1. Pic of Carlos Slim's planned Art Museum/ Office in Mexico City. It looks like one of those middle school math projects where you draw a bunch of lines on a grid at slightly different angles to make a curved object.
2. 11 Green Initiatives at Walmart. Interesting how large of an impact they can have by adopting policies. Local produce!?
3. Article on New Songo, the "most ambitious instant city since Brasilia"
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
1/28/10
1/26/10
1/5/10
New Adam Haslett Book Union Atlantic Feb 9
I really liked his short story collection from 2002--You Are Not A Stranger Here--and have been waiting for something new since then. Here's an excerpt from his first novel about a rogue banker, synching with the financial crisis:
Union Atlantic
For some more on the short stories, here's an interview in the Atlantic from 2005.
Union Atlantic
For some more on the short stories, here's an interview in the Atlantic from 2005.
12/29/09
Some Recent Vanity Fair Articles
Although the style is fluffy these are worth reading
1. Goldman Sachs
2. Large Hadron Collider
3. British Aristocracy
4. Meryl Streep
1. Goldman Sachs
2. Large Hadron Collider
3. British Aristocracy
4. Meryl Streep
12/28/09
Great wired article on the fall of the guy who created duke nukem
link
This reminds me of the documentary stone reader (not sure if I've mentioned on here before)--about writers who turn out one great novel and can't duplicate that success (focuses on forgotten writer Dow Mossman... really interesting).
Also this TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert touches on the same subject--how our culture has moved to put too much pressure on individuals to be creative/inspired/productive rather than thinking of creativity as partially a random process.
This reminds me of the documentary stone reader (not sure if I've mentioned on here before)--about writers who turn out one great novel and can't duplicate that success (focuses on forgotten writer Dow Mossman... really interesting).
Also this TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert touches on the same subject--how our culture has moved to put too much pressure on individuals to be creative/inspired/productive rather than thinking of creativity as partially a random process.
12/14/09
8/4/09
Missouri Farmer's Anti-Pollan Rant
Requires some pretty specific knowledge to know if everything he says is right, but this guy has a point. Just as an example he says that un-caged pigs sometimes fatally sit on and/or eat their young, and turkeys allowed to roam free in the field can drown in a rainstorm because they look up. So the farmer builds a cage or builds a roof and pen because otherwise he takes a loss. I'm sure there are ways to prevent these deaths that Pollan would support, but they may be too expensive. The author's point though is that the "Industrial" farmer is not just an ignorant pawn of big business, but an expert with accumulated knowledge, problem solving skills, and a selfish interest in sustainability. And a bottom line.
Industrial farming practices may reduce quality/taste, and incur some moral cost (debatable--as organic practices do too, in terms of animals and in terms of human working conditions), but that doesn't really matter if you can't afford the alternative. Quantity is more of a concern for society as a whole.
This makes me think of the Anthony Bourdain quip: vegetarianism is a first-world luxury. The point being that (cheap) meat is fundamental to many cultures and unawareness/dismissal of that is more of an attack than some vegetarians realize.
This isn't meant to be a fair statement, and I don't totally agree because there are obvious exceptions, but there's some truth to it. To give you an idea of his views he also says that he doesn't care where the food comes from as long as it tastes good, and that the role of the chef is to maximize the pleasure of the meal. He also often describes himself as unapologetically self-serving, so you could say he's just trying to drum up interest in his show (which I don't watch by the way, but I'm a fan of Les Halles and think he's an interesting writer. I also think his newfound celebrity status is at odds with his ethos.) (See Bourdain's google talk and salon interview.)
These guys are coming from totally different places--professor/writer/moralist, farmer, chef--and each has something to contribute to the debate (not to mention an agenda).
Industrial farming practices may reduce quality/taste, and incur some moral cost (debatable--as organic practices do too, in terms of animals and in terms of human working conditions), but that doesn't really matter if you can't afford the alternative. Quantity is more of a concern for society as a whole.
This makes me think of the Anthony Bourdain quip: vegetarianism is a first-world luxury. The point being that (cheap) meat is fundamental to many cultures and unawareness/dismissal of that is more of an attack than some vegetarians realize.
This isn't meant to be a fair statement, and I don't totally agree because there are obvious exceptions, but there's some truth to it. To give you an idea of his views he also says that he doesn't care where the food comes from as long as it tastes good, and that the role of the chef is to maximize the pleasure of the meal. He also often describes himself as unapologetically self-serving, so you could say he's just trying to drum up interest in his show (which I don't watch by the way, but I'm a fan of Les Halles and think he's an interesting writer. I also think his newfound celebrity status is at odds with his ethos.) (See Bourdain's google talk and salon interview.)
These guys are coming from totally different places--professor/writer/moralist, farmer, chef--and each has something to contribute to the debate (not to mention an agenda).
7/28/09
7/4/09
2 Recent Economist Articles
1. Flights of Fancy--on why flying cars aren't coming
2. Russian-American relations: In search of detente, once again
2. Russian-American relations: In search of detente, once again
3 Science Articles
1. Stephen Hawking: "Humans have entered a new stage of evolution" (note: has some errors, including one in the first sentence)
2. Olivia Judson: "Operator? Can You Put Me Through to Ant Nest 251?"
3. BBC: Ant mega-colony takes over the world
2. Olivia Judson: "Operator? Can You Put Me Through to Ant Nest 251?"
3. BBC: Ant mega-colony takes over the world
6/5/09
Haunting Nelson Algren Video
Starting to get through this guy's books, although haven't made it very far yet to be honest. Comes highly recommended, esp for learning about Chicago, and even though I've arguably been here for 24 years, I have a ways to go.
Algren's Last Night (About)
Algren's Last Night (About)
6/4/09
3 Interesting Blogs
1. Daily Routines--"How writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days."
2. 3hive--Links to free mp3s, pretty well edited and also obscure. Awesome streaming feature.
3. Halfbakery--"A communal database of original, fictitious inventions, edited by its users and spanning many topics." Ok, not really a blog.
2. 3hive--Links to free mp3s, pretty well edited and also obscure. Awesome streaming feature.
3. Halfbakery--"A communal database of original, fictitious inventions, edited by its users and spanning many topics." Ok, not really a blog.
6/3/09
6 Fascinating New Yorker Magazine Profiles
The first four I find particularly interesting.
1. Grant Achatz
2. Alec Baldwin
3. Marc Jacobs
4. David Chang
5. Lang Lang
6. George Clooney
1. Grant Achatz
2. Alec Baldwin
3. Marc Jacobs
4. David Chang
5. Lang Lang
6. George Clooney
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