Month: December 2018
December 31, 2018
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Thought
One of my greatest regrets is that I ever found Louis C. K. funny.
December 28, 2018
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Bookmark
The Trouble With Designing a Book When Its Author is in Jail
“As a senior designer at Alfred A. Knopf, I feel incredibly lucky. Odds are, if I’m passed a manuscript to read, I will love it. And when I’m assigned a novel by…”
December 27, 2018
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Review
Ready Player One (2018, Steven Spielberg)
I kind of liked the book while I was reading it, but I’ve grown less and less fond of it as time’s gone by. The book is problematic in many ways and I was willing to overlook that for the hit of nostalgia. The movie tries to address some of this but ultimately is just as empty a shell as the book. Eye candy yes, but I’m not that interested in eye candy right now.
December 26, 2018
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Review
Austral (Paul McAuley, 2017)
Sadly climate-change SF seems all to real these days. McCauley writes thrillers in an SF context. Quite enjoyable.
December 25, 2018
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Review
Roma (2018, Alfonso Cuarón)
Absolutely stunning. One of my top pics of the year. I’m a huge fan of Cuarón and he did not disappoint.
December 24, 2018
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Review
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)
I’ve probably seen this over 25 times now. And I don’t tire of it.
December 22, 2018
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Review
In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal (Elizabeth Bear, 2018)
An enjoyable SF mystery novella set in a near future Bangalore. -
Review
Bird Box (2018, Susan Bier)
People seem to be divided on this one. I enjoy “light horror” like this. It’s not really that scary and deals more with people’s ability to triumph over adversity. The ending is a bit hokey but hey, I’m okay with that. And I really like Sandra Bullock and I’m thankful when she’s in something that isn’t mindless schlock.
December 21, 2018
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Review
White Christmas (1954, Michael Curtiz)
It is a long-standing tradition that I watch this lovely holiday music with the girls Christmas Eve. This year we did an early Christmas Eve as my youngest was off to Florida for the holidays, but it was still wonderful.
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Review
Asymmetry (Lisa Halliday, 2018)
Complex, compelling. One of my faves of 2018.
December 20, 2018
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Review
Ghost Stories (2017, Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman)
An entertaining British indie flick. It’s been on my list for about a year and I finally managed to get to it. Not exactly a traditional Christmas tale though. 🙂
December 15, 2018
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Review
Ambiguity Machines and Other Stories (Vandana Singh, 2018)
One of a few Indian SF books I decided to read this year to broaden my horizons. An enjoyable collection of short stories.
December 12, 2018
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Bookmark
“Every week, Spotify releases two-track EPs through its Spotify Singles program, recorded at various Spotify Studios locations around the world. It’s a foray…”
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Bookmark
How Amazon Prime will change the way our cities look – The Boston Globe
“After decades of banishing retail stores from residential neighborhoods, the nation’s real estate developers, city planners, and the general public finally came…”
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Bookmark
“MIND Headlines suggest that the genetic marks of trauma can be passed from one generation to the next. But the evidence, at least in humans, is circumstantial…”
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Bookmark
Widows, Black Panther, Suspiria, and the Year of the Elevated Genre Film
“Photo: Maya Robinson/Vulture and Photo by Fox Searchlight To refer to Steve McQueen’s Widows as “a heist movie” almost feels wrong. Sure, it has a heist in it;…”
December 9, 2018
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Review
My Cousin Rachel (2017, Roger Michell)
Gothic romance/thriller with Rachel Weisz sounded like a good idea, but it didn’t really grab me as I’d hoped. Maybe too faithful to the original?
December 8, 2018
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Review
Happy As Lazzaro (2018, Alice Rohrwacher)
This made me very happy. Other than the fact it was artsy, I didn’t know anything about this when I watched it, and that made it even better because I had no idea where it was going to go at any given moment.
December 1, 2018
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Bookmark
Memetic Tribes and Culture War 2.0 – Intellectual Explorers Club – Medium
““My friends, this election is about more than who gets what. It is about who we are. It is about what we believe, and what we stand for as Americans. There is a…”
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Bookmark
“Let me describe what I hear as I sit in a coffee shop writing this article. It’s late morning on a Saturday, between the breakfast and lunch rushes. People talk…”
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Bookmark
Criminal Incompetence | Inside Higher Ed
“About a year ago, one of my distant relatives found himself in trouble with the law, and not for the first time. He had allegedly stabbed somebody in the course…”
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Bookmark
Listening While Feminist: In Defense of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” – Persephone Magazine
“Editor’s note: Please enjoy this featured post from our archives. I’m a pretty voracious consumer and critic of American popular culture. I’m one of those 3 rd…”