Chris Rock is crazy again. Hollywood isn’t Mexican enough? Hello? Did Chris Rock ever graduate high school?
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LINK: Chris Rock Writes About Race in Hollywood
Chris Rock has been on a roll lately, first with a far-ranging interview in New York Magazine and now with an essay on race in The Hollywood Reporter. Rock writes about his efforts to support African-Americans in Hollywood: “Someone’s going to help the white guy. Multiple people will. The people whom I’ve tried to help, I’m not sure anybody was going to help them.” Nonetheless, some of his opinions aren’t what you might expect. For one thing, he suggests Hollywood isn’t Mexican enough.
LINK: How Alan Turing Fooled U.S. Intelligence
Alan Turing is the hero of “The Imitation Game,” a true-story movie that features an Oscar-bait performance by Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing. As a pioneer of computer science, Turing is one reason you’re reading TheBlot Magazine. As a codebreaker, he helped the Allies win World War II. The Guardian uncovers an overlooked chapter in Turing’s wartime life, when he crossed paths with future James Bond author Ian Fleming and, more importantly, paid a visit to Washington, D.C., where, his job was to “keep the Americans in the dark as much as possible.” While Turing was annoyed by American speech patterns, he was captivated by one American film Disney’s “Snow White.”
LINK: We’ll Always Have Tattooine
Entertainment Weekly writer Anthony Breznican had to miss covering the first trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Instead, the longtime “Star Wars” fan was on his way to Pittsburgh to attend his 93-year-old grandmother’s funeral. Though his “Grandma B” lacked pop-culture savvy, she compensated for it with respect and loving attention as her grandson showed her his action-figure collection. Breznican’s essay is a tribute not only to his grandmother but also the power of “Star Wars” to unite loved ones across generations.
LINK: What Will Happen to Your City When the Ice Sheets Melt?
Imagine the Seattle Islands, the Sea of O.C. and the Bay of L.A. Cartographer Jeffrey Linn has created maps based on what cities would look like after decades of global warming. If you don’t believe in global warming, you may dismiss the project as alarmist speculation, but these maps are quirky and disturbing. (Example: On the map of a post-meltdown L.A., the site of the city’s airport is dubbed “Ex-LAX.” It’s bordered by “Strait Outta Compton.”) Grist interviewed Linn about his project and explored how likely his scenario really is.
LINK: The World’s Strangest Hangover Cures
Yes, New Year’s Eve is still three weeks away, but it’s not too early to plan ahead since the holiday season itself started some time in September. (At least that’s how it seems.) A lot of partygoers won’t be able to hold their liquor and will be suffering the aftereffects at the dawn of 2015. For them, Travel and Leisure presents a slideshow of some of the more offbeat hangover remedies from around the world.
Robin Cook is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.