links, etc Phoenix Is a Vision of America’s Future - The Atlantic this is a wild george packer romp through the world of phoenix, complete with discussion of the water shortages, the politics of crazy and some solid takes on ASU. it’s full of some real bangers. like this one from the jan-6 shaman … Why had he gone to the Capitol in regalia on January 6? He had a spiritual answer and a political answer....
number go up (zeke faux) there’s not a lot to say about this book. i blasted through it on a trip to iceland. if you had any interest in the crypto grift scene that was ablaze you’ll recall most of the drama from this time. faux provides some amusing anecdotes from his experiences reporting on this multi-year shitshow and rolling grift party. if anything, this is an amusing, if at times irritating, look at the desire to make tons of money in america and the desperation that drives some really irrational behaviors....
under a white sky: the nature of thefuture (elizabeth kolbert) this was not a happy read. kolbert runs through an interesting collection of examples where humankind has altered the ecosystem so significantly that heroic efforts are required to preserve a species or to forestall what appears to be eminant disaster. examples explored here include coral reefs, the pupfish in the desert and a reasonably detailed discussion around geo-engineering in the interests of addressing climate change....
links, etc A Transport Protocol’s View of Starlink - ISP Column - May 2024 one of the better satellite internet explainers i’ve read.
links, etc Steve Albini Was Proof You Can Change - The Atlantic When you realize that the dumbest person in the argument is on your side, that means you’re on the wrong side" the complementary guardian article yeah, he was always that caustic producer guy, but he was brilliant and he clearly matured and openly atoned for his offenses. it’s sobering to realize as an X-er just how many of my favorite albums he produced....