week of 06/15/2008

Clara Belle performs "Summer Face" on Ukulele



A couple of weeks ago we came across a lovely YouTube video from London-based, Japan-born ukulelist Clara Belle. We posted it to Boing Boing, and her performance was such a hit with readers that we asked Clara to make another video so we could premiere it here on BBtv. Clara kindly agreed and just sent us this brand-new video of her song, "Summer Face."

After the jump: Clara also sent the following note, which answers a few of the questions Boing Boing readers asked about her...

Continue reading Clara Belle performs "Summer Face" on Ukulele.

A Morning at Intelligentsia Coffee Part 2



In today's episode, Mark Frauenfelder brings his own espresso machine to US Barista Champion, Kyle Glanville, to learn how to make the perfect espresso. Kyle also gives a hands-on demonstration of the "ultimate nerd's way to make coffee."

This weekend, Kyle will be competing against the best baristas from around the globe in the 2008 World Barista Championship. The final round and awards ceremony are on Sunday, June 22nd, and streaming video of the competition can be seen now and through the weekend at worldbaristachampionship.com.

Previous Boing Boing tv episodes featuring Kyle Glanville and Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea:
*A Morning at Intelligentsia Part 1

Monochrom: Fisch Interview



In today's episode, Austrian subversive art collective, monochrom , presents the job interview video of one applicant, "Mr. Fisch." We don't know exactly how the tape was smuggled out past corporate security, but it somehow ended up in the BBtv mail room. We present it to you here to enjoy in all of its awkward and uncomfortable glory.

Previous Boing Boing tv episodes featuring monochrom:

* Orwell's 1984 deconstructed by puppets: monochrom
* Monochrom's Marxist sock puppets
* Monochrom: MyFaceSpace, the musical
* Monochrom: Campfire at Will
* Monochrom: Falco Stairs
* Monochrom: Bar code artist Scott Blake / Falco stencil memorial
* Human USB Hack / Very Simple Motor
* Mark's Curie Engine / Monochrom's love song for Lessig

"Improbable Research Collections" video debut



Today, BBtv is proud to share a sneak peek at the new "Improbable Research Collections" internet tv series.

The Improbable Researchers are a group of scientists who collect and conduct research to provoke both laughter and thought. They publish a bi-monthly magazine, "Annals of Improbable Research;" they award the coveted " Ig Nobel Prizes;" and they oversee the exclusive and ridiculous Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists ("for scientists who have, or believe they have, luxuriant flowing hair").

They launch an online series of offbeat videos this week, and like all they do, these 'net shorts are an amalgam of science, technology, and history with Monty-Python-esque irreverence.

In the Researchers' own words:

Each collection — each episode — is about three minutes long, composed of bits and pieces and people from the magazine Annals of Improbable Research, from Ig Nobel Prize lectures and ceremonies and other live events, and from many other sources. We have been collecting this material for almost twenty years.

Bonus (or punishment?) at the end: real scientists in real lab coats singing real bad musical comedy.

Like Boing Boing tv, the Improbable Research Collections videos will be released under a Creative Commons license (Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives).

Omega Recoil: Electricity as art



John Behrens and "Omega Recoil" build giant Tesla Coils. Their work explores how electronic fields can be excited in the environment, and their creations become the centerpieces of interactive public art performances.

Some of the tinkerers and performers in this SF Bay Area-based collective were previously associated with Dr. Megavolt, an electrical art project which...

[featured] a person in a metal mesh suit interacting with artificially generated lighting. The Doctor sets objects on fire with electricity originating from large Tesla coils, spars with the electric arcs and exhorts the audience to worship the elemental force of electricity.

A Morning at Intelligentsia Part 1



In today's episode, BB co-founder and Make editor in chief Mark Frauenfelder heads out to Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea for an exclusive tour. Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea is based out of Chicago, Illinois and has recently opened up a new store in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Kyle Glanville, head of research and development at Intelligentsia and winner of the 2008 US Barista Championship shows Mark how they acquire and roast some of the finest coffee in the world.

The word intelligentsia derives from the Latin word intelligentia, meaning a group of people engaged in complex mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture. Kyle Glanville has been laboring to promulgate a new coffee culture with Intelligentsia to combat the "get up and go" mentality, and Mark is along for the ride to learn the careful art of roasting coffee.

Intelligentsia is located at 3922 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90029 and is open 7 days a week.

week of 06/15/2008