November 13, 2020
No one is listening to us
“In the imminent future, patients will start to die because there simply aren’t enough people to care for them. Doctors and nurses will burn out. The most precious resource the U.S. health-care system has in the struggle against COVID-19 isn’t some miracle drug. It’s the expertise of its health-care workers—and they are exhausted.” [SL Atlantic]
When the Damned toured with T. Rex
Capt. Sensible talks about when Marc Bolan asked the Damned to join T.Rex on tour. "Unlike some of his fellow ’70s rock stars, Marc saw some worth in punk rock. He was certainly smart to hitch his ship to the coming new wave. Most of the punks dug T. Rex too - and glam rock in general for that matter. There were no 10-minute drum solos there to moan about, that’s for sure." [Also, Bolan inspired "Smash it up"!]
THE VIRUS REACHES STAR CITY (Polina Ivanova for Reuters)
Within weeks of Russia’s first confirmed case, the coronavirus had penetrated the closed walls of Star City and crossed the high-security gates of its cosmonaut training center. It had radiated across Russia’s revered space program during a moment of international attention and national pride, and had, potentially, come within an inch of glass away from traveling to space in a cosmonaut. In Star City, with the clinic in the grip of the outbreak, a hunt was launched for someone to blame, the doctor at the clinic said.
"Waters' Closets"
John Waters Has Pledged to Donate His Art Collection to the Baltimore Museum Once He Dies—So Long as It Names Its Bathrooms After Him. CBS Baltimore: Waters first became interested in art when he visited the museum as a boy in the 1950s, buying a poster at the gift shop. CBC: Waters spoke to As It Happens host Carol Off about the collection, the museum and the "ridiculous elitism" of the art world. Here is part of their conversation [includes link to full audio of the interview]. Baltimore Sun: All hail the John Waters' restrooms.
The Boundless Banality of Beige
Gloria Jaroff is against beige (Common Edge). “I am tired of design magazines and paint companies trying to sell me on dull ‘neutral’ colors. They claim ‘Beige Is Back,’ that there is a historical elegance and calming effect to monochromatic off-whites. I don’t buy it. A minimalistic approach to color in modern buildings and interiors doesn’t relax me—it puts me to sleep.” (via The Browser)
The People v. Donald J. Trump
The criminal case against him is already in the works — and it could go to trial sooner than you think. To assess the odds that he will end up on trial, and how the proceedings would unfold, I spoke with some of the country’s top prosecutors, defense attorneys, and legal scholars. For the past four years, they have been weighing the case against Trump: the evidence already gathered, the witnesses prepared to testify, the political and constitutional issues involved in prosecuting an ex-president. Once he leaves office, they agree, there is good reason to think Trump will face criminal charges. [more inside]
How Baseball Was Solved, And Where It Got Us
The Black Music History Library
Everything's Meant To Be Broken
It started with an offhanded joke on Instagram by Austin from the band Loud Letters — what would it sound like if Phoebe Bridgers had written the song "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls. Bridgers herself conditionally promised to make it happen, and after some notable pressure being applied, we now have an answer. A gorgeous cover of that song from that Nic Cage/Meg Ryan movie and a duet between Bridgers and Maggie Rogers, available on Bandcamp for 24 hours as a fundraiser for Stacey Abrams' Fair Fight organization. Good job, internet!
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