A bit shorter this week, somewhat “lighter” content-wise. Probably due to the holiday, or to traveling, or to there just being less good stuff on the Internet this week, the list is a little shorter than last, but then, last week was a pretty long list.

So without further ado, your recommended reading from the past week (or so):

UPDATED SYLLABUS FOR JOURNALISM 101

by Katie Barsotti

This course will serve as the building blocks for your deep dive into the study of journalism. Bear in mind that, like the news, the field of journalism is ever changing. Students who have spoken to upperclassmen about this course will notice that several changes have been made to reflect this new media landscape. (NOTE: Intro to Journalism now qualifies as a Physical Education credit.)

This was… just great. Hilarious. Exactly what satire should be. So fun.

LEARNING THE ABC’S OF GRAD SCHOOL JARGON

by Deb Werrlein

Askesis. I read in the car, in the bathroom, and on the nanny job. I read out loud because it helped me understand. I took copious notes. Then I reread the text, studied the notes, and made outlines. I studied the outlines, too. I assumed my peers did the same. Then a classmate mentioned a movie she saw the previous Friday. A movie? When I asked how she had time for that, she said, “Who studies on Friday night?” I did.

I really enjoyed this. The beginning reminded me a lot of this one time I sat in on my friend’s Derrida seminar, and the rest was simply a joy (to a nerd who likes theory and exploring how academia is so wildly out of touch (can you tell I used to study philosophy?)). Also, I’m taking notes (low key announcement that I will be going to grad school in the fall (but not for theory), also, don’t tell my boss yet).

The Amazon Bookstore Isn’t Evil. It’s Just Dumb.

by Alex Shephard

Everything in the store feels just a little bit off, and you’re constantly reminded that you’re interacting with the physical manifestation of an internet phenomenon. You’re told if books are put on lots of wish lists, or have 4.8 stars (as opposed to, say, 4.7), or are simply “hot on Amazon.” You read lots of reviews from people you don’t know, most of which are written in that weird variant of American English, online review-ese. I didn’t find the reviews or the stars persuasive in the slightest. As for its display of Kindles and Echoes, supposedly one of the few things that differentiates Amazon Books from other stores—I couldn’t see much difference from how Best Buy or even Barnes & Noble sell hardware.

I mean, I’m still going to go with “Evil” as my default opinion of Amazon, but I like this article, and since I’m sort-of half-assedly covering publishing in these lists, it works well as a recommend. Perhaps a more representative pull quote:

More than anything else, Amazon Books is representative of the company’s rapid and insidious takeover of the publishing supply chain and its steady erosion of the publishing industry itself. Few industries are as sentimental as book publishing, but the publishers and booksellers do have a point: Bookstores—the good ones, anyway—provide a valuable service for American culture and are motivated by values other than mere profit. My conversation with Joseph, James, and other customers suggest that there is more than a little truth to these concerns. Amazon Books is a manifestation of just how pervasive and effective the company’s approach to retail is: We shop online even when we’re offline.

Frugality is environmentalism

by Katherine Martinko

The Frugalwoods family sticks to a tight food budget, which means that very little gets wasted and they try to grow as much as possible. Cooking from scratch helps. Clothing and furniture are repaired whenever possible, and purchased second-hand if needed. Mrs. Frugalwoods has crossed the “final frontier of frugality” by letting her husband cut her hair, and she has stopped dyeing it, painting her nails, and wearing makeup on a regular basis – cost-saving efforts that result in fewer chemicals in her body and the waste stream.

So, this is a late addition because I was feeling like this week was a little light on length (though its relative lightness on content is probably a welcome change to the five of you that read these every week (thanks, by the way)), and it’s sort of a “two-for,” because I was reading the the blog that the article that this article is published on (so meta, I know) yesterday, and they’re both great.

I recommend all of it. Everything. All articles about articles. The whole Internet. (Just Kidding.)

Comics!

A GoFundMe Campaign Is Not Health Insurance

by Ted Closson

O my heartstrings! Basically, this is why people need to stop fucking with our health insurance, in comic form. It’s beautiful and tragic and good to read.

Capitalism and Christianity: A Match Made in America

by Caitlin Cass

Another great comic featuring Christianity (this is only notable because there was already another one, and anyway – ), but this time about how it’s been co-opted towards the needs of Capital. So yeah, it does pair pretty well with the other one, now that I think about it.