2017 Link Roundup
Posted in Editorials on December 31st, 2017by Elizabeth
Like last year, I am not optimistic about the future of the United States. However, I’d still like to share these links with you.
Culture
RIP Rose Marie. Before she passed she gave this fantastic interview about her life, career and sexism in Hollywood.
If Cat Person made you want to read more short fiction, try this – “So Much Cooking” by Naomi Kritzer. It’s an apocalyptic story in the form of a cooking blog.
Queens Bookshop Initiative Opens Brick and Mortar Store
Mel Brooks, The Producers and the Ethics of Satire about N@zis
Surround Yourself with Books, Save Humanity
‘Gwyneth glows like a radioactive swan’ – my day at the Goop festival
Garfield creator Jim Davis finds “dog semen” theory hard to swallow
This Moment Isn’t (Just) About Sex. It’s Really About Work.
Politics
My favorite ad of the year. Feminist Circlejerk is now mainstream political discourse. Dana Nessel 2018.
The Airport Bomber From Last Week You Never Heard About
Why you should stop telling people to “just adopt.” The ‘orphan’ I adopted from Uganda already had a family
This is darkly funny. The Convicted Con Artist Of The Winter White House
Even if you hate him, this is worth it. A Guide to Understanding Ben Garrison’s Political Cartoons
The Quiet, Revolutionary Act of Working at Planned Parenthood
Professor Jody Freeman on Trump’s “2 for 1” Executive Order
Stay Classy, Long Island Republicans! Long Island Village Clerk Says Women’s Marchers ‘Probably Should Have Been Aborted’
We should probably still keep an eye on this. Washington Post Trump Nominations Tracker.
If you want to know the history of those “In this house we believe Black Lives Matter, Women’s Rights are Human Rights, Love is Love, Science is Real, etc” signs – These Moms Are Inspiring Us To Spread Kindness, And You’ll Want To Be Part Of The Movement
Police shoot far more people than anyone realized, a VICE News investigation reveals
I spoke my mind on guns. Then my Senate confirmation was put on hold.
Inauguration Protesters Found Not Guilty On All Charges In Jury Trial
Good News
Teamsters Win 82 Day Strike at Clare Rose, Long Island’s Largest Beer Distributor
School bus driver hailed as “true hero” after bus bursts into flames
Dutch electric trains become 100% powered by wind energy
My Recommendations
Television
Lady Dynamite
The Defenders
Books
Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes by Richard A. Clarke, R.P. Eddy My favorite book of the year. An excellent piece of policy writing that attempts to create a model for thinking about the future. More than statistical forecasting, Clarke and Eddy want citizens and decision makers to think critically about possible disasters and act to avert them.
Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook by Mark Bray This book fills in a lot of history I never got in school. They don’t tell you socialists and communists and anarchists have been fighting Nazis in the streets for decades in Europe. Because then they’d have to admit that sometimes communists are the good guys
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder Harrowing but necessary – if you liked that piece by Masha Gessen about autocracy, read this too. It’s quick and thought provoking.
Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America by Michael Eric Dyson An excellent read with the bonus of a list of books for further reading on the American Civil Rights movement.
A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution by Jennifer A. Doudna, Samuel H. Sternberg I liked this book even though the science part wasn’t as clear to me as I hoped it would be and the policy suggestions were even more confused. (Doudna and Sternberg ignore the powerful politics of abortion while pretending that no one can know why stem cell research is so controversial.) However, it’s probably the best primer on an incredibly important topic that exists or will exist for a while.
Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and Society by Cordelia Fine In her followup to “Delusions of Gender,” Fine explains what the evidence shows testosterone is and isn’t capable of doing. A myth busting book you don’t need an advanced degree to understand. Fascinating.
See All Books I’ve Read in 2017
Happy New Year!
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