborne habitats (above) provide a solution to a housing crisis?
Bunny Heaven inWilliamsburg: A couple transformed an ugly New York City rooftop terrace into a garden oasis for family, friends, birds, beehives, crickets, and … bunnies. (I'd like to see the before pictures.)
Beautiful:30 years of exoplanet discoveries
From a multi-day trek tracing the routes of a Japanese poet, to a classic clamber in the Argentinian Lake District 23 of the world's best hiking trails
A video about Japanese art restorer Mayuyama Koji who restores objects in a way that minimizes the repaired damage. It is long (50mins) but I found it fascinating. (via BoingBoing)
Emoji Kitchen Browser (good for when you have mixed feelings)
This battlefield is on fire and exploding 100-year-old ordnance: The First World War ended 104 years ago, but thanks to wildfires burning the European continent, echoes of the Great War are being heard. (via FB pal Hal)
The portable oasis is heavier than a mask but it gets more attention.
Swan Upping on the River Thames The ancient custom of making a census of the swans.
John Einarsen's photos of small buildings of Kyoto (via everlasting blort)
One of Australia’s greatest mysteries may finally be solved, after a professor came forward claiming to have identified a body found on a beach nearly 75 years ago. (via Metafilter)
I envy many things about Europe, one of them being the availability and ease of train travel. How far can you travel in Europe by train in 5 hours?
A Medieval Graphic Novel carved on a 14th century ivory box (not the religious scenes usually depicted in that era).
Futuristic paradise or dystopia? Saudi Arabia is building The Line, a new city enclosed by mirrored walls
Let us adore and drink! A toast to the elbow, the joint that allows us to drink at our ease.
Saturday, July 30, 2022
Do You Speak Esperanto?
Things haven't turned out the way I hoped they would when I was a kid. I thought we'd all have flying cars and everyone would be speaking Esperanto.
Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot
The breezy jazz score was written by Alain Romans. The film was shot at the Hôtel de la Plage at Saint-Marc-sur-Mer (Saint-Nazaire), France.
Friday, July 29, 2022
The Last Movie Stars - Trailer
I don't usually watch movies about Hollywood stars but this six-part documentary directed by Ethan Hawke might be an exception.
The Floating Water Bridge
When a high voltage difference is applied, a liquid bridge of deionized water can sustain itself between two beakers even when they’re separated by 25 millimeters.
Via Futility Closet
How do painkillers work?
What's the difference between common over-the-counter painkillers like Advil, Tylenol, Paracetamol, Voltaren, and Aspirin? Is access to painkillers a human right?
Via 3 Quarks Daily
La Maison Sculptée
British photographer Harley Weir profiles artist Jacques Lucas and his lifelong creation, La Maison Sculptée, a monumental hand-sculpted house in Rennes, France, in a short documentary for Acne Studios.
An 'Invisible House' In the Desert
From certain angles, this landmark Joshua Tree house completely disappears into its high desert surroundings.
From other viewpoints, it acts as a mirror. The ‘horizontal skyscraper’ was designed in 2019 by American Psycho film producer Chris Hanley in collaboration with architect and Frank Gehry collaborator Tomas Osinski.
(Photography: Engel & Völkers Santa Monica / Petr Mašek)
The house is currently for rent for $150,000 per month with Engel & Volkers Santa Monica.
More: The Spaces
A Rare Old Photography Studio For Sale
This traveling daylight photography studio that was pulled around the English seaside by horses from the 1860s onwards will go up for auction. It is believed to be the only existing example of such a studio.
Thursday, July 28, 2022
An Honest Liar: The Life Story Of James Randi
World-renowned magician, escape artist and professional debunker, James "The Amazing" Randi, dedicated his life to exposing fake psychics and others who claim paranormal powers.
Randi passed away in 2020.
Via 3 Quarks Daily
My Cat, Carmen
I found this kitten in my garden four years ago. She turned our household upside down for a few years but eventually settled down and has become a beloved pet.
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
'Punk rock flophouse'
A crafter won first place in the Calgary Stampede crafts competition for the 'punk rock flophouse' she made from a Victorian-style dollhouse kit.
More: Boing Boing
Distilled Oreos
The Crowded Barrel Whiskey Company in Austin, Texas, attempts to turn Oreo cookies into alcohol. Will it distill?
Via TwistedSifter
Blue Island Trailer
Director Chan Tze Woon uses documentary and reenactment to confront the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. He draws parallels between today's struggle and the arrival of refugees from mainland China 50 years ago fleeing the Cultural Revolution, while also looking at the impact of Tiananmen Square.
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
The Story Of Anthrax Island
In 1942, during the Second World War, a biological warfare test was carried out on Gruinard Island in Scotland by British military scientists. Their goal was to develop an anthrax bomb. Things went awry.
Monday, July 25, 2022
Welcome!
For this art intervention, Pejac chose the entrance of a building in Aberdeen, Scotland that houses charities as well as homes for vulnerable residents facing social exclusion. It was part of the Nuart Festival 2022 whose theme was to reconnect the relationship between the city and its people.
Read more Cultura Inquieta
AI Weirdness
When my sons were very little I used to soothe them to sleep with the charming story by Margaret Wise Brown. This version, imagined by AI, would have induced nightmares.
Talking Chins
Via Boing Boing
Photo Blending
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| The Doors, 1969 in Los Angeles CA. Photo by Henry Diltz. |
Since 2010 photographer Steve Birnbaum has been matching up existing photos of musicians with the exact locations where they were shot.
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| Woody Guthrie, 1943 at McSorley’s Old Ale House for LIFE Magazine. Photo by Eric Schaal |
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| The Grateful Dead, May 5th 1968 at the bandshell in Central Park. Photo by Joe Sia |
His project is aptly named thebandwashere.
via PetaPixel
Sunday, July 24, 2022
Sunday Links
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| James McNeill Whistler's Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, 1861–1863 National Gallery of Art |
How cartoonists are chronicling the Jan. 6 hearings - The Washington Post (paywall)
Senator Josh Hawley fled the very mob he incited and people are having a little fun with it: Josh Hawley is a bitch and other poetic mockeries
Are you uncertain how long those leftovers have been in the refrigerator but afraid that subjecting them to the sniff test will set off your gag reflex? Snoot aroma detector works out freshness of food to eliminate waste.
Modern archaeology: Fully Intact Vintage Burger King is Discovered Behind a Wall
The Nap Box allows you to snatch 40 winks at the office in privacy (but you have to sleep in the pod like a flamingo, standing upright.)
Fesshole: Let Twitter absolve your sins.
Zebreo? Loafox? These are some of the surreal hybrids that photo manipulation artist Ronald Ong created in his surreal mashups of animals with food and other unexpected items. Link
RunawayWives: what it took for a woman to leave an abusive husband in medieval London. (via TMN)
Sphinx Hill Unique Egyptian style house for sale.
The surprisingly competitive world of France’s humblest bistro staple: The Oeuf Mayo World Championship
Working from home and missing the ambience of the workplace? Sound Of Colleagues is a white noise machine that emulates the sound of an office. (via bookofjoe)
This rose survived WW2 bombing and has probably witnessed much more over the past thousand years.
The Great Salt Lake in Utah is drying up due to global warming.
How crazy is this? Two dozen New York models competed in a hair pulling contest at the Palisades Amusement Park on July 11, 1940.
Frankly I'm over summer and looking forward to crisp autumn days but here is a list of Summer Songs for those who enjoy the suffocating heat.
Nick Cave was asked Who do you want to win Love Island? His response is lovely. (via Things Magazine)
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel
The Imperial Hotel was demolished in 1967. Frank Lloyd Wright: The Lost Works has recreated a comprehensive digitally-animated version of his masterpiece.
Friday, July 22, 2022
If Famous Painters Had Company Logos
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| Leonardo Davinci |
Lego set based on The Office
The Office is a mockumentary sitcom television series that depicted the everyday work lives of office employees at the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. It aired for nine seasons and those of us who watched it from 2005 - 2013 got to know the characters pretty well. Now you can purchase a 1,164-piece Lego set featuring the whole gang.
Michael Scott’s “World’s Best Boss” mug? It’s there. Dwight’s stapler in jello? Yup. Is Stanley snacking on a pretzel? He sure is. That painting above the chair in the foyer? Looks like a Lego version of Pam’s watercolor painting of the office. Kevin has even spilled his chili on the floor.
More: TheVerge
Thursday, July 21, 2022
James Webb Space Telescope zooms in on the Southern Ring Nebula
This video zooms through space to reveal Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) image of the Southern Ring Nebula.
Surfer Negotiates His Way Through A Human Obstacle Course
Can this surfer in Uluwatu, Bali avoid hitting 25 people who are paddling out?
Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Stair-Climbing Wheelchair
Stairs are the biggest impediment for wheelchair users. JerryRigEverything tests this self-balancing, stair-climbing wheelchair that brings technology into the world of accessible equipment. It's pretty amazing.
Angel Origami From Single Sheet of Paper
via My Modern Met
Bathing Machines
More photos: Vintage Everyday
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Painting of the Day
Is it hot where you are? Many of us are wishing we were at the beach right now.
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| Wasaga Beach, Ontario John Bennett c. 1946 |
Old Farmer (1929)
"I was born in the first half of the last century… Now I exercise a little but I don't call it work."
The Rehearsal | Official Trailer
If The Beatles Were A 90s Grunge Band
British musician Bloxsy recreates classic songs by The Beatles, in the style of 1990s grunge bands.
Via Laughing Squid
Monday, July 18, 2022
How Does Venice Work?
How do the tides in the lagoon behave? How are the canals formed? And the embankments? What’s under the buildings?
Via bookofjoe
The Wormhole
This time-lapse video showcases Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Dubai, Doha, Singapore and Shanghai in kaleidoscopic views.
Talking Heads Performing 'Life During Wartime' (1983)
It's next to impossible to name my all-time favourite band but if someone were holding a gun to my head I would have to say it was these guys.
via memo of the air and Laughing Squid
Chinese Dragon Boat Festival
The Guilin Dragon Boat Festival is held every 3 years on China’s Yulong River. The Golden Dragon boat is comprised of 80 interconnected rafts which form a 2300-foot-long dragon’s tail as it sails down the river.
Link
via Memo Of The Air
Sunday, July 17, 2022
Sunday Links
Cylinder Homes by Guy Dessauges, 1966 Sadly they never got past the scale model stage. (photo above)
Absurd Trolley Problems (via Memo Of The Air)
It began with a couple of slices of bread: Sandwiches of History
A Toronto man is alive because of the heroic efforts of five men who risked their lives to save him. (via Memo Of The Air)
The Unhealthiest Dog Breeds - I had three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels who all died too early of mitral valve disease. Each time our hearts were broken. Though no beloved pet lives long enough I am now a strong proponent of mixed breed dogs.
I love IKEA Hacks. Here are 10 good ones.
The Statue of Liberty’s disembodied arm stood in Madison Square from 1876 to 1882 to help inspire contributions.
Pruning the Movies - a film censorship satire (1915)
"They were the kind of thing you'd keep on your desk next to the inkwell and blotting paper" A collection of pocket globes.
They'd rather die than have universal healthcare: American Men Are Sicker, Die Earlier Than Their Global Peers
"He fixes the viewer with an intense stare, the right side of his face in shadow and his left ear clearly visible". Hidden Van Gogh self-portrait found behind painting in Scotland
I love these mini monuments to big memories made from trash.
Homes of the Future: modern, minimal, and futuristic homes that could exist in different environments through the power of CGI and Architectural Visualization.
My Christmas shopping has just been made easier. I hope everyone likes their Bubble Wrap Tissues.
A Toronto man is alive because of the heroic efforts of five men who risked their lives to save him. (via Memo Of The Air)
On a mission to make marketing great again: Best Ads Of All Time
The beagles are coming: 4,000 Beagles Rescued From Breeding Facility Will Be Up for Adoption
This Precision Packaging Machine reduces waste.
Saturday, July 16, 2022
Beluga Whale Live Cam Event
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| Footage of the beluga whales captured by the beluga research vessel, Delphi |
Every summer, 55,000 beluga whales migrate from the Arctic Ocean to the Churchill River in southern Canada. Footage of the whales is captured by the research vessel Delphi that uses two cameras, one underwater and one above deck, to observe the migrating mammals.
Here's the above deck cam:
Read more: Smithsonian Magazine
Widdershins
In this animated short film by Simon Biggs an automated gentleman's orderly existence is thrown into chaos when he chooses to pursue a free-spirited woman.
Via Facebook pal Hal.
Peruvian Whistling Vessels
An exploration of the physics and fluid dynamics of a whistling vessel.
Read more: TYWKIWDBI
Friday, July 15, 2022
App Allows Users To See Ancient Statues In Original Colour
Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color is an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, that showcases the sphinx in its original vibrant form, one of 14 painted reconstructions of Ancient Greek and Roman statues. (Through March 23 of 2023)
Ancient sculptors never intended their creations to be seen without colour, yet that's how most of us have experienced their work. The Chroma AR app allows users to virtually recreate ancient sculptures as they originally appeared and as they look today.
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