Friday, December 2, 2016

Sugarcubes 1988 SNL Special Report | Crazy Band

I am always enthralled watching Bjork sing back in the day... she has always been a vocalist that leaves it all on the stage. This is an interesting and odd interview, with live snippets, from 1988.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

The View From Above | Game

Here's a fun game, and oddly addictive: trying to guess which country a particular satellite image is of.


Check it out! Go to The Game.

Thx to Price Tags for pointing this out.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

PBS Ideas Channel "Guide to Common Fallacies" | Crazy Philosophers

Ah.... logic.

For the complete playlist of the PBS Ideas Channel's "Guide to Common Fallacies" head to their YouTube playlist page.

For a hint of the fantastic wonders within... the "No True Scotsman" Fallacy...:



Thx to Open Culture for pointing this out.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Lee Mishkin's 1973 "Is it always right to be right?"

Featuring the voice of Orson Welles, Lee Mishkin's 1970 short film won the 1971 Oscar for Short Films, Cartoons. This was the last award of that category, when it was changed the following year to "Short Subjects, Animated Films."



visit Open Culture for a great write-up.

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Fire is stored sunshine | Crazy Scientist

You need to watch this clip right to the end. Richard Feynman explains what fire is, on the 1983 BBC series Fun to Imagine.



Thx kottke for pointing this out.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Orkestra Obsolete cover New Order "Blue Monday" | Crazy Musicians

Using only instruments available in the 1930s, like the theremin and musical saw, Orkestra Obsolete perform a cover of New Order's 1983 Blue Monday.

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Darwin's "Origin of Species" | Respect

On November 24, 1859, English naturalist and geologist Charles Robert Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. This work is considered the foundation of evolutionary biology.

It is difficult to imagine a world prior to the theory of evolution. At the same time, I'm surprised at the number of people that don't necessarily understand "how" evolution works. Here's an excellent video that explains the process of evolution, from the fine folks over at Stated Clearly.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Chase Holfelder covers Cyndi Lauper "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" in a minor key | Crazy Awesome Cover

Chase Holfelder is one of my favourite online musicians. He's created a series of covers of well-known songs performed in minor key, which both subtly and drastically changes the tone and feel of the original. Girls Just Want to Have Fun is an excellent example of the effect of moving from major to minor keys.

Friday, November 18, 2016

James Last live at BBC Studios, London, 1976 | Crazy Orchestra

German-born contemporary composer James Last passed away on June 9, 2015. [BBC obit] Reaching international fame and success with his original and orchestral re-mix medleys of popular songs, he sold some 200 million albums worldwide in his lifetime.

This BBC studio performance was recorded on October 15, 1976.

Regardless of whether one thinks he was ahead of his time anticipating the mash-up or simply the "King of Elevator Music" it's undeniable he was a talented composer surrounded by equally-talented musicians. If you love watching musicians do their thing, this is a must-see.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Beowulf, in Old English | Crazy Storyteller

Listen to the prologue of the oldest epic poem in English, written between the 8th and 10th centuries, as performed by Benjamin Bagby.



It's hard to believe the words spoken are English, though in context these words were as much "English" to the people that spoke it as our "English" is to us today. The language has evolved over the centuries, with words dropped and added, with pronunciation and meaning changed, and more. Check out a quick history of the English language, in a little over ten minutes.



(visit Open Culture for further tidbits)