Lisa Frank: "I'm a lunatic."
The World of Lisa Frank
/via The Atlantic
Kindle MatchBook
Chris Welch, writing for The Verge:
Amazon calls the new initiative Kindle MatchBook, and in many ways it resembles what the company's AutoRip program did for music; buy a physical version, and receive a digital copy to go along with it. But whereas the MP3s you get from AutoRip are always free, the retailer will be charging a nominal fee — between $0.99 and $2.99 — for the Kindle version of a paperback or hardcover you've ordered. Some titles enrolled in the program will be free, however.
I called for something like this back in 2011. Of course, I called for the Publishing Industry to spearhead it, not the company responsible for the disruption of the Publishing Industry.
Old habits die hard.
It Took My Wife and Me 5 Hours To Watch a 90 Minute Movie
Jason McBride, writing for the New York Times Magazine:
And when I used to hear parents complain that they didn't have even a few minutes to scan the newspaper, let alone finish a novel or catch all that year’s Oscar nominees, I inwardly scoffed (sometimes outwardly). Clearly, they just didn't care that much about Syria or Hilary Mantel or Quentin Tarantino. I mean, really, an average newborn sleeps like 16 hours a day; you can’t squeeze in a Lydia Davis short story or a half-hour of “Girls”? Trying to talk to new moms and dads about culture felt to me like trying to talk to prison inmates about their favorite brunch spots.
Forgive me, fellow parents. I am now in that prison.
Preach, brother.
Is Technology Scrambling My Baby's Brain?
Ben Popper, writing for The Verge:
I viewed my mother’s suspicion of screens as just another form of the knee-jerk nostalgia that makes people believe new gadgets are addictive, dangerous, and capable of affecting not just how we think, but the way our bodies work. A few days after the iPhone incident, however, I got an email from my mother with links to a half-dozen scientific studies about the effect television, computers, and video games can have on young children’s developing brains. Too much screen time can, according to the various studies, lead to a delay in verbal skills, poor concentration, emotional instability, and a greater risk of developing attention deficit disorder. In 2011, the venerable American Academy of Pediatrics officially decreed that exposure to screens is detrimental to children under the age of two. Some of the most damning data my mother passed along came from the Millennium Cohort Study, which tracked the long-term health and development of children in the UK born between 2000 and 2002. It found that by the age of five, children who spent more than three hours a day in front of a screen were more likely to engage in antisocial behaviors such as fighting and stealing than their peers. I wasn't just stunting my son’s intellectual potential, it seemed. I was turning him into a dangerous hooligan.
I had no idea about the No Screens Under Two decree. Considering that I've publicly displayed how cute (and hilarious!) it was that I "watched" The Godfather (I and II) with my daughter, and got her hooked on the Despicable Me 2 trailer, I guess that much is obvious.
And while moving forward, my wife and I have definitely been keeping Luna "away" from screens (within reason), I've still got my doubts. As Popper points out, there is nothing more irrationally responded to than new technology (and really, new forms of popular culture). And considering that the same researchers would probably agree that there are a whole host of factors that decide the developmental speed of a child, I think the damage I've done is minimal.
Arca-&&&&
A ridiculously good 25 minute mixtape. Listen to it on the best speakers you have access to.
/via The Fox is Black
Nelio's Geometric Graffiti
Bobby Solomon, writing for The Fox is Black:
One of my favorites was Nelio, a French graffiti artist who’s work uses tons of bright colors all laid out in the most interesting, geometric ways.
Some good choices in the post and the Flickr link is worth your time as well.
The Curator of Bushwick
Christopher Cascarano, reporting for the New York Times:
In just over a year, Joe Ficalora, a Bushwick native, has transformed his neighborhood into one of the world's greatest destinations for street art.
Multiculturalism knows no bounds in New York City. And a compelling personal story at that.
And don't forget to read the article and check out the slideshow as well.
'Because it affords him the time to pursue other interests and activities.'
Gavin Aung Than, writing and illustrating on his site Zen Pencils:
Bill Watterson is the artist and creator of (in my humble opinion) the greatest comic strip of all time, Calvin and Hobbes. I was a bit too young to appreciate it while it was originally published from 1985-1995, but I started devouring the book collections soon after. I think my brother had a few of the treasury collections and I must have read those dozens of times. I was hooked, and I remember copying Watterson’s drawings relentlessly as a kid (Calvin’s hair was always the hardest to get right).
The quote used in the comic is taken from a graduation speech Watterson gave at his alma mater, Kenyon College, in 1990. Brain Pickings has a nice article about it. The comic is basically the story of my life, except I’m a stay-at-home-dad to two dogs. My ex-boss even asked me if I wanted to return to my old job.
This is another one of those cultural products that came along at exactly the right time in my life. I was familiar with the speech, but the story and illustration provided by Gavin had me weeping. You'll never forget reading this cartoon, I promise.