Images from the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. in 1964

In Focus, the photography blog at The Atlantic, is running a five part series of images from 1964 -- 50 years prior to the date of the posts.  The second set is a particularly moving series of images from the U.S. civil rights movement -- I hadn't seen most of them before.  Here are two from June 1964 in St. Augustine, Florida, a city that saw a lot of protests -- and violence -- arising from its laws mandating racial segregation
.

Caption from In Focus: "Ivory Ward, 43, sits in his car, with a hole in his windshield that he said was made by a bullet fired from a truck driven by white men, after African Americans marched in an integration demonstration, June 10, 1964, in St. Augustine, Florida. (AP Photo/JK)"

Caption from In Focus: "A state police officer with club in hand overtakes a white segregationist, as African Americans attempted to swim and were attacked by a large group of whites at St. Augustine Beach, Florida, on June 25, 1964. The state police arrested a number of whites and African Americans. (AP Photo)"

"The Fool's Tale": Dramatis Personae

Today we take a short pause from our blogging to present the characters to an semi-autobiographical sequel to the Canterbury Tales, The Fool's Tale. Based on the people with whom I work, this will only be up for a short period before it's taken down.  

To be sure there's some exaggeration here and there -- some dramatic license is necessary, it's a story -- but I have no doubt all of the characters could easily identify themselves and everyone else.  The humor is in "you've got to know these people -- that's so true" type of nonsense, but since you'll never meet most of them, well, you'll just have to make do. Yet The Fool's Tale itself will never be written -- I have no plot -- and if it were written, then the story would need a self-reflective subtitle: How the Fool Lost His Job.

Our characters:

Yum, Delicious Seawater

Seawater (possibly from Moorea, French Polynesia?) magnified 25x, taken by David Liittschwager.  Link via Colossal. LARGE IMAGE HERE.

Slow Life from Daniel Stoupin on Vimeo

Via Kottke, on Vimeo. As Daniel Stoupin, the creator, states at his blog and his Vimeo description accompanying his video, he required 150,000 "shots" to make this 3 minute and 38 second video, and most of it involves image stacking to give a greater depth of field.  He suggests it be watched in full HD (it has 4K resolution) on a large screen with actual image size selected.  He also asks that it not be used for sales purposes, particularly for the marine aquarium industry (not that he has any antipathy with that industry, he just doesn't want it used for its sales).  The underlying thrust of the video is that much marine life (heck, much life in general) moves at scales humans are not accustomed to appreciate yet it is extremely important to our well being.

Take Two on Pharrell Williams's "Get Happy" (Pomplamoose)

Pharrell Williams's original music video here.  

And a Despicable Me version with lyrics here.

Daft Punk's "get Lucky" here.

Take One on Pharrell Williams's "Get Happy" (Christopher Bill)

"Lap Dance"

Via Colossal via the Awesomer.

Ricky Gervais Tweets About Religion

From a post at the Ink Tank, The 10 Smartest Ricky Gervais Tweets About Religion:

God doesn't prevent terrible things because:
A) He can't
B) He doesn't want to
C) He causes them
D) He doesn't exist 

Please vote now

Note: it's not clear to me whether this originated with Ricky Gervais or Nicol de Villiers (@Durbanville) on Twitter -- although it is credited by sites like Ink Tank to Gervais, I only find a Twitter link to de Villiers, and the de Viller's tweet looks to be two+ hours earlier so either Gervais or an assistant may have copied it (if he indeed tweeted it).  Regardless, it's apt. 

Yeah, I'm doing this wrong.  I should be re-tweeting Ricky Gervais (or the somewhat less prolific Nicol de Villiers).  But this is a blog.

Today's Extra Bonus Olympic Coverage: Ice Skating

Today's Olympic Coverage: Yes! More Curling!

I Profusely Apologize to Our Russian Comrades About My Impolitic and Plainly Erroneous Comments About Their News Coverage Early This Evening and as aToken of Goodwill Now Post This Important Russian News Story About the Olympics

Russia Applauds America's Efforts To Exclude Gay Athletes From Professional Sports

Actual Russian coverage of the Olympics can be found at the Moscow Times and Pravda.  Be warned: Pravda is sort of the Russian equivalent of Fox Nation and apparently has a news feed from an alternate universe.

Today's Olympic Coverage: I am Pretty Sure This is About the Olympics

As reported in The Onion, which is, apparently, the only news source that's been able to leak information not sanitized by the Russian censors out of Sochi Russia:

Delighted Health Insurance Executives Gather In Outdoor Coliseum To Watch Patient Battle Cancer

           *  *  *
Sources confirmed that the stone arena was filled to capacity for the highly anticipated spectacle, with over 90,000 officials attending from providers as far away as WellPoint, Kaiser Permanente, and HCSC to see if the patient could survive an intense, brutal struggle with the advanced stage III illness.

“Today we bring you one of our most thrilling challengers to date: a 57-year-old caucasian male with preexisting high blood pressure and a family history of heart disease,” said Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Scott Serota from an extravagantly decorated box seat, his booming voice immediately silencing the raucous masses of middle-aged executives. “He holds a privately purchased Aetna PPO with a $400 monthly premium and $1,500 annual deductible, but faces the fight of his life against an aggressive form of multiple myeloma, one of the most ruthless killers known to man.”

“Bring out Aetna member #ABP80424!” Serota continued as the withered patient was wheeled into the sand-filled arena on a small gurney to loud boos and whistles. “Let the battle commence!” ...

Today's Olympic Coverage: Curling

Breaking from The Onion: "U.S. Advances To Women’s Hockey, Hey, Get The Fuck Back Here"

As quoted from America's Finest News Source, The Onion:

Not the picture that ran with the story. In fact, not even from the same Olympics

After surging ahead thanks to first-period goals from Amanda Kessel, Kacey Bellamy, and—what, did seeing the names Amanda and Kacey already make you want to navigate away from this page? Because sources saw your dismissive, misogynistic bullshit coming a mile away before posting this report about a women’s sporting event, even though it involves a team representing the United States of America at the goddamn Olympics.

The full report can be found her ... hey it's about women's sports, goddamnit.

Today's Olympic Coverage

Via Kottke.

The 2014 OLympics Opening Ceremonies

I so do love sports:

The Difference Between These People and Me ...

Is that they are actually doing something ...

Jimmy Fallon Does Impressions (I mean, c'mon, the guy's a genius)

The ... Um ... Safety Dance? (A Dance Movie Mash-up)

Via Purple Clover.

WARNING: Humans Are A Class 1 Biological Threat

Via Miss Cellania.

These are Beautiful

What beautiful execution of a fantastical, far-fetched idea.  Modern art is being (one might say "has been") co-opted by graphic design, which itself has been co-opted by advertising.

Via Boing Boing.