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Author Archives: editor, facilitator, decider
Art-theft prank ends with jail time
Oh, the imperative to go viral. A million or so YouTubers will tell you that it’s not just transitory fame at stake (alluring though that might be); there’s actual income on the line here, in terms of shares in advertising … Continue reading
Cherry blossom time
Funny how a single tree can come to represent an entire season in one’s mind. And that must surely be as much a personal connection as it can be a cultural one—the Japanese, for example, uphold a traditional vernal embrace … Continue reading
RIP Prince (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016)
. Here’s an early passing that we didn’t foresee, and couldn’t have been ready for. Music legend Prince died at home today in Minnesota. Cause of death has not yet been announced, but it’s been reported that he’d suffered from … Continue reading
Useless ingenuity
What a time to be alive. Technology has evolved with us and for us, to the point of ubiquity, to the point of utter interdependence. Some think that the next logical step is the self-aware thinking machine, one that might … Continue reading
RIP Merle Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016)
Merle Haggard turned 79 today. He also passed away. He wasn’t just an Okie from Muskogee—he was a legend, and a giant, and there’ll never be another like him
‘Hamilton’ transcends race
Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s hit Broadway musical stirred up a bit of controversy last week, as a casting call specifying “NON-WHITE” actors drew the ire of a theater union and sparked choruses of ‘reverse-racism.’ The verbiage was clumsy, to be sure (and … Continue reading
Best subway improv ever
Anyone who’s ever ridden the NYC subway system has shared a collective suppressed groan when a man with a money can stands up and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention….” So for the benefit of us all … Continue reading
Posted in Homepage
Tagged brilliant, flash mobs, Improv Everywhere, New York City, subway
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Hold your breath and steady your hands: Van Gogh under restoration
It’s necessary, no doubt; and at the same time it’s scary as hell: one of the most iconic post-expressionist paintings in existence is about to undergo restoration. The painting in question is Vincent Van Gogh‘s Amsterdam Sunflowers (1889), the third … Continue reading
Loving Vincent – heartbreak and triumph in paint and on film
Any cinematic effort to tell the story of Vincent Van Gogh‘s tortured last years and tragic death would have to be a seamless blend of visual splendor and emotional anguish. Nothing less would serve to portray the frenetic, afflicted life … Continue reading
Superimposition – An historical perspective
* One of the most interesting trends that has arisen in this, the age of Photoshop, is the practice juxtaposing history and the present, by superimposing modern-day settings onto archival photographs. The subject matter is fascinating, yet the effect can … Continue reading
Posted in New Post
Tagged crime-scene photos, history, Marc Hermann, New York Daily News, photography
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Give it up, inventors. A better mouse trap was built 150 years ago
In 1861 Colin Pullinger, West Sussex tinkerer, registered his latest invention with the Designs Office (application no. 4373) and called it The Perpetual Mouse Trap. A century and a half later, we’ve learned the man wasn’t prone to exaggeration. The … Continue reading
Posted in New Post
Tagged genius, The Museum of English Rural Life, The Perpetual Mouse Trap
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You can get inside Salvador Dali’s head. But do you want to?
It was almost inevitable that the extant coming-of-age of Virtual Reality would, in short order, take us places we should not go. Case in point: the St. Petersburg Dali Museum has produced Dreams of Dali, a 3-D, 360° video for the … Continue reading
On this date…
On January 30th, 1703, the 47 Ronin fulfilled their debt of honor, and claimed their place in history. The 47 had been samurai, loyal retainers of Asano, the daimyo of Akō. Asano Naganori was a powerful and respected provincial lord, … Continue reading
