Rise and Grind: 5 Links to Get You Through Your Morning

Links to make your life worth living.

Good morning, and welcome to another installment of Rise and Grind, City Guide's solution to reading yet another lame e-book on your commute. I'm your host, @NathanReese, providing you with a handful of things that would make for A+ small talk should you run into your boss in the elevator. Start the day off like the charismatic, impossibly attractive human you are. (Yes, that's how I picture you, dear readers. Feel free to send selfies to cityguidetips@complex.com to confirm.)

Science Asks: Could Godzilla Ice Skate?

Obviously the reason we invented math was so we could answer absurd hypothetical questions about fictional, 130-meter-tall Japanese monsters. The most pressing: Could Godzilla ice skate? Sort of, apparently! Through algorithms, graphs, and a whole bunch of other wizardry I could never hope to explain, it turns out he could—given that he had the right skates, of course! [via Wired]

 

If Tarantino Directed Star Wars... 

While we wait with bated breath to see if J.J. Abrams can pull off a decent Episode VII, the Internet is here to tide us over with a very different take on the galaxy far, far away. While you may not think that Star Wars has a lot in common with Quentin Tarantino, it turns out both share themes of revenge, desert landscapes, and sword fighting. Who knew that Star Wars was basically Kill Bill in space? [via Sploid]

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Scientists Can Now Control Your Dreams

Scientists have found a way to manipulate your dreams while you sleep. While that may sound like something out of Inception, turns out putting electrodes on certain parts of your noggin can create a state of lucid dreaming. Imagine the possibilities. [via Vox]

Showtime's Penny Dreadful Is Supposed to Be Pretty Good, Apparently

While I wasn't convinced that Showtime's new supernatural horror show was worth a look, Vulture's Matt Zoller Seitz wrote a review that has inspired me to give it a chance. And I thought we were finally over vampires by now. Guess not. [via Vulture]

Soon All Indie Artists Will Have Signature Coffee Blends

Alt songstress St. Vincent has joined the ranks of indie rockers with signature blends of artisan coffee. The new collaboration with famed L.A. coffee house Intelligentsia is titled "Flecha Roja," and apparently has notes of "poached pear, rosewater, and yellow plum." Sounds expensive! [via Pitchfork]

And last, here's an upbeat new track for Vegas-native Shamir that I've been listening to on repeat since it dropped last week. Just try not to boogie out of your office chair. [via Stereogum]

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