74. Keep looking
I.
Snow leopards are rarely seen in the wild. According to the WWF, between 4,000 and 6,500 live in the Asian mountains, but this is largely guesswork. There are researchers who have studied the animals for years and travelled to their habitats, yet never managed to spot one.
In the stunning documentary The Velvet Queen, you join nature photographer Vincent Munier and writer Sylvain Tesson on a journey to the Tibetan highlands in search of the snow leopard. Munier has managed to photograph them on previous occasions. But even with photos where you know they’re in the frame, it sometimes takes seconds before you actually spot them. Their fur makes them barely stand out against the surroundings. Camouflage at its finest.
People who brave the bitter cold to search for the snow leopard know from the outset that the chances of actually seeing the animal are very slim. The British writer Peter Matthiessen (1927–2014) spent two months travelling through the Tibetan mountains. Although he wrote the book The Snow Leopard, he had no luck. A day after he left, his travelling companion did, however, spot one.
For Matthiessen, the animal symbolised a quest that was, of course, not solely about finding the snow leopard. Matthiessen used his journey to explore Zen Buddhism and to come to terms with the death of his late ex.
In the decades between Matthiessen’s and Tesson’s journeys, spotting snow leopards hasn’t become much easier. Automatic camera systems make it slightly easier to photograph the animals, and you can map out a route a bit more quickly with Google Maps. But seeing a snow leopard in the wild remains a rarity.
Humans, on the other hand, stand out starkly against the backdrop of the Tibetan mountains. In The Velvet Queen, animals often look straight into the camera. Tesson suddenly realises that we humans do not merely observe animals. Conversely, they see us too. Yet in our daily lives, we are too rushed and too preoccupied with ourselves to make that connection. In Tibet, Tesson’s hurried life is forced to a standstill. Waiting. Whispering. Observing.
“The instant gratification of modern life clashes with the ‘most likely never’ of spotting,” says Tesson, who is gradually coming to terms with the fact that he may never see the snow leopard. “Just being there with them, amongst those steep cliffs, that labyrinth, and knowing that he is there, prowling and resting, is already a wonderful moment.” You can fill in the metaphor for everyday life yourself.
---II.
David Lynch suffers from emphysema, according to an interview with Sight and Sound. If you suffer from this, damaged alveoli do not recover. The lungs then absorb less oxygen, causing you to become breathless quickly. Photographer Erwin Olaf also suffered from it for years.
Following the publication of the article, there was widespread concern in the media and on social media. Lynch said he tries to stay at home as much as possible because he is afraid of catching Covid. With all the potential consequences that entails. But we needn’t write Lynch off just yet. He issued a statement to reassure people. First, he briefly dwells on the cause of his condition. “I love tobacco,” he writes. “The smell, lighting cigarettes, smoking them. But you pay a price for it, and the price I pay is emphysema.”
Lynch has now given up his beloved cigarettes for two years and says that, apart from emphysema, he is in excellent health. His producer, Sabrina Sutherland, also joined the conversation. “Emphysema hasn’t really slowed him down,” she says. “He’s just being careful and has stopped smoking. He’s still perfectly capable of directing and may well do so in the future.” There are some talks underway, she says.
A fan continues to hope for a new TV series or film, but we owe Lynch absolutely nothing more. We’ve got enough to last us years with everything he’s already created. The 78-year-old artist and director says he’ll never retire. And his most important quote: “I am full of happiness.”
III.
Writer Kyle Chayka explains in The New Yorker why he stopped using Spotify. As a Spotify user, you’ll recognise from the article just how much effort it takes to find saved albums and playlists. The app is completely confusing, which is why it’s just as easy to get stuck with whatever Spotify’s front page serves up to you.
> In 2012, Spotify launched its slogan, “Music for everyone.” Now it might as well be “Be grateful for whatever music we give you.” > >
Yet another example of how we are at the mercy of the algorithmic internet, which increasingly means we’re less willing to make an effort. So to find hidden gems, you need to stay curious, keep searching, buy vinyl or switch to a different app.
PS.
Sifan Hassan’s gold is the finest medal for the Netherlands at these Olympic Games. “This really is asking the absolute maximum in so many different areas,” said a friend watching from afar. True. With a little nudge of her elbow in the final metres, Hassan signalled that she was in a hurry. With a final sprint (where on earth did she find that energy?), she left her competitors in the dust. Time to savour the moment.
---Balatro, that brilliant roguelike game where you have to play poker hands using various wild cards to achieve high scores, is regularly accused of encouraging gambling. Nonsense. Developer LocalThunk says he finds the idea that Balatro might one day become a gambling game appalling. That is why he has stipulated in his will that the brand name must never be sold or used by a casino or gambling company.
The Pieterburen Seal Centre has a live stream where you can follow how seal pups are regaining their strength before being released back into the wild. After a Japanese X account shared the stream, it suddenly became hugely popular among Japanese viewers. Thousands of people watched the pool with the seals. It’s a huge help to Pieterburen. Thanks to the attention, the rescue centre is receiving many donations.
Great Big Story is in Friesland to capture ‘the most insane sport’ in the Netherlands: Fierljeppen. “You have to be a bit mad to do this,” says one of the participants.
---Susan Wojcicki was one of the most influential women in the tech industry. She turned YouTube into the world’s leading video service. Early last year, she left Google to spend more time with her family and focus on her health. This week, she died of lung cancer at the age of 56. Among others, The New York Times wrote a profile.
Toy Story 5 is due to hit cinemas in 2026. Woody and Buzz face their biggest challenge yet: electronics. Do children still need toys when they have phones and tablets? It was inevitable that Pixar would explore this idea at some point; I’m curious to see if they come up with something original.
I didn’t quite see this comeback coming, but on Jack White’s new album he plays with old-school flair. I’d lost track of White a bit in recent years, but now he’s back in full force on No Name.
Batman: Caped Crusader is Batman just as I like him best. In a classic noir setting. You can definitely leave that to the acclaimed writer Ed Brubaker.The animation style is (unfortunately) much like other DC series, a bit flat with clean lines, though the lighting and a subtle film grain make up for it here. And the music is incredibly cinematic. The first season, comprising eight half-hour episodes, is available on Amazon Prime Video and, as far as I’m concerned, comes highly recommended.
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