Rowling fashioned herself an untouchable goddess at the exact moment untouchable goddesses became obsolete.
The Cut digs into J.K. Rowling’s journey from a universally respected creator of an inclusive fantasy world to a trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
From Mel Magazine, a quick article on the origin and creation of “Little Big Mom,” the Simpsons 11th season episode where Homer comes face to face with Stupid Sexy Flanders. Feels like I’m wearing nothing at all!
I’ve been binging this for the past week: All kinds of awesome people from the Harry Potter world are reading chapters of The Philosopher’s Stone (book 1). I started listening to Stephen Fry’s series but I’ve found that I enjoy Jim Dale’s version much better.
Fast Company reports on a data viz designer who saw the a tweet showing the counties of the United States colored in by how they voted, and thought he could do a better job of displaying the truth. You’ve seen the GIF he created—it’s this one:
Measuring Land vs Measuring People https://t.co/Vju0kknYby#HowChartsLie #Elections2020 pic.twitter.com/EKhrJ4lBuo
— xan candal (@xancandal) November 6, 2020
The New York Times Editorial Board lays out the case against the Great Pumpkin: “Donald Trump’s re-election campaign poses the greatest threat to American democracy since World War II.”. The whole thing is great, but I love this part:
In June, his administration tear-gassed and cleared peaceful protesters from a street in front of the White House so Mr. Trump could pose with a book he does not read in front of a church he does not attend.
A deteriorating 1942 mural entitled “Incidents in the History of Catonsville” that includes a portrayal of Black slaves pulling barrels of tobacco alongside white men on horses has quietly been covered over in plastic in the town’s post office after state and federal representatives called for its replacement.
…Slavery in the state existed “from the very beginning,” Wright said, from the 1600s until Maryland abolished slavery at the end of 1864, two months before Congress ratified the 13th amendment abolishing slavery nationwide.
We are lucky to have an example of the WPA’s portfolio in our town, but I can see why this mural is confronting. I’d prefer not to take it down (it was designed to be integral to three walls of the Post Office) but I understand if they decide to, much like Confederate statues around the country. (previously)
Ha-ha, funny. Ha. Wait, is this illegal?
Coup attempts have happened all over the world, and over half have failed. That’s because coups are hard to orchestrate. They are a violation of norms that require quick seizure of multiple levels of institutions with a claim that they are the rightful heir.
Coups tend to fail when government institutions (like elections) are trusted, there is an active citizenry and other nations are ready to become involved.
The role of citizenry is crucial. That’s because during the period right after a coup attempt— when the new government is claiming it is the “real” government — all the institutions have to decide who to listen to.
10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup, from Waging Nonviolence (emphasis mine).
Marilyn Mosby is a sociopath and the Baltimore Police Department is literally a drug-dealing gang that happens to wear badges and has committed more murders than it has solved. So when the Ravens put out a cool tweet like this, it’s INSTANTLY undermined by a city that treats its citizens like shit and a governor that treats that city like it’s fucking Baghdad.
Ah, Why Your Team Sucks, I’ve missed you. I paid $80 and subscribed to Defector yesterday because all the other blogs I used to like suck now; good stuff costs money.
This is one of the most well-written obituaries of an incredible life ever published. Rick Rescorla was English by birth, fought in the Vietnam War for the U.S. Army in a pivotal early battle, and later became a writer and lawyer. He was the chief of security for Morgan Stanley at the World Trade Center on September 11, and died getting his personnel out of the building. Recommended reading: We Were Soldiers Once…And Young.