August 2016
Month archive / 66 posts
Links: August 2016
Could Women Be Trusted With Their Own Pregnancy Tests?
They had me sign my rights away for $1,” Ms. Crane told me. She never did get that dollar.
Meanwhile, in most areas of the United States, women still need permission from a doctor to buy birth control pills, even though they are arguably safer than a lot of other drugs now sold over the counter and there are very few health risks involved. It’s true… See more →
River's Edge
A strange slice of Reagan-era, juvenile delinquent nihilism, River’s Edge feels kind of like the unholy offspring of Stand by Me and Heathers, if said offspring had caught a few scenes of Blue Velvet before his parents sent him to bed. It is less colorful and more uneven than any of those films, stymied by an ill-fitting score and an excess of melodrama. For better or worse, Crispin Glover’s wholly deranged performance, presumably green-screened in… See more →
My personal record for staying awake is ≈60 hours. The longest known sleep deprivation study lasted ELEVEN DAYS. thenib.com/sleep-deprivat…
Hopefully whoever is in charge of the afterlife has the good sense to insist on a reunion. youtu.be/w1FLZPFI3jc
Eight years ago, I narrowly edged out a kid called Airistotle to become @usairguitar’s first Philly champ. Now that kid is the world champ.
In 2015, police were called to Tulsa’s four Targets 300 times. Same period for Tulsa’s four Walmarts: 2,000 times. bloomberg.com/features/2016-…
One of many good points: modern media helps broaden our scope of concern, making it seem like everything is awful. theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2…
After three 2nd place @AGWC finishes, Airistotle (@aYo_MattBurns) is finally your 2016 Air Guitar World Champion!
The 2016 Air Guitar World Championships (@AGWC) start at 1pm EDT. Go Team @usairguitar! Watch the live stream here: livestream.com/sahaprod/agwc2…
I should probably have gone to sleep hours ago, but this mental slideshow of every painful mistake I’ve ever made is pretty engrossing.
I miss @GetEditorially.
Just finished @tanehisicoates’s “Between the World and Me.” It is terrible and beautiful.
Sending my love to Amatrice.
If you didn’t know, Office Space’s “15 pieces of flair” joke was a 100% real thing at Friday’s (I had 30+ pieces). youtu.be/F7SNEdjftno
“Starbucks, basically, but with mudslides and Tuscan spinach dip.” T.G.I.Friday’s: once a leader, now a follower. theatlantic.com/entertainment/…
FYI, in the last four years, at least two specific methods of throwing baseballs were the subjects of feature-length documentary films.
To Catch a Thief
Sometimes I’m bored with music and then I remember The Knife/Mt. Sims/Planningtorock’s amazing Charles Darwin opera. youtu.be/FaT7ZCxI71k
About twice a decade, Metallica, itself incredulous, is like, “So, Rob, are you still a completist?”
As RSS use becomes increasingly niche, how many publication redesign cycles until it disappears? Many newer feed-worthy sites omit them.
My follower demographics are a skewed sample, but I’m willing to bet that in general, RSS’s remaining devotees are mostly web geeks over 30.
Glad to hear from so many of my RSS family. I hereby dub us the Really Simple Syndicate.
I know I’m not the only one who still loves RSS. Let me hear you, RSS people.
Time-lapse videos of creative process always display impressive focus. I don’t think any amount of editing could make my process watchable.
When I throw a party, I triple check the guest list to be sure Rudy Giuliani isn’t on it. Can’t be too careful. twitter.com/washingtonpost…
I got so excited about this, I briefly allowed myself to believe it might be affordable. thisiscolossal.com/2016/08/functi…
The Matrix Revolutions
I don’t mind loud kids in public. Kids are kids, it takes a village, etc. Loud personal devices for kids in public, however, I cannot abide.
Sometimes none of the many existing terrible songs are sufficient, and my brain must concoct new terrible songs to get stuck in my head.
A fun and enlightening talk by my pal @SceneStealrEric on the creative lessons that led to his 2013 @AGWC win. youtu.be/ApErQ-bfS-w
Sad to hear The Nightly Show has been cancelled. Wilmore’s style didn’t really work for me, but I thought the show deserved an audience.
I like going to the doctor’s office because if I’m not asked to sign my name at least 25 times a day, I start to doubt my own identity.
Baroness
“Dude, you have orange earplugs! I hate orange. I like green!” says the smiling guy at this show with a novel approach to making friends.
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix
After 20+ frustrating years, either I’m a perpetual Adobe edge case, or they’re actively trying to drive me insane. Not sure which is worse.
Using Animate (née Flash) for the first time in ages and simple shape hints aren’t working correctly and I’m definitely 100% extremely calm.
Buzzfeed’s @cwarzel digs into the causes of Twitter’s ongoing failure to meaningfully address harassment. buzzfeed.com/charliewarzel/…
Chuck Norris vs Communism
This fascinating analysis hypothesizes that the tweets Trump writes are angrier than those his staff writes for him. varianceexplained.org/r/trump-tweets/
Here’s @propublica intern @Cliff_Michel on how he assisted our Red Cross reporting this summer. Share what you know! propublica.org/article/i-spen…
“Citizens who vote for third-party candidates… aren’t voting their conscience, they are voting their ego.” medium.com/@cshirky/there…
Five years later, another Shellac ticket and a complicated network of reminders spanning several weeks and devices. twitter.com/robweychert/st…
Inequality for All
When we see the contrast between the values we share and the realities we live in, that is the fundamental foundation for social change.
If you have a shaky grasp of economics and want to better understand the growing problem of income inequality in the U.S., you probably can’t do much better than Inequality for All, an exhibition of the collected insights of former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. Reich’s affable oratory and knack… See more →
My new favorite pangram: “Then a cop quizzed Mick Jagger’s ex-wives briefly.”
The bizarre story of a man being sued for denying that he created a work of art. nytimes.com/2016/08/09/art…
A glossary for the dizzying world of modern fandom. I knew some of it but had no idea the vernacular ran so deep. vox.com/2016/6/7/11858…
Art historians won’t tell you this, but David’s contrapposto is the result of an incident with a parking meter.
“[N]o future awaits in places that have been left behind by polished people in gleaming cities.” propublica.org/article/white-…
Tonight is the first @usairguitar National Finals I’ve missed since I got in the game in 2008. It’s weird not to be there. Good luck to all!
Rectory receptionist
Babysitter
Bakery pan washer
7/11 stocker
Church/school custodian
T.G.I.Friday’s busser/server
Dorm desk assistant
Also, new releases are by definition unfamiliar. The part most likely to be familiar is the artist name, yet it’s given the least emphasis.
Given how effective Discover Weekly is, why must @Spotify New Releases make me dig for music I might actually like?
“And yes, it’s important that their dad is a feminist, because now that’s what they expect of all men.” glamour.com/story/glamour-…
Attention product designers who believe in love: OkCupid is hiring. authenticjobs.com/jobs/27763?r=r…
I think I’ll set everything else aside and choose to remember 2016 as the year this thing happened. 🎉 twitter.com/jasonsantamari…
This is magnificent. bartoszkosowski.com/kubricks-lolita
I try to limit my indulgence in nostalgia, but all bets are off with @internetarchive’s Nintendo Power collection. archive.org/details/ninten…
An arresting cover of a Buzzcocks classic, subtracting the original’s raucous urgency and distilling the heartache. youtu.be/SquWe1xS5yY
I don’t know why I only just today learned that Hope Sandoval and Colm Ó Cíosóig formed a band together, but it’s just what my night needed.
“History has taught black women that kinks and curls needed to be cured.” —@WhitTaylorComix thenib.com/finding-your-r…
The Fast and the Furious
I might have watched this sooner if I had known it was Zack Morris fan fiction.
I might have watched The Fast and the Furious sooner if I had known it was Zack Morris fan fiction.
Having been to a few karaoke events at tech conferences, I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed no one has sung “Jolene” as “Boolean.”