Friday, August 03, 2018

Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale” Has Become An International Symbol Of Protest

The friends we have lost do not repose under the ground ... they are buried deep in our hearts. It has been thus ordained that they may always accompany us.
— Alexandre Dumas, born in 1802


The Mystery and Might of Water


“The most appalling quality of water is its strength. I love its flash and gleam, its music, its pliancy and grace, its slap against my body; but  I fear its strength.”




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PERFORMING ARTS

Depression, poverty and bad teeth: the Australian actors suffering for their art

Margaret Atwood’s “Handmaid’s Tale” Has Become An International Symbol Of Protest


In many parts of the world, women's-rights campaigners - particularly those concerned with reproductive rights and abortion - have embraced the symbolism of The Handmaid's Tale. Language and iconography from the book and TV series are increasingly prevalent on marches, protests and social media. … Read More

It is Dan Wang on how technology grows (a short essay), here are a few scattered bits:
The real output of the US manufacturing sector is at a lower level than before the 2008 recession; that means that there has not been real growth in US manufacturing for an entire decade. (In fact, this measure may be too rosy—the ITIF has put forward an argument that manufacturing output measures are skewed by excessive quality adjustments in computer speeds. Take away computers, which fewer and fewer people are buying these days, and US real output in manufacturing would be meaningfully lower.) Manufacturing employment peaked in 1979 at nearly 20 million workers; it fell to 17 million in 2000, 14 million in 2008, and stands at 12 million today. The US population has grown by 40% since 1979, while the number of manufacturing workers has nearly halved.
And:
I think we should try to hold on to process knowledge.
Japan’s Ise Grand Shrine is an extraordinary example in that genre. Every 20 years, caretakers completely tear down the shrine and build it anew. The wooden shrine has been rebuilt again and again for 1,200 years. Locals want to make sure that they don’t ever forget the production knowledge that goes into constructing the shrine. There’s a very clear sense that the older generation wants to teach the building techniques to the younger generation: “I will leave these duties to you next time.” 
And:
There’s an entertaining line in the Brad Setser piece I linked to earlier. He tells us that one of the reasons that the US has such a high surplus in the services trade is that Americans have a low propensity to travel abroad. I don’t view that as a great way to earn a trade surplus.
There is much more at the link.





A Box Office Worker Becomes A Last-Minute West End Star


Jennifer Caldwell, who was working in the box office in London’s Arts Theatre, got the call to fill in when the understudy was already filling in someone else’s role: “One of the producers saw me on the box office and said ‘I’ve had an idea’ about getting me to fill in. I said maybe, so he said ‘what if we cut parts of the show – can you do a reduced version of the track?’ and I said why not! We rehearsed from 3.30pm until 5pm and were on stage at 7pm.”


Why Are Series Based On Books Lasting Far Beyond The End Of The Book?


And how did HBO's Sharper Objects not fall under the sway of the sequel season? Amy Adams wasn't interested, basically - but the actors on The Handmaid's Tale, Big Little Lies, and of course Game of Thrones certainly have been, and so have their networks. … [Read More]


An attitude of permanent indignation signifies great mental poverty. Politics compels its votaries to take that line and you can see their minds growing more impoverished every day, from one burst of righteous indignation to the next. 
— Paul Valery, who died in 1945


The World’s Oldest Person - The Sun Magazine



Filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos’s Archives Destroyed In Greek Wildfires

 

“The reason we don’t have any privacy is because people can make money off of our not privacy.” | The Book Haven.

In a 17th century village, everything was known because it was nearby. The late twentieth century atomized that model. Now, in a strange inversion of the village culture, everything is known even if far away, while many of us do not know the names of the person who lives next to us, in Apartment 3B.


We actually live in an old-fashioned neighborhood. Except for the newcomers, who pretty much stick to themselves, we do know each other and hang out together





Egyptian Military Court Sentences Actors Arrested For Play That ‘Insulted The Armed Forces’ 


The playwright, director, and cast of a play titled Suleiman Khater - about a young policeman who shot seven Israeli tourists in the Sinai in 1985 - were arrested and jailed in March following a performance near Cairo. Following the four months the men spent in prison awaiting trial, the tribunal gave them a suspended sentence of two months. … [Read More]



No bosses, no managers: the truth behind the ‘flat hierarchy’ facade
"They promise staff the time of their lives. But from tech to Hollywood, there’s a neo-feudal culture of favouritism and fear, says author André Spicer." (The Guardian)

Canberra still in denial over My Health Record concerns
"The government is attempting to hose down concerns about the privacy of Australia's centralised digital health records, but their own messaging continues to prove they still don't get it." (ZDNet)
 

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