Before we delve into the posts we’re reading and loving elsewhere on the internet, don’t miss our most popular post last week, Philippa Willitts’ analysis of a UK battle over sexual autonomy for disabled people.
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The Eternal Quest for Aether, the Cosmic Stuff That Never Was (Meg Neal for Popular Mechanics)
What the heck is aether and why was everyone so into it?
Alchemists dusted off the antique concept of aether and put a new spin on it. To them, it described the most pristine and perfect essence found in nature, which they called “quintessence.” They too saw quintessence (so named from the Latin phrase qüinta essentia, meaning “fifth essence”) as divine, but believed it was found on Earth as well as in the heavens. A bit of godly essence was hidden in all things, whether animal, plant, or mineral. The trick was freeing it.
Why Are The Proud Boys So Obsessed With Not Masturbating? (Lux Alptraum for Medium)
All you ever wanted to know about why white supremacists are super into abnegation.
And the Proud Boys are hardly the only organization to unite its members through a rejection of some sort of sexual practice. Although the organization positions its rejection of masturbation as a way of pushing back against the decadence of a modern, liberal culture that’s fueled by hookup apps and internet porn, a suspicion of self-pleasure is hardly a modern phenomenon. The Catholic Church — itself a bedrock of the Western civilization that the Proud Boys so dearly adore — has long positioned self-love as a sin, and various religious figures and moral leaders throughout history have cast aspersion on the practice.
Unbury the Hatchet: How Competitive Ax-Throwing Went From a Canadian Fad to a Global Pastime (Kate Knibbs for The Ringer)
Get in on the ground level of a very new (and a little sharp) sport.
Since ax-throwing is so new, its fans evangelize for it with the fervor of the newly converted. “I can’t even describe how excited people get when they first hit a bull’s-eye with the ax. The way they jump, scream, yell—it’s everything,” firefighter Patrick Creed told me after he’d finished his throws. Creed also owns his own ax-throwing spot, Bury the Hatchet, near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and likes nothing better than teaching beginners about the sport. Creed had taught himself how to throw by watching YouTube videos; now, he devotes his time to providing IRL instruction. “When they come in, they’re so scared, they hide! They think, ‘I don’t want to hurt myself or someone else,’” Creed said. “Then, 20 minutes later, they’re like a Viking princess warrior.”
The Culture Wars of Car Racing (Rachel Corbett for the New York Times)
Think motor sports aren’t interesting? Think again.
France built his empire by quashing drivers’ unions and blacklisting anyone who raced outside his series. In 1957, he formed the International Speedway Corporation, which would eventually own more than a dozen tracks around the United States. The company, which is still run by France family members, suppresses competition from outside groups by granting itself bids for Nascar races. The Frances also created the radio network that broadcasts Nascar events and even the catering company that serves its concessions.
Inside the $2.6 billion subscription box wars (Elizabeth Segran for Fast Company)
Subscription boxes are the new hotness, and the battle for supremacy is very, very heated.
There are boxes for sex toys, dog toys, comforting things for PMS, lifestyle products for women over 50, tea, stuff for single women, stuff for Christian women, crafts, Scotch, Korean snacks, Grateful Dead-inspired fashion, and adult incontinence products. The list goes on.
Photo: Scott Jennings