So I was going to link to some of the trolling & bullying stories that are unfolding at present. Then I decided I just didn’t want to. There are some tricky and interesting issues embedded in the stories, but the stories themselves are so unpleasant that you are almost certainly happier not knowing. Instead I will just link to The Art of Controversy (Schopenhauer).
(That has been sitting in the linky folder for about a year… so have the next two.)
Irina Werning’s second set of “back to the future” pics, restaging people’s youthful snapshots many years later.
The 12 most baffling genres of stock photo, explained!
Now, fresh stuff. This academic mansplaining tumblr has been tearing up the place in the last week. Check it out. Some of the stories are amazing – but, and this is crucial, they are all entirely believable.
Simplified map of the London tube
Star Wars illustrations in the style of classic religious art.
The AVClub is doing a readalong of the Sandman comics series
Whoa: There were plans for an Audrey Horne spin-off from Twin Peaks???
Lord of the Rings family tree project
A short film in which Sean Penn and Kid Rock learn to love each other despite their political differences. If you can watch this you are a stronger person than me, but it is fully worth clicking through to random points and trying to fathom what the hell this signifies about political discourse in the USA.
Via Svend, here is a Kickstarter for a boardgame. It is a Christian boardgame. Watch the video. And, um, yes.
Salon article “Burning Man is on its last legs” is actually not about Burning Man being on its last legs, but it is a really quite effective description of what it feels like to be kicking around at the infamous desert festival.
As Halloween approaches, here’s a creepy short film. (via Craig Oxbrow) Really very nicely done. Gave me a shiver.
Babysitters Club: Where Are They Now?? (via Amanda Lyons) (misses out Claudia Kishi becoming a twitter hashtag – Gem Wilder has the scoop on that)
HackerTyper was suggested by @nzben for use during @keith_ng’s TV appearances about his adventures in leet superhacking (apparently he used a little-known exploit called File > Open)
One switched-on couple I know have been making a real effort over a long time to bias their daughter’s media consumption towards stuff with gender equality. Here’s a sign of the fruits of all that work: her reaction to Star Wars. This, right here, is a glimpse of a different and better world. Much respect, you guys.
Speaking of gender stuff: 10 female electronic music pioneers you should know – Delia’s in there of course, plus 9 others. (via @theremina)
Matchy matchy (via Tim Denee)
Janet pointed me at this amazing reinterpretation of the famed “marshmallow study” (where kids try to hold off eating marshmallows, you know the one). Smart critique looks like this!
The countdown clock to the Hobbit premiere is now live in Wellington, but did you know there was another completely separate Hobbit movie out this year?
And finally, via @mcquillanatornz (who all the cool kids are following on Twitter these days): Beetles dressed as Jurassic Park characters. So perfect in every way.