Michael Jackson, RIP

The news is reporting he died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, but it's still a bit early to be sure how and why he died so young.

Tragic in life, tragic in death, King of Pop, RIP.

Banksy at Bristol Museum

Don't miss the "pictures" slide show link.

The science of anger management

How to keep your body from hijacking your brain when you most need it.

The Free Sound Project

Just make a username and password and you can download any of their free, Creative Commons licensed audio samples. You can also upload yours. A community project that focuses on sounds, not music.

The Freesound Project aims to create a huge collaborative database of audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, ... released under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus License. The Freesound Project provides new and interesting ways of accessing these samples, allowing users to

-browse the sounds in new ways using keywords, a "sounds-like" type of browsing and more
-up and download sounds to and from the database, under the same creative commons license
-interact with fellow sound-artists!

We also aim to create an open database of sounds that can also be used for scientific research. Many audio research institutions have trouble finding correctly licensed audio to test their algorithms. Many have voiced this problem, but so far there hasn't been a solution.

IZ THE WIZ obituary

Thanks to Pink Smith for sending this in.

Invader and WK Interact this summer at Jonathan Levine Gallery, NY

Invader is back in the States, so if you're in NYC, keep looking up.

TOP 10
by extermitent

JLG shows some interesting art ... the upcoming Houser and Dalek shows for example.

Jonathan LeVine Gallery | 529 West 20th Street, 9th Floor | New York, NY 10011 | Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 6pm | 212-243-3822

IZ THE WIZ candlelight memorial tonight in NYC

The flyer for the event reproduces a magazine article from 1998 in which IZ explains his illness and warns against the dangers of spray paint.

Thanks IZ.

Wear those respirators, kids.

Haven Arts Gallery, 7-10 pm ... bring a candle.

50 Bruckner Blvd, Bldg A
Bronx NY 10454
+1 718.585.5753

Susan

IZ photos by Steam

Steam156 has published some of his extensive photo collection, this time of IZ THE WIZ shots, in memory of the King.

Thanks, Steam!

RIP - IZ THE WIZ

IZ THE WIZ left this Earth June 17, 2009.

He will be missed forever, yet hIs legend lives on.

His work is still on view at Tuff City Tattoo in the Bronx, but it's no longer for sale.

Memorial activities will be private, for close friends and family.

Sincere condolences to those he leaves behind.

Cap chairs

Yep, it's exactly what it sounds like, in two styles, by Sander van Heukelom,

Thanks to Ralf for the tip!

(No pun intended.)

Tehran, Iran - Riots in the streets over suspicious election results

Most Internet and mobile services have reportedly been cut off by the authorities.

What an exciting time for Iran. Let's hope democracy prevails.

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1000th post.

Thanks for reading!

"Socially dangerous behavior"

Here's an interesting story of an artist - Artem Loskutov - the Russian government is afraid of. The blog describes other recent clashes between artists and police there. On June 10 Artem was released until trial.

The interesting thing is not really that these particular events have happened (it's been the same story for thousands of years), but that once again young artists are openly challenging the controlling regime (and its police force) in Russia. Governments always get nervous about people who can generate a mob in the street no matter the reason. "Socially dangerous" means you can change people's minds.

Spreading the news of their struggle is essential to keeping artists safe when they embark on such dangerous missions as these. Oppression works best when it's a well-known secret rather than when it's embarrassing international news. Artists inside Russia are at more risk, so artists outside Russia should support them in their efforts.