Category: Friday Linky

The Alligator left on a jet plane this morning. He will bring the new sport of gatorball back to its spiritual home, the United States of America. Here, we will have to gatorball on without him.

Here’s a link he sent me a month ago: some crazy ant photos. David Attenborough this ain’t.

He saw Taika Waititi’s film Boy the other night and appreciated the early-80s Kiwi charm: Maori smurf and the use of “egg” as an insult were particular favourites. But it reminded me that in NZ, “bro” appears to mean something very different to what it means in the U.S. Witness these bro subtitles:

(via the AVClub, which notes this is a promotion for a translation of On The Road into Bro-speak.)
See also the stupendous Three Word Phrase, a 4-panel comic by Ryan Pequin, which has been hitting Bro notes lately. Check out this and this and this and this. (Then just subscribe to Three Word Phrase because it’s amazing.)

Stars of frequently-spoiled TV shows school you on spoiler etiquette:

Guy invents covers for recent Doctor Who stories as if they’d been turned into novelisations during the classic era of the show.

Winter is coming! no that isn’t a game of thrones reference, down here winter really is coming. We use upside-down fires in our place – if you have a woodburner and don’t know about this method, you should. Campers should also pay attention.

This has been in the linky file for over a year, time to air it out:

BIG BANG BIG BOOM – the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Likewise this fascinating collection of amateur photos.

And this, Fantasy Travel Posters (but aren’t they all?)

101 micro-stories that make you think, laugh, cry, etc.

Photos of women operating big mainframe computers.

Weird doll photographs

Interesting letterhead designs

The hunt for the worst movie of all time. (Eat Pray Love is a good place to start.)

Read Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman

Inspired by Banksy, a family leaves painted stuff in places.

And finally… self-portraits while levitating

Friday linky! Today, written past midnight on Saturday night. Hurrah!

Stop-motion Lego ninja madness. Verrry nice.

Kate Beaton found this incredible Children’s Object Book from the 1880s

Dylan pointed to this revelation of Facebook’s hidden sweatshop moderators. Interesting in its own right, but also it helps explain what happened to Joe Lipari.

Via Marie – so Dad, how do you like the iPad we bought you?

Everyone has seen Benedict Cumberbatch and Otters, right? Mr D. Ritchie of Hamiltron has drawn my attention to David Mitchell and Koalas.

Stanley Kubrick section:
Dangerous Minds gave more credence than I would have to this take on the hidden messages of Kubrick’s 2001, but I found it an engaging watch over lunchtime anyway.

And (also on Dangerous Minds) the story behind Kubrick’s ban on Clockwork Orange

Kubrick’s photos from 1940s NYC (via Mr H. Ritchie of Australiaton, relation)

And, um, Toy Story meets The Shining

6 ridiculous first drafts of famous movie monsters – some interesting stuff here!

I don’t have it in me to write anything about Trayvon Martin, but I will share this searing bit of writing

Some Star Wars linky, since last week’s offering was a wee bit on the odd side:
The whole internet loved this suggested viewing order for the full Star Wars saga. Worth a read for writer/structure nerds, at least.

Via The Gator – why the lightsaber battles in the Phantom Menace sucked

The Wampa scene from Empire Strikes Back, remade with a pug dog as the monster

How I helped destroy the Star Wars Galaxies MMO

Topher Grace edited all the prequels into one single, better film (my main reservation with this is I really really didn’t like the third prequel, whereas I thought the first two were fascinating, engaging disasters)

And, finally, Jedi A-holes!

Tron dance is fun dance.

[video link changed - found a live version!] In honour of the return of Community to U.S. TV, here’s the recent Paleyfest event. I watched this whole thing and it made me laugh and laugh and laugh. These people love each other and love the work they do.

NOT st PATTY all right? goddammit (via Irish people)

Excellent essay about the 25th anniversary of Evil Dead 2. What a singular movie that is. (via Craig Oxbrow)

the interrobang is 50! (thanks Cat!)

Ivan linked to this deft summary of epic Medievalist mystery document, the Voynich Manuscript

Martin Luther insults everyone

Two pieces on stage magic: the internet hurts the craft of magic, and “how Teller gave me the secret to my career in magic”

Slides! In places! For grown-ups! Includes video of an installation in my favourite gallery space in the world, the Turbine Hall in London’s Tate Modern. Whee!

Lengthy Alan Moore interview, mostly about this sequels-to-Watchmen bizzo.

Rookie Mag has a piece about how Lindsay Weir from Freaks & Geeks is a damn hero.

Mrs Meows writes about The Hunger Games novels, & mostly about how few worthwhile female protagonists there were in the fiction she loved growing up. (Which reminds me – the other day I looked at the newest Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew books. Based on the back cover blurbs and a flick through, Nancy is still a resourceful girl detective, sleuthing her way to the truth, although the book I looked at was set at a beauty and health spa. The Hardy Boys, however, had been transformed into superspy agents of some acronymed secret organisation and were doing extreeeeeeeme action stuff while stopping terrorists from murdering everyone. Man. They used to have a jalopy. They were real proud of their jalopy.)

Excellent essay by China Mieville about London as a post-apocalyptic space. From the New York Times, which is to say, you don’t need to know London to appreciate this.

High school debate as you’ve not heard it before. Turn your sound on – there’s an audio sample embedded in the page. A classic example of what happens when you let the rules of a game become the game itself.

And finally, via Bruce Norris, some Star Wars content, in a manner of speaking

Already Friday afternoon – let’s get this done. Short’n’sweet.

Via Paul Cornell – here’s China Mieville writing the most comprehensive bit of sense on the Tintin in the Congo controversy that just resolved in Belgium (and many related issues). Bracing & superb.

Crazy uses of QR codes. Man will these things please just die already.

Toothbrushing: the creation of a habit. I didn’t know this and it’s right in my wheelhouse!

Nick Tipping found this – the nearly unbelievable working conditions inside an internet-shopping warehouse.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Movie: The Movie

And finally, via GMSkarka… that time in a Sesame Street special that Big Bird went on a journey into the Egyptian afterlife and defied the gods.

“Mmp” is the sound you make when you’ve been gagged and tied to a chair by a villainous smuggler and your kindly aunt is standing unknowingly just outside the door and you wish to alert her to your presence so she can free you and help you thwart the smugglers.

MMP is the proportional electoral system we use in NZ. There’s currently a massive consultation underway. The team that have set this up have done a really amazing job – there’s clickable ads all over the NZ web, and lots of real-world notices too. The website has lots of useful information divided up into small, understandable questions, and you are encouraged to respond to those same questions (though more extensive responses are welcomed of course). This makes it really easy to look at this hugely important issue and give some input.

And it is a hugely important issue. Just look at the debacle in the UK right now, or the last few decades of US governance, for some clear evidence that your electoral system has a huge impact on your society’s welfare.

I’ve said before on here (somewhere or other) that the biggest problem with participation in our democracy is that it’s a pain in the butt to do anything more than vote every few years. This is the first time I’ve seen something that shows it doesn’t have to be this way. Kiwis, I implore you to check it out & have your say.

Right, on with the rest of the linky:

Jennifer Connelly’s audition for Labyrinth.

That’s via Dangerous Minds, who also embedded the entirety of the first ever version of the Muppet Show, a test-run special titled “Sex and Violence” that aims for a more adult tone. Kermit is not the presenter; Floyd has a major role; it’s the Muppets but not as you know it. Coincidentally, the AV Club wrote about this episode a couple weeks back.

Back on the subject of Labyrinth – Original Pope of this Blog, Mr David R., alerted me to the splendid Bowiesongs Blog’s analysis of the Labyrinth soundtrack as a hidden Bowie album. Neato.

Hmm. I wonder, which would have launched more puberties: gold bikini Leia or tightpants Labyrinth Bowie? Suggestions for methodology and funding welcome.

Batman vs. that famous pick-up artist Mystery

Downton Abbey dialogue anachronisms

Here’s U.S. highways mapped like the London Underground. Yes yes it’s a cliche but this one actually works.

Interesting article taking the parasites-can-affect-behaviour research another step – why your cat can make you crazy

“Unnecessary” quotation marks

What scientific concept would improve everyone’s cognitive toolkit? Many many smart people respond. Includes the usual suspects (Dawkins, Brand, Lakoff, Shirky) and names I didn’t expect (Rudy Rucker, Brian Eno) and many more I’d never heard of. The entries I read were all great (one inspired suggestion: kayfabe). Well worth your time; I’m gonna come back to this.

Jamas has found the entirety of GET LAMP, a documentary about interactive fiction/text adventure games, is available to watch online. Yay!

Using police identikit techniques and descriptions in text, making images of novel characters (e.g. Lisbeth Salander, Daisy Buchanan)

Via Dylan H: Alan Moore explains, in 90 seconds, why he worships a glove puppet.

And finally… food on my dog

Linky named in honour of the rye whiskey that broke inside the Alligator’s bags en route to the Hutt Valley. We did not drink you, rye whiskey, but we inhaled your aromas.

Some linky then:

Modernist Journals, complete in PDF. Includes, for example, all three issues of The Blue Review (1913) edited by John Middleton Murry and Katherine Mansfield. Quite, quite wow.

Retronaut has some colour photographs of WWI. (Presumably using the autochrome process?)

The Star Tours ride is gone – but it has been recreated. By a fan. In both 2D and 3D.

Top 10 relationship words not translatable into english

Via Susan H, New Scientist looks at flow – that state when you’re totally in the zone.

The death and return of Superman, as goofy film. Marvellous. I used to describe this storyline as “DC using up all public goodwill in order to give Superman a mullet.”

Mrs Meows discusses the plight of the Disney starlets.

Photos of shrines in teenage bedrooms

Tiny Little Love Stories

And finally, the logical end of all those Sh!t People Say videos

Hey, that plug socket looks like a face! Yes – but does face recognition technology also think so? Machine pareidolia

Ten 100-year predictions that came true

U.S. right wing as demented cult – a disillusioned insider speaks. And David Frum writes about the same thing. As I’ve said before, this is the logical consequence of Karl Rove.

Hello: (via many people!)

Dogs bark the Imperial March. Yes. It’s a commercial for VW, try not to be influenced to buy a VW.

Dangerous Minds has been finding full movies on YouTube –
The Hobbit (1977)

Faster Pussycat Kill Kill (1965)

Also, that 1966 Hobbit movie in full, with the full weird story behind its creation. (The film itself has been all over the place but the original story hasn’t been shared nearly as much.)

Bartok found The Restart Page – reboot your computer the old-fashioned way!

China’s deserted fake Disneyland, and New York’s unused secret subway station.

And finally, Cliff Richard Dying Inside

Bond. (Warning: many of the swearing words may be heard in this clip.)

Karen Healey muses on bromances and the relative lack of sistery equivalents. Includes due appreciation of Josie and the Pussycats which all right-thinking people acknowledge as a BRILLIANT FILM but apparently there are a lot of wrong-thinkers out there because, 5.1 on IMDB? 53% on Rotten Tomatoes? WTF?!

Alan Moore visits Occupy London and meets people in the V mask

There’s a petition to bring back breastfeeding on Sesame Street.

If famous writers had written Twilight. The comments go on forever, covering everyone from Cormac McCarthy to Jose Saramago.

Wall-Etheus:

My Guantanamo nightmare. If you haven’t read this yet, do so.

Jem & the Holograms – fashion redesigns. Eric Raymond would be furious.

Oh, man. Those little digital handheld games – play ’em online. I remember this one really clearly.

Absolutely engrossing article about, um, car parking. No, really.

TV journalist talks about how, exactly, journalism is broken.

And finally, you WISH you could party like this