Archive for October, 2007
News on a Shirt
I just bought this. I’m pretty sure I’ll regret it in fifteen minutes. Maybe not, though.
Jump!
Oh man this is way too cool. Check out that J. Robert Oppenheimer photo. Unreal.
Book of Chap
There’s a new Revelator chapbook with nine poems by Gavin. It’s called… Nine Poems. Number four is my favorite — it seems exactly correct to me. (And it describes exactly my favorite kind of bookstore.)
And, not to be overlooked, Brandon Kelley’s design continues to be absolutely terrific.
Hurrah chapbooks!
Spectral Presence Watch
Note once more the terrific phrase “spectral presence” — this time in the NYT’s review of (er-hem) the new Britney Spears CD.
They’re All Unique… and Scary
Holy crap, I’ve never looked at a snowflake like this before. It’s so… not… delicate.
Via the sublime Ffffound.
Music and Movement
Some of the strongest bonds in our society are formed by people who march together in military units, as William McNeill, the historian, has pointed out. Members of orchestras and performing groups today likewise develop bonds. As Frank Zappa told me years ago, playing music with other people can be more intimate than any other activity. The turn-taking and accommodation involved call for great amounts of empathy and generosity.
Hmm. By this logic, the strongest bonds of all must be formed in… marching band!
The Way
The IHT’s interview with one of the rebel monks of Burma, who’s now in Thailand, is electrifying. This graf is not the most exciting, but it might be the most revelatory:
Ashin Kovida said he had led a week of daily protests, meeting with his group of organizers in the mornings and beginning the marches at noon. He heard reports on the Burmese-language service of the BBC about other monks who had organized themselves but he never met those groups.
Forget flash mobs; how about moral mobs?
Read the story; it’s amazing.
The Lost Columnist
So, this Washington Monthly piece is nowhere near as glib as its title makes it seem: Why Is Bob Herbert Boring?
In fact it turns out to be a sophisticated, sensitive exploration of the paradox of NYT columnist Bob Herbert (and, by extension: informative, well-meaning journalism in general): This is important stuff. It’s largely correct. Why doesn’t it… grab me?
It’s a good reminder for journalists of all stripes, and maybe bloggers, too: You have to do more than just report and present. Truth and clarity, difficult as they are to achieve on their own, aren’t enough.
Ya gotta have style, too.
Green Graffiti
Via Current.com: This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a while. I want to reach out and touch it.
Primary Sources
Current citizen journalism covers the fires in Southern California.