The Motherload of Linkdumps, Pt. 3

04.25.09 | Design, Politics, TV/Movies | Comments (0)

Word Balloon Shelves

Love this idea from Fusca Design. Must remember this for Future-Brummel for when Future-Brummel has a “need” for a shelf like this.

Cow DNA Now Fully Mapped

And what have we found? That over the years of domesticating cows and selective breeding, we’ve ended up with a mentally retarded version of the species former selves. GREAT FOR BUSINESS!

Both types of cattle show evidence of natural selection in genes that appear to be involved in making the animals — large, horned and potentially dangerous — docile. In some breeds, specific variants of behavior-related genes are “fixed,” or seen in essentially every animal. Curiously, some of those genes are in regions that in the human genome seem to be involved in autism, brain development and mental retardation.

Bill Moyers Interviews the Wire’s David Simon

Great for any fans of the Wire. BONUS: Also great for fans of inner city crime and bureaucratic mess. BONUS BONUS: A fan caught Simon before his appearance with Moyers and took him out to lunch. I like this David Simon character. If you haven’t started the Wire yet, start now. And you can’t stop until you at least finish a season; they start off decidedly slow.

Pt. 1:

Pt. 2:

M.S. Corley Re-imagines His Favorite Movies With Classic Penguin-Like Covers

I love this trend of design reinterpretation that’s been going around. Kottke did a nice roundup of some of the better redesigns, some noted previously here.
UPDATE: Here’s some more – Blue-Note Wu-Tang
UPDATE UPDATE: The Magic continues!! – Classic records as Pelican Books.

In Defense of Eye Candy

Stephen Anderson makes a great case that good looks in design go more than skin deep:

The more we learn about people, and how our brains process information, the more we learn the truth of that phrase: form and function aren’t separate items. If we believe that style somehow exists independent of functionality, that we can treat aesthetics and function as two separate pieces, then we ignore the evidence that beauty is much more than decoration. Our brains can’t help but agree.

The Royal Tenenbaums Prologue, Annotated in Video

An in-depth look into Wes Anderson’s style and choices through the first few minutes of The Royal Tenenbaums. Some of the analysis is a little manufactured, but most of it is pretty interesting. Make sure to pause often. If you’re an Anderson fan, be sure to check out parts one, two, three, and four.