From NYRB, a review essay on rape and American prisoners. Going back to the future with steampunk: Speculating on the possible futures of bygone ages is both easier than predicting what's coming tomorrow, and more fun. From Fortune, a special report on the top 100 employers to work for. Stanley Crouch on how the real power of looking back at Soul Train is seeing what black culture has lost. Top Down vs. Bottom Up: What do grassroots organizers actually do when they organize? From New Scientist, a look at how our world may be a giant hologram. Fool’s Gold: How the Olympics and other international competitions breed conflict and bring out the worst in human nature. Chris Clarke on how to write an incendiary blog post. Immanuel Wallerstein on chaos as an everyday thing. Here are ten things you need to know to live on the streets: Learn the best bathroom options and soup kitchen schedules, carry a blanket, squat and more. From WSJ, even in a recovery, some jobs won't return. Pac Rat: Clay Risen on the fight to preserve old video games from bit rot, obsolescence, and cultural oblivion. From New Left Project, Horatio Morpurgo on how not to do an MA on George Orwell. Tasmania’s clear skies are made for eavesdropping on the stars; Nicholas Shakespeare went to live there and found some interesting links to the rest of this planet too. In a contemporary political scene characterized by disruptive, shallow, and contempt-laden vitriol, Robert Goldwin’s approach to civilized discourse will be sorely missed.
