Hello and welcome to 2020! This morning I wrote about a thousand words in an essay (or blog post) on Star Wars and the Power of Storytelling and then WordPress ate 800 of those words. So, that's how my day is going so far.
(And yes, I know, I should have been writing those words in a Word document or something. But when the muse seizes you, you start typing on whatever's handy.)
Anyway, on to the links (with the understanding that some of these are rather old at this point!):
- When the Zeitgeist Begins Editing Old Films and TV Shows by Joshua Gibbs at CiRCE. File under: Unintended Consquences. Buy those DVDs now!
- Experience: My Face Became a Meme by Andras Arato in The Guardian. Fascinating. (And I can sympathize a little bit, now that my own name "Karen" has become shorthand for "annoyed, middle age woman who would like to see a manger". I haven't made any royalties, though.
- I have probably shared this before but I stumbled on it again while reading something else (as one does) and it still makes me laugh: An Update on the Problem of Maria at McSweeneys.
- Dollar Stores and Food Deserts by Allison Aubrey. Dollar General stores are ubiquitous now, of course. But what's the result?
- Sometimes I Hate the Internet. And I'm a Part of What I Hate. By Kristen at The Frugal Girl.
- Somehow, I really want a hot water bottle now: Letter of Recommendation: Hot Water Bottles by Chantel Tattoli in The New York Times Magazine. (True confession: we had one for a while when we were first married but it always leaked and I gave up on the concept.)
- I didn't need convincing but maybe you do: Why Jigsaw Puzzles are Incredibly Good for You.
- Twelve Fascinating Finds Revealed in 2019 at Smithsonian Magazine. Most of these grossed me out, but that's archaeology, I guess.
- There Never Was a Real Tulip Fever also at Smithsonian Magazine. Always thought the whole thing sounded exaggerated.
- The Problem with the Times' Murder-Suicide Love Story by Anna Silman at The Cut. These type stories seem to have become more common and they are highly problematic.
- The Hypocrisy of Harry and Meghan's Decision by Tom McTague in The Atlantic. I co-sign most of this. If their decision was about privacy that would be one thing, and possibly laudable. But, according to the website they published, the point is not privacy. It's making money by capitalizing on Harry's position which they were not allowed to monetize before now. Trading a role in the British royal family for the possibility of Instagram Influencing and International Celebrity, a la Beyonce, seems like a birthright for a mess of pottage type situation to me. Time will tell, I suppose.
My husband has a Kickstarter campaign going right now.
We'd love it if you could back this project and / or share the link with your friends. It's a fun little card game and it's his first real solo effort so we need lots of help to hit the goal! Here's the link!
From Living Unabridged
Recent: Books of 2019
One year ago: Living One Day (or Moment) at a Time
Two years ago: Reading Isn't Just for the Rich
Three years ago: Are You Living an Abridged Life?
Four years ago: Four Diagnostic Questions for the Mid Homeschool Year
Five years ago: Keeping Warm this Winter
