News on a Shirt

Robin says,

I just bought this. I'm pretty sure I'll regret it in fifteen minutes. Maybe not, though.

Jump!

Robin says,

Oh man this is way too cool. Check out that J. Robert Oppenheimer photo. Unreal.

Book of Chap

Robin says,

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

Robin says,

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

Robin says,

Holy crap, I've never looked at a snowflake like this before. It's so... not... delicate.

Via the sublime Ffffound.

Music and Movement

Robin says,

So true:

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

Robin says,

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

Robin says,

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

Robin says,

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

Robin says,

Current citizen journalism covers the fires in Southern California.

Universal Computing in Two States and Three Colors

Robin says,

As previously noted, I couldn't hack Stephen Wolfram's big book but I like his way of thinking. This new post from his blog is fun and fascinating. It's about a 20-year-old kid who met a challenge Wolfram set out earlier this year -- with a $25,000 reward attached. Good (if esoteric) reading.

The general concept of "discovering" solutions vs. engineering them seems fairly profound, yeah?

A Good Hour

Robin says,

So I've mentioned Larry Lessig's new ten-year project on corruption before. Now I just finished watching his inaugural "alpha" lecture on the topic and it was terrific. An hour long, but well worth it, both for a glimpse of Lessig's cool, patchwork presentation style -- I'd heard it was great but never actually seen Lessig-slides in action -- and also for the framework he provides. He is an A+ presenter and an A++ thinker, and this is an A+++ subject.

Madness

Robin says,

Fareed Zakaria on Iran:

We're on a path to irreversible confrontation with a country we know almost nothing about. The United States government has had no diplomats in Iran for almost 30 years. American officials have barely met with any senior Iranian politicians or officials. We have no contact with the country's vibrant civil society. Iran is a black hole to us -- just as Iraq had become in 2003.

Gahhh! How is it that such walls can endure?

Domestic Monsters

Robin says,

Nick Carr waxes philosophical on vampiric business models and dark pools of self. Super good.

Drudge

Robin says,

So, see if you can guess which two words I love in this graf:

His status was solidified after the 2004 election at a steakhouse dinner in Miami with Mr. Drudge, who for all his renown in politics is a somewhat spectral presence who rarely agrees to meet with political operatives or journalists and who did not respond to requests for an interview for this article.

"Spectral presence"! Somehow that just bowled me over.

And, somewhat more seriously, wow:

The Democrats have come to believe, Mr. Dyke said, what Republicans have always thought: