Digital Digest: 02/08/2010

The Best of the Web

Music

Pitchfork.com

Even by his own eccentric standards of behaviour, these videos of Kanye West are excruciating. Standing on a table in the Facebook offices, West regales employees with an impromptu acapella performance of new tracks. Lyrics include 'life's a bitch on her period'. A lesson for us all.

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Science

Time.com

The SETI project has been searching for extraterrestrial life, on the whole unsuccessfully, for 50 years. Professors have now concluded that we need to think like ET. Apparently, even an alien is likely to be cost-conscious these days, and will use short, snappy messages to make contact with us.

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Art

1800recycling.com

Who says artwork has to be brand new? The British artist David Mach has been causing a stir with his sculptures made from hundreds of recycled coat hangers. A spaceman, a gorilla and most recently a polar bear have all taken shape over the last few years. Also check out his matchstick heads; who said recycling must be boring?

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Politics

NewStatesman.com

In May's General Election, Labour won in Wales and was ascendant in Scotland. It was in England that it lost. In this essay for 'The New Statesman', the Labour MP Jon Cruddas argues that the party needs a specifically English strategy and to understand disaffected Middle England in order to stage its comeback.

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Food

SupperClubFanGroup.ning.com

Many underground dining clubs, held in people's homes or surprise locations, have sprung up recently. For a small price guests could enjoy a Moroccan feast, organic fare from allotments, or dinner with a cabaret show. All with the promise of like-minded strangers. These national listings celebrate the choice.

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Comedy

NYMag.com

Bill Murray gives interviews so rarely that this latest gem, following on from his mutterings in 'GQ' last week, is worth the effort. Murray discusses his new film, 'Get Low', in which he is a slick undertaker. Furthermore, it looks like he is finally laying those Ghostbusters 3 rumours to rest.

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Technology

Wired.com

The CIA and Google have teamed up to buy the secrets of the future. No, really. The aptly named Recorded Future company monitors internet activity to predict future happenings. It's a surprisingly evil turn for a company that has previously capitalised on the internet's innocence.

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