Well, no, not life on Mars, but HELLA WATER. Days ago. Which means there was probably some sort of life.

From BBC:

“The big surprise from these new results is how pervasive and long-lasting Mars’ water was, and how diverse the wet environments were,” said Crism’s chief scientist Scott Murchie, from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.

David Bowie is stoked.

Lars Von Trier, acclaimed filmmaker (and director responsible for making Bjork cry) tends to make films that are so incredible that you only want to sit through them once. Sorry film buffs, his work is amazing, but it’s so gad-nammed depressing. I own a copy of his 2003 film Dogville, starring Nicole Kidman, and I’ve suceessfulyl watched it once. I’ve started it 10 times, but I keep on digging my fingernails into my palms and shouting, so I usually end up watching something a little easier on the senses, like A Clockwork Orange or Apocalypse Now.

We interviewed Von Trier in Synthesis Digital Issue #5, which is available for free download HERE.

In the meantime, check out Dogville’s credits, with music by David Bowie set to some uplifting pictures of early 1900s America. USA! USA!

Drummer Buddy Miles, who was 60, died at his Austin home as a result of congestive heart failure. Miles played with Jimi Hendrix in Band of Gypsys (with Hendrix’s old Army buddy) Bassist Billy Cox.

The Band of Gypsys live album drew from the final two of a four show run in 1970 at the Fillmore East in New York City. Two of Miles’ own compositions, “We Gotta Live Together” and “Changes” were also on the record.

But the group broke up following a final performance at Madison Square Garden in January 1970. Miles worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Muddy Waters to David Bowie to Carlos Santana.

In a statement former bandmate Billy Cox described Miles as “an unsung musical genius and Jimi Hendrix no longer has to hold auditions as the right drummer has just flown in.”

As it’s John Lennon’s birthday and I’m not about to sit here and do what I’m supposed to be doing (editing articles so Dubs can be happy with life), I did a little more John Lennon research (read: googling off.)
For instance, most song lyric sites have the David Bowie lyric to “Life on Mars” wrong. “Now the workers have struck for fame / ‘Cause Lennon’s on sale again.” Workers? Lenin? C’MON.”

One of the articles I edited made a reference to Chuck Berry, so I started looking him up. And then serendipity struck.

It’s cool to see John Lennon jamming with Chuck Berry, but the best part is Chuck’s facial expression when Yoko Ono starts…er…singing?

1:12. Classic.

I am now looking up “Chuck Berry” and “pee pee,” because I vaguely remember stories about how he, in his personal life, has a sexual proclivity towards “waste play.” I’ll post what I find next…this is by far my most productive day at Synthesis, ever.