Looking Sideways: 10 Things
Culture wars, internet mysteries, AI apps and forthcoming festivals in this week's round up.
1. I'm a little bit late to Zadie Smith's New Yorker essay on Gaza and Israel, but the backlash has been quite something to behold. We’re really through the culture war looking glass if a clearly left-leaning author such as Smith is being hailed as the voice of reason by … Spiked.
I think my favourite take on the entire thing was this extremely thought-provoking Ian Leslie piece; not least in the way it takes issue with the ‘more nuance please!’ stance of most centrists, and which has really been my own position on the whole topic. This one really made me think, that’s for sure.
2. This one's a really lovely story. Who is the mystery skater shot in New York’s Central Park in 1965 for a Life Magazine shoot?
This is the question that Tony Hawk and very American Instagram-type Danocracy are trying to solve. The latter has produced this really quite compelling (if occasionally a little bit annoying) series of Instagram podcast episodes, in which he's delving into the mystery.
3. I wrote this entire newsletter while on my dog walks with Peg using a new AI app called SuperWhisper. I’m enjoying delving into AI. For me, it isn’t about ‘stealing’ my creativity, but gaining time by cutting down the admin.
4. I've said it many times, but setting up a new print media title in the current climate really is akin to enthusiastically setting fire to a pile of your own money. Which is why we should be supporting ventures like Longboard Magazine, which just launched its second issue and which features many luminaries of the UK surf and longboard scene among its contributors. More here.
5. After last week’s post, I had a few people asking me what I thought about some of Steve Albini’s pretty horrendous public utterances. So I thought it was worth sharing this piece, where he addressed it himself.
6. Someone is taking classic skate soundtracks and turning them into a radio show. Jenkem has the details.
7. One of the most fascinating interviews that I did while making The Announcement (which is on the home straight), was with sustainability pioneer
(above). During our chat, John made the point that he thought it was fairly unlikely that other businesses would ‘do a Patagonia’ - unless they were privately owned.All of which explains why I found this move by British accountancy firm Kung Fu Accounting, in which they’ve fundamentally changed their Articles of Association to make all their employees equal beneficiaries, so intriguing.
More here (warning: LI link)
8. Does the murder of three foreign surfers in Baja mean we shouldn't travel to this much vaunted surf destination? Outside investigates.
9. 30 years since Weezer’s Blue Album! I really loved this in-depth look at the recording of this legendary record.
While we're on a Rivers Cuomo tip, his episode on Song Exploder is probably my favourite ever, mainly because of the way it completely demystifies his extremely methodical, workmanlike creative process. (Which is a good thing, by the way).
10. Finally, if you're reading this on Friday the 17th of May, then there's still time to attend one of the nationwide Surfers Against Sewage paddle-out protests on the 18th. If you're a swimmer, a surfer, a paddleboarder, a kayaker, or anybody who uses our waterways recreationally, get yourself down there and make your voice heard.
I've been a bit critical recently about the lack of attendance at some of these events - one bit of useful feedback I did get on Instagram was that because it's an SAS gig, swimmers, paddleboarders, fishermen, etc., might think that it's not for them.
My take: it's for everybody who cares about our waterways. So get yourself down there, and let the government and the water companies know that we're not having it.
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Hey man, love your work and this weeks selection. Agree with your thoughts on Ian Leslie's piece, thought he articulated the problem with Smith's piece really well. Also thought the part on nuance was very relevant to the recent interview with Matt Olsen, so glad to see you acknowledge it.
Spot on as usual!
Hey love reading your weekly bits to catch up on as well as the podcast. However, I mainly just wanted to thank you for providing the Sas paddle out protest. To have you voice behind it should certainly help draw people in & hopefully make the disconnect ever so slightly smaller. Thank you my friend for all that you do 🙏