Weekly Filet #128: Keep Calm and Carrie On. And more.
This week's top recommendation
If you are – like myself – one of the people who are waiting for season 3 of «Homeland», you've most likely been impressed by Clare Danes' portrayal of bipolar CIA agent Carrie Mathison in the first two seasons. If you haven't seen Homeland yet, well, you should. The New Yorker has a fine profile of the actress, going after the question: Where do Claire Danes’ volcanic performances come from? It's a good read, especially for the weekend.
→ Varieties of Disturbance (The New Yorker)
Further recommendations
Elaborate. Forceful. Take half an hour of your time and listen to what military historian Andrew Bacewich has to say about military intervention in Syria.
→ Andrew Bacevich on Taking Action in Syria (Bill Moyers)
An exquisite image series.
→ Burma Illuminated (Foreign Policy)
An exquisite image series.
→ Citation Needed – Lending Credibility To Your Bullshit
Twitter might have popularised it, but the hashtag is a lot older. It dates back to the 14th century and evolved from the abbreviation for a pound, lb.
→ A Brief History of the Hashtag, and Other Unusual Punctuation Marks (The New Yorker)
Book recommendation
Vanished Kingdoms, The History of Half-Forgotten Europe, by Norman Davies
«One will understand Europe – and especially Eastern Europe – so much better after delving through this vast volume by the exceptionally learned and slightly old fashioned welshman Norman Davies.» – Andreas Thut
This is one of over 50 recommendations by readers of the Weekly Filet, compiled on this list: Filter bubble bursting book recommendations.