Today is a day of rest. Maybe you’re in the mood for a quiet room and a comfortable chair.
Here’s a selection of this week’s best reads.
1. Endangered languages
A fascinating work about the fight to preserve a language on the brink of extinction.
(The Guardian, approximately 15 minutes to read)
All languages may be equal in the abstract, but social and historical gaps between speakers are much more difficult to bridge. Currently, about half of all languages are spoken in communities of less than 10,000 people, and there are hundreds of communities with fewer than 10 speakers. On any continent, the median number of speakers of a language is less than 1,000, and in Australia this figure drops to 87.
Today, these numbers reflect a serious crisis, and even languages with hundreds of thousands or millions of speakers may be considered vulnerable. However, until now, small linguistic communities, especially hunter-gatherer groups (usually consisting of fewer than 1,000 people), have been very stable. Similarly, most of the old sign languages that are now endangered were developed in so-called deaf villages. The incidence of hereditary hearing loss in the population was significantly higher there than in other regions, but it still rarely exceeded about 2%. Many listeners in these villages were also able to sign, but the core group of signatories usually numbered at most a few hundred people.
2. Retro gadgets
Sony Sports Walkman radio cassette player. Shutterstock / Nicola_K_photos
Shutterstock / Nicola_K_photos / Nicola_K_photos
Despite advances in technology over the past few decades, from music streaming services to AI, there are still people who love their vintage Gameboys and Walkmans. Larry Ryan meets them.
(The Guardian, approximately 14 minutes to read)
Culture writer Niko Stratis, after seeing a news report that U.S. Urban Outfitters branches were selling iPods for $350 (not far from the price at which they were released in the early 2000s), wrote, “Time… It’s easy for all of us to become fetishists after a while.” . You can find lots of backward deals like this online. eBay seller Retrogadgets-UK is listing the “factory sealed” 3rd generation iPhone “for sale to collectors only” for £2,499.99. American brand Retrospect refurbishes and sells all kinds of old technology. “Our mission is to provide years-old products that work as if they were made yesterday,” they declare. Elsewhere, you’ll find camcorders and digital cameras, VHS and DVD players, “vintage” Gameboys, clock radios, and everything in between. This also includes the cassette soundtrack of the classic teen soap Beverly Hills 90210 (which you can buy for £15.39 if you prefer). And a surprising number of Walkmans.
3. Wartime Salon
Set two years after the invasion of Ukraine, this film focuses on resilience and resistance in times of war through the lens of a beauty salon. Sofia Panich writes about how they have adapted, many of whom are now operating from their bunkers to provide services as well as shelter.
(Attractive, reading time is about 20 minutes)
“Somewhere in Russia, if a plane with a possible weapon takes off, an air alert sounds. Air alerts no longer scare anyone,” explains Borodina. At this point, some Ukrainians in public life, trying to rationalize the risk, go through a series of calculations, not all of which are based on facts or official procedures. “When missile launches are recorded, air raid warnings are sent to mobile phones, but Ukrainians do not immediately evacuate,” Borodina continues. “We need to find out where the launch is coming from. If it’s in the Caspian Sea, it turns out it’s about a 50-minute flight to Kiev. So, I’m going to end this Zoom and have a chance to finish my manicure. And… within 30 minutes, [the missile is] If you are suddenly ordered to go to Kiev or are not shot down, then move. ”
4. “I was scared at first…”
Gloria Gaynor, 1979. alamy stock photo
alamy stock photo
The history of Gloria Gaynor’s 1978 disco hit and how it became a universal breakup anthem.
(BBC, approximately 10 minutes to read)
I Will Survive is not only a popular disco record, but also a groundbreaking record. In 2016, the recording was added to the National Recording Registry, a catalog of audio recordings “deemed to have cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance” by the Library of Congress. Despite being 45 years old, the song itself retains a generational appeal. Gen Z icon Harry Styles covered the song in his 2022 Coachella headline set, and one of pop’s greatest survivors, Madonna, covered it on her career-spanning Celebration Tour. is singing. Miley Cyrus’ sparkling 2023 hit Flowers, which was recently named Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards, doesn’t officially sample “I Will Survive,” but it does include a dance floor sound. It contains echoes of rebellion. When Flowers was released last year, Gaynor said approvingly that it “carries a beacon of empowerment.” Vestry says the two songs “blend together so well” that he combines Flowers and I Will Survive at “the best moments” in his DJ sets.
5. “Fake” phenomenon
How a mother and her twin daughters fraudulently claimed to be Indigenous and made thousands of dollars in profits.
(Toronto Life, approximately 28 minutes to read)
According to Teie, there are two types of scammers. One is the fabricator, who thoroughly fabricates Indigenous identities, and the other is the embellisher, who exaggerates perceived connections. Some window dressing advocates use DNA test results showing a small percentage of indigenous heritage to strengthen their case. Some exploit unidentified family stories about distant relatives of indigenous peoples. No matter what type of identity fraud they are committing, they are usually lying to get ahead professionally. Perhaps they want an Indigenous award or grant, or participation in a network that is closed to them. These scammers are exploiting affirmative action efforts and diversity, equity, and inclusion protections, Teie said. As an Indigenous applicant, a person may be admitted to law school or medical school even if he or she is not eligible for admission. And in some cases, the motivation is even simpler. “They want something that makes them unique and different, and that gives them the opportunity to say they’re special,” says Teie.
6. BentProp Project
File photo of a World War II fighter plane. Shutterstock / Ivan Cholakov
Shutterstock / Ivan Cholakov / Ivan Cholakov
Stephen Meem meets a team dedicated to finding and recovering the remains of U.S. military aircraft and the airmen who flew them during World War II.
(Smithsonian Magazine, approximately 24 minutes to read)
One afternoon a week later, toward the end of the day, a large crane hoisted the mission’s first recovery basket and maneuvered it into a soft landing on the back of the barge. Team members crowd around it, staring intently at its contents. Large twisted pieces of metal, some charred and distorted by the fire, and some mysterious black rubber pieces. One by one, the artifacts come out, are gently held, and placed on a tarp. The black rubber turns out to be part of the fuel bag, and the white stenciled serial number is still bright and legible. A portion of the bomb bay door is then revealed, with the hydraulics still attached. A skein of electric wire. A few enraged crabs were quickly released back into the sea. The most exciting items are the smallest. A piece of Bakelite, probably from a radio. A bundle of silk parachute cord, still intact. Most memorable of all was the .50 caliber machine gun fire fired by turret gunner Di Petta when the plane came under attack. “They fought and sank,” a young diver muttered, turning over the artifact in his hand.
…and classics from the archives…
It’s been 15 years since Disney Pixar’s “Up” was released. In this 2022 reading of him, we explore the making of his first 10 minutes of the movie and why it makes you cry.
(The Ringer, approximately 11 minutes to read)
“I remember Pete saying that Ellie was the spirit of adventure,” says cinematographer Jean-Claude Carache. In fact, the two characters bond over spending time in an abandoned cabin that Ellie has converted into a clubhouse. One evening, she visits Karl and shows him her book of adventures. In it, she describes her own dream of one day traveling to a mythical paradise waterfall. She even makes Karl vow to take his girlfriend (and her clubhouse) there. In an instant, the close-up snaps into a montage of their life together. The two friends fall in love, get married, and buy Ellie’s former hideout, turning it into their home. But as the couple gets older and their lives become more complicated, that once-in-a-lifetime trip becomes less and less possible. Then it’s already too late. “We thought the best way to get the audience to understand and care about him was to connect his home to relationships and unfinished business,” Docter says. “We worked hard to visually train the audience to associate this house with his wife and the unfulfilled promise of an adventure in South America.”
Note: Journal typically selects articles that are not protected by paywalls, but some articles may not be accessible if the site in question exceeds the free article limit.
