Write an Essay That Takes Up This Questionã¢â‚¬â€ã¢â‚¬å“what Might the Literate Arts Be Good for?ã¢â‚¬â
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I wrote about this several editions ago – when the proof copy of my beloved friend Molly Flatt's debut novel, The Overjoyed Life of Alex Moore, outset arrived.
Back then I said something along the lines of:
"My friend Molly Flatt has a book out. It is pretty damn good (and then far). I am clumsily proud of her."
Last week I finished it.
And hither's what I said, to Molls, shortly after:
Quite.
Having had a few days to reflect, I'm less emosh and more than thoughtful. The Overjoyed Life of Alex Moore starts out as a rich and knowing insight into the crazy world of startup land. If you've ever been anywhere almost that manufacture, or accept wanted to know how crazybatshi it can be, and then you'll love the way this book starts.
Merely then things get weird.
Unexplained coincidences. A call from a inquiry agency in the Orkney Isles sets in motion a chain of events that completely flips everything Alex knows about herself, and the world, completely on its head.
Alex Moore is a brilliantly realised character living her best life in a perfectly described London of 2018. Until she's not. And that's when things get weird and wonderful. Go with it – the advantage is worth the journey.
I cried. Thrice.
The Charmed Life of Alex Moore is out adjacent Friday and you tin pre-order on Amazon, Kindle, or Audible TODAY. Don't but do information technology because Molly is a mate, exercise it because it actually is a bloody good volume. x
Tracey Thorn, best known as existence one half of the duo 'Everything just the Girl', writing for The New Statesman on 35 years of being described by male journalists.
It is an essential read.
Cutting off Thor'southward hair in RAGNAROK should exist a huge deal. Only it wasn't – not really – and it was handled with such deft care, along with a whole bunch of other huge character changes that you barely even noticed because y'all were having so much fun.
Equally Film School Rejects notes:
"Thor: Ragnarok is a little miracle of a picture. It’s easily the funniest flick in the franchise. Equally much equally I praise the vision of the directors witnessed in Iron Man 3and Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Ragnarok plays like a Taika Waititi film first and a Curiosity motion picture second. He picks up two of their almost mishandled activeness figures, frees them of their usual accessories, and redefines their appeal. Thor is not the God of Hammers; he’south the female parent frickin’ God of Thunder. Cue “Immigrant Song.â€"
And the Marvel Cinematic Universe is meliorate for it.
Read the analysis – information technology's good.
Ben Shaw writes:
"Consultancies are eating our lunch, brands are spending less with agencies, with procurement running the show and paying us by the hour, pitches now seem to be not only chemistry, tissue, strategy and creative just hey await nosotros even fabricated the advert too. Instead of a multi-twelvemonth matrimony between client and agency, long term brand edifice responsibility has seemingly been handed over to the logo, creatives are increasingly being told to tell a thumb stopping, emotionally engaging story in 3-6†vertical mobile flick, the programmatic revolution increasingly looks like Brexit with lots of overpromise and enough of nether delivery, advertising fraud seems ripe inside the digital ecosystem with fewer and fewer pounds going towards actual comms, media agencies have been found out for not beingness transparent and so brands are building teams in-business firm, influencers are the new media and replacing creative ideas with poorly acted product placement, Social Media ad spend is set to crush the storytelling heartland of TV, unsurprisingly, more and more of our best young talent isn’t even thinking of joining the industry, whilst our best talent is leaving to go customer side or join a platform/consultancy, the #MeToo wave is slowly making its way through the manufacture with the biggest of big dogs being taken downwards, the gender gap pay difference confirms that we aren’t supporting talent in our industry if they want to nurture life also, and our entire industry feels like it’s built on a cultural cohort of white eye form  Oxbridge thinking that is more than out of bear on with the rest of the state than ever before. Phew. Oh. And A.I. is going to replace all of usa."
When you lot put it similar that fashion, the industry's problems writ large, it all becomes rather depressing.
The skilful news is (and also delivered by the brilliant and newly minted Head of Strategy at BBH London), it's not all as bad as information technology looks.
Putting Ben in this role is bloody smart. I admire the man and his work – and I'm looking forward to seeing what else he brings to the tabular array. Presently.
This is a GREAT read.
Andrew White for the New York Times sits down with Denzel Washington and Michael B. Jordan. He opens with a question on what it was like for MBJ when, later his operation in Fruitvale Station (no, Robbie, I haven't seen it yet -I'll watch it this night) film critics described him as a young DW.
And and then it simply flows from there.
I of those interviews where yous just wish you lot were in the room.
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TO THE THINGS.
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ane. YOUTUBE KIDS, Only WITHOUT THE YUCKY STUFF
That's what Buzzfeed is reporting anyway. If you've not followed this 1, here's the first proper in-depth look that made so many parents (myself included) uninstall YouTube Kids from their devices.
The expert news is, YouTube has spent the past half-dozen months or so a) attempting to get rid of the bad stuff (v difficult given the sheer amount of content uploaded every mean solar day) and b) developing a new whitelisted-content-only version of the app.
This is a proficient development on a bad story.
Well done anybody.
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2. ONE QUESTION
The adjacent One Question issue has been dated (June 7th), venued (Electric Movie theatre), and the tickets are availableÂNOW.
TheÂone question this time around is 'Has applied science enhanced or damaged our experiences?' and the perspectives on offer cover everything from data, to business organization, the arts, and more than.
One Question is my favourite conference(?) in the events calendar and, if you fancy a day of being intellectually stimulated on topics and ideas that are sometimes close but oftentimes quite far away from your 24-hour interval to day then I wholly recommend it.
Off you popular.
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Have yous seen DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE (easily the best sequel in the unabridged franchise)?
Know that whole 'let'southward rob the federal reserve and steal it all with dump trucks' scrap? Yeah, the author's piece of work on the subject was so good that the FBI was called in to investigate just how the writer, Jonathan Hensleigh, knew so much about it.
Brilliant.
4. TIME PASSES VERY SLOWLY WHEN Yous'RE IN A HIPPO'Due south Rima oris.ÂQuite.
If you've been reading this newsletter for a while (or if you know a fleck about me and my work) you'll know that about 2 years agone at present, I started dicking about with building chatbots. I built i for the building I work in (if you ever visit Ogilvy London, search Messenger for 'Roombot') and subsequently wrote the strategic POV for the agency and launched a bot building practice/framework to assist figure out how this new technology could be practical to solve consumer and client problems.
I wrote about it ii trends decks agone and, in the most recent one, reviewed my prediction of 'The chatbot gilt blitz' as a 'B+' for effort while remarking that 'it was less of a rush, more a leisurely jog'.
In short: bots arrived but they didn't exactly set up the world alight and, similar multitudes of new technologies as and when they've appeared, it takes a bit of fourth dimension to figure exactly how to apply them.
This article (and the championship for this section) is a really adept dip on where nosotros are with bots today.
It goes some mode in addressing the whole mis-naming problem that's gone on with chatbots/bots etc… 'Message app' or 'Message service' is probably an easier and more accurate sell.
We're still building bots for clients (we've run Stoptober on Messenger for Public Health England the past two years and, most recently, built the messenger solution for Reuters) – with more to follow v soon.
I guess our golden rule is a combination of framing vs pointy-problem-solving. In reverse social club: what is the pointy problem we're trying to solve and, when we've worked that out, how do we frame the messenger-based solution correctly to the consumer to encourage participation.
One to noodle on…
3 this calendar week:Â
- Asia Argentino – for The Guardian.
- Asking 'Saccharide Daddies' about Me Besides.
- Hey Japan, you're next!Â
- Google made this data vis: 'Me Too Rising'.Â
BEEE-OH-EN-OH-ESSS.
- Spotted some groovy AR stuff in the wild this calendar week. First up, new PlayStation game GOD OF State of war (more than on this before long) launched an AR map that you can just pop down on any apartment surface and look around. I put it on a tabular array at work - and it looked neat. The 2nd thing I saw was this INCREDIBLE IKEA 'door' execution. I love what kind of promise this shows. Can you imagine te-telling The Panthera leo, The Witch and The Wardrobe in this style? Immense.Â
- Speaking of GOD OF WAR (my reward for getting this newsletter out on time tonight is to open the copy of the game I've got saturday here next to me), this brand new and incredibly loftier-rated game is out today. This is a reaction video from the director of the game after he saw the showtime scores come in after the embargo lifted. It's beautiful.
- I honey this postcard.
- The world isn't as horrific equally you retrieve.
- Sun's out, tunes out -Â here'south a agglomeration of summertime playlists for your ears.
- Inventiveness's female future (this is bang-up).
- F*** YOUR LIBRARYÂ (not certain nearly this only OK).
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TO THE THINGS.
__________________
one. THE ROCK, Newspaper, Pair of scissors
Related to concluding week, a reader sent in this contour of The Rock.
And it is worth your time.
_________
2. HOW TO BUILD YOUR Ain IPHONE
This is great. This guy went to the markets in Shenzen, China, to see if he could build his own iPhone 6S from spare parts.
[spotter the 24min video – yes it's long but it's great]
There are a few things of notation hither:
- It's super interesting!
- The i thing the guy doesn't tell you is how much all the parts toll (it'southward $300 (not including duff parts)).
- The proliferation of Nosotros Chat asÂthe payment mechanism throughout the market place is phenomenal.
A couple of trends presentations ago (specifically slide 25, here), Marshall Manson and I said that, when information technology comes to the future of messaging apps, we should look e to run into where the tech is going.
Worth a spotter.
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3. A HIGHER LOYALTY
Ahh… the James Comey book is nearly here.
The New York Times review is worth a read every bit is I am sure the book itself (out on Thursday).
_____
4. ABOUT THE BOYS
Tim Winton on how toxic masculinity is shackling men to misogyny.
Christ, this is so well written.
_____
five. Actual MACHINE LEARNING
Research scientist, Janelle Shane, has been pulling out the more than interesting findings from a paper on algorithmic inventiveness.
You can read the Twitter thread or Shane's weblog post on the topic.
Both are insane.
Turns out if you inquire an algorithm to learn how to spring a certain height, it'll teach itself to can-can.
(thank you, Olly, for the tip)
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Three this week:Â
- Karl, nosotros're fed up of you.Â
- Using #MeToo to build confidence (I like this).
- Tracking #MeToo through the Nobel prize for literature – 'A scandal in Sweden'.Â
B/O/Due north/U/South.
- What I learned from briefing Robert Mueller
- ten examples of GDPR best do UX when obtaining marketing consent
- Did yous work in the White House recently? Practiced luck getting a job.
- Gifs make better memes
- #TrollingIsUgly (this is neat/hard work)
- If, after my recommendation from last week, you've finally watched Annihilation, and so you MUST cheque out the upwards-close designs of THAT bear (if yous haven't seen the moving picture, don't click the link)
- The requirements for The Spectator inquiry internship are equally amazing every bit they inspiring. More of this please.Â
- 87 Male SPEAKERS!!!!
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TO THE THINGS.
________________
one. READING Annihilation
AKA 'The section virtually one movie, some personal stuff, so another related pic $.25'.
"Considering the truth nigh mental health and self-destruction is that for nigh of us it is not some deep perceptible trauma, but the fate of difficult-wiring and conditioning that comes from little everyday realities. Whether feeling unloved or unsafe or even misunderstood, these situations tend to add together upward to the kinds of pathologies, behaviors, secrets, and choices that make up the conflict and pain within humanity."
– Film Crit Hulk
I wrote nigh ANNIHILATION a few editions dorsum. The signal of that addition was to discuss Paramount's choice to sell Alex Garland's latest to Netflix outside of the US (vs putting it out on full general theatrical release).
Since that fourth dimension, ANNIHILATION has arrived on Netflix UK, I've watched it, and information technology isÂexcellent.
There is much I could say.
If you've not seen information technology notwithstanding, possibly seek it out later tonight. If you lot accept, and then I urge you lot to please please delight read this astounding review/essay, past Film Crit Blob, 'The Horrors of Modify'.
I say over again, practise not read information technology until yous've seen the movie – it goes over primal parts of the picture in detail. In brusque: in that location be spoilers here.
That said, as someone who has gone through a huge amount of internal change, this essay spoke to me on so many levels. So. Many. Levels.
Scout the picture show.
Read the essay.
Reflect on them both.
___________________________
Other moving-picture show-related stuff:
On my contempo flight(southward) + full general adventures I caught a few movies that I'd been meaning to catch upwardly on.Â
- 3 BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. Excellent. Did not see those story beats coming – and Sam Rockwell is excellent.Â
- Phone call ME BY YOUR NAME. Better than Three Billboards – past a country mile. That concluding 15mins. The credits. Jesus. What. A. Pic.Â
- DEATH OF STALIN. Bright. See it.
- JUSTICE LEAGUE. What. Yes, I finally watched it. This is what I thought.
- Fix PLAYER ONE. 7/10. Worth seeing if you're a film nerd or a gamer – (and a couple of excellent set pieces – the Kubrick one particularly was a stand up out) but over and above all, a rare beast known equally 'a forgettable Spielberg'.
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OK, so I get it. The past few editions accept featured something from GQ. What can I say? They're killing it at the moment (no, I'1000 non on commission). This next ane I'm featuring is a contour of Eric Barone, sole creator of Stardew Valley.
Sole. I. Solo. Just him.
"…throughout the four and a half years, he never once reached out online by asking questions or speaking to another programmer for advice. He hates request for assist. He prefers not having the subconscious feeling of owing a debt for a favor, so instead  he does things all himself. Everythingâ€"literally everythingâ€"he learned about making games came from poring over pre-existing comment threads on forums and blogs until he institute the solutions he needed to move forrad."
I guess 'struggles to work as a team' featured highly on his last 360? I jest.
ThisÂgreat contour does not but provide an insight into what obsession looks and feels like merely also demonstrates what, when y'all accept the ways, it tin deliver.
A good read.
PS. I've never played Stardew Valley. Shh.
PPS. This was written by an amusing chap I know on Twitter called Sam. Y'all should follow him.Â
Not news but certainly noteworthy.
If you missed the declaration, Instagram is manifestly – FINALLY – making a much-asked-for algorithmic change to allow new posts appear closer to the top of your feed.
This absolutely is Not a return to the chronological feed order of quondam BUT it is Instagram acknowledging that perhaps the millions upon millions of users that actually desire to encounter new things beginning in their feedÂmight really take a point.
More here.
Ready to step off.
Ready to accept their own lives.
84 men in the UK take their own lives every week.
To illustrate that abominable statistic, men's health and suicide prevention charity, CALM, made Project Eighty-Four. 84 sculptures that correspond 84 real people that took their own life.
Why is this important to me?
i. I know someone who is related to one of the 84.
2. My old dominate, friend, mentor, and Calm board fellow member, James Scroggs, helped make this happen.
iii. Information technology'due south right near where I work – it's kind of unmissable.
4. I have experienced suicidal thoughts. They are not fun.
That concluding point, that's the start time I've written that downwardly. Let'southward continue it betwixt u.s.. For at present, please.
Consider, does your opinion of me change because of it? If it does, why? I'k nowhere near ready to articulate the where, why, or how.
Just understand suicidal thoughts, mental health deterioration – and then to speak, can happen to anyone. On that notation, if stuff is pretty awful for you correct now,Âyou lot can hit respond to this email anytime and say hi.
I e'er respond. Ever.
Project 84 is important work.
You should read about information technology.
This article led me to this video.
Both are excellent, start with the onetime and so relax into the latter.
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B to the O to the North to the U to the S.Â
- This Charles Bronson movie inspired the stages for Streetfight II. WHO KNEW.
- A Grace Jones documentary? YES PLEASE.
- The Instance for Chaos.
- The perfect manner to ride a meme.
- Brands should worry about indifference, not alienation.
- A twenty-four hours trip to Little Pyongyang (a great read).
Source: https://www.whatleydude.com/2018/04/