Marco Brambilla: "Civilization"

HD video created with the assistance of Motionographer – go to the link for the vidi, 'cuz the still at right doesn't do it justice. The video shows an ascending or descending view between hell and heaven and was installed in an elevator, with the up or down motion of the visuals sync'd to that of the elevator. The video incorporates some 250 film clips, seamlessly looped and animated in 3-D – quite a feat.

Obama Rewards AT&T's Ed Whitacre with GM Chairmanship

Add this to the list of Obama's list of disappointing appointments (see a lengthy but not-necessarily-complete list in this previous post). Whitacre was Chair and CEO of AT&T for 17 years (see The WSJ on his appointment to the GM chairmanship and his prior career), including while it was enabling the Bush admin's warrantless spying on innocent Americans (see Wikipedia, Corrente).

Since Obama et al. previously voted to immunize the telcos from their gross violations of our rights, Mr. Whitaker is now not in jail and is available for the GM Chairmanship – how lucky is that?

I Like MJ's Final Face

Here's the best collection I've seen lately of before-and-after pics; you also get good face in the documentary referred to in my previous post; and here's someone's idea of what he might have looked like if he'd left well enough alone.

I agree, he'd have been handsome without any surgery,etc.

But I also think the face he bought is cool.

The music was great, and he understood the importance of the visual. His face was another of his creations. It may have ended up half Phantom of the Opera; but I like it. And I can't think of many besides his final face that will remain more recognizable, or more interesting, longer.

His music video masterpiece, Thriller (embedded below), now seems prescient of both his and our realities.

PS: Apparently face et al. are destined for plastination à la von Hagens – the authorities' or someone's requirement for an autopsy kibboshed MJ's first choice, cryogenic freezing – more here.

UPDATE: Apparently not; MJ's body was buried, though sans his brain, which is still undergoing analysis re- drugs, etc.; more here.

More MJ

The young MJ on the Dating Game:



Documentary with a number of interviews with MJ at age 44; here's the first segment:



Some segments seem to be being taken down, so go see them now if you're interested.

Cafeteria Wins Golden Lion at Venice Biennial

Created by Tobias Rehberger in collaboration with Artek; it is beautiful. More info and images here.

M.J.

Do not stop watching bef. ca. 3.16 min., when they drag her off.



(Thanks, Kalup!)

See also my May 11 post, inspired by friends who hosted an M.J.-themed party – funny how he's been in the air – I and entourage went as M.J.'s plastic surgeons (tho' there were only 3 of us). (To be clear, I love M.J's music.)

Leading Chinese Dissident, Liu Xiaobo, Arrested over Freedom Charter

"A leading dissident who organised a charter signed by hundreds of Chinese thinkers, academics and writers calling for dramatic political and legal reforms was under arrest yesterday.

"Liu Xiaobo, a literary critic first jailed for his role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations, was taken from his home in Beijing late on Monday by a dozen police officers and was asked to sign a document acknowledging his detention. They searched his flat and took away three computers, mobile phones and documents, friends told The Times.

"His arrest came hours before the release on the internet of the “08 Charter”, a rare, outspoken document challenging the ruling Communist Party to grant greater freedom of expression and to hold free elections. Its publication was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights today.

"A total of 303 people — from a prominent Tibetan blogger to lawyers and a disgraced former senior Communist Party official — braved possible arrest and jail to put their names to the document. . . . ."

More at the UK Times and Radio Free Asia.

Disappearing in Iran (or Wherever)

Darth Vader helmets and all.



"Tehran 21 Jun 09. Man filming is cursing the basijis quietly."