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In Memoriam: Christopher Hitchens, 1949–2011 | Blogs | Vanity Fair: “Christopher Hitchens—the incomparable critic, masterful rhetorician, fiery wit, and fearless bon vivant—died today at the age of 62. Hitchens was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the spring of 2010, just after the publication of his memoir, Hitch-22, and began chemotherapy soon after. His matchless prose has appeared in Vanity Fair since 1992, when he was named contributing editor.

“Cancer victimhood contains a permanent temptation to be self-centered and even solipsistic,” Hitchens wrote nearly a year ago in Vanity Fair, but his own final labors were anything but: in the last 12 months, he produced for this magazine a piece on U.S.-Pakistani relations in the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, a portrait of Joan Didion, an essay on the Private Eye retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum, a prediction about the future of democracy in Egypt, a meditation on the legacy of progressivism in Wisconsin, and a series of frank, graceful, and exquisitely written essays in which he chronicled the physical and spiritual effects of his disease. At the end, Hitchens was more engaged, relentless, hilarious, observant, and intelligent than just about everyone else—just as he had been for the last four decades.

“My chief consolation in this year of living dyingly has been the presence of friends,” he wrote in the June 2011 issue. He died in their presence, too, at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. May his 62 years of living, well, so livingly console the many of us who will miss him dearly.”

 

Manjula’s Kitchen | Indian Vegetarian Recipes | Indian Cooking Videos: “”

Mona – Quicksilver Messenger Service – YouTube:

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Fox LA Reporter Hits New Low in #OccupyLA Coverage | Crooks and Liars: “This is Fox 11’s Gigi Graciette. Gigi doesn’t cover Dodger games or the Rose Parade by mentioning the debris discarded by attendees, but apparently that’s how she covers a international protest’s local chapter: they have trash left behind after they’ve been arrested en masse. Gross trash, too. Way to inform the public. No question as to why 292 Angelenos all but volunteered to be arrested last night. No mention of what nonviolent struggle has accomplished in American history (ahem civil rights). No mention of the cruel irony of the protesters getting evicted because they brought homeless people to the steps of City Hall instead of the usual safe distance of two blocks east. No mention of the politics involved and how the City decided to support the protest, then negotiated with them and then suddenly reneged – made apparent by the 1400 LAPD officers in riot helmets on the streets of Los Angeles last night.

But here’s the thing that really makes this clip disgusting from a basic journalism perspective: Gigi doesn’t know and didn’t find out what that mysterious white liquid was in those water bottles before she reported on them. She didn’t know and instead of being hesitant to make accusations or start any rumors – she just does it without pause. I saw her there at around 11pm – she was there all night and never asked anyone what it was before she went live?! You’re supposed to know MORE than the people on their couches watching you – because you’re on the scene! This is hackery at its worse.

The white liquid is more than likely Maloxx. They had it on site because it is supposed to neutralize the pain of pepper spray and tear gas. Yes, there’s a story – there were hundreds of Angelenos willing to be pepper sprayed for a political statement. They were (their phrase) militantly nonviolent and had been spending days training and planning to be raided by police and THAT is what that mysterious white liquid symbolized – that’s what it meant. They were willing, to quote Mario Savio “put their bodies upon the gears.”

Since I will always assume the best in people, I will guess it’s just laziness. Just not caring about telling a real story about Occupy LA and opting for the easy “look at the stuff on the ground” to fill up airtime. I say laziness and not incompetence or malice. But I’m feeling generous today.”

 

British Director Ken Russell Dies Aged 84 – The Hollywood Reporter: “LONDON – Iconic British filmmaker Ken Russell has died aged 84. OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS

‘The Devils’ With Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave Scares Up U.K. DVD Release Reports of his death broke across the Internet  early Monday in the U.K. Russell’s friend, arts writer, novelist and columnist Norman Lebrecht, said a family friend told him of Russell’s death on Sunday morning. The filmmaker is reported to have died peacefully in his sleep.”

 

World’s Funniest Salesman – Watch MoreFunny Videos

Reclaimed Farmhouse Beams Made Into Eclectic “Farmpunk” Furniture : TreeHugger: “For those who find the relentless uniformity of modern, mass-produced furniture tedious (and not to mention environmentally unfriendly), there’s always the option of furnishings that are made from recycled materials, like these pieces by the resourceful American trio Unite Two Design. Combining unlikely elements of rustic with the industrial, Unite Two Design’s distinctive furniture is handcrafted from farm beams that are reclaimed locally, and odds and ends of industrial machinery. Calling their unique, juxtaposed style “farmpunk”, it’s cool to see that sometimes each component can hail from different centuries altogether. “

Zombie Feet Sandals – Boing Boing Shop: “Zombie Feet Sandals”

Shepard Fairey Designs ‘Occupy Hope’ Poster, Replaces Obama’s Face With ‘V for Vendetta’ Mask – Los Angeles News – The Informer: “Here we go again. L.A. street artist Shepard Fairey has released a second original design for the Occupy Wall Street movement — and this time, instead of playing it safe with a wistful scene out of an Angela Davis documentary, he’s given his own (in)famous HOPE poster from Obama’s first election campaign a rebellious makeover.”

Triangle-Headed Alien Mummy discovered in Peru — we’re not alone!: “Triangle-Headed Alien Mummy discovered in Peru — we’re not alone!

Triangle-Headed Alien Mummy discovered in Peru — we’re not alone! Behold a giant-headed alien mummy that turned up in Peru. Stare into the all-knowing eye sockets of an alien that somehow wound up on Earth many years ago, and was mummified by the locals. But what was is it doing here?”

 

World Map Made from Recycled Computers (7 Pictures) > Design und so, Netzkram, Sculptures, urban art > components, macs, old compoter, pcs, university, world map: “Besser kann man alte Computer-Kompenenten vermutlich nicht recyclen: die britische Künstlerin Susan Stockwell hat diese riesige Weltkarte aus alten Motherboards, Verkabelung, Ventilatoren, Platinen und Whatnots für die University of Bedfordshire zusammengebastelt. 2010 hat sie mit dem Sammeln begonnen und ist jetzt gerade fertig geworden. Papier kann sie übrigens auch.

“UK-based artist Susan Stockwell recently completed this gigantic world map made from recycled computer components for the University of Bedfordshire.””

 

The Top 10 Banned books of all time – ShortLists – ShortList Magazine: “1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932)

The gist: Written in 1931 and published a year later, Huxley’s parody of H. G. Wells’ utopian future in his novel, Men Like Gods isn’t wholly dissimilar to George Orwell’s 1984. Addressing the period’s core theme of industrialisation, Huxley explored the loss of identity and increasing dividision of society to devastating effect.

Why was it banned? Initially, Ireland pulled it off the shelves for its controversial themes on child birth, before several states in the US tried to have it removed from school curriculums due to its “themes on negativity.”

 

Roundworms could hold the key to anti-ageing with daf-2 gene | Mail Online: “”

Vas Deferens Organization – “Eye Peels & Brain Picks”: “Last year’s Ninth Ward Fourth World LP marked the first Vas Deferens Organization (VDO) album in nine years (see AI #42), and now the band are back with a new set – Eye Peels & Brain Picks – once again featuring the trio of Matt Castille, Eric Lumbleau and Christopher Moock.”