Bird Mail: 011
A brief announcement before we begin.
Thank you for being a reader of Bird Mail. It means a lot that you would give me a small space in your inbox every so often. Depending on your email provider, you might have missed out on an issue or three. To make sure you’re still getting Bird Mail, I recommend a few steps.
Gmail users—move Bird Mail to your primary inbox:
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Now back to your regularly scheduled Bird Mail.
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Everyone knows birds aren’t real, but another kind of eye in the sky is significantly less technological and works even better than surveillance drones. It relies on paper and coffee and listening to the birds whistling. For those who have honed their skills to whistle like a bird—or like Andrew Bird—maybe you can compete in an international whistling competition. I will come cheer you on, as my whistling is tuneless and mediocre at best—I took up the drums for a reason.
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If the reemergence of the PSL didn’t tip you off, the return of Autumn Man should really let you know, It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers. In all seriousness, fall is a lovely time for fashion, and right now I’m taking menswear fashion cues from two women with drastically different, but equally incredible style. The first is Emma Thompson, whose collection of suiting in her new film Late Night is better than anything on real TV, and her long sweaters and Oxford shirts in Stranger than Fiction are great fall loungewear—minus the chain-smoking. The second is Emilie Casiez, a designer for Nigel Cabourn, a British label that is heavily inspired by military and vintage outerwear. The clothes are often plain and utilitarian, the silhouettes large, the fabrics heavy and warm (dashing my hopes of wearing them in Austin’s “winter”) and they look fantastic on masculine, feminine, and androgynous bodies. I hope to bring some of what I’ve learned from both women to my outfits this fall.
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Fire up On the Run by Timecop1983 and get ready to marvel at the agility and insanity of this Bond-movie-quality motorcycle chase through the streets of São Paulo, Brasil (make sure you mute the YouTube video).
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If you have an iPhone, you’ve probably updated it to iOS 13 already and noticed some significant changes. One of the biggest changes I noticed was a popup telling me that Google Maps was using my bluetooth and location data WAY MORE often than I expected. The Verge has a great explanation for these popups and how Apple is trying to give you more control over your privacy. And even if you think you have nothing to hide, your data and privacy is important and worth protecting. There are other changes too, Photos is drastically improved and has some new organization tools that make finding photos much easier. And if you’re curious about the newest phones, my favorite Apple writer, John Gruber, has a Q&A to help.
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The other day I was at the gym listening to disco in one earbud—Cayla picked the playlist that day—and He’s the Greatest Dancer came on. I knew, I just knew another song that used that sample, but I couldn’t think of it. Who Sampled is the first place I go when I need to find…well…who sampled something in a song. In case you’re wondering, this is the song I couldn’t come up with.
I would love to hear from you if you enjoyed any of these links, or if you have something you think I should add to my collection, feel free to reply to this email!
You friend,
Bruce
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