The 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

Photos from the shortlist of winners of the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards. Some stunning shots in there.

Edith, Hellrider, and Dadmonster pose for a photograph. In Botswana, heavy metal music has landed. Metal groups are now performing in nightclubs, concerts, festivals. The ranks of their fans have expanded dramatically. These fans wear black leather pants and jackets, studded belts, boots and cowboy hats. On their t-shirts stand out skulls, obscenities, historical covers of hard-rock groups popular in the seventies and eighties, such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, and AC/DC. They have created their own style, inspired by classic metal symbolism, but also borrowing heavily from the iconography of western films and the traditional rural world of Botswana. Their nicknames, Gunsmoke, Rockfather, Carrott Warmachine, Hellrider, Hardcore, Dignified Queen, may appear subversive and disturbing as their clothing, but they are peaceful and gentle. “We like to get dressed,, drink meet friends and feel free , this music is so powerful . We are lucky to live in a country tolerant and open” argues one of the leaders. A precious rarity for Africa.

Botswanian heavy metal fans and other great selections from the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards

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Ten Olympic events due for a comeback

Over at the NY Times Olympics blog, Victor Mather takes a look at a few sports that would be fun to see in the Olympic Games again.

3. Dueling pistol, 1906
No actual duels were fought, alas. Rather, contestants shot at a dummy dressed in a frock coat. Shooting events tend to be rather dull to watch, but they would have a chance with creative thinking like this.

And tandem bike racing!

And don’t forget the art competitions.

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Are you a film addict?

Film Addict takes the top 250 films on IMDB and quizzes you on how many you’ve seen. My score is 53.6% (I’ve hardly seen anything made before 1970). Compare your score. (thx, mathowie)

Update: Since posting this, I’ve been urged to watch Rope; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly; M; The Third Man; Lawrence of Arabia; The Lives of Others; Roman Holiday; and Planet of the Apes. (thx, everyone)

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Top 50 music videos of 2006. Includes inline video

Top 50 music videos of 2006. Includes inline video so you can watch them all. (via waxy)

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The Royal Institution of London has named

The Royal Institution of London has named Primo Levi’s The Periodic Table the best science book ever written. Other authors in the running: Oliver Sacks, Steven Pinker, and Richard Dawkins.

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