An Archive of Commercial Illustration (c. 1950-75). So much throwback inspiration here! [kottke.org]
A ripple of excitement pulsed through the crowd. Paul Ford is blogging regularly again. [ftrain.com]
Tomorrow everyone will be asking: when will the Russo-Ukrainian war end? The right question is: what can we do to make the Russian invasion fail?
This is just a fantastic interview with Tony Gilroy. If you liked Andor—which you should, because it's amazing—give it a read.
The goal of the Trump Action Tracker is to “document how the trajectory of Trump’s presidency is aligned with the authoritarian playbook”. [trumpactiontracker.info]
I do not fear the rise of superintelligence.
I do, however, fear the rise of billionaires, organizations, and world powers who seek to use computing to maximize their power, influence, and control.
BOUIE: “.. I try to avoid superlatives in my writing, but there is simply no question that this is the most flagrant display of presidential racism since Woodrow Wilson screened D.W. Griffith’s ‘The Birth of a Nation’ in the White House in 1915.”
@jamellebouie.net
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/o...
oh my god
Professor Walt Hunter on the merits of challenging students: Stop Meeting Students Where They Are. “Whole novels aren’t possible to teach, we are told, because students won’t (or can’t) read them. So why assign them?” [theatlantic.com]
There is no reason any of these men need any of this gear. This entire situation is not only dangerous and illegal. It is absurd and stupid.
www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...
“It’s not the painting, it’s the energy BEHIND the painting.”
Ethan Hawke — on the limitations of AI art — is very good. 🔥
@vulture.com
Reporting on Homeland Security’s seige of Minneapolis. “No one…is even really bothering with the pretext that they’re here to make the city safer. This is Donald Trump’s revenge campaign, and they’re the foot soldiers.” [theverge.com]
We Are the Bad Guys. “What do we call it when a stronger person decides to rob a weaker person because he can? It is just gangsterism. We are the most dangerous gangsters in the world today.” [hamiltonnolan.com]
If Stayin’ Alive Had Been Written in 16th Century. A quartet sings the Bee Gees tune as a madrigal. “A madrigal is a form of secular vocal music most typical of the Renaissance…” [kottke.org]
The best philosophy books of the decade? My choices for @fivebooks.com fivebooks.com/category/phi...
Funniest McSweeney’s piece I’ve read in awhile: The Mastermind Box Cover: What the Hell Were They Thinking? “Warmth is for Sorry! This is not a hug. This is a chess clock in a stranger’s living room telling you your parents are getting divorced.” [mcsweeneys.net]
Does Harrison Ford Know His Lines? Vanity Fair quizzed Ford on his lines from movies & TV shows and he did pretty well. Great stories & lore too. On Blade Runner: “I like any cut without the narration.” [kottke.org]
Mary Beard: Hollywood Lied to You About Ancient Rome. Here’s the Truth. “We’ve inherited the history of Ancient Rome through movies, ruins, and shallow stories. The truth is far messier.” [kottke.org]
A zoomable, fully searchable archive of every single page of every single issue of BYTE magazine from 1975-1998. “I hope seeing everything in single, searchable place offers a unique perspective.” (via @jonudell.bsky.social) [byte.tsundoku.io]
Absolutely crucial point here by Greg Sargent. When we don’t call propaganda what it is, we co-produce it, and hasten disaster.
newrepublic.substack.com/p/maga-implo...
I listen to music all day while I work. But choosing what to listen to was starting to become a repetitive chore. So I built Underscore, an opinionated “home-cooked meal” music player. Here’s how it works. [kottke.org]
We Are Not Fascists, and If You Call Us Fascists, We Will Arrest You. “There is nothing funny about calling me or Donald Trump a fascist, and if you do, we will ship you to Guantanamo.” [mcsweeneys.net]
> @governor.ca.gov
New issue of Laura Olin’s newsletter, full of good stuff. “I had forgotten that the Statue of Liberty was, upon installation, brown.” [buttondown.com]
The style of ShouXin’s drawings is a perfect match for their subject matter — cats are simultaneously wild and carefully composed. [kottke.org]
One for the gardener | photographer in your life, or your own Christmas stocking. Another cracker from the excellent production line of John Ash & Paul Gotts plus you'll be supporting a fantastic charity, as well as adding to your book collection. Go on, grab a copy or two!!
Really in-depth review of the iPhone Air that answered a lot of my questions re the battery life and camera. In both cases, it appears to match the iPhone 17 almost 1:1 — not as big of a compromise as I mentally prepared myself for!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EeWu1CS2Ac
Photos from the astounding Andy Goldsworthy exhibition in Edinburgh today. Not to be missed if you can make it.
