TL;DR,
WELCOME TO THE·BY·PRODUCT. A WEEKLY RECAP OF WHAT IS GOING DOWN & WHAT IS COMING UP ON THE INTERNET. REPORTING LIVE FROM THE CITY OF CHICAGO. THIS ONE IS COMING IN LATER THAN EVER. I BLAME EARLY MORNING FLIGHTS AND TIMEZONES. LET GET TO THE LINKS.
CATEGORY: SAVE THE ROBOTS
Little robots, big issues. For decades, engineers seeking to build tunnels underground have relied on huge tube-like machines armed with a frightening array of cutting wheels at one end—blades that eat dirt for breakfast.
These behemoths, called tunnel-boring machines, or TBMs, are expensive and often custom-built for each project, as were the TBMs used to excavate a path for London’s recently opened Elizabeth Line railway. The machines deployed on that project weighed over 1,000 tons each and cut tunnels over 7 meters in diameter beneath the UK capital. / Via Wired
CATEGORY: VINTAGE
In response to the current demand for retro looks, ingenious designers at the helm of luxury maisons have built their entire design ethos on the styles of either Miss Havisham’s closet or the cool aesthetic of the 1970s jet set. And season over season, business booms. But that’s a different fashion story. This piece is for those interested in seeking out the real deals, the originals — for the love of history, the hunt, and the unique. To help navigate the landscape of shopping vintage clothing, Heidi Bivens, for whom this prodigious skill set is a professional necessity, breaks down the process and shares where to find your own vintage magic. / Via SIC
CATEGORY: GOOD HUMOR
On March 8, 1993, “Beavis and Butt-Head” premièred on MTV. The show’s title characters—two gross, immature, violent, strangely lovable, and very American teen-agers—were like little else onscreen. Each episode involved the pair idling around their Texas town, indulging in petty acts of vandalism and moronic conversations. In between these adventures, they watched TV and made fart noises, and called each other names such as “monkey spank” and “turd burglar.”
They were magnificently stupid, but so pure that they achieved a kind of innocence. To watch them, the critic Roger Ebert wrote, was “to learn about a culture of narcissism, alienation, functional illiteracy, instant gratification and television zombiehood.” Mike Judge is a good judge of what is funny. / Via New Yorker
CATEGORY: ON SUBSTACK
I have been enjoying Dirt for quite sometime now. Dirt is a daily newsletter about entertainment. So it might be a bit meta but thought it might be cool to start linking out to some of my faves. Terry wrote an awesome piece on one of my favorite left of center Internet brands. Read it here. / Via Dirt
CATEGORY: FELINE FUN
Fancy Feast's cat food-inspired restaurant is a purrfect photo op! Fancy Feast, a brand of gourmet wet cat food that my cat Colby Jack adores but rarely receives, opened "Gatto Bianco by Fancy Feast." It's a New York-based limited-time pop-up restaurant that features an "Italian-style trattoria and culinary experience." The dishes — created by Fancy Feast in-house chef Amanda Hassner and Michelin Star-winning Italian chef Cesare Casella — are for humans, but take inspiration from Fancy Feast Medleys recipes. The food is intended to "mirror the sensory experience of cats at mealtime." / Via Grubstreet.
CATEGORY: FASHION
The passing of Issey Miyake has been covered by everyone last week. The New York Times had an interesting take. Read as the tell the story of this fashion icon through 100 turtlenecks, and the neck of Steve Jobs / Via NYT
CATEGORY: NEIGHBORHOODS
Geographically, Dimes Square lies at the intersection of Ludlow and Canal on the Lower East Side. A new New York hotspot in fevered media minds, its real significance is complex.
First of all, Dimes Square isn’t a square, it’s a triangle. Technically, the infamous headquarters of a hyper-specific, hyper-online scene of overeducated young tastemakers (Artists? Influencers? Rich kids? Whatever) falls at the intersection of Ludlow Street and Canal on New York’s Lower East Side, but metaphorically, Dimes Square occupies both a number of adjacent city blocks and the minds of New York City media professionals, few of whom have yet grown tired of talking about the place. See why people love to hate this place. / Via Daily Beast.
CATEGORY: FASHION
I can remember back to when I was carving out my high school look. J Crew was a premium choice. Alongside brands like Benneton, and with light touch basics from places like The Gap, Polo, J Crew had a vibe going on for me. Then the dark days came for the Crew and the went bankrupt.
So, what you do as a brand that fell into the shadows? Tap an ex-Supreme creative to bring you back to the light. Let’s go Brandon. / Via GQ