April 6, 2019
Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (A.S.M.R.)
How A.S.M.R. Became a Sensation. "The brain-tingling feeling was a hard-to-describe psychological oddity. Until, suddenly, it was a YouTube phenomenon." [more inside]
The pottery wheel scene is particularly poignant
Little Big - Skibidi (Romantic Edition). The band recently released a music video for a remix of their hit earworm (previously, previously) to publicize their upcoming tour. [more inside]
"Little Miss Colfax" Kept the Light on -- for Ann
Harriet Colfax was appointed keeper of the Michigan City Lighthouse in 1861 at the age of 37, a patronage appointment from her cousin Congressman (later Vice President) Schuyler Colfax; she served for 43 years in the physically-demanding and frequently dangerous position, retiring at the age of 80. She is noted by historians for her detailed log entries. Along with the job came a house, where she lived with her companion and fellow spinster Ann Hartwell, a teacher, librarian, and bookseller. The two lived together for more than 50 years, and died within a couple of weeks of each other. [more inside]
New bills would ban pelvic exams without consent. TW: sexual assault
“It’s a pure violation to find out after the fact that you had individuals examining you for no medical benefit” [more inside]
DIY DIY diddle dee diddle...
Bagpipes are normally made like this. Homemade bagpipes can be made from a bunch of recorders, rubber gloves, duct tape and straws, condoms, and PVC piping.
Happiness is a warm dog
Give 'Em Enough Rope
The Ladies' Scottish Climbing Club of 1908. No harnesses, crampons, or boots: "To be decent, they would start their climbs in their restrictive, long skirts. However, when no men were around they would often discard these to climb in knickerbockers: knee length trousers that could be hidden under dresses." (Via Feminist Friday)
What makes a country song country enough for charts?
Back in November 2001, the Billboard Country Charts were topped by "I Wanna Talk About Me" (YouTube), Toby Keith's "country-rap" single (Washington Post, archived). Recently, an unlikely cross-over from Lil Nas X, "Old Town Road" (YT) charted on Billboard's Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts simultaneously, until Billboard removed the track from its Hot Country Songs list (NPR), and later provided its justification to Rolling Stone, which sparked further reactions (Okay Player) and rebuttals (The Guardian). Then Lil Nas X scored a remix with Billy Ray Cyrus (YT), who defended the song's country cred (People).
The Sahara has become an open-air cemetery
“The Gatekeepers of Europe: Outsourcing Border Controls to Africa” (42½min video, .mp4, magnet) Across North, West and East Africa billions of € in aid is directed by European nations to border enforcement and rounding up migrants and refugees. More people now die in the desert en route to Europe than drown in the Mediterranean. The Janjaweed militia who participated in the genocide in Darfur now carry out border security operations as part of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary. [more inside]
Where's the bovine lipid extract surfactant?
How an inconspicuous slaughterhouse keeps the world’s premature babies alive (Content Warning: descriptions of animal slaughter which get fairly visceral about two-thirds of the way into the story.)
“So tell whoever got it locked that Nipsey Hussle stole the key”
Nipsey Hussle: a hip-hop samaritan who lifted up Los Angeles [The Guardian] “Ermias Asghedom, the rapper better known as Nipsey Hussle, knew his worth and implored his community to know theirs. Raised in Los Angeles, where he also died on Sunday afternoon in a shooting outside his Marathon Clothing store,” [more inside]
ASMR For White Liberals
The Wolfman Museum - A rest stop for the weary internet traveler
The Wolfman Museum - An Art Museum... IN SPACE A bit of a mad cross between a link aggregator and an old point-and-click adventure game. [more inside]
1,000 Years of Literary Tradition
The Library of Congress has digitized the Rare Persian-Language Manuscript Collection. Some highlights are presented on the About this Collection page.
From Atlas Obscura.
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