Links For March 21, 2015

California has about one year of water left. Will you ration now?

Right now the state has only about one year of water supply left in its reservoirs, and our strategic backup supply, groundwater, is rapidly disappearing. California has no contingency plan for a persistent drought like this one (let alone a 20-plus-year mega-drought), except, apparently, staying in emergency mode and praying for rain.


In Pieces - 30 Endangered Species, 30 Pieces.

In pieces is an interactive exhibition turned study into 30 of the world’s most interesting but unfortunately endangered species — their survivals laying literally, in pieces.


‘We Are the World’: A Minute-by-Minute Breakdown

There’s video of Jackson, Lewis, Lauper and Kim Carnes — or as Lauper calls them, “the bridge people” — working out their sequence, and how they would harmonize together; Hall, Perry and Loggins sit in the background watching, while Richie comes over periodically to coach them. After the fourth take, there’s a voice from the control room, telling Lauper, “You have a lot of bracelets.” … After the fifth take, Lauper asks, “Am I still clinking?” Steve Perry then raises his hand like he’s in a social studies class and, clearly impressed, tells Jones, “Q! Listen to it, it’s like harmonic things happening when she sings. It almost sounds like conversation — it’s amazing.”


'Mad Men': The Uncensored, Epic, Never-Told Story Behind AMC's Critical Darling

John Slattery (Roger Sterling): I went in to read for Don; they wanted me to play Roger. Matt Weiner claims I was in a bad mood the whole [pilot]. I had a couple of scenes, but I wasn’t as emotionally invested as some of the people because there wasn’t that much of Roger in evidence yet. Being a selfish actor, I didn’t necessarily see the full potential in the beginning.

Vincent Kartheiser (Pete Campbell): I only auditioned for Pete. My agents aren’t delusional enough to think that I’m a Don Draper.


Sesame Street’s Yip Yips: Every episode at once