From the article:
People keep asking me for books on evolution for their kids, and I have to keep telling them that there is a major gap in the library.From the article:
People keep asking me for books on evolution for their kids, and I... more
Destination Out is a good station to prepare for orbit. They deal primarily with Free Jazz but also No Wave, Experimental, Films, books, even shoegaze. The experience is a whole lot better if you're wearing a dashiki. Prepare for take off.
Jeremy Willis is a New Orleans born, Brooklyn based painter and musician. Prior to moving to New York he spent time in Providence, living in one of those art squat lofts adjacent to Fort Thunder. It was always a treat going up there to watch the loft wrestling matches, play in Atari tournaments and throw bowling balls off the roof at abandoned cars that were set on fire.
Believe it or not, medicinal marijuana in relatively easy to purchase in some states. The Los Angeles City Council recently adopted an ordinance that puts strict controls on marijuana dispensers operated by private retailers, many of whom get their inspiration from a textbook titled Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible by Jorge Cervantes. Host Michel Martin speaks with Cervantes (who for years went by a pseudonym for fear of legal backlash) about the increasing interest in harvesting medicinal marijuana and how his brand of multi-platform teaching tools have established him as an expert, of sorts, on growing and selling marijuana — the legal way.
In court we swear to tell the truth with a hand placed on the Bible. But in the book itself, Jacob, nearing death in Egypt, asks Joseph to swear an oath not to bury him there by “put[ting] your hand under my thigh” (Gen. 47:29). Earlier in Genesis, Jacob wrestles with God, who touches “the hollow of his [Jacob’s] thigh” (32:25). “Thigh” happens to be a biblical euphemism for male genitalia; it’s from Jacob’s “thigh” or “loins” that his numerous offspring sprang.
This was new to me:
The practice of swearing an oath while touching one’s or someone else’s testicles was common in the ancient Near East (Abraham also orders a servant to do just that in Genesis 24:2). Its linguistic memory survives in our word “testify”—testis being the Latin both for “witness” and the male generative gland.
I will never be able to listen to George Clinton and Parliament's funkadelic classic, "I just want to testify, what your love has done for me," in the same way again. The album title is interesting in this context also.
Books were pulled from Amazon this week in a dispute with publishers over the price of e-books. Why the book industry is making the same mistake as the record labels.
A long-running dispute between Amazon.com and the publishing industry turned into all-out corporate war this week, complete with boycott threats, irritated authors, and the hasty removal of a publisher's entire catalog from Amazon's shelves. The matter at hand: e-book pricing.
The ugly chain of events followed Apple's announcement of its own e-book store for the iPad on January 27. After partnering with Apple, major publishers descended upon Amazon's Seattle headquarters to demand a big concession from the online retailer: the ability to set their own prices for e-books. For new releases, the publishers plan to raise those prices to $12.99 or $14.99, a hefty increase from the $9.99 Amazon presently charges for most books.
For many people who buy e-books for their convenience, though, the choice isn't between buying an e-book or a physical book, but rather between buying an e-book or no book at all.
While the issue is a fairly mundane pricing disagreement, its results will be felt by anyone who buys an e-book, including both future iPad owners and the projected 3 million consumers who will purchase Amazon's e-book reader, the Kindle, this year.
The skirmish has also revealed the publishing industry's grand strategy for e-books: discourage people from buying them. With physical book sales declining and e-books going gangbusters, publishers worry that Amazon's $9.99 e-books are cutting into sales of new hardcovers. The industry's latest maneuver, then, is a move expressly intended to protect its traditional business. Whether it will also evolve into an actual strategy for e-books remains to be seen.Books were pulled from Amazon this week in a dispute with publishers over the price of... more
Fantasy enthusiasts, rejoice! A new book being published by Simon & Schuster in September will solve the age old debate of which mythical creature -- unicorn or zombie -- will prevail in a battle to end all battles!
Take a tour of writer Susan Orlean's library and learn about her thoroughly unconventional but aesthetically pleasing shelving system. In this episode of Stacked Up TV, Orlean discusses the books that inspire her in work and life and the ones she can live without. A mashup of Cribs and The Paris Review, Stacked Up TV profiles writers and their libraries. Find more episodes at http://stackedup.tvTake a tour of writer Susan Orlean's library and learn about her thoroughly... more
"In the more than four decades that I have been reading and writing about the findings of nutritional science, I have come across nothing more intelligent, sensible and simple to follow than the 64 principles outlined in a slender, easy-to-digest new book called “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual,” by Michael Pollan."
On Friday Amazon customers started to notice that some books by their favorite authors were no longer available for sale though they were current, in-print titles. It soon came to light that all of the missing books were published by divisions and imprints of Macmillan Publishing, though it wasn't clear at the time if this was a glitch or something more intentional.
On Saturday, the Macmillan CEO published an open letter in Publisher's Lunch confirming that, yes, Macmillan titles had been pulled from Amazon on purpose. Why? Because the publisher and bookseller couldn't come to an agreement on the pricing of eBooks, so Amazon responded by removing Macmillan's books from the Kindle store and the print book store without an announcement, warning, or publicly stated reason.
The intricacies of the eBook pricing struggle between Amazon, Macmillan and the other large publishing conglomerates haven't filtered down to consumers much but have been going on for a long time. Amazon wants to cap eBook prices at a certain amount, publishers want the freedom to price their eBooks however they want and let consumers decide. Plus there's the issue of consumer perception -- an eBook should be far cheaper than a print book, right? -- and how this wrangling affects not only the publisher's bottom line, but also authors' rights and royalties.
If you've ever wondered why eBooks aren't $9.99 or $4.99 or even just $0.99, check out our exploration of the eBook pricing war from the perspective of independent publishers, authors, and readers: http://blog.laptopmag.com/ebook-price-war
Below are examples of design work done by Michael Willis & Lindsey Gooden. I believe they are London based, which explains the slick DIY look that English designers like Peter Saville helped develop. The best part about this is that Willis & Gooden teamed up to form the multi-disciplinary design project Panther Club, which looks to be the most promising English desing duo since Hapshash & the Coloured Coat.
When a co-worker told him that he believed Neil Armstrong's 1969 moon walk actually took place on a Hollywood soundstage, journalist David Aaronovitch was appalled. Aaronovitch had seen the moon landing on TV when he was a kid, and he couldn't believe anyone would think it was a hoax.
"He told me about the photographs that don't make sense, and the stars that aren't there, and the flag flapping in the nonexistent breeze, and so on," Aaronovitch tells Guy Raz.
At the time, Aaronovitch wasn't prepared with evidence to counter his co-worker's claim, but today he is. Aaronovitch spent six years looking into the details behind top conspiracy theories such as the faked Apollo moon landing and has come out with a new book to forensically debunk each of them.
Aaronovitch's rebuttal is called Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History. In the book, Aaronovitch tackles the intriguing question of why well-educated, reasonable people sometimes believe "perfectly ridiculous things." (Read a list, from Aaronovitch's book, of a few of the common characteristics shared by many conspiracy theories.)
"The notion that a large number of people that believe in conspiracy theories are just wackos just simply doesn't fit," he says.
His personal favorite? Aaronovitch says he always liked the conspiracy that Hitler himself set fire to Berlin's Reichstag building in 1933 so that he would have an excuse to suspend civil liberties in Germany.
Aaronovitch says that while researching the book, he discovered "that the Reichstag was set on fire by the single man who said he did it, said all the way through the trial that he was the only person who did it, and went to his execution saying that he didn’t understand why everyone was trying to say it was the Nazis or the Communists."
Aaronovitch points out that this is a classic example of Occam's razor — the simplest explanation was actually true.
Aaronovitch says conspiracy theories are fashionable across the globe. And while the one your neighbor insists upon — that the fluoride in the drinking water is actually a mind-control experiment by the government — might be a harmless variation, some have serious consequences.
"If you are to travel in Pakistan, for instance, you will find that a significant proportion of the educated Pakistanis believe that George Bush brought down the twin towers," says Aaronovitch. "And that makes dealing with the [Pakistani] Taliban difficult because they actually don't believe the fundamental premise on which the war against terror was waged."
The conspiracy that Sept. 11 was an inside job is just one example of a theory that has molded our view of history. In his book, Aaronovitch explores almost a dozen other popular conspiracies, such as the secret Zionist world empire, the assassination of Princess Diana, and the Priory of Scion's mission to safeguard the bloodline of Jesus.
This beautiful art installation by Airan Kang is part of the group exhibition “Textural Landscapes” at the Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery. Called “109 Lighting Books”, Kang uses LED lights to illuminate 109 various books.
The popular author famous for writing The Catcher in the Rye died this week at the age of 91. Share your thoughts below.The popular author famous for writing The Catcher in the Rye died this week at the age... more
Yesterday, Le Guin and 367 other authors sent Google their own message about sharing, by preparing a petition opposing the legal settlement that would allow Google to scan, display, and sell electronic versions of millions of books without prior permission of the copyright holder. ... For Le Guin and her supporters, this isn't sharing, it's taking. "Google, like any other publisher or entity, should be required to obtain permission from the owner to purchase or use copyrighted material, item by item."
There are any number of ways to describe the experience that is Twelve. On one hand, it acts like an episode of Gossip Girl was invaded by the overtly clichéd gangbangers in Chaos. On the other, it pretends the world of Upper East Side prep schools is just as rife with scandal as Cruel Intentions, but dialed up to allow Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson a few moments to chew the scenes.
I was one of millions who were outraged at the unadulterated self-serving stupidity of christian cultists in American who would send bibles to starving, desperate Haitians instead of using that space for more desperately needed items: food, water, medications, tents. Okay, I know they also sent a few token relief items with the bibles as well, but why not substitute yet more relief items into the space (and weight) occupied by all those bibles?I was one of millions who were outraged at the unadulterated self-serving stupidity of... more
Boris- a Known God,...Julie- a Younger Cult;
Comics, Fantasy, Science-Fiction Art
BORIS VALLEJO & JULIE BELL
Illustrators of Fantasy Art
by Richard Vasseur - (Posted: 5/17/2007)
Richard: How did you first start oil painting and drawing?
Boris Vallejo: When I was thirteen years old my father got me a set of brushes and oil paints. I made my own canvas and had my first painting experience. Drawing was there ever since I remember.
Richard: Do you have any professional training?
Boris: I started art school at thirteen and studied for four years, although I did not graduate since I did not care for the academic subjects such as art history, perspective and so on. Later on I realized the importance of these things and read about them on my own.
Richard: Do you have a preference of drawing fantasy or super heroes?
Boris: I am primarily a fantasy artist.
Richard: How did you decide you wanted to be an artist?
Boris: When I decided that medical school was not for me.
Richard: Did you ever expect to become as famous as you have?
Boris: I try not to think about it at all. I don't consider myself famous.
Richard: What about your art captures a person's attention?
Boris: I guess that you would have to ask that question to somebody else as I cannot be objective about my own work.
Richard: You have designed more than 300 covers but would you like to or have you done a complete comic?
Boris: As I said I am a fantasy illustrator. I am not suited for comic book drawing although I love comics.
Richard: How did you first meet Julie Bell?
Boris: She was a competitive bodybuilder and she came to model for me.
Richard: You use erotica in your pictures as well as imagination where does your inspiration for these come from?
Boris: It is part of my nature. I paint what I feel. Inspiration comes from everywhere. I don't look for it, it comes to me.
Richard: Which painters do you admire most?
Boris: Every artist is a source of inspiration. Some more than others. I cannot mention just a few.
Richard: How do you feel having so many people looking at your art every day?
Boris: It is great! I am grateful that I can make a living doing what I would love to do and I owe it all to the people that enjoy and support our art.
Richard: What advice do you have for new artists?
Boris: Work hard, be patient and don't get discouraged. It takes time to get there.
Richard: Do you have any final words for admireres of your work?
Boris: Thank you for being there!!!
Richard: Lilandra is one of your most famous artworks how did you end up creating it?
Julie Bell: The people at Marvel Comics commissioned me to paint Lilandra as part of an X-Men trading card set. I think they liked the way that I portrayed strong women and also the way I painted metal. Lilandra has both.
Richard: Why did you decide to get into illustrating?
Julie: Because it is a total blast and I love it!!
Richard: Do you think you will ever fully retire from work someday?
