Cos'è la bellezza e dove sta? Una bella riflessione
Money quote: "This tells most of all in the inane and imperious axiom that says ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ It’s a well-meaning attempt at democratisation, allowing us all the power to declare beauty even where others might dissent. But this unthinking homily never interrogates the mysterious criteria by which we deem artworks, objects, even ideas, beautiful."
https://aeon.co/essays/what-is-beauty-if-not-a-jolt-that-awakens-us-to-the-world
Money quote: "This tells most of all in the inane and imperious axiom that says ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ It’s a well-meaning attempt at democratisation, allowing us all the power to declare beauty even where others might dissent. But this unthinking homily never interrogates the mysterious criteria by which we deem artworks, objects, even ideas, beautiful."
https://aeon.co/essays/what-is-beauty-if-not-a-jolt-that-awakens-us-to-the-world
Aeon
The puzzle of beauty
Rather than a golden ratio or a moral judgment, beauty is more like a radical jolt that awakens us to the world
Il fantastico business dei rapimenti. Da noi verrebbe da pensare all'Anonima sarda.
Money quote: "In the event of a kidnapping, consultants—mostly former military and law enforcement—would advise relatives or employers on the negotiations. Someone from the hostage’s family or company would be appointed to do the talking; otherwise, the kidnappers might realize they had an insured hostage and increase their demands. Once a price was agreed upon, specialists would deliver the ransom and retrieve the hostages. This quickly became the new way of doing things."
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/05/09/kidnapping-efficient-business/
Money quote: "In the event of a kidnapping, consultants—mostly former military and law enforcement—would advise relatives or employers on the negotiations. Someone from the hostage’s family or company would be appointed to do the talking; otherwise, the kidnappers might realize they had an insured hostage and increase their demands. Once a price was agreed upon, specialists would deliver the ransom and retrieve the hostages. This quickly became the new way of doing things."
https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2019/05/09/kidnapping-efficient-business/
The New York Review of Books
Kidnapping: A Very Efficient Business
Kidnapping for ransom is almost always a deliberative enterprise. Kidnappers perform research, assess risks, manage costs, and, if they’re in it for the long term, build reputations for orderly resolution. Some groups even develop an infrastructure to support…
Sparati come le palle del cannone. Ogni tanto - soprattutto sul lavoro - si trovano personaggi che sono costantemente su di giri. Engagement come misura della partecipazione: "crederci", questo è l'imperativo. Lo trovo insopportabile. Era da tempo che cercavo una interpretazione critica di questo fenomeno. Trovata. Perché la cheerfulness è un sentimento artificiale che sconfina nella psicosi.
Money quote: "Baden-Powell knew this, and in 1908 he reminded his Boy Scouts that, when something annoying happens:
> you should force yourself to smile at once and then whistle a tune, and you will be all right. A scout goes about with a smile on and whistling. It cheers him and cheers other people, especially in time of danger, for he keeps it up then all the same.
Baden-Powell’s words had the power to coerce a generation of boys to pretend that life is good when it isn’t. Cheerfulness advocates still find virtue in this charade. America’s unchecked faith in cheer abounds in our proverbs: ‘You catch more flies with honey,’ ‘Think happy thoughts,’ ‘Life is good,’ ‘Don’t worry, be happy,’ and ‘Laughter is the best medicine’ are all cheer-filled variations on Baden-Powell’s theme of forced bright-sidedness. ‘Minnesota nice’ captures the twisted Midwestern dedication to white-knuckling a positive attitude."
https://aeon.co/essays/cheerfulness-cannot-be-compulsory-whatever-the-t-shirts-say
Money quote: "Baden-Powell knew this, and in 1908 he reminded his Boy Scouts that, when something annoying happens:
> you should force yourself to smile at once and then whistle a tune, and you will be all right. A scout goes about with a smile on and whistling. It cheers him and cheers other people, especially in time of danger, for he keeps it up then all the same.
Baden-Powell’s words had the power to coerce a generation of boys to pretend that life is good when it isn’t. Cheerfulness advocates still find virtue in this charade. America’s unchecked faith in cheer abounds in our proverbs: ‘You catch more flies with honey,’ ‘Think happy thoughts,’ ‘Life is good,’ ‘Don’t worry, be happy,’ and ‘Laughter is the best medicine’ are all cheer-filled variations on Baden-Powell’s theme of forced bright-sidedness. ‘Minnesota nice’ captures the twisted Midwestern dedication to white-knuckling a positive attitude."
https://aeon.co/essays/cheerfulness-cannot-be-compulsory-whatever-the-t-shirts-say
Aeon
Against cheerfulness
Practising the Greek virtues of wisdom and courage is one thing. But being cheerful the American way borders on psychosis
👍1
Forwarded from Mostly, I Write
Una volta era una vedova eccellente che faceva beneficienza con una montagna di soldi. Poi Laurene Powell, la vedova di Steve Jobs, ha deciso che poteva fare molto di più. Una storia di un po’ di tempo fa che secondo me ha ancora molto da dire.
Money quote: "In the seven years since the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, his 55-year-old widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, has become one of the most high-profile philanthropists in the world. She’s donated tens of millions to innovative K-12 schools, stepped up her role in her longstanding charity helping underprivileged kids go to college and given multiple grants to investigative journalism outlets, in addition to acquiring a majority stake in the Atlantic magazine.
But Powell Jobs’s main organization, the Emerson Collective, has also become a quiet force in Silicon Valley for its less obviously altruistic investments. Since 2014, Emerson has backed more than 30 startups, according to research firm PitchBook, investing in a range of novel companies making everything from floating data centers to supersonic aircraft. Its portfolio even includes digital bulletin board site Pinterest Inc."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-25/billionaire-laurene-powell-jobs-turned-her-llc-into-a-vc-machine
Money quote: "In the seven years since the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, his 55-year-old widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, has become one of the most high-profile philanthropists in the world. She’s donated tens of millions to innovative K-12 schools, stepped up her role in her longstanding charity helping underprivileged kids go to college and given multiple grants to investigative journalism outlets, in addition to acquiring a majority stake in the Atlantic magazine.
But Powell Jobs’s main organization, the Emerson Collective, has also become a quiet force in Silicon Valley for its less obviously altruistic investments. Since 2014, Emerson has backed more than 30 startups, according to research firm PitchBook, investing in a range of novel companies making everything from floating data centers to supersonic aircraft. Its portfolio even includes digital bulletin board site Pinterest Inc."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-25/billionaire-laurene-powell-jobs-turned-her-llc-into-a-vc-machine
Bloomberg
Billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs Turned Her LLC Into a VC Machine
In the seven years since the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, his 55-year-old widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, has become one of the most high-profile philanthropists in the world. She’s donated tens of millions to innovative K-12 schools, stepped up her…
Auguri a tutto il canale di buon Ferragosto.
Money quote: "Augusto aveva istituzionalizzato feste, dando il nome gli augustali, che già esistevano nei secoli precedenti in questo periodo dell’anno. Erano i Vinalia rustica o i Consualia, appuntamenti legati alla fine dei lavori nelle campagne"
https://www.vanityfair.it/article/perche-si-festeggia-ferragosto
Money quote: "Augusto aveva istituzionalizzato feste, dando il nome gli augustali, che già esistevano nei secoli precedenti in questo periodo dell’anno. Erano i Vinalia rustica o i Consualia, appuntamenti legati alla fine dei lavori nelle campagne"
https://www.vanityfair.it/article/perche-si-festeggia-ferragosto
Vanity Fair Italia
Perché si festeggia Ferragosto?
Cade di lunedì allungando il fine settimana la festa che segna il culmine dell'estate. Ferragosto ha tante tradizioni laiche e religiose
Se non fosse che l'ha scritto una donna (almeno, sembra), sarebbe agghiacciante. E anche così....
Money quote: "A man isn’t going to approach you if he doesn’t find you physically attractive, so I won’t mention those here, but there are other qualities men find attractive that go beyond the physical."
https://npl971975.wordpress.com/2020/06/14/collection-5-non-physical-qualities-men-find-the-most-attractive-in-women/
Money quote: "A man isn’t going to approach you if he doesn’t find you physically attractive, so I won’t mention those here, but there are other qualities men find attractive that go beyond the physical."
https://npl971975.wordpress.com/2020/06/14/collection-5-non-physical-qualities-men-find-the-most-attractive-in-women/
Non Prototype Language...
Collection – 5 Non-Physical Qualities Men Find the Most Attractive in Women
By Tara Blair Ball Full link: Your sense of humor might matter more than your butt. Looking around the party, I spotted my friend in the kitchen with her boyfriend getting another beer, and my othe…
Devono votare anche gli ignoranti? Un articolo tradotto dal Post che torna di attualità. Ovviamente è una provocazione insostenibile ma fa per certo pensare.
Money quote: "Ricordiamoci che andare a votare per il candidato che ha fatto gli spot elettorali che ci sono piaciuti di più è uno dei compiti più sopravvalutati in una democrazia. Se non avete idea di cosa stia succedendo, anche sottrarre noialtri alla vostra ignoranza è un dovere civico. Purtroppo non ci possiamo fidare di voi. Se il voto è un rito consacrato della democrazia, come spesso sostengono i progressisti, è giusto che la società abbia delle pretese minime su chi vi partecipa; e se la cittadinanza è un valore sacro, come sostengono i conservatori, allora si può pretendere da un potenziale elettore lo stesso livello di informazione di un potenziale cittadino. Introduciamo un test per gli elettori: l’esame di educazione civica usato per ottenere la cittadinanza andrebbe benissimo".
https://www.ilpost.it/2016/05/25/democrazia-voto-ignoranti/
Money quote: "Ricordiamoci che andare a votare per il candidato che ha fatto gli spot elettorali che ci sono piaciuti di più è uno dei compiti più sopravvalutati in una democrazia. Se non avete idea di cosa stia succedendo, anche sottrarre noialtri alla vostra ignoranza è un dovere civico. Purtroppo non ci possiamo fidare di voi. Se il voto è un rito consacrato della democrazia, come spesso sostengono i progressisti, è giusto che la società abbia delle pretese minime su chi vi partecipa; e se la cittadinanza è un valore sacro, come sostengono i conservatori, allora si può pretendere da un potenziale elettore lo stesso livello di informazione di un potenziale cittadino. Introduciamo un test per gli elettori: l’esame di educazione civica usato per ottenere la cittadinanza andrebbe benissimo".
https://www.ilpost.it/2016/05/25/democrazia-voto-ignoranti/
Il Post
Devono votare anche gli ignoranti?
Un giornalista americano propone un esame di educazione civica per gli elettori, perché una democrazia non informata è "il preludio a una farsa o a una tragedia"
Ci sono una serie di città americane, in totale 71, che stanno pagando preziosi ingegneri del software perché abbandonino la Silicon Valley e vadano a lavorare da loro. È un altro segnale che c'è un vecchio modello che scricchiola sempre di più.
Money quote: “IBM Product Manager Jason Mathew at a coworking space in Tulsa, where, the New York City native says, ‘I’ve felt so loved and known here in ways I never have before.’”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-workers-silicon-valley-move-out-11657918928
Money quote: “IBM Product Manager Jason Mathew at a coworking space in Tulsa, where, the New York City native says, ‘I’ve felt so loved and known here in ways I never have before.’”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-workers-silicon-valley-move-out-11657918928
WSJ
71 Cities and Towns Are Paying Tech Workers to Abandon Silicon Valley. It’s Working.
Incentives are drawing high-paid tech workers, and challenging how we think about local economic development.
Un tizio ha costruito una piscina dietro casa sua per affittarla a ore a gente che si vuole rilassare, nuotare e via dicendo. Sta facendo quasi 90mila dollari all’anno lavorando 14 ore alla settimana.
Money quote: “When Jim Battan spent $110,000 building a luxury pool outside his home in West Linn, Oregon in 2012, he knew he was making an investment.
He couldn’t have known that 10 years later, he’d earn more than enough to pay it off by renting it out to strangers on the internet. Battan says that since September 2020, his pool has hosted roughly 9,000 swimmers through a platform called Swimply, which dubs itself the Airbnb of swimming pools. The result, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It: $177,000 in revenue in less than two years.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/21/swimply-side-hustle-making-money-renting-backyard-pool-to-strangers.html
Money quote: “When Jim Battan spent $110,000 building a luxury pool outside his home in West Linn, Oregon in 2012, he knew he was making an investment.
He couldn’t have known that 10 years later, he’d earn more than enough to pay it off by renting it out to strangers on the internet. Battan says that since September 2020, his pool has hosted roughly 9,000 swimmers through a platform called Swimply, which dubs itself the Airbnb of swimming pools. The result, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It: $177,000 in revenue in less than two years.”
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/21/swimply-side-hustle-making-money-renting-backyard-pool-to-strangers.html
CNBC
This 57-year-old's lucrative side hustle: Earning $177,000 renting out his backyard pool to strangers
Jim Battan started renting out his backyard pool in September 2020 after his four daughters moved away. The side hustle took off, netting him $177,000 and counting.
Mefisto non è morto! - la mia recensione del nuovo capitolo della saga di Mefisto per Fumettologica
https://fumettologica.it/2022/08/tex-742-mefisto-bonelli/
https://fumettologica.it/2022/08/tex-742-mefisto-bonelli/
Fumettologica
Mefisto non è morto!
Cosa succede su Tex 742, quinto capitolo della storia che vede il ritorno di Mefisto, il più pericoloso nemico del ranger di Bonelli.
Nel tentativo di educare le masse sul metaverso, Meta ha arruolato la superstar Keke Palmer per aiutare in una nuova serie intitolata "Are We There Yet". Purtroppo, nonostante i loro sforzi per creare un divertente "Metaverso 101", per così dire, le recensioni non sono così gentili. Non ci sta capendo niente neanche lui.
Money quote: Keke “Palmer is (as always) a delight, as is the company's metaverse VP Vishal Shah, who breezily jokes with her while hitting talking points. But as the duo "drives" down a virtual road, passing a floating skateboard the length of a city block and two massive paddles playing ping pong in mid-air, it becomes clear that Meta still has absolutely no idea how to explain its products to normies.”
https://mashable.com/article/meta-keke-palmer-are-we-there-yet
Money quote: Keke “Palmer is (as always) a delight, as is the company's metaverse VP Vishal Shah, who breezily jokes with her while hitting talking points. But as the duo "drives" down a virtual road, passing a floating skateboard the length of a city block and two massive paddles playing ping pong in mid-air, it becomes clear that Meta still has absolutely no idea how to explain its products to normies.”
https://mashable.com/article/meta-keke-palmer-are-we-there-yet
Mashable
In Meta's 'Are We There Yet,' not even Keke Palmer can make the metaverse make sense
Meta still doesn't understand how to communicate the value of the metaverse to people who aren't already in it.
“Do not be careful only about what you wish for. If your actions are not aligned with your values, be careful what you work for as well. Have a plan. Or else you let the plan have you”
Da "Enough" di Patrick Rhone
Da "Enough" di Patrick Rhone
Un tizio ha avuto un’idea fantastica: spiegare come fa a scrivere un articolo. Segue quattro fasi: si prepara, scrive l’articolo, prepara le foto e poi pubblica il tutto. Genio, no? Chissà qual è il suo segreto per l’igiene orale. Forse prepara il dentifricio, prepara lo spazzolino, si pulisce gli spazi interdentali con il filo e poi si lava i denti con lo spazzolino? Chissà.
Money quote: “This workflow can be modified in several ways, including replacing the software or apps you prefer in your steps. I follow a similar workflow on my MacBook as well, but there are some slight modifications that I may mention as we go through each. So with all that being said, let’s get started.”
https://techuisite.com/my-writing-workflow-on-mac-3453d0173bc3
Money quote: “This workflow can be modified in several ways, including replacing the software or apps you prefer in your steps. I follow a similar workflow on my MacBook as well, but there are some slight modifications that I may mention as we go through each. So with all that being said, let’s get started.”
https://techuisite.com/my-writing-workflow-on-mac-3453d0173bc3
Medium
My Writing Workflow on Mac
These are my steps for writing, from idea to publish, on a Mac.
Sapete cosa vuol dire greenwashing? Beh, leggete pure questo articolo per capirlo bene.
Money quote: “"US banks have released a spate of climate promises, committing to achieve net zero by 2050 and reduce emissions by 2030. But the hard truth remains: Wall Street's financing of coal, oil and gas was higher in 2021 than it was in 2016, the year after the Paris agreement was adopted."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/27/looking-for-someone-to-blame-for-the-extreme-heat-try-wall-street
Money quote: “"US banks have released a spate of climate promises, committing to achieve net zero by 2050 and reduce emissions by 2030. But the hard truth remains: Wall Street's financing of coal, oil and gas was higher in 2021 than it was in 2016, the year after the Paris agreement was adopted."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/27/looking-for-someone-to-blame-for-the-extreme-heat-try-wall-street
the Guardian
Looking for someone to blame for the extreme heat? Try Wall Street | Alec Connon
Banks’ financing of coal, oil, and gas was higher in 2021 than it was in 2016, the year after the Paris agreement was adopted
Tutto, ma proprio tutto su macOS Ventura da MacStories, per gentile cortesia di John Voorhees.
Money quote: “This year, the process of harmonizing the Mac with Apple’s other devices continues with Stage Manager, a new window management system available on macOS and iPadOS that offers users a similar windowing experience on both systems for the first time. On the Mac, Stage Manager is very different from the Mac’s traditional windowing systems, but it’s also very easy to get the hang of, which bodes well for new users coming from the iPad. And, of course, the feature is entirely optional, so anyone with whom it doesn’t click can ignore Stage Manager completely. However, as you’ll read below, I think everyone should give Stage Manager a chance because I’ve been surprised at how much I enjoy using it.”
https://www.macstories.net/stories/macos-ventura-the-macstories-preview/
Money quote: “This year, the process of harmonizing the Mac with Apple’s other devices continues with Stage Manager, a new window management system available on macOS and iPadOS that offers users a similar windowing experience on both systems for the first time. On the Mac, Stage Manager is very different from the Mac’s traditional windowing systems, but it’s also very easy to get the hang of, which bodes well for new users coming from the iPad. And, of course, the feature is entirely optional, so anyone with whom it doesn’t click can ignore Stage Manager completely. However, as you’ll read below, I think everyone should give Stage Manager a chance because I’ve been surprised at how much I enjoy using it.”
https://www.macstories.net/stories/macos-ventura-the-macstories-preview/
www.macstories.net
macOS Ventura: The MacStories Preview
With the release of the macOS Ventura public beta today, macOS takes another step down the path to syncing up its platforms that began four years ago. Where once the Mac hung out doing its own thing with scant regard for where iOS, and later, iPadOS was heading…
Salta fuori che una delle certezze del vecchio West, cioè quella casa nella prateria, sia in realtà potenzialmente un ricettacolo di malati mentali. La follia della prateria.
Money quote: "Both fictional and historical accounts of this time and place often blame “prairie madness” on the isolation and bleak conditions the settlers encountered. But many also mention something unexpected: the sounds of the prairie. Smalley wrote that during winter “the silence of death rests on the vast landscape.” And a character in Manitoba settler Nellie McClung’s story “The Neutral Fuse” writes a poem about the droning soundtrack of the plains, “I hate the wind with its evil spite, and it hates me with a hate as deep, and hisses and jeers when I try to sleep.”"
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/prairie-madness-study-silence-great-plains
Money quote: "Both fictional and historical accounts of this time and place often blame “prairie madness” on the isolation and bleak conditions the settlers encountered. But many also mention something unexpected: the sounds of the prairie. Smalley wrote that during winter “the silence of death rests on the vast landscape.” And a character in Manitoba settler Nellie McClung’s story “The Neutral Fuse” writes a poem about the droning soundtrack of the plains, “I hate the wind with its evil spite, and it hates me with a hate as deep, and hisses and jeers when I try to sleep.”"
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/prairie-madness-study-silence-great-plains
Atlas Obscura
Is the Silence of the Great Plains to Blame for ‘Prairie Madness’?
A new study suggests the soundscape could have affected the mental health of 19th-century settlers.
Come diceva Flaiano, gli italiani perdonano tutto tranne il successo. Ecco, i Måneskin non li perdonerà proprio nessuno, allora.
Monet quote: "Nel caso siate appena tornati da un ritiro spirituale in un eremo, la notizia è che uscita la versione di I Wanna Be Your Slave cantata da Damiano con Iggy. A giudicare dai commenti che ho letto nei giorni scorsi sui social, nessuno ha sentito il bisogno di ascoltarla: le opinioni sulla collaborazione erano già pronte e polarizzate. E del resto perché aspettare e perdere tre minuti per sentire il pezzo quando puoi dire la tua opinione secca e definitiva su Facebook?"
https://www.rollingstone.it/musica/i-rocker-da-tastiera-sono-piu-selvaggi-di-iggy-pop-a-lui-i-maneskin-vanno-bene-a-loro-no/57715
Monet quote: "Nel caso siate appena tornati da un ritiro spirituale in un eremo, la notizia è che uscita la versione di I Wanna Be Your Slave cantata da Damiano con Iggy. A giudicare dai commenti che ho letto nei giorni scorsi sui social, nessuno ha sentito il bisogno di ascoltarla: le opinioni sulla collaborazione erano già pronte e polarizzate. E del resto perché aspettare e perdere tre minuti per sentire il pezzo quando puoi dire la tua opinione secca e definitiva su Facebook?"
https://www.rollingstone.it/musica/i-rocker-da-tastiera-sono-piu-selvaggi-di-iggy-pop-a-lui-i-maneskin-vanno-bene-a-loro-no/57715
Rolling Stone
I rocker da tastiera sono più selvaggi di Iggy Pop: a lui i Måneskin vanno bene, a loro no | Rolling Stone Italia
Nel caso siate appena tornati da un eremo abbiamo una notizia per voi: è uscita la versione di ‘I Wanna Be Your Slave’ dei quattro romani col Papa rock e la discussione è, come dire, piuttosto accesa