TED: On Listening - Julian Treasure

This is a valuable and wonderful talk by Julian Treasure on the value of listening and how to improve our ability to do it.

Indoor Skydiving Dance

This is so beautiful - and it makes me want to learn how to do it!

Charts of Awkward Situations

This one fits so well I have to share it:

from Buzzfeed via Laughing Squid

Hula flash mob on a plane!

In 2009, Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu created Hit & Run Hula - a hula flash mob that hit multiple sites around San Francisco in one day.

They recently did this wonderful surprise show on a Hawaiian Airlines flight, including the number which was featured in an ad for that airlines, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco"

Bicyclists Beat Plane

OK, it was just 40 miles and it was a strange circumstance, but I still think this is awesome: Six cyclists raced a blogger who was taking a JetBlue flight - and won.

Read the story in the LA Times.

Rainbow Sponge Lady *loves* her art!

You've hear the saying, "Do what you love."
Here's the Rainbow Sponge lady to give us a demonstration.

Warning: Once seen, you cannot unsee

This one is just so disturbing I debated over posting it. Frank Pacholski describes himself as an interpretive dancer. This is a clip from LA Public Access Television. And we wonder why interpretive dancers & public access get such a bad rap... I blame it on this guy.

Madness: Pon Pon!

It's hard to say if this is the Most Insane Thing To Come From Japan (there are so many candidates) but I would wager it ranks:

Health Related Tweets studied by Johns Hopkins

This is so excellent! Two scientists from Johns Hopkins have analyzed 1.6 million health-related tweets to see if they can assist in tracking disease progression across the country & provide other useful information. Result: Yes!

Guess publicly complaining can be useful at some point after all...

Read about it in The Atlantic, or just jump to the actual study.

Need to Make Everything OK?

Go here: http://make-everything-ok.com/

Genki Sudo's "World Order"

Words can't express how much I love this.

What Color Is That Word?

Enter a word, and The Color Of... will show you its color (drawn from searching Flickr)

Thanks to Dudecraft for the find!

Dear Separateness and Closeness

This post from THXTHXTHX is just so right for me:

Comic Book Grammar by Nate Piekos

Nate Piekos at Blambot has written up a wonderfully detailed article for letterers about traditions and trends in comic book grammar. It was fun to read and appreciate how much is communicated through the styling of the letters and balloons.

ELLIPSES
The ellipsis is used when a character's speech trails off. If a character is speaking, trails off, and then resumes in another balloon, you should always end the first dialogue with an ellipsis and then begin the second dialogue with an ellipsis. Another allowable use is when a character's speech is stilted or they pause due to physical distress. Injured characters or those soon-to-be unconscious often make good use of this in wavy balloons. There are only THREE periods in an ellipsis. Again, you'd be surprised how often I've seen four or more.

via Sentence First

Natalie Irish Created Marilyn out of kisses

Artist Natalie Irish created this portrait of Marilyn Munroe with lipstick and many many kisses:

via Craft

Skateistan (Documentary)

I'm eager to check out the documentary of Skateistan

Howard Jones + Vintage Dance Clips = Fun Music Video

Really fun video by Howard Jones - especially great for dancers. It makes me wish that music videos had a credit reel. The director, archivist, and editor should get props for this.

As Gollum, Adam Savage sings "I Will Survive" for Neil Gaiman

This is like some kind of surreal nerdy wet dream for me: On Public Radio, Neil Gaiman asks Adam Savage to reprise his rendition of "I Will Survive" in the voice of Gollum.

Accidental Chinese Hipsters

Accidental Chinese Hipsters is hilarious.

News: The Road To Gay Marriage In New York (NYT)

Nice article in the NY Times about the behind-the-scenes work that it took to get the legislature to vote in favor of supporting same-sex marriage.

Lytro's Light Field Technology

I’m very intrigued by the Lytro “light field camera” technology. Can’t wait to get my hands on one and try it out. I’m thinking it will be a really interesting online storytelling device. I’m not so interested in it as a way to “correct” photos, so much as a new way to be able to do a “rack shot” in a static image similar to how this can be done in film.

This photo is an example of this - it suggests different stories to me if the focus is on the rose, on the smiling girl, or on the girl with a book in the background. (Click on different parts of the photo to change the focus).

"Lots of people confuse moving on with quitting."

On Every Day Is Awesome, Paul Overton has penned another great post that speaks to me:

I stopped apologizing for being interested in things and I stopped kicking myself for losing some of those interests. I came to realize that this was just a cycle that would repeat itself, hardwired somewhere in my brain… Lots of people confuse moving on with quitting, just as they confuse fear with danger when, in actuality, those things are vastly different.

Read all of Flights of Fancy

Sky ripped apart in Chile

The Daily Mail has published insane photos of the interaction between lightning and a volcano.

My Potholes

My Potholes is a really fun photo series using potholes in various cities.

My Daguerrotype Boyfriend

Fabulous. Nothing more to say.

SF Giants: It Gets Better

Thank you to the SF Giants, to Sean Chapin, & to Change.org. And, as always, thank you to ItGetsBetter.org.

Important Read: Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning

As the summer boating and water sports season kicks in, it's important to know some key things about water safety. This is a very important & well-written article about what drowning really looks like. Please read and share the knowledge.

Marwencol (Documentary)

Marwencol is an astonishing documentary. The subject is great. Even more amazing is the director's ability to let the story reveal itself. Everyone should see this film.

Artist Fights Urban Outfitters via Social Media Community

My Aim Is True has this great write-up about how Gayla Gil fought back against Urban Outfitters when she learned her design had been stolen - using social media.

Gayla Gil's original work

Urban Outfitter's copy

Pendulum Waves

LOVE this. Watch full screen. Warning: You might find yourself hitting "play" over and over again.

Advanced Style

Ari Cohen's wonderful blog, Advanced Style, definitely gives me something to aspire to.

Radiolab and NPR Present: Words

This video makes me ridiculously happy. Hooray for RadioLab videos!

Yo-Yo Ma & Lil' Buck perform "The Swan"

As if I wasn't already completely crushed out on Yo-Yo Ma... then he does and does this. And Lil' Buck Riley is extraordinary. Check out one of the most amazing little dance moments you'll ever see.



via Huffington Post

Is Sugar Toxic?

Pretty compelling article in the NY Times questioning sugar's effects on our bodies.

Here's the full talk:

Candy Chang: Before I Die

Check out Candy Chang's brilliant art piece: Before I Die

Benjamin Franklin's Daily Schedule

via Andrew Mager

"I'm only 6 but..."

I'm quickly falling in love with the blog Letters of Note. This is one of my favorite entries:

I am only 6 but I think I can do this job.

The Director Of Fun's first day at work

Being A Google Autocompleter

My favorite April Fools of this year

World of Geekcraft

My friend Paul from Dudecraft made this awesome Day the Earth Stood Still toolbox and it's included in the new book, World of Geekcraft!

Why do you use Twitter?

I agree with Gary V - I use Twitter to listen.

It's World Water Day. Please watch this. Then do something about it.

charity: water promo featuring "Time Bomb" by Beck from charity: water on Vimeo.

Ricky Martin accepts Vito Russo Award from GLAAD

Dance Around The World - Big Picture

A(nother) beautiful series of photos from The Big Picture.

Bubbles - the Father of Rhythm Tap

Wonderful clips of the "Father of Rhythm Tap", John W. Sublett, a.k.a. Bubbles, of the vaudeville team "Buck and Bubbles"

Underwater Sculptures

These underwater sculptures by Jason de Caires Taylor have just moved up my plans for a dive trip in Mexico.

Footage of an Uncontacted Tribe

Check out the first ever footage of an uncontacted tribe on the Brazil-Peru border.

Gorgeous low-flying aerial of the Bay Area

First Person Video: History of Gaming

History of Gaming from Florian Smolka on Vimeo.

Music Video: Emancipator - Anthem

It's been months and Emancipator remains at the top of my playlist.

The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives - Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt talks about "stepping out of the moral matrix" and "cultivating moral humility" in service of changing the world for the better. I'd call this a must-see.

The Shining - Recut Trailer

...and in the other direction, how about The Shining as a light summer family release?

Scary Mary

...and while we're on the power of editing to sculpt a story, I hope you've seen this one:

Fiddler on the Roof - You Got Served Trailer Mashup

Absolutely brilliant mashup - the editing is just amazing.

News: Autism vaccine study an elaborate fraud

Really important news, especially for all parents:

A now-retracted British study that linked autism to childhood vaccines was an "elaborate fraud" that has done long-lasting damage to public health, a leading medical publication reported Wednesday.

Read the full story on CNN