🌍 Culture Making

• 🎤Mountain Chief of Piegan Blackfeet, 1916

  Exploring the rich heritage of the Piegan Blackfeet and the innovative spirit captured in early recording technology.

• 🎨The counter-intuitive comparison of all things

  Exploring the concept of cultural appreciation through quirky comparisons in art and everyday joys.

• 🌳City and Forest, by Katy Wu

  A young illustrator's work captures the delicate balance between nature and culture, inspired by the beloved film My Neighbour Totoro.

• 🕊️Comic grace

  A reflection on the interplay of grace and passion in human lives and societies, highlighting both their significance and humor.

• 🌍A breath wafted from Paradise over the human world

  An exploration of how spices from foreign lands captivated the imagination of Medieval Europeans.

• 🌍An enterprise of world-building

  Discover the fascinating world of globe manufacturing through this engaging video from the Discovery Channel's how it's made series.

• ♻️Rice husk power

  Exploring innovative ways to convert agricultural waste, specifically rice husks, into sustainable energy solutions for rural villages in India.

• 🎨Cezanne’s dream team

  Malcolm Gladwell explores the concept of late bloomers and the vital support systems behind their success in his article. "But for Zola, Cézanne would have remained an unhappy banker’s son in Provence; but for Pissarro, he would never have learned how to paint..."

• 🎶Portland Sacred Harp

  I just enjoyed a great segment on Portland Sacred Harp, a community group nurturing shape-note singing traditions.

• 😇O is for obedience

  An exploration of obedience as a creative act, inspired by a story from the Desert Fathers.

• 🌌Surf City, by Daniel Schludi

  An observation on the contrast between desolation and hospitality in an oddly de-branded fast food place, illuminated at night.

• 🙏The root of real honor

  A reflection on the sacredness of family and honor, drawing from a profound narrative in _Gilead_.

• 🍊Seed and feed store, Lincoln, Nebraska

  An intriguing snapshot from 1942 captures the economic landscape of Nebraska, reflecting on the significant price disparity between oranges and grapefruit, and the association of grass with Sudan.

• 🌍The places we live

  Explore the lives of a billion people living in slums through immersive photography and personal stories.

• 📻A hoax hoax

  A reconsideration of the "War of the Worlds" broadcast reveals that the panic it generated was largely overstated and not nearly as widespread as believed.

• 🌐Even if the camera isn’t real

  A thoughtful reflection on the transformative power of technology, illustrated through Chris Ware's animation for "The Cameraman."

• 📚Necessity > custom > obligation > institution

  Luis Soriano's inspiring journey to bring books and education to impoverished communities in Colombia is a testament to the impact one individual can have.

• 🌸Avenida Morelos, Guadalajara, Mexico

  Check out this colorful shop in central Guadalajara, where the theme is a delightful mystery between flowers, dresses, and butterflies.

• 🎭Give me a telenovela and I’ll give you a nation

  An exploration of how telenovelas serve as both cultural mirrors and therapeutic narratives for countries, highlighting their unique emotional resonance and production values.

• 🎭The afterlife of Gordon Gekko

  Reflection on the unintended consequences of cultural narratives, particularly in film.

• 🌉Walkway over 101, by Kurt Manley

  I appreciate the striking contrasts found in the relationship between civilization and nature.

• 🌟Glamour and grace

  This post explores the rich and varied history of glamour, spanning from renaissance art to contemporary culture.

• 🌌The epic of the universe, the ballad they sing in the streets

  A beautiful reflection on the interplay of life and eternity from Marilynne Robinson's _Gilead_.

• 🏰Holy Monastery of Simonos Petra, Mt. Athos, Greece

  An evocative reflection on a 13th-century Orthodox monastery that beautifully captures its duality of precariousness and homeliness amidst the twilight. This excerpt highlights the unexpected presence of an orange plastic debris chute, juxtaposing ancient architecture with modernity.

• 🎶Musilanguage

  Exploring the blend of music and language, Sigur Rós captivates with their unique soundscapes and inventiveness.

• 🫒Sorting olives

  Witness the olive-sorting process as captured in this poignant image of a Palestinian woman during the harvest.

• 💵The other Prohibition

  An exploration of the history and complexities of tipping practices in America.

• 📚WRONG—

  Reflecting on my experience with _Schindler's List_ and the charm of its historical annotations.

• 🎨Arabesques

  From a lovely French collection of prints, this piece showcases "Arab art from the monuments of Cairo, from the 7th through the 19th centuries," illustrating a vibrant tapestry of designs over the centuries. Geolocation coordinates

• ⛪Consumption v. confession

  An exploration of the shifting practices in Catholic confession and the Eucharist.

• 🌸Safety through beauty

  Women's Design Service critiques the reliance on surveillance and enforcement in urban safety, advocating for more inviting public spaces.

• 🏔️To make common cause with the losers

  An exploration of the concept of "the long defeat" and its significance in meaningful work, as interpreted by Paul Farmer and captured in Tracy Kidder's narrative.

• 🗄️Junk Drawer, Chicago IL, by Paho Mann

  A fascinating glimpse into the hidden chaos of everyday life with a photo of a junk drawer in Chicago.

• 📚Notes from the Archbishop

  The Archbishop of Canterbury dives into the complexities of Dostoyevsky, merging literary critique and theology.

• 🌱The dignity of plants

  An exploration of the ethical considerations surrounding genetic modification and the dignity of plants in Switzerland.

• 🌅Aerial photo, source unknown

  A reflection on the allure of stunning aerial photography that transcends ordinary satellite views.

• 💉All sorts of humanity mixed up in it

  Derived from the emotional and ethical turbulence present in modern medicine, this piece explores how bioethics is intertwined with real-life dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals.

• 🔥Extravagant gestures

  Annie Dillard reflects on the extravagant gestures of creation and their enduring presence in the world, beautifully illustrating the connection between nature and fire.

• 📚Best book review opening ever

  A reflection on the sensory experience of books, particularly their scents, as captured in Nicholson Baker's delightful prose.

• 🌍If There Ever Was - A Book of Extinct and Impossible Smells

  Aroma is creatively underutilized, as Robert Blackson explores through conceptual scent art.

• 🏛️Stone wall, Cuzco, Peru

  The intricacies of Cuzco's mortarless Incan masonry never cease to amaze me, especially regarding how the seams between the blocks appear on the inside. How complex might the joints be? The geolocation coordinates for this remarkable structure are approximately -13.5226, -71.9731.

• 🌏Mera Juta Hai Japani

  A reflection on the themes of modernity and globalization in Raj Kapoor's classic film _Shri 420_ and its iconic song "Mera Juta Hai Japani."

• 🍻Oktoberlost

  A glimpse into the lively chaos of Munich's Oktoberfest, adorned by its amusing lost and found treasures.

• 🤝Correct method to raise a soldier

  This remarkable historical photograph captures the effort of soldiers demonstrating the proper technique to lift and carry a comrade in need. "Three soldiers carry a fourth to demonstrate one stage of the correct method to raise a soldier from a reclining position for carrying."

• 🏈From Polynesia with love

  As a rugby fan, I find it intriguing to see American football teams embracing the Polynesian haka and fostering multicultural connections.

• 🎲Investment instruments with lottery-like qualities

  An exploration of the impact of lottery marketing on low-income individuals and potential alternatives.

• 📖Visualizing the Bible

  An intricate visualization of Biblical cross-references created by a Carnegie-Mellon Ph.D student and a Lutheran pastor, highlighting the complexity of the data. The multicolored arc diagram displays 63,779 connections between chapters, with a bar graph illustrating the number of verses in each chapter.

• 🐒Gilgamesh for apes

  An exploration of the intersection between animal language studies and human literature, highlighting the effort to enrich primate communication through creative translations.

• 🍚Meghli (Lebanese Rice pudding)

  Meghli, a delightful Lebanese rice pudding traditionally prepared for special occasions, especially to celebrate a newborn.

• 🌍Naming and being

  In exploring the awakening of awareness, this poignant quote from Walker Percy captures the essence of discovery