The Rules of the Game: A Fuller Thought on J. Hopper and Vampire Weekend

The critic, ever wary of a band like Vampire Weekend’s likely privilege, doesn’t look very far into what, if anything, they’re saying about class — so sure is she that her take on class issues will be more important and incisive. The critic, ever wary of the band’s interest in African music being dilettantish, doesn’t much ask how that influence is operating — so sure is she that her relationship with African music is deeper, more solemn, more respectful. And at some point we’re barely reading criticism anymore: we’re just watching the refereeing of a game we’re all too familiar with.

(via. see also)

The Happiness Project (review: 3/5)

The Happiness Project I felt pretty torn about this one. I'd been following Gretchen Rubin's blog about the Happiness Project for a while and wondered what extra stuff would be in the book. I got it from the library, so I'm not sure that it matters as the only cost to me was time. Luckily she's a really fluid writer and it's a quick read, so it's not in the "waste of time" category. Good parts:

If there's a downside, it's that I wish she'd shared more of the studies she read up on (surely a ton), and less of the personal anecdotes of how she applied them. But then again, I wonder if I'd say the opposite if the reverse were true? Either way, you can probably get the most bang for your buck by ripping through the best-of section over on her site. Tyler Cowen says "On net, Gretchen's tips will enhance your happiness." I suspect this is true.

Tyson

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Tyson. It’s a great movie. Tyson narrates the whole thing, which is interspersed with footage from his entire career. What could be boring talking head scenes are somewhat enlivened with multiple camera angles, split screens, cuts, etc. You can’t help but feel some sympathy for the guy.

This Gun for Hire

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This Gun for Hire. This is a very average movie. But it does have Veronica Lake. It’s also fun to see some of the cliches we still use 70 years later: evil paraplegic businessman; tense stand-off in a chemical plant; escaping from police pursuit via jumping on a train from a bridge; poorly aimed gunfire piercing barrels, which then leak; etc.

Sexual Politics of Dancing: The Secrets of Looking Good on the Dance Floor

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This whole article is great. (via)

The largest degree of satisfaction can be found in girls under the age of 16. “They see dance as something fun, not as part of mating behavior,” says Lovatt. That changes around the age of 16. “Between 16 and 20, dance confidence among girls falls markedly,” says Lovatt. “Girls begin to see dance as a social act rather than a way of expressing themselves. They begin to worry about how they look and start searching for a boyfriend.”

But once young women have come to terms with their lost dancing innocence, the satisfaction ratings start rising again. From the age of 20 onwards, their opinion of their own dance floor competence starts to improve and keeps increasing until the age of 35. After that it hits a plateau, however, as satisfaction levels stagnate. From 55 onwards, the value even drops. “That coincides with the menopause,” says Lovatt. And it doesn’t get any better: “Dance confidence remains low for the rest of a woman’s life.”

The pattern is somewhat different among men. Their dance confidence levels keep rising until the mid 30s. It then stagnates before starting to sink from the age of 55 onwards. But then, surprisingly, men get a second wind. From 65 on, they start to once again see themselves as pretty smooth operators on the dance floor.

Sexual Politics of Dancing: The Secrets of Looking Good on the Dance Floor