Argenteum

Tashi Mannox - Tibetan Calligrapher

2012-01-24T19:02:00.001Z

Tashi Mannox - Tibetan Calligrapher from Planetary on Vimeo.

Psi Performer (Anthony Rother) - 1999 [Re-Upload]

2012-01-23T20:52:00.000Z

Ebert's Glossary of Movie Terms

2012-01-21T22:13:00.000Z

http://academic.sun.ac.za/forlang/bergman/tech/glossary/ebert_glos.htm

"Fruit Cart!"

An expletive used by knowledgeable film buffs during any chase scene involving a foreign or ethnic locale, reflecting their certainty that a fruit cart will be overturned during the chase, and an angry peddler will run into the middle of the street to shake his fist at the hero's departing vehicle. (Of all the definitions in the glossary, this has become the most popular. It has been gratifying to be part of an audience where people unknown to me have cried out "Fruit cart!" at appropriate moments. The movie SKI PATROL even contained a "Siskel and Ebert Fruit Cart.")

1992 BBC documentary concerning the FWBO (Triratna Buddhist Community)

2012-01-18T21:26:00.002Z

An interesting video on the FWBO / Triratna "Buddhist" cult.

This video, recently uploaded to the internet by the Dialogue Ireland website, is called ‘Going For Refuge’. It was made by BBC (East) and broadcast in the Eastern region of the UK on 12 November 1992, as part of BBC East’s ‘Matter of Fact’ series. It is about the organisaton formerly known as The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), which was rebranded in 2010 as the Triratna Buddhist Community (TBC). Its leader is Dennis Lingwood, known as Sangharakshita.

http://vajratool.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/1992-bbc-documentary-concerning-the-fwbo-triratna-buddhist-community/

Amoco alien

2012-01-17T12:11:00.002Z

The "Amoco alien" is one of my favourite image from UFOlogy. The double page advert it first appeared on can be found here: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1989/1989%20-%202190.html

William Cooper said he tried to figure out information about the very life-like model, but the company told him several different stories. According to Cooper, they said it was made of bronze. Depending on the time period in his career, he believed it was either a real alien entity or a genetically produced creature designed to make the population believe in aliens. He repeatedly pointed out the details of the eyes, the lips and the nose as well as small hairs on the neck of the creature as being evidence it was possibly a real being rather than a model. Although this is a scan, it is a very good one and I don't think that kind of detail is really there.

It's a very well taken photo as the lighting obscures the details and makes the mind fill in the missing information. Looking at it it seems like it might possibly be a painting rather than a photo.

The Dear Leader is dead, again

2011-12-26T09:02:00.003Z

It is sickening to see the echoes of Mao Zedong’s tyranny still being played out in North Korea, 35 years later.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/24/opinion/sunday/in-death-north-korea-imitates-china.html

Theodore Dalrymple: The Wilder Shores of Marx

2011-12-20T16:43:00.002Z

This is an excellent description of the hell-hole that is North Korea, from Theodore Dalrymple (Dr. Anthony Daniels):

I went several times during the festival to Pyongyang Department Store Number 1. This is in the very centre of the city. Its shelves and counters were groaning with locally produced goods, piled into impressive pyramids or in fan-like displays, perfectly arranged, throughout the several floors of the building. On the ground floor was a wide variety of tinned foods, hardware and alcoholic drinks, including a strong Korean liqueur with a whole snake pickled or marinated in the bottle, presumably as an aphrodisiac. Everything glittered with perfection, the tidiness was remarkable.

It didn't take long to discover that this was no ordinary department store. It was filled with thousands of people, going up and down the escalators, standing at the corners, going in and out of the front entrance in a constant stream both ways - yet nothing was being bought or sold.

Read the rest here:

http://blog.skepticaldoctor.com/2010/01/15/classic-dalrymple-the-wilder-shores-of-marx-excerpt-1991.aspx

I find the reaction of the Scottish Communist is especially interesting.

Mission Patches: Their Source and Meaning

2011-12-18T16:36:00.000Z

http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45jack_files/03files/Mission_Patches_Their_Source_and_Meaning_001.html

Scareships

2011-12-16T22:00:00.002Z

So, what was torpedo-shaped and capable of flight in 1909? An airship, of course. The press (metropolitan and provincial) certainly assumed that the most likely explanation for these 'fly-by-nights' was an airship or airships, generally terming them 'phantom airships', 'mystery airships', 'scareships' or something similar.

But whose airship? Where was it from?

http://airminded.org/2006/12/22/the-scareship-age/

The Xinjiang Procedure | The Weekly Standard

2011-12-01T21:07:00.000Z

The Xinjiang Procedure | The Weekly Standard

Skilluminati is back

2011-10-22T10:39:00.002Z

After a period of not posting, it seems that the blog Skilluminati is back online. This, and the linked blogs, are fascinating reading for those that are interested in intelligence services, social control, systems of power, politics and those behind the scenes.

Bongo

2011-10-01T09:04:00.003Z

Visit any Australian trucker’s forum and search for “Pilliga”, or “Piliga”. You’ll soon be rewarded with stories of “min-min” lights (an old aboriginal legend), vicious unseen creatures, ruined vehicles and sightings of the Pilliga Princess.

On a late night-early morning Australian radio programme called ‘Overnights‘ (2am – 6am), they held a few special nights dedicated to stories from the Pilliga region. Listeners could call the station and tell their Pilliga stories on the air. On that night, the radio station had two of their people in the Pilliga Scrub reporting live by satellite phone. At one point, the connection dropped and the signal wasn’t restored for some time. When it finally returned, the reporters were OK and the cut signal was unexplained.

During the programme, one caller who identified himself as “Bongo” told a harrowing story of the night he endured in the Pilliga way back in 1978. The ordeal he endured that night affected him in such a terrible way that, to this day, he remains in psychiatric care.

http://bitey.com/2010/07/pilliga/

zoviet*france - Live at Incubate, Poppodium 013, Tilburg 18.09.11

2011-09-28T21:00:00.001Z

zoviet*france - Live at Incubate, Poppodium 013, Tilburg 18.09.11 [SoundCloud release] by :zoviet*france:

Amongst White Clouds

2011-09-28T20:58:00.001Z

Simply amazing.

Kowloon Walled City documentary (Part 1/4) + english subtitles

2011-07-19T22:55:00.001Z

I Know What I Saw

2011-07-19T22:21:00.001Z

I think this is the best UFO documentary that has ever been made. Level headed and it sticks to the facts rather than silly speculation.

The Secret Sun "The New Normal"

2011-07-19T22:14:00.002Z

Having closely watched the Fundamentalist Conspiracy underground for 20 years I've seen a strange process take shape- the arcane power of all of those strange occult symbols has obviously taken hold of many of the researchers who claim to be "exposing" it.

http://secretsun.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-normal.html

For a great example of this - from Bill Cooper, a guy I genuinely like - see the following video:

How to draw penguins

2011-06-28T17:32:00.003Z

http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/gallery/2011/jun/27/how-to-draw-penguins-oliver-jeffers

Hippie Masala - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

2011-06-21T19:38:00.001Z

Hippie Masala - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

Did Philip K. Dick disclose the real Matrix in 1977?

2011-06-21T19:36:00.000Z

Regrets of the dying

2011-06-06T17:27:00.000Z

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again.

http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html

Long Exposure Shots of Airline Takeoffs and Landings

2011-05-22T19:23:00.000Z

http://www.amusingplanet.com/2011/05/long-exposure-shots-of-airline-takeoffs.html

SomaFM: Mission Control - Celebrating NASA and Space Explorers everywhere

2011-05-17T20:27:00.001Z

Celebrate Space! A mix of ambient and experimental music mixed with the historical sounds of the space program. And when a space shuttle mission is happening, we mix it in live from launch to landing.

http://somafm.com/missioncontrol/

SPK 2007 INTERVIEW

2011-05-17T17:49:00.000Z

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005

2011-04-21T16:49:00.001Z

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo - The Nature of Mind

2011-03-22T21:25:00.000Z

More Zoviet France

2011-03-22T18:32:00.002Z

http://cagedream.blogspot.com/2007/11/zoviet-france_14.html

Zoviet France - Live

2011-03-19T21:10:00.002Z

Here are many hours of live Zoviet France recordings.

Personally, I consider ZF to be the best industrial/experimental group to ever come out of the UK.

Standing With Stones 1 of 14.avi

2011-03-11T21:15:00.000Z

A periodic table of shapes

2011-03-02T08:32:00.001Z

From Imperial College London

Mathematicians are creating their own version of the periodic table that
will provide a vast directory of all the possible shapes in the universe across
three, four and five dimensions, linking shapes together in the same way as the
periodic table links groups of chemical elements.
The three-year project, announced today, should provide a resource that mathematicians, physicists and other scientists can use for calculations and research in a range of areas, including computer vision, number theory, and theoretical physics.

The full article has several images and videos.

Talking Heads - This must be the place (Naive Melody) [live - 1984].avi

2011-02-07T20:40:00.000Z

The Unwritten Laws of Engineering

2011-02-06T16:44:00.003Z

From Mechanical Engineering magazine.

Part one
Part two
Part three

These are intended for engineers, but are excellent guides for anyone working in any career.

Zoviet France Interview on City Limits (Toronto 1990)

2011-02-06T00:07:00.000Z

UNDERCITY New York City urban exploration w STEVE DUNCAN, dir. Andrew Wo...

2011-01-25T20:50:00.001Z

The Equanimity Project

2011-01-23T00:13:00.002Z

Use this free timer to time your meditations. Choose a preparation time, and a sitting time, and click 'Begin'. A bell will ring once when the preparation time is over and three times when the meditation time is over. Preparation time is an optional period that you may want to use to settle and get comfortable.

From The Equanimity Project: Helping the world meditate since 2009

This is a free online version of the iPhone app "Equanimity". The app is incredibly useful and I really, really suggest that you buy a copy. There is a free version of the app, but the tracking/diary system that the paid version has is really worth the time as it will inspire you to keep you meditating daily.

Meditation in The Guardian

2011-01-22T18:08:00.001Z

The Guardian is doing a series of articles on how to meditate.

DEE3 | DATAMIXES

2011-01-21T20:08:00.002Z

I've posted one or two of these before, but here are many more dubtech / deep house / minimal mixes by CaN.

The Creation of Stuxnet

2011-01-16T21:29:00.002Z

A fascinating article from the New York Times on the creation of the stuxnet worm that was created to damage specific controllers used by Iran in the production of material for nuclear weapons.

Live train map for the London Underground

2010-12-14T20:45:00.002Z

This map shows all trains (yellow pins) on the London Underground network in approximately real time (screenshot). Click the stations for a local map of that station. I have a (per-station) National Rail version, and a bookmarkable train times planner.

Here it is.

ToneMatrix

2010-12-14T20:39:00.003Z

Simple sinewave synthesizer triggered by an ordinary 16step sequencer. Each triggered step causes a force on the underlaying wave-map, which makes it more cute.

There are many other little programs on this site worth playing with, too.

Secret Bases

2010-12-11T15:05:00.001Z

A very comprehensive exploration of secret bases in the UK.

Precognition - an experiment

2010-11-19T21:39:00.002Z

Perhaps there's something in the drinking water at Cornell University. A new study involving hundreds of Cornell undergrads has provided a dramatic demonstration of numerous 'retroactive' psi effects - that is, phenomena that are inexplicable according to current scientific knowledge (pdf).

Rather than having the students read each others' minds or wear sliced ping-pong balls over their eyes, Daryl Bem has taken the unusual, yet elegantly simple, approach of testing a raft of classic psychological phenomena, backwards.

The British Psychological Society's Research Digest blog

Free films online

2010-11-15T21:42:00.002Z

You can (legally) get several of Tarkovsky's films - such as Stalker and Solaris - online for free here.

There are a load of other ones worth watching as well: http://www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche answers a question about how to work with desire

2010-11-08T18:42:00.002Z

A fairly narrow question, but a very broad answer indeed.

Several other videos here: http://www.rigpashedra.org/?page_id=348

Text files

2010-10-26T17:18:00.002Z

Back in the early nineties the computer networks that most people would have access to were BBSs that were contacted by modem, often run by self-styled hackers and crackers. One of the mainstays of these bulletin boards was the text file - which is exactly what it sounds like, but which is notable in that it is a product of a particular form of counter culture that is reflected by the fact that so many are related to drugs and 'anarchism'. I remember these from the famous disk Amiga disk magazine Grapevine, which occasionally republished textfiles amongst its articles on the Amiga demoscene. Some of the more memorable ones were copies of William Cooper's many articles which gave an excellent background to the new TV show The X Files.

A large library of text files have been compiled here.

Lung

2010-10-24T18:20:00.006Z

Tibetan medicine is based on the concept that the human body is composed of three humours: wind (lung), bile (mKhris-pa) and phlegm (Bad-kan). Illness is said to occur when these are out of balance.

Teachings related to lung are feature extensively in Tibetan Buddhism, but have not really been taught in English until quite recently with the exception of their direct use by various yogic techniques. The implications of lung are much wider than these esoteric practices and in my opinion are very important for nearly everyone.

Lung is related to the nervous system; specifically part of the ‘subtle body’ which is a network of channels (tsa) which carry the lung. This 'subtle body' is a huge element of Tantric teachings in both Buddhism and Hinduism where it is something of a midpoint between purely mental and purely physical phenomena. When there is an excess of lung, or when it moves in a way that it is not meant to, it causes disturbances such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity and agitation. The channels of the body are influenced by the motion of lung and will retain in a physical form the consequences of our lung. If our lung is causing anxiety or similar symptoms the habit of lung will have to be retrained to overcome and alter the way our channels are laid out. The consequence of this view is that mental issues have a significant physical basis that must also be altered as emotions are very reliant on the subtle body, not just on the mind itself.

There is an incredible amount of speed in the modern world and in itself this is not a bad thing. The problem is that living in this environment is unhealthy if it damages the mind and the subtle body. Without a secure grounding the subtle body's energy system can be wound up like a flywheel, storing speed and altering the way that the mind works. To illustrate this in an experiential way, problematic lung can be felt like a buzzing in the body - a kind of free floating anxious sensation. Because the subtle body retains a memory/habit of sorts for emotions, if you have problems causing speediness at one point, your body will allow more over time if nothing is done to 'ground' it. This is the same for lethargy and general drowsiness.

It is probably fair to say that most people are not that in tune with their bodies and the relevant sensations. Because of this, the body and the subtle changes that occur within it can go ignored for a long period and only noticed when there are problems that start to occur. At this point the main treatment may be chemical which alters the physical body but doesn’t really tackle the actual origin of the problem in the subtle body.

As a long time teacher of Buddhism to western students, Tsoknyi Rinpoche has taken a strong interest in the issue of 'lung' and the problems it can cause. There are some extensive teachings on it that can be found here: www.buddhistmala.com/store/Lung.doc At some point in 2011 I believe Rinpoche will actually be publishing a book on how to gain control over your lung to ensure that you are not disturbed by it. This is something that I have not seen anywhere else in the English language.

The proper application of such teachings allow a person to get back in control of the more physical elements of their nervous system and effectively protect themselves from what may be the otherwise adverse consequences of their environment.

The notions of a subtle boy and its interrelation with Buddhism and Hinduism may make some people balk or even sneer. However, in my opinion, the most impressive aspect to these teachings is the very experiential element to them. Ignoring completely the reality of the subtle body they describe incredibly well what it is like to feel anxious or dull. The breathing exercises and advice on diet and environment that allow a person to seemingly gain control over such subtle sensations are likewise very effective. The popularity of yoga that has built so much over the past decade is a result of the benefits people have found in its stress relieving properties – and the theoretical basis for this is the notion of lung; prana in Sanskrit.

If you ever feel that you have some issues with habits related to anxiety, anger, dullness or generally feeling ground down I really recommend reading Rinpoche’s above article and using techniques such as vase breathing. Keeping awareness on the soles of the feet appears to be very useful in preventing any build-up of excess anxious energies. Even generally maintain an awareness of bodily sensations is a very useful.

Those interested in Tibetan medicine may want to read http://www.tibetanmedicine-edu.org/

Photos from Spurn Point, Yorkshire

2010-10-16T19:36:00.002Z

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47060147@N05/sets/72157625176939244/

Pope Benedict in the UK

2010-10-16T19:16:00.002Z

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9598/

This is one article on the Pope's visit to Britain, but all of the articles on Spiked about this topic are worth reading.

Top Rope Tough Guys

2010-10-12T17:43:00.000Z

Mushrooms

2010-10-03T19:36:00.002Z

There are an incredible number and variety of mushrooms appearing at this time of year. The best book ever produced for identifying mushrooms is Roger Phillips 'Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain and Europe'. There is a searchable online version of the book, and even an iPhone app.

How a New Jobless Era Will Transform America

2010-09-20T20:59:00.004Z

The Great Recession may be over, but this era of high joblessness is probably just beginning. Before it ends, it will likely change the life course and character of a generation of young adults. It will leave an indelible imprint on many blue-collar men. It could cripple marriage as an institution in many communities. It may already be plunging many inner cities into a despair not seen for decades. Ultimately, it is likely to warp our politics, our culture, and the character of our society for years to come.

By Don Peck

The American economy has been severely damaged, as many people are finding out. Although the recession is technically over, the companies that downsized are just not hiring at a significant level - and this is being felt by a far greater proportion of the populace than would be historically normal. For many well educated middle class people in their 20's and 30's, living as independent adults is just not financially possible.

This is an excellent article, but it is very depressing.

Colin Wilson on Peak Experience

2010-09-17T18:08:00.000Z

THE CAT CAME BACK

2010-09-17T17:50:00.000Z

Michael Wesely

2010-09-15T20:37:00.002Z

A photographic exposure over several years by Michael Wesely.

He also has produced some abstract colour field pictures.

Tibet - What remains of us

2010-09-05T21:24:00.000Z

Also (sadly) relevant China’s Favorite Propaganda on Tibet …and Why It’s Wrong

Geograph

2010-08-30T19:55:00.001Z

The Geograph Britain and Ireland project aims to collect geographically representative photographs and information for every square kilometre of Great Britain and Ireland, and you can be part of it.

Geograph.org.uk/

Photographs from the Great Depression

2010-08-28T17:19:00.002Z

The Denver Post has selected photographs from the extensive Library of Congress online archives from the time of the Great Depression. These are good photographs, but more importantly have been taken in colour.

UVB-76

2010-08-25T19:07:00.002Z

Mysterious Russian 'Numbers Station' Changes Broadcast After 20 Years

The bizarre, constant audio output of one particular mysterious Russian "Numbers Station" has changed, for the first time in 20 years. This might mean something bad is about to happen, or simply that someone finally remembered to switch tapes.

The station can be listened to live here.

If you get bored, you can play Numbers Station Bingo. See these previous posts here and here for more about number stations.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche 2010 -1

2010-08-24T21:11:00.001Z

There is also a part 2 of this video here.

The Modern Antiquarian

2010-08-21T09:20:00.002Z

Julian Cope's book on pre-historic sites is also a website and database of information on stone circles, barrows, standing stones etc.

Stone Pages is a similar website.

Liberation through seeing

2010-08-13T17:45:00.002Z

From the Blazing Splendor blog

Objectified

2010-08-09T18:56:00.000Z

A documentary on industrial design, from the maker of "Helvetica".

How to Rebuild Your Attention Span and Focus

2010-08-08T10:50:00.002Z

From Lifehacker. I find the above image informative.

Top Secret America

2010-07-29T08:41:00.002Z

The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.

"A hidden world, growing beyond control" A report from the Washington Times.

Two SF Short Stories

2010-07-17T21:28:00.003Z

A Colder War by Charles Stross

BLIT by David Langford

Charles Stross's novel Accelerando is available online, although it may be easier to read it in its book form.

Wapentac Maps

2010-07-15T08:36:00.003Z

Three dimensional metal maps, made in Sheffield by Wapentac. Possibly photo etched. The map above is of Ben Nevis.

The maps are a creation of metalsmith Alison Counsell

Staplerfahrer Klaus

2010-07-08T21:20:00.000Z

Mentat Wiki

2010-07-05T21:30:00.002Z

ludism.org/mentat

Some useful links and topics.

MIT online

2010-06-23T18:06:00.002Z

The world famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology has an immense amount of free course information available online. There is the OpenCourseWare for course materials, MIT World for videos of lectures, and they also have a YouTube channel.

Two blogs of photos and art

2010-06-22T16:44:00.001Z

Here are two scrapbook type blogs:

touchmeimsick

them-thangs

Both are NWS in places.

The Known Universe

2010-06-20T13:08:00.000Z

Time doesn't exist

2010-06-18T10:54:00.001Z

Dr Julian Barbour's website is here.

An assortment

2010-06-15T19:12:00.002Z

What you are about to see is a mix of unrelated YouTube videos/clips edited to create ThruYou. In other words, what you see is what you hear.

thru-you.com

Symbols.com contains more than 1,600 articles about 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics.

www.symbols.com

A website dedicated to reviews of books on the Yijing or I Ching, the ancient Chinese oracle known as the Book of Changes, but also containing a complete 'Introduction to Yijing' for beginners, an accurate transcription of the 1935 Harvard-Yenching Zhouyi, animations of hexagram sequences, articles, and scans of Chinese diagrams.

www.biroco.com/yijing/index.htm

The Oil Drum is a community that discusses myriad ideas related to Hubbert's Peak/Peak Oil, sustainable development and growth, etc., and the many implications of these ideas on politics, economics, and our daily lives.

(THE place for learning about the Deepwater Horizon spill)

www.theoildrum.com/

Brian Eno and the Ambient series, 1978-1982.

Stylus Magazine

Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day.

Helvetica

Self delusion

2010-06-15T19:05:00.001Z

You Are Not So Smart is a blog devoted to self delusion and irrational thinking.

There’s a lot of research out there suggesting you have no idea why you act or think the way you do.

It feels awful to accept such things, so you create narratives to explain your own feelings and behavior.

Rationalizing, redacting and reinterpreting alters your memories, making something you experienced a few hours ago get replayed with new details you fabricated.

Each time you remember, you rebuild the memory, and in essence it gets less and less reliable.

Memories from years ago become so tainted by your concept of self and all those narratives about why you think and feel the way you do, you end up standing on a mountain of falsified data.

The author, David McRaney, is not a psychologist or an economist. He is a journalist writing about what those super-smart and hard-working people are discovering on these topics and doing his best to translate it for the rest of us.

youarenotsosmart.com

Monday Buddhism

2010-06-07T20:55:00.001Z

What will it take to establish a truly Western dharma?

Nechung, the Chief State Oracle of Tibet

The Lama in the Lab

There She Is!!!

2010-06-04T16:25:00.002Z

Old now, but still excellent:

Part 1 (of 5)

rødhåd

2010-06-04T15:22:00.003Z

Some dubtech mixes for the weekend:

rødhåd - Brave New World

More rødhåd tracks can be found here

Two blogs

2010-06-01T20:38:00.003Z

First, a well established blog: Samizdata. Focusses on both social and economic Libertarian issues via writers from the US, UK and continental Europe.

Second, linked from Samizdata, GoodShit. Numerous interesting subjects covered; art, technology, music, current affairs etc etc. Many posts per day. Warning - some contents is NSFW.

Nicholas Carr: The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains

2010-06-01T20:18:00.003Z

What kind of brain is the Web giving us?

From Wired.

Roentgenizdat

2010-05-27T22:31:00.002Z

Jazz on the bones - Soviet black-market jazz recordings on old acetate x-rays.

Oil reaches Louisiana shores

2010-05-25T18:12:00.001Z

Over one month after the initial explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, crude oil continues to flow into the Gulf of Mexico, and oil slicks have slowly reached as far as 12 miles into Louisiana's marshes. According to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, more than 65 miles of Louisiana's shoreline has now been oiled. BP said it will be at least Wednesday before they will try using heavy mud and cement to plug the leak, a maneuver called a "top kill" that represents their best hope of stopping the oil after several failed attempts. Based on low estimates, at least 6 million gallons of crude have spewed into the Gulf so far - though some scientists have said they believe the spill already surpasses the 11 million-gallon 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska as the worst in U.S. history.

From Boston.com.

Logorama

2010-05-25T17:51:00.001Z

Logorama is a 16-minute animated film written and directed by H5/ François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy and Ludovic Houplain, and produced by Autour de Minuit. The film depicts events in a stylized Los Angeles, and is told entirely through the use of more than 2,500 contemporary and historical logos and mascots. The film won the Prix Kodak at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 82nd Academy Awards.

www.logorama-themovie.com

Stellarium - An open source planetarium

2010-05-22T22:18:00.002Z

Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.
It is being used in planetarium projectors. Just set your coordinates and go.

Can be downloaded free at www.stellarium.org. It may be slow unless you have the latest drivers for your graphics card.

anonymouse.org

2010-05-21T23:40:00.002Z

Many mice surf the web under the illusion that their actions are private and anonymous.
Unfortunately, this is not the way it is. Every time you visit a site for a piece of cheese, you
leave a calling card that reveals where you are coming from, what kind of computer you use,
and other details. And many cats keep logs of all your visits, so that they can catch you!
This service allows you to surf the web without revealing any personal information.

Can be used via the website or via a downloadable toolbar.

"Chav Bashing"

2010-05-17T19:53:00.000Z

Chav seems to be one of the few socially acceptable slurs today. Regarded with disdain as yobbish, BNP-electing McDonalds Mums and binge-drinking ladettes, holiday firms now offer chav-free holidays and a London gymnasium is able to put on lessons in chav fighting. In this enthralling debate at the Battle of Ideas, panellists ask what really lies beneath this widespread perception that a significant section of society has values and norms of behaviour that are highly problematic. Do the discussions about chavs or the white working class describe real problems or are they symptomatic of less tangible cultural anxieties and our disillusionment with material culture?

notcot.org

2010-05-16T19:22:00.002Z

www.notcot.org

A (huge) number of art and design related things to look at.

Includes different sections related to food, fashion etc.

See also this blog, linked to in a past post: www.materialicious.com

Jonathan Haidt on the moral roots of liberals and conservatives | Video on TED.com

2010-05-16T17:24:00.001Z

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.

Jonathan Haidt on the moral roots of liberals and conservatives | Video on TED.com

Unseen Dharamsala

2010-05-13T19:11:00.002Z

unseendharamsala.blogspot.com

Photos taken by Tibetan refugees living in Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj.

seeklogo.com - Logo Vector Download Free (Brand Logos) (AI, EPS, CDR, PDF, GIF)

2010-05-04T18:49:00.001Z

seeklogo.com - a site for downloading vectors of various logos.

Number Stations - an album

2010-05-03T10:47:00.003Z

A compilation of tracks by artists using Numbers Stations as the basis of electronic music. The full album can be downloaded here.

Paintings of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

2010-05-03T09:33:00.002Z

As well as being a high lama, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche is an accomplished abstract expressionist painter.

Nanonuts

2010-04-28T20:13:00.002Z

A surreal critique of nanotechnology via Peanuts comics.

The PDF can be found here.

PoseMainiacs

2010-04-21T19:42:00.001Z

A site full of rendered figures for life drawing.

Online stopwatch

2010-04-21T19:39:00.001Z

Online-stopwatch.com

Fairly plain - has a countdown and a timer mode.

FSOL - Papua New Guinea (High Contrast Mix)

2010-04-15T17:18:00.001Z

www.fromthedarkpast.com

2010-04-07T19:19:00.001Z

www.fromthedarkpast.com/

davidope

2010-04-06T21:18:00.002Z

Some art links and items of net.art can be found here.

Also has some of his own work, such as this. Not for those with photosensitive epilepsy.

Also featured there is some installation work, such as this:

DATAFLUX from Kit Webster on Vimeo.

"The 5 Creepiest Unexplained Broadcasts"

2010-04-05T15:23:00.002Z

An article from Cracked.com.

It misses out several notable ones, such as the Ashtar Galactic Command broadcast, "Bloop" and (in general) Numbers Stations.

The Virtual Yarrow Stalks I Ching

2010-04-03T13:46:00.002Z

An online verson of the I Ching using the traditonal yarrow stalk method, prefered by some to the coin-toss version, can be found on Russell Cottrell's page. Some more information and translations can be found here.

Converted Cement Factory

2010-04-03T13:42:00.002Z

A Spanish cement factory converted into a cavernous home. Note the wrapped car in photo #6.