Laço Tayfa is a favorite of mine anyway, but the virtuosity of the first couple of minutes opens new frontiers:
This one will melt your little heart
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, via Crooked Timber
Toumane Diabate makes it look easy
From 1:20 he demonstrates the elements of kora playing, and at 4:45 it’s jaw-droppingly gobsmacking:
links for 2008-06-29
-
NYTimes: Gov. George W. Bush said today that if he was president, he would bring down gasoline prices through sheer force of personality, by creating enough political good will with oil-producing nations that they would increase their supply of crude.
-
“…the British government is handing over large tracts of the school education system, along with tens of millions of our tax money, to groups of Anousics… a neologism suggested by ancient Greek to connote “mindless”, “unreasoning”, “illogical”.”
-
(via BoingBoing) “If we felt the audience slipping away, fidgeting and scraping their feet through our jokes, Groucho or Chico would whisper in panic, “Ssssssssssst! Throw me a Gookie!”…”
Never eat at a restaurant called “Ma’s”
good old Least Wanted
Dombra do or die
A question from son John about banjo-like instruments led me on a YouTube chase that was very fruitful and ear-stretching. Here’s one of the real gems that surfaced:
The kid’s got it
Fernandinho do Cavaco, 11 anos:
…and several more here, and you’ll also enjoy this one. The future is assured!
And while you’re in the mood:
They said “wear the fox hat”
The fox hat is Kate’s, and she got a Cthulhu fish for me and one for herself too!
links for 2008-06-27
-
from BibliOdyssey: “…attempting to convey the important forehead topography that one ought to be able to recognise to assess a subject’s disposition and future.”
-
from WFMU’s Beware of the Blog, and “fills a much-needed gap” to be sure
-
via Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century
links for 2008-06-26
-
hmmmm … not sure just what the limits to “data sheet” are, but an interesting letterbox view of pdfs all the same
-
from the FantaMorph folks