Monday Cheeky Link Round Up
Between the Queen’s Jubilee and my birthday, all of last week and the past weekend was something of a write off. We had friends in town, the weather was brilliant, the mood was celebratory and I didn’t want to do anything taxing.
So I didn’t!
But here we are, back online and still trying to reestablish some writing discipline. Have some links, my immortal beloveds.
Celebrating Lizzy V!
Worried about your privacy online? Good, that means you’re paying attention.
Let’s talk bluntly about what’s going on in American politics right now. Anne Helen Petersen kicks us off with an absolute gut punch: “The United States has always, in some capacity, been governed through some form of minority rule. But the last 22 years (and the last six in particular) have underlined just how difficult it is for the will of the majority to translate into policy or governmental action. It feels like the United States is regressing, but we’re actually just getting redrawn according to this minority group’s architectural renderings of a Christian Nationalist Theocracy. We’re free to pound on the doors (politely, of course, and certainly not in a way that would make any Supreme Court justice feel uncomfortable). But we’re stuck in the design. With all these motherfucking guns.”
I’m already scared about the next major election.
There is honestly no phrase that triggers my worst fight or flight instincts these days than “I did my own research.” You know whatever is about to land is going to be bonkers.
The Heard/Depp trial is going to be studied in a few years as an important moment in legal scholarship; I’m willing to bet money on this. Watching the online, real-time social media PR campaign was scary to watch. As is too often the case, there are no heroes here and I’m not trying to white knight for either party, but the sheer misogynistic tsunami of vitriol slung at one side is chilling and the actual facts of the case are equally scary.
I’m a bit confused about the whole, “streaming is dead” narrative, but I guess capitalism is gonna’ capital.
Hooo boy, there goes my money!
More fascinating news in the world of CRISPR. We desperately need decent starter legislation on genetic modification, but I still want to see how this technology can be used for good.
Why we cannot afford to be pessimistic about gun reform, even though the temptation is strong.
And Crypto. Oh Crypto. The MLM for people (mostly men) who think they are too smart to fall for an MLM. Here are two primers on why this whole thing is built on fantasy. Because money is mutually agreed fiction, but fake money now…that’s the future! /s
