Link About It: This Week’s Picks
An LGBTQIA-inspired bank, how “ugly” food can end hunger, the music of Star Wars and more in our look around the web
1. Donate to Planned Parenthood on Behalf of the GOP with DefundRefund
A grassroots fundraising campaign called Defund Refund makes it simple to counteract the GOP’s efforts to shut down Planned Parenthood. The website allows users to easily donate to Planned Parenthood in the name of their favorite (or, perhaps more accurately, least favorite) GOP candidate each time they attack the organization—or anytime really—and keeps a running tally of all donations. Head to DefundRefund to make a donation.
2. The Problem With Single-Serve Coffee Pods
Recognizing the damaging effects single-serve coffee pods have on the environment, the German city of Hamburg has banned them from state-run buildings. The city’s decision has sparked a wider concern regarding whether coffee pods should exist in the first place, and if their excessive packaging and hard-to-recycle materials are worth the convenience. Visit BBC News to learn how some companies are working to make them more eco-friendly.
3. ANZ Bank’s LGBTQIA-Inspired Interior
For this year’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Australian bank ANZ has taken a step beyond their GAYTMs and completely redecorated the entire Oxford St branch as a nod to LGBTQIA culture. The revamped interior was inspired by baroque art and features marbled floors, multicolor walls and 16 murals created specifically for the bank. Head to Mashable to see more of the of the GAYNZ bank.
4. Award-Winning Author Umberto Eco Dies at 84
Umberto Eco, an Italian scholar and award-winning author best known for “The Name of the Rose,” died Friday at the age of 84. His legacy is defined by a body of work beloved by readers and, at times, confusing to critics. His novels touched upon his studies as a semiotician; exploring the words, religious icons, clothing, musical scores and cartoons of various cultures. “I think of myself as a serious professor who, during the weekend, writes novels,” he told the New York Times. Click through to read more about the life of the literary giant.
5. An Unprecedented Image of the Milky Way
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) has released the most detailed and expansive image of the Milky Way to date. It’s the culmination of two projects—the APEX Telescope Large Area Survey of the Galaxy (ATLASGAL) and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX)—and offers and unprecedented peek behind the space dust that usually blocks our view. Read more at the Washington Post and view the full, zoomable picture at ESO’s website.
6. How “Ugly” Food is Helping End World Hunger
About 2.9 trillion pounds of perfectly good food are wasted each year, that’s enough to feed each of the 800 million people suffering from hunger—twice. Tristram Stuart, a 38-year-old London-born activist and chef, has devoted himself to ending the waste with an event called “Feeding the 5,000”—a massive public feast created from foods deemed too short, crooked or ugly for supermarket shelves. Head to National Geographic to read how he pulls it off, and how you can help reduce food waste.
7. Video of John Williams Scoring “The Force Awakens”
With his nomination for Best Original Score for Star Wars: The Force Awakens at this year’s Oscars, composer John Williams nabs his 50th Academy Award nomination—the second most in history. Ahead of the award show, Star Wars has released a behind-the-scenes video of Williams working on the soundtrack as well as some commentary on how he shaped the music to fit the new characters. Head to YouTube to watch the full clip.
8. The Met Explains its New Visual Identity
The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently unveiled a new visual identity that, besides a new logo, presents a revamped color palette and typographic language. The new logo—which simply bears the museum’s longtime nickname “The Met”—was immediately hit with criticism, as redesigns often are. WIRED spoke with both the agency behind the new design and reps at The Met to get their take on the updated graphics and how they fit into the rich history of one of New York’s most iconic institutions.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
