Jason Kottke’s weblog, home of fine hypertext products since 1998
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Good news! The new Covid-19 vacines are scheduled to be approved soon and could be available by Labor Day (or soon after). The CDC recommends updated shots for everyone 6 months and older.
Never not gobsmacked by how the massive waves at Teahupo’o create an unnerving cavity in the ocean.
Scientists are puzzled by the presence of “little red dots” found by the JW Space Telescope: tiny galaxies that have left no trace. “Why did they vanish? Or what did they morph into? Their sudden disappearance is a profound enigma.”
Homicide: Life on the Street is now streaming on Peacock. Alan Sepinwall shares 10 episodes “if you want to see what all the fuss is about”. I haven’t watched Homicide since it was on TV and the name “Adena Watson” is still burned into my brain.
I’ve been enjoying watching these livestreams of watering holes in the arid regions of Namibia. As I’m looking now, there appear to be some zebras and giraffes hanging out — previous sightings include hyenas, ostriches, cheetahs, wildebeest, oryx, and even honey badgers. You can find more cams and archived footage at @NamibiaCam.
A disturbing report from ProPublica on the armed domestic terror cells that have flourished in the US since the Jan 6 assault on Congress. “The next election won’t be decided at a Ballot Box. It’ll be decided at the ammo box.”
I’ll start. I finished the superb Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham and Miranda July’s excellent All Fours within the last few weeks. I’m about halfway through Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. I could not finish Frankenstein — I was so excited and the book was so not my thing.
A friend recommended that I read North Woods by Daniel Mason next but I’ve also got my eye on There There by Tommy Orange and The Missing Thread by Daisy Dunn (which I posted about this morning). It’s just over a month until Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo drops…the excerpt piqued my already excited interest.
What’s everyone else reading these days? Or are looking forward to reading?
Tags: books
The Howtown crew explains how food manufacturers, the USDA, and food label services figure out how many calories are in the foods we eat. Spoiler: it’s not just a matter of burning food to see how much energy is produced — different nutrients are absorbed more or less efficiently by the body so you need to measure the output and compare it to the input.
And don’t forget to check the comments for Joss Fong’s banana oat blobs.