zidouta.com

‘Satomi Kobayashi and Mikako Ichikawa nosh down on fresh lobster in Naoko Ogigami’s new film, “Glasses.”‘

The Moment, The Post-Materialist | Japanese Food Porn:

“(…) eating and sleeping are their reason for living. If sex is curiously absent, it’s because the eating is sex.”

The Independent, YAWN: The new yuppies: They’re back - and this time they’re green. (more):

“They brag about their wind turbines rather than their wads, and they’re more likely to wear recycled trainers than red braces. But be in no doubt - they’re still loaded.”

IHT, Voluntary simplicity movement re-emerges:

“Modern “downshifters” are chasing a utopian vision of a self-sustaining life as partisans of a movement some call voluntary simplicity.”

Christopher Hitchens, How to be a public intellectual:

“One might do worse than to say that an intellectual is someone who does not attempt to soar on the thermals of public opinion. There ought to be a word for those men and women who do their own thinking; who are willing to stand the accusation of “elitism” (or at least to prefer it to the idea of populism); who care for language above all and guess its subtle relationship to truth; and who are willing and able to nail a lie. If such a person should also have a sense of irony and a feeling for history, then, as the French say, tant mieux.”

Seed Salon, Marc Hauser + Errol Morris:

“Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris has made a career of trafficking in moral ambiguity and complexity. Evolutionary psychologist Marc Hauser has pioneered research into the idea of a universal morality grounded in biology. Hauser believes humans possess a moral grammar; Morris isn’t so sure. The two met when Morris asked Hauser to be part of his short film for the 2007 Oscars. They kept in touch, exchanged ideas, and Hauser attended an early screening of Standard Operating Procedure, Morris’s film about the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib. Recently in Boston they debated game theory, Stanley Milgram, and whether science can make us better people.”

‘Le Roi de la Capote [Charlotte] Publicité préservatif’ (video - Adrants), ter gelegenheid van Wereld Aids Dag.

Scentific American, The Orgasmic Mind: The Neurological Roots of Sexual Pleasure:

“Achieving sexual climax requires a complex conspiracy of sensory and psychological signals—and the eventual silencing of critical brain areas”

Der Spiegel, Picture this. Back from the Dead:

“Drought in Spain: A medieval church that has been underwater for four decades has re-emerged from a drying dam. The village of Sant Roma had been underwater since the Catalonian valley, where it is located, was flooded — only the church’s belltower was visible. But, with the drought, which has gripped Spain and forced Barcelona to ship in water, the 11th century church has re-emerged and is attracting hordes of tourists.”

Zie ook: BBC, Ships bring water to parched Barcelona (via).

MacWorld, The new rules for buying a Mac. We bust the most common Mac shopping myths:

“(…) For years, we have unquestioningly followed numerous unwritten rules when buying a Mac. Like many customs, these rules were once based on a foundation of facts and reason. But in the past few years, many longstanding Mac truths have been upended. All Macs run on multiple-core Intel processors now. iMacs are no longer hobbled by crippling feature limitations. And speedy external peripherals have drastically lessened the need for add-on cards.

In other words, the old rules no longer apply. If you’re planning on buying a new Mac, you need facts about the modern lineup—so you can choose the computer that’s right for you.”

After Office Amsterdam: Wat is er wel open in Amsterdam na werktijd?

‘There was an assignment in my class in which we were to give a short presentation on pretty much any subject. I decided to make a music video. (…) I got an A++ on it, a 26/25′ (YouTube)

“I short-sold more stock of the companies that brought us the housing and credit crises.” Jeff, 28, Scientist. Seattle, Washington

How I Spend my Stimulus:

“In January, Congress approved $152 billion in economic stimulus checks for millions of American households, intended to boost the economy and avert a recession. Just how this money will be spent remains to be seen. We hope this website helps shed some light on where the stimulus money is going.”

Via Cynical-C Blog. Zie ook Freakonomics, Likely Effects of the Tax Rebate Checks en What’s the Smartest Way to Spend Your Rebate?

The New Yorker, Want Ad: Beautuful Mind:

“The rumor, according to one (unofficial) e-mail: “Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer (Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind, American Gangster) is looking for a new cultural attaché.” The e-mail explained:

This person would be responsible for keeping Brian abreast of everything that’s going on in the world; politically, culturally, musically. . . . They’re also responsible for finding an interesting person for Brian to meet with every week . . . an astronaut, a journalist, a philosopher, a buddhist monk. . . . There is LOTS of reading for this position! Grazer may ask you to read any book he’s interested in. You’ll probably get to read about 4 or 5 books a week and you may be required to travel with him on his private plane to Hawaii, New York, Europe—teaching him anything he asks you about along the way. . . . You will also be provided with an assistant. . . . Salary is around $150,000 a year. . . . You will be to Grazer what Karl Rove was to Bush.”

(via)