Radio Lab really hit it out of the park with this episode on memory and forgetting.

Due to a Transient Ischemic Attack (a TIA) I had in 2016, I have a particular interest in memory and recall.

Not only will this podcast episode challenge your understanding of what memories are, but you'll be surprised at how they're created, and how they're recalled.

The final segment of the episode is about Clive Wearing, who suffers from the most extreme case of amnesia ever recorded. His memories vanished after just seven seconds. "Every moment is his first waking moment." Heartbreaking.

Truly top-notch reporting.

Memory and Forgetting

Remembering is a tricky, unstable business. This hour: a look behind the curtain of how memories are made...and forgotten.

The website for the Wim Wenders film, Perfect Days, is wonderful. I enjoyed the movie very much, though it could have been the company I was keeping.

Artists Tyree Callahan has created a chromatic typewriter by modding a 1930s Underwood to paint rather than write. Not much to see on the site, but Callahan has other projects as well.

Chromatic Typewriter

Contact me for licensing information, posters, or where to see the typewriter in person

Tyree CallahanJanuary 6, 2024 at 2:19 am

Tree.fm is a site where you stream the sounds of rain forests.

tree.fm – Tune Into Forests From Around The World

Brazil, Pedra Grande Cantareira 1 recorded by Melissa Pons.

Whenever I'm in a forest, I pull out my phone and launch the Merlin app to identify the birds providing my soundtrack. Fantastic app.

Merlin Bird ID - Home

Bird ID Wizard—Step-by-step Answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and Merlin will give you a list of possible matches. Merlin offers quick identification help for all levels of bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts to help you learn about the birds in any country i

Merlin Bird ID - Free, instant bird identification help and guide for thousands of birds

The Pudding does a deep-dive into Rolling Stone's "Greatest Albums of All Time" rankings.

I'm not much of a fan of Rolling Stone, or the ranking of music in general, but thought this Pudding page was very well done.

My number one non-Jazz album of all-time is Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison. It's one of my most revisited pieces of art. I also love his album, Astral Weeks. And though I like some other here-and-there tracks by Morrison, most of his other stuff bores me.

Interestingly, Rolling Stone originally gave Veedon Fleece one star and called it "self-indulgent... pompous tripe." In 2008, they re-evaluated the album, giving it four stars and said he "never again hit the majestic heights of this one."

It's a favorite record of artists as diverse as Elvis Costello, Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Sinead O'Connor, who said it was what she listened to right before going on stage.

You can check out the Pudding deep dive before or after you listen to Veedon Fleece on YouTube. They're both below.

What Makes an Album the Greatest of All Time?

Examining 30 years of Rolling Stone’s “Greatest Albums of All Time” Rankings

The PuddingMatt Daniels, Chris Dalla Riva

Exactly what it says on the tin.

Joshua Charow writes, "I spent the past two years creating my first photography book titled 'Loft Law. The Last of New York City's Original Artist Lofts' about artists living under the protection of the Loft Law. The law, enacted in 1982 (Article 7-C of the Multiple Dwelling Law), granted protection and rent stabilization to thousands of artists who were living illegally in commercial and manufacturing zoned lofts in neighborhoods like Soho, Tribeca, and the Bowery after the manufacturing industry predominantly left Manhattan.

"Two years ago, I found a map of the remaining protected buildings, rang hundreds of doorbells, and photographed and interviewed over 75 artists who are still living in these incredible lofts to this day. The photographs explore some of the most unique beautiful, and hidden artist studios across New York City. The book includes writing and personal stories from the incredible group of artists featured in the book."

A trailer for the book is below and you can purchase it here. Interviews with some of the artists follow.

Claire Fergusson

Carmen Cicero

Curtis Mitchell

Dorothea Rockburne

Josh Charow's YouTube page.

Tomohiro Okazaki is an extraordinary stop-motion animator from Japan. Here's a ton of his matchstick work edited together:

Axel Adler is a magician who specializes in illusions, often performed with his body and a single prop. My favorite is 3 Legs:

You can find out more on his website.

Alligator snapping turtle populations in Texas were dwindling. One family of smugglers had been poaching them from the state for years. True Crime by Sonia Smith in Texas Monthly.

The Great Cajun Turtle Heist

One family spent years poaching Texas’s protected alligator snapping turtles.

Texas MonthlySonia Smith