MecÂca — MuhamÂmad’s birthÂplace and the heart of Islam – beauÂtiÂfulÂly capÂtured by Hosain Hadi, using just his Canon 5D mark ll.
H/T @MatthiasRascher
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
MidÂdle EastÂern HisÂtoÂry: Free CoursÂes
MecÂca — MuhamÂmad’s birthÂplace and the heart of Islam – beauÂtiÂfulÂly capÂtured by Hosain Hadi, using just his Canon 5D mark ll.
H/T @MatthiasRascher
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
MidÂdle EastÂern HisÂtoÂry: Free CoursÂes
Deb Roy is the direcÂtor of the CogÂniÂtive Machines group at the MIT Media Lab. For the first few years of his son’s life, Roy installed camÂeras in every room of the famÂiÂly home. Now he jokes that he has the “largest home video colÂlecÂtion ever made” – roughÂly 90,000 hours of images and footage of the growÂing baby’s world. The purÂpose was to conÂsidÂer and anaÂlyze all the facÂtors impactÂing his son’s first words, includÂing the 7 milÂlion words that the boy heard from his father, mothÂer, nanÂny, and othÂer visÂiÂtors to the house.
Roy’s talk made one of the biggest splashÂes at TED this year, not only for what he learned about earÂly lanÂguage acquiÂsiÂtion, but also for his breathÂtakÂing data visuÂalÂizaÂtion maps. Even by TED stanÂdards, it’s an idea-packed 20 minÂutes: ImpresÂsive. And when you conÂsidÂer that Roy is now on sabÂbatÂiÂcal and employed by the AI comÂpaÂny Bluefin Labs, workÂing on, among othÂer things, social media and marÂket research, it all becomes more than a litÂtle bit frightÂenÂing.
On a brighter note, Roy’s son turned out to be an earÂly talkÂer.
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, VariÂety, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.
Some watch the Super Bowl for just the comÂmerÂcials. OthÂers watch films for the title designs. Title sequences begin and end every movie. They can be “engagÂing or wildÂly enterÂtainÂing … or simÂply drop dead beauÂtiÂful.” They can “ooze with visuÂal poetÂry and sophisÂtiÂcatÂed imagery.” And they can put the audiÂence in the right mood for the movie, or close it in the right way. The ins-and-outs of title design get lovÂingÂly covÂered by a webÂsite called ForÂget the Films, Watch the Titles, and today we’re feaÂturÂing the closÂing moments of LemoÂny SnickÂet’s A Series of UnforÂtuÂnate Events, a 2004 black humor film. This five minute aniÂmatÂed sequence is the work of Jamie Caliri, a direcÂtor with a self-described pasÂsion for visuÂal stoÂry telling. Not too long ago, we highÂlightÂed the aniÂmaÂtion conÂcepts he develÂoped for The AmazÂing AdvenÂtures of KavaÂlier & Clay. And, here, Caliri sits down for an interÂview with ForÂget the Films, Watch the Titles and talks about his artÂful approach to title design…
We have two quick primers for you. First, this CNN video breaks down the probÂlems afflictÂing the FukushiÂma Nuclear PowÂer Plant in Japan. Give the video three minÂutes of your time, and you will get a fairÂly comÂpreÂhenÂsive overview of what’s going wrong.
And though it amazÂingÂly feels like old news now, NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic proÂvides a quick tutoÂrÂiÂal on tsunamis. Please note that the video includes some disÂturbÂing footage.
IgudesÂman & Joo are a musical/comedy duo perÂformÂing in the US and CanaÂda this spring. This clip, “RachÂmaniÂnoff Had Big Hands,” starts out a litÂtle slowÂly but gets enterÂtainÂing fairÂly quickÂly. If you like comÂbinÂing comÂeÂdy and clasÂsiÂcal music, then don’t miss anothÂer proÂgram recentÂly highÂlightÂed on Open CulÂture: Bill BaiÂley’s RemarkÂable Guide to the OrchesÂtra.
Thanks to Sara for sendÂing this our way…
It’s a litÂtle morÂbid, I’ll give you that. But you have to give this video some points for creÂativÂiÂty and many for effort. Some fine soul pulled togethÂer murder/death scenes from 36 of Alfred HitchÂcockÂ’s movies, then synÂchroÂnized them to cliÂmax in uniÂson. We have listÂed the films below, many of which can be found in our colÂlecÂtion of Free HitchÂcock Films (and also our Free Movie colÂlecÂtion)…
Row 1: BlackÂmail, MurÂder!, Rich and Strange, NumÂber 17 (?), The Man Who Knew Too Much, Waltzes from VienÂna (?)
Row 2: The 39 Steps, SabÂoÂtage, The Secret Agent, Young and InnoÂcent (?), The Lady VanÂishÂes, Jamaica Inn
Row 3: ForÂeign CorÂreÂsponÂdent, RebecÂca, SusÂpiÂcion, ShadÂow of a Doubt, Lifeboat, SpellÂbound
Row 4: Rope, Under CapriÂcorn, Stage Fright, Strangers on a Train, I ConÂfess, Dial M for MurÂder
Row 5: To Catch a Thief, The TrouÂble with HarÂry, The Man Who Knew Too Much, VerÂtiÂgo, North by NorthÂwest, PsyÂcho
Row 6: The Birds, Marnie, Torn CurÂtain, Topaz, FrenÂzy, FamÂiÂly Plot
via MetafilÂter
In a world of 7 bilÂlion peoÂple, who is the most “typÂiÂcal”? That’s the quesÂtion NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic asks (and answers) in a visuÂalÂly engagÂing video that kicks off a year-long look at globÂal popÂuÂlaÂtion issues. NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic’s webÂsite now hosts a feaÂture artiÂcle that prefÂaces the series and also an accomÂpaÂnyÂing phoÂto gallery.
On a rather relatÂed note, we’re all watchÂing the news in Japan go from bad to worse. First an earthÂquake. Then a tsunaÂmi. Now a potenÂtial nuclear disÂtaster. If you want to give a hand, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to the JapanÂese relief effort. CharÂiÂtyÂNavÂiÂgaÂtor will help you evalÂuÂate speÂcifÂic charÂiÂties operÂatÂing in Japan and avoid scams. A decent place to begin…
via Brain PickÂings
Here’s the trailÂer for the play FrankenÂstein, which opens in LonÂdon at the NationÂal TheÂater this ThursÂday. Two intriguÂing points: 1.) This proÂducÂtion is helmed by DanÂny Boyle, the Oscar-winÂning direcÂtor behind SlumÂdog MilÂionÂaire, 127 Hours, and the approÂpriÂateÂly terÂriÂfyÂing zomÂbie movie 28 Days LatÂer. 2.) Boyle’s FrankenÂstein is part of the NationÂal TheÂater Live proÂgram – now in its secÂond seaÂson – and will be simulÂcast live in hunÂdreds of movie theÂaters all over the world. There are 12 parÂticÂiÂpatÂing venues in CalÂiÂforÂnia alone – click here to find out if there’s one near you.
For a pre-screenÂing refreshÂer, you can downÂload Mary ShelÂley’s clasÂsic novÂel for free at Project GutenÂberg, or as a free audioÂbook at LibÂriVox. And whatÂevÂer you do, don’t miss this video of the gorÂgeous 1934 illusÂtratÂed ediÂtion, with woodÂcuts by the AmerÂiÂcan artist Lynd Ward.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
FrankenÂstein Hits the SilÂver Screen (1910)
SheerÂly Avni is a San FranÂcisÂco-based arts and culÂture writer. Her work has appeared in Salon, LA WeekÂly, MothÂer Jones, and many othÂer pubÂliÂcaÂtions. You can folÂlow her on twitÂter at @sheerly.