Multimedia arts project wins Sycamore Gap tree commission after public vote

Such a lovely read about an often-less-than-lovely Reed.

New reviews up at the Watch List. TLDR: Go see Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters” with a good and pumped weekend crowd. www.tyburrswatchlist.com/wh/?ref=ty-b...

"All of a sudden, his grip in the Senate is a lot weaker, and they're acting up. God bless them." "The retribution campaign is...we don't want to overstate all this, but, it is backfiring." Mike Murphy and Tim Miller on Trump’s revenge tour boomeranging into a Senate GOP problem.

One thing I love about "ET" is how it time-freezes the last gasp of subdivisions in LA's hills & Valley. I related to riding bikes with friends over graded terraces for homes, making jumps out of plywood. This intersection is at Beaufait & Darby in Porter Ranch (1982 vs. 2022).

“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.” --Arthur Conan Doyle #BicycleBirthday May 22 (1859-1930)

Stephen Colbert has been a gift for 11 years- brilliant, stunningly knowledgeable, kind & hilarious . From his home, he with his family, helped us thru dark pandemic times. He won 11 Emmy Awards, 2 Grammys & 3 Peabody Awards. Thank you for all of it Stephen. We'll miss you ❤️

"The end of The Late Show will also be a loss for anyone who values thoughtful dialogue about religion, theology and spirituality, and thinks that liberals of faith have an important role to play in contemporary political discourse." Meredith Blake reflects on Colbert's spiritual role in late night

Every now and then I’ll stay up til 2:30 a.m. to write about something. Like Colbert’s heartfelt and surrealist goodbye. I was not anticipating the interdimensional wormhole.

The Morgan Library has all of Peter Hujar’s contact sheets. The upcoming exhibition of them reveals that Candy Darling, on her deathbed, really enjoyed having Hujar there. Most of the pictures are of her smiling & laughing. This is the one he chose.

Call it “the art of the self-deal.” On Trump‘s latest gift to himself and his allies ://www.nybooks.com/online/2026/05/20/trump-v-trump-anti-weaponization-fund/

"Fighting corruption became Navalny’s mantra. Taking a page from the playbook of Bill Browder...." From "Navalny’s Unfinished Work" By Benjamin Nathans @nybooks.com @billbrowder.bsky.social cial @aaknopf.bsky.social www.nybooks.com/articles/202...

“We are, sadly, not now holding high the Declaration of Independence’s torch of freedom. But the fact that so many others around the world are inspired by its principles is an ironic confirmation of their universality.” www.thebulwark.com/p/dont-count...

In my column today, I salute "oath-conscious Republicans," as I call them. I also have memories of Barney Frank and Ted Turner, both of whom died this month. Have a look. www.jaynordlinger.com/p/hail-the-g...

William Steig New Yorker June 24, 1961 # WorldBeeDay

Hanging out with a few friends tonight.

“The legacy of this show needs to be that we remember it as the show that was canceled because a presidential administration wanted it off the air,” says Heather Hendershot, a professor of communication studies and journalism at Northwestern University. on.nbcboston.com/HYxPmG0

As part of the event, Bobby Flay will step behind the counter to work alongside the kitchen team, prepare orders and serve guests.

The bike + train combination allows for smooth and easy travel wherever you need to go. For #BiketoWorkDay we're showing you how our employees get around! For Jeska, combining cycling and the train allows her to get to meetings and work without stress. Follow along for her trip to the Hague 🚲🚃

"It all comes down to this, my dear: one likes the florid style, or one doesn't." - Willa Cather, "The Professor's House"

Experts hope a new floating wetland project will bring back natural “edge habitat” that disappeared when developers reshaped Boston’s perimeter with landfill and seawalls. Recreating those destroyed coastal environments can help protect cities from some impacts of climate change.

Queer art, bowler hats and an Annie Hall script: inside Diane Keaton’s archive as treasures go on sale

I didn’t think it was possible to love Kylie Minogue any more – her new Netflix series changed that | Emma Brockes

@kalewis.bsky.social Just for the visual record of it, here's a cap of the Diego Rivera-like mural in the office of Martha Ivers, femme fatale and captain of industry.

Imitation Diego Rivera mural looks good. #TCMParty #TheStrangeLoveofMarthaIvers #NoirAlley

Sunday photo Detail from Diego Rivera's "Detroit Industry Mural" at the Detroit Institute of Art. (Worth travelling to Detroit just to see this; it's astonishing.)

For the music-minded -- and possibly the art- and theater-minded -- a review of "El último sueño di Frida y Diego," by Gabriela Lena Frank, at the Metropolitan Opera. newcriterion.com/dispatch/col...

Thomas Massie is unafraid of Donald Trump, and the Kentucky Republican thinks he can embolden more people in his party to stand up to the president—if he can get reelected, @russellberman.bsky.social reported earlier this year:

"The Not-So-Quiet American" Victor Gaetan via @foreignaffairs.com "Pope Leo Takes the Vatican Where Francis Could Not" www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

18th May 1979, new wave/pop band Squeeze released their iconic single "Up the Junction". Famous for its clever narrative lyrics & distinct lack of a traditional chorus, it went on to peak at No.2 on the UK charts. The song is deeply rooted in working-class South London kitchen-sink realism. #Squeeze

Can't wait.... Boston 2026 World Stamp Show ♥️ @boston2026expo.bsky.social www.Boston2026.org #stamps #philately #stampshows

Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund is a tool that could divert public money to his supporters—even January 6ers, @jonathanbchait.bsky.social argues:

Kate Bush's first appearance on "Top of the Pops" was on 16th Feb 1978, where she performed "Wuthering Heights". She would later appear on the show several more times in 1978 and 1979. She was the first woman to have a self-penned song make No 1 in the UK chart; she was just 19 years old. #KateBush

Whoa

Our Street Lighting Division continued work this weekend upgrading fixtures on Atlantic Ave, Kneeland St, Tremont St, Cambridge St & Washington St (Dorchester). In total, crews replaced 219 fixtures! 💡🛠️

♥️

Separated bike lanes = 44% FEWER DEATHS

Bebe the Destroyer #Caturday 🎨Meher Khan

Toad and Frog went for a long walk. They walked across a large meadow. They walked in the woods. They walked along the river.

Los Angeles International Airport - early 70’s.

Because of deep staffing cuts the Trump administration has made to the C.D.C., the government has far fewer people to respond to outbreaks. Because Trump withdrew the country from WHO, the US does not receive regular information about emerging health threats. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/h...

Actress Cate Blanchett tries her hand at flying, as captured by photographer Annie Leibovitz. #BicycleBirthday Cate Blanchett Born May 14, 1969

Over at the Spliced Personality Substack this week I reviewed Bobby Farrelly's DRIVER'S ED, a low-stakes throwback that's agreeable company for a rainy afternoon on the couch.

Happy birthday Linda Evangelista 🎂 📷 Bill Cunningham, 1980 The great fashion models are equal collaborators with the photographers who shoot them. The best are so much more than photographic objects to be moved within the frame. Evangelista's personality shines through, & her hard work pays off.

Doctors recommend taking a nap with a minimum of 3 cats

Iowans are ready for change. https://bit.ly/4vow8QQ

A great find at a Little Free Library: the David Bellos translation of Georges Perec’s Life A User’s Manual. Really looking forward to this!

Read @crampell.bsky.social on how Trump is killing American industry. open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

If you've read this far, you might be the person Platypus Economics is for. The Substack, YouTube channel, podcast — all live today. Substack: newsletter.platypuseconomics.com YouTube: youtube.com/@PlatypusEco... Find it all here: platypuseconomics.com Let's get curious. Together.