Kottke.org Posts and Links for Aug 20, 2024
Hi, Jason here. This newsletter is a digest of posts and links from kottke.org, published every Tuesday and Friday. It's not absolutely everything from the site, but it's durn close. Unsubscribing is easy if you'd like to get off this ride. As always, you can read kottke.org on the web, via RSS, on Bluesky, on Mastodon, and in several other ways. Ok, onto the links!
Good news! The new Covid-19 vacines are scheduled to be approved soon and could be available by Labor Day (or soon after). The CDC recommends updated shots for everyone 6 months and older. [washingtonpost.com]
Why is there a projected shortfall in Social Security? Income inequality. "Had the pay of American workers kept up with what had been the trend decades ago...their Social Security payroll tax payments would have been enough to keep the program flush." [kottke.org]
Disney has cancelled The Acolyte after one season. Such a high ratings bar for these series to clear — and few of them have. [deadline.com]
Cilantro used to be a key ingredient in Italian cooking. "Roman chefs prized both the citrusy seeds and pungent leaves of the plant they called coriandrum for sauces, salads, roasts, and flavored beverages." [atlasobscura.com]
The first major US retrospective of Vivian Maier's photography is currently on display at Fotografiska New York through Sept 29. A street photographer discovered in 2007, she's now recognized "alongside the greatest masters of the twentieth century". [kottke.org]
The Good Milk List. "These locations, around the world, are where happy cheese makers found good milk locally." [cheesemaking.com]
Smart Anand Giridharadas piece about the Democrats' shift in political style, one that "elevates attention over restraint, storytelling over self-explanatory policy mindedness, fight picking over always taking the high road, and thrilling the base..." [the.ink]
Ephemeral tic-tac-toe. Each player's moves disappear after 4 turns. [codepen.io]
How many years do you need to live somewhere before you are considered a local? "In New England, the rule is simple. You are considered a local as soon as you have three grandparents who were born in the town where you live." [kottke.org]
The search for Celebrity Number Six. The internet has been unable to identify the 6th celeb pictured on a piece of fabric from the late 00s (others include Adriana Lima & Jessica Alba). Can you help? [tiktok.com]
Pixar's Inside Out movies have changed how therapists talk about feelings with their patients. And not just kids: "I've been stealing lines from the movie and quoting them to adults, not telling them that I'm quoting." [nytimes.com 🎁]
Winners of the 2024 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest for bad opening lines, including "She had a body that reached out and slapped my face like a five-pound ham-hock tossed from a speeding truck." [kottke.org]
Never not gobsmacked by how the massive waves at Teahupo'o create an unnerving cavity in the ocean. [instagram.com]
What should an electric car sound like? EVs are naturally quiet compared to gas cars, but "the world we built around the automobile relies on sound." So countries require carmakers to add noise. (Reminder: cities aren't noisy, cars are.) [kottke.org]
Scientists are puzzled by the presence of "little red dots" found by the JW Space Telescope: tiny galaxies that have left no trace. "Why did they vanish? Or what did they morph into? Their sudden disappearance is a profound enigma." [scientificamerican.com]
Procreate will not be building any generative AI features into their fantastic iPad app. "We think machine learning is a compelling technology with a lot of merit, but the path generative AI is on is wrong for us." [theverge.com]
Fantastic photo montages of fans outside of music concerts — 50 Cent, Tori Amos, Lady Gaga, etc. "I am fascinated by the different tribes of people that attend them, and how people emulate celebrity to form their identity." [kottke.org]
Homicide: Life on the Street is now streaming on Peacock. Alan Sepinwall shares 10 episodes "if you want to see what all the fuss is about". I haven't watched Homicide since it was on TV and the name "Adena Watson" is still burned into my brain. [rollingstone.com]
Costco in Cancún, a piece about Costco's travel service and how the company's warehouse shopping experience ("Everything Is a Good Deal") relates to the all-inclusive hotel vibe ("Everything Is Paid For"). [theparisreview.org]
Livestreams of Watering Holes in the Namibian Desert. See if you can spot giraffes, zebras, hyenas, ostriches, cheetahs, wildebeest, oryx, and even honey badgers. [kottke.org]
A disturbing report from ProPublica on the armed domestic terror cells that have flourished in the US since the Jan 6 assault on Congress. "The next election won't be decided at a Ballot Box. It'll be decided at the ammo box." [propublica.org]
James Milner, 38, starts record 23rd season in the Premier League. He's seven years older than his current manager, Brighton & Hove Albion's Fabian Hürzeler. [apnews.com]
👀 👋 🎉
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