The Thomas Beale Cipher

"The Thomas Beale Cipher," an award-winning short film, updates a classic animation technique to make paper cutouts move as fluidly as live-action footage.

Under Paris

Interesting photo gallery of Paris catacombs.

Under Paris there are spaces of all kinds: canals and reservoirs, crypts and bank vaults, wine cellars transformed into nightclubs and galleries. Most surprising of all are the carrières—the old limestone quarries that fan out in a deep and intricate web under many neighborhoods, mostly in the southern part of the metropolis.

Cultural-Industrial Complex

A brief but insightful blog post from Kevin Kelly, outlining the ad hoc networking process of the southern California entertainment industry.

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" - A PortaStudio, two SM57's, and Inspiration - The story of a home recording that became an album, as told by Bruce's long-time engineer Toby Scott.

Hotel DeBrett

Hotel DeBrett in Auckland, New Zealand looks inspiring. Some nice design features, maybe bordering on trying too hard, but certainly interesting.

The Wilderness Below Your Feet

Urban exploration beneath New York City. “The last frontier in an over-mapped, Google-Earthed world.”

Music 2010

Some of the old and new music that had my attention during 2010:

Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me
Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma
Radiohead: The Bends
Elvis Costello: National Ransom
The Orb: Metallic Spheres
Morrissey: Vauxhall and I
Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer
Ariel Pink: Before Today
Brian Eno: Small Craft on a Milk Sea
Jan Bang: ...and Poppies from Kandahar
Can: Tago Mago
Can: Ege Bamyasi
Tyshawn Sorey: Koan
New Order: Brotherhood
New Order: Technique
Keith Jarrett: Vienna Concert
Peter Gabriel: Scratch My Back
Jane Siberry: The Walking
Sleigh Bells: Treats
Steve Tibbetts: Natural Causes
King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black
Beach House: Teen Dream
Dire Straits: Communique
36: Hypersona
Jellyfish: Bellybutton
Autechre: Move of Ten
Autechre: Oversteps
Rush: A Farewell to Kings
Laurie Anderson: Homeland
Anouar Brahem: The Astounding Eyes of Rita
Darren Harper: Descend