notes.husk.org. scribblings by Paul Mison.

Richard Brautigan reading All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace.

(Source: youtu.be)

Islands, by The XX, directed by Saam.

If not video of the year, surely this must be one of the candidates.

Snow blankets Gatwick (although the adjective “thick” seems inadvised, but still). Surprisingly pretty, but no doubt incredibly annoying if you’re actually expecting to get anywhere.

The Day Today: Meganews.

In 1975 no one died. In 1976, no one died. In 1977, no one died. In 1978, no one died. In 1979, no-one died. In 1980… someone died. In 1981, no one died. In 1982 there was the incident with the pigeon. In 1983, no one died. In 1984, no one died. In 1985, no one died. In 1986… I mean, I could go on.

Asteroid Discovery From 1980 - 2010 by Scott Manley.

This is a view of the solar system showing the locations of all the asteroids starting in 1980, as asteroids are discovered they are added to the map and highlighted white so you can pick out the new ones.

Notice now the pattern of discovery follows the Earth around its orbit, most discoveries are made in the region directly opposite the Sun.

I’m mildly curious as to why there’s a slight offset from being exactly at opposition. Perhaps it’s to do with the best time for observing (I can’t be sure I’ve worked out if the direction corresponds to evening or early morning), or that you have to get two (or more) fixes to establish an orbit.

What we believe in. (Thanks mattb!)

Snow, directed by Geoffrey Jones, 1963. From the BFI’s archives.

“Comprising train and track footage quickly shot just before a heavy winter’s snowfall was melting, the award-winning classic that emerged from the cutting-room compresses British Rail’s dedication to blizzard-battling into a thrilling eight-minute montage cut to music.”

Said music is by Daphne Oram, an early British electronic music pioneer, instrumental in founding the Radiophonic Workshop. From the notes to the album Oramics: “The 1963 ‘Snow’ is ingenious, but somehow uncharacteristic. For this, a tape of a Sandy Nelson jazz drumming piece is slowly speeded up according to an accelerando structure.”

Amazing stuff.

Tea Making Tips from the Empire Tea Bureau, from the BFI’s national archive. So many great moments.