It's been so long! I'm not sure why.
Escher Sketch
Franz Ferdinand's New Song!!! "Right Action"
Tattoos inspired by books Some of these I thought were odd choices, some surprised me, and some were pretty cool.
Can't get enough of "All Your Gold" by Bat for Lashes
The Intouchables A hilarious, heart-warming French film about a paralyzed man and the thug-like guy who becomes his caretaker. The acting was excellent, and debut actor, Omar Sy won the French Oscar for his immensely appealing performance. It was hugely popular in France, and it exceeded my high expectations. Watch the trailer. I dare you not to want to watch it.
Pierre Carreau's photos of waves frozen by a very high speed camera. They look like sculptures. Very cool. (via)
"Royals" by 16-year-old Kiwi, Lorde (also, "Tennis Court")
Glastonbury 2013 (June 26-30, so hopefully new videos will continue to be posted throughout the weekend)
Don't miss the trailer for the Michael J. Fox Show, coming this spring.
This video of a sheep rescue gone wrong:
And your adorable for the day:
(see his first visit to the show)
Showing posts with label Recent Recommendations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recent Recommendations. Show all posts
Friday, June 28, 2013
Monday, October 29, 2012
Recent Recommendations: October 2012
This is news in Alaska.
“Look, it’s a book release, J.K. Rowling wrote the book, and I’ve got a Snape outfit. So I’m just going to go for it.”said the 33-year-old man who lined up for the Casual Vacancy in a Snape costume.
Call the Midwife is a BBC show that was hugely popular in the UK, and was picked up by PBS ( do you really need to know anything else?). It follows the life of Jenny Lee and her fellow midwives, living in a convent (though they themselves are not nuns), working in the lower class East London of the 1950's. It is so wonderful. I dare you not to love the characters. The Brits know how to write good series, don't they? Though I would counsel you to stay away if you have a phobia of childbirth stay away. There is a character named Camilla Fortescue-Cholmondeley-Browne, who goes by Chummy, for goodness sake and a nun who says things like, "I, you see, am attuned to feel vibrations." And you can watch it all online!!!!
Cat Bounce
Winners of the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Nashville It's a new primetime soap centered around 2 female country stars, one is the young, peppy, cutthroat rising star Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), and the other, Rayna James (Connie Britton), is the country legend who's now struggling to sell tickets for her upcoming tour. There's lots and lots of drama--many plots and subplots. And there's music. I have never ever liked country music. I find a lot of it...well, intolerable. And yet, this show is infused with original country songs--they're performed, composed, and recorded before out eyes as well as played in the background. And I'm liking some of what I hear. There's been one song so far even composed by the Civil Wars. (it was in the pilot, and I thought, I like this--I like the stuff that's more Civil Wars style, and it turns out they were the ones who composed it!) Connie Britton is great in the lead. If you're curious about the music, listen to these: "If I Didn't Know Better" (performed by Civil Wars), "Undermine" (as performed by composers, Trent Dabbs and Kacey Musgraves), "Fade Into You,""No One Will Ever Love You (if he looks familiar it's b/c he was on Whose Line)," and check out YouTube sensations Lennon and Maisy singing "Telescope" as Rayna's daughters. This and Elementary and The Mindy Project are probably my favorite new shows.
Speaking of music, Laura Marling is expected to release a new album early 2013 (Woo Hoo!) And I found some live YouTube videos of new songs: "I Was and Eagle" (with a couple of mistakes here and there), "I Am a Master Hunter" (language), "Undine" Wonderful as ever. Do you know that she's come to LA twice in the past few months, but both performances have been on Sunday! Argh! Also there was this cool sideshow alley performance in Australia. Did you know her middle name is Beatrice? Somehow that is so fitting.
So Time recently released its list of the 25 best blogs of 2012. I'll specifically pick out two here, but read the whole list if you want because there are others of interest (like the book blog omnivoracious).
Awesome People Hanging Out Together It's a photo tumblr of just what it says: awesome people hanging out together, like a photo of Mick Jagger, Catherine Deneuve and Andy Warhol in Montauk in 1975. Or how 'bout Tim Burton and Vincent Price or William Shatner and Stan Lee? Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway and Paul Newman.? Can you find the one of Marlene Dietrich and Amelia Earhart? I especially like the one of Hugh Laurie, Idris Elba and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Bookshelf Porn Pretty pictures of books and stacks of books and shelves of books and facts about books and quotes about books.
“Look, it’s a book release, J.K. Rowling wrote the book, and I’ve got a Snape outfit. So I’m just going to go for it.”said the 33-year-old man who lined up for the Casual Vacancy in a Snape costume.
Cat Bounce
Winners of the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Nashville It's a new primetime soap centered around 2 female country stars, one is the young, peppy, cutthroat rising star Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere), and the other, Rayna James (Connie Britton), is the country legend who's now struggling to sell tickets for her upcoming tour. There's lots and lots of drama--many plots and subplots. And there's music. I have never ever liked country music. I find a lot of it...well, intolerable. And yet, this show is infused with original country songs--they're performed, composed, and recorded before out eyes as well as played in the background. And I'm liking some of what I hear. There's been one song so far even composed by the Civil Wars. (it was in the pilot, and I thought, I like this--I like the stuff that's more Civil Wars style, and it turns out they were the ones who composed it!) Connie Britton is great in the lead. If you're curious about the music, listen to these: "If I Didn't Know Better" (performed by Civil Wars), "Undermine" (as performed by composers, Trent Dabbs and Kacey Musgraves), "Fade Into You,""No One Will Ever Love You (if he looks familiar it's b/c he was on Whose Line)," and check out YouTube sensations Lennon and Maisy singing "Telescope" as Rayna's daughters. This and Elementary and The Mindy Project are probably my favorite new shows.
Speaking of music, Laura Marling is expected to release a new album early 2013 (Woo Hoo!) And I found some live YouTube videos of new songs: "I Was and Eagle" (with a couple of mistakes here and there), "I Am a Master Hunter" (language), "Undine" Wonderful as ever. Do you know that she's come to LA twice in the past few months, but both performances have been on Sunday! Argh! Also there was this cool sideshow alley performance in Australia. Did you know her middle name is Beatrice? Somehow that is so fitting.
So Time recently released its list of the 25 best blogs of 2012. I'll specifically pick out two here, but read the whole list if you want because there are others of interest (like the book blog omnivoracious).
Awesome People Hanging Out Together It's a photo tumblr of just what it says: awesome people hanging out together, like a photo of Mick Jagger, Catherine Deneuve and Andy Warhol in Montauk in 1975. Or how 'bout Tim Burton and Vincent Price or William Shatner and Stan Lee? Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway and Paul Newman.? Can you find the one of Marlene Dietrich and Amelia Earhart? I especially like the one of Hugh Laurie, Idris Elba and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Bookshelf Porn Pretty pictures of books and stacks of books and shelves of books and facts about books and quotes about books.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Recent Recommendations: September2012
A conversation in books (literally) (like really literally, not figuratively literally)
100 Abandoned Houses is a collection of photos of abandoned houses in Detroit
Murmuration A video of a large flock of starlings (a mumuration) flying in incredible patterns over the River Shannon. Pretty amazing.
Library Sleeve Facing just go to the site to see what it is.
Dog Shaming Dog-lovers you'd better check this out! Dogs shamefully confess their crimes via written notes tied around their necks. Very funny (although there are a few, where I thought--your dog has a serious problem; this is not funny). A recent gem: "I just ate an entire pound of tender brisket my family was going to eat for their last meal before the fast for Yom Kippur. I guess their fast starts now. I'm atoning." I love it when they have a photo of the crime/embarassment itself: "I tried drinking from the display toilets at Lowe's." "I stole a baby doll from a six-year-old and ripped its head off!" Endless entertainment.
Martin Middlebrook's "Faces of Hope" photographs taken in Afghanistan. Beautiful.
Patrick Ness gave a lecture at the World Writers' Conference in Edinburgh this year on censorship entitled (?) "Censorship in the Internet Age." An interesting take on a hackneyed topic.
Dolce and Gabbana's Fall 2012 Ad Campaign
I love this--the big, loud italian family; baroque-style clothes (i'm thinking architecture and objets d'art as much as fashion) in the Italian countryside, beautiful abnormally tall Italian women in an old-fashioned setting. And, of course, the clothes are gorgeous.
Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and Maira Kalman sing an ode to libraries. "Without libraries we'd be dumb."
Book Maze
You've all seen Gangnam Style right? But have you seen Deadpool vs Gangnam Style? I also quite like Deadpool vs. Comic-Con 2012. I kinda love this deadpool guy. And I love that a Korean pop song has become so internationally popular.
100 Abandoned Houses is a collection of photos of abandoned houses in Detroit
Murmuration A video of a large flock of starlings (a mumuration) flying in incredible patterns over the River Shannon. Pretty amazing.
Library Sleeve Facing just go to the site to see what it is.
Dog Shaming Dog-lovers you'd better check this out! Dogs shamefully confess their crimes via written notes tied around their necks. Very funny (although there are a few, where I thought--your dog has a serious problem; this is not funny). A recent gem: "I just ate an entire pound of tender brisket my family was going to eat for their last meal before the fast for Yom Kippur. I guess their fast starts now. I'm atoning." I love it when they have a photo of the crime/embarassment itself: "I tried drinking from the display toilets at Lowe's." "I stole a baby doll from a six-year-old and ripped its head off!" Endless entertainment.
Martin Middlebrook's "Faces of Hope" photographs taken in Afghanistan. Beautiful.
Patrick Ness gave a lecture at the World Writers' Conference in Edinburgh this year on censorship entitled (?) "Censorship in the Internet Age." An interesting take on a hackneyed topic.
Dolce and Gabbana's Fall 2012 Ad Campaign
I love this--the big, loud italian family; baroque-style clothes (i'm thinking architecture and objets d'art as much as fashion) in the Italian countryside, beautiful abnormally tall Italian women in an old-fashioned setting. And, of course, the clothes are gorgeous.
Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) and Maira Kalman sing an ode to libraries. "Without libraries we'd be dumb."
Book Maze
You've all seen Gangnam Style right? But have you seen Deadpool vs Gangnam Style? I also quite like Deadpool vs. Comic-Con 2012. I kinda love this deadpool guy. And I love that a Korean pop song has become so internationally popular.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Recent Recommendations: August 2012
Now that the Olympics are over, I can return to my life. My days have gone a little something like this the past two weeks: Wake up, watch Olympics, eat, work, watch olympics, swim, watch Olympics, eat, watch Olympics, sleep. Now I miss them. It's so much all at once it's too much, and then it ends, and I feel a little lonely.
The Rape of Europa This documentary details the plundering of Europe's art and culture by Hitler and the Nazis. It's yet another untold, little known story of World War II. Hitler was interested in art, and he wanted all of the greatest art in the world (which, of course excluded the so-called "degenerate" art of Picasso, Klimt, Van Gogh, and others) to be in a museum he planned to build. He also wanted to destroy all cultural evidence of other inferior races--which included not only Jews, but Slavs. He ordered his armies to wipe Warsaw off the face of the Earth, he destroyed the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (Leningrad), he stole thousands of paintings, and he even ordered the bombing of his ally's historic bridges in Florence Italy out of spite (one of which was designed by Michelangelo). The Americans established the Roberts Commission, whose mission was to preserve all the cultural and historic treasures they could (though they were not always successful). The documentary is very well done, and I found it fascinating (and tragic). See it on Netflix instant view.
See what people are reading on the New York Subway: http://undergroundnewyorkpubliclibrary.com/
The Sartorialist, Scott Schuman recently posted a contest on his blog. Whoever had the best answer to this question: "What is the item of clothing that you dreamed about the most but never actually ended up wearing??" would win a signed copy of his new book. I didn't read people's submissions, but I would expect some funny stories. One of the winning responses wasn't funny at all, it was sweet and more a comment on the meaning of fashion. Read it here.
This article on a heart shaped meadow in England created in memory of a widower's wife. See more pictures here.
Christian Tagliavini is Swiss-Italian artist/photographer who has created two collections I love. The first is called "Dame di Cartone" (cardboard ladies), in which Tagliavanini creates clothing of cardboard and paper. Inspirations include baroque styles, cubism, and 1950s fashion. The second is "1503," in which he creates photos reminiscent of old master paintings, like those of Il Bronzino, except he adds his own slightly stylized touch (I love the elongated necks). He used fabric and cardboard to make the clothes. I can't wait to see what he does next.
Birdbox Animation
Just watch this:
It's a London animation house. You can see more funny shorts on their YouTube Channel.
the xx. One of my favorite music groups, their minimal style is something I hardly know how to describe. I could listen to the album on repeat without getting tired of it. From London, the group won the Mercury Prize in 2010 for their self-titled debut album. They've just released some songs from the new album, to be released on September 10. Just take a listen. Also from the new album: "Chained"
Some songs from the first album, if you're interested: "Intro" (love this, wish it were longer, and don't forget to turn on the subwoofer), "Crystallized" (first single), "Islands" (cool video)
See what people are reading on the New York Subway: http://undergroundnewyorkpubliclibrary.com/
The Sartorialist, Scott Schuman recently posted a contest on his blog. Whoever had the best answer to this question: "What is the item of clothing that you dreamed about the most but never actually ended up wearing??" would win a signed copy of his new book. I didn't read people's submissions, but I would expect some funny stories. One of the winning responses wasn't funny at all, it was sweet and more a comment on the meaning of fashion. Read it here.
This article on a heart shaped meadow in England created in memory of a widower's wife. See more pictures here.
Christian Tagliavini is Swiss-Italian artist/photographer who has created two collections I love. The first is called "Dame di Cartone" (cardboard ladies), in which Tagliavanini creates clothing of cardboard and paper. Inspirations include baroque styles, cubism, and 1950s fashion. The second is "1503," in which he creates photos reminiscent of old master paintings, like those of Il Bronzino, except he adds his own slightly stylized touch (I love the elongated necks). He used fabric and cardboard to make the clothes. I can't wait to see what he does next.
Birdbox Animation
Just watch this:
It's a London animation house. You can see more funny shorts on their YouTube Channel.
the xx. One of my favorite music groups, their minimal style is something I hardly know how to describe. I could listen to the album on repeat without getting tired of it. From London, the group won the Mercury Prize in 2010 for their self-titled debut album. They've just released some songs from the new album, to be released on September 10. Just take a listen. Also from the new album: "Chained"
Some songs from the first album, if you're interested: "Intro" (love this, wish it were longer, and don't forget to turn on the subwoofer), "Crystallized" (first single), "Islands" (cool video)
Monday, July 9, 2012
Recent Recommendations: July 2012
Foyle's War is perhaps the best BBC mystery series ever...or well, one of the very best. I first started watching it on PBS back in 2002 (can't believe it was that long ago), and now they're playing reruns on KCET (local LA public station). The wonderful thing is I've forgotten how they all end! So I can watch them afresh, and it is just so good. Foyle's War is a detective/mystery series set in the midst of World War II. Murder continues in war time, and mysteries are often wound up in political goings on in the military, black markets, classified information, prisoners of war, etc. (though there's still jealousy and anger and money motivating people, too). It's great stuff. Michael Kitchen is excellent, the writing is excellent. It's intelligent. And there's a subtlety to it--Michael Kitchen as Foyle isn't flashy, he's reserved and observant, but also direct and quietly kick-a**. It's also fascinating to get a peek at war-time England. I think it gives you a sense of how present the war was in everyone's lives--including attacks on their cities. Another fun thing about this series is seeing now established actors when they were only just starting--James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Laurence Fox--playing suspects, witnesses, etc. And it's now available on Netflix instant view!!!
This is a little late, but looking through Royal Ascot fashion is always entertaining. Here are the best galleries I could find of Ladies Day at the Royal Ascot 2012:
NY Daily News
Tom and Lorenzo
Irish Times
The Guardian
"A Sudden Illness" As I explored her website, I saw that Laura Hillenbrand (author of best-selling books Seabiscuit and Unbroken) won the 2004 National Magazine Award for this article. At the age of 19, she was suddenly overcome with nausea and chills. The doctors said she had food poisoning. This was the beginning of many, many misdiagnoses of an illness that often completely debilitated her--sometimes leaving her unable to sit up in bed. In this article Hillenbrand details her struggles with what would eventually be correctly diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It is astounding what CFS does, how she survived, the boyfriend who stuck by her side the entire time, and that she has written these books even though sometimes she is only able to write a paragraph a day. Just read it. It's incredible. (If you want to know more about her and her current life, read this Washington Post article).
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| Boat Dress by Jacqueline Bradley |
Socially Awkward Penguin This is one of my favorite memes. I relate...too much.
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| (click to enlarge) |
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| Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks |
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Recent Recommendations: May 2012
360 Cities "The web’s
largest collection of stunning, georeferenced panoramic photos, created
by a network of thousands of expert panorama photographers from around
the world." So cool. I learned about this because someone posted about
this particular panorama of the Strahov Library in Prague. It's the largest interior photo ever made, in 40 gigapixels. Really cool (as is London in 80 gigapixels--another
world-record-setting panorama). There are tons of other photos. They
vary in quality, but you can take a tour around the world, seeing all
sorts of things: explore Prague (even see it during Christmas, Zombiewalk 2012, and something called the Giant Praying Mantis Invasion), a U-Boat "torpedoraum", a Tulip field in Holland, Scotland's Isle of Skye, the Bone Church in Kutna Hora Czech Republic, a coral reef in New caledonia, Croatian wilderness, the interior of a Tibetan dwelling, the Galapagos Islands, the Mian Mountains from a Daoist Temple, the world's largest salt flats in Uyuni, Bolivia, the summit of Mont Blanc, Sheik Lotfallah Mosque in Iran, Siena Cathedral inside (below) and out, I could go on and on and on. (definitely check out Strahov)
Siena - Cathedral (interior) in Tuscany (note that it's better on their site)
Simon Beck's Snow Art Pretty cool stuff. He creates art by walking in the snow wearing snowshoes. Here's his official Facebook page with photos of all his stuff. (the "About" section contains info about him, his work, etc. if you're interested.)
Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Therapy This stuff is seriously good, and it's quickly made its way to the very top of my list of favorite B&J flavors.
"Shake It Out" and "Rolling in the Deep/Rumour Has It" performed on Glee. Sometimes Glee really gets it right. These are two of those times. The first is a 3-part female stripped-down version of Flo's single. The second is a fabulous mash-up of Adele's "Rolling the Deep" and "Rumour Has It," sung by my 2 favorite voices on Glee, Santana and Mercedes.
Eyebombing is " is the act of setting googly eyes on inanimate things in the public space." It's just fun.
Famous Writers' Writing Sheds/Huts/Cottages This is just a post from the blog Apartment Therapy that I thought might interest some of you. They show the tiny places famous writers (such as Rolad Dahl, Mark Twain, and Dylan Thomas) did their writing. Apartment Therapy's a good blog if you're interested in interior design and related topics. There are DIYs, tours of real people's homes, before & afters, ideas, tips, shopping, products, parenting, green living, etc. etc. etc .
Siena - Cathedral (interior) in Tuscany (note that it's better on their site)
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| Simon Beck |
Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Therapy This stuff is seriously good, and it's quickly made its way to the very top of my list of favorite B&J flavors.
"Shake It Out" and "Rolling in the Deep/Rumour Has It" performed on Glee. Sometimes Glee really gets it right. These are two of those times. The first is a 3-part female stripped-down version of Flo's single. The second is a fabulous mash-up of Adele's "Rolling the Deep" and "Rumour Has It," sung by my 2 favorite voices on Glee, Santana and Mercedes.
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| Eyebomb! |
Famous Writers' Writing Sheds/Huts/Cottages This is just a post from the blog Apartment Therapy that I thought might interest some of you. They show the tiny places famous writers (such as Rolad Dahl, Mark Twain, and Dylan Thomas) did their writing. Apartment Therapy's a good blog if you're interested in interior design and related topics. There are DIYs, tours of real people's homes, before & afters, ideas, tips, shopping, products, parenting, green living, etc. etc. etc .
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Recent Recommendations: February 2012
This video about "living bridges" In an area in Northeast India, the people take living branches from trees and vines and coax and direct them to build natural, living bridges--very cool. It's only 4:30.
Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars I was impressed by the short number the Civil Wars did at the Grammys--bold, complex yet simple. The whole album is really good. There's a reason they won best folk album. I feel like I should adjust my singles list to include the song "Barton Hollow"--so so good. Plus, isn't that a great band name?
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is one of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts this year. I think my fellow bibliophiles will enjoy seeing living books. (I wish Pixar's latest was available online!)
Yosemite HD Have you seen this yet? An HD time-lapse video of Yosemite. To quote Coldplay, "we live in a beautiful world."
"Flicker and Fail" by Laura Marling Yeah, I'll never stop talking about her. This is a track only available on iTunes. It was all I could listen to for about a week. Really pretty.
Type Like A Girl is just stuff girls think and relate to. (who knew others turn on music and dance all crazy when no one's home but are still paranoid someone's watching and overpack because you might need that shirt)
Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars I was impressed by the short number the Civil Wars did at the Grammys--bold, complex yet simple. The whole album is really good. There's a reason they won best folk album. I feel like I should adjust my singles list to include the song "Barton Hollow"--so so good. Plus, isn't that a great band name?
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is one of the Oscar-nominated animated shorts this year. I think my fellow bibliophiles will enjoy seeing living books. (I wish Pixar's latest was available online!)
Yosemite HD Have you seen this yet? An HD time-lapse video of Yosemite. To quote Coldplay, "we live in a beautiful world."
"Flicker and Fail" by Laura Marling Yeah, I'll never stop talking about her. This is a track only available on iTunes. It was all I could listen to for about a week. Really pretty.
Type Like A Girl is just stuff girls think and relate to. (who knew others turn on music and dance all crazy when no one's home but are still paranoid someone's watching and overpack because you might need that shirt)
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