“Instead of actual interaction and communication, we define “social” as once- or twice-removed ego validation through button-clicking.”
— Cliff Watson, Teens aren’t abandoning “social.” They’re just using the word correctly. — Medium
Jordan Harper
Miscellany, waffle, gratuitously stolen links, and much, much less.
The 404 page on Need Supply Co is really quite great.
Today’s Google doodle is an 11/10 effort. Brilliant stuff celebrating Saul Bass’ 93 birthday (via Google).
The Secret Passageway Switch. Very silly, but also absurdly cool.
“Time passes very slowly when you’re in a hippo’s mouth.”
London Under by Peter Ackroyd — thematically a bit overwrought, but overall a fascinating, enlightening and thought provoking look at London’s dark side. Recommended.
HERE IS TODAY
Big fan of this lovely visualisation of time.
Is life on Earth older than the Earth itself?
A possible explanation for the Fermi paradox (if there is intelligent life out there, why can’t we see it?) and a tantalising suggestion about the origins of complex life. I love this kind of thinking.
Love the new ‘back up’ leather iPhone bumper and felt case from @hardgraft. I may buy an iPhone 5 just so I can get this case for it…
Brussels recommendations
- AUB SVP: takes the idea of an open kitchen to new levels. You can sit at the bar and watch your chef (/waiter/barista/cashier) prepare complex and interesting dishes right in front of you. The coffee is excellent (from local roasters OR, whose cafe I sadly missed as I didn’t realise it was closed on Sunday) and the bread is just amazing. To miss this would be a disaster.
- Musée Magritte: honestly, I’ve never paid that much attention to Magritte, but having spent a couple of hours immersed in his work and life I’ve come away a fan. Aside from the artist’s work, the Musée Magritte is a fantastic experience. The building is terrific, location beautiful and the layout/exhibition space really well done.
- Restaurant de L’Ogenblik: terrific seafood restaurant that looks for all the world as though it’s going to be very traditional and french, then they serve up an enormous seared tuna steak with an amazing harissa like paste smeared all over the top. Excellent stuff.
- Restaurant Vincent: from a glance at the window you could mistake Vincent for a butchers. I had a single portion of the prime rib that could have fed me twice. Beautiful old restaurant, white-jacket service and a good, simple wine list. If you like steak… etc.
- Barbeton: great looking cafe and a good spot for a simple continental breakfast. Looks like it gets lively later on.
- Hotel Dominican: terrific hotel, decent food in the restaurant and a pretty decent cocktail list for a hotel bar. I’d stay here again.
- and finally… La Maison Du Crepe: I’m sure it’s usually rammed with tourists and maybe we just got lucky, but the crepe suzette I had today was absolutely top-notch. 10/10.
Amazing etching of The Angel in Bermondsey by Whistler (via Spitalfields Life).
Lunch at AUB SVP today. Properly amazing stuff. If you’re in Brussels, do yourself a favour and get some food here.
Like this. A lot. Dissecting a Trailer: The Parts of the Film That Make the Cut
Fantastic NYTimes infographics showing how “how scenes from five of the nine best picture nominees were reassembled to promote the films.”
If you look closely, there’s a line for shots that aren’t actually in the film, which immediately made me think of the trailers for the The Master, which featured a lot of cutting room floor footage that PT Anderson left out…
These infographics also remind me a lot of of the graphics picking apart famous speeches in Nancy Duarte’s Resonate.
This trunk from Malle W. Trousseau containing everything you need to equip a kitchen is absolutely wonderful. I want it.
Warby Parker’s new store in Manhattan. Another online retail brand moving into the ‘real world’. (via Gallivant)
