dangerousmeta!, the original new mexican miscellany, offering eclectic linkage since 1999.

ArtDaily: The central role of the Eucharist in the Middle Ages is explored.

Interesting history within.

Youtube: Europa Report Trailer (2013).

Anyone else had their sci-fi memory tweaked? This looks awfully like a riff on a couple of chapters of 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke. You remember … where the Chinese ship Tsien lands on Europa, ultimately destroyed by a light-sensitive life form as the crew tries to pump water into their tanks for use as fuel? The riveting solo survivor monologue of Dr. Chang? Chapters 7-11.

Christopher Stott.

Standout oil paintings of vintage objects. We had a fan like that when I was a kid. I was under the strictest of orders - “You do NOT PUT YOUR FINGERS NEAR THIS FAN.”

ArtDaily: Death mask of Napoleon to be auctioned.

“I came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was to offer it for sale in the hope that, as a result, it was something more people would then be able to see and enjoy.” Nothing cheers one up more than a nice deathmask.

WritersDigest: If You’re Feeling Down and Out About a Rejection Letter …

“But my point is an artist will not quit. He doesn’t have a choice. An artist is not going to do other things. It isn’t a matter of being brave.” Goes for artists in any medium/media.

Guardian.UK: Dan Brown still can’t write, but he deserves some respect.

Meh. His first book was Foucalt’s Pendulum, extra light in the loafers.

Slate: Margaret Atwood discusses science fiction in a Slate podcast.

I admire her comments about positivity and its effects, around nine minutes in.

ArtDaily: Paris police boost efforts to protect tourists.

“It will also begin distributing leaflets in heavily touristed areas, in English and French, warning against a trend that involves young criminals asking visitors to make donations to false charities or to sign false petitions, distracting them from pickpockets.” Heavy theft in the City of Light.

blog.gibbon.co: The Grumpy Designer Syndrome.

“This feeling of being grumpy and not satisfied is on the one hand very inconvenient and annoying (in particular for your coding colleagues) but on the other hand it might be absolutely necessary for any designer that has the goal of becoming the best he/she can be.” Familiar!

ExtremeTech: How the 2013 World Press Photo of the Year was faked with Photoshop.

“I think most of you will agree, though, that the photo simply feels fake — there’s just something about the lighting that sets off a warning alarm in your brain.” That’s for sure. First thing you ask - where’s the light source?

LA Times: Ray Harryhausen videos—Poetry in stop-motion in five highlights.

RIP, oh driver of youthful imaginations.

The Typekit Blog: Sneak preview—Syncing fonts to your desktop.

Finally!

The Economist: English and Dravidian—Unlikely parallels.

“Some people even think English is descended from Latin, or Kannada from Sanskrit. That’s frustrating not only because it’s wrong, but also because the reality is far more interesting.”

Zarias.tumblr.com: Best way to light up a car or motorcycle … ?

“My gut reaction tells you to go HDR. Whoa. Whoa. I know. HDR - Hell Doth Reign. Horrible Digital Renditions. I’m not talking about that nasty ‘old truck in a field’ sort of HDR. Sidenote - Did you know that God shoots a kitten every time one of those photos is uploaded to the Internet? True story. I know. I load the gun.” I love Zach’s commentary, always.

First American Art Magazine.

“First American Art Magazine, LLC (FAAM) is a new magazine dedicated solely to the arts of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Order a print copy today! Issue No. 1 will be out in early August 2013.” Published in Santa Fe, of course.

ArtDaily: Excavation unearths evidence of Thessaloniki’s urban life.

Subway builders want it all moved, archaeologists want it left in place, with the metro station build around it. Who will win?

ArtDaily: 15th-century illuminated manuscript acquired by The Israel Museum and The Met.

Rare and beautiful.

TheMag: Miniature Art by Hasan Kale.

OK, impressive.

Photo.net: Create a Digital Pinhole Camera.

Old technique, but still a blast.

ArtDaily: Famous 13th-century black-and-white striped Siena cathedral opens roof tour.

“Secret passages high up in the rafters of Siena Cathedral have opened for the first time after decades of restoration, offering a rare view of midnight-blue ceilings and the Tuscan panorama. The famous 13th-century black-and-white striped cathedral has opened a series of spiral staircases and covered internal walkways to the public—all some 15 metres (49 feet) from the marble floor.” Oh man … I want to go.

Co.Design: 7 Of The Biggest Lies In Graphic Design.

“3. YOU CAN’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER.
If the designer has done their job, you should absolutely be able to do this.” Nice.

NY Times: Cooper Union Will Charge Tuition in 2014.

“But beginning in fall 2014, it will charge students based on what the college described as a steeply sliding scale, with those deemed able paying around $20,000, and many others, including those ‘with the greatest needs,’ paying nothing. The change would not apply to undergraduates enrolled as of this fall.”

Colossal: Photos of Miraculous Airplane Crashes Where All Passengers Survived.

Miraculous? I’d prefer to assume pilot skill and a peppering of dumb luck.

We Made This: Poster Art 150.

Inspiring.

BBC: Shakespeare scholars try to see off the Bard’s doubters.

No matter how Shakey, I’ll always believe in the Bard. I packed him as a stupidly heavy hardback in my backpack to Big Bend in ‘78, and got to know him better than in any English class.