Perhaps no dream in American culture has recurred as often as the one in which a group of spiritual adepts remake the world they have inherited in the image of their own ideals.
From Counterculture to Cyberculture, Fred Turner
I made my CS Ethics students read an excerpt from this book, alongside “The Californian Ideology” and “A Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace”, this week. The computer history segment feels more demoralizing this semester; my educator song and dance of “all this could have been otherwise, all that is could be otherwise!” doesn’t quite land with 20-year-olds who’ve basically only known political chaos and big tech as villain for most of their lives. After all, it’s not otherwise and it fucking sucks. Still, someone had to tell them about Minitel and I guess it might as well have been me to tell them.
We became friendly in the way New Yorkers are friendly, which is to say we argued whenever I visited Toronto.
Building and Dwelling: Ethics for the City, Richard Sennett
Submitted by Brian.
An explosion is more of a concept than anything else.
Explosivity: Following What Remains, Javier Arbona
I am lucky to both know Javier personally and to have been invited to join a panel of peers discussing his forthcoming book at a conference next month, which is why I am reading it now.
I’m probably not explaining it very well—the funny thing about drinking games is that it’s hard to remember the rules the next day if they’re any good.
“The Great Man At Rest”, Sam Thielman for Flaming Hydra
Submitted by Ed.
The history of the world is so often the history of men not knowing how to respond to beauty.
The Last Fire Season, Manjula Martin
Truth peered from behind the desks of small silent groups with no funding.
“River Fire”, Victor D. Sandiego for the newsletter Dynamic Creed
Submitted by DB.
It’s like a crappy little elf has snuck into my office and badly done all my work for me, and then left with a tip of his crappy hat.
John Swartzwelder in an interview with Mike Sacks for The New Yorker
For the price of a coffee, spurned and disgruntled lovers can revel in the satisfaction of having a dead rat named after an ex, before it is fed to a northern spotted owl.
“Love rats: Canadians get chance to feed rodents named after old flames to owls”, Leyland Cecco for The Guardian
Submitted by Justin.
this is the desert/it is all we have left to destroy
“Sonora for Sale”, Richard Shelton
Via Jonathan P. Thompson’s newsletter The Land Desk.
But if unhappiness were a genuine reason for suicide, half the women in Turkey would be killing themselves.
Snow, Orhan Pamuk
Submitted by Kalbir.
If no lawyer within earshot of the President is willing to give him that advice, then I expect you will eventually find someone who is enough of a fool, or enough of a coward, to file your motion.
Hagan Scotten’s resignation letter
The liberal tradition since at least Locke has understood parenting as a natural form of authority that, while it is no model for government, is a necessary response to the state of temporary insanity known as childhood.
“Good-bye, Pamela Paul”, Andrea Long Chu for New York Magazine
Submitted by Lionel.
This insistence on one’s own weakness is a contemptible way to live in the world.
“Soy Right Ascendant”, Max Read’s newsletter Read Max
There’s a fourth deputy that hasn’t resigned yet, but that’s because they are currently giving birth, two sources tell NBC News.
Submitted by Matias.
We are the readout of a broken oscilloscope.
“Love Is An Ambivalence That Knows No Bounds”, Elisabeth Nicula
You’re not supposed to fall in love with an ugly font.
“The hardest working font in Manhattan”, Marcin Wichary
Submitted by @absolutereality.blog.
I was fighting fascism with the power of love and kindness and just really getting my ass handed to me.
“The End and After”, Luke O’Neil for Flaming Hydra
Submitted by @absolutereality.blog.