Via JT, a brief history of physics.
Category: Culture and anti-culture
Fakes and fake fakes
Via Aziz, here’s a 1978 essay by that strangest of Episcopalians, Philip K. Dick: “How to Build a Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later.”
This was announced back in April, but I didn’t discover it until just now: Dick is going to be Disney-fied:
KING OF THE ELVES (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2012, Disney Digital 3-D™)
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker
Producer: Chuck WilliamsLegendary storyteller Phillip K. Dick’s short story (his only experiment in the fantasy genre) becomes the basis for this fantastic and imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta, whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to name him their new king. Joining the innocent and endangered elves as they attempt to escape from an evil and menacing troll, their unlikely new leader finds himself caught on a journey filled with unimaginable dangers and a chance to bring real meaning back to his own life.
Miscellany
My sister sent me a link to an “identify the album” quiz. The page is no longer maintained — the link to the answers returns a 404 — and at least one of the identifications is wrong, but you might find it amusing anyway.
The above is one of my favorite covers, though the album, a collection of medieval dances, is too obscure to be fair game for such a quiz. Here it is in higher resolution.
*****
Is there a superhero in your neighborhood? Check the registry. (Via Ken the Brickmuppet.)
*****
Introducing Edward, the Veggie-Vampire.
*****
(Via John Salmon.)
Thirteen bad ideas
Nobody needs any of these. The twelfth, in particular, is absolutely inexcusable.
(Via TexasBestGrok.)
Agricultural space tragedy
Via Shamus, the story behind Star Wars. See also Shamus’ updated treatment.
I was never a Star Wars fan — I bailed out after The Empire Strikes Back — but I was surprised to learn just how much worse than the final product the original script was. (Via Dirty Harry.)
The Listening Room
John Salmon notes that René Magritte‘s 110th Birthday was last Friday. Coincidentally, one of the LPs I recently recently transferred to CD was the first Dreams album, the cover of which is based on a Magritte painting. I posted one of the tunes here. ((Beck Ola, another album with a Magritte cover, will probably be in the next batch that I digitize.))
Those are the Brecker brothers, Billy Cobham and their bandmates floating in the air.
Below the fold are a few more of the albums that I pulled out to digitize recently. CDs have a lot of advantages over vinyl — they’re far more convenient; they don’t skip or get stuck (usually); there are no pops, clicks, hisses or rumbles — but for cover art, they can’t compare to LPs.
Thirty-five years and counting
So Chinese Democracy is finally available. (Via Strange Herring.)
But there’s still no sign of The Last Dangerous Visions.
Spare time is for the weak
Norman Geras interviews Eve Tushnet.
What would be your ideal choice of alternative profession or job? > Professional holy fool. Or poison-taster.
Needles fine as hairs
For those interested in knitting or Neil Gaiman.
(The key is “sweaterxxs.”)
Update: Here are some more keys. “moustachio” is my favorite of the bunch, though it has nothing directly to do with the movie.
buttoneyes
stopmotion
moustachio
puppetlove
armpithair
Update II: Here’s the trailer.
The list of lists, etc.
40 Signs of the Mike World Order:
27. New TV show: Pundit Deathmatch! Reigning champion – Ann Coulter!
How to identfy the Antichrist.
The upsides to an event earlier this month (you may need to scroll down a bit):
#7: Conservatism is inherently a tradition of complicity, satire, internal conflict, and cynicism. So with the Messiah as our next president, we’re in like Patricia Quinn!
A couple of jokes, one mathematical, one theological (the latter via René’s Apple).
Snape paper dolls to download and print. You can play with them while you read Joseph Bottum’s suggestions for revising the canon of children’s literature.
More gallery additions
The Nobel prize in literature …
… from an alternative universe. If you need a demonstration that our universe’s Nobel is meaningless, here it is.
(Via The Rat.)
Up
Kraken swarm
Squidpunk — if it’s not for real, it ought to be.
(Via Eve.)
Update: it is for real. It’s got a website and a video and everything.
I really would like to read Anne McCaffrey’s contribution.
Update II: There is indeed a Squid Vicious.
Request
If you are a werewolf, and should the opportunity arise to rip out Kid Rock’s lungs, please do so. Listen to “All Summer Long,” and you will understand why.
Fainthearted
I’m not exactly nostalgic for my days in the SCA, but I may see this movie if it comes to Wichita.