My thanks to readers from A. to W. who pointed out my typo… Disney’s Steamboat Willie debuted on November 18, 1928, not 1828!
Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Whatever the vexations or concerns of their personal lives, their thoughts can find paths that lead to inner contentment and to renewed excitement in living. Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter.
—Rachel Carson
—from The Sense of Wonder (1956)
gamine /ga-MEEN/. noun or adjective. A playfully mischievous, pert, usually petite, girl. A female street urchin. A boyish looking young woman; an elfish tomboy. A borrowing from French gamin (a boy who lives on the streets), originally meaning just a young boy or a glassmaker’s assistant. Earlier origin unknown.
“…her arms outstretched, face beaming, overwhelmed with joy and music: Coming in late to vespers, her color high, strange grasses in her gamine, slightly flyaway hair.” (David Rakoff)
“…in a perfect inversion, the young lady at the table sprang out of that exact position, and Howard registered in his peripheral vision a gamine type with spidery-lashed wet eyes, and arms of sinew and bone like a ballet dancer’s.” (Zadie Smith)
“Her skin had the patina of an outdoorswoman. She had recently cut her bright blond hair, a practical gesture that lent her a gamine look.” (Anita Shreve)
“This had nothing to do with Graham Greene. It had to do with the removal of his friend’s overcoat, revealing: a woman of a certain age but still fiercely gamine, in purple angora sweater and skintight shiny black trousers.” (Martin Amis)
Most of Africa is north of the equator…and it extends to the same latitude as Norfolk, VA. Barcelona is in line with Portland, OR. Paris is further north than Montreal. → Why your mental map of the world is (probably) wrong
Why Is Japan Still So Attached to Paper? || Pairs well with The Complete Guide to Japanese Washi Paper
On Quillette, The Voice of the ‘Intellectual Dark Web’
“You realize that you need not obey the impulses of this moment – which, it seems safe to say, tend not to produce a tranquil mind.” → To survive our high-speed society, cultivate ‘temporal bandwidth’
“New methods are allowing a group of scientists to reëxamine the world’s libraries and archives, in search of the hidden lives of authors.” → Do Proteins Hold the Key to the Past?
I’ve been reduced to this: learning of mesmerizing performers like Chris Rodrigues and Abby the Spoon Lady through a fascinating Washington Post story, despite their 100k+ YouTube subscribers and a ► video of their performance of “Angels in Heaven” that is about to break 11 million views.
Very different feasts for the eyes: Eron’s haunting wall paintings & Christopher Payne’s General Pencil photos.
Commencing today, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, through December 10th, International Human Rights Day, is 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, an “international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls.” More than 3,700 organizations from more than 160 countries are participating.
A conversation last night reminded me that I am unrepentant about (most of) my 80s rock listening…then and now. Michelle Kwan’s cover of “Sweet Child o’Mine” on a guzheng nails not just the iconic song, but one of the era’s best solos. Also: a worthy cover by bluegrass musicians Thunder and Rain & Postmodern Jukebox doin’ it New Orleans style & Scary Pockets makin’ it funky & a wistful version by Taken by Trees.
In Lynch’s own words, “Ant Head” is a “short video featuring my friends the ants along with cheese, etc. and one-and-a-half tracks from the ‘Thought Gang’ album.” (Thanks, Reader B.)
Above the waist it was semi-anthropomorphic; though its chest, where the dog’s rending paws still rested watchfully, had the leathery, reticulated hide of a crocodile or alligator. The back was piebald with yellow and black, and dimly suggested the squamous covering of certain snakes. Below the waist, though, it was the worst; for here all human resemblance left off and sheer phantasy began.
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