In this week’s issue:
- Military influencers and warrior culture capitalism.
- Science, imagination, and the joy of discovery.
- Reserve a table at a popular restaurant for a fee.
- The 1 euro housing scheme changed life in Sicily.
- oral history of go25 years later.
Jasper Craven | Baffler | April 3, 2024 | 4,546 words
In 2018, Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher was court-martialed for allegedly killing a prisoner of war in Iraq. If you follow a high-profile case or listen to a great podcast about it, thread, you probably know that Gallagher was acquitted after a key witness changed his story on the stand. The only remaining charge involved Gallagher taking a photo with a prisoner’s corpse. (He texted one image to a friend in California with the message, “There’s a good story behind this, I got him with my hunting knife.”) Gallagher is a conservative. Although hailed by the media, he was quickly pardoned by Donald Trump. So where has he been since then? Apparently, they not only sell flavored salt, but also gun silencers, knives, and Jiu Jitsu clinics. As Jasper Craven shows, Gallagher has spent the last few years making himself a brand. When he sells things, he’s really selling himself. He also wrote a book, started a podcast, and started a foundation to help police officers and military personnel accused of crimes. Previous beneficiaries include Daniel Penny, the former Marine who choked an unarmed black man to death on a New York subway in 2023. Gallagher embraces the backlash against his own history of violence, and in fact it’s central to his appeal to consumers. Craven places Gallagher in the “weird world” of influencers. Among them are “Kyle Rittenhouse, the acquitted Kenosha shooter who has written a memoir and recently partnered with a bulletproof vest company, and disgraced General Michael Flynn, who has given speeches, sold merchandise, and It includes people.” and facilitate precious metal exchange. ” This incisive feature provides a window into right-wing aggression, counter-wokeness, and the commodification of Trumpism. Call it warrior culture capitalism, call it crass. Because that’s what it is. —SD
Lisa Kaltenegger | Nautilus | May 8, 2024 | 2,247 words
I love that this piece about planetary science starts with coffee. Lisa Kaltenegger is a scientist trying to identify habitable worlds by modeling light fingerprints. In this excerpt from her book, Alien Earth: The new science of planet hunting in space, Kaltenegger is in Vienna, the land of great coffee, but unfortunately he’s stranded at a conference with a terrible selection of caffeine options in Styrofoam cups. So, in the wake of her drinking troubles, Kaltenegger quickly becomes empathetic. She was worried about coming into her room late with a bad cup of coffee in her hand (which I can also relate to).As I wandered around her hallway to look at her poster, she found an American at NASA Ames Research Center. Met astronomer William Borucki. Borucki began the Kepler mission to search for other worlds and informed Kaltenegger of her discovery of two new planets. This was a eureka moment for her, and she gleefully describes it. “Suddenly, my research into finding life in the universe went from visionary to practical, from far-fetched to applied, from future-oriented to needed now. ” Kaltenegger modeled these new planets and discovered that they could potentially support life. I never appreciated scientists fantasizing about their work, but Kaltenegger was open to it, and her words dripped with excitement. . . . Does the wind bring the smell of salt from the ocean, just like on Earth? ” The theme of new worlds that could support life is certainly fascinating, but it is Kaltenegger’s humanity that brings her writing to life. —C.W.
Adam Iscoe | The New Yorker | April 22, 2024 | 5,505 words
Adam Iscoe wrote 5,000 words about the New York restaurant reservations ecosystem you never knew you needed. His story is especially true this week as I tried to secure a restaurant reservation.Any A lovely restaurant perfect for Mother’s Day. “In the New World Order, desirable reserves are like currency. Reservation confirmations for 4 Charles Prime Rib, a clubby steakhouse in the West Village, were recently spotted on Hinge and Tinder profiles,” Isco said. , I’ve written quite a few lines like this that make me laugh, roll my eyes, and feel hopeless all at the same time. However, I could have stopped reading at any time, but his great reporting and bits of humor kept it from becoming a bad read. Isco has to join an exclusive members’ club like Dorsia to secure a hard-to-get table at the most popular restaurants, or buy reservations from resellers like Appointment Trader. It describes the exhausting world of having to search online marketplaces. Resellers use bots to “hopefully book his 1,000 reservations” to a college student who books using a fake phone number and email address on his parent’s luxury credit card, to a celebrity’s personal reservation agent. Anyone can be a “collecting script kiddie.” We sold 50 of them. ” As Isco reveals, resale can be surprisingly lucrative. “Another reseller, he told me that PerceptiveWash44 makes reservations while watching TV,” he wrote. “Last year, he made $80,000 in resale reservations.” Honestly, when my girlfriend’s husband and I didn’t have kids and lived in San Francisco, we ate out regularly and spent over $500 on a single meal. There was a time when Those days are long gone, and today he’s never going to pay $500 to $1,000 just for a reservation. Luckily, after several hours of searching online, I was able to reserve a table for Sunday at a restaurant that my girlfriend’s mother would love. Indeed, I made the reservation through her OpenTable, a platform for the general public. But in the end all that really matters is the time you spend with her over her delicious meals. —CLR
Lisa Abend | Distant | April 30, 2024 | 3,001 words
You’ve probably seen an advertisement that says you can buy a house in Italy for euros. I had a lot of questions. Can you really buy a house in Europe with euros? What’s the problem? Are people taking advantage of this offer? What happened as a result? Lisa Arbent’s delightful voyage of discovery begins in Sicily, about 40 miles southeast of Palermo. The community begins in Cammarata, Italy. Some of the homes there have remained abandoned for decades after residents moved to larger centers for modern conveniences. Some local young people have recently returned after completing their education in search of a quieter life. To revitalize the community, they actively encourage owners of abandoned properties to sell to foreigners through a group called StreetTo. They can also help you navigate through the red tape and find a contractor to renovate your new dream home. Additionally, to take you from the new courtyard to the local square, they are “organizing exhibitions, concerts and gatherings for townspeople new and old.” However, if you’re thinking of booking a flight to buy a property, Abend advises that you should be prepared for damage. Although many of the homes are in severe disrepair, there is no hope for hope, but their restoration will likely cost much more than the advertised price. Abend also interviewed Michael McCubbin, who moved to Italy after working for London chef Jamie Oliver for 17 years due to its low real estate prices and made it his home. A skilled chef, he has transformed his home into a community kitchen. “These days, Good Kitchen provides weekly meals to the elderly and teaches cooking to some of Mussomeli’s youth,” Arbent wrote. “Older men use this space as an afternoon hangout, and there is also a free lunch on Sunday afternoons (the only requirement for those with means is to bring something to share). )” Properties typically cost more than 1 euro and require major renovations, but one thing seems clear from Abend’s fun fact-finding mission. They will get more than they bargained for. —K.S.
paul schrod | GQ | April 30, 2024 | 7,543 words
I can’t remember if I saw the movie go I was at the theater, but I don’t think I went. (Few people did, but mainly thanks to the following) matrix Around that time, we sucked all the oxygen out of the multiplex. ) have But since then, Paul Schrodt’s oral history has grown, having seen the scene some 8 billion times. GQ In any case, it was an even greater joy. Almost the entire gang is here: Director Doug Liman; swinger To Indie Golden Boy The Bourne Identity Franchise A-lister); Screenwriter John August. The cast, with the exception of Katie Holmes and Taye Diggs. But what matters is how much this work conveys. fun It could be making a movie outside of a tent pole factory. Improvised cinematography, hand-held cameras, and a crew of rising stars who were completely sold on the director’s vision – all of which owed the film’s enduring cult success to its “dance like no one’s watching” production ethos. It’s clear what you’re doing.people tend to compare go to pulp fiction Because it has a non-linear timeline and crime elements, but it’s actually more like humid hot american summerIt’s small, it’s raw, and it’s full of love for the project from the cast and crew. This is a rarity these days outside of the art house circuit, and it feels like No. 800 million is just around the corner. —PR
audience award
streaming inside the bar
Philip Vance Smith II | Movie Comments | April 22, 2024 | 1,805 words
If you’ve watched a documentary set in a prison or jail recently, you may have seen incarcerated people holding tablets. As Philip Vance Smith II writes from inside a medium-security prison, these are more than just communication devices for handling phone calls and payment services. We also stream movies and TV. Prices vary by facility, but are consistently exorbitant. —PR