I watched the eclipse. It was cool. The real highlight – which I saw echoed over and over – was seeing everyone stop for a few minutes, seeing neighbors I’ve never met, seeing the staff at the grocery store take a break and pop out on the sidewalk, everyone just looking up and having our private little cosmic moments.
Another highlight of the week: finding a new diner. It’s no Waffle House, but it will have to do.
Art
Faith Ringgold, rest in peace. “I don’t like doing negative art, unless there’s something good to transmit in it. I’m looking for the good part.” Seeing her work two years ago was eye-opening – incredible range!
School
Learning more than I want to about computer architecture and how CPU instruction sets work on a bit-by-bit level. I have a bad case of senioritis.
Running
Springtime running, man. Only thing better is autumn running. The few days off while traveling were a good reset for me, a few aches smoothed over. I felt really unusually fresh on the long run yesterday, accidentally doing my second-fastest 10mi on an invigoratingly windy, gusty morning.
Books
The Iliad. War bros are still yelling to/at each other about honor and glory, before inciting/killing each other.
To Hold Up the Sky. A collection of Cixin Liu’s short stories, just begun.
Music
Four Tet, Three. “So Blue” is the winner by a mile. Something in that opening guitar melody seems so familiar. The song that precedes it “31 Bloom“, has a nice subdued oontz-oontz house/trance style.
Toumani Diabaté & Ballaké Sissoko, New Ancient Strings. An equivalent of Hermanos Gutiérrez from last week? Intricate string instrumentals that will eventually bleed together in your mind, but you can both listen attentively or use it as wallpaper, and be rewarded either way.
From Rapsody, GOATED: Rapsody. Good to hear Anderson.Paak on the opener “Ooowee“.
Flat Earth reminds me of the Stars At Noon soundtrack (complimentary).
Articles & Episodes & Twoots
“If you’re an organ donor in the U.S., there’s a 25% chance your kidney ends up in the trash.”
On the use of anamorphic lenses in Shōgun and other TV shows.
Matt Zoller Seitz writes an appreciation of Zendaya.
John Ortiz appeared on the Miami Nice podcast to talk about his career up to taking on the José Yero character, working with Michael Mann, etc.. Seems like a solid dude.
Movies
The Fist of the Condor. Martial arts at a gentle pace, like a slow Western. A straightforward tale of masters, students, betrayals, duels – all the good stuff. I’d like more movies told in chapters like this. It’s an under-used approach. I love that the ending swerves a bit, leaves a little hungry. The hero keeping a tally on a quipu at his waist is nice touch. Speaking of, I really appreciate the lead in this role, Marko Zaror. Like our greatest action stars – Cruise, Keanu, Statham – he seems comfortable in grim and silly modes. Whatever serves the work.
Her. My fourth viewing, apparently. Crazy how much can change in a decade. First saw this in theater, thinking sure, I could see that happening someday. Next thing you know… we’ve got ubiquitous earbuds and ~convincing AIs that can hold conversations. The rest isn’t far behind. Appreciate the opening and closing with dictated letters – one ghostwritten for an unknkown stranger, the other direct, to a dear one estranged.
TV
X-Files, s2e6 “Ascension“. Krychek the traitor! Scully abducted! Agh!
X-Files, s2e7, “3“. Wow, I loooooooooved this episode. X-Files in erotic thriller mode is A+ material.
Shōgun, s1e5. I appreciate this episode leaning into the culture clash again, but this time in a more philosophical sense – duty, freedom, purpose, etc..
Mark Larson 