Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE–New Hampshire! Land of granite, and heroin, and many white people unironically enjoying Republican political events. Upon arriving in downtown Manchester last night, I stumbled directly into a debate watching party hosted by National Review, held in a vast and undecorated conference room at the main hotel. There was something satisfying about knowing…
Neuromancer was a commissioned work. I have no idea how many years it might have taken, otherwise, before I produced a novel on spec. Had you asked me at the time of commission, I would have told you 10, but then again, it might never have happened. Careers are odd, that way. (Careers are nothing but odd.) I was 34,…
Let’s start, this time, with a story. This is about Hillary Clinton – everything I write seems to be about her these days – but it’s about me, too. It’s about what it means, to be a feminist, or a woman on the left, and whether it matters. So before I get to her, let’s…
The brands were out in full force during Sunday’s Superbowl, reaching the eyeballs of millions of consumers with millions of dollars. Mountain Dew took a novel tact, attempting to create the most grotesque, unsettling, and plain awful character of all (worse, even, than Norm MacDonald’s Colonel Sanders): PuppyMonkeyBaby. The character is exactly what is sounds…
Indian students gather for a protest against Free Basics in Hyderabad, on Dec. 29.Image: Mahesh Kumar A/Associated Press In a significant move, India’s telecom regulator has banned the differential pricing for different kinds of data according to the principles of net neutrality. This implies that zero-rating initiatives like Facebook’s Free Basics platform, which offers a…
Share. Fly to Gotham City and Metropolis. By Jim Vejvoda Turkish Airlines called upon Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice characters Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor to tout their respective hometowns in two new ads dropped on Super Bowl Sunday. The commercials seen below feature Ben Affleck and Jesse Eisenberg as their characters to sell…
“Hillary Clinton Is Again Put on the Defensive Over Perceived Ties to Wall Street,” the New York Times frets today. Whatever could be going on here? What is the deal, Democratic voters? Dozens of prominent economists and academic experts have endorsed her plans to regulate the financial sector. Her policies would “try to prevent the…
Taco Bell’s Quesalupa features a crispy, flaky Chalupa-like shell but with a melted pepper jack cheese core. It comes filled like your standard Chalupa Supreme with seasoned beef, reduced fat sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and shredded 3-cheese blend. These aren’t out until tomorrow but I picked up a couple at $2.99 a piece…
Facebook is one of the most downloaded apps on iOS but it has long been cited as a cause of fast-draining iPhone batteries. Last year it was accused of using background tricks to stay active even when it wasn’t being used. Facebook admitted bugs existed, and fixed them, but questions of the app’s impact on…