billtron

Katra Turana is the most delightfully baffling band I know. Sometimes they sound like a calypso band gone mad. Sometimes they sound like a tornado slamming into a string quartet. Sometimes they're catchy and heartwarming. Sometimes they're sparse and sinister. Or they're annoying in grandiose ways. And sometimes they blossom into something that's vulnerable, lush, and devastatingly beautiful. I know next to nothing about them. They confound me. I hope you find them as wondrous and as special as I do.

The latest Dove advertising campaign, “Real Beauty Sketches,” has already garnered its share of well-deserved criticism: That “Dove is owned by Unilever – the same company that owns Axe, king of misogynistic ads.” That “the real take-away is still that women should care whether a stranger thinks she is beautiful.” That the women in the ads don’t look like the women one sees “on the subway, at highway rest stops, in suburban malls.” That the “main participants” are mostly Caucasian, blonde, thin, and young. Etc.

All that is true. But my interest in the ad is pedagogical. For me it is the perfect illustration of what I call the “bent-stick theory of ideology.”

This is the view that ideology is like wearing glasses that distort the world. All we need to do is apply the correcting lens of critique and we will be able to see the world as it really is. Calibrated correctly, our anti-ideological lenses will enable us to see the straight stick we know is there, not the bent stick distorted by the water. Or at least, like a hunter fishing in a stream, we will know where the stick really should be even if we can never truly rid ourselves of the distorting effects of ideology.

In the case of the Dove ads, this is illustrated by the women’s confrontation of the sketches showing them how they see themselves compared with how their friends see them.

Since the picture on the right more closely fits with what the audience sees, the message is clear: the image on the left is a distorted image caused by low self-esteem. These women will need help from their friends and loved-ones to better see themselves as they really are: beautiful.

That Dove wants you to associate their product with this demystification is besides the point. They are like Penn and Teller, magicians who have made a career of dazzling audiences with magic even as they reveal their secrets.

Like Penn and Teller, Dove are doing advertising with clear plastic cups. They are still selling beauty, but they are doing so by associating their product with the “real,” “undistorted,” “inner-beauty” that our friends and lovers see in us but which we ourselves cannot see. Dove isn’t hiding anything from us, so revealing that they are still in the business of selling beauty products doesn’t really get us any closer to understanding the distorted self-images we see from these women’s self-descriptions.

In my discussion of David Graeber’s Debt I wrote:

Marxist ideology is not some kind of “false consciousness” which is simply imposed upon people by the media, it is the product of their lived experience within market based societies. Markets make us see the world in a certain way because markets involve us in certain forms of social action that lend themselves to see the world in a market-oriented way.

I would like to make the same argument for these women. A recent study of attitudes towards female politicians found that any mention of a female candidate’s appearance “whether those mentions are flattering, unflattering, or neutral — has a negative impact on her electability.”

Why might that be? One explanation might come from Bourdieu, who would talk of beauty as a kind of game.  Just mentioning how a politicians look (as Obama did with Attorney General Kamala Harris)  takes them off the political stage and places them on the stage of a beauty pageant.

The critiques of the Dove ad I linked to above all made this point in the sense that they understand that the ad ultimately reinforces the importance of “beauty.” What I want to add to this discussion is to point out that a distorted self-image is a manifestation of misrecognition, not of false-consciousness. What is the difference? False-consciousness would imply that these women are simply deluded as a result of watching too many advertisements (presumably those advertisements made by Dove’s competitors). Misrecognition, on the other hand, is an accurate assessment of the beauty game (even if it mistakenly blames the individual for their inability to win the game). When lined up next to a dozen other women on the beauty pageant stage, the fact that their chin is too pointy or their brow too wide suddenly matters. Our society puts women in that lineup every day, whether or not they wish to be there. What is wrong with the Dove ad isn’t that it is selling beauty, but that it depoliticizing and psychologizing sociological critique in order to do so.

Bomb technicians were called to inspect a golden mystery box with question marks on its side.

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“Early on in BioShock Infinite, the game forces players to accept the Christian religious sacrament of baptism. This did not sit well with Breen Malmberg, a gamer and a Christian, who explained to Kotaku that he refused to accept the digital baptism and demanded a refund from Valve.”

- Valve refunded BioShock Infinite gamer upset over religious scene - GameSpot.com

Dr. Sheila's Robot. Gender. via reddit.com

“What disturbs me is I smashed his mouth off, I smashed his teeth in, but he still wanted to continue in the attack mode. I was terrified at [its] resilience.”

This gory description could have been one of many zombie survivor stories from the novel World War Z, but it’s actually a man’s factual description the tenacity of a rabid raccoon he beat to death with a hammer in the non-fiction book Rabid. Many people are familiar with Max Brooks’ 2006 best-seller World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (soon to be a film starring Brad Pitt), a novel about a global pandemic. People are probably less familiar with the 2012 non-fiction book by Wired Senior Editor Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy, Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus 9 (a 5,000 word excerpt can be found here). If Rabid walks us through humanity’s two thousand year history of trying (and failing) to cure this horrifying disease, World War Z shows us what the consequences of failing could be.

“It’s been an awfully long time coming, but at last it looks we can say that the New York Yankees parking garages are in default on their bonds!New York Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez reports that “Bronx Parking Development LLC failed to make a $6.9 million payment due April 1 on more than $237 million in tax-exempt bonds arranged by the Bloomberg administration back in 2007. The group, which is not connected to the Yankees, thus fell into one of the biggest defaults of a New York City-sponsored bond in decades.” Unless you’re one of the poor schmoes who bought Yankees parking garage bonds thinking that the garages would actually pay their bills, the default probably won’t mean very much to you: Since a nonprofit corporation was set up to sell the bonds, neither the Yankees nor the city of New York is on the hook to bondholders. (The city can forget about ever getting the $43 million in rent payments it was supposed to accrue from the garages, but then, it’s probably already forgotten about that long before now.) Of course, this isn’t a very good sign if, say, you live in a certain California state capitol that is considering a similar parking bond deal, only this time with taxpayer funds set to fill in any gap in parking revenues. Though officials there swear that they’re using conservative assumptions, and we all know that public servants would never fudge the numbers about something so important as — what’s that, Juan? City economic development aides have privately acknowledged they were ordered by City Hall back then to “make the numbers work” in order to justify tax-exempt bonds. Not a very good sign at all.”

- Yankees parking garages go belly-up at last | Field of Schemes

“The 97th annual class of Pulitzer Prize winners was announced late yesterday, and the Pulitzer Prize for Music has been awarded to a composition for unaccompanied voices for what appears to be, according to a Pulitzer spokesperson, the first time in the its 70-year history. Caroline Shaw’s winning work Partita for 8 Voices is, well… tough to characterize—maybe the best way to describe it would be “music as we know it, and then some.””

- Hear the Weird, Lovely A Cappella Suite That Won the Pulitzer Prize for Music - Ashley Fetters - The Atlantic

I love bluegrass, and I love quirky, unexpected cover songs. Smash the two together and I’m in heaven. Bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe described the genre as “Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddlin'. It's Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It's blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound." Those aren’t words I would use to describe a lot of modern pop and rock music, but the incongruity of fiddles and distorted guitar, fat beats and down-home twang makes these bluegrass covers very endearing.

“Single Ladies”

The Cleverlys are a comedy-bluegrass group that, according to the band, is made up of members of a famed tobacco growing family from rural Cane Spur, Arkansas. They’re generally awesome, and their take on Beyonce is especially so.

“Creeping Death”

Iron Horse is a bluegrass band from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, that has recorded bluegrass tributes to Guns N’ Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Van Halen and, um, the Goo Goo Dolls. I especially like their take on this Metallica song, the Biblical themes of which make it a natural fit for bluegrass.

“The Way You Make Me Feel”

When you think of the “King of Pop,” you don’t think of three goofy looking (naturally) white dudes cruising around small town America in the back of a pickup truck with a standup bass, but Honeywagon makes it work.

“Blinded by Fear”

Swedish death metal filtered through bluegrass sounds less like bluegrass and a little more like something gypsy punks Gogol Bordello might come up with. Still awesome.

“I’m on Fire”

This just wouldn’t be a Matt Soniak music post without some mention of The Boss, would it? Even more so than tackling death metal with banjos, this cover really changes the whole sound of the original song. Bruce’s version is cold, desolate, minimal and tight. In the hands of Town Mountain, though, the song is full, warm, inviting and even has a little bit of swing.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Centerfold”

Hayseed Dixie goes the extra mile on both these songs, not only having fun with the Queen classic and The J. Geils Band hit, but also making great videos for them. They ape the “floating faces” shots from Queen’s video and kick up the speed on Geils and company’s original video to sync with their faster version of the tune.

“I Gotta Feeling”

Given that it’s been played at every wedding reception I have been to in the last few years (and probably every one I haven’t been too, also), I get that this song is supposed to be a feel good, barn burning party anthem. But I didn’t get it. The Black Eyed Peas version doesn’t make me feel good, it doesn’t make me want to dance, and doesn’t make me think tonight’s gonna be a good night. It has all the charisma of a dead fish. Then, the Cleverlys took a stab at it and I got it! It’s fun, it’s funny and it makes me want to fill a mason jar with Cristal and hit the town with a banjo on my knee.

“Dancing in the Dark”

And one more Bruce song. This track from Born in the USA is a favorite around here, and the boys in Greensky Bluegrass do an admirable job with it. Bonus points for the great beard on the mandolin player.

توی یک شرایط نوسانی هارشی به سر میبرم. نوسان دقیقه ای. حالتی که مدام در یک طیفی از نهایت ناامیدی تا نهایت انگیزه در حرکت است و هر روز حداقل دوبار کل این مسیر را میرود و برمیگردد. در یک شرایطی که تحت کنترلم نیست. نه اینکه تا الان همه چیز تحت کنترلم بوده باشد، نه. فقط این شرایط گندش را کاملا درآورده. گندش را درآورده و گرفته جلوی من و هر دویمان میدانیم نتیجه اینکار چیست. نوسان به طرز وحشتناکی ذهن آدمها را میسابد. ذهن من را که میسابد. و من خودم نماینده تمام آدمها هستم. مثل این است که شما را به یک کرجی نیمه شکسته بند زده بسته باشند و انداخته باشند توی رودخانه خروشان کلرادو. رودخانه خروشان کلرادو را سرچ کردم البته. ینی زدم رودخانه خروشان. و انقدر در صفحه ها رفتم جلو تا رسیدم به رودخانه خروشان کلرادو. همیشه از اسم کلرادو خوشم میآمده. یک عبارتی شبیه کلرادو اسپرینگ توی ذهنم هست. کلرادو. الدرادو. کلروفیل. اینها ترکیبات مورد علاقه ام هستند. یک کارتون تخمی نیمه ترسناکی بود آن قدیمها که یک شخصیتی داشت به اسم کلروفیل. فکر کنم. در هر صورت. هیچ وقت روی هیچ چیز کنترل نداشتم. شاید داشتم. ولی عموما نداشتم. بنظرم کنترل یک توهم است. توهم کنترل. این بخش توجیهی نداشتن کنترل است. اما بنظر می آید ما ناخواسته مشغول کنترل کردن همه چیز هستیم. همین باز کردن مداوم در یخچال یک نمونه ساده کنترل کردن است. اینکه گوشی را برمیداریم، فکر میکنیم، و میگذاریم روی میز. اینکه راه میرویم. فیلم میبینیم. لباس میپوشیم میرویم بیرون. شاید در جایی غیر از اینجا مردم با این کارها تفریح میکنند و وقت میگذرانند. اما اینجا همه اینها حاصل کنترل است. کنترل بی قراریها. کنترل نتوانستنها. کنترل فشار چیزهایی که نیست. کنترل آوار چیزهایی که بود. حتی نمیدانم چه چیزی دارد ذهنم را میخورد. چشمهام را میبندم و با خودم توی خودم حرف میزنم. یک نفر سوال میکند، یک نفر جواب میدهد. انقدر این کار را ادامه میدهم تا سوال کننده سوال نپرسد. ساکت شود. فکر کند. یک وقتهایی انقدر ادامه میدهم تا سوال کننده جواب دهنده را ناگهان بغل کند و بگوید ریلکس ریلکس بیبه. یک وقتهایی انقدر ادامه میدهم تا سوال کننده جواب دهنده را مسخره کند و همه نگرانیهاش را کوچک جلوه بدهد و از او بخواهد تا برود به زندگی اش برسد. یک وقتهایی انقدر ادامه میدهم که خوابم میبرد. حقیقتی که همیشه هست، تنهایی شماست. قرار بر تنهایی است. قرار نیست به هیچ چیز و هیچ کس دل خوش کنید. یک جور خودساختگی پدرسگ جان به لب رساننده ای لازم هست. یکجور دست سومی که از ناکجاآباد ذهنتان باید همیشه بیاید و بگیرتتان و بلندتان کند. بیرونتان بکشد. هلتان بدهد. بغلتان کند. یک جور هلکپوتر گجت. یک جور رمزی که تا نفستان گرفت و کم آوردید بگویید دستهای پرتوان، برس به داد این ناتوان… یکجور سایه ای که نسخه دوم عاقل، اما مهربان شماست. یکجور سوال کننده که همیشه هست. و انقدر میپرسد و پیش میرود تا به زندگی برگردید. یک جای کار اشتباه است. یک جای این تئوری، بیش از حد غیر انسانیست. یک تناقض غول آسایی دارد با نیازها و ارزشها. با این آهنگی که الان دارم گوش میدهم. با «دورت بگردم، درمون دردم، کاشکی بگیری، دستای سردم». با «یه روز نمیبینمت انگاری مریضم، حق بده انقد عاشقت باشم عزیزم». بیشتر شبیه تفکر احمقانه ایست از تیله هایی که توی یک جعبه بزرگ زندگی میکنند و نهایت ارتباطشان سابیده شدن و قرچ قرچ صدا دادن است. تیله بودن احمقانه است. تیله ها موجودات پر سر و صدای لجوج خسته سابیده زیبایی هستند که در تمام عمرشان در تنهایی تلنگر میخوردند، در تنهایی قل میزنند، و در تنهایی نمیرسند.

billtron: Everything is terrible.

Last night of Proms 2013 to be conducted by a woman | Music | guardian.co.uk

Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill - Third Reading - Part 20 (by inthehouseNZ)

Cat Scores A Soap Opera (by tvboy88)

http://bit.ly/130wkXs

The Writer's Technique in Thirteen Theses: Walter Benjamin's Timeless Advice on Writing | Brain Pickings

“Sluis was inspired to craft his “2012 Manhattan Noise Complaints,” which actually is not the first noise map of New York, after learning that the city was offering the data on an open platform. “I was drawn to the noise complaints because they reveal a lot about the structure and ecology of the city,” he says. “The map was a good excuse to get my hands dirty with some data and I uncovered more than a few surprising patterns and stories.””

- Yo, I’m Trying to Sleep Here! New York’s Wonderful Map of Noise - John Metcalfe - The Atlantic Cities

“Now, the daily seating calculations of subway riders have been recorded for academic use, as part of an observational study conducted by researchers of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. A draft of their report, published on the Web site of the Transportation Research Board, drew on data collected over three weeks in late winter 2012. Some of the findings might seem intuitive to the veteran subway rider, even if the rationale is not.”

- Subway Riders’ Quirks Studied - NYTimes.com

“The findings suggest a few ways to enhance the layout of future New York subway cars. Here’s a standard layout: The problems here, at least based on the survey results, are pretty apparent. The symmetrical doors lead to excessive crowding in these areas, which impedes passenger flow, makes some interior seats inaccessible, and generally contributes to train delays. Meantime there are at least a dozen of the “dreaded” middle seats (e.g. F-25). These flaws in mind, Berkovich and company offer two design suggestions. Here’s the first: This layout addresses pretty much every problem discovered in the rider research. The asymmetrical doorways alleviate crowding. The additional stanchions create a buffer feel that makes interior seats more desirable. The poles preferred by standers are grouped in clusters and set away from the door to draw people further into the car. It’s a rider paradise on paper.”

- Smart, Practical Tips for Building a More Comfortable Subway Car - Eric Jaffe - The Atlantic Cities

New haircut http://bit.ly/11exTgW

Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum are fans of steampunk style, which blends elements of the steam-powered Victorian era and science fiction. Imagine an early-1900s lathe machine repurposed to create plasma light art. Or a ray gun made from Victorian-era pieces. Or a pump organ converted into a modern computerwork...

Every wondered what to do with that empty pizza box? Look no further, assuming of course the double crust, extra cheese you ordered hasn't left an unsightly mess inside. I love this upcycling project, all you need is a ruler, box cutter, pencil and stapler. Have fun!

Laptop stand made from a Pizza box via Behance

Carrie and Elisia had a dream of getting back to nature and getting off the grid. Environmentalists to the core, they decided to take matters into their own hands and build their dream with their own two hands on 6 acres in West Virginia. Using mostly used and recycled materials--including earth-filled tires

… Continue reading on Curbly.com

Julie masking (by JuliesMovies)

GTFO: A Film About Women in Gaming by Shannon Sun-Higginson — Kickstarter:

What is GTFO?

I am just a casual gamer, so I was shocked about a year ago when a friend told me about the abuse that many female gamers and other industry figures endure on a daily basis. I immediately began researching and filming this documentary, titled “GTFO” in reference to the exclusionary response that many women encounter while gaming.

Of course not all gamers are trolls or abusers — many are kind, supportive, and equally disgusted by this type of behavior. But the fact remains that this is a real problem, and it’s time that the non-gaming public know about it. Nobody should have to endure being called a derogatory term simply because of their gender (or race, religion, or sexual orientation, for that matter). It is not only offensive to the victim and detrimental to the public image of the industry, but it also discourages countless women who want to be part of new and creative media.

The purpose of this documentary is to reveal the experiences of women in the gaming world, both good and bad, as well as to provide steps we can take to change the environment for the better. I have already filmed interviews, tournaments, classes, and conventions, but I need your help funding the remainder of the project.

Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or an outsider like myself, please consider pledging even a few bucks to this project, and help make the world a better place for gamers everywhere. If you can’t make a financial donation, I am also looking for contacts within the industry, so if you or someone you know would like to become a part of this project please feel free to get in touch with me.

O grupo Pentatonix divulgou recentemente esse vídeo no YouTube, onde fazem uma apresentação à cappella contando a história da música ao longo dos tempos. O estudo é tão vasto, que eles começam no século XI, passam por 1600, 1800, 1900, por todo o século XX, até chegar a década de 2010.

É realmente sensacional a habilidade dos caras em reproduzir as músicas sem instrumento algum. Vale a pena assistir até o final.

James Tiberius Kirk, mais conhecido no mundo do cinema como Capitão Kirk, é um personagem da série de filmes Star Trek (Jornada nas Estrelas, no Brasil). O Kirk clássico foi interpretado por William Shatner como o personagem principal da série original Star Trek. Shatner também fez a voz de Kirk na série de animação Star Trek e o interpretou nos sete primeiros filmes da franquia.

Kirk sempre mostrou muito estilo nas cenas de batalha dos filmes e pra te ensinar como derrotar os caras maus, reunimos 8 gifs mostrando toda a técnica do Capitão. Prestem bastante atenção, que os movimentos são dignos de uma luta no UFC.

Veja todos os 8 gifs acessando o post completo.