internet explorers club | who lives, who dies, who tells your story
A brief tangent of LA history before we begin. A few days ago, demolition on the iconic 6th Street Viaduct in Los Angeles began. This is the end of a long, drawn-out campaign, which derives from a chemical reaction in the concrete, which would mean the bridge would not being able to sustain an earthquake. I went down a few weeks back, when the demolition was delayed to snap a few photos.
The bridge is famous for its use in films, and even if you didn’t know its name or location, you surely would recognize it.
We drove north on Sunday, me absentmindedly staring out the window as I noticed what looked like broken-up concrete—and it was, in fact, the beginning of the demolition. I knew it had begun, but driving past it on the freeway, catching a glimpse and then—gone—somehow made it hurt even more.
KCET has some great photos of the LA River before it was paved, and it includes this great one of the Sixth Street Bridge in 1937:
Amy Brady wrote on getting to the real story behind of a New York urban legend:
In the summer of 1950, at around 11:15pm, a young man appeared in the middle of Manhattan’s busiest intersection dressed like an extra in a Victorian period film. As the story goes, no one saw him drive up or walk to that spot. He just sort of…appeared…
While the answer is rather simple, it gets into why legends and myths persist, and why we’re so quick to believe what seems to be incongruous.
I loved this piece by Omar Holmon about his late realization that his mother was a nerd. I can’t even do it justice, it’s so sweet:
The House of Lords has made a resolution to switch from vellum to paper for its records. This article is worth it for British Pull Quotes alone, as this example illustrates:
“If early civilizations hadn’t used vellum, our understanding of history would be diddly-squat!”
…but it also led me down a wormhole that resulted in seeing photos of the Act Room of Parliament, with all the Acts rolled up on vellum, and it’s delightful:
photo by UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor
A museum in England that had an exhibit containing a 155-year old mousetrap around that it has inadvertently claimed a new victim. They are currently deciding whether or not to remove the mouse or desiccate it and leave it in the mousetrap (I obviously vote for the latter)
Long Reads: My Accidental Career as a Russian Screenwriter
Etcetera: Nightmarish figures made from old VHS tapes wander in frozen Iceland. An Inquiry into a Lego™ Star Wars Dewback. I’m so mad I wasn’t able to judge America’s first ‘Best Baguette’ competition.
