My Egret
Some of y’all know that I recently purchased a taxidermied egret to use in an art project. Flannery took some excellent photos yesterday that will give you an idea of the outcome.
quote out of context
“You can think of artificial graphene as a nano-sculpture of great perfection,” research team member Professor Aaron Pinczuk of Columbia University’s engineering department.
from the comments
Oh, and I was bored so I wanted to rank the different clusterflock categories in order of frequency, and see how “boners” stacked up. I learned a whole lot about Excel’s ranking function (in particular how to work around its frustratingly unorthodox method of ranking ties) as well as a new cure for boredom. I won’t list all 219 categories, but here are the top-five rankings for the most and least frequently used categories as of this post:
Most Used
1st – uncategorized (1789)
2nd – video (1650)
3rd – music (1631)
4th – history (1528)
5th – photography (1523)Least Used
1st – 3-way tie between boogers, fish poop, and honk (2)
2nd – 2-way tie between sleep and tits (4)
3rd – watercolour (7)
4th – 2-way tie between clusterflock book club and Meet the Apostles (9)
5th – illustration (11)FYI: boners came in 120th out of 177 (tagged 133 times)
from the moderated comments
I watched the documentary on the Amish teens who visited Britain and I actually identified with the Amish girl and her thoughts. I was raised in So. Cal in the 60′s and though not from an overtly regligious family, I did not like way most teens acted, going after drugs and sex and dressing provocatively. I guess I was different in that I loved horses and art and was often teased by kids my age not acting like the majority (parties, dating, smoking pot, etc.) I wish more kids were raised to be self-sufficient and not just seek video games and pleasures. These young Amish were a real testimony for God.
From The Annals of Creepy
The Public School shared this collection of frighteningly creepy portraits of vaudeville-era ventriloquists with their dummies.
Just look at that thing and tell me it isn’t going to murder you.
Go West
spam name
Quincy Newman.
Bon Iver, ‘Holocene’
Stumbled on this tonight.
Why You Should Watch Filth
I know I’m like a cheerleader for John Waters here on clusterflock, but I really do love the man and I love the way his mind works and what he says. This is one of a series.
I always wanted a brother, and I wish John Waters had been my big brother.
(Thanks to Juanito for tipping me to this.)
tweet of the day, II
tweet of the day
American Elegy: An Interview with Phil Bebbington
Phil Bebbington (aka Terrorkitten to many on the web and Flickr) is an Englishman with a keen sense for photographing the US. On his photographic journeys to America, he has captured an amazing array of “disappearing America” shots. Upon starting American Elegy, Phil was one of the first photographers that popped into my mind as an artist that needed to be featured here. Though based in Bath, England, I consider Phil Bebbington to be one of the best American Elegy-type photographers working today. I want to thank Phil for working with me for this interview and letting us use some of his wonderful images.
A terrific interview with one of our own. Recommended reading and viewing.
headline of the day, II
Man born without arms changes brakes on car with his feet
Swedish Smörgåstårta
Since we’re on the subject of angry cooking show comedy:
(Via David’s brother-in-law)
The War Against Girls
I don’t really think Last’s conclusion is the logical necessity he suggests it is, but I do think the general narrative forces us to reflect on some of the weaknesses of the pro-choice ethic. It did for me, anyway.
In the mid-1970s, amniocentesis, which reveals the sex of a baby in utero, became available in developing countries. Originally meant to test for fetal abnormalities, by the 1980s it was known as the “sex test” in India and other places where parents put a premium on sons. When amnio was replaced by the cheaper and less invasive ultrasound, it meant that most couples who wanted a baby boy could know ahead of time if they were going to have one and, if they were not, do something about it. “Better 500 rupees now than 5,000 later,” reads one ad put out by an Indian clinic, a reference to the price of a sex test versus the cost of a dowry.
But oddly enough, Ms. Hvistendahl notes, it is usually a country’s rich, not its poor, who lead the way in choosing against girls. “Sex selection typically starts with the urban, well-educated stratum of society,” she writes. “Elites are the first to gain access to a new technology, whether MRI scanners, smart phones—or ultrasound machines.” The behavior of elites then filters down until it becomes part of the broader culture. Even more unexpectedly, the decision to abort baby girls is usually made by women—either by the mother or, sometimes, the mother-in-law.
Now, if you excuse me, I am going to go hide since public, rational discussion on this particular subject is almost impossible.
world’s greatest pop-up menu
(via I’m sorry I forgot)
hey ref! — one more eye, you’d be a cyclops
Historian Michael Carter has found what he believes to be the world’s oldest blown call:
Carter interprets the picture of the gladiator holding two swords to be a moment in his final fight, when Demetrius had been knocked down and Diodorus had grabbed a hold of his sword.
“Demetrius signals surrender, Diodorus doesn’t kill him; he backs off expecting that he’s going to win the fight,” Carter said.
The battle appears to be over. However the summa rudis — perhaps interpreting Demetrius’ fall as accidental, or perhaps with some ulterior motive — thought otherwise, Carter said.
“What the summa rudis has obviously done is stepped in, stopped the fight, allowed Demetrius to get back up again, take back his shield, take back his sword, and then resume the fight.”
This time Diodorus was in trouble, and either he died in the arena or Demetrius inflicted a wound that led to his death shortly thereafter.
Hey ref, your seeing eye dog is eating my dip.
Vegan Black Metal Chef
from the comments
The category is itself a critique.
headline of the day
Texas governor asks lawmakers to pass airport “groping” bill
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon doing impressions in The Trip
We saw The Trip this weekend. Here are a few of the impressions Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan do.
Pickering Pick – “Like a River”
My good friend’s newest album, Tiger Balm, was released by Yer Bird Records today. This is Sam’s 8th 10th album, but this is the first to be released with the support of a label. It’s impossible for me to offer an opinion without bias so I’ll just let you listen.
Everything is a Remix – Part 3
Part 3 of Kirby Ferguson’s amazing series Everything is a Remix is out. As far as I’m concerned, it’s even better than parts 1 and 2.
How do I feel about this car?
