August 5, 2017
"a star that shoots little stars out of its legs"
National Treasure Alexandra Petri ( /ˈpiːtraɪ/ PEE-try) recently visited her childhood home and discovered an example of her own early work:
friends apologies but here are a number of tweets because I have discovered a catalog I made when I was in second grade(Alexandra Petri previously) [more inside]
I had read a LOT of catalogs and knew what the house style was but I did not anticipate the length required so it went quickly off the rails [Storified]
Animorphs as Trans Parable
"When I meet trans people for the first time, especially in mixed company, I’ll sometimes try out this line where I mention Animorphs offhand, as if I don’t take it seriously, as if I didn’t spend the majority of my first puberty wishing that I were turning into a bird or a tiger instead of into a young woman. More often than not, trans folks will say something to me like, “Oh my god, right? Tobias was totally trans!” Cisgender people will usually take this as their cue to get another drink."
Somebody gonna win, somebody gonna lose, that's my pay right there.
Somebody gonna win, somebody gonna lose, that's my pay right there. In the historical maritime attraction that is Mystic Seaport, in Mystic CT, a lecture and demonstration and concert is given about what it was like to be a fisherman south of the Mason Dixon in the days before the Power Block. Black Sea Chanties are not only a thing, they are amazing and beautiful.
Discerning Russian Propaganda in Social Media
Hamilton68 is a site that highlights the stories and links being pushed by known Russian propaganda sources on social media. FAQ.
Misogyny based on flawed/erroneous/outdated social science theories
A software engineer’s 10-page screed against Google’s diversity initiatives is going viral inside the company. The document’s existence was first reported by Motherboard, and Gizmodo has obtained and published it in full. The memo, a lengthy MRA-rant, is the personal opinion of a male Google employee and is titled “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber." The author argues that women are underrepresented in tech not because they face bias and discrimination in the workplace, but because of inherent psychological differences between men and women. Motherboard has an internal response from Danielle Brown, Google's new VP of Diversity, Integrity & Governance. [more inside]
The Secret Life of the City Banana
Millions of bananas arrive every week in New York City. It takes a lot to get them from the boat to the bodega. (SLNYT) [more inside]
War is Stupid and Performance Rights Organizations are Stupid
Three weeks ago, Congress proposed a global, centralized music database to ensure that artists get paid on every streaming platform. And, every other platform — digital, physical, and analog — for that matter.
It was an ambitious first step. But just one of several competing database initiatives. And the beginning of a pernicious intra-industry war.
In Beijing, 20 Million People Pretend to Live
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
What effects has the widespread use of smartphones had on kids? "The arrival of the smartphone has radically changed every aspect of teenagers’ lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health. These changes have affected young people in every corner of the nation and in every type of household. The trends appear among teens poor and rich; of every ethnic background; in cities, suburbs, and small towns." [more inside]
The Ethics of Adjusting Your Assets to Qualify for Medicaid
Where the hell did this stuff come from?
Who's shipping what where? This interactive map of all freight, by category, in the USA. So much activity some places, so little in others. No doubt a truer picture of our real world here than your ordinary maps.
So much meat from Jersey to New York? Does anything happen in Wyoming?
Naturally, a lit of political conclusions can be reached from this, too!
People standing on top of things: Norwegian outdoor edition
While the tourist board of Norway already arguably has the easiest job in the world, with fjords, the aurora borealis, arctic landscapes or just everything, drones add another dimension. Now, it's easy to capture the Norwegian pursuit of standing on top of scenery. For example, Norway from Above 2 (especially 3:33 onwards) contains several examples, as does the prequel (1:40 onwards, vertigo). Or, also by Mathias Haughom, there is Trolltunga (and more). Of course, there is also the famous and busy Preikestolen (Preacher/Pulpit Rock) and more, and also by Simen Haughom there is the Kjerag boulder and some more Lofoten. Of course, what goes up...
What If Obama Said It?
Forever and ever
Motörhead's previously unreleased version of David Bowie's classic 'Heroes'... a new covers album will be out in September. [more inside]
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