Current reads
Despite being an avid reader, I’ve found it difficult to concentrate on longer reads at the moment, and so I find myself dipping into poetry. One of my favourite volumes lately has been Manchester-based poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s collection, “Sincerity”. Her reflections on memory, love and loss serve as triggers for personal contemplation, bringing with them a graceful stillness I find really valuable at the moment. NG
Must-see
Canal+ was offering free subscriptions until mid-April and a lot of their films are available in VO. Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 1988 French family film “The Bear” is a real tonic for these tense times. A bear cub befriends a roguish male after his mother is killed in an accident. But a pack of hunters are hot on their trail. Heart-warming storytelling, and with virtually no dialogue, it shows breath taking scenery from the Dolomites where it was shot. JB
I owe this find to my partner, who has been a fan of Captain Joe’s informative videos for several months. Fly vicariously with the Cargolux pilot’s YouTube channel, packed with explainers on anything from where pilots and flight attendants sleep to the rules on acceptable pilot attire and behaviour. JB
Yes, two weeks into self-confinement and I, too, was sucked into the madcap world of “Tiger King” on Netflix. I mean, surely everyone can relate to an egotistical, gun-toting, gay, paranoid, mullet-haired, wannabe country and western star, big cat breeder from Oklahoma? Joe Exotic is a fascinating contradiction of a man who allows his feud with an equally egotistical cat rescuer get the better of him, with disastrous consequences. And the supporting cast in this documentary series are not much better, though there are also some redeeming characters--strangely limited to those who have lost limbs--who deserve sympathy and respect. The victims though, are the tigers and other wild animals. DR
Listen to this
I’ve never been to Australia, but since listening to “Lost in Larrimah” I feel like I’ve gotten closer to the people in rural Aus than I ever could in a 3-week backpacking trip. A kind of “Serial” meets “S-Town”, LIL follows the trail of a missing man in a town of 11 people who mostly hate each other. JB
Mancunian DJ Mr. Scruff has put together a sublime and eclectic mix for K7 Records’ “DJ-Kicks” series, which amazingly celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Mr. Scruff’s set is packed with exotic blissed-out groove that will transport you to sunset on a beach and more upbeat disco-funk (including this exclusive new track) that will get you shaking off those confinement blues. DR
For something more introspective, try the Domino Records debut album from London band Sorry. “925” is a record that has the critics raving, and rightly so. It is an indie rock album that fuses elements of millennial ennui with pops of jazz, discordant experimentation with catchy riffs. Singer and guitarist Asha Lorenz has an ethereal phrasing that is reminiscent of Tricky. She is neatly counterpointed by bandmate Louis O’Bryen, and their murmuring style brings to mind The XX at times. Check out lead track “Right Round The Clock”. DR
Digital highlights
I have been slightly obsessed this month with “map porn” on Reddit, such as “Mythical creatures in Europe”, “Europe with population in 1789”, “Areas in Europe compared to US states by population”, “Map of Europe during the Ice Age” and “Agricultural land use of France”. I found all of these maps by following the “I Fucking Love Maps” Facebook page. AG
Having problems understanding or explaining what a distributed denial of service attack is? The makers of Telegram, a messaging app, broke it down on their Twitter account last June. A DDOS attack is when “your servers get GADZILLIONS of garbage requests which stop them from processing legitimate requests. Imagine that an army of lemmings just jumped the queue at McDonald’s in front of you--and each is ordering a whopper,” Telegram explained. “The server is busy telling the whopper lemmings they came to the wrong place--but there are so many of them that the server can’t even see you to try and take your order.” AG
Shopping
Although I had ordered from Letzshop.lu sporadically in the past, it has been one of my go-to sites lately when I need to fill in gaps in household shopping. Whether buying fresh rucola in bulk from Lëtzebuerger Geméis or an educational game for my toddler from Abitare Kids, it has been a reliable service, plus it feels good to know you're helping out local shops. NG