Mid-Month Links for January 2017

Middle of the Month!

I've done links at the end of months and start of months, so why not have some near the middle of the month?

Links:

I love both Big Boi and Andre 3000 of OutKast, and value the occasional brief appearance of Andre on tracks. This article's discussion of him as, "The most ominous instrument in Hip-Hop," is a great read.

Here's an interesting discussion about how when someone believes something contrary to all evidence, that being shown something that proves them wrong can cause them to just double-down on their beliefs-e.g. this is why people believe those so-called news stories that are dumb clickbait and really are exploding more and more lately online.

The Klan may have been in decline for some time, but this domestic terrorist group continues to pose a danger and with the rise of the alt-right AKA neo-Nazis, seeming to be more and more prevalent one can easily worry that hate will only keep growing.

They're up to five of these now? Wow.

January seems to often be a dumping-ground for, "Movie that suck," but this article argues it doesn't have to be. In related news (as the article discusses the franchise too), here is an interesting little history of the, "Underworld," movies that aren't especially popular but keep on coming out. Fun fact: the first, "Underworld," was the first R-rated movie I ever saw by myself. It was at a small local theater and my family always went with me to R-rated films so the theater folk didn't blink an eye when I went by myself even though I wasn't old enough (and I thought it was PG-13 for some reason). For that reason alone, "Underworld," holds a little spot in my heart.

HP Lovecraft of course created some amazing horror and had some superb ideas that continue to inspire people. He also was a horrific racist during an awfully racist time. Reading about how writers of color both take inspiration from Lovecraft while also critiquing and criticizing him is fascinating.

Please, God, please, do not have it be true that DC is thinking doing more of those gimmicky, "3-D," covers that impressed almost zero folk and were a hot collector's item for about a month before they ended-up in dollar bins collecting dust.

Memmmmories, light the corner of my miiiiind.

Of all things, cassette tapes are making a comeback (genuinely and not just in a hipster-way), and I would agree that's kind of cool in some aspects and simply weird in others.

On the subject of musical throwbacks, during the earlier 2000's I listened constantly to Kool Keith, specifically his first Dr. Octagon album that came out in 1996 but which I didn't discover till a bit later. Therefore,when my friend Natalie Jane tweeted out a link to when  Keith performed a favorite track of mine from the album--"Blue Flowers"--on a late-night show back in 2016 I was ecstatic! Watching it really took me back. Here's the link to him doing the song.

Lastly, in yet another example of, "Everything you know and believe could be wrong," it seems our appendix may very well serve an important biologic function and reduces our risk of various infections.

Enjoy the rest of the month!

Try to stay warm the rest of this January!