dimanche 11 octobre 2009

a big stack of interesting things to read on the Internet (Sunday edition) {en}

- night: Will Govus, photographe (ses images de nuit rappellent celles de Todd Hido).

- Ron Charles Reviews 'Generosity' by Richard Powers: "Richard Powers cerebral new novel offers a chilling examination of the life we're reengineering with our chromosomes and brain chemistry."

- In ‘Bright-sided,’ Barbara Ehrenreich Questions Positive Thinking.

- The Colbert Report : "The Information Master: Jean-Baptiste Colbert's Secret State Intelligence System."

- NYRblog - The New American Hysteria - The New York Review of Books: "The hysteria shown at town hall meetings this summer is simply the tip of an outpouring of organized hostility to government that is unparalleled in our history", write Garry Wills in The NYR Blog.

- CCTV "report crime, win prizes" game triggers row, launch doubtful: "The launch of a new internet game, reminiscent of Big Brother, that aims to turn Britain into one big surveillance camera, has become doubtful after protest from civil liberties groups, who claim the "sick" game promotes voyeurism, gathered steam."

- Obama and His Enemies: The Once and Constant Opposition: the paranoid style of American politics. From Roosevelt to Obama.

- Iceland after a year of financial crisis: "It is estimated that 65 per cent of Icelandic businesses and 25 per cent of households are on the brink of bankruptcy. Inflation is at 12 per cent, unemployment close to 10 per cent. House prices have plunged. Burglaries have doubled in the past six months and an overstretched Reykjavik police department, already struggling to reply to emergency calls at peak times, is being forced to lay off 20 officers – a tiny but all too significant figure in Iceland. Following a first round of cuts, hospital wards are facing closure, plans for an old people’s home have been put on hold and waiting lists for non-critical operations are growing."

- Rubbing Elbows With Authors: "Next time you finish reading a book, take a minute to write a note to the author. You will likely soon have a story of your own to tell."

- Sarah Churchwell: Great literature knows no bounds: "Let's not categorize books according to the social identity of their authors."

- John Gray on Trotsky by Robert Service: Trotsky behind the myth!

- Rick Perry’s Witch Trials: the Texas governor against science and scientists.