The Weird Times
Inner Monologues and Desultory Reporting from Outer Spaces: Issue 191, January 7, 2024 (V4 #35)
Ultimately, smart people sometimes say dumb things or make mistakes, and it’s often forgivable when they do.—Erik Hoel
Lies about the nature of the threat are what allows the threat to thrive.—Sarah Kendzior
Democracy is still a sacred cause.—Joe Biden
Books, Music, Art, Culture
‘There are different ways of being a woman’: Jodie Foster on beauty, bravery, and raising feminist sons: For a long time, the actor was the most visible lesbian in Hollywood (not that she really wanted to talk about it). Now the True Detective star feels liberated – and is helping the younger generation follow suit, Emma Brockes, The Guardian, 1/6/24
‘It opened a lot of old wounds’: Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone on Killers of the Flower Moon: The co-stars of Scorsese’s Oscar-tipped epic, based on the true story of murders of Native people in 1920s Oklahoma, talk about the key role of the Osage people in the film’s making, and the importance of supporting those closest to the land, Mark Kermode, The Guardian, 1/7/24
‘We are living in the century of fear’: Hisham Matar on why we need books, A childhood memory of the sea stirs the British-Libyan writer to reflect on the power of literature and libraries to bring us together in troubled times, The Guardian, 1/6/24: “The waters I swam in, that filled my ears and mouth and open eyes, were the same waters that touched distant shores.”
Les McCann, Pianist, Singer and Soul Jazz Pioneer, Dies at 88: He released more than 50 albums but had his greatest commercial success with “Compared to What,” a recording that came together at the last minute in 1969, Audrey Henkin, NY Times, 1/1/24
Queer Louisianans Are Fighting Book Bans—And Winning: “They say their goal is just to get rid of pornographic books, but in no place has it ever stopped there,” Katie Jane Fernelius, In These Times, 1/1/24
Covid Speaks like ChatGPT: What I’m Learning from Covid about the Internet and other Synthetic Experiences, Douglas Rushkoff, Rushkoff, 1/3/24: “If the flu could be likened to a vinyl LP, and a cold to a 45 single, Covid is more like an early CD or under-sampled MP3. Discontinuous, plastic, alien. Not indigenous.”
To Own the Future, Read Shakespeare: Tech and the liberal arts have always been at war. Don’t assume Silicon Valley will win, Paul Ford, Wired, 1/2/24: “If the current narrative holds—if AI is victorious—well, liberal arts types will be ascendant.”
Revolutionary Blake-splaining, Jack Skelley, LA Review of Books, 1/4/24: “…just as imperial powers rape continents, and torture Africans and Indigenous peoples for market domination, vein-popping male jealousy brands sex as sin to control women’s bodies.”
Toward a shallower future: Adversity isn’t worth the price of adversity, Noah Smith, Noahpinion, 1/2/24: “The modern world of push-button marvels has lost something, but it has gained more than it has lost. By celebrating it, we honor the countless millennia of heroes who worked in some small way to bring it about, even as we dedicate ourselves to continuing their great enterprise. Our legacy is to fill the Universe with children who laugh more than we were allowed to.”
Panicking about the girlies, Lyz Lenz, Men Yell at Me, 1/7/24: “The collective panic over the behavior of young women is more telling about our own moral biases and misogyny than it is about the behavior of young girls.”
The Taylor Swift Little Golden Book becomes the series’ biggest seller: Adults are boosting sales of the kid-friendly story, Helen Lee, Simplemost, 1/2/24
What Booksellers Can Teach Us About Reading, Writing and Publishing: on Creating Literary Culture and Community Across Continents, Will Mountain Cox, LitHub, 1/5/24: “With narratives providing their livelihood, booksellers begin to see which narratives their customers need.” Roundabout: A Novel
Is 2024 the year of reckoning for academia? Or, How Steven Pinker plagiarized and why it's fine, Erik Hoel, Intrinsic Perspective, 1/3/24: “Just think on it: even in the science section, and even in a discipline like physics, you can find one book saying that the universe is infinite sitting on the shelf right next to another saying the universe is finite. Well, which is it? Let me know, would you.”
How much of modern academia is waste? A painful question that we need to ask, Noah Smith, Noahpinion, 1/7/24: “But given the pivotal role that universities now play in our research ecosystem, and given the replication crisis in psychology, medicine, and other empirical disciplines, it makes sense to ask if our universities are wasting national resources by producing too much useless or misleading research.”
Politics, Economics
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Timothy Snyder, Thinking About, 1/6/24: “…now is the time to organize, to prepare to win locally and nationally, and to talk not only about what is to be lost but what can be gained.” DW: I recommend buying many copies of Snyder’s On Tyranny and giving them to everyone you know. And there is now a fantastic graphic version: On Tyranny Graphic Edition: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Dueling anniversaries: 1/6 vs 9/11, Lucian K. Truscott IV, Newsletter, 1/6/24: “It has taken us at least a century to begin to properly commemorate the disaster of the Civil War by taking down Confederate statues and renaming military installations for patriots instead of traitors. Here’s hoping it won’t take just as long for us to commemorate 1/6 with the unity and propriety that we commemorate 9/11.”
‘Stakes are really high’: misinformation researcher changes tack for 2024 US election: Kate Starbird says attacks have made research difficult, and claims of bias arise because of prevalence of lies from the right, Rachel Leingang, The Guardian, 1/1/24: “With misinformation research under fire and social media platforms less willing to factcheck viral posts, 2024 could see a flood of voter fraud lies, making for an even more contentious election than in 2020.”
To Panic, or Not to Panic: The 2024 Election Question: Vanity Fair’s Claire Howorth and Michael Calderone preview the animating issues of this presidential election year, including how to cover Donald Trump, Brian Stelter, Vanity Fair, 1/4/24
Want to Understand 2024? Look at 1948: Americans were angry with Truman because of high prices in the aftermath of World War II, even as other economic signals looked promising, Nate Cohn, NY Times, 1/4/24: “Despite the extraordinarily positive developments of the last decade, voters were pessimistic about the future…The country was at the dawn of the prosperous, idealized 1950s “Leave It to Beaver” era that still lingers in the public imagination. If something similar is almost at hand, it can’t come soon enough for Mr. Biden.”
The gateway to strongman politics, Steve Schmidt, The Warning, 1/7/24: “ Where there is anger and hopelessness there is fertile soil for the deadliest political lie in history to take root. Trump expressed it this way in 2016: ‘I alone can fix it.’ This is the gateway to strong man politics, dictatorship and a stripping away of decency, humanity, and ultimately. freedom.”
Raskin Rips GOP for Dismissing Report on Trump's Payments From Foreign Governments: The Maryland Democrat said Republicans have "used their legislative power to cover up evidence of Trump's lawlessness and to serve his demands for personal vengeance,” Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, 1/4/24
How the GOP’s rewriting of Jan. 6 paved the way for Trump’s comeback: Pressure from family members and advocates for accused rioters was amplified by online influencers and right-wing media figures, leading lawmakers to minimize, excuse and deny the violence and rehabilitate Trump, Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 1/6/24
Donald Trump’s Tirades Barely Make a Blip: The ex-president is ranting and raving on social media, making wild claims and vowing revenge—and yet, too often, he’s treated as a conventional candidate, Molly Jong-Fast, Vanity Fair, 1/3/24
Could a Trump Win Put His Running Mate in Office? Senate Republicans’ brief in the Supreme Court surprisingly argues just that, Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 1/3/24: “How have we allowed one man to wreak so much havoc on our democracy?...” DW: The possibility is that Trump gets elected, but then the Supreme Court rules he is disqualified, and the VP becomes president. That’s the havoc referred to here.
Biden speech and Trump ad are opposite sides of a monumental debate, Steve Schmidt, The Warning, 1/6/24: “The Trump ad is something dark, and it is not something produced by a man who wishes to lead a constitutional republic.”
Why Don’t Americans Know Who’s Manipulating our Political System & Why? The white Republican base has been so lied to and abused over the past forty or so years that they’ve become easy marks for the predators in both big business and the GOP…Thom Hartmann, Hartmann Report, 1/2/24
January 6th Must Be a Federal Holiday — DEMOCRACY DAY — So We Never Forget, Michael Moore, Newsletter, 1/6/24
Jan. 6 was an example of networked incitement − a media and disinformation expert explains the danger of political violence orchestrated over social media, Joan Donovan, The Conversation, 1/5/24: “What set Jan. 6 apart was the president of the United States using his cellphone to direct an attack on the Capitol, and those who stormed the Capitol being wired and ready for insurrection… On that day in particular, the insurrectionists, who are closely aligned with MAGA Republicans more broadly, functioned like Trump’s volunteer army rather than a populist movement.”
The plagiarism allegations against ex-Harvard president Claudine Gay, explained, Sophia Nguyen, Washington Post, 1/4/24: “…“revealed a few instances of inadequate citation” but “no violation of Harvard’s standards for research misconduct…”
Ousted Harvard president Claudine Gay warns of ‘a broader war’ in op-ed: A day after resigning, university’s first Black president says the call to testify on antisemitism at elite colleges was ‘a well-laid trap,’ Lois Beckett, The Guardian, 1/4/24: “For the opportunists driving cynicism about our institutions, no single victory or toppled leader exhausts their zeal.”
The resignation of Harvard’s president is a chance for schools to learn, Editorial Board, Washington Post, 1/3/24: “For all the politically motivated criticism directed at Harvard and other leading universities, they remain exemplars of scientific and intellectual merit and educational excellence. But they are not perfect and they are not, in this case, entirely blameless. For the sake of their stature, actual and perceived, these schools will have to take this as an opportunity to learn.”
Seismic Waves for 2024: "Optimistic Nihilism" and Consumer Spending: Economic, Cultural, and Technological Shifts to Watch This Year, Rex Woodbury, Digital Native, 1/5/24: “What is optimistic nihilism? Essentially, it’s the idea that nothing matters and that we’re all going to die—so we might as well enjoy life’s pleasures while we’re here 🤷♂️.”
The Neighbor's House is on Fire: And We Are Watching it Burn, Timothy Snyder, Thinking About, 1/4/24: “Everyone can be demoralized by the realization that those who risked their lives for democracy were sold out, just because Americans lacked the wherewithal to what is obviously the right thing.”
To Beat Russia, Ukraine Needs a Major Tech Breakthrough: Ukraine’s top general says his country must innovate on the level of inventing gunpowder to “break military parity” with Russia. If it’s successful, it could change the future of war, Justin Ling, Wired, 1/4/24
Anti-Zionism isn’t the same as antisemitism. Here’s the history, Benjamin Moser, Washington Post, 1/2/24: “Never has the debate been louder than it is now.”
We all see the horrific videos of suffering in Gaza. We must not look away: We must keep watching. It is only in this pain that we will charge our resolve and our power – and force America and Israel to end this bloody war, V (formerly Eve Ensler), The Guardian, 1/3/24
Israel/Gaza: Retrospect and Prospect: Planning for the 'Day After,’ Lawrence Freedman, Comment is Freed, 1/7/24: “If the US, Europeans, and Arabs really want to get a grip on this situation they are going to have to go beyond attempts to mediate between recalcitrant parties and engage more directly with the situation.”
Sometimes, at night,
I worry about what I’m missing,
simply because I don’t know the word for it.—from “A New New Guide,” Lara Egger
Science, Environment
We Can Already Stop Climate Change If We Want To, Tomas Pueyo, Uncharted Territories, 1/2/24. Three steps – 1. Stop Adding CO2. 2. Sequester CO2. 3. Cool Off the Earth. This article is well worth reading!
Antarctica’s Looming Threat: Ocean waters warmed by climate change could open the door for marine invasive species in one of the world’s most pristine ecosystems, Tara Lohan, The Revelator, 1/4/24: “For now, Antarctica and the Southern Ocean remain the least invaded marine regions on the planet and represent humanity’s last chance to demonstrate that we can manage and mitigate the risks of invasive species at a continental scale.”
Amphibians are in trouble: They’re especially vulnerable to climate change because they’re coldblooded, YCC Team, Yale Climate Connections, 1/2/24: “…about 40% of species are considered globally threatened.”
Evolution: Fast or Slow? Lizards Help Resolve a Paradox: Why does natural selection appear to happen slowly on long timescales and quickly on short ones? A multigenerational study of four lizard species addresses biology’s “paradox of stasis,” Carrie Arnold, Quanta, 1/2/24
BPA, phthalates "widespread" in supermarket foods, regardless of packaging, Consumer Report says, Elizabeth Napolitano, CBS, 1/4/24: “Researchers found that 99% of the supermarket and fast foods they tested contained phthalates.”
Reduce, reuse, refuse: tips to cut down plastic use in your kitchen: Every year, we dump 10m tons of plastic into the ocean, and solving the problem will require regulatory action. But there are ways consumers can help, Cecilia Nowell, The Guardian, 1/4/24: “Switch your plastic appliances out for metal, glass or wooden ones where possible, says Brinkworth. But be careful when looking at wood or bamboo appliances that you consider the glue used to hold them together. Even just the glue used to seal a tea bag can release billions of microplastics.”
Native Hawaiian salt makers combat climate change and pollution to protect a sacred tradition, Deepa Bharath, APNews, 1/4/24
Buying an EV just got more affordable: The federal tax credit is now available as an upfront rebate, making EVs more accessible to low- and-middle-income households, Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Grist, 1/2/24
Fully Recharged: Batteries may not seem sexy, but...Bill McKibben, The Crucial Years, 1/4/24: “…every time we double battery deployment, we increase the energy density of batteries by 18 percent, and we cut the cost by 19 percent. And there is a lot of doubling going on…”
The next frontier in EV battery recycling: Graphite. In the race to build a circular battery industry, one mineral has been overlooked — until now, Maddie Stone, Grist, 1/5/24: “… it’s a no-brainer this will happen.”
How electricity could help tackle a surprising climate villain: Sublime Systems is trying to drive down the carbon footprint of cement production, Casey Crownhart, MIT Technology Review, 1/3/24
Farmer’s plants grow year-round in geothermal greenhouse in upstate New York: The system needs only a little energy to run, YCC Team, Yale Climate Connections, 1/5/24
California Is Solving Its Water Problems by Flooding Its Best Farmland: Restored floodplains in the state’s agricultural heartland are fighting both flooding and drought. But their fate rests with California’s powerful farmers, Jake Bittle, Wired, 1/6/24
We used AI and satellite imagery to map ocean activities that take place out of sight, including fishing, shipping and energy development, Jennifer Raynor, The Conversation, 1/3/24: “We found that a remarkable amount of activity occurs outside of public monitoring systems. Our new map and data provide the most comprehensive public picture available of industrial uses of the ocean.”
As the world swims in plastic, some offer an answer: Ban the toxic two, Alden Wicker, Monga Bay, 1/2/24: “… two types of plastic that are so toxic to produce, use and dispose of, they shouldn’t even be on the market: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene. Both should see an ‘immediate freeze and phase-down’ of production, says the U.K.’s Environmental Investigation Agency.”
Plants, birds, feral pigs: the invasive species that cost the US millions: Invasive species are estimated to cost the US $120bn in damages annually – here are five that concern experts, Aliya Uteuova, The Guardian, 1/5/24
The False Link Between Climate Change and Mass Migration: Here’s how it really works, Hein de Haas, Persuasion, 1/3/24: “The idea that climate change will lead to mass migration is based on popular “push-pull” models that naively assume that migration is somehow a linear function of poverty, violence and other forms of human misery.”
I pluckèd Leutha‟s flower,
And I rose up from the vale;
But the terrible thunders tore
My virgin mantle in twain
—from “The Argument,” William Blake
Health, Wellness
A Gel Injected Into the Scrotum Could Be the Next Male Contraceptive: Biotech company Contraline has safely implanted a sperm-blocking hydrogel in 23 men. It’s designed to be a fully reversible vasectomy, Emily Mullin, Wired, 1/4/24
Birds, Birds, Birds
From merlins to warblers: 30,000 birds spotted in annual count: The Vineyard's contribution to a wide-ranging bird count benefited this year from higher visibility, Daniel Greenman, Martha’s Vineyard Times, 1/4/24
New York Enacts Nation-Leading Law to Protect Bees, Birds, and People, Daniel Raichel, NRDC.org, 1/4/24: “Birds and Bees Protection Act—a first-in-the-nation law to rein in dangerous and wasteful uses of neonicotinoids or ‘neonics.’”
it is just as empty as it seems
but this blankness is your mother.
—from “Looking,” Robert Kelly
Welcome to the first issue of the new year. Thanks once again to all of you who take the time to read these probably too long compendia I feel the need to share; and special thanks to all of you who have written to me recently. The news can be so exhausting, but most of you choose what you want to read and hopefully at least scan the rest.
With so much challenging news to follow, it helps to know we are in this together and by sharing to create and sustain our community.
Wherever you are, whoever you are with, whatever you are doing — I send warm regards and thanks for who you are and what you do. Please continue to keep in touch.
Stay well. Share love. We need each other, now more than ever.—David
Thanks David for distilling the world’s news in such a thoughtful manner. Cheers from India where I just read your recent issue while sitting in the jungle listening to the chant’s emanating from the temples and the birds singing. YITB Rick