Hi folks, Jason Kottke here. This here is the 100th issue of the Noticing newsletter. 🎉 I'd like to thank you all for reading, founding editor Tim Carmody for writing well over half of these, and kottke.org members for supporting the effort. In her newsletter yesterday, Laura Olin wrote:

Everything is becoming paywalled content. What happens when all the good information and art costs money and the only stuff that's still free is disinformation, propaganda, and bullshit?

What I've been doing here for almost five years now is an alternate approach to the future she describes: some readers pay to keep the site free for everyone. Tim wrote about this in Unlocking the Commons:

Fans support the person and the work. But it's not a transaction, a fee for service. It's a contribution that benefits everyone. Free-riders aren't just welcome; free-riding is the point. This, I think, is key to understanding the psychology of patronage. [...] I don't just want my money to buy an object; I want it to support institutions and individuals I like, and I want it to support the common good.

This is one of the weird things about patronage. As a consumer, your first thought is to your own benefit. As a patron, it's to the good of your beneficiary.

To me, there's little value in even a partially paywalled version of kottke.org – the whole point of this is to be open and curious and available and accessible – and I'm so thankful that so many readers have taken that leap with me, to support a free & open site. If you'd like to join them in contributing, check out the membership options here.

All right, on to the links and things.

When a Raindrop Falls in the US, Where Does It End Up?

A cool map visualization using USGS data: "Click to drop a raindrop anywhere in the contiguous United States and watch where it ends up."

1000 Musicians Play Rock Songs From Nirvana, Queen, etc.

I got surprisingly emotional watching these videos of 1000 musicians performing rock songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit and We Will Rock You together. They embody the opposite of what we've been feeling during the pandemic.

Bent Reality

Surrealistic travel photos of landscapes bending over on themselves – Route 66 to LA, Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, etc.

Hisako Koyama, the Woman Who Stared at the Sun

Meet pioneering astronomer Hisako Koyama, whose detailed drawings of the Sun over a 40-year period laid the foundation for a 400-year timeline of sunspot activity. After I posted this on the site, I got an email from an ophthalmologist who would like to remind us all: do not actually stare at the Sun! (thx, tom)

We Know What You Did During Lockdown

After watching this short film on how much data private companies are able to gather about you, you might be forgiven for thinking that we are living in a full-on dystopia right now. Related: how does Facebook know to serve you ads for the toothpaste you used at your mom's house?

The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai, Explained

A video explanation, in plain language, of the iconic woodblock print The Great Wave Off Kanagawa by Hokusai. Part of a cool newish YouTube channel called Great Art Explained.

Make Your Own Bird Kite

This is a really lovely & meditative set of instructions for creating your own bird kite at home. The most underrated link of the week, IMO.

Have a great weekend everyone.