Browser Newsletter 1083


Hic sunt camelopardus: this historical edition of The Browser is presented for archaeological purposes; links and formatting may be broken.

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Best of the Moment

I Hate To Be A Pest, But …

Maria Farrell | Crooked Timber | 13th August 2013

The gay rights movement has changed public opinion, and law, in radical ways across the developed world in the past twenty years — whereas feminism has scarcely advanced at all. The issues and arguments of feminism today are almost exactly the issues and arguments of twenty years ago, adjusted for social media. Why? The suggested answer here — the influence of television — is not persuasive, but the question stands

My Four Pianos Are Like Human Beings

Fiona Maddocks | Guardian | 4th August 2013

Interview with Mitsuko Uchida. Charming throughout. "Currently I have four pianos, all Steinways – one I call 'the Oldie', who was born in 1962 and I bought in 1982. He is now full of new bits but the body is the same. Number 2 is good for practising on. The third I call the Boy from Munich – the kind that would drive a sports car. The fourth is the youngster, just getting nappy trained. I'll find somewhere in Europe to house him"

45 Small Fates

Teju Cole | New Inquiry | 13th August 2013

Fait divers. Notes from Nigerian newspapers. "A man from Chad, stopped in Badagry, was carrying nine tusks from which the elephants had been removed."

The Business Habits Of Highly Effective Terrorists

Jacob Shapiro | Foreign Affairs | 13th August 2013

Terrorist chiefs make terrible bosses. The problem: micro-management. It's baked into the system. When your subordinates are, almost by definition, violent fanatics, you have to keep close tabs on them every step of the way. "Terrorist managers can craft meticulous long-term strategies, but those are of little use if the people tasked with carrying them out want to make a name for themselves right now"

Video of the day: How Vacuum Cleaners Work

Thought for the day:

"The consuming desire of most human beings is deliberately to place their entire life in the hands of some other person" — Quentin Crisp

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