Map projection, technology, street art, Auto-Tune
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
As has become the norm with this blog, here are about nine days worth of links I’ve stored up.
Cartography and fonts
These are very cool maps: Here & There: a horizonless projection in Manhattan. Also see the following blog post for some map inspiration: Here & There influences.
Font Fight is all-out typeface-off. It’s CollegeHumor’s sequel to Font Conference. You may also want to watch their Twitter in Real Life video.
Web technology and fear
The dotMobi WordPress Mobile Pack looks very cool. I will try to use it soon, probably on this blog.
This is an interesting perspective: “Firefox Could Be the Real Facebook Challenger.”
Hmm: “Unknown internet 2: Could the net become self-aware?” Sounds like Skynet! No, botnet!
And here’s what the Internet will use to control us: Check out this YouTube hypnosis. Wow. It’s an interesting visual effect that just uses some JavaScript and a SWF. See the original “Alice” video, which is a remix using footage from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland.
In other Disney-related new, here’s a clear sign that we’re living in the end of times: Disney Farm Fresh Eggs Commercial. What!?
FYI: Here are the WHO phases of pandemic alert – if you still aren’t sure if you should be running around like a chicken with your head cut off during Stage 5, or if you should save your panic until Stage 6.
I like yesterday’s funny Tips for Avoiding Swine Flu list at Timothy McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.
Art, superheroes and awesomeness
This is interesting if true: “Gauguin ‘cut off Van Gogh’s ear’.” It’s sure a lot more interesting to have your ear cut off by your artist friend outside a brothel than it is to self-mutilate out of depression.
I love this inflatable street art by Joshua Allen Harris: centaur and mus. You know what else is on the streets, besides inflatable bag monsters? Superheroes. People like ‘Shadow Hare’ are among a nationwide group: “Cincinnati Superhero Patrols Streets Fighting Crime.”
By the way, if I haven’t said it before, ECTOPLASMOSIS! and Coilhouse are awesome. And this is amusing: Texts From Last Night.
Mostly worthwhile longer videos
Here are three good, longer videos, if you have some time to kill:
- Seth Godin: Sliced bread and other marketing delights (18 min.), from the TED Conference 2007
- Grant Morrison – Disinfo Lecture (45 min.), from approx. 1999, in which he talks about The Invisibles, Magic, Sigils and metaphysics
- An anthropological introduction to YouTube by Michael Wesch (55 min.), from June 23, 2008
Music and Auto-Tune
Former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle has a lot of music projects going on: “Jason Lytle – One Busy Montanian.” He’s everywhere right now. I am going to go to one of his Portland shows next month. Lytle is opening for Neko Case on June 5 at the Crystal Ballroom and has a solo show at the Doug Fir Lounge on June 6. Will buy tickets this week.
About two weeks ago, I was wasting a bunch of time reading about Auto-Tune and watching related pop/hip-hop videos that use it or mock its use. See two articles: “Auto-Tune: Why Pop Music Sounds Perfect” and “The Secret of Auto-Tune: Kanye and T-Pain Are Not Good Singers.”
I love the hell out of Katie Couric repeatedly singing “on very thin ice” in the incredible Auto-Tune the News #2. The first Auto-Tune the News is not quite as funny as the second, but still amusing. Michael Gregory is the man?
Watching the second Auto-Tune the News also inspired me to go back and watch The Lonely Island’s “I’m On A Boat (ft. T-Pain)” about 15 more times. I have a problem. I’m going to have to restrain myself to keep from watching this addictive crap again. Shorty!