nemesis and narcissus

In April, Los Angeles will host a temporary exhibit whose aim is to explore the psychology and history of the pervasive art of the self-portrait. The Museum of the Selfie hopes to give visitors pause to reflect on the nature of the cultural phenomenon whose roots are anything but shallow.

your princess is in another castle

Via Kottke, we’re treated to the distraction that we didn’t really need or deserve in this clever JavaScript Nintendo Entertainment System emulation from programmer Ben Firshman. Classic arcade games include the early iterations of Mario, Zelda, Castlevania plus many more.

shinrin-yoku

We really appreciated this formal introduction to one of our favourite pasttimes from the New Yorker on the Japanese therapeutic practise of forest bathing (森林浴) and learning of all the collateral benefits through the soft-focus portfolio of Tokyo-based photographer Yoshinori Mizutani. Both scientists and physicians recognise its spectrum of benefits in curbing stress and anxiety and boosting overall well-being. Learn more about shinrin-yoku at the link above and get inspired to carve space out in your day to commune with the trees in your local greenspace.

pillow-talk or mack the knife

Until reading the disclosure of a tryst by Trump with a porn star (imagine what it would be like trying to convince ourselves a year ago that we would be confronted with such headlines as these) that Trump is obsessed with sharks and wishes them all to die, we had forgotten that then citizen Trump was steered away from portraying the US president in a bad movie about a plague of the shark variety out of fear that it might reflect badly on his upcoming candidacy to be the actual president.

heightened suggestibility

Serial candidate and one-time presidential contender Nick Belluso, whilst in a gubernatorial run-off for the state of Georgia in 1978 (incumbent George Busbee and Atlanta alderman Rodney Mims Cook Senior had secured the backing of the major political parties), had the notion to employ a hypnotist to secure his votes. Despite the claim his candidacy was endorsed by the Force, Belluso’s plot was stymied when all television stations except one outlet refused to air his mesmerising advertisement for fear it might work and the resulting culpability. Learn more and see the campaign ad at the link above.

felis silvestris

Scheduled to be bringing a cat into our lives soon, our gratitude goes to the always brilliant Nag on the Lake for bringing us word of Baloo the feline who retrieves outstanding leaves for his human. We don’t wish to countermand Nature or the instincts of our future companion but I did harbour worries, living at the edge of a forest, about the detrimental effect that introducing a domestic hunter might have on local wildlife but seeing that a cat can curb and re-direct their energies towards being a leaf-peeper or even  a rock-hound is a pretty exciting prospect.