[weekly linkdump, somewhat edited]
#best news this week
Russell Brand on revolution: “We no longer have the luxury of tradition” – “But before we change the world, we need to change the way we think.” In a world where comedians make more sense than politicians, this is one of the smarter things you’ll read all year. Russel’s Rant. And here’s a response to it:
Russell Brand takes on the crisis of civilisation. But what now? – “Celebrity comedian’s critics miss the point on urgent need for ‘revolution’ to avert planetary extinction – yet question is still how”
#watch and
Dance Factory preschool tap Original – “3yr old keeps focused to finish the dance.” I so love the unruly one.
NEWSNIGHT – Paxman vs Brand. Full Interview. – “Newsnight’s Jeremy Paxman talks to Russell Brand about voting, revolution and beards…” I so would join his revolution. Where can I sign up?
Wealth Inequality in America – “Infographics on the distribution of wealth in America, highlighting both the inequality and the difference between our perception of inequality and the actual numbers.”
#learn
How do-gooders threaten humble bee – “The middle-class fashion for new hives is well-intentioned, but there’s not enough nectar and pollen for them all” This is a poorly researched article. A smart response here:
Are We Keeping Too Many Bees? – “Bee populations self-regulate. If there are not enough food sources colonies will die off. That is, unless people are feeding bee colonies sugar to prop them up (and I assume they are because feeding bees is one of the many misguided bits of advice that mainstream beekeeping organizations promulgate).”
This Guy Photographed Every Stage Of His Wife’s Cancer. – “Angelo and Jennifer’s story is tragic, but it’s in the face of a tragedy such as this that we rise above. In Angelo’s case, he has started an organization to help women with their financial struggles during their trials with breast cancer”
Our Cities Are Killing Us – “In 2010, there were 223,000 deaths from cancer worldwide as a result of pollution. “The air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances,”
Breath – Pretty funny spoof app.
Ollie Teeba (The Herbaliser): The War of the Worlds – “Ollie Teeba from The Herbaliser and Soundsci gives us his own take on ‘War of the Worlds'” Mindblowing oh so good. DJ Mix of the year?
Reversing climate change even more difficult than it might sound – “Even if humanity were to completely stop emitting carbon dioxide, it would take thousands of years for natural processes to bring the concentration in the atmosphere back down close to where it was before the industrial revolution began.”
How NSA-Proof Are VPN Providers? – “concerned VPN users […] want to know more about possible cracked encryption schemes, and how providers respond to gag orders and national security letters. Today we explore these topics with a handful of the leading VPN services.”
The Walls had Ears – “It’s been a strange three years for Tunisians. Many people I talk to are furtive and confused about life after the revolution. They often seem suspicious, though never committed to it, like suspicion is more of a habit than a considered stance.”
Laurie Penny Vs. Cybersexism: “Not Letting the Fuckers Win” – “From massive aggression towards women in tech or games or politics, to routine sexual shaming, to particularly malicious, stalky schemes from creepy individuals — we’ve all witnessed or experienced cybersexism to some degree, some more than others.” ANIMAL interviews Penny Red
Is Vahid Brown an Agent of the State, or Are Portland Anarchists on a Witch Hunt? – “Repression is a particularly effective strategy when police can depend upon the radicals they target to finish the job. As for Brown, he won’t be taking his daughters to another protest any time soon.”
Crass’s Penny Rimbaud Doesn’t Care About Urban Outfitters Profiting Off His Band’s Name – “Hoping for an angry tirade, I called up Penny Rimbaud, one of the founding members of Crass, at his home in England. Instead he took the opportunity to tell me how much he dislikes the current crop of DIY punks.” Oh boy, Penny sure seems confused.
Wikipedia editors, locked in battle with PR firm, delete 250 accounts – “Wikipedia editors have disabled hundreds of paid Wikipedia editing accounts in recent weeks as part of a campaign against so-called “sockpuppetry.”
Earth’s most isolated tree, the only one around for 250 miles, was knocked down by alleged drunk driver – Makes me say “Humans” (pronounced like Jerry Seinfeld used to say “Newmann”)
Talking to Berlin’s Hipster Defense Squad – “A group called Hipster Antifa Neukölln have formed to counter this rhetoric, using slogans such as “Tourists, hipsters, everybody is welcome—party like it’s 1945.” ”
The ocean is broken – “We hardly saw any living things. We saw one whale, sort of rolling helplessly on the surface with what looked like a big tumour on its head. It was pretty sickening.”
ADP Installation Shots – “Enter a miniaturized, post-apocalyptic world: frozen in time, diminished destroyed, burned, looted, abandoned, derelict, devoid of people, of all life, apart from a swell of police. ”
#lang:de
Als erstes nehmen wir die Wall Street … – “Heute sei die Frage nicht mehr, ob es zu einem Schuldenschnitt komme, sondern wie dieser realisiert werde; darin stimmen führende Ökonomen mit Graeber überein. Um diese Botschaft – keine Revolution ohne Jubilee, kein Jubilee ohne Revolution – zu einer sich selbsterfüllenden Prophezeiung zu machen, tourt das Chamäleon Graeber in unterschiedlichen Rollen unermüdlich um die Welt.”
Vernünftige Kompromisse wie bei Occupy – “Es würde sich also lohnen, etwas mehr kollektives Nachdenken in die Entwicklung eines solchen politischen Systems zu investieren. Das ist für mich das beste Argument für den Egalitarismus: Erst wenn es keine fundamentale soziale und politische Ungleichheit mehr gibt, kann die Demokratie von einer Kampfarena zu einem echten Problemlösungsraum werden.”
[delicious.com/pieceoplastic or subscribe to this RSS feed – with all the typos]