Israel Has Killed Nearly 900 Palestinians Since ICJ Order to Prevent Acts of Genocide…
In the week since the International Court of Justice ruled that the Israeli government is plausibly committing genocide and ordered it to prevent potential further acts of genocide, Israeli forces have only continued committing atrocities against Palestinians.
Buoyed by the staying support of American officials, Israeli forces have killed at least 874 Palestinians and injured at least 1,490 in Gaza since last week’s ICJ ruling…
Ex-UNRWA Official: Funding Cuts Make Donor Countries Complicit in Starvation of Gaza - YouTube
As Israel’s assault on Gaza has displaced the majority of Palestinians in Gaza, more than half are sheltering in facilities run by UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Despite being the largest humanitarian agency in Gaza, UNRWA says it may run out of funds by the end of the month, after at least 18 states or institutions, including many of the agency’s biggest funders, announced they were suspending their donations in January. The cuts came after the Israeli government accused several UNRWA employees of participating in the Hamas attack on October 7. Israel made the allegations in a document it provided to foreign governments which apparently contained no direct evidence of the claims. “As of now, the evidence simply does not exist” outside of this “dodgy Israeli dossier,” says Chris Gunness, former chief spokesperson for UNRWA. He slams donors who have pulled their funding as “doing Israel’s political bidding” in its “scheme to dismantle UNRWA” and further dispossess Palestinians in Gaza.
Sam and Emma speak with Steven Friedman, director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Johannesburg, to discuss his recent book Good Jew Bad Jew: Racism, anti-Semitism and the assault on meaning. Steven Friedman then joins, parsing through the birth of his recent work from the severe backlash to anti-Zionist and anti-racist Jews as “self-hating,” alongside a severe perversion of the concept of anti-Semitism from the hatred of Jews as a people, to a narrow opposition to the apartheid state of Israel, also touching on the growing union between the state of Israel and the biggest celebrity symbols of anti-Semitism. Stepping back, Friedman explores the evolution of Zionism in relation to a largely Europe-based Jewry, with OG Zionists like Theodor Herzl and A.D. Gordon seeing the exclusion of the Jewish people from the European elite as a cultural failing of their people – one that can be solved via the establishment of a Zionist state and thus a Zionist elite.
‘Overshadow Gaza crimes’: World reacts to US attacks on Iraq and Syria | Al Jazeera
The United States has conducted a wave of air strikes on Iran-aligned targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for an attack that killed American soldiers in Jordan.
On Saturday, Iraq said 16 people, including civilians, were killed on its soil, and a monitoring group reported 18 people were killed in Syria. … Here is how the world reacted to the US action:
Iran
“The attacks are a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, international law, and a clear violation of the United Nations Charter,” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nasser Kanaani.
Iraq
“This aggressive strike will put security in Iraq and the region on the brink of the abyss,” the Iraqi government said in a statement, and denied Washington’s claims of coordinating the air raids with Baghdad as “false” and “aimed at misleading international public opinion”.
Syria
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the strikes served to “inflame the conflict in the Middle East in an extremely dangerous way” and added to Washington’s “record of violations against Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety of its people, proving once again that it is the main source of global instability”.
“U.S. officials regularly — and often rightly — condemn the actions of other warring parties in other places like Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Sudan,” Sarah Yager, the Washington director at Human Rights Watch, told The Intercept. “But on Gaza, U.S. officials are avoiding passing judgment on Israel’s conduct.”
“Complicit” in Israeli Atrocities
On a near-daily basis, a State Department spokesperson takes questions from the media and is routinely pressed about the latest atrocity alleged to have been committed by Israeli forces, whether it’s gunfire aimed at civilians in a church; the bombing of hospitals, mosques, schools, universities, or residential buildings; or the cutting off of food, fuel, and medicine. Generally, the questions refer to either video evidence or on-record statements from Israeli government ministers.
The State Department consistently declines to cast judgment, often saying that the views or actions of some elements of the security forces or some ministers don’t represent the official Israeli position.
If you use an #iPad with an external monitor here’s a quick tip. The easiest way to move any particular window from the iPad to the external monitor is a keyboard shortcut: Globe+Control+\
It works in reverse to move a window from the external to the iPad.
Report Finds “No Evidence” in Key Dossier to Support Israel’s UNRWA Allegations…
A key Israeli intelligence dossier used by countries to justify defunding the primary aid group for Palestinian refugees contains “no evidence” to back up Israel’s allegations against the group, new reports have found….
In a report this week, Channel 4 reported that, despite being used by many countries to justify withdrawing aid amid horrific conditions in Gaza and risk complicity in genocide, the document actually “provides no evidence to support its explosive new claim that UNRWA staff were involved.”
This is not settlement but land theft. Israeli Settlers Are Terrorizing Palestinians In Record Numbers…
Just like in #Gaza, violence in the occupied West Bank didn’t start on October 7. But violent attacks by settlers or soldiers have reached record-high levels. We traveled to Qusra, where 6 people were killed in less than 24 hours by settlers. Al Jazeera English Digital Correspondent Zena Al Tahhan was harassed multiple times by the Israeli army while trying to report on this story.
Bernie Sanders: The U.S. is complicit in the disaster in Gaza…
Through our financial support of Israel, the U.S. is complicit in the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. I will be damned if I’m going to give another nickel to the Netanyahu government in order to continue this war against the Palestinian people.
#gaza
Israel Has Killed Nearly 900 Palestinians Since ICJ Order to Prevent Acts of Genocide…
In the week since the International Court of Justice ruled that the Israeli government is plausibly committing genocide and ordered it to prevent potential further acts of genocide, Israeli forces have only continued committing atrocities against Palestinians.
Buoyed by the staying support of American officials, Israeli forces have killed at least 874 Palestinians and injured at least 1,490 in Gaza since last week’s ICJ ruling…
Reckoning with a storm.
Just a feeling really.
Pulled apart in desperation.
Pushed against a wall by a crowd silently chanting.
I can't make it out.
What's being said or not said.
I can't make it out.
The chant is deafening.
I feel it and hear it but can't make it out.
Like an ever present echo.
A reverberation.
We're bound and contorted by choices that are not ours.
We're bound and contorted by voices that are not ours.
And the chant is deafening.
It feels like desperation.
The silence is deafening.
A reverberation.
The crowd is silently chanting.
And I can't make it out.
Gaza Death Toll Perspective:
Population of Gaza: 2,400,000 * .012 = 28,800 (est current death toll)
Population of US: 332,000,000 * .012 = 3,984,000 (equivalent US death toll)
Population of Chicago: 2,746,000
#Genocide #Gaza
It’s been many years but one thing I remember about being in school and learning about the Holocaust is that it was a common refrain for kids to ask “Why or how did the people of Germany let it happen? Why did they go along with it?” It’s the sort of question that echoes into adulthood and into the public consciousness on the question of the Nazis, fascism and the crimes of the time.
But I look around today and I think, well, we can see how it happens. It’s happening again. If history demonstrates that Israel committed genocide in 2024 how will you feel about your silence, your role as an enabler?
That’s my question to you if you’re silent on the subject of the current events in Gaza. And if your silence does not enable wrong policy and action, explain to me why it does not.
I’ve seen several folks post on their blogs or in comments that they’ve avoided writing about Gaza because it’s a difficult, divisive or otherwise heated topic.
Will you claim that your silence was justified because the subject was too difficult to understand and then somehow express approval or dissent?
I would suggest that tax-paying citizens of the United States do need to take a public position as a matter of basic human accountability and decency in regards to basic human rights.
If the public remains silent or is seen to remain silent on an issue the government can and does point to such lack of dissent as approval.
If the official policy of the federal government is to support Israel financially and militarily (which is obviously the policy) then your silence is a tacit approval. However you express your agreement or disagreement, you should express it publicly. It’s a part of being a citizen in a democracy. It may make us uncomfortable, it may be difficult.
The International Court of Justice issued a provisional ruling on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel over the ongoing war against Gaza on January 26th. Ten days ago as of this post. This was a preliminary ruling in a case that is ongoing.
They are, in fact, concerned that Israel has been and continues to carry out genocide. They have called on Israel to take immediate action. In the days since this ruling Israel has taken no action other than to continue the slaughter.
This is not controversial. It is very likely genocide. And at the very least war crimes have been committed and violations of International Law have been committed.
If you’re not clear on the ruling I would recommend January 30, 2024 episode of the Majority Report podcast which features a thorough discussion of the ruling with Diana Buttu, Palestinian analyst and former legal advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization. There is also this post at Mother Jones: The UN Top Court Just Ruled Israel Must Prevent Genocide in Gaza:
The United Nations’ top court ruled Friday that a case brought by South Africa alleging Israel is committing genocide in Gaza will go forward. While the legal battle will play out for years, the court said Israel must take steps now to prevent genocide and get more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
How interesting: when Netanyahu’s pro-Apartheid settlers commit violence the US is all about individual responsibility, but let a dozen Palestinian employees of the UN commit violence, then the entire UN aid organization is punished. #Palestine
Thinking this morning about Solidarity. It’s not something my fellow US citizens seem to think about, understand or practice.
Our silence is deafening. We are complicit.
Suggested: Billy Bragg: The Internationale
More on the International Court of Justice, UNRWA and ongoing violence in Gaza. Of course it is no accident that the news regarding the 12 UNRWA workers was released by Israel the day after the ICJ made its ruling. It’s also worth noting that, if proven true as it seems it may be, this is 12 employees out of 13,000 employees in Gaza. And for this the primary funding for aid has been cut by the US and other allies/backers of Israel.
As is true of the larger historical context of this conflict, the violence and reaction is wildly out of proportion. This is addressed in several current podcasts and YouTube videos covering the story.
I’ll start with Democracy Now: Despite Looming Gaza Famine, U.S. Halts UNRWA Funding After Israel Claims Staff Aided Oct. 7 Attack…
On the same day the U.N.’s highest court accepted South Africa’s case alleging genocide in Gaza, Israel accused 12 employees with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, of taking part in the Hamas attack on October 7. The United States and at least 10 other nations have now suspended funding to the agency, which retains a staff of over 13,000 and provides essential aid to most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. “It’s the worst possible reaction to these allegations,” says Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. He calls for an investigation but says donors must continue to support aid groups, with UNRWA being the most important. “All of us combined other groups are not even close to being what UNRWA is for the people of Gaza,” says Egeland. UNRWA has responded to the allegations by announcing the group will “immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation.”
Then there is this post at The Majority Report with Sam Seder…
The Guardian: Will the ICJ ruling change anything in Gaza? – podcast …
The ruling was significant, but both sides found cause for relief. For Israel it was that the ICJ stopped short of ordering a ceasefire; for Palestine it was that the court found the claims were plausible and required further investigation.
Alongside those findings the court ruled that aid must be allowed into Gaza. But at the same time, another story was breaking – that employees of UNRWA, one of the biggest aid agencies in Gaza, were involved in the 7 October attacks on Israel. The Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, explains how the allegations unfolded.
In response, he tells Nosheen Iqbal, at least 11 countries including the UK have cut funding to the UN agency. With food, clean water and medical supplies so scarce, and UNRWA essential to the lives of many in Gaza, the defunding of the organisation could lead to catastrophic consequences the UN warns. What effect will this have on the shape of the conflict going forward – and on the negotiations currently underway over releasing the hostages and a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas?
What Happens Now That the ICJ Has Ordered Israel Not to Engage in Genocide?…
**Provisional Measures the ICJ Has Ordered Israel to Immediately Implement **
The ICJ ordered Israel not to commit genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza immediately, even as the ICJ continues its slow process of officially considering the merits of the genocide case.
The court concluded that “the catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza “is at serious risk of deteriorating further before the Court renders its final judgment.” Moreover, the court said that the right of the Palestinians to be protected against genocidal acts and South Africa’s right (as a party to the Genocide Convention) to ensure Israel’s compliance with the convention could be safeguarded by provisional measures.
The ICJ found “a real and imminent risk that irreparable prejudice will be caused to the rights found by the Court to be plausible.” The court wrote, “It is therefore necessary, pending its final decision, for the Court to indicate certain measures in order to protect the rights claimed by South Africa that the Court has found to be plausible.”
The Worst Case Scenario Is Here…
Alex Pareene then joins, diving into Democrats’ ongoing attempt to pin the accountability for Biden’s war in the Middle East on Brett McGurk, Biden’s NSC Coordinator for the Middle East, and touches on Biden’s recent statements on his strikes on Yemen as a perfect encapsulation of US foreign policy. Alex and Emma also parse through Bibi Netanyahu’s recent statements outrightly rejecting the idea of a Palestinian state, the growing violence in the Middle East, and the hollowness of many 2-state solution arguments.
Biden’s continued support of Israel is going to hurt him in the election. Also, Nancy Pelosi can fuck right off with her bullshit suggestion that protests against genocide are somehow doing the work of Putin.
Black Pastors Pressure Biden to Call for a Cease-Fire in Gaza - The New York Times…
As the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth month, a coalition of Black faith leaders is pressuring the Biden administration to push for a cease-fire — a campaign spurred in part by their parishioners, who are increasingly distressed by the suffering of Palestinians and critical of the president’s response to it.
More than 1,000 Black pastors representing hundreds of thousands of congregants nationwide have issued the demand. In sit-down meetings with White House officials, and through open letters and advertisements, ministers have made a moral case for President Biden and his administration to press Israel to stop its offensive operations in Gaza, which have killed thousands of civilians. They are also calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas and an end to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.
The effort at persuasion also carries a political warning, detailed in interviews with a dozen Black faith leaders and their allies. Many of their parishioners, these pastors said, are so dismayed by the president’s posture toward the war that their support for his re-election bid could be imperiled.
Pelosi Wants FBI to Investigate Groups Pushing for Gaza Ceasefire…
As The New York Times reported Sunday that more than 1,000 Black American pastors have joined the widespread call for a cease-fire in Gaza, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi suggested the demand was “Putin’s message” and said the FBI should investigate groups that are speaking out about Biden’s pro-Israel policies.
On CNN, the former House speaker, a California Democrat, told Dana Bash that the “call for a cease-fire is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s message” and said she thinks some of the protests that have erupted across the U.S. since October to demand the U.S. push for an end to Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza “are connected to Russia.”
Drone Strike Kills 3 U.S. Troops in Jordan as Risk Grows of Regional War over Israel’s Gaza Assault…
A group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the attack and said attacks would escalate if the U.S. continues to support Israel during the latter’s destruction of Gaza. President Biden vowed the U.S. would respond. “There will be more of these attacks, for sure,” says Palestinian American journalist Rami Khouri, who lays out the simmering regional conflict and questions U.S. foreign policy running counter to American opinion and strategic goals. “All these actions, are they for the sake of Israel? … Or is this really about U.S. strategic interests?”
With the recent rain the moss and lichen are looking very lush.
#moss #mosstodon #lichen #lichensubscribe
The war on Palestine and Gaza: Link Roundup
Can Israel Ignore World Court’s Order? Experts Weigh in on ICJ Genocide Case - YouTube
We continue to look at the International Court of Justice’s interim ruling in South Africa v. Israel with Stockton University professor Raz Segal and human rights lawyer Diana Buttu. We discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response to the ruling, the role of the United States in stymying international action and more. We also hear more from ICJ president Joan Donoghue’s delivery of the ruling, including the court’s acknowledgement of the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
International Court of Justice Orders Israel to Prevent Genocide in Gaza, Fails to Order Ceasefire…
In a highly anticipated ruling, the International Court of Justice at The Hague has found that there is a “real and imminent risk” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and supported “at least some” of the provisional measures South Africa had requested when it brought the case in order to rein in Israel’s military assault. Though the ruling falls short of calling for an immediate ceasefire, analysts say it is nevertheless a significant milestone. We discuss the “unprecedented” decision by the World Court with a panel of experts: Palestinian human rights attorney Diana Buttu, genocide scholar Raz Segal and scholar of colonialism Mahmood Mamdani. “It becomes imperative upon the world community to now act,” says Buttu. “This is the beginning of a process of isolating Israel,” adds Segal.
UN court ruling against Israel shows limits of legal power to prevent genocide − but rapid speed…
The court’s initial ruling on this case, in which it ordered Israel to comply with a total of six provisional measures, does not reflect whether the court will eventually determine that Israel is committing genocide. As history shows, such a ruling could take years to decide.
“Now, in the wake of this ruling, a key question concerns whether and to what extent the Israeli government and military will comply with the provisional measures. A related question concerns how much pressure the U.S. and other Western countries will place on Israel to comply and to limit the scope of civilian harm in Gaza,” said Victor Peskin, a scholar of international relations and human rights.
__
So many US based Apple pundits and developers so deeply upset about Apple’s recent App Store developments. Lots of hot takes on that.
And yet none of them offer any comment about #genocide being carried out against Palestinians.
Tech bros are good at compartmentalizing to protect their “brand”.
Further explorations of Octavia Butler
Continuing my exploration of Octavia Butler and the scholarship and activism that have grown up around her work. In particular, tapping into Afrofuturism especially as it relates to Black women writers and activists. As I’m exploring I’m finding another thread that seems to intertwine with this: tech and decolonialism. I’m writing another post on that which is now likely to include some of this thread of thought.
For now, more links:
It’s the 75th anniversary of Octavia Butler’s birth and we share a discussion among Karen Hunter, Lurie Daniel Favors (Executive Director at the Center for Law and Social Justice) and Tananarive Due , award-winning author and educator and Octavia Butler disciple to discuss her prophetic writing and how it may impact us today
Shaper of God: American Artist in conversation with Ayana Jamieson…
In celebration of the opening of American Artist: Shaper of God at REDCAT, LACMA Art + Technology Lab grant recipient American Artist joins Octavia E. Butler scholar Ayana Jamieson to discuss Butler’s continued resonance in contemporary life and the author’s intersections with American Artist’s upbringing in Altadena, CA.
We examine the work and legacy of Octavia E. Butler, an exceptional science fiction writer who wrote about gender and sexuality in bold new ways. Henry and Colin welcome Shelley Streeby, Professor of Literature and Ethnic Studies at UC – San Diego, Director of Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Workshop, and author of The Future of Climate Change: World Making Through Science Fiction and Activism, John Jennings, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies and a Collaborating Faculty Member in the Department of Creative Writing at UC – Riverside, and Damian E. Duffy, a Cartoonist, Scholar, Lecturer, Writer, Curator, Teacher, #1 New York Times Bestseller Graphic Novelist. Jennings and Duffy are collaborating on a project to adapt Butler’s Kindred and Parable of the Sower to graphic novels. They discuss their decision to choose Parable of the Sower as their next graphic novel after the election of Donald Trump and their process of translating the novel into graphic images (Spoiler: Jennings does the art and Duffy crafts the story points). Each of our guests tells us about their first encounter with Butler’s work and how they found her to be a buried treasure and became lifelong fans of her work. They dive deep into the Parable of the Sower as a cautionary tale if we as a society do not change our behavior. They talk about Butler as a writer who focuses on what connects us rather than what makes us different. Listen in as Streeby, Duffy, Jennings, Henry and Colin discuss the ways Parable of the Sower can make us think of our current moment involving the coronavirus. They also discuss in great detail Butler’s legacy and the influence she has had on the next crop of African-American science fiction writers. Also, looking for something to read while stuck inside? Check out the notes section for a list of Octavia E. Butler’s work, along with other great African-American writers!
Hey Macintosh, happy 40th!
My Color Classic and iPad Pro as imaged by an iPhone 7+ in June 2017.
It's been a long, fun ride. I bought #MyFirstMac, a Color Classic, in 1993 to write my masters thesis. I used it for 4 years to create a community newsletter using ClarisWorks and a variety of flyers for our community organizing efforts in Memphis. It was the beginning of a long, fun ride.
At some point a few years later I bought my second Mac so that I could get on the internet and begin creating websites. It was with the second Mac that I started to fall into the Mac and computing as a bit of a larger obsession. I had no idea what I'd fallen into.
Good times.
I'll add a few links here during the day.
Back in June 2017 I'd shared this post and photo about Apple computing. The photo is the same as the one shared today, my iPad at the time and my original Color Classic. Jonathan Zufi, creator of the coffee table book ICONIC - A Photographic Tribute To Apple Innovation saw that post and contacted so that he could send me a copy of his book. It's a beautiful documentary of decades of Apple's devices.
Today Jonathan is marking the celebration with his website, mac40th.com. He's also releasing an update to his book: He writes:
Over the past 40 years Apple developed and launched hundreds of products in and supporting the Macintosh line - culminating in 2024 with the latest range of M3 powered desktops and laptops which are technological marvels of speed, power management and design.
To celebrate this milestone, mac40th.com showcases every Macintosh desktop and portable Apple has ever made with hundreds of the photos taken as part of the work creating the coffee table book ICONIC: A Photographic Tribute to Apple Innovation (3rd edition now available up to date as of the end of 2023). The site also includes photos taken by Kevin Taylor, Forest McMullin and others (including video) that I’ve collected over the past 14 years.
The Computer History Museum celebrates with INSANELY GREAT: The Apple Mac at 40:
In January 1984, Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple Macintosh, an “insanely great” computer “for the rest of us” that changed the world—and Apple itself. Exemplifying a (counter) culture of changemakers, the Mac brought the graphical user interface to the masses and launched new connections for computing and creativity. It became the foundation upon which Apple built an empire and grew into the world’s largest company.
Join CHM on the 40th anniversary of the Mac’s launch to celebrate one of the most iconic and impactful products ever created, and don’t forget to wear your favorite Apple swag!*
Watch the program on YouTube here!
On Mastodon, Michael Steeber:
MyFirstMac was an iMac G3, in 2008. It was next in line for the dumpster where my dad was working, and he got clearance to let me take it home. I remember finding it on the floor in a pile of dusty boxes in a warehouse, and crouching down on the ground to see if it booted. At that point I’d never touched a Mac OS computer before, and it was so bizarre — but so fascinating. And well, it’s still fascinating today.
Jared White, The Mac Turns 40, and My Love Affair Turns 23:
The trajectory of Apple’s core hardware and software technologies from that time have continued into the present day as I type this out on my iPad’s multitouch display using a Pencil and my fingers—an incredible achievement. Even the iPhone in my pocket is, in many ways, a tiny mobile Mac. And while even in 2001 Apple’s products had changed substantially from the original Macintosh of 1984—thanks mainly to the monumental
takeover byacquisition of NeXT—that brand DNA of creativity, whimsy, user-friendliness, and consistency has remained the hallmark of the Apple computer experience for 40 years and counting.
The Mac turns 40: How Apple’s rebel PC almost failed again and again | ZDNet…
After a misfire with the expensive Apple Lisa – Jobs was removed from the project – Jobs devoted all his time and energy to the Mac. With his flair for the dramatic, Jobs had a young director, Ridley Scott, create what would become an iconic Mac Super Bowl 1984 commercial, portraying the Mac as a symbol of individuality and freedom. That vision of the Mac and Apple products as rebel products remains with us to this day.
The Mac turns 40 — and keeps on moving | The Verge…
Mac users — and I’ve been one of them for 34 of those 40 years — have been on the defensive for most of the platform’s existence. The original Mac cost $2,495 (equivalent to more than $7,300 today), and it had to compete with Apple’s own Apple II series, which was more affordable and wildly successful. The Mac was far from a sure thing, even at Apple: in the years after the Mac was first introduced, Apple released multiple new Apple II models. (One even had a mouse and ran a version of the Mac’s Finder file manager.) It took a long time for the Mac to emerge from the Apple II’s shadow.
40 years of the Mac: 40 classic apps that made Apple computers great | Stuff.tv:
The Mac is 40. But it wouldn’t have lasted 40 months had no apps been there to support it. So as Apple’s mighty creation starts convincing itselflife beginsthis year, we have, fittingly, compiled a list of 40 classic apps that made the Mac.
Instead of solely listing the usual suspects, we’ve covered the range from giants to much-loved indie fare, given that smaller developers were for years the lifeblood of the system. If we’ve missed your favourites, let us know by adding them to a TeachText document, printing them on a LaserWriter, turning them into a paper airplane, and aiming for the letterbox at Stuff HQ.
The Mac Turns 40: Read Apple’s Announcement From 1984 - MacRumors…
The original Macintosh popularized the computer mouse, allowing users to control an on-screen pointer. This point-and-click method of computer navigation was still a novel concept to most people at the time, as personal computers in this era typically had text-based command-line interfaces controlled with a keyboard.
An excerpt from Apple’s press release in 1984
Wild Apples: The 12 weirdest and rarest Macs ever made | Ars Technica…
Forty years ago today, Apple released the first Macintosh. Since that fateful day in 1984, Apple has released hundreds of Mac models that run the gamut from amazing to strange. In honor of this birthday, we thought it would be fun to comb through history and pull out the rarest and most unusual production Mac models ever made—including one from another company.
On 24 January 1984, the Apple Macintosh 128K personal computer was unveiled to the world, but 40 years later it still has a loyal following of fans – and users.
David Blatner still has practically every Macintosh computer he ever bought. But one in particular stands out – the first. He remembers the neat way the screen was laid out; the glossy manual; the cassette tape tutorials explaining how to use the machine. It was everything he felt a computer should be.
Apple Shares the Secret of Why the 40-Year-Old Mac Still Rules | Wired…
On January 24, Apple’s Macintosh computer turns 40. Normally that number is an inexorable milestone of middle age. Indeed, in the last reported sales year, Macintosh sales dipped below $30 billion, more than a 25 percent drop from the previous year’s $40 billion. But unlike an aging person, Macs now are slimmer, faster, and last much longer before having to recharge.
My own relationship with the computer dates back to its beginnings, when I got a prelaunch peek some weeks before its January 1984 launch. I even wrote a book about the Mac—Insanely Great—in which I described it as “the computer that changed everything.” Unlike every other nonfiction subtitle, the hyperbole was justified. The Mac introduced the way all computers would one day work, and the break from controlling a machine with typed commands ushered us into an era that extends to our mobile interactions. It also heralded a focus on design that transformed our devices.
Evolution of the Mac: 40 years of innovation | Cult of Mac…
The 40-year history of Macintosh computers is a roller coaster of ages golden and dark.
Anything that lasts so long in the forefront of technology has to change to stay relevant. This once-plucky computer that began as an antithesis to the IBM PC, which dominated the world in 1984, is now itself a dominating force, ever pushing the needle in the world of technology.
How did this all happen? Let’s walk through 40 years of Macintosh.
Mac at 40: The eras tour | Six Colors…
Before I started writing my piece on the Mac’s 40th anniversary for The Verge, I was thinking of different ways to plot out the arc of the Mac’s history. I ended up going with the fact that the Mac has been the underdog for most of its existence, but I also considered plotting the Mac’s history as defined by the Mac’s four distinct processor eras.
A lot shifted when the Apple Macintosh was introduced, and it wasn’t about the RAM, the chips or the processor speed. Our world changed forty years ago today. Marketing, technology, commerce, luxury brands, communities, communication and our expectations for how we might spend our future all shifted, and fairly quickly.
First Macintosh Press Release…
Apple Introduces Macintosh Advanced Personal Computer
CUPERTINO, Calif., January 24, 1984–Apple Computer today unveiled its much-anticipated Macintosh computer, a sophisticated, affordably priced personal computer designed for business people, professionals and students in a broad range of fields. Macintosh is available in all dealerships now. Based on the advanced, 32-bit architecture developed for Apple’s Lisa computer, Macintosh combines extraordinary computing power with exceptional ease of use–in a unit that is smaller and lighter than most transportable computers. The suggested retail price for Macintosh is $2,495, which during the introductory period also includes a word-processing program and graphics package.
As I’ve been spending the past couple weeks exploring Afrofuturism and the scholarship and activism around Octavia Butler, I’m increasingly aware of the blinding whiteness and maleness of tech culture.
This episode of The Long Time Academy podcast should be required listening for any white person in 2024, especially those in the US.
Full stop.
The last few years have highlighted the raw urgency of the struggle to ensure the future is not dominated by white-supremecy. But what do visions of an alternative future look like?
This episode explores how historically, inequalities in the present have been projected into the future, both in terms of how the future has been portrayed, and how it comes to be realised.
#ClimateJustice #ClimateEmergency