September 18
Three and/or Sixty-One Literary Bears
Patricia Lockwood (LRB, 08/12/2021), "Pull Off My Head": "Is Bear one of those 1970s books about growing out your armpit hair? Kind of, but not only. Is it a metaphor for our relationship to nature? Fuck off." Marlena Williams (LitHub, 10/23/2020), "Sylvia Plath... Nature Writer?": "'The Fifty-Ninth Bear' taught me about the darker, sulfuric thing bubbling under the surface of love, and I became a person suspicious of heterosexual romance, uninterested in marriage." Naomi Ishiguro (Granta, 02/03/2020), "Bear": "For a moment I was almost proud of her, even if it did mean we had to bring back this vast sixty-five-pound bear, to share our home with us."
FULL BEAST
The Bangladesh Safety Accord has been renewed.
Originally postponed for renewal by the pandemic, garment brands and global unions have come to an agreement on workplace safety. The original accord grew out of a response to several factory fires in Bangladesh in 2010 where workers were killed due to unsafe working conditions. The deal has only been renewed for two years, and many major US brands, such as Walmart, the Gap, JC Penney, have refused to sign it. It has received scant attention in US mainstream media.
H&M and Zara are among the major brands that have signed on to renew; however, campaigners are calling upon everyone to do more, to also protect workers wages. [more inside]
Assassins
Stephen Sondheim was being stymied by historical events. After the truly massive success of Into The Woods, he delved into darker subjects for his next show, 1990's Assassins. An exploration of the American Dream and the broken people it fails, the show opened Off-Broadway just a month before the First Gulf War began. Public sentiment during wartime didn't favor criticism of US culture, and the show never transferred to Broadway. When it finally did land on The Great White Way in 2004, THAT production was delayed from its intended 2001 opening due to 9/11. Here is a "C-grade" VHS audience filming of the Broadway Production from 2004, with Neal Patrick Harris and Michael Cerveris. It's watchable, but it isn't great. [more inside]
“I’ve had the greatest job... and I feel like the luckiest person"
After a 35-year run leading Chicago’s most prestigious theater company, Goodman Theatre artistic director Robert Falls is to resign, effective at the end of the current season in August 2022. [more inside]
September 17
volunteering, mistakes, & "when we get the least signaling about it"
"We have to be willing to let someone else make mistakes and do it worse sometimes." Marissa Lingen reminds us that it's important to step back from particular volunteer jobs if you've been doing them for a long time -- for your own sake, and for the health of the organization. And: "Also of concern, and very hard to bring up: sometimes A’s skills slip for one reason or another. Yes, you. Even if you’re A.....we never think it’s us. We never think, I bet I’m the problem here."
Modern Sounds at the Mother Church
Adia Victoria's version of "You Was Born To Die" (feat. Kyshona, Margo Price, & Jason Isbell) knocked me flat. She's one of the seven women of color set to open Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit's upcoming series of concerts at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Sound up, enjoy the YT jukebox. [more inside]
There will be no dice required for this phase
ProZD: ameritrash vs euro games.
That is all.. That's the video.
Life inside of a US detention center
(cw: physical and sexual abuse)
Earlier today, Project South released their collaborative report, Medical Abuse of Immigrants Detained at the Irwin County Detention Center [pdf full text], detailing the results of their investigation into and eventual success at shutting down just one of hundreds of ICE detention facilities that exist in the US [more inside]
How old do you have to be to consent to your own healthcare?
There is no fixed age for adulthood in England and Wales. At age 10 you have full criminal responsibility for your actions, at 14 you can get a job, at 16 you can change your name, at 18 you can buy alcohol, at 21 you can adopt a child. Since 1986 and the case of Gillick vs West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority (judgement) there has been no fixed age at which you can consent to your own healthcare treatment, overriding parental consent. Instead the competency to consent of a child under 16 is determined by the relevant treating physician on an individual basis, known as Gillick competence. Guidelines for its application were provided by in the judgement by Lord Fraser. [more inside]
The economists’ reassurances were closer to hopeful guesses
Benjamin Franta has published an paper about the role economists in think tanks and academia played in global warming denial.
A whole new way to make electronic music
In a way, Bespoke is like if I smashed Ableton to bits with a baseball bat, and asked you to put it back together. [more inside]
A background noise generator that truly has it all
Minnesota police: Please help us not shoot you
Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety is offering a “Not-Reaching Pouch.” "It’s a clear plastic pouch ... for storing a driver’s license and insurance information. The idea is that the pouches will help reduce the likelihood of officers panicking and shooting drivers who are reaching for their documents during traffic stops. ... 'We are continually looking for ways to reduce deadly force encounters as these instances can be catastrophic for police officers, and community members,' said DPS Assistant Commissioner Booker Hodges." [more inside]
Creating is the most intense excitement one can come to know.
Typewriters and tactile textiles: How Anni Albers brought a modernist touch to the ancient art of weaving -
Maria Müller-Schareck in Kvadrat Interwoven [more inside]
"disgrace and pride, forgetting and remembering, change and stasis”
Where the Devil Don't Stay: Traveling the South with the Drive-By Truckers: "The book is partly a band biography of the Drive-By Truckers, partly a travelogue through the South they depict in their songs, and partly an examination of the cultural and political underpinnings of their music. The chapters are all grounded in specific places—including the Shoals, Birmingham, Memphis, Richmond, and Athens, Georgia. Geography is more prominent than chronology, although it does trace their arc from southern rock band to American Band. That 2016 album is renowned for its very explicit political songwriting, but I argue that their songs have always had a political edge to them. They have always grappled with gun violence, income inequality, extremism of all kinds, the urban/rural divide, Confederate flag and monuments and Southern iconography in general, but for most of their career they did so through the filter of characters and stories and places. On American Band they confronted these matters very directly and very explicitly, which has carried over to The Unraveling and The New OK." (Bookshop/University of Texas Press) [more inside]
The Pinball Wizard of Illinois
"McLean, Illinois, has a population of 750 people and 100 pinball machines." The tiny Illinois town, 15 miles outside Bloomington-Normal, is experiencing a downtown revival after a pinball collector opened not one but two pinball arcades. [more inside]
Plainte - Chekoua - Lamentation / Épreuve - Mihna - Hardship
Chris Silver (Gharamaphone): "In May 2020, I posted Sariza Cohen's stunning recording of 'أَشْكُوا الْغَـرَامَ' (Ashku al-gharam) [Soundcloud], released ... in 1938. This is the other side of that record [Soundcloud]. It is no less remarkable. Here the pianist and vocalist from Oran performs a composition by Algerian Jewish impresario Edmond Nathan Yafil." More on Yafil in "Breaking the Colonial Spell" by Jonathan Glasser, whose introductory anthro lecture "What is a Boundary Good For?" also reflects on Line Monty, Alice Fitoussi, and Salim Hilali. A detail connecting her to music trends in metropolitan France and the US is that Sariza Cohen's brothers operated the well-known Café des Ambassadeurs (producing a revue by Cole Porter) and Maxsa record label (helping popularize jazz etc.).
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September 16
Beginning of the end for religious exemption of vaccine mandates?
A hospital system in Arkansas wants to make sure anyone claiming religious exemption to vaccines is sincere, by also making them attest, acknowledge, and affirm that they object to the use of fetal cell lines in testing and development of not just vaccines, but some of the most common OTC medicines such as Tylenol, Tums, Preparation H, Prilosec, Zoloft, Claritin, Sudafed, Benadryl, Motrin, Lipitor... all in all about 30 or so, which is hardly a complete list of OTC medicine that used such cell lines.
The president of the Health Group saw an uptick in religious exemptions for the COVID vaccine that was WAY over the typical seasonal request over the flu vaccine. [more inside]
The president of the Health Group saw an uptick in religious exemptions for the COVID vaccine that was WAY over the typical seasonal request over the flu vaccine. [more inside]
Concrete Thinking
"What’s the most underrated material in the modern world? How about CONCRETE?
Often dismissed as boring, ugly & inert. Concrete is actually surprising, dynamic & incredibly complex. With that in mind here are a few reasons why we need to start talking about concrete" (a Twitter thread from Ed Conway; Threadreader version). [more inside]
"you are asked to believe them. But I am an unreliable narrator."
"Impairment phenomenology is different from other kinds of phenomenology in that it does not assume a subject in command of their own faculties." Scholar Jonathan Sterne has written a forthcoming book, Diminished Faculties: A Political Phenomenology of Impairment; the introduction is now available (PDF, 54 pages, 2.5MB). The introduction briefly explains what phenomenology is, and discusses disability simulations, Sterne's own experience of thyroid cancer and an acquired impairment in his voice, the "humanities 'we'", policy implications, the interior voice, and more. It also includes excerpts from Sterne's blog posts about his disability, and a cute illustration called "Things That Are 7.5 Centimeters". [more inside]
RIP Sir Clive Sinclair 1940–2021
[wikipedia] Sir Clive Marles Sinclair (30 July 1940 – 16 September 2021) was an English entrepreneur and inventor, most commonly known for his work in consumer electronics in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He passed away on the morning of 16 September 2021 after a long illness. [more inside]
That's a Lot of Dead People and Crime
Let Me Say This With As Much Sensitivity As I Can: Wow, That’s a Lot of Dead People and Crime. Ben Mathis-Lilley at Slate on the long, strange history of disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh's family.
Proise, Grantfulness, Glofe, and most of all, Chart
With so many disasters pumelling the UK simultaneously—Brexit, Covid, GB News—it's nice to see that our most famous sponge monarch has decided to share her innermost thoughts with us as a balm to a broken nation. Queen Elizabeth II is now issuing a digital newsletter, defiantly written in her own hand and controversially available to aristocrats and commoners alike, and it's a true delight. The latest royal retelling? Wondruful I Just foumd Proncess Diano Skleneton Isnade A Suit Or Amror [more inside]
Rolling Stone's New List of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
Let the arguing begin. Rolling Stone first published its 500 Greatest Songs list in 2004, when the iPod was relatively new and Billie Eilish was three years old. Music has changed immeasurably since, so they remade the list from scratch.
What's the smallest amount you can spend for a million of something?
An ongoing twitter thread exploring the lowest it's possible to spend to get a million of something.
"Manufactured products only, must be ordered by specific quantity written on the pack or in singles ('pack of 10'). Must not be ordered by volume ('ml')."
It measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile
Enough with the GDP — it's time to measure genuine progress - "Unlike GDP, the Genuine Progress Indicator is designed to measure economic performance from the perspective of ordinary American households, not corporations or Wall Street investors."[1,2] [more inside]
September 15
How do you like them books?
eBooks vs Printed Books: Which are better?
The history of the book starts with the development of writing, paper and printing.
Now there's an ongoing debate over which is better - e-books or paper books. [more inside]
The history of the book starts with the development of writing, paper and printing.
Now there's an ongoing debate over which is better - e-books or paper books. [more inside]
I could be anymeme you like
Volume warning
"The Federal Signal Thunderbolt siren is one of the most famous 'older sirens' in the history of sirens." Check out the high-low fire signal on this one in Sarnia, ON, one that's flooded, in Maysville, OK, one on full alert in Seminole, OK, an alternate wail in Saint Paul, NE, an unwell example in Riceville, IA, or watch private owners of various Thunderbolt models test out their siren in the yard, demonstrate the Thunderbolt's "chopper" levels, the hi-lo solenoid, its "pulse signal," a decoupled "blower" in action, extra blower action, or dual Thunderbolts in concert. [more inside]
Lil Nas X Gala Look Behind The Scenes
Behind Lil Nas X's Royal Met Gala Looks [6m27s YouTube video from Vogue] I thought it was fun to watch him have fun with very expensive clothing. Also, great looks!
A Musical Interlude...
Skylark, a 1941 popular song with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by Hoagy Carmichael and the jazz stylings of Ella Fitzgerald...
Brutes
Rewild Your Attention
"If you want to have wilder, curiouser thoughts, you have to avoid the industrial monocropping of big-tech feeds. You want an intellectual forest, overgrown with mushrooms and towering weeds and a massive dead log where a family of raccoons has taken up residence." Clive Thompson's "Rewilding Your Attention" (Medium) is a brief reflection on the value of seeking out idiosyncratic content. Time to go for a random walk in the woods.
Courtney’s Story
"“‘Oh my God, please tell the truth,'” she recalled saying as Meyer spoke. “I was on my hands and knees, going, ‘Please tell the truth, Urban, please.'”
Urban Meyer would fail Courtney Smith that day, and he wasn’t alone. Defector’s conversations with Courtney and those who are close to her, as well as the examination of hundreds of pages of records from law enforcement, the courts, and Ohio State, reveal the many ways that people and institutions across Ohio acted to primarily protect themselves rather than Courtney."
CW:Abuse [more inside]
I'll paint you mornings of gold, I'll spin you Valentine evenings
The Labyrinth (of Jareth) Masquerade Ball is an annual dance and narrative theatrical event, based in Los Angeles and inspired by the As The World Falls Down sequence from Jim Henson's Labyrinth (Fanfare). Photo galleries of attendees' elaborate costumes from the last seven years: '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19. (The ball is planned to return in 2022 after two years of health and safety concerns.) An article at Cosplay Culture goes into more detail about the ball's evolving storyline and how much work goes into it each year.
My hovercraft is full of eels
How to Say What You Need to Say in Another Language. "You know those language textbook dialogues? Where people seem to talk more about silverware (“the fork, the knife”) and what color things are more than any real person ever does and, having mastered these locutions, you get off the plane in a place where the language is spoken and can barely figure out how to say, “How do I get outside?”" [more inside]
Get off my lawn
In which a guy decries Sally Rooney, praises Ottessa Moshfegh, ties himself into a knot about Philip Roth, dumps on Ben Lerner, and includes the names Toni Morrison, Raven Leilani, and Zadie Smith.
On singleness, self-sufficiency and masculinity
There is no real guidebook for a woman alone in her home. No one threw me a shower. To give me pots and pans. The ones I’d left behind and couldn’t afford to replace. No one to give me hammers and socket wrenches. No one told me about furnace filters or gutter cleaning or caulking. There was only me and a house and a vast gap of knowledge. Single homeowner Lyz Lenz thanks the dads of YouTube. [more inside]
The Innovation of Modular Housing: How Buildings Learn Pattern Languages
Apartments Built on an Assembly Line [ungated] - "The pandemic put a general crimp in housing construction, but made a California factory that churns out prefabricated housing extra busy."[1,2] [more inside]
September 14
Amu Darya, Brahmaputra, Ganga, Indus, Irrawaddy, Mekong, Yangtze
The Third Pole is a multilingual site focused on the Himalayan Mountains, the rivers that originate there and the stories of the peoples who live in its watersheds. Stories on unravelling air pollution in Asia. Songs about loss, longing and rivers in Bangladesh. Photos of the communities threatened by the Cambodian government's ambitious development. Don't miss the videos. [more inside]
The most popular Canadian compilation of all time
An oral history of Big Shiny Tunes, a series of alt rock compilation albums (example) released by MuchMusic.
We Need(ed) a Resolution
Due to the grace of the 'Lord,' the important label Blackground Records is releasing its catalog to Digital Streaming Platforms thru Oct 1 of this year.
That means Aaliyah, Timbaland & Magoo, Toni Braxton, JoJo and Ashley Parker Angel (and R&B artist Tank) get to be heard by - roughly - a new gen.
On top of that, Blackground is releasing a lot of videos on YouTube, including gems that you already know: We Need a Resolution, Rock the Boat and Try Again (all by Aaliyah). [more inside]
BEEFTANK FOREVER
In the newest Fumble Dimension, Jon and Kofie pull the man, the myth, the legend - Clarence BEEFTANK - out of retirement to see if they can create an eternal play in Madden.
"That's right - it's a funny name."
"I create mostly by weaving materials found in nature."
Charlie Baker is an artist and builder that makes many kinds of structures and art pieces out of woven branches. He was recently interviewed by Wired [YT] as part of their Obsessed video series.
mathematic mandalas
"People like him love standard procedure"
Two short scifi/fantasy stories in which customer service folks get to reward customers who treat them well, or punish those who treat them badly. Dyce writes about an isolated refueling station: "Out-of-hours fuelling requires a prior appointment." Aimee Ogden writes about a coffeeshop: "his coffee comes with a nice cantrip that'll help him send all his emails for the next week with zero typos and exactly the right number of exclamation marks."
Le positivisme
Massimiliano Simons (@MassSimons), a philosopher of science at the University of Ghent, is tweeting charming illustrated threads about French philosophers of science and positivists from the turn of the 19th/20th century, figures who sometimes get forgotten or lazily lumped together in anglophone history and philosophy of science. [more inside]
September 13
Digital Light
Meet the Little-Known Genius Who Helped Make Pixar Possible [ungated] - "Alvy Ray Smith helped invent computer animation as we know it—then got royally shafted by Steve Jobs. Now he's got a vision for where the pixel will take us next."[1,2,3] [more inside]