Shortlisted: This week’s best links, Issue #95
What happens when you give a tree an email address; a master class in self aggrandizement; what it’s like to wear an NYPD uniform; and 9 more links.
Quote of the Week
“Beginning in the late 16th century, England quaintly conquered much of the known world, charmingly crushing hundreds of millions of people under an imperial yoke that, on the one hand, spread a fair amount of misery and destruction, but on the other, also led to a marvelous uptick in the adoption of picturesque lawn sports.”
— The brilliant Brian Phillips, writing about Wimbledon in Grantland
Arts and Culture
The Mixed-Up Brothers Of Bogota (Top pick)
Susan Dominus / The New York Times Magazine / 46 mins
“Take two identical twin pairs. Switch one from each pair at birth. Then reunite them 25 years later, by chance.” An amazing story about genetics and family, and about who we are and why. (via Anne)
In The Persian World Of Ta’arof, They Make Offers That Will Be Refused
Sarah Parvini / Los Angeles Times / 5 mins
Two men argue over the bill in a restaurant, start to wrestle with each other, and end up breaking a table…all in the name of good manners. This is an enjoyable article on ta’arof, the Persian art of etiquette.
Every Single Word
Dylan Marron
What happens when you edit films to include only the dialogue of people of color? Well, watch these clips: Moonrise Kingdom becomes a ~5-second film, Wedding Crashers becomes a ~30-second film, and Her becomes a ~40-second film. An interesting project.
Gyotaku: The Japanese Art Of Fish Prints
Mold / 1 min
Fish as art form. Only in Japan.
Politics and World Affairs
A Woman In Uniform (Top pick)
Anonymous NYPD Officer / Grey Magazine / 9 mins
What it’s like to wear an NYPD uniform. The author has a sharp eye and a way with words, and the accumulation of small details packs a punch. And what a complex job: a regular day might involve anything from getting hit on to being condescended to, being called a hero to being called a Nazi.
What It’s Like To Write Speeches For A Rude, Rambling And Disgraced Politician
Carlos Lozada / The Washington Post / 6 mins
I enjoyed this review of the new book from Mark Sanford’s former speechwriter enough to preorder the book. There are some juicy details on working for Sanford, but also broader truths about life in politics today.
The Case For Joe Biden To Run For President
Jonathan Allen / Vox / 9 mins
I was more persuaded by this than I expected to be. If nothing else, watch the 90-second video clip in which Lindsay Graham calls him, among other things, “as good a man as God ever created.” A useful correction to the prevailing caricature.
Business and Economics
Career Transitions: Crafting Your Medium Humble-Brag (Top pick)
Dan Conway / Medium / 5 mins
Ours is not an age for humility, so it’s handy to have this very funny career advice. Here’s a sample line: “To Ev Williams, you have been an inspiration and our paths will cross again, brother. You still owe me a bowl of cous cous!” A master class in self aggrandizement.
What’s Your Hour In ‘Silicon Valley Time’?
Aaron Zamost / Medium / 8 mins
Slack is at 4pm. Pinterest is at 5pm. Twitter is at 7pm. Reddit is at 8pm. How knowing what time your company is at can help you manage your media narrative.
How We Changed The Facebook Friends Icon
Caitlin Winner / Medium / 3 mins
A designer at Facebook finds the current friend icons overly male-focused, and sets out to redesign them. One one level, this is a story about the power of details. But I am more fascinated by what it says about Facebook’s management style: it’s amazing to see that “move fast and break things” apparently still applies at a company with 10k employees.
Science and Technology
When You Give A Tree An Email Address (Top pick)
Adrienne LaFrance / The Atlantic / 4 mins
“The city of Melbourne assigned trees email addresses so citizens could report problems. Instead, people wrote thousands of love letters to their favorite trees.” This is charming as all get out.
If The Moon Were Only 1 Pixel
Josh Worth
A clever interactive site that shows just how big space is.
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