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What it’s about: A Japanese calico cat who inadvertently saved a railway station in Wakayama Prefecture from closing, becoming both a local celebrity and the station master in the process. Advertisement Biggest controversy: Cats are taking jobs away from hardworking humans! In 2004, the financially struggling Wakayama Electric Railway was planning on closing Kishi Station. In 2006 the company destaffed every station along its line to cut costs and named an unofficial station manager from a local business. Kishi Station was nominally overseen by Toshiko Koyama, who had just taken in Tama from a group of strays. Tama quickly became a favorite with commuters, to the point where ridership noticeably increased.
Image: Avid Reader As moving as it is riveting, Patricia Engel’s Infinite Country is a one-of-a-kind telling of the timeless story of migration. The era-leaping novel combines international history—the Colombian Conflict, the introduction of the DREAM Act—with the personal stories of a family whose bond cannot be broken by geography. A late-night dash for freedom in the opening chapter is just the start of a border-crossing relay race that spans the Western Hemisphere. Engel’s pacing is breathless—she covers three generations in under 200 pages—but just as frequently gives way to heart- and time-stopping moments. Infinite Country is poised to be one of the most stirring page-turners of the year.
Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images) Though some of his verses have been known to pack a political punch, prolific writer Theodor Seuss “Ted” Geisel—or Dr. Seuss—has definitely missed the mark more than once, employing racist caricatures packaged for young audiences. Of course, none of those instances would pass muster today (ideally, anyway) and on Tuesday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises attempted to fall in step with today’s audience by ceasing all publications of six titles due to their racist illustrations. Advertisement The company released the following statement announcing the decision: “Today, on Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises celebrates reading and also our mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship. We are committed to action. To that end, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, working with a panel of experts, including educators, reviewed our catalog of titles and made the decision last year to cease publication and licensing of the following titles:
Several years ago, Reddit discovered an image that showed the aerodynamics of a cow. There’s nothing much for the average person to take from this picture, though we imagine it may be of note to a very specific subset of engineers and farmers. Still, bovine aerodynamics have somehow remained a fascinating subject to the general public. The image, and others like it, reemerge at regularintervals, entrancing new viewers by posing and simultaneously answering the question of how, exactly, the movement of air is affected by having a big, placid, grass-munching animal is in its way. Advertisement And so, we are not surprised to report that the topic of cow aerodynamics has once again returned to captivate the world. This time, it’s thanks to @EveryDayCows, Twitter’s top source for “premium” daily cow updates. The account tweeted three pictures yesterday with no comment other than the accompanying sentence, “aerodynamics of a cow.”
What it’s about: “Widespread looting of cheese,” is not a phrase we thought we’d hear outside of our spec script for a gritty Wallace And Gromit reboot, but gouda-related violence marred an annual outdoor market in Nottingham, England in 1766 in what became known as the Great Cheese Riot. Advertisement Biggest controversy: Then as now, people are not happy about price gouging. Winning the Seven Years’ War three years previous had come at a cost of alienating Great Britain from the other European powers, and inflaming tensions in its colonies in India and America. At home, England saw food shortages and rising prices, which came to a head in Nottingham’s annual Goose Fair (more on that later), when merchants from Lincolnshire bought wheels of cheese, intending to sell them in their own city well above their already inflated prices. Locals objected to large quantities of food leaving their hungry borough, and when a group of “rude lads” attacked the merchants, it threw a match on an already smoldering fondue pot of resentment, and a riot spread out across the city.
alive!” Advertisement Morbius is a troubled vampire if we’ve ever seen one. Not only does he not want to be a vampire, he also feels responsible both for becoming a vampire (the unintended consequence of an attempt to cure his rare blood disease) and for the death of his assistant and friend Emil Nikos (who was unfortunately present at the time). Because of the circumstances around Emil’s death, Morbius feels responsible for watching over Emil’s teenage son, Christos, who is also suffering from—you guessed it—a rare blood disease. The Marvel One Shot issue Morbius: Bond Of Blood follows Morbius as he tries to track down a cure for Christos and deal with his own guilt about the nature of Emil’s death.
Amulet Books Artist Kendra Wells’ career has been building steadily for years, perhaps most notably in their short comics for The Nib. Fans of Wells’ work will find Tell No Tales recognizable, but a distinct departure in tone and style; it’s gratifying to witness Wells demonstrate skills that readers haven’t gotten to see much before. The character designs are well-balanced, both individually and as a cast, and Wells’ particular talent with using facial expressions and body language to convey a wide rage of emotions is on full display. The backgrounds get a remarkable amount of attention too, rooting
Does the mystery basement seen in the TikToks include creepy empty jars, an eerie old wooden chair, extra rooms, and weird red floor stains? Yes, yes, yes, and oh hell yes.
If a TV show’s goal is to make the topic of health exciting, trust precisely zero of its recommendations. At least, that’s one conclusion you might be left with after this Dr. Oz–centric episode of Maintenance Phase, a fairly new and swiftly beloved podcast debunking the wellness industry. Hosts Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes need only share clips straight from The Dr. Oz Show (2009-present) to highlight the ways in which the show flirts with outright fraud. In one egregious example, a man clearly being positioned as a health expert sings the praises of a new weight loss supplement, conveniently neglecting to mention he’s actually a marketing executive for a company that manufactures supplements. Many doctors have warned against Dr. Oz’s misinformation, and he was even called before Congress to explain why he shouldn’t be tossed out on his ear for acting as a petty huckster—yet millions continue to tune in, and dubious products continue to fly off the shelves. If anyone you know suffers from “I heard resveratrol might solve all my problems”itis, prescribe them this episode of
Alerts Book cover: University Of North Carolina Press; Big Boi and André 3000 from the Stankonia album cover Graphic: Natalie Peeples “It’s like this though,” André Benjamin nervously shouted over the chorus of boos. “I’m tired of close-minded folks, you know what I’m saying?” As one half, with Antwan “Big Boi” Patton, of the Atlanta-based hip-hop duo OutKast, Benjamin had just won the 1995 Source Award for Best New Rap Group. The Madison Square Garden crowd, unwilling to budge from their bicoastal sensibilities to applaud this pair of defiantly Southern rappers, was not happy. “We got this demo tape but don’t nobody wanna hear it,” Benjamin continued.