December 22
"The Christian Nationalist playbook for undermining public education"
In an unprecedented move (ProPublica), Ohio is funding the expansion of private, religious schools (WOSU). Nonprofit announces investigation (Columbus Dispatch).
Holiday cheer
How Whisky Is Made
"How Whisky Is Made" is a charming 3D animation that helped me understand the process better than any written description had.
Not my first association
TIL there's a Japanese brand of tampon named for Anne Frank. The reason why is actually not as strange as you might think.
Limited time remained, certainly in the office and possibly in the world
This was dissociative, diminutive work, and time passed vertiginously, minutes and seconds overlapping on my teammates’ unsynchronized doomsday clocks until the day concluded with a final collective effort at preservation. All quality assurance analysts—not Cindy, for hierarchical reasons—would convene in the photocopy room to ensure that, come what may on December 31, 1999, the deliverables from our day’s labor would be archived, in print, in perpetuity. The only times we really spoke to each other in an uncurated fashion were over the blinding flashes and tray clicks of the Minolta copy machine. There we would discuss our commuting woes, roommate dramas, awkward dates, student loan repayment plans, as well as a rather unarticulated feeling of: What? from The Contingency Contingent by Leigh Clare la Berge [n+1; ungated]
December 21
Inside the creation of a First Nations superhero universe
Inside the creation of a First Nations superhero universe. Gooniyandi man Scott Wilson grew up superhero-obsessed, but he never saw his own culture in the comic books he'd get lost in. So he decided to create his own.
Cunk On Life
Walking Around In Locations with Philomena Cunk returns to explain the meaning of life. Somehow, this will all make sense. [more inside]
Merry Smissmas!
The story of Team Fortress 2 (as told through its comics) has been concluded in a really long comic titled "The Days Have Worn Away." You can read it online, or download the (3/4 of a gigabyte!) CBR.
Glorious Trash
Glorious Trash has been "trawling the depths of forgotten fiction" for the past 14 years. The depth of its Men's Adventure coverage is suggested by there being 50 entries just for the Nick Carter: Killmaster series alone. But there are also Tough Cops, Post-Nuke Pulps, Ninjas, Nazi She-Devils, and just plain Sleaze. Worth a visit just for the cover art. [more inside]
We Can Bury Anyone
Private messages detail an alleged campaign to tarnish Blake Lively after she accused Justin Baldoni of misconduct on the set of “It Ends With Us.” During shooting, Blake Lively, the co-star, had complained that Justin Baldoni, the director and a star of the film, and Jamey Heath, the lead producer, had repeatedly violated physical boundaries and made sexual and other inappropriate comments to her. By August, the two men, who had positioned themselves as feminist allies in the #MeToo era, expressed fears that her allegations would become public and taint them, according to a legal complaint that she filed Friday. It claims that their P.R. effort had an explicit goal: to harm Ms. Lively’s reputation instead. [more inside]
Rickey Henderson passes away at 65
Rickey Henderson, the greatest Oakland A’s player of all time, has died at age 65
Henderson often referred to himself in the third person, and throughout his career there was no shortage of “Rickey” stories. Some were confirmed, others simply enhanced his mythical stature as one of baseball’s most entertaining characters:
In the early 1980s the A’s couldn’t balance their accounts until they discovered Henderson had failed to cash a $1 million check, instead framing it on his wall at home. A’s insiders insist this did happen.
He holds the all-time steals record, swiping a total of 1,406 bases in his career, 2,295 runs scored, and 81 leadoff home runs
Widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history, he was a staple of the great Oakland A's teams of the 80's and 90's. [more inside]
A Christmas star
Scientists are fortifying a national park
Countless animals could be saved from extinction thanks to this national park.
Scientists are fortifying a national park at the southern tip of Australia's mainland to keep invasive predators away from endangered native plants and animals.
Kenji López-Alt: Alcohol, we need to talk
Chef and all round nice human J. Kenji López-Alt (many previouslies) recently came out as an alcoholic, and wanted to share publicly his journey with alcohol, addiction, and recovery (text transcript). [more inside]
The Woman Who Made Us All Italian
Twelfth Night Till Candlemas
This post is about finally finding a book from one’s youth forty years later – and after nearly thirty years of searching. It is also a tale about goblins and Christmas decorations; about the perils of ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence; and about the real value of librarians, cataloguers, indexers, and archivists – what should be called the Noble Professions. And it is an account that ends with not one but two wonderful events.
How 3D Printing Helps Sea Turtles with Bubble Butt Syndrome
Bubble Butt, also known as positive buoyancy syndrome, is an increasingly common disorder among turtles like Charlotte, a male green sea turtle at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. The syndrome is caused by trauma — typically from run-ins with boats — and creates an irregularity in the turtles’ shells that traps air, crowds their organs, and makes it very difficult to swim normally... Dr. Flower and the rest of the veterinary team realized they needed to think outside the box for a solution, and 3D printing was at the top of the list.
Steve de Jarnatt's "Miracle Mile"
Miracle Mile (1988) has the logic of one of those nightmares in which you’re sure something is terrible, hopeless and dangerous, but you can’t get anyone to listen to you. Besides, you have a sneaking suspicion that you might be mistaken. The film begins as a low-key, boy-meets-girl story, and then a telephone is answered by the wrong person and everything goes horribly wrong. Much of the movie’s diabolical effectiveness comes from the fact that it never reveals, until the very end, whether the nightmare is real, or only some sort of tragic misunderstanding. - Roger Ebert (assume spoilers everywhere, inclduing below the fold)
gentle into that good night
Here in the waning days of the administration of Joe Biden, two stories: From the WSJ, "How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden in Charge," tracing the president's inner circle's efforts to keep tight control over access. And from the NYT, "A Weary Biden Heads for the Exit," offering a portrait of the president's final moments as the most powerful man in the world. (WSJ archive; NYT archive) [more inside]
In his day, no translator was more important, or more prolific
There is, though, a catch. I have been referring to Mansouri as a “translator.” But by contemporary standards, the most popular translator in the history of Iran translated hardly anything at all. Most of his works are a hodgepodge of source text mixed with his own additions and musings, which he offered so generously as to sometimes overwhelm the original. In some cases, the author of the book Mansouri was supposedly translating didn’t even exist. He would write something of his own, then make up a French name and publish his work under the fictive author’s byline. Many would say that one of the most popular literary figures of twentieth-century Iran was a full-blown charlatan. from In Search of Zabihollah Mansouri [The Yale Review]
He's mysterious, scary and feathered — and he brings presents
He's mysterious, scary and feathered — and he brings presents to outback kids.
While many Australians await the arrival of Santa Claus, some kids in outback Australia are celebrating with their own unique Christmas icon, Wangkarnal the Christmas Crow.
December 20
Creative Computing
"The more we go online, the less we show up in person."
Welcome to the human doom loop "Throughout the pandemic, the media focused on the idea of the “urban doom loop,” in which remote work would kill downtowns, triggering a downward spiral of reduced services that would cause people to leave cities. What went overlooked has turned out to be the bigger and even more consequential story: the human doom loop, a cycle in which people stop connecting in real life, reducing the quality of in-person activities and the physical realm itself, further discouraging IRL activities, and so on. Nearly five years after the pandemic, it’s not the real estate we need to worry about. It’s us."
Classical KING FM 98.1
The Keith Richards Connection
Today, Keith Richards turns 81. It’s a hopeless cliche to talk about all the stuff that Richards has survived, so I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to say that Keith Richards is now 81 years old. He is one year younger than Joe Biden and three years older than Donald Trump. To celebrate Richards’ big day, Susanna Hoffs and Elvis Costello have gotten together to cover “Connection,” a song from the Rolling Stones’ 1967 album Between The Buttons.
Got crabs? Otters maybe the solution.
Southern sea otters are an unexpected solution to invasive European Green Crabs that have been ravishing eco systems on the west coast of North America.
Winter cycling in Winnipeg: "My world is so much bigger now"
Commuting to work by bicycle in the winter can be a challenge - especially in the (arguably) coldest city in Canada. But that doesn't stop Daniel Perry, professional double bassist in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. [more inside]
Tiny handfish babies delight scientists
At just a few millimetres in length, tiny handfish babies delight scientists.
They may look a little like popcorn, but these baby red handfish are giving hope for the species' survival.
Drew Magary's yearly hate-post!
The 2024 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog Festivus Airing of Grievances season has officially started!
Casual Viewing
Netflix’s movies don’t have to abide by any of the norms established over the history of cinema: they don’t have to be profitable, pretty, sexy, intelligent, funny, well-made, or anything else that pulls audiences into theater seats (sln+1) [more inside]
Burning Bright
Tasmanian tigers are extinct. Why do people keep seeing them?+ Maybe because they... aren't extinct? As well as searching for thylacines himself, Forrest Galante has been reviewing sightings of them for years. Tiger sightings have a long history in Tasmania and on the Australian mainland. Could it have been hiding out in New Guinea all along? [more inside]
Beefsteak Charlie's
Beefsteak Charlie promised, "You're gonna get spoiled". Beefsteak Charlie promised, "I'll feed you like there's no tomorrow." And with unlimited shrimp - plus unlimited beer, wine, or sangria - there wouldn't be. [more inside]
countdown to shutdown
First, an unelected businessman tanked the budget proposal that would keep the government's lights on a bit longer, prompting ecstatic talk of promotion to Speaker of the House. Next, a businessman who is not yet President made a budget proposal, but like most of his businesses, it fell through. Deep divisions are already beginning to show. Now the race is on: Can Congress come up with a budget they can agree on, by midnight tonight? If not, it's going to be a dark Christmas.
I am but a man like yourselves
It's Friday in the Muslim world, and that means... it's time to read or recite Surah al-Kahf (the Surah of the Cave) ! [more inside]
The Winter Solstice at Newgrange
At the prehistoric passage tomb of Newgrange, built around 3200 BCE, the light from the rising sun at the winter solstice shines along the 19m passage to the wall of the tomb, illuminating the triple spiral carvings. There is a livestream of the event from 8.40am on the 21st (I think that's 3.40am Eastern Standard Time and 12.40am PST). Last year's recording is here. [more inside]
If he doesn't win, I can't put on camera what the flag is going to say.
Once in a Lifetime: Argentina is a four-part documentary look at fan culture in Argentina in the lead up to the country's World Cup win in Qatar. It's the latest work by Eli Mengem who has done stellar previous work in documenting football culture with his Derby Days series. If the 2+ hours for Once in a Lifetime: Argentina is too big an ask, maybe have a gander at the Derby Days episode on the Superclásico (55 mins). [more inside]
The stunning depth of knowledge this silence covers
These crises never seemed to outstrip the capacity of Melville’s story to offer some illustration and commentary, if not relief. One routine assignment was to formulate a conceptual question about the primary text, then to analyze the way two literary critics have approached dimensions of the question, and finally to propose an analytical response to the question which converses with these critical views. This assignment led many students toward the field of disability studies. The backdrop of the pandemic brought to the fore the investment in ideas of complex embodiment within “Bartleby.” As I modeled the assignment for my socially isolated, increasingly anxious, and depressed students, what emerged from the story and two works of literary criticism about it was a model not just for writing but also for living in a liable, contingent world. from Bartleby’s Insights on Complex Embodiment for a Post-Pandemic World [CommonPlace] [more inside]
December 19
Just a little bit more toward the goal of a complete OpenStreetMap
StreetComplete: OpenStreetMap surveyor app. An Android app that gives you a friendly interface to help build OpenStreetMap by answering questions as you walk around. Populate surface types, where crosswalks are, if there are trash cans, and so on. (The FAQ mentions both that an iOS version is in the works and there are some alternatives there.)
The Ghosts in the Machine
"Spotify, I discovered, not only has partnerships with a web of production companies, which, as one former employee put it, provide Spotify with 'music we benefited from financially,' but also a team of employees working to seed these tracks on playlists across the platform." Liz Pelly investigates the growing problem with so called ghost artists on Spotify for Harper's.
Tracking collars uncover secrets of critically endangered Aussie icon
Tracking collars uncover secrets of critically endangered Aussie icon. The habits of the northern hairy-nosed wombat have been a mystery until now, thanks to the animal equivalent of a fitness tracker.
Begotten
Reclaiming the Third Place
“Each year we find ourselves having less social interaction, and we are starting to realize that getting to know people outside of home and work does not just happen on its own,” he said. “We have to be intentional about meeting and talking to others.” from Gen Z Grew Up Chronically Online. Now, They're Craving 'Third Places. [more inside]
The truth is out there...in your neck of the woods
This week Otherworld released Episode 107: The Expedition, which features the story of a young woman and her friend spotting a strange creature near her family's ranch land in east Texas. They enlist the help of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization, an organization dedicated to field investigations into sightings of squatches, as well as documenting stories and evidence in the extensive BFRO Database, and cataloging the latest in Bigfoot hypotheses and research. If you are up for some camping and hiking, a field research expedition might be right for you!
Or if want a bit lighter Bigfoot podcast fare, check out the Bigfeets podcast, brought to you by the incredible comedy writers on 1-900 HOT DOG, the absolute last comedy website on the internet. It's the world's only watch along podcast of Mountain Monsters, the which follows the hillbilly Bigfoot-hunting AIMS Crew as search for mysterious Appalachian anomalies.
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery
"He said he had been outside and heard somebody swear. Then he turned to the girl behind the bar and said, ‘Shut this bar and get these out.’" The Arlington is now shuttered. How one eccentric man owns 200 pubs in the UK where swearing and phones are banned. [more inside]
10 INPUT "ENTER TRANSACTION",CS: GOSUB 1000
Annoyed by Windows ads, AI and upsell? Macs too expensive? Upgrade cycle got you down? Truth is, you don't really need a lot of computer for many purposes, a fact known by Hilligoss Bakery in Brownsberg, Indiana, which for decades has used Commodore 64s as their cash registers.
Applies an ax to a job calling for a scalpel
Justice Served
"It's the choices we make that define who we are, not our abilities."
Google Maps helps catch alleged killers
Google Maps helps catch alleged killers as it snaps man loading car with suspected body. Spanish police say a Google Street View image allegedly showing a man loading a bag into a car has helped them make two arrests in a murder case.
Portal Explorer
What happens if you put a portal in a portal? [YouTube, 21min] ...this is my solution to this problem and in this video we will see what's inside of this, what a portal is, how portals can move, how it works, why there is no singularity and what will happen to the object inside ... For this video I wrote a program called Portal Explorer that draws portals using ray tracing. In Portal Explorer, you can put a portal into another portal and explore everything shown in this video by yourself!