Links: Cave art, directories, the IndieWeb, and more
It's feeling quite arty-creativey in the links today. Otherwise the usual mix of history, writing, fun projects, and IndieWeb stuff.
Starting off with a list of Blaugust participants. I hope everyone taking part is having a fantastic time. Yesterday I did a whole list of Blaugust links also.
Hilander's What Would I Write If I Wrote for Myself? notes 'this is not really about RPGs, but about writing in general.' It is, and more, and I think it is excellent.
Terrible math textbooks for women in the 17th century by Nate is so precisely my type of thing:
The author believed that women were interested only in romance, so he tried to explain Newton's discoveries in the form of flirtatious dialogue.
Also precisely my sort of thing: The Action Movie Star Character Name Believability Index rates Jean Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's character names.
the thing most likely to shatter your suspension of disbelief is that the imposing man with the thick Austrian accent is named Gordon Brewer, or that Belgian kickboxer is called Kurt Sloane.
Brennan's You Don't Have to Blog is about all the ways to be on the internet not blogging - webweaving, static sites, sharing art, reading. Important, in this month of Blaugust, for us bloggers to remember this.
Two great things about Creating a politics of longing from Andrew Curry at The Next Wave - firstly that I really want to read Rob Hopkins's How to Fall in Love With the Future and secondly the parts about the moon and the future are just beautiful.
The reason he’s interested in the way the idea of going to the moon resonated through culture for such a long period is because “most major achievements start with rehearsal”.
From Aeon, How art invented humanity 'When early humans first painted cave walls, they began to find out who they really were: our minds emerged from our images' covers Lascaux, Ode on a Grecian Urn, Werner Herzog, Spinoza, Oscar Wilde, and Vincent van Gogh. It's about philosophy, art, the stars, truth and beauty, and I think it's wonderful.
Also from Aeon: Skill nostalgia 'Is all the beekeeping, baking and leatherwork just escapist fantasy or the start of a radically human approach to work?'
A directory of creators who keep the internet interesting from The Digital Meadow.
Similar to last time, I Want to Look Like I've Lived by Maximalist Musings
I find it really, really unsettling how normal it has become to look like you haven’t lived.
Mighil has resurrected a searchable directory of privacy-respecting alternatives to Google products.
Addressing one of my historical pet peeves: Did medieval people love their children? from Works in Progress.
VH Belvadi writes in his usual comprehensive, calm style about Re-defining the IndieWeb.
A Sociable Web from House of Nettles:
as more of my friends and friends-of-friends move to individual websites and blogs, what social dynamics does this give rise to? And what different technical designs could improve those dynamics?
Hive Mind is 'A collection of thoughts from working writers, critics, artists, and editors on how they conceive of writing the internet.' I do not remember who I found this via, but it was someone, and I am sorry.