Wednesday Walkabout

We spent most of the day decorating the christmas tree, so I don't have too many links for you this week, I'm afraid.  Hope you find something here that tickles your fancy!

• Learn: Steven Strogatz has a 15 part series on mathematics for people who aren't very good at math.  People like me.  I'm hoping that it gives me a bit more insight into what I didn't think I'd ever need to use again after high school.
• Watch: An interview with Sofia Coppola on her new film Somewhere.  
• Wait: Tomorrow at 2pm, NASA is set make an announcement "that will impact the search for extraterrestrial life." I'm on the edge of my seat, yet preparing myself for a big letdown.
• Read: The Native Trees of Canada, by Leanne Shapton.
• Make: A Moleskine-like notebook.  

Wednesday Walkabout

• Jean-Michel Basquiat would have turned 50 this December.  Vanity Fair has some rare and lovely snapshots, including this one of him and his girlfriend, Kelle Inman.  
• I have yet to see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but thanks to the Torontoist feature Reel Toronto, I can see all the locations where the movie was filmed now.  Actually, I can see all the locations by looking out the window or taking a walk to the corner, but that's neither here nor there.
• Since we're on the topic of movies filmed in Toronto, I'm actually watching Toronto Stories  (2008, Aaron Woodley, Sook-Yin Lee, Sudz Sutherland, David Weaver) as I type this.  I think this little film, while imperfect, was incredibly underrated.  And the Sook-Yin Lee segment (neurotic girl meets neurotic boy,  girl overanalyzes every word boy says while trying to figure out if he likes her, boy says he doesn't like her, girl attempts relationship with boy anyways) I am convinced, was based on my life.  Good times.
• This is terrifying.  Even if scientists can prove (and they have) that global warming is a threat (it is), there are still religious wing-nuts in power who believe that it is a good thing.   
• I'm still sick, but hoping that these tips on how to battle the common cold might work.  Get me to a neti pot, pronto!
• When Doves Cry is one of my favourite songs.  Ever.  Two of my favourite artists, Robyn and Patti Smith, have covered it.  Listen to both versions (and a few others) over at the awl.  Decent, but I still prefer the original.
• Hope everyone's having a good week, okay I love you bye-bye!

Wednesday Walkabout

A cat, by Rebekah

My computer and I both caught viruses recently, so I apologize for the paucity of links I have for you this week.  I promise I'll be back on top of my game by next week, since the antibiotics and inhalers I've been taking are kicking this sickness in the butt, and I am now the proud new owner of a sleek 13" MacBook Pro.  Take that, viruses!

• This article about the cheating epidemic in universities is troubling, to say the least.  I had enough trouble scrounging up change to do my laundry, so where are these students getting $2000 to pay for custom essays?  Oh, and the cheating part is troubling, too.
• How many adorable kitten videos does this world need, YouTube?  AT LEAST one more
• What is beauty?  Denis Dutton talks and Andrew park illustrates the Darwinian theory of beauty for TED.  
• I feel like the word "necklace" does not do these pieces by CoseAtre justice.  I want every single one.
• Even if you're not a voyeur, you will find this fascinating:  An 80 gigapixel panoramic view of London.  Trust me!

Wednesday Walkabout

by Rebekah

Every Wednesday I'll be sharing my roundup of interesting things that I find on the Interwebs, here are my picks this week:

• This is awesome, just fucking awesome. Tim Wise speaks about the Pathology of White Privilege.  
• The 100 best signs at the Rally to Restore Sanity.  I think my favourite one is "Jesus says relax."
• Sarah Jaffe writes for bitch about two of my favourite recording artists, Robyn, Janelle Monae, and fembot/android/cyborg feminism.  She had me at "hello."
• I'm having fun exploring hitRECord: an open collaborative production company started by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
• Also exploring the fascinating potential the internet has for collaboration, but with a more ephemeral and spontaneous approach, is Ryan Trecartin's brilliant riverofthe.net
• If you're a typenerd like me, you'll love this.  If you're not, you might be after reading William Berkson's fascinating series examining the strengths and weaknesses of Caslon.
• I've been reading William B. Irvine's essays on 21st century Stoicism, and I'm beginning to think that I'm a Stoic (and I didn't know it.)
• One of my favourite bloggers begins another round of guest posts at bitch this week, this time about one of our favourite topics of conversation around here, The Bechdel Test!

That's it for now, enjoy!