"The twin gods of Smooth Traffic and Ample Parking have turned our downtowns into places that are easy to get to, but not worth arriving at.” The quote is from urban designer Jeff Speck. It’s hard to think of a pithier one to describe the parking pandemic blighting America’s city centers — except perhaps the … Continue reading Parking Lots & Cultural Stans
Tag: culture
Spielen Macht Frei (Play Sets You Free)
"The Prussian model seeks to create a population for whom work, no matter how mind-numbing or back-breaking, is the only hope. That's why they try to inspire us with the promise of a freedom that will never come. When we keep play alive in our own lives, in the lives of our children, even if … Continue reading Spielen Macht Frei (Play Sets You Free)
Our Technology Sickness—and How to Heal It
"Because of the digital revolution, our lives are being transformed by three grand bargains. The intellectual bargain: we have more knowledge but less capacity to concentrate and focus. The social bargain: we are much more available but much less attentive. And most importantly, the emotional bargain: we are much more connected, but much less empathetic. … Continue reading Our Technology Sickness—and How to Heal It
Vibe Shift
"A vibe shift is the catchy but sort of too-cool term Monahan uses for a relatively simple idea: In the culture, sometimes things change, and a once-dominant social wavelength starts to feel dated. Monahan, who is 35, breaks down the three vibe shifts he has survived and observed: Hipster/Indie Music (ca. 2003–9), or peak Arcade Fire, Bloc … Continue reading Vibe Shift
How to Make Enemies and Influence People
"This essay outlines the characteristics of what I call the ‘totalitarian mindset’. Under certain circumstances, human beings engage in patterns of thinking and behavior that are extremely closed and intolerant of difference and pluralism. These patterns of thinking and behaving lead us towards totalitarian, anti-pluralistic futures. An awareness of how these patterns arise, how individuals … Continue reading How to Make Enemies and Influence People
Sifting the Internet for Gold
"...which of my beliefs remain unchanged? What assumptions will remain in place? What trends will be accelerated, which delayed, and which stopped entirely? What do I care about that has become newly relevant, and what no longer matters?-Toby Shorin, Drew Austin, Kara Kittel, Edouard Urcades, "Premonition." subpixel.space. March 25, 2021. Something about the phrase "lifestyle … Continue reading Sifting the Internet for Gold
Our Cults Become Our Culture
"A false theory of culture is worse than a false theory of the heavens. The planets stick to their orbits no matter what we think, but culture becomes what we believe it is. Conditioned by the prophets of data and nostalgia to imagine no further than the evidence of the past, we forget that people … Continue reading Our Cults Become Our Culture
A New Samizdat
"What if now were the time for a new self-publishing here at home — a new samizdat? The time to create a new, parallel communications network and a fresh system for information sharing? A parallel network and a fresh system owned not by commercial interests — so Twitter, Facebook, Medium, and other seemingly “self-publishing” platforms … Continue reading A New Samizdat
Buckslip
"Buckslip is a weekly-ish email letter (with companion extra bits) in which a few friends wander through the fucked-up landscape of all that we’re living through together now, and weave a few sensemaking threads from what we find. It started with a media and culture focus, but over the years it’s grown into something not … Continue reading Buckslip
The Pudding
"The Pudding is a digital publication that explains ideas debated in culture with visual essays."-https://pudding.cool/ I haven't gone into this with any depth. But, it looks interesting on a surface scan. Bookmarking.
20th Century Women
20th Century Women is such a lovely little movie. Part coming of age story. Part a story about aging. Part a story about male/female relationships that explores how difficult these are to navigate, particularly given our collective idiosyncrasies and brokenness. Recommended.
Pace Yourself
Open Question: What does it mean to "pace yourself" in modern culture? Does it mean staying with something long enough, over time, to truly develop a relationship with the material and love it? "There’s a willingness, there’s a faith, there’s a very, very magical alchemy that happens when somebody looks at something with enormous love … Continue reading Pace Yourself
The Four Songs of Humanity
"In a specific society, songs differ depending on the context in which they are sung, such as lively celebrations or calmer events. But across all cultures, the team could identify four distinct, recurrent song types: dance tunes, healing songs, love ballads and lullabies."-"Vast musical database reveals common threads in songs around the world." Nature.com. November … Continue reading The Four Songs of Humanity
The 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced On The Internet Unless You’re a Loser or Old or Something
Also, a listicle that will make those unfamiliar with certain elements of Internet culture feel like Kurtz in a few easy clicks. To ease you in, I'm going to suggest No. 7: Homestarrunner. Strong Bad Email is available on YouTube.
cafebedouin.org 