BC CULTURE
Saved by @CodyyyGardner

Ok. Here goes.

I track all my books at https://t.co/WLPKFEPoYK. I am going to go through the list and talk about the books I read in 2020 that struck me. Hopefully this won’t be 55 tweets long.

 The first book I read in 2020 was this book about punk rock I think recommended by @dansinker

I love books about music and especially music that I enjoy. I learned a lot reading this book and it introduced me to a number of bands. Was fun.

https://t.co/VGpVabzKEQ
I will read anything by Ken Liu. This collections is wonderful. The story “The Paper Menagerie” broke my heart. I loved it so so much.

https://t.co/bsXUieugXL
A friend recommended Infinite Detail and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I often think about the techno utopian world that we have build and what will happen in the future. This book details a very bizarre and weird future building on a lot of those ideals.

https://t.co/YC4yg4swAd
I loved reading this book. I didn’t really know anything about Jessica Simpson before - but really enjoyed her autobiography. Who knew!

https://t.co/ESyCTp7Q3s
I found this book to be unsettling. I recommended it to some friends. They also found it unsettling.

https://t.co/c79FCT3LCZ
I quite enjoyed this book. I typically don’t like it when people are named “harper.” This book was solid. I love sci-fi like this.

https://t.co/VwkfI3TpAm
A friend recommended this book and I had always wondered about Warhol. It is an incredible book. I read this book for what felt like 2 years. That may have just been 2020 tho. @BlakeGopnik did a wonderful thing with this book.

https://t.co/MkCp9JLguK
I will read every murderbot book that is released. @marthawells1 has done an amazing job of creating one of my favorite series of books

https://t.co/g4FbKxkVd9
I adored this play. A friend had recommended this and I am glad I read it. I always spend a lot of time learning about the authors of the books that I read and It is so sad that she had such a short life.

https://t.co/Zygv3AmqBY
This was one of my favorite books of 2020. The was a beautiful and haunting tale. Can’t wait to read more of @mieko_kawakami’s books.

https://t.co/pS6wTpT0em
This book blew my mind. Mostly because it was such a different idea. Such a scary book.

https://t.co/xvyJlnt0jy
I love the lady astronaut books. @MaryRobinette has done such an amazing job of building a world that Ilove. All of the Lady Astronaut books are amazing and fun. I highly recommend them.

https://t.co/jDpDLEFnO6
Reading Weather was such a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it. I found it haunting and magical.

https://t.co/xTdvVY9GXG
My friend @sewellchan recommended I read this book. I am so so glad I did. It simultaneously made me hopeful for the U.S. and scared for our future.

If you have any questions about why and how for the U.S. I recommend that you read this.

https://t.co/vDm32jeNmc
I really liked @intelwire’s book. It is another example of a world that could exist if we just keep things going how they are going now. It isn’t ideal.

Read the book tho. Especially if you are in ad buying ;)

https://t.co/waXlKpD498
This was a random book I read. I reallllllly liked it. It was like reading a spy movie. Almost unbelievable! But it is real! So so good.

https://t.co/PoMHxC4aNU
I am often looking for books that give me an atmospheric feeling. I find that Kazuo Ishiguro books always give me that atmospheric vibe.

A pale view of the hills is such a book. It is much different than his later books, and still so dark and strong.

https://t.co/8UNgx1lJA0
I loved reading this book by @xrw. It gave me inspiration, excitement and hope for our world.

It made me hungry for tasty food in far away locales.

I can’t wait to travel again.

https://t.co/H6lG0muN8L
I read this book to understand Goya. These artist biographies are long af. I now know way more about Goya that I ever wanted to. I just wanted to know why and how he painted his Saturn Devouring His Son painting. And the author is like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

lol

https://t.co/nDgC1chPq6
I have had the paper version of this book on my coffee table for years. I reread the first essay often. I have never completely finished the second essay (no idea why)

I spent some time deliberately finishing the second essay and am very happy I did.

https://t.co/3SC2Hu6X6C
I don’t have any idea how I found this, but I loved it! I ended up staying up super late to finish it.

https://t.co/3DWw5ZQTvb
My brother suggested I would like this book. I devoured it and the second book as well. Such a nice universe and setting. Recommend!

https://t.co/9DS6Z9CSxd
All in all I read about 55 books this year. Mostly fiction. Some biographies. A few history.

It was all wonderful. You can see the full list at https://t.co/WLPKFEPoYK

Post your favs from 2020! I need recommendations!

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5) Later when I wrote on the Ant Man movie I told Kevin Feige the story, the year, look of the guy etc and Kevin said “That’s exactly the kind of thing Stan would do and he would have been there then. That was him.” Rest In Peace Stan Lee and thank you for the comics.
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In the shadowy corners of the shortwave spectrum lurk the Numbers Stations: strange radio broadcasts of mysterious blocks of numbers in creepy monotone voices!

It's actually an old form of spycraft which is still in use today. And as it's #WorldRadioDay let's take a listen...


A Numbers Station is a type of one-way voice link for sending information to spies in foreign countries.

Operating on Short Wave radio bands they transmit a secret code of spoken numbers. Use of Numbers Stations peaked during the Cold War, but some are still operating today.


Numbers Stations are operated by various national intelligence agencies. At set times on a pre-arranged frequency a musical tone is played, followed by a speech synthesised voice reading out blocks of numbers. To most listeners it sounds both creepy and meaningless.


However to spies it can be vital. The numbers can be decoded to reveal a message, provided the spy has the right One Time Pad (OTP) - a random number key that is only used once before it is destroyed. OTP encryption is impossible to break if done correctly.


Why broadcast your secret message on Short Wave? Because it can be picked up across the globe. All a spy needs is a shop bought SW radio, a pencil, and the correct One Time Pad and they - and only they - can decipher the message. No complex kit is required.
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Cory Doctorow #BLM
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@doctorow
Inequality requires narrative stabilizers. When you have too little and someone else has more than they can possibly use, simple logic dictates that you should take what they have.

1/


The forbearance exercised by the many when it comes to the wealth of the few isn't down to guards or laws - rather, the laws and the guards are effective because of the STORY, the story of why this is fair, even inevitable.

2/

Think of the story of monarchy and its relationship to the Church: the Church affirms that the monarch (and the aristocracy) was chosen by God ("dieu et mon droit") and the monarchy reciprocates by giving the Church moral and economic power within the kingdom.

3/

Capitalism replaced the story of divine will with a story of a self-correcting complex system: humans are born and raised with a variety of aptitudes and tastes, and at any moment, historical exigencies dictate that some individuals are better suited than others to do well.

4/

When it's railroad time, there are people who were born to oversee the laying of track and the coordination of rail networks: markets find those people, allocate capital to them, and allow them to mobilize that capital to produce shared prosperity for all of us.

5/
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Estella Mirai \U0001f3f3\ufe0f\u200d\U0001f308
Estella Mirai 🏳️‍🌈...
@EstellaMirai
Authors, you deserve an agent who…

Replies to your emails in a timely fashion, and lets you know when they won’t be able to.
(1/13)

Reads your manuscripts, revisions, outlines, and other materials in a timely fashion, provides an EDA when needed, and lets you know if a delay occurs.
(2/13)

Communicates in a way that works for YOU, be that email, texting, or phone, and is open FROM THE CALL STAGE about any forms of communication they are unable or unwilling to use.
(3/13)

Understands and respects YOUR publishing goals, and is upfront and honest about how realistic they are.
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Respects your decision to turn down any offer, for any reason, and to hold out for YOUR minimum requirements for taking an offer.
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Joseph Hyun Su Chun
Joseph Hyun Su Chun
@josephhschun
I'm feeling very thankful and slightly sentimental today.

While I take a small break from editing I want to make a thread thanking all the content creators that have inspired me and how they have inspired me.


One of my biggest inspirations in the content creation game.

Lessons Learned:
The sky is the limit, if you set your expectations low then you'll get low results. If you set your expectations at infinite and work towards that you'll reach heights.


The creator I probably resonate the most with emotionally.

Lesson Learned:
There's no stop. If you mess up or something doesn't work out, just take a break then come back stronger.
Content creation is a big thing and lessons learned is better than perfection.


The creator that just feels like he's having the most fun with his content.

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Have fun, make your content "you". You might have quirks and things that you might find weird about yourself but it's all good!
Allow yourself to be you! Even a potato!


The creator I feel like is always happy and it makes me also feel happy!

Lesson Learned:
Help me Help you. Content creation isn't a competition and it's actually if anything more a group effort!
If you improve the person next to you also improves. Be inspiring!
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The same people who helped create the virus, also helped to create the vaccines...


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