I Should Read... Dec 13
What the Web Was Made For
“INTERTAPES is an updating collection of found cassette tapes from different locations. The audio fragments include: voice memos, field recordings, mixtapes, bootlegs and more.”
I particularly love that the cassettes and cases themselves have been turned into floating, rotating 3D models.
All the Rest
ZME Science The More We Study Forests, the More It Seems Like Plants Might Be Cooperating and "Talking" to Each Other Trees may look still and silent, but they’re engaged in a constant, complex dialogue—through air, soil, and even electricity.
The Guardian Gen-Zine: DIY Publications Find New Life as Form of Resistance Against Trump Zines have made a resurgence as communities seek to share information on everything from ICE raids to local elections
Rolling Stone Taylor Swift’s Last Album Sparked Bizarre Accusations of Nazism. It Was a Coordinated Attack Data analysis of social media posts painting the singer as a Trump supporter or white supremacist revealed a network of inauthentic accounts
Letters from Leo “ICE Was Here”: Pope Leo-Inspired Nativity Scene Sparks MAGA Outrage A Nativity scene missing Jesus — and marked with an “ICE was here” sign — has triggered cries of “politicizing Christmas.” The parish priest says he’s answering Pope Leo's call to welcome stranger. (This is a different one from the one I highlighted last week)
Know Your Enemy Know Your Enemy: One Podcast After Another Matt and Sam are joined by Know Your Enemy’s intrepid producer, Jesse Brenneman, to discuss the recent film One Battle After Another. (Know Your Enemy is probably my favorite podcast of 2025.)
New York Magazine The Fantasy of Assassination Culture In political violence, Americans see a future of order and control. (jump the paywall)
The Line Matt Gurney: ‘We Will Never Fucking Trust You Again’ Some blunt talk for our American neighbours at the Halifax International Security Forum.
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists When It All Comes Crashing Down: The Aftermath of the AI Boom “...taxpayer dollars would be once again focused on stabilizing a sector in which the wealthiest individuals will benefit disproportionately from recovering corporate profits and rebounding share prices.”
Boston Review Learning from the Luddites
...To say that a machine that can do this for you is in itself an evil is manifestly absurd. Under proper conditions it would be to you an almost unmixed blessing.”
“If, if, if!” Mellor interrupted. “What’s the use of such sermons as thine to starving men? . . . If men would only do as thou says, it would be better, we all know. But they won’t. It’s all for themselves with the masters.”
Until next time, luminous beings.