> 198: The world is a laden thing
Damn, it’s a good time to be alive if you are in the market for an easy sense of purpose. Lots of evil to fight and lots of good to protect and it’s not even hard to look for it.
Here’s some art, ideas, and internet for you:
My number one recommendation is to see the new (the “woke”) Superman, which is now on streaming. I had less than zero interest in seeing this movie until seeing. a few people I trust not just rave about it but characterize it as kind of weirdly important in this moment. They made Superman American again, and corny again, and they gave him a dog. It’s impossible not to root for him and his huge dumb heart and the spirit of freedom-fighting, self-making, and of strangers finding family that undergirds the entire enterprise and makes any version of Superman (or America) worth it in the first place. Another thing I appreciated: that Superman and Lois Lane were two beautiful people who actually made out with each other, a refutation of the old Marvel dynamic. I hope they make five more.
Last month I mentioned the existence of the then-upcoming world dog surfing championships (h/t: James) and I’m pleased to update you that there are now photos.
I appreciated a recent look at Zohran Mamdani’s video program, how he and his team built it, and why it is so good. I continue to think that every campaign person seeing its success and going “We need to do more short-form video!” is totally missing the point. From the piece: "It was never just about introducing New Yorkers to the person of Zohran Mamdani… It was also the agenda, and having those things become inseparable. As our videos were going viral, as people were starting to see him more and more on their phones or out in the streets, it wasn't just, There's Zohran, but, Oh yeah, there's Zohran! That's the freeze the rent, fast and free buses, universal child care guy.”
Re: the above, as my friend Brian used to say: Why offend them with style when you can offend them with substance?
Any sufficiently archaic technology is indistinguishable from magic. (via kottke)
“Between 1939 and 1941, the Works Progress Administration collaborated with the New York City Tax Department to collect photographs of most buildings in the five boroughs of New York City. In 2018, the NYC Municipal Archives completed the digitization and tagging of these photos. This website places them on a map.”
John Cassavetes and Gena Rowland's family home is on the market for the first time in 60 years.
Science remains undefeated, might have found a way to save the bees.
U2 singing “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” with a gospel choir.
A short history of the business card.
Star Wars/pro-democracy nerd interlude: For obvious reasons I found myself watching Nemik’s manifesto from Andor again recently (“Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. Even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward”) and found a comment on it that made me appreciate it even more: “The best thing about this monologue is how it adds new context to the original trilogy. Luke Skywalker didn't save the galaxy single-handedly, rather he was the straw that broke the camel's back. The Empire was straining under the weight of a galaxy wide rebellion by the time of a New Hope, which allowed the actions of a single individual to tip the scales. If it weren't for the cumulative actions of the rebellion then there would be no ‘chosen one.’“
Come over. The doors are open,
my flat's a mess and
so is my heart
but the doors are always open.
Come over. I will make soup,
probably from frozen but
the important thing is
we will both eat.You don't have to be dying,
but if you are,
or feel like you are,
or if living's been hard,
call me, and I will show up.
It doesn't have to be that bad,
it doesn't have to be bad at all,
but if it is, please call.Do you want me to do the groceries?
Do you want me to mop the floors?
Do you need to be held;
you don't have to be dying to be held.
If you want me to be there, I want to.I'm on the bathroom floor again,
and breathing is hard,
and eating's been hard, and sleeping,
the world is a laden thing
rolling around on my chest lately.
Just being alive is heavy tonight,
but we have enough dead friends.
Come over.—"We Have Enough Friends," Lena Oleanderson
Laura
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