June 24
You are with whom you eat
How food is used to create a sense of identity and belonging has been well documented by anthropology for over a century. Change how a people eat -- or what they eat -- and you change the people, is the anthropological axiom at hand. So, how is food being used to create a culture of belonging coupled with extremes of self-sacrifice in Silicon Valley?
there are moments in time when people need to live their convictions
Are you being served? Maybe not, if you're a fascist. This story and more coming up, as we review the latest dispatches from an America in crisis. [more inside]
The LAPD Arrested The Wrong Gay Dude That Day
Pride Month Special: “One True Pervert In the Courtroom” – The Trial of Dale Jennings
So smear on your best body paint, cuddle up with the spouse you previously couldn’t marry, and call that one homophobic Aunt that everyone has just to tell them to fuck right off as we talk about Dale Jennings, and how the LAPD totally George Michael’d the fuck out of him…and in doing so helped kick off the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement as we know it today.[more inside]
…Fucking talk about some shit backfiring, eh?
Military Vet Mom MJ Hegar Is Running for Congress in Texas's District 31
And she might just break the internet with the most persuasive political campaign ad ever created. (SLYT)
Listen, the rest of the world needs to get put on to grapenut.
If people want to write about my mum’s bathroom in her house, all I have to tell you is that 15 years ago, we were cleaning toilets in Stonebridge and getting breakfast out of the vending machine. If anybody deserves to be happy, it’s my mum. She came to this country with nothing and put herself through school cleaning bathrooms and changing bed sheets, and now she’s the director of a nursing home.And her son plays for England.
New Black Gothic
Is it an EP? Is it an LP? It certainly is NIN (with saxophone)
BAD WITCH has been released. 30 minutes of NIN being NIN where they are now. Trent talks about the album and other things. Worth a read and a listen.
"Work, love, build a house, and die. But build a house."
Prolific poet, writer, & former Poet Laureate of the United States, Donald Hall,
September 20, 1928 - June 23, 2018.
On poetry “It is beautiful ... there is no other purpose than the beauty of it. And that is reason enough to be.” [more inside]
It's not a diversity experiment.
In the City of South Fulton’s justice system, black women hold all the reins. The city is the first city in American history where every criminal justice department head is an African American woman. [more inside]
Natural Anthems
Reclaimed is an hour long CBC show focusing on indigenous music from all over the world. Each week, host Jarrett Martineau brings you sounds from the Indigenous next wave: artists reclaiming their culture through music and song, while paying respect to the previous generations that have set the stage for today’s diverse and inspiring talent to rise.
Every episode is now available for streaming, going back to the show's debut at the start of 2018 (currently approx. 25 hours of realllly good music).
performative activism
"For Gilbert Baker, sequins and rhinestones weren’t just fabulous. In his hands, they became political." Gilbert Baker, the ‘gay Betsy Ross’ (San Francisco Chronicle)
"I don't want to be 20, but I'm really freaking cool."
"I flaunt it," said Lyn Slater, a professor, model, and blogger. "I'm not 20. I don't want to be 20, but I'm really freaking cool. That's what I think about when I'm posting a photo." [more inside]
Into the Forest
Midsummer listening recommendations on BBC Radio 3 and 4. Over midsummer week, BBC Radio 3 explored the "the enchantment, escape and magical danger of the forest in summer", through words, music and soundscapes.
And if you need more, Radio 4's Pursuit of Beauty recent episodes include Colombian born artist, Alison Turnbull travelling to the tropical forest of Chocó on the Pacific coast in search of butterflies, and this week, going in search of musicality and sonic landscape of Virginia Woolf's world.
A Wes Anderson Versailles in Brooklyn
The Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn is a Victorian Banquet Hall. It's an over-the-top banquet hall, full of things to look at and nowhere to rest your eyes.
happy camper
David Lynch interview as Room to Dream, his biography is published. Discussion (audio only). 'It is calling, but there are a lot of disturbances' Lynch hints at the possibly of more Twin Peaks.
The most Instagrammable view in New York City [SLNYT]
"Situated in a neighborhood that's almost a caricature of urban grit — where the city's early-20th-century streetscape meets the Instagram-era — Washington Street has become a must-visit because of the way the buildings frame the Manhattan Bridge and the bridge, in turn, frames the Empire State Building beyond it." [more inside]
Helping your brain function better with music
The unexpected is what makes an impression Surprises fires up the neural signals in the brain way more than an expected outcome. It is no different when listening to music and the notes take a different path.
Free trip to slightly alternate universe provided via art
Yamaguchi Akira makes art that takes everyday aspects of Japanese modernity (department stores, highway intersections, telephone poles...) and makes them half medieval and half science fantasy, without losing their everydayness. The art is also really beautiful. (I would give anything to ride on one of his subway trains; he's also done the New York subway among his illustrations to Donald Keene's autobiography, sadly not findable online as far as I can tell.)
June 23
Are we in an existential crisis?
"We are a species that strives not just for survival, but also for significance. We want lives that matter. It is when people are not able to maintain meaning that they are most psychologically vulnerable." An opinion piece about society and our existential crises (SLNYT).
🍉🐶
Dog eating watermelon. Another dog eating a watermelon. More dog eating watermelon. Lots and lots of dogs eating watermelon. What's that, you want more dogs eating watermelon. A dog with flowers on its head eating a watermelon. A dog watermelon eating contest. A dog in a watermelon eating a watermelon. Two dogs in pink tutu dresses eating watermelon. Just another old dog eating a watermelon. Slow-motion dog eating watermelon. Two dogs enjoying watermelon in the backyard. Dogs sharing watermelon. Bonus capybara eating watermelon.
Bi-Medial
Looking at the current state of being bisexual on TV.
I was told so many lies about what being bisexual means that it took me 27 years to come out as bisexual myself. Friends shrugged that bisexual people just couldn’t make up their minds. Family members insisted that being gay or straight was one thing, but anything in between just didn’t make sense. And in a crushing blow, my beloved escape, television, insisted over and over that someone who might like men and women was a confused joke at best, and a slutty sinner at worst.[more inside]
Welcome to 2018
On Friday night the New South Wales Blues defeated Queensland Maroons 16-10 in the first ever Women’s State of Origin rugby match. After the contest, Queensland captain Karina Brown shared a kiss with her long time partner, NSW player Vanessa Foliaki. The National Rugby League had some words for any haters. [more inside]
There's No Right Way to Be Queer
There is a . . . tension running through this year’s Pride celebrations . . . it’s becoming harder for people who don’t present as the “right” kind of queer-identified person to feel welcome "The contrast is clear in triumphant, ecstatic celebrations of marriage equality, when trans people still can’t use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. Corporations are cashing in on these identities by selling gay-themed products during Pride Month — often referred to as 'rainbow capitalism' — but too often, the rainbow begins and ends with masculine gay men. 'There is a sense now of compulsory gayness,' said Josh Burford, the director of community engagement at the Invisible Histories Project." [more inside]
Blood Money
Lift bans on paying for human-blood plasma. "Plasma is used to make drugs such as factor VIII, which helps haemophiliacs’ blood to clot, and vaccines for rabies, tetanus and Rhesus disease. Almost 50m litres of it were used in 2015, enough to fill 20 Olympic swimming pools. America, the OPEC of plasma, produces 15 of those swimming-pool equivalents. Forget steel and cars: plasma makes up 1.6% of America’s total goods exports. The secret of this success is simple: America lets companies pay people for their plasma. ...The aversion to paid plasma rests on three reasonable-sounding but largely groundless propositions. "
The Luke Cage Syllabus
"Books are such a significant part of the dialogue in key scenes, and how often does any show feature a Black man with an affinity for books — as any character, much less the lead?" (The comments actually are mostly pretty good and have additional information!)
Can there be a “very good dog?”
Kant didn’t believe a dog like Mu could think or distinguish between bad and good because she isn’t self-aware. For this reason, she is not moral. This view—which is known as human exceptionalism—persists today. But increasingly philosophers and scientists argue that animals are moral and that we humans may just be insufficiently aware of their inner lives to understand how or why they decide to do what they do.
Come out Swingin'
Gentle Forest Jazz Band (Japanese-language site) is a 21 (or so) piece Japanese big band-style jazz group.
- Dolls Look the Moon - Come for the hot playing, goggle at the manic bandleader, and stay for the Andrews-sisters harmonies of the women after they make their way down the stairs.
- Otokotte Otokotte - In which our singers turn into goldfish and everyone plays barefoot in a river. Contains a traveling clarinet soloist.
- Nica's Band - Standout guest vocals, shoes, and posing by Nikaido Kazumi.
- Thrilling the Band - It's never good when you're being chased by someone in a black tinted motorcycle helmet. As more people join the pursuit, the band pulls out all the stops.
The Prince of Odometers
This is the inspiring tale of one number-loving man with a 2007 Honda Odyssey and a dream. Shortly after posting a photo of his carefully planned odometer reading to social media, MetaFilter's own freecellwizard was contacted by a senior editor from Jalopnik interested in sharing this heroic achievement with their readership. Later that afternoon, the Canadians came calling.
I didn’t even really think of myself as particularly Asian
And it’s sort of like — in my first fiction workshop, I wrote a story using Tagalog words, and I italicized them, because that’s what I was used to even back home, because I write in English. And it became a huge discussion for the class. Like, “why is she italicizing her words? Is that othering? Is that intentional? Is she writing for a white audience?”Isabel Yap talks about writing Filipino speculative fiction and learning to write for an American audience when you don't necessarily feel like you're Asian-American.
Get the funk up!
War and Pieced
The Annette Gero Collection of Quilts from Military Fabrics, currently on display at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, contains intricate and complex geometric quilts (Vimeo) made exclusively by men using richly dyed wools derived from British military and dress uniforms. Once termed “soldiers’ quilts” or “convalescent quilts,” the pieced textiles are most closely associated with the Crimean War as well as conflicts in India, South Africa, and other troubled regions of the British Empire during the nineteenth century. [more inside]
You Gotta Give The Butcher His Share
Daniel Kahn & The Painted Bird are a modern klezmer band whose music I discovered about a month ago. Their dark, yiddish-infused songs feel perfect for Trump's America, offering a witty, wise take on all the worst aspects of human nature. The accompanying music is utterly joyous, however. Among their best songs are March of the Jobless Corps Freedom is a Verb and The Butcher's Sher. [more inside]
June 22
The VVisdom of Crowds
11 horror movies that critics loved but (Rotten Tomatoes) audiences hated versus 12 horror movies that (Rotten Tomatoes) audiences loved but critics hated.
Ya smell that? Somethin’ stupid’s about ta happen!
"A few years back, I worked for a small, questionably honest used car dealership and repair shop. I'm a service writer, which means I'm the interface between customers (who are idiots) and the technicians (who are mostly felons). Think Tom Smykowski from Office Space. I will warn you ahead of time, I am not the hero of my stories, just the protagonist. There are no heroes in the car industry - we are all villains in our own ways." u/36055512 regales r/talesfromtechsupport with stories about Dishonest Used Car Dealership. [more inside]
"Mom! Dad! It's evil! Don't touch it!"
Brass Against The Machine
“...embraces the old by shaping it with a modern aesthetic.”
Octopath Traveler’ Brings it Back to JRPG Basics [Goomba Stomp] “The original Final Fantasy set the JRPG standard: heroes of good unite to combat the forces of evil. The NES’ limitations necessitated a simplistic approach, but there’s no denying it was an effective one. As time passed, more games added to the laundry list of JRPG tropes. Players took on the roles of brighteyed youths yearning for adventure or stoic warriors heeding the call of duty. There’s a certain charm and familiarity that comes with revisiting these stories in different forms. Octopath Traveler, the upcoming Square Enix game on the Switch, capitalizes hard on that. However, rather than relying on nostalgia to prop itself up, Octopath factors it into its own unique design.” [YouTube][Game Trailer] [more inside]
Don't play with nature boys, it'll sort you out!
The Mahlongwa River needs to be in that Ocean RIGHT NOW! Watch as a tiny trickle turns into a raging torrent.
Part One and Part Two
Sitting in skirts
When designing a conference, who do you expect to be on stage? What do they need?
I was recently set to co-host an event. I wore a cute blue dress that ended just at my knees. This, I soon learned, was a mistake. My male co-host and I were seated on two tall stools. As he chatted up the audience, the dress slowly crept up my legs. I spent the entire event balanced precariously at the edge of the stool, legs crossed, trying not to move too much so I wouldn’t inadvertently flash the audience. When I thought maybe nobody was looking—which made no sense, since there were only two of us on stage—I lightly tugged my dress down.[more inside]
I don't want to break it apart
ちえのわ feat.峯田和伸 (Chie No Wa, or Wisdom Ring, feat. Kazunobu Mineta) - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra [SLYT]
We call them otmorozki
No alcohol, weekly training sessions, and an unwavering dedication to fighting football fans: the life of a Russian hooligan, as told to an unsuspecting English fan (reporter) in Moscow
SHORTWAVEMUSIC
ShortWaveMusic (2005-2013) was a global sound project and documentary series which aimed to preserve the sound of regional and international broadcasting around the world. Recordings include low-power and community stations, pirate and clandestine transmissions, and traditional international broadcasters. (previously)
Up with vegetable soup... down with plastic soup
In the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, sellers and manufacturers of foodstuffs are experimenting with different ways to reduce plastic packaging. Free plastic shopping bags are already a thing of the past in, among other countries, the Netherlands; as a result, more and more Dutch shoppers show up with their own reusable bags, and usage of plastic bags has dropped by 71%. [more inside]
robot security system
Fodor's No List.
Though in the business of selling travel to people, long-time guidebook company Fodor's is now also advising you where not to go. The inaugural list in 2017 told us what was too dull or crowded or full of Zika virus to rate a visit, and where you should go instead. The 2018 list is more focused on the damage that too much tourism is doing to a number of areas and places that don't rate getting your money because of human rights issues. [more inside]
The first glimpse of Kubrick’s genius
Stanley Kubrick was 17 when he joined Look magazine in 1945 as a staff photographer, shooting feature stories all over his hometown of New York City. He spent the next five years working on stories that focused on New Yorkers and their daily lives. Looking back at Kubrick’s early photos, one can get a glimpse of what he would he eventually become.
Words to piss you off
Why Do We Hate Certain Words? The curious phenomenon of word aversion.
Queer Love In Color
A celebration of being black and in love. As a visual journalist, I believe pictures can connect with people in a way that other forms of media can’t. To this end, I decided to give a gift to my younger self: the imagery of queer love I’ve never seen.
4,000-year-old stew
Teams from Yale, Harvard, and elsewhere recently met up to try recipes recorded on ancient Babylonian tablets, possibly the oldest surviving recipes in the world.
“Having an understanding of what the food is supposed to feel and taste like is very important,” says Lassen. “We didn’t know what we were looking for. When we were recreating one of the recipes I kept thinking they were doing this wrong, ‘this is not how I would make this.’ And then when it had boiled for a while it suddenly transformed itself into something delicious.” [more inside]