Friday links...
No50
This week, no particular theme. Just back to the usual slightly random collection of links...
1. Bildung: a fascinating concept I’ve only recently come across. According to the Nordic Bildung Association Bildung “is the combination of the education and knowledge necessary to thrive in one’s society, and the moral and emotional maturity to be both a team player and have personal autonomy. Bildung is also the ‘education’ bringing this about; Bildung is the process as well as the result. Bildung is a dynamic concept, one that can evolve. Bildung is knowing one’s roots and being able to imagine and co-create the future. Bildung offers wholesomeness. It is a means in itself; it is not instrumental. It allows us to be fully humane and treat the planet and other species with their inherent dignity, thus enabling us to live within planetary boundaries. Bildung is a force of peaceful societal transformation.” via the Global Bildung Manifesto.
2. Russ Cook. Attempting to become the first person to run the length of Africa. That’s over 360 marathons. He started in April 2023. So far he’s run 15,683km and has just 9 days left until he completes his mission. Have been following him all the way. An amazing human being. Latest update video below. And link here to his fundraiser.
3. Finding the most secluded cabin in Switzerland. A short video…with over 24m views.
4. Soul Music is a great BBC podcast. Every episode takes one song and brings it to life through different people’s personal stories and associations with that song. Thoroughly recommend. I was listening to the episode below…
…and this story emerged:
“Tracy Chapman was booked to play Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Tribute Concert in 1988 which was televised live all around the world. She’s was unknown and down at the bottom of the bill. She’d already played earlier in the afternoon when nobody was paying much attention. Then Stevie Wonder, who was one of the headliners, couldn’t go on due to some problem with his synthesiser…and Tracy got pushed out on stage to fill in whilst Stevie Wonder’s technical issues were resolved. So, she’s now in a prime slot and on primetime TV and she sings Fast Car. The next day hundreds of thousands of people go out and buy the single. That one event launched her career…hit single, hit album…and established as a headliner in her own right…having started the day at bottom of the bill”.
5. Having not performed for nearly 15 years and consciously keeping out of the public spotlight, she made a surprise and wonderful appearance at this year’s Grammy’s…
6. The Futurenauts podcast: “as ‘reluctant futurists’ they tackle the interconnected challenges of tomorrow with a heady mix of humour, humility and hyper-self-reflectivity, helping people identify and wrangle with the toughest and most important of questions beyond their comfort zones and occasionally wilful blindness.” Really enjoyed this episode of the with John Elkington, the ‘Godfather of Sustainability”
7. The Book of Colour Concepts “takes the reader on a chromatic odyssey across four centuries and over 1,000 images of luscious wheels and globes, painstakingly collated charts, and meticulous diagrams, many of them newly photographed exclusively for this edition. Some of these concepts provide exhaustive taxonomies of colour, while others reflect upon the relationship of color and music, or the affinities between colour and human emotions.”
8. Via Artificial World: “I used Midjourney v6 to reimagine famous artwork in an aesthetic inspired by Wes Anderson films.” Some interesting results. Below “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer. Also in the series, Mona Lisa, Munch’s Scream and Wood’s American Gothic. Amazing. Link here to see the other Wes-AI-Grand Masters.
6 Music publish a weekly playlist of newly released music…their A List, B List and C List. Unfortunately it’s not linked to the tracks themselves. Very kindly, hez1203 creates the actual playlist on Spotify…and updates it every week. Which must be a labour of love and is greatly appreciated. Link here and below.
10. Bought this amazing Fire Cider at a local farmer’s market. This is the Ginger & Turmeric boost and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. “A Warming Immune Health Tonic. Triple Cold Pressed Organic Infusion. As well as being great for your gut health and immune system this variety targets inflammation and circulation problems.” Shop link here.
Quote of the week: “Smile, breathe, and go slowly.” Thich Nhat Hanh
Have a great Bank Holiday weekend, Matt