Another Ten Links and a Video.



How Wes Anderson’s Cinematographer Shot These 9 Great Scenes:
"There are few directors with a visual style as distinctive as Wes Anderson's, and to find out just what goes into his carefully composed shots, you'll want to talk to Robert Yeoman. The 63-year-old cinematographer has shot every one of Anderson's films (save for the stop-motion Fantastic Mr. Fox); though, astoundingly, he's never been nominated for an Academy Award. Still, with The Grand Budapest Hotel in the hunt for multiple Oscar nods next week, what better time to talk to Yeoman about his storied career, using nine of Anderson's most famous scenes and shots as prompts?"

Why Pygmies Aren't Scared By The 'Psycho' Theme:
"In many ways, music and emotion almost seem interchangeable. Try listening to the Star Wars' Cantina Band song without smiling, or to the Psycho soundtrack without feeling a little tense. But what if you had never heard Western music before. Would these songs still make you feel the same way?"

Can’t sleep? How to beat insomnia:
"I don’t remember having trouble sleeping – until my late teens. There was no grand trauma, no “aha” moment to pinpoint when my sleep was disrupted. I just sort of drifted into insomnia. And there I have stayed, on and off, for almost 15 years. It has meant exhausted days and nights stretched out in front of me like the Grand Canyon. I have tried to remedy it over the years, using pills (soft herbal brands and the hard big pharma types), sprays (top picks: lavender and frankincense), a variety of “calming” sounds (including whale, panpipes and white noise) and, of course, the gold-level option of “wishing really hard”."

David Sedaris gives evidence to the Communities and Local Government Committee:
"On 6 January 2015, MPs on the Communities and Local Government Committee took evidence on litter. It was the committee's second evidence session for its inquiry on litter. The inquiry is looking at how significant a problem littering and fly-tipping is, and whether current government policies are adequate, and give local authorities enough autonomy to tackle the problem." [I also posted this to Metafilter.]

A Look at Battersea Park Station:
"At first sight, Battersea Park station appears to be a complete contradiction. It is not exactly pretty at platform level, but has a splendid façade and booking office. It has five platforms, but only one that is really both fit for purpose and useful. It is surprisingly busy despite the lack of any obvious reason for the high demand. It will also likely get much busier when construction begins on the Battersea Power station development or the Northern Line Extension."

An Open Letter to Men On the Subway During Rush Hour:
"I know you like to spread your chests wide, inhaling deeply and filling your lungs with that special patriarchal air that is your birthright. I know you need to place your legs in wide stances to give ample room to your massive testicles, which you have inherited after generations of Darwinism have assured only the largest and best scrotum survive. I know you need to mount your body against the entire center subway pole, claiming your land like Columbus. I get that."

Women, Minority First-Time Directors Face Tough Time Getting Into TV Biz: DGA Study:
"Women and minority episodic TV directors face a “significant hiring disadvantage” getting into the business because of their gender and race, according to a new five-year study by the Directors Guild of America. The report found that only 18% of all first-timers are female, and that only 13% are minorities."

Navigating The Social Mob Of Mistaken Identities On Twitter:
"In May 2010 I joined a startup called Aviary. My first boss was one of the founders of Aviary named Michael S Galpert. Michael’s initials are MSG and as an early tech adopter, he managed to snag @msg when Twitter came out. MSG is also short for Madison Square Garden, and the Twitter mentions go a little nuts when the Knicks’ and Rangers’ seasons pick up. Michael has fun with it, using a hashtag of #wrongmsg when retweeting some of the funny mistakes. @msg was my first understanding of mistaken identity on Twitter."

Great Museums Television:
"GREAT MUSEUMS is an award-winning documentary television series celebrating the world of museums. The series airs coast to coast on public television stations. GREAT MUSEUMS opens the doors of the museum world to millions of Americans through public television, new media and community outreach with the goal of "curating a community of learners." Executive produced by Marc Doyle and Chesney Blankenstein Doyle, the compelling educational series has won more than forty television awards for excellence, including multiple Cine Golden Eagles, Telly Awards, and Aurora Excellence Awards." [YouTube Channel]

The Code: A Declassified and Unbelievable Hostage Rescue Story:
"Colonel Jose Espejo was a man with a problem. As the Colombian army’s communications expert watched the grainy video again, he saw kidnapped soldiers chained up inside barbed-wire pens in a hostage camp deep in the jungle, guarded by armed FARC guerillas. Some had been hostages for more than 10 years, and many suffered from a grim, flesh-eating disease caused by insect bites."

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