Alice’s Restaurant. It’s now a Thanksgiving classic, and something of a tradition around here. Recorded in 1967, the 18+ minute counterculture song recounts Arlo Guthrie’s real encounter with the law, starting on Thanksgiving Day 1965. As the long song unfolds, we hear all
Here’s to celebrating what brings us joy, great and small.
The new documentary follows a Paiute teenager as he navigates his passion for running and the story of his great-grandfather, who escaped from an Indigenous residential school.
This week, we honor a quintessential LA artist, one of Disney’s first Native artists, a librarian who moonlighted as a collector, and more.
Perhaps inspired by All Streets , Ben Fry’s map of all the streets in the US, Nelson Minar built a US map out of all the rivers in the country . Minar put all the data and files he used up on Github so you can make your own version. [This is a vintage post originally from
The Pulitzer-winning journalist said he'll keep writing, but the "daily journalism thing is done.”
“ Art is valuable precisely because it is not easy to create . We are interested in art, in any and all of its forms, because humans made it. That’s the very thing that makes it interesting; the who, the how, and especially the why.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
"To let yourself be transformed by what the other person has to say."
If Quantum Computing Is Solving “Impossible” Questions, How Do We Know They’re Right? “In order to validate quantum computers, methods are needed to compare theory and result without waiting years for a supercomputer to perform the same task.” 💬 Join the discussion on
"I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that our perceived reality is shaped by our minds and reflecting our inner world," Blancke says. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7
This is the trailer for an HBO documentary called Thoughts and Prayers about “the impact of the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry on schools and communities across America”. It’s tough to watch, as is this clip from the film in which a girl describes a bag of
"The ad is seductive but transparent. We don’t believe the copy but appreciate its innocence."
In a London increasingly dominated by rideshare services, some drivers are still opting to study for years for The Knowledge , “the grueling examination that requires applicants to essentially memorize more than 100 square miles of city streets”. 💬 Join the discussion on
Fahler's slouched "flag" is one of a number of recent stained glass sculptures on view in his solo exhibition at Sebastian Gladstone. Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per
It is not easy, in these lives haunted by loneliness and loss, menaced by war and heartbreak, witness to genocides and commonplace cruelties, to live in gratitude. And yet it may be the only thing that saves us from mere survival. In these blamethirsty times, to praise is an
21st-Century Culture Has Hit a Wall . “We — creators and audiences alike — have to make an effort to encourage bold new forms of culture. Even failures and half steps will be more interesting than overly market-tested products.” 💬 Join the discussion on kottke.org →
Konnichiwa! I’m back from Japan and finally getting over my jetlag, which took much longer than I expected. Here’s a list of all the things I’ve been reading, watching, listening to, and experiencing over the past few months. 1 Let us know what movies, books, art, TV, music,