492. Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Recently in the news for the discovery that the temple contains somewhere in the neighborhood of $24 billion worth of gold. But it's also a beautiful building.

491. The Endless Summer

On one hand, it's a documentary about a not terribly serious topic (surfers looking for the perfect wave). On the other, it's in the National Film Register, so Aaron should have a hard time objecting.

490. This series of Garfield comics

Sometimes I like to do holiday posts, and sometimes I like to post things that are completely antithetical to the spirit of the current season. So this lovely spring day, I'm selecting a legitimately scary (and wholly unexpected) series of Garfield comics from the week before Halloween 1989.

489. Pachelbel's Canon

I could have sworn I already listed this, but apparently I didn't. As we near the halfway point, that's becoming more and more of an issue.

488. Blackadder

487. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Here's a famous bit:

"The Moving Finger writes: and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it."

486. Lovin' You

Next time I do karaoke, this is what I'm singing. I'm pretty sure I can hit that note.

485. Dear Mr. Supercomputer

I've been neglecting Sufjan for too long. Here's my favorite song in 7/4.

484. Night

Michelangelo didn't quite seem to have breasts down, but this is quite a sculpture apart from that.

483. Dante's Inferno

 At least Hell sounds like an interesting place.

482. Pad Thai

481. The scene where Jack holds Rose on the bow of the Titanic

This only made the cut because there was just a New Yorker article analyzing the evolution of feminist themes in dramatic works about the Titanic. So think about what this scene says about Rose as a woman.

480. Maple Leaf Rag

Written in the 19th century, but still very much a part of our shared cultural knowledge.

479. Allegory of Prudence

From the experience of the past, the present acts prudently, lest it spoil future actions.

And, yeah, without Google, I probably would have just listed this as "that triple portrait with the animal heads."

478. Rendezvous with Rama

The science fiction classic about first contact with a mysteriously abandoned alien spacecraft.

477. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

476. Prometheus Bound

Sorry for the spate of torturous Greek mythology.

475. The Sandman

A graphic novel featuring Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, as its main character. Excellent storytelling and varied artwork.

474. Fog

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

473. The Veldt

A short story about how technology is harming our primal desire to interact with our fellow humans.

472. The Origami Crane

471. The Fingal's Cave Overture

Yet another piece of music that I'm pretty sure I only know because of its use as incidental music in Monty Python. Also, I would conjecture that this cave is the inspiration for the horcrux cave in Harry Potter. I mean, look at it.

470. Saint Patrick's Cathedral

It's pretty imposing.

469. Whacking Day

I

I think the point of this Simpsons episode was that we should constantly reevaluate our traditions to make sure they continue to make sense in a modern age. Or maybe it was just about how much Barry White likes snakes.

468. King Kong

Hitler's favorite movie, if Trivial Pursuit is to be believed.

467. Lysistrata

An early play about gender dynamics in a male-dominated society.

466. Fidelity

It's my most played song on iTunes, so I suppose it's time I got around to including it on the blog.

465. King Tut's Burial Mask

Iconic, well preserved, and it looks like it contains several hundred thousand dollars worth of gold.

464. The Raft of the Medusa

463. Mark Twain's Introduction to "English As She Is Spoke"

I am of the opinion that anything which was intended by its creators to evoke emotion counts as art. By that measure, "English As She Is Spoke", although it is hilarious, doesn't make the cut. However, Mark Twain's beautifully written introduction expertly manages to both praise and mock the book.

If you want to read the book (and I strongly recommend that you do), you can find it here.

Happy April Fool's Day!