Mark Larson

2026, Week 15

2026-04-12T18:43:45.000Z

I've gotten back into coding more recently. Well, vibe-coding. Maybe that's the right speed for me. I coooooooouuuuuuld learn more, and incrementally I do, sniffing around the edges. But lately a more mercenary approach from zero to one. Did some work to update a browser extension and other tools for work stuff, updating my white noise app from late last year, and moving this blog to 11ty for no particular reason. It's fun!

Last week I went to the A's–Yankees game. It felt weird being at that stadium, enemy territory for a kid who went through a period of staunch Braves loyalty. But a lovely night out. I think that's my fifth or sixth MLB stadium – two in Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, and San Francisco, and a handful in the minor leagues.

I also went to the dentist. I miss my old one, even if she did try to sell me whitening treatments all the time. At least I could count on some gospel music.

Not much can top a sunny Sunday morning stroll in the city with a little coffee in your system.

Books

On the Calculation of Volume, Book II. Finished up. The container theory of time is right there out in the open huh. What about all the Roman stuff though?

The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom So far, so good.

Running

More consistent than previous, and by Friday morning, I could feel it all adding up. Fun long run into new-to-me parts of Queens.

Around the Web

Portraits of father and sons holding hands. (via)

How 'Zombie Flow' Took Over Culture.

Touring the mannequin storage room at FIT.

A catalog of AI writing tropes.

I didn't know Café du Monde has been open since 1862.

A Bay Area travelogue.

Music

Julianna Barwick, Mary Lattimore, Tragic Magic. Including a cover from the Blade Runner soundtrack.

Jeremiah Chiu, Marta Sofia Honer, Recordings from the Åland Islands.

Blake Clawson, Renova New Music Ensemble, Aric Vyhmeister, Peyton Magalhaes, Myrkvun. There's a melody in "Haust" that I can't quite place. It sounds so similar to something, just can't put my finger on it. Maybe a tune from Holst, Grainger, Delius, Vaughan Williams?

Dianna Lopez, Earth Expressions. Nature + kora, guitar, etc.

Mozart: Piano Concertos No. 20 in D minor K.466 & No. 27 in B-flat Major, K.595 perf. Mitsuko Uchida with The Cleveland Orchestra.

Movies

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. I like how reality bends and blends. Good to see Rose Byrne's comedic talent used for something much darker, but often still funny.

Boiling Point. Stressful little ensemble piece with a lot of empathy. Really growing to appreciate Stephen Graham.

The X-Files, s6e5 "Dreamland II".

Hannibal, s3e6. The reunion scene! "If I saw you everyday, forever, Will, I would remember this time." The romance you don't want to see (but kinda do?).

Big Little Lies, s1e1–2. Let's see where this leads...

2026, Week 14

2026-04-05T18:27:41.000Z

I went to the eye doctor and faced mortality. I don't right now, but someday in the next year or two or three, I will need bifocals.

Art
Wild Beast Wood, painting by Sidney Sime. Basketball (Convention Hall, Philadelphia), 1935 watercolor by Michael Leone. Monuments at G., gypsum and watercolor on canvas by Paul Klee. Moomin and the Mymble paint an Easter egg by Tove Jansson. Collages made from ecurity envelope patterns by Amber Williams (via, via).

Books
War and Peace. Done! Finished in a hot sprint before March came to a close. I think the latter parts of the book dragged. Much more focus on the warfront, troop movements, and theory-of-history essays. I was itching for closure on the characters we started the story with. I'd read it again, in abridged form.

On the Calculation of Volume, Book II.

Running
Dialing back just a tad on the mileage. First proper warm-ish run in the city this year on Saturday morning, t-shirt and shorts. It's going to take some adjustment.

Around the Web
Title Scream, graphics from 80s–90s videogames.

Akira Kurosawa's painted storyboards. And here are more side-by-side Kurosawa paintings and stills.

The visual language and fashion in Sailor Moon.

A family genealogy project turns into a personal encyclopedia.

Those frogs that hang out in trees and chirp are called pinkletinks in some regions, spring peepers in others. "Their Latin name, pseudacris crucifer, can reveal a lot, […]. Pseudo means false in Latin, and cris denotes cricket or locust."

The Ozempicization of the Economy and Body Futurism

Stop trying to make me buy a house.

"We are all made smaller by the pursuit of unproven and unprovable purity."

"Strong works of art exceed any single paraphrase of their meaning. They remain open enough to support serious disagreement."

Black Bart was a stagecoach robber with a grudge against Wells Fargo.

Music
Highlight from my listening week was an almost-trio of albums from Mathieu David Gagnon:

Volume I. I love the toothy strings in "Fleuve I" and the way the anxiety ratchets up and up and up in "1991".
Volume II. "Voiles" is a nice little romance and "Navigation IV" maybe even more so.
Volume III (soon!)

Nilam, Ganavya. I like "Land".

Atabasca, Atabasca. It has some Hermanos Gutiérrez flavor, but a bit more variety in sonic palette.

Tomaga, Intimate Immensity.

Fazer, "Khanda".

Movies
Crime 101. Ah, such fun! Mashes up a bunch of things I love but a bit more than a simple reheat, pun intended. I love seeing Hemsworth so bottled up and socially awkward. I will watch again some day.

TV
The X-Files, s6e4 "Dreamland". Not sure these early-season two-parters work for me. I do like the switcheroo, though!

Hannibal, s3e5.

2026, Week 13

2026-03-29T19:12:27.000Z

Some highs, some lows, forward we go.

Art
This weekend: various Keith Haring artworks at the Brant Foundation. Bank of the IJssel near Hattem, painting by Jan Voerman.

Books
War and Peace. 87% through. So close.

Around the Web
I should build a Superchair.

On expanding awareness around emotions.

For the love of God, learn to paragraph and Why LLMs are good editors but bad writers.

Music
Suzy Sheer, Euphoriphilia and The One. Echoes of Crystal Castles (compliment).

GoGo Penguin, Between Two Waves

Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, Andreas Werliin:

Chris Abrahams, Oren Ambarchi, Robbie Avenaim, Placelessness.

Movies
The Naked Spur. Really liked this western, sort of a moving chamber piece. James Stewart as greedy bounty hunter, Robert Ryan's sly intellectual villain needling him along, like we later see in 3:10 to Yuma. Protagonist sort of crumbles rather than triumphs into a better state. We hope.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. It doesn't work for me, but it's fine. I have no attachment to the TV show, so I'm not the audience anyway. At least I know what a toff is now.

TV
The X-Files, s6e3 "Triangle". The will-they-or-won't-they has been answered… sort of.

Hannibal, s3e3–4. Everyone using each other to sharpen their motivations.

DuckTales (1987), s1e1. "Uhhhh yes and no, Uncle Donald".

2026, Week 12

2026-03-22T15:23:01.000Z

One of the highlights of the last week is "hobby night", where we took a couple hours just to scratch a creative itch. I pulled out my new loom and weaved a couple inches of progress. Then pulled out my old guitar, basically the first time in several years.

One thing that struck me was just more awareness of my body, in a different way than the everyday stuff I can do on auto-pilot – laptop work, cooking, running, chores. When weaving, so often something would feel difficult and I'd realize it's because my shoulders had gotten all scrunched up, or posture was wacky, or fingers too tense. (It also felt difficult because I'm new and bad at it.) Ditto when playing guitar. I know enough to get too far ahead of myself, so I had to stop, rewind, force myself back to basics: focus on simple finger placement, just enough tension, making clean transitions, staying relaxed, etc..

The creative outlet felt really good. Keep your hobbies available to you!

Books
War and Peace. Down to the last 30%.

Running
Trying to find my morning flow again. Still not adjusted to the time change, and it's been hard to get through everything efficiently. For the weekend long run, more exploration in Bushwick/Ridgewood.

Around the Web
A glimpse of my future, I hope: "Years may wrinkle skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."

Middlemarch is a novel about sympathising with everyone and The Moral Beauty of Middlemarch. (Thanks James!)

The Best Guide to the AI Revolution May Be Victorian Fiction.

What do Americans consider immoral?

It seems that youth sports promote zero-sum thinking in parents.

"Humans tend to over-index on this presumed precision of language, as if it were like a laser pointer aimed at a Rembrandt. It’s more like lobbing water balloons at cave shadows."

American Diner Gothic.

Music
Ivo Jannsen, Mallet Collective Amsterdam, Canto Ostinato: Live at the Concertgebouw.

Oren Ambarchi, Shebang. The momentum in "III" makes me want to get stuff done.

Biosphere, The Way of Time. I like the bass pulsing in "Like the End of the World".

Little John, Sly & Robbie, Give Thanks and Praise.

Three works by Anton Bruckner, from Orchestre de la Suisse Romande cond. Marek Janowski. Bruckner remains an unsolved puzzle...

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, WAB 101
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, WAB 102
Mass No. 3 in F minor, WAB 28. The fifth movement Benedictus may be the only thing that stuck with me.

Three from Scott Tennant and his classical guitar...

The Segovia Sessions
Mysterious Barricades
Wild Mountain Thyme – Celtic Music for Guitar. When the title track came on I thought, "Hey I know that from somewhere…"

Movies
Best in Show. DNF. Couldn't hang with it. The quirky characters semd to trend in the same direction, maybe the tone flattening them. Too unmotivated to reel me in this time.

Sorry, Wrong Number. Loved this one! Suspense and intrigue, and an immobile protagonist like Rear Window a few years later. NYC movies hit different when you've lived here a while.

After Hours. Fun little film. Scorsese! A weird-as-dreams or sharper-than-life Oz-/Odyssey-like attempt to get back home over the course of a long night, thwarted again and again.

The Pelican Brief. Solid thriller. Roberts and Denzel just leap off the screen in ways that few others do.

TV
The X-Files, s6e2 "Drive". Really fun episode, great pace.

Hannibal, s3e1–2

2026, Weeks 10–11

2026-03-15T17:45:42.000Z

Last week I went back home. Visited old friends, bopped around Atlanta, got my Waffle House fix, sat for an impromptu photoshoot, walked by a lake, walked in the woods, worked for a few days from my parents' house, ate too much, slept too late, went on gentle hikes, and explored some parts of the state I'd never been to before.

Hadn't had a proper museum visit this year, so we fixed that thrice over at the Museum of Papermaking at Georgia Tech, Emory's Carlos Museum, and the Etowah Archaeological Museum at Etowah Indian Mounds. Also paid a visit to the New Echota historic site. The mounds were the coolest of the set – just about every place on Earth has the echoes of a previous civilization…

Coming back home with a full heart, and very pleasantly tired.

Art
Seated male figure in basalt from the Cartago-La Cabaña cultures.

Books
War and Peace.

Running
Very glad I took my running shoes with me on my trip. Didn't run as much as I initially thought I would, but there's no outlet like it, and came back home in better shape than I usually do after week-long trips.

Around the Web
There is nothing about being a parent that isn’t a cliché.

Reviving Atlanta's south downtown neighborhood.

"You can’t have craft without being at peace with pride and embarrassment existing."

"Have Oscar voters’ tastes improved since I was a teenager, or have I become a boring, middle-aged establishmentarian who likes boring, competent movies?"

UTF-8, Explained Simply.

How to end your extremely-online era. "Most of a good life is simply refusing to do what is bad."

2026 is 20% complete.

Music
Catrin FInch, Seckou Kaita, SOAR. The kora is such a good instrument. "Listen to the Grass Grow".

Ishmael Ensemble, A State of Flow.

A few from Erik Hall…

Simeon ten Holt's Canto Ostinato. Really sings in
"Sections 31–40".
Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians. One of the best from one of the best.
Solo Three

Movies
Peter Rabbit. Pleasantly charming, good for a couple laughs.

TV
The X-Files, s6e1 "The Beginning".

Dark, s2e4-8. Second season complete.

Pokémon: Indigo League, s1e2. The plot didn't do much for me but at least the theme song rips.

2026, Week 9

2026-03-01T18:42:51.000Z

Last week was Sunday afternoon reggae into Sunday evening blizzard. It's nice to feel cozy inside while outside is chaos. But you have to take care to get back out again.

Last year I went to a weaving workshop. This year I got a loom. Just a small one to scratch the itch. Now the question is figuring out where this thing fits in my life. I feel like it'll be a great evening time-passer.

My latest lifehack – from lazy accident – is doing (some of) my chores on weekdays. It's a great way to wind down productively – engaged, but not stressed – and helps the weekends feel more spacious.

Art
Far Echo, Red Rock Variation: Lake Superior Landscape, acrylic on canvas on board by George Morrison. There's some really, really cool stuff in the QuiltCon 2026 Winners Gallery.

Books
War and Peace.

Running
I've now run every street in Red Hook. ✔️

Around the Web
Redefining makeovers.

"Phoniness wasn’t a sign I was fundamentally, intrinsically unworthy of my aspirations. Phoniness was, in fact, an essential part of any aspirational project."

How to get into something new.

How to make use of books you don't read. "You do not always know where to find what you are looking for."

Research as leisure activity.

A British explorer’s quest to reach all the middles of nowhere.

The nine lives of the Franklin Avenue Shuttle.

Saturday Storm, poem by Phyllis McGinley.

I love the format for Jennifer Mills' weekly updates.

Why Are So Many Teen Girls Still Tearing Their A.C.L.s?

"At this point, how many more leggings can we buy?"

Music
Listened to a few from Sly & Robbie, after learning of Sly Dunbar's death. It all sort of blurs together for me, but it's a good vibe.

Biosphere, Shenzhou. Good one! Moody and floaty and slow. Listen: "Ancient Campfire" and "Houses on the Hill".

Terry Riley, A Rainbow in Curved Air. A certified classic, and a great companion to…

Laurie Spiegel, The Expanding Universe.

The Tallis Scholars, Renaissance Radio. Solid compilation. "If Ye Love Me".

Elori Saxi, Henry Solomon, Seeing Is Forgetting. Electronics + sax/woodwinds. "Reno Silver".

Apparat, The Devil's Walk. "Goodbye".

Jamie xx, In Waves.

Absolutely, Cerebrum.

Movies
Ghostwatch. Maybe a progenitor of the found footage horror genre. Interesting more for historical reasons. Maybe would have landed more if I'd watched it at nighttime!

Juror No. 2. This one had been lingering on my watchlist forever. Glad I made time for it. Need to keep going with legal thrillers.

TV
Dark, s2e1–3.

CSI: Miami, s4e23.

2026, Week 8

2026-02-22T19:21:33.000Z

It's amazing how much difference a solid chunk of time can make. A couple days I had frustratingly chopped up calendar – doctor appointment, mid-day transit, meetings on and off every 30 minutes. And on another day: early morning, empty office, nothing on the calendar 'til after lunch. Blank slate for complete thoughts.

Each draining in their own way. Last week I found myself returning home completely flatlined. Enough energy to get out a few sentences but after that: …………. What a weird feeling.

It's now the Year of the Fire Horse. Fun to read up on my own year's animal and element. It's not for me, but like horoscopes or fortune-telling or other divination, it still scratches that itch where it's inherently compelling to recognize yourself in a description.

We're set for another blizzard in a few hours, and I find myself wishing for a good ol' fashioned snow day.

A great Saturday morning: coffee, pastry, and a date at the library.

Art
Fish and Mushrooms, woodcut on paper by Luigi Rist. Oiwa (Oiwa-san), from the series "One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari)", color woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai – "The title refers to a game in which people would gather at night to tell scary stories, putting out a candle after each tale until the room was completely dark." Large Mowing Machine with Horses, oil on canvas by Jacques Villon. Avatar Reef Teapot, semi porcelain by Delfina Emmanuel. Monkeys on a Fruit Tree, ink and colors on silk hanging scroll by Mori Sosen.

Books
War and Peace. You spend 1000 pages with fictional characters and then Napoleon bursts into the room.

Running
Settling in nicely, somehow my biggest weekly mileage since September. Reminding myself that the short little runs as a daily dose still have huge positive spillover into the rest of my days. Note-to-self, treat exercise like brushing your teeth.

Around the Web
Don't Call It Art!. Pre-ordered! Get on board.

"The other notion of playfulness that I find really useful is from Maria Lugones, the great feminist philosopher, in this beautiful paper called 'Playfulness, World-Traveling, and the Loving Gaze.' She says that playfulness is the ability to move lightly between worlds."

"It's not so much that we need to teach them these things, as much as we need to encourage them to keep believing these things."

Resilient Children, Struggling Parents: Mapping American Parenting. "Using a composite score that measures the extent to which children have independent, playful, socially-diverse, and technology-lite childhoods, we find that kids in the Great Plains, Mountain states, and New England have the highest scores, while a cluster of states around Southern Appalachia are where children have the least independent, least socially-diverse, most technologically-dependent childhoods."

"But needing and being needed—the bottomless empathy and vulnerability they require—are exquisite not because the feeling of love is so special but because the person you love is, to you."

"Science fiction is often called upon to cast a line into the future to plumb the possible consequences of our modern ironies."

"When I’m on set or thinking about a story, making sure that the audience is engaged and that I’m also excited, I have to fight through the sensation of, 'Oh my god, another fucking over-the-shoulder shot.' I have to push through that and go, 'You’re building a sentence. Getting upset when you have to shoot an over-the-shoulder shot is like getting upset at using the word ‘and’ or ‘the’ in a sentence. It has to be done. It’s part of the grammar.'"

A color memory game. I got 44.07/50 on first and only attempt, happy with that. (via)

Women's clothing sizes are a mess.

The Taxonomy of Merch. "Why does wearing merch in real time, in the place it belongs to, feel so icky?" (via)

Cut Gems. The art of retouching photographs of museum gem collections.

I turned my website into my feed reader. Very cool idea. 🤔

The argument for free buses.

"The 'America is behind Europe on trains' narrative compares visibly mediocre service for passengers but ignores invisibly great service for cargo. Instead of asking why America lags Europe on passenger rail, we should be asking ourselves whether America can have better passenger rail and whether it should want to."

Music
A few more from Weval this week (I really enjoyed their self-titled a few weeks ago) a few weeks ago…

The Weight. Favorite tracks are "The Weight" and "Someday".
Remember. "Everything Went Well" is a little Washed Out-y, in a good way.
Chorophobia. I like "Better", especially the bassline.

Monteverdi, Madrigali e lamenti; Madrigali Guerrieri et Amorosi.

Eric Whitacre, Light & Gold. Some really nice choral music. I remember playing one of his pieces back in college (which I did not like very much).

Various Artists, WaJazz: Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol. I and Vol. II. "Summer Wind" is cool.

Movies
The Rainmaker. Apparently I've seen this before but I didn't remember a thing. Not bad, but not sure it will stick.

Sisu. Second viewing (the first). Holds up! Great warm-up to double-feature with the new sequel…

Sisu: Road to Revenge. Buster Keaton x Fury Road. So fun. For me, the best chases involve some degree of watching and waiting and sneaking around. This delivers.

TV
Dark, s1e7–10. The story has been scifi for a while, but this is the first time we the mechanics rendered on-screen. Loses a bit of mystery and magic that way, and maybe some of the weight?

2026, Week 7

2026-02-15T20:12:21.000Z

I love surfing the web. On a long holiday weekend, a perfect way to slosh around and almost-but-not-quite totally waste a few hours. Over the last couple weeks, I've seen more and more posts referencing nostalgia for the Old Web™. If you're over 30 years old, you have a better sense of it. Before the big social platforms, when all the sites were personal or academic, or even the corporate ones that were moderately inept (like the rest of us) and/or experimental. Such a great feeling then, when you caught a good wave. Slipping into the flow and hopping from site to site, finding all the warp portals between the good spaces where you see the best of our collective weirdness. Captured that again for a little while today.

Books
War and Peace. Almost halfway! Some of these people are super messy.

Running
Trying to find a rhythm again.

Around the Web
Why holidays are on Mondays!

"Here’s an idea: Appoint yourself the weekly columnist of whatever your subject is." And the self-appointed artist residency.

"The meta-skill is this: learning to spot what becomes possible when a constraint disappears."

The Origins of One of the Most Beloved Video Games of All Time.

A game(?) that rewards patience.

A Year in Drawings.

Searching for Birds.

Where do parents find the time?. Basically, less sleep and less screen time.

Parents and affordability in New York City.

The World Is Forever Ending.

Music
Choir of New College, Oxford dir. Robert Quinney, Like as the Hart: Music for The Templar's Garden. What a great, great album, all choral interpretations of Psalm 42. Came across it when looking for recordings of Palestrina's "Sicut cervus", itself beautifully done. The real show-stopper for me is Buxtehude's. "Quemadmodum desiederat cervus", BuxWV92. I keep coming back over and over.

Ninajirachi, I Love My Computer.

A couple from Yosi Horikawa, good electronic stuff often with nature sounds, city sounds, field recordings. On Spaces, I like "Crossing". And on Impulse. "Soil" is the winner.

El Jazaah, El Jazaah.

Sabri Brothers, Ya Habib.

Movies
The X-Files. The "will they or won't they" is so agonizing and fun.

Runaway Jury. Legal thriller is an under-rated genre. Seems like we're just not making them as much?

TV
The X-Files, s5e19 "Folie a Deux" and s5e20 "The End". Weird season, on to number six.

Dark, s1e6.

2026, Week 6

2026-02-08T15:20:46.000Z

Hmmm. No deep thoughts? Too many long days leading to too many short nights.

Art
Exquisite corpse paintings by Kerry James Marshall. (via). Paper flowers from the Tang dynasty era. Mende artist helmet mask (ndoli jowei). Abdullahi Mohammaed with Mainasara, photo by Pieter Hugo. Face Holding a Leaf, oil on canvas by Léopold Survage. Untitled Donut Drawing, colored pencil with graphite by Judy Chicago.

Books
War and Peace. The wolf hunt is a major highlight so far, tragedy and thrill both in the mix. I love these little interludes / transition moments.

Running
Minimal!

Around the Web
Your free time is for you and How to stop being boring.

Learn about yourself by making something you’ll throw out right away. "It won’t be anything you can’t handle, because you’ve been handling it this whole time."

"The most important change made by an artistic endeavor is the change it makes in you." (via)

"All of these sports make the process of improvement a central point in all of them. And I think that is what makes them cool."

"Athletes possess large quantities of high-value, portable items,” said Nikos Passas, a professor of criminology at Northeastern University, making them appetizing targets for burglars. And because their work schedules are publicly available ahead of time, everyone knows when they won’t be home".

Immigrants have a tremendous net-positive effect.

"One of the arguments for religion is just there’s a place you can stuff your dogmatism into beliefs about the Trinity, and then the rest of you is free to be open minded, because you’ve taken care of your dogmatism. You’ve sent it somewhere where it doesn’t really matter that much for a lot of decisions."

"Motivation is a hired trait. The only place where managers motivate people is in management books."

Music
M. Sage, Tender / Waiting. Reminds me a bit of the Tindersticks soundtrack for Stars at Noon.

Antonio Caldara, Complete Cello Sonatas.

Eberhard Weber, The Colours of Chloë.

Sam Gendel, Nate Mercereau, digi-squires.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Best Urdu Qawwalies. Bangers.

Sunleif Rasumussen: Songs of Solitude perf. Michala Petri, Theatre of Voices, Concerto Copenhagen.

Movies
The Eiger Sanction. A rare DNF. I really like most Clint Eastwood movies I've seen, but this one seemed slow and sophomoric.

Jaws. Masterpiece. "You lose one, you rig one."

OBEX. Reminds me of Mandy a little bit in overall vibe – dreamy hallucinatory reality-blurring. But a lighter, kinder form. But also of Hundreds of Beavers, in black-and-white creativity and constraint.

TV
The X-Files, s5e18 "The Pine Bluff Variant". Mulder undercover!

Dark, s1e3–5. It's growing on me a bit, took a few to get on the wavelength. (And also because I wasn't really paying attention.)

Line of Duty, s6e6–7. This show is over and I'm sad. Favorite all-time? It's up there.

His & Hers, s1e1. Dahlonega mentioned!

2026, Week 5

2026-02-01T16:26:53.000Z

We have a whiteboard on our fridge. Most weeks, we update the whiteboard with what's happening that week, along with doodles, quotes, competitive nonsense, bragging rights, etc.. My wife is great about photographing it before we erase and start the new one, and had built a nice historical archive. So I made a photobook of the whiteboards from the last few years.

I'm growing to love digital-to-print projects like this. A while back I made my old Day One iphone journals into a printed book. I've got some ideas for more…

Had another Friday morning coffee & coworking with some friends. What a treat.

Felt like a rough work-week even though nothing notably bad happened. I gotta work on ending each day crisply before I crash! It's often better to step away and circle back rather than power through.

Art
A Qing dynasty-era cape embroidered to look like peacock feathers. Broken and Restored Multiplication, oil and silver paper on canvas by Suzanne Duchamp. Outside the Box, quilt by Jenny Voss. Double Still Life, sculptures by Katy Cowan.

Books
War and Peace.

Running
Nursing a minor injury, so I'm using that and the lingering piles of snow as an excuse to recupe.

Around the Web
Isometric NYC.

"Upload an architectural render. Get back what it'll actually look like on a random Tuesday in November."

Map of home values by ZIP code.

Pretty Images Are Dead. Long Live Documentary Photography. "Documentary photography survives because it possesses something AI fundamentally cannot: intent born from witness."

Found cassette tapes.

"Politics is a repeated interaction. If you want politicians to keep doing the useful things, you have to show that useful things earn support."

Five paragraph order.

An archive of mouse pointers. I dislike the latest macOS version rounded off the tip of my mouse pointer. I like it sharp.

The story of the macOS poof animation.

"Stamina is a core bottleneck to work and with LLMs in hand it has been dramatically increased."

"Here’s what using Claude Code initially felt like: cooking with ingredients from a stranger’s fridge."

Everyone is getting syntax highlighting wrong.

Latent space engineering and management as an AI superpower.

Music
Amina Claudine Myers, Song for Mother E. Gospel organ/piano. Love the extended organ opening in "Have Mercy Upon Us".

Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18; Franck: Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra perf. Alexis Weissenberg, Berliner Philharmoniker cond. Herbert von Karajan. The Rachmaninov is probably a candidate for top-3 or top-5 most-listened-to classical works, always pays dividends. The Franck was in one ear and out the other.

Remscéla, Milkweed. Fuzzy, distorted lofi folk songs based on the Táin saga. See "How Conchobor was Begotten".

Ø, Mika Vainio, Sysivalo. Largely rhythm-less, dark, vaguely-ombinous ambient. I like it! "Etude 4".

Purelink, Faith.

Movies
This Is Not a Film. I respect Panahi's work, and the drive/obsession/risk to put this together but as a viewer, you're mostly watching a guy talk on the phone in his kitchen and it's not the most interesting thing to watch.

Things Will Be Different. Good scifi time travel thriller. Great little world they've invented here. Wonderful sound, too. More movies about siblings!

The Meg. A re-watch. Humor falls flat, and repetitive in the way of many monster movies, but overall decent.

TV
The X-Files, s5e17 "All Souls". I like these religious episodes, and how the writers blend and remix historical materials.

Line of Duty, s6e5. Only two more episodes left of this show, and it's making me sad.

Law & Order, s1e2.

My Favorite Books in 2025

2026-01-27T19:41:50.000Z

I read (kinda sorta, mostly, sometimes DNF'ed) 31 books in 2025. A drop in total count but I leaned into longer ones a bit more. I think this was a good change overall. Not my best reading year, but the highs were high, and very British!

My top two, call it a tie:

Middlemarch (Eliot). Fictional story of a town in rural England, early 1800s, and its various inhabitants – sons, daughters, doctor, lawyer, mayor, etc. – pursuing their life. Rich and lively, couldn't put it down.

The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV (Castor). Two kings, two cousins. One who wanted all the trappings and ceremony and none of the responsibility of governing. Another who wanted the burden (and power), and took it, and learned the costs. It's a cliché but some books really do make the figures "come alive".

Other great ones from the year:

Rainbows End (Vinge). Scifi thriller with augmented reality and wearable tech and dementia cures.
Extinction (Preston). Jurassic Park, but detectives and Neanderthals.
On the Calculation of Volume, Book 1 (Balle). Novel of philosophical Groundhog Day time repetition.
Sense and Sensibility (Austen). Two daughters find their way to love!
The English and Their History (Tombs). Exactly what it says on the tin, but just the right balance of momentum and detail.

2026, Week 4

2026-01-25T19:11:55.000Z

Interesting moment to the visit the doctor this week. A routine visit, fill out forms, take some blood, quiet typing and clicking, off you go. But ambient stress from a frustrated patient, at wit's end, nearby at the reception desk seeped in for a few moments. It's such a vulnerable space.

On Friday, we had friends over for coffee and breakfast and early morning chit-chat. And since we all have cushy tech-worker jobs, transitioned into a communal work-from-home session for an hour or so before parting ways. I'm patting myself on the back for the novelty. We (bozos with no children or other practical obstacles) should do this more often. It's good to prioritize something wholesome and rewarding early in your day. (Having guests was also a helpful nudge to tidy up after moving a bunch of furniture around.)

Yesterday evening we spent some time doing some artwork, making collage masks from paper cutouts. It felt so refreshing to do something instinctual, following reflexes, running with the first idea that seemed good enough. Such a change from my usual day-to-day work, which usually requires thoughtful precision every single time. Safe spaces+++.

Books
War and Peace, cont.. Mildly regretting my choice to go with the completely-unabridged version. Humbling to be at page 640-something and only ~33% done. I enjoy the companionship of this book, though.

Running
A down week in mileage, but lucky to have two snowy trail runs in the mix. Tied my coldest run ever, out at 12° as today's winter storm laid down its first couple inches. This week's weights session was a good reminder that I should lift more often.

Around the Web
Playful children’s drawings become colorful handmade chairs. (via)

Moss and Mondrian, a nice snippet on mutual influence and how history gets simplified.

"If by any chance you are wondering how to make yourself smarter, learn how to appreciate almost everybody, and keep on cultivating that skill."

"A much more reliable way to stay offline is just to be doing things so engaging that it wouldn’t occur to you to drift online in the first place." (via)

Cover your 25 miles, then rest up.

The best way to read the internet. Amen. You'll have to take my RSS feeds from my cold, dead hands.

"You're building an anxiety management system that happens to look like productivity."

The Etymology of English Colours and How 'guacamole' is related to 'avocado' and 'mole'.

Japanese death poems.

Now that my storehouse
has burned down, nothing
conceals the moon.

Don't waste your back pressure.

"Design and planning becomes the bottleneck when agents write all the code".

Music
The South Hill Experiment, MOONSHOTS. There's some fuzzy psychedelic folk rock but also some groovy stuff. Had a lot of fun with this one. See "Gabo's Last Resort".

Weval, Weval. A theory: electronic duos are consistently better than solo acts. I like "Square People" and
"Days".

Claudio Monteverdi – Madrigali e lamenti, Montserrat Figueras and La Capella Reial de Catalunya dir. Jordi Savall. "Lamento della ninfa" is a standout. Also realizing that I've gotten much more into "early music" in the last year or so. Mostly at random/opportunistically, but I think there's room for a more serious, intentional dive.

(Usually a good sign when I keep albums around for another week, like these first three.)

Seun Kuti, Egypt 80, Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head). Afrobeat will never die.

Lee "Scratch" Perry, Bob Riddim, Destiny. Dub/ska/reggae. Such a beautiful voice! "Ring Pon My Finger" and "Infinity (Dub)".

Brittney Carter, As I Am. Rap. Don't lvoe it, don't hate it. The interludes kill me, but I like the drum work in "Running".

Charles LLoyd, Zakir Hussain, Eric Harland, Sangam. Indian/jazz fusion jam session meanderings. I couldn't get into it.

Movies
The Da Vinci Code. Second view (the first). After a long day I needed some smooth-brain entertainment and it delivered. Two+ hours of non-stop conspiracy theory. I wonder if there's any good writing about this movie/franchise paving the way for 21c social distrust.

The Mastermind. A dope robs a museum, reaps the consequences. Filed under Kelly Reichardt, one of the most consistently excellent directors today.

Finding 'Ohana. Light family-forward adventure in the spirit of The Goonies. Owes a debt, mostly pays it.

TV
The X-Files, s5e16 "Mind's Eye". This season is getting confusing now. I'm not sure where anyone stands, and I'm not sure that's intentional.

Law & Order: UK, s1e1. Everything instantly recognizable and slightly "off". It delivers.

Dark, s1e1–2.

Line of Duty, s6e3–4. Is this my all-time favorite show?

My Favorite Movies in 2025

2026-01-20T12:22:00.000Z

I watched 127 movies in 2025, on par with last year. Of the first-time viewings, these are the ones I'd be most happy to watch again. Just like my write-up of movie favorites from 2024, I'll excerpt previous posts for the best of the best. Listed chronologically, in both the tippy-top-tier and the contenders. What I see in common for the top four is a compassionate, affirming spirit – whether that in new friendships, on the job, in love, in family and community.

Tampopo.

A stranger rides into town and helps a woman with her struggling noodle shop. The feeling may fade a bit with time, but right now I’m in love with this movie. Such a big heart. And expansive enough that the main plot is interspersed with vignettes with unrelated characters, snapshots of a world beyond, full of concerns and worries and dreams just like our own.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Now this is a movie! Dudes being dudes.

Compensation.

Told in silent-film style, a story of two deaf Black women, in two different eras, finding love. Love the borrowing from pan-the-photograph documentary style, and vivid captions that let you imagine and dream along with the stories.

Little Women (1994).

Heart: warmed!

Honorable mentions, really can't go wrong:

2026, Week 3

2026-01-18T16:55:37.000Z

Started my long weekend with a bit of journaling, now I sit by the big window watching the snow fall. Life is good.

Art
La Cadie Diaspora, mixed media textiles, stencil, collage, embroidery, stiching by Merill Comeau. Embers, quilt by Barbara Danzi. Thar, sculpture in porcelain, earthenware, glaze by Kathy Butterly. The Boating Party, oil on Canvas by Mary Cassatt. Paysans Sortant et Allant au Marché (Villagers Going to the Market), oil on board by Philomé Obin. Trains and Bridges, lithograph in black on wove paper by Jolán Gross-Bettelheim.

Books
War and Peace, continued.

Running
Running trails in the earliest morning light, just before dawn, is such a perfect gift before starting the workday. Red Hook again this weekend, will take one more run to complete the map. Maybe next weekend, though I don't love the idea of hitting the same area three weekends in a row. We'll see.

Around the Web
This weekend I learned the phrase "haud yer weesht ", via Line of Duty. (Who else but Hastings?)

"The most virtuous thing is usually to make an up-front investment in making things easier, so that going forward, you are not making high day-to-day expenditures of your patience, energy or happiness."

How the Brooklyn Bridge has changed over time. I had no idea the bridge had trolley cars at one point.

The real reason New Yorkers' groceries cost so much. Zoning strikes again! Expensive elevators strike again!

Where Americans Choose to Move and Where They Leave. Interesting to see some family trajectories mapped out here. "From 2020 to 2024, 1.47 million more people moved from California to elsewhere in the United States than from a different state into California. That outflow is equal to 3.7% of the state’s 2020 population." Time to buy low?

A finding that "Living next door to someone as a child increases the probability of having the same occupation as them 30 years later by about 10 percent." (via)

The United States needs fewer bus stops …and better (faster) service as a result.

Oops, You Wrote a Database.

Music
Yosi Horikawa, Vapor. Had this album on repeat throughout the week. I love all the nature sounds mixed into bouncy, juicy, lush electronic stuff. Two faves: "Maki" and "Summer in 1987".

Tako Tiki, Hirsutes Farfelus. Oddball winds + percussion.

The Platters, The Flying Platters Around the World. I really like "Twilight Time".

Titanic, Vidrio and HAGEN. How to summarize these – Latin experimental chamber pop?

Philip Glass, Etude No. 1 → No. 8 perf. Vanessa Wagner. What you'd expect!

Donnacha Dennehy: Land of Winter perf. Alarm Will Sound cond. Alan Pierson. Months of the year in chamber form. I liked this recording. "November" is the best, of course!

Movies
Girls Town. Close friends, soon to leave high school, navigate shared tragedies. It's very sweet and sad and funny. Two thumbs up.

Wolf Man (2025). Got exactly what I signed up for. Fun movie. Love that we see the early hints of transformation in the heigtened senses – smell, hearing. The sound design is especially good, as we take on the perspective of the protagonist. Early tragedy in the simple distancing from inability to communicate what he's going through. Appreciate the novelty of the precarious greenhouse sheeting – take full advantage of your setting!

The Fate of the Furious. I've seen a lot of individual scenes before, but for the life of me I cannot tell you how or when. The spectacle is dialed in. The writing is bad. I don't think I'd intentionally rewatch again. Vin Diesel wears the mythologizing well, but the Statham scenes easy eclipse everyone else in the cast.

TV
The X-Files, s5e15 "Travelers". Body horror!

The Abandons, s1e1.

Hannibal, s2e12–13. Such a perfect and devastating season wrap-up. "In the pantry!".

Line of Duty, s6e1–2. I care about one thing and one thing only!

2026, Week 2

2026-01-11T19:08:47.000Z

Last week was my first full week back to work, post-holidays. I was surprisingly at peace on Sunday night, ready and accepting that it was time to get back to reality. Sometimes vacations can feel too short; sometimes, too long. Felt like this one was dialed-in.

Lately I feel like I have more space in my weekends somehow. Something has shifted. It's like there's just 2–4 hours that weren't there before. I'm not sure how it appeared.

Took my first ride on the NYC Ferry this weekend, up the East River from Brooklyn to Queens and over to Manhattan. So pleasant!

Late last year I spent way too much time window-shopping for a new keyboard. It was an intense relief to finally buy one. Shopping can be a thrill and a vast emptiness.

Art
Pink Honey, acrylic, pencil and ink on burned paper by Modupeola Fadugba. The Waterfall, oil on canvas by Henri Rousseau. Fireflies, woodblock print by Tsukioka Kōgyo. Garland of Fruit surrounding a Depiction of Cybele Receiving Gifts from Personifications of the Four Seasons, oil on panel by Hendrick van Balen the Elder and Jan Brueghel the Elder. Cleaning Jesus, gelatin silver print by Walter Martin

Books
War and Peace, cont.. Hit a bit of a rut this week. Whether chicken or egg, it coincided with losing my earlier consistency.

Running
Just a few more miles and I can add the Red Hook neighborhood to my ran-every-street list. Got back to a longer run this weekend, aided by warmer weather. Above 35–40º, it gets much, much easier to manage a run over a longer period of time. Fewer garments to manage, lower downside risk if you mismanage ventilation or layering, etc.. And drinks stay warm.

Around the Web
The life of a fangirl. "Fandoms create environments where participation happens almost always naturally and almost always horizontally."

The Case for Blogging in the Ruins. "The blog, at its best (a best I aspire one day to reach) is Montaigne's direct descendant. It's a form that allows for intellectual exploration without demanding premature certainty. You can write a post working through an idea, acknowledge in the post itself that you're not sure where you'll end up, and invite readers to think alongside you."

Against access. "Our environment has endless potential for life. For centuries, however, much of our vitality was forbidden. We were forced to stick with the effects of the hearing and sighted world. Now, though, we are all in varying stages of flight." How accessibility (in a common understanding of an "us" making the world easier for a "them") falls short, with particular focus on ASL interpreters. Very interesting!

DeafBlind people are creating a new language. An PBS intro to ProTactile, which I learned about from the article above. It looks beautiful and fun!

The loneliness crisis isn't just male. "What our polling reveals, though, is that it’s a youth loneliness crisis, rather than a male loneliness crisis. Age, not gender, shows far greater correlation with antisocial attitudes and beliefs. Younger voters — both male and female — are increasingly paralyzed by anxiety and fear, and they are finding it harder and harder to socialize. In fact, when you look at the data, the 'antisocial crisis,' as I like to call it, is actually most pronounced among young women, who experience the highest rates of social isolation."

"One of the most underappreciated things about the recent past washow common boredom was."

The philosophy of Solvej Balle.

It's hard to justify Tahoe icons.

How Markdown took over the world.

What an unprocessed photo looks like.

Are You Enjoying Our Linguine?: How American tourists took over everything. "They feel challenged. They feel alive. They are Americans. They are frontier people. They love a cultural mystery."

Notes on Afghanistan.

Mamdani moderating – high hopes!

Music
Netherwalker, Odyssey of Respair. Guttural screamy metal with some classical grandiosity.

Beethoven: Sonatas 18, 27, 28, 31 (The Lost Tapes / Live) perf. Sviatoslav Richter.

Funkadelic, Maggot Brain. I really like the title track. Interesting to hear this transition in music history – borrowing from blues, gospel, psychedelic rock, blending it all up and leaving nothing out.

Charlie Hunter, Ella Feingold, Different Strokes for Different Folks. Bluesy, funky guitar + bass + percussion. "Nasty, Ain't it!?".

Bill Evans Trio, Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings. Just really good start to finish. A favorite moment this week was a pre-dawn run in Prospect Park with this album playing. Magical.

Charles Lloyd, Figure in Blue.

SML, How You Been.

Movies
45365. Documentary of people in a place (Sidney, Ohio). If you like this sort of "snapshots of everyday life around town" documentary – I really do – check out Hale County This Morning, This Evening.

City of Gold (2015). Follows along with food critic Jonathan Gold as he explores LA food, and with other talking heads about his impact on food writing, etc.. At its best when its attention is on the city.

Fragments for Venus (short). Straightforward description and juxtaposition – sometimes the basic ingredients are the most potent.

Tron: Ares. Gorgeous to look at, and I think a larger screen would shift my opinion a bit, but all the dazzle in the world cannot save a leaden script, delivered flatly. Interesting to see Minecraft-life voxel cube material when techno-things disintegrate – very similar presentation in Superman (2025) with the reality rift thing.

TV
The X-Files, s5e14 "The Red and the Black". I dunno, is this going anywhere?

Hannibal, s2e9–11. This is going somewhere!

Lost LA, s1e1–3. PBS!

2025, Week 52 / 2026, Week 1

2026-01-04T18:18:50.000Z

And so the last chunk of holiday break comes to a close. A few highlights: Sunday morning walk to a cafe to read, and then to a diner. A brief return to the office for a couple of days, and blasting country music all afternoon on Tuesday. Making red beans & rice on New Year's Eve. Re-arranging the furniture and refreshing the apartment for another year. Playing Breath of the Wild for too long. Visiting a new coffee shop. Date night dancing to music videos. The usual early wake-ups feeling even earlier in a quieter city.

Art
Openings, Red Rock Variation: Lake Superior Landscape, acrylic on canvas on board by George Morrison. Man and Newspapers in Grass, Central Park, gelatin silver print by Tod Papageorge. Vokeo Island Lewa mask in wood and varnish.

Books
War and Peace. I feel a bit of wind going out of my sails during the battle scenes. They are beautifully written and fresh, but right now I'd like to get back to salon drama.

Running
I really like running in the snow. Such fun. There's often the nervousness the night before when the temps hit a new low, the shock of the cold on the first steps out the door, the sluggish pulse and shortness of breath, but then on warming up: bliss.

Around the Web
2026: "We’ve officially landed in the “made up years” era, where the years don’t feel real, rather, opening lines for a YA doomsday sci-fi book." Let's try that again. This year is our year. Only 12 months until the late 2020's.

"When there's no meaningful resistance, is there any real transformation?"

"A thick desire is one that changes you in the process of pursuing it. A thin desire is one that doesn't." (via)

"Luckily because of the way I began, I’m the cockroach of this industry. I can survive any version of it."

It's cool how many different cultures have some form of psychopomp in their stories of the afterlife.

"A question no writer wants to raise in a reader’s mind is ‘why are you telling me this?’"

"It is more important to see the stories in ourselves than to see ourselves in the stories."

"Everyone's house looks like a dentists office now" and Merchandising the Void.

"Doomerism assumes you can opt out and hold your position. That refusal is neutral. That the world will wait while you decide. It won’t."

53 Directors Pick Their Favorite Films of 2025.

Paper Jewels: Postcards from the Raj.

On the creativity of videogame pixel art made for CRT displays.

"You can take a barbell strategy to travel. Either go for a year, or two, or ten, however long you need to go to open a bank account. Or, stay no longer than a few days in the same place, and come back often. The world is changing, and […] there will be combinations of place and time lost to us forever."

"Why aren’t there more intermediate options between eating in a sit-down restaurant, and cooking your own meals? […] There is a magical place with plentiful such options, and it’s called Taiwan."

Music
Le grand embrasement: Music for a Mad King perf. Into the Winds. Bouncy, festive olde musicke. I really liked it.

Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes perf. Tom Hicks. They're all lovely but I have trouble staying inside the music. Attention drifts.

Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos; Solo Works perf. Yuja Wang, Boston Symphony Orchestra cond. Andris Nelsons. The Andante from the second concerto is brilliant. The rest, familiar and didn't capture me.

Freddie Roulette, Spirit of Steel. Slide guitar, mostly bluesy, sometimes Hawaiian-tinged. I liked "Song for My Father".

LTJ Bukem presents Earth, Vol. 1, good compilation of various drum & bass. This music used to grate but I think I'm better at hearing past the drum chatter now. "Faith" makes me think of Pilotwings 64 (complimentary).

Movies
Hercules (1997). I don't love it, but I think we can all relate to Hades' mood swings. Read up on the first 15 minutes.

Tenet. Third time I've seen it? Steadily growing on me. Each time I watch I find something new.

Presence. First movie of 2026. A ghost moves through an empty house as we see through its eyes, and a family moves in, and they learn about each other. Director Steven Soderbergh: "The beauty of projects at this scale is I can just do them without having to talk to anybody." Another quality Soderbergh I saw recently is Black Bag.

Grand Theft Hamlet. Actors out of work during the pandemic decide to stage a play in the videogame world of Grand Theft Auto. It's funny, crazy ambitious, and has a few touching moments. Quality documentary!

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Extended Edition. "Forth, and fear no darkness!"

TV
The X-Files, s5e13 "Patient X". Back on the season arc. Fox Mulder has lost his mojo!

Hannibal, s2e4–8. Will Graham has regained his mojo!

Land of Sin, s1e1. Every country has its rednecks.

2025, Week 51

2025-12-28T20:03:46.000Z

Two-day work week last week, and another one coming this week. Highlights of the time off so far: reading breaks, catching up with family, coffee every morning, playing Switch again, morning runs, movies and TV, walks in the neighborhood, "study hall" to learn more coding stuff, making end-of-year charitable donations, and making gumbo for Christmas dinner.

I vibe-coded a white noise app this weekend. Functionally it's a copy of the most-used features from my previous go-to noise website. But now I can do the same in a dedicated app outside the browser, more finely tailored for how I use it.

The coding itself was very pleasant and absorbing, just me and Codex in the terminal ripping for a couple hours, testing ideas, whittling things down, circling back for a bit of polish. Reached ~1000 lines of good-enough-for-me code, called it a day, started thinking about other problems to solve. Nothing like home cooking.

I like this idea of "Ins and Outs" to set the tone for the new year. Now pondering what my 2026 should hold, after the examples from Chris Martin and Carl Barenbrug. I think I'll keep these weekly posts on the "In" list.

Art
Really cool online exhibition of Tom Lloyd's work at the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Books
War and Peace. So it begins. I'm 150 or so pages into it and while nothing monumental has happened so far, it's been a ton of fun. I think I misconceived the book based on 1) the title and 2) Russian setting and 3) the author, and assumed it would be something more heavy and dour and serious. But it's has a lightness and liveliness that's been really fun to read so far.

Running
Challenging but fun weather this last week: running in sleet one morning, and in a few inches of snow yesterday, with random skids and slides and postholes demanding extra effort and attention. So fun. A great time to insist on regularity, to the extent that I can.

Around the Web
"Capitalism (and now AI) increases the number of trade-offs we face, and therefore increases the importance of meta-preferences—the stories we choose to live inside."

"A book is, we know, an unrivaled technology for living more life."

Does it help to know history? "The real sin that the absence of a historical sense encourages is presentism, in the sense of exaggerating our present problems out of all proportion to those that have previously existed."

"All art galleries are a bit weird eh. Each time you visit, there are a hundred paintings scattered in rooms and you walk through like uh-huh, uh-huh, ok, that’s nice, uh-huh, ok. Then at random one of them skewers you through your soul and you’re transfixed by the image for life."

"So many want the fruit without the root. The glow without the gutting. The revelation without the reverence."

It was only a matter of time: HighAgency.com.

Stimulation Clicker is, sadly, very amusing.

The Story Behind Isamu Noguchi’s Playscapes in Atlanta and Why So Many Control Rooms Were Seafoam Green. (Thanks, Jara.)

Orson Welles on Christmas.

How the White Savior Became This Year’s Cinematic Punchline.

Music
J.S. Bach: The Art of Fugue, perf. Cuarteto Casals. I've never clicked with this work, but yet I persist. String quartet version is novel, at least.

Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, perf. Chris Thile. Mandolin transcriptions are very nice.

Bach: Weihnachtsoratorium / Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248), Thomanerchor Leipzig, Gewandhausorchester cond. George Christoph Biller.

Bach: there's no one better!

Movies
Superman (2025). It's fine. The dog is annoying.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Extended Edition. Better than I remembered. I think the extra footage helped stitch things together better, a bit more heft where we previously skimmed along.

Little Women (1994). Heart: warmed! Loved this movie.

TV
The X-Files, s5e12 "Bad Blood". Vampire shenanigans! Great to see them locked into a silly register, and in a Rashomon-like multiple-perspectives narrative.

Line of Duty, s5e5–6. What a great series. Each is only a handful of episodes each, but hard to think of many that hold the quality bar this high through multiple seasons.

Hannibal, s2e1–2.

2025, Week 50

2025-12-21T17:53:01.000Z

At some point I decided to stop being depressed. That might not be scientifically or clinically valid, and it took longer to see it through, but that's about roughly how I experienced it, or at least remember it. I remember immiserating in bed one Saturday morning, spiraling darkly, stagnant. And then a mental sigh, and: "I'm tired of this." I got up. I got dressed. I went for a walk. I felt better when I got back, though not the whole day. The next day I got up and made myself go walk again. I felt better.

It probably wasn't just the walking. Therapy and experience and maturity chipped in, but the walking gave them fresh soil to grow in. Every day, every day, every day: outside.

And then one day earlier this week I realized, "…I... didn't go outside yesterday!". No special reason, just distractedly busy with other things. It had been least 1742 days, along with several years of habit before I started logging it. Annoying to forget, but also: I didn't need it. It's not the life-raft it used to be. Today I'm a different person with different needs, and it's time to give those attention in different ways, new streaks yet to start.

(A nice bookend for how I started the year: remembering when I need to ignore myself.)

I hate when there's standing water around the house. I always squeegee the shower before I leave. And I hate when pools linger under the dish rack, or on countertops. We have a robo-coffee machine at work and I always dump the drip tray first thing every morning. Then I had a realization where it might come from. This might be a just-so story but I think it makes sense: mosquitos. Life-long nemesis, largely disappeared from daily life, but still shaping my behavior.

Art
Landscape, oil on canvas by Rufino Tamayo. The Shortest Day, book illustrations by Carson Ellis. Cutting the Stone (The Extraction of the Stone of Madness), oil on board by Hieronymus Bosch.

Books
The English and Their History. Still a great read. When we get to newer periods, I'll probably drop and switch to other books. I'm really curious about the ~300–1300CE time period.

Running
Running early before sunrise is a pretty decent replacement for running late at night, which I don't do much anymore. Similar quiet, calm, place-to-your-self feeling. Looks like I'll end the year with around ~950 miles, much less than last year and annoying short of a nice round number.

Around the Web
Growth matters and The only number that really matters.

"When I finish a book, I immediately read the first 10 pages of a new one so I am
never between books."

Why we love Jane Austen more than ever after 250 years. "It was Austen who gave us the perfect art of a socially realistic novel about people having to overcome their inner problems—rather than having to overcome problems imposed upon them by the world."

On Reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time. Maybe a 2026 project?

Terence Malick's disciples. Always read Bilge Ebiri!

Teenagers need to be free.

Cold cases in the AI era. "The cold case genre delivers a kind of satisfaction more appropriate to the AI era than the cozy mystery genre, first because of the forensic software tech, the genealogy databases, document analysis systems, etc., and second, because audiences want stories about human judgment, about deciding what matters and what does not."

Bad policy leads to ghost apartments.

Music
The Acid, Liminal. There's a bit of kinship here with Thom Yorke's The Eraser in this particular flavor of vocals + electronics mix. "Tumbling Lights", "Ghost", "Red" – all great.

Folk Physics, Parallels.

Bach, Six Sonatas for Organ, BWV 525–530 perf. Aart Bergwerff. I really like this organ, very warm.

Bach: The Toccatas perf. Jonathan Ferrucci.

Movies
The Commuter. Good clean fun. Very happy with how they shot the close-quarters fighting.

The Shop Around the Corner. Takes a while to get momentum but it's a good one. Saw this at Metrograph and remembered that I really really need to go there more often.

TV
The X-Files, s5e1x "Kill Switch". Rogue AI!

Line of Duty, s5e3–4. This show will wind you up and break your heart.

2025, Week 49

2025-12-14T22:09:46.000Z

For a team event at work, we went to an axe-throwing place. I was terrible to start, and didn't mind being terrible. Something was off, not my night, oh well. I was happy to throw up bricks, and see if I got better results every few minutes when it was my turn again. Low stakes, low investment. And then I switched to a different hatchet, and suddenly I was consistently thunking metal into board. And success made it fun, and I tried harder. It's okay to blame your tools sometimes?

I also went to our office holiday party this week, and also my wife's. One comfortably chaotic, because I knew everyone. One intimidatingly elegant, because I didn't. It feels good to dress up every now and then. Wear sweats on the flight if you must, but we should think twice about casualness creeping into every occasion.

I've been on the search for new washcloths. I really hate the default: thick, soft, fluffy, take weeks to dry. I feel like I'm the only person that likes thin, skritchy-skratchy ones. So anyway I got some hemp scrubbers and they're great.

Visited the Studio Museum in Harlem today and remembered again how lucky I am to be in a city with so much good creative stuff just a train ride away.

Art
Street Scene with Runners, 1930, gelatin silver print by James Van Der Zee. Wall of Hats, chromogenic color print by Nola Nelson. La Sirène and Her Playmate, metal cut from oil drum by Georges Liautaud. Conjur Woman and the Virgin – Mecklenburg County, collage on masonite by Romare Bearden. The Medici palace frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli.

Books
The English and Their History, by Robert Tombs. Really happy with this so far. I'm a bit concerned it's glossing over the old, old times a little too quickly. Might circle back to other books to add a few more layers there.

Running
Mileage dwindling with the mercury. Had my first run in the snow this morning, a rare treat.

Around the Web
Colors of Growth, a paper on using the colors in European artwork to get insight into economic activity in the past.

DS9 Redefined, "A Loving Restoration and HD Upscale of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine". Yes!

Narrative String Theory. (via)

The New Yorker on the best films of 2025.

Music
Byrd: Three Masses; Taverner: Western Wind Mass perf. King's College Choir, Cambridge Willcocks.

Oklou, choke enough. Pleasant bleeps and bloops and vocals. I like "harvest sky".

Wallners, End of Circles. The title track is really good.

Saya Gray, Saya. Interesting experimental mix of pop, country, folk? "H.B.W" is cool.

The Hilliard Ensemble, Perotin. For all your 13th c. French choral polyphony needs.

-M-, Fatoumata Diawara, Toumani Diabaté, Lamomali, Lamomali Je t'aime. Malian EDM? I like the dark house vibes that "Ama kora" starts with.

Masayoshi Fujita, Smoking Tigers (OST). Gentle, lots of Marimba!

Into the Winds, Le Parfaict Danser: Dance Music 1300–1500. Fun collection, and especially love the cover art – a detail from the south wall of the Magi Chapel.

Movies
Undine (2020).. What a strange little film. Delivers a fantastic scenario in a very straightforward way.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Extended Edition. Still very rewatchable. I think this is my 4th or 5th time seeing it, and I'd be happy to plug in for another half-hour if I stumble on it again. Humans > hobbits > dwarves > elves, for the record.

Silent Night (2023). John Woo action movie. Brutal, and could use a dose of humor here and there, but visually very fun. Love how they make sure you don't miss a thing, even without dialogue.

Wake Up, Dead Man. It's good! Appreciate the earnest religiosity. Took a bit of time to wind up, and lots of moments I think were supposed to be funny (?) didn't land, but still good.

TV
The X-Files, s5e10 "Chinga". Yep, the one with the killer doll.

Line of Duty, s5e2

2025, Week 48

2025-12-07T16:35:40.000Z

Last week I wrote thank-you notes to writers whose books I really enjoyed over the last year or so. It's an exercise I started a few years ago. I usually end up sending out a dozen or so. I'll get a handful of messages back, which is cool but very much not the point. Remember: "This will be easier, psychologically, if you don't want to be a writer, don't ask questions, don't need advice, and don't particularly care if you get a response. Spread gratitude, be free!"

Maybe next year I'll extend the same to memorable artists, musicians, moviemakers, etc.?

This weekend we went to see Les Arts Florissants perform at BAM. The favorite of the night for me was the Messe de minuit pour Noël. I grew up Catholic, so it's easy to recognize all the familiar parts of the mass. I found myself remembering back to old memories of fidgeting in the pews, ready for it all to be over. There was less fidgeting this time (only a little bit – those seats are cramped at Howard Gilman Opera House).

One of the things I love most about early or Renaissance or classical music is imagining what it was like to hear it when it was new. Maybe in a stuffy ballroom, or in a cold, dark church. Orchestras today are often cover bands, so a performance can be a sort of time travel. I think about how even when you're having a great day, a torch song can make you feel love's torment, or an anthem can make you feel boundless, even if nothing around you has changed. Or like this weekend, I can listen and feel humility, reverence, hope. There's something comforting in connection to a tradition that's lasted for hundreds and hundreds of years, even if I'm not part of it in quite the same way these days.

Art
Still Life, oil on canvas by Fernand Léger. Storm in Umbria oil on canvas by Elihu Vedder. Crib quilt, c. 1950s New York. Coupe (footed bowl), earthenware and glaze by Gertrud and Otto Natzler.

Books
Rebecca. This is such a fun book. I'm nestling into the warm embrace of melodrama.

One Long River of Song.

Running
Splitting my weekend long runs into two days more often lately. Call it cowardice or cleverness, it is very exhausting to do the usual mileage in the cold snap we've had.

Around the Web
An eleven-year-old writer's to-do list. Not bad.

Perhaps the best personal gift guide is the one you write for yourself over an extended period.

Move fast because "your work degrades, becomes less relevant with time. And if you work slowly, you will be more likely to stick with your slightly obsolete work." (via)

American AI influencing the language of British legislators.

High Noon (1952): Wait Along, Wait Along…

The Western demands its myth—the one where courage restores the world and a man’s violence is the nation’s virtue—and High Noon offers it only grudgingly. There is no sweeping horizon here; we see only a sliver of prairie. The real action takes place on Hadleyville’s bright, empty streets and on faces flattened by sunlight. The West is emptied of romance, replaced with a collective anxiety that threatens to boil over.

The Quietus albums of the year. Time to start stocking up for 2026 listening.

Music
Wallners, Prolog I. "in my mind" spent a lot of time on repeat.

Rafael Karlen, Sinking Cities, with Camerata, Queensland Chamber Orchestra. Modern choral stuff. "Everything Changes" is pretty good, but the rest didn't have as much staying power for me.

Palestrina: Missa Papae Marcelli | Motets perf. Sistine Chapel Choir cond. Massimo Palombella. "O Bone Iesu" is a little 90-second retreat from all that ails you.

Monteverdi: Vespers 1610 perf. Dunedin Consort dir. John Butt. Love the "Duo Seraphim", sublime.

Movies
n/a, oops!

TV
The X-Files, s5e9 "Schizogeny". Yeah, the one with the killer trees.

All Her Fault, s1e6–8. It gets sillier as you go along.

Line of Duty, s5e1. Here we go again: time to chase down some 👏 bent 👏 coppers.

Sharp Objects, s1e1.

Sex and the City, s1e1–2.

2025, Week 47

2025-11-30T17:26:56.000Z

Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year and it's really that simple.

Art
Man Conquers the Cosmos, mosaic by Fritz Eisel. Portrait of Elisabeth Bellinghausen, painting by Bartholomäus Bruyn the Elder. Pleas and Thank Yous: 100 True Stories, lacquer on aluminum by Gwendolyn Knight. Standing male cupbearer, Sumerian sculpture in calcite with lapis lazuli and shell inlay , ca. 4500–1900 BCE.

Books
Rebecca. For whatever reasons, I thought this was set in the 1800s. Quite a surprise when the main characters spend their time driving around town. Fun so far, so melodramatic!

One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder. Short essays and whispers from memory lane.

The San Quentin Project. Photographs of daily life in the prison, along with work from a photography class with the inmates – their annotations and reflections were super cool.

Around the Web
"That’s a Victor Frankenstein move: Get disappointed that your creation doesn’t immediately match the image in your head, declare it a failure, and abdicate."

"Art in museums is valuable. And it’s valuable because museums made it that way."

101 Things I Learned Listening to Every Number One Hit: Part 1.

"Every generation imagines a version of Shakespeare that reflects its own aspirations and anxieties, which means every generation gets him wrong in revealing ways."

Henry Oliver and Rebecca Lowe discuss theories of time and On the Calculation of Volume, and Solvej Balle's Novels Rewire the Time Loop.

Requiem for Early Blogging. "If someone wanted to troll you, they’d have to do it on their own site and hope you took the bait because otherwise no one would see it."

"My philosophy of authenticity is that it doesn’t exist in the way people wish it did. I don’t believe it’s possible to perform in a way that’s authentic. People will say, I just post for myself, which is a lie. They say that because they feel it’s morally better to be that way, and I really disagree with that. It’s okay to feel like you’re performing and even want to perform a bit. That’s not evil. It’s a condition of living."

"The bottom line is that 'we' is squishy. I is the brave pronoun."

The work of getting people to leave cults. "For that reason, Kelly and Ryan are not looking to convince people of any particular version of reality or truth. They do not seem to be interested in truth at all, really. When you use your experience to test whether or not something is true (the holiness of a guru, the righteousness of a cause) then, Ryan told me: “The person who gives you that experience will own you.” Their work is to usher people into a state of skepticism about the conclusion they have drawn from their experiences; beginning to open them up to the idea that individual experience is not the same as truth or reality."

Memory Palaces: Exploring the history of London’s cinemas online and on foot.

How to Make a Living as an Artist. "Growing tired of painting something people love is a good problem to have. Do not worry about it until it happens. May you be so lucky."

Music
A few from drummer Senri Kawaguchi…

Buena Vista. The main motif in "The Phoenix" is an incredible earworm.
Cider ~Hard & Sweet~.
Dynamogenic. "Storm Warning" is a lot of fun.

Charpentier: Messe de Minuit, Ensemble Marguerite Louise dir. Gaétan Jarry. Just exploring another rendition after sampling one last week.

Víkingur Ólafsson, Opus 109 (Beethoven | Bach | Schubert).

Ladytron, Kingdom Undersea.

Movies
You've Got Mail. Overall, good watch! Tom Hanks character is a jerk, though? I wonder how it compares with the original. "I wanted it to be you."

Roter Himmel (Afire). A stressed-out writer tries to finish his work, but everything gets in the way. I really like Christian Petzold's work overall: Phoenix, Barbara, and Transit are the others I've seen.

Sleepless in Seattle. Second viewing (the first). Love the melancholy in this movie – one characters knowing exactly what they're missing, the other just coming to realize it. Better characters, more funny than You've Got Mail.

A House of Dynamite. Choppy Bourne-style editing was a little annoying. A bit on-the-nose in the writing here and there. Suitably stressful. Left me a little cold?

TV
The X-Files, s5e8 "Kitsunegari".

All Her Fault, s1e3–5.

Winning Time, s2e1.

2025, Week 46

2025-11-23T17:46:28.000Z

Thinking about disappointments lately, and the opportunity to double down on what I want regardless. Renewing efforts, aiming for maximal success helps minimize regrets.

Fun exercise: get a big sheet of paper and tape it on the wall. Turn it into a calendar. Add sticky notes for all the travel you plan and want to do in the coming year. Dream it into existence!

A few moments at my favorite burger place a Saturday afternoon:

Art
Tibetan skeleton dance costume in silk and flannel. [Untitled] (Picnic - Fancy Hat), drawing by William Steig. Phoenix and Lobster, woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Ceramic shark from the Tolita-Tumaco cultures of coastal Ecuador/Colombia. Silhouettes, woodcut print by Jeanne Amato.

Books
Richard II (Shakespeare). I read a bunch of Shakespeare back in 2021, and this one ranked pretty highly back then. Enjoyed even more after reading The Eagle and the Hart earlier this year. I like the differing gifts and deficits of the main actors, the contrast of moral clarity vs. political success. Richard's a wastrel in his position as king, but has a depth as tragic figure where you can't help but feel for him. Everyone else is similarly compromised in some way.

Not sure what's next. 🤔

Running
More adventures in Bushwick. A lil' persistent cough keeping the mileage down.

Around the Web
Romanticizing running outside in the winter. "Overcoming your own disapproval of a season will remind you of the impermanence of life around you. Everything is malleable."

"We’re losing the ability to be influenced by things we don’t fully understand yet."

"It seems like, by default, you are stuck with whatever level of resourcefulness you brought to a problem the first time you encountered it and failed to fix it."

How men and women spend their days.

Gender gaps run both ways: the data.

Where do the children play? (via) Pretty wild:

some statistics on the American childhood, drawn from children aged 8-12:

45% have not walked in a different aisle than their parents at a store;

56% have not talked with a neighbor without their parents;

61% have not made plans with friends without adults helping them;

62% have not walked/biked somewhere (a store, park, school) without an adult;

63% have not built a structure outside (for example, a fort or treehouse);

71% have not used a sharp knife;

Even if those are inaccurately inflated by let's say 2-3x, this seems impoverished!

I like this idea of "resumability".

A walk around Prospect Heights.

AI-generated Magic cards.

Music
Eleanor Daley: Requiem and Other Choral Works The Choir of Royal Holloway dir. Rupert Gough. Great album. Favorites here are "grandmother moon" and "Open thou mine eyes".

Sabrina Carpenter, Man's Best Friend. Glad someone is keeping disco alive: "Tears" is so fun. The rest of the album, I could take or leave. It all sounds very… saturated?

Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Messe de minuit pour Noel. perf. The Virgin Consort cond. Kyler Brown. Preparing my ears for an upcoming concert.

Oneohtrix Point Never, Tranquilizer. All the perfect bleeps and bloops you could hope for! I'll keep this one in the rotation for a bit longer.

Karina Canellakis conducts Tchaikovsky perf. London Philharmonic.

Bach: The 7 Toccatas perf. Francesco Tristano.

Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 cond. Kirill Petrenko cond. Berliner Philharmoniker.

Faye Webster, Atlanta Millionaires Club. I like the bass and Rhodes and slide guitar in "Right Side of My Neck".

Movies
Train Dreams. Loved it. I liked the book, too. Joel Edgerton is a natural at the contained, hesitant, introspective roles. as in Master Gardener. (Hereby issuing a challenge to filmmakers, though: show a nostalgic happy memory scene without filming it at golden hour! It's lazy. People have good memories in all kinds of weather and times of day…)

The Insider. Third viewing, I think. (The first.) This time around, better recognized how the title applies to Bergman as well as Wigand, how he ends up as a sort of whistleblower, too.

TV
The X-Files, s5e7 "Emily".

Hannibal, s1e11–13.

All Her Fault, s1e1–2.

2025, Week 45

2025-11-16T18:15:47.000Z

I put in a lot more hours at the office and wonder, where does motivation come from? Why does work feel like so much fun sometimes, and how do you know whether or not it's fulfillment or a substitute?

Art
This weekend I saw a nice collection of Faith Ringgold works at Jack Shainman Gallery. Especially liked Coming to Jones Road #2: Sunday Evening on Jones Road, acrylic on canvas with pieced fabric border. Reading and exploring afterward led me to Subway Graffiti # 3, acrylic on canvas pieced fabric.

Another good one this week: Motown in Motion, quilt by Stephen Towns in natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, crystal glass beads, metal and resin buttons.

Books
Crossroads of Twilight. Finishing soon, I think more Shakespeare is up next.

Running
Filled in some map in Bushwick this weekend. Maybe the first time I've had nice experience running in that neighborhood. A beautiful autumn morning elevates everything.

Around the Web
Fun Wikipedia wormhole: amate paper, shaft tomb culture, and Olmec colossal heads.

"I'm a huge fan of death. … I think it's the metronome of our existence."

Monks in the casino. "Risk-aversion in the social sphere has combined with their risk-chasing in the market, and it’s created a genuinely berserk modern life script."

When environmentalists choose panic over progress. "Well-intentioned but misinformed resistance to innovation and technology slows progress toward the very objectives environmentalism aims to achieve."

"It’s astonishing that the richest country in world history could convince itself that it was plundered by immigrants and trade."

"You can in fact do time travel. You do it by going to some key places right now."

"i miss blockbuster because it forced you to pick one thing and live with the consequences."

Friction was the feature. "When the legibility of effort disappears, institutions often fall back to cruder filters".

The Taliban Drove This Afghan Trumpeter Into Exile. He Still Dreams of Home. (Congrats, Mishti!)

"Does calling a timeout actually do anything? Does it help?" Analyzing timeout strategy in college volleyball.

"Semicolons are humanity's last stand."

Atlanta Is… a new podcast on my playlist.

Music
A few albums from Alexandre Kantorow…

Saint-Saens: Works for Piano & Orchestra
Brahms: Piano Works. Still don't love it, but a new appreciation for the Ballades, Op. 10.
…Plays Brahms & Schubert

A playlist of Chicago House Music.

Movies
Jurassic World Rebirth. Leans toward the horror genre much more, right from the jump. Maybe too much anthropomorphizing with the obnoxious little baby one, and the napping T-Rex. Casual with child endangerment, but too cowardly to let a minor character die off. A mixed bag, but generally sustains the fun of the franchise.

Frankenstein (2025). Sins lead to suffering. Don't let that happen! I like the Mia Goth's naturalist wardrobe – feathers, lustrous velvets in green, gold, olive, flashes of purple like beetles. The ending scene at sunrise makes a fun contrast with Nosferatu (2024).

TV
The X-Files, s5e6 "Christmas Carol".

Hannibal, s1e9.

2025, Week 44

2025-11-09T16:59:35.000Z

Back to work in full this week, and back to the office. So nice to get warm welcomes and questions about my travels. Absence makes the heart grow fonder? The ability to work from home so often is priceless. Full-time WFH, though… not for me!

Art
Perils of the Sea Traveller, color stonecut on paper by Pitseolak Ashoona and Mary Pitseolak. It's Not A Dream If You Will It, mural in the Brownsville neighborhood down the road from me. Untitled (Yellow and White), oil on canvas by Ad Reinhardt.

Books
Crossroads of Twilight, cont. This book is living up to its reputation (but I will finish it).

Running
Took the last several months away from run club, and returned this week. Felt good to be back. After so much vacation time, my weekend long run was a bit of a struggle. Build, decay, rebuild.

Around the Web
Fewer people should run marathons.

"Running a marathon is thus, by definition, uncool. It’s one of the most try-hard things that anyone can do. That’s why people like doing it. It feels really good to try. And it feels even better to try alongside thousands of other people trying, too."

On the grid. They're everywhere!

I like the "Does practice make perfect?" illustration in this essay.

"Creativity is just deviance put to good use." (via)

Don't Follow Your Dreams, Follow Your Tools.

How Marlon Brando Changed Acting. For as much as I love and watch movies, the nuances of acting are a big knowledge gap. This was cool. (via)

The Columbo Technique for Technical Writers.

How to "Let Them".

Music
Klaus Schulze, Are You Sequenced? and Another Green Mile. From the second album, "Follow Me Down, Follow Me Down" is a great slow-burn pieces, and also liked "The Wisdom of the Leaves".

Reba McEntire, What Am I Gonna Do About You. I heard "Why Not Tonight" when I was watching Tremors last week. The title track is great, too.

Brunnenthal 1715: Music for Organ and Cornetto. Much more moody and pensive than I'd expected. The "Chaconne in C major" was my favorite.

Arvo Pärt, …Lente. Mostly familiar material, glad I revisited.

Movies
Compensation. Loved this movie. Told in silent-film style, a story of two deaf Black women, in two different eras, finding love. Love the borrowing from pan-the-photograph documentary style, and vivid captions that let you imagine and dream along with the stories. It will make my end-of-year favorites, top tier.

TV
The X-Files, s5e5 "The Post-Modern Prometheus". Black-and-white throwback episode in the spirit of James Whale. Fun!

Words of Wisdom
"The best fertilizer is the gardener’s shadow."

2025, Week 43

2025-11-02T18:15:22.000Z

Sick for most of the last week. Travel catching up to me, or something I caught on the last leg of travel. Coughing and coughing and coughing. The cabin fever is excruciating. But with 20/20 hindsight, I'm glad my norms have shifted. Better to be sick at home and working than going into the office and blithely infecting people.

Noticing a new acquisitiveness since I got back from Japan. I think I'm see my old stuff in a new light, feeling a big urge to replace it, overturn the old ways. Not yet sure what's trying to be expressed. Listening.

Art
The Laughing Demoness (Warai Hannya), from the series “One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari)”, color woodblock by Katsushika Hokusai. (Thanks, Jara). Still Life with Books, Sheet Music, Violin, Celestial Globe and an Owl, oil on wood by Jacob van Campen. The White Place in Sun, oil on canvas by Georgia O'Keeffe. Sun Beams Slant on the Riverbank and Cold Rain Falls from a Floating Cloud, woodcut print by Stanton Macdonald-Wright. Animal, oil on canvas by Victor Brauner. Boy on horseback watching the Space Shuttle Enterprise being towed across Antelope Valley, photograph by Art Rogers.

Books
Crossroads of Twilight, cont.

Running
n/a, sick! :( Lots of walking this week.

Around the Web
Please take one, wonderful essay on museum brochures.

"Part of “good practice” (deep focus, lots of iteration) is having properly-sized feedback loops. Too short a loop, and it subverts the development of voice (too many other voices jutting in, telling you how to be). Too long a loop, and you might lose momentum (some feedback, properly timed, is critical)."

"If Americans sometimes seem crass or like they take life at an easy stride,
it is largely because they are not idle. To the British temperament, there is something vulgar and unsettled about this lack of idleness. And yet the Americans are quite relaxed. Being busy puts them at ease."

Can you be serious and seriously glamorous?

"It's the job of teenagers to annoy, frighten, and bewilder you."

"One of the most basic presuppositions of communication is that the partners can mutually surprise each other."

On factory tours.

900 albums of 2024.

Music
Lots of Klaus Schulze. I was using it mostly as wallpaper, but even with lower level of attention, it's good stuff.

La Vie Electronique, Vol. 1. Four hours!
Moondawn
Transfer Station Blue
Dreams
Beyond Recall
In Blue. See "Wild and blue - Into the Blue".

Daft Punk, Tron: Legacy OST. Big fan of "Armory".

Movies
Black Bag. Took a little while to get on its wavelength, but ended up really liking this spy-couple story. Tight focus. Interesting visual choice to have that shimmery soft lighting glow. Appreciate the nod to "Let's Get Lost".

Trap. Not sure how I missed it the first time I watched it, but the small profiler role is played by Hayley Mills from The Parent Trap. Interesting that a movie like this can still succeed overall even when prominent characters are badly written/weakly acted. Good bones, good mechanics. Loved the angry conversation over pie.

Tremors. The time I watched this was on TBS or something as a kid. Never could track it down again, though I was generally aware of it. Enjoyed the setting in a dusty little western town, if it even amounts to that much. Don't see that often.

TV
The X-Files, s5e4, "Detour". So glad to get back to a monster-of-the-week episode.

Hannibal, s1e4–6. Episode 5, "Coquilles", is so good, the way it ties together themes of shelter/abandonment, fear/mourning, loss/escapism. Beautiful script, connects the killer-of-the-week to the main characters' developments, moves the season arc forward, great stuff.

Bob's Burgers, s16e4.

2025, Weeks 41–42, Japan

2025-10-26T16:00:56.000Z

I spent the last two weeks traveling in Japan. The trip started from NYC to Tokyo, then quickly relocated to Osaka for a few days, and to Okayama for a few (day trips to Imbe, Kurashiki, Hiroshima, Naoshima), and then the last few back in Tokyo. Very different from my only other trip there, where I spent most of my time in Tokyo with brief visits to Hakone and Kamakura. I'm going to dump some of my notes I wrote down along the way.

Fun to feel complete disorientation on first arrival, trusting years of public transit instinct to navigate the first trains. Anything outbound looks good, if not, yolo, we can turn around and try again.

I forgot how lush Japan is. Damp and green, buildings overtaken by where it's not hemmed in. Mountainsides ready to move downhill if not paved over. Fluid. And decaying. Narita airport is far from the city center, so you pass through a bunch of podunk towns on the way to the megalopolis.

It's also very rugged. When I think "rugged" I usually think "rocks", but here it is hills everywhere, steep forested hills just outside every town. Life squeezed in where it can be. In several places I'd seen baseball fields in the middle of houses, like right next door – nets put up around and above so sport can take place while protecting what's nearby. Just like all the retainment walls on the hillsides or concrete embankments on the rivers. Protect with walls so what's inside can be preserved, or exist in the first place.

Shinkansen, like Waymo, was utterly mindblowing for the first few minutes and then I quickly took it for granted. But it's amazing that you can just walk up, buy a ticket, walk directly on the train, and 10 minutes later be traveling at 200mph or whatever.

It's good to have small bits of travel mixed in with the overall trip. An hour or two of calm on a train or bus. Just enough to pull out a book and be in the moment in a different way.

Learned a lot about celadon pottery, and was especially curious about all the peonies and chyrsanthemums I saw carved in them. Also learned a lot about Bizen ware pottery. So great to have LLMs to ask about what I'm seeing and deep-dive on random questions throughout the trip.

Washlets/bidets are such a great invention. We should spread these in the States. Even coffee shops have them!

Interesting to travel and not have all the social cues. Here at home I can glance at someone and have a pretty good sense (confidence, at least, if not accuracy) of where they fit in – nerd, finance pro, Bushwick hipster, "cool" or "uncool", etc.. Not so much there. I can tell when the overlap is obvious – skater chic travels – but plenty of everyday looks I couldn't place.

I love eSIMs. Data is so cheap, no-brainer for future trips.. I remember my first trip to Japan, I bought a cheap burner flip phone so I could have service and text with a few friends I was meeting up with, and call for basic things that weren't easily internet-able ("open today?"). This was 2007 if I remember right. Using Art Space Tokyo and paper guide I guess, and a map, and a willingness to just be kinda lost or not find things. Different times.

Averaging ~20,000 steps per day makes for a pretty good lifestyle.

The towns of Minoo and Imbe made me think about my birth place in rural Georgia. I respond to the familiar, smaller size of each, and the closeness to nature right out the back door. But they also add density, and neighbors, and trains. Best of both worlds? They were like a more ideal form of where I grew up. (Also makes me think of The Goonies or Stand by Me, for example – small town + plenty of friends nearby + plenty of nature for adventure.)

I have a new appreciation for ukiyo-e prints. I especially like the prominence of ghosts, people sitting in waterfalls, toads, goblins. It's all much more lively and weird than I'd thought.

The ideal city size is one that's large enough where it's worth having a bike to run errands across town, but small enough where you don't feel a need to brace yourself and armor up to do it.

As an experiment on this trip, I kept a regret log. Just jotting down poor decisions and 20/20 hindsight to help shape the trip. Among those:

Not adventuring the first night we arrived, instead letting myself crash and nap too long.
Not learning much of the language, and having more basic phrases locked in. I felt both rude and helpless during a few basic interactions. I'm smart enough to remember these things, and had plenty of opportunity to prepare.
Over-relying on the big train stations. It's tempting to navigate to big central stations instead of smaller, less convenient ones. But they tend to be harder to get out of, to navigate through/around, harder to get oriented when you emerge, and a bigger pain to access on foot.
Not eating enough early enough. I always eat breakfast at home, but let that good habit slip. I like an early start, but coffee and pastry will only last so long, and the extra time for a reasonable meal makes a big difference in how the day plays out.
Going to the known tourist trap/shopping area just in case it wasn't as bad as I feared. (It was. (It usually is.))

Art
Hatsuhana Praying at Gongen Waterfall, woodblock print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. Mongaku Shonin Under the Waterfall, woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

Books
Crossroads of Twilight.

Breakneck.

Around the Web
"There are going to be a lot of reluctant script executions and heavy button presses in this new era'"

My first months in cyberspace. (via Jason Kottke)

"I find that my life is simplified if, when I’m tempted to have an opinion, I ask myself why I need one, and what I aim to do with it."

Movies
All of these were watched as the creators intended: on am airplane seatback screen with tinny headphones.

Little Shop of Horrors. I had no idea what I was getting into – didn't know it was a musical. Quite a fun one. Levi Stubbs singing as Audrey II seems like a clear bluesy/sleazy ancestor of Oogie Boogie and that crab in Moana. (I wonder if there are earlier examples in this lineage?) Fun to see Steve Martin's precise theatrical choreographed movement (see also the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels training scene).

Tron: Legacy. It's clunky. Interesting set designs, but not as thrilling, visually, as the original. Plot-wise, familiar father-and-son stuff, again not as fresh. Lots of "catch-up" explanations that slow things down. I like some of the religious undertones. Not sure why computer villains would spend time declaiming to vast ranks of soldiers.

Woman of the Hour. A blunt instrument at times, but effectively chilling.

TV
The X-Files, s5e3 "Unusual Suspects". The Lone Gunmen origin story! Richard Belzer playing a square!

Hannibal, s1e2–3. The Abigail Hobbs character is a tough role to play.

Slow Horses, s1e1–3. Slooooow. Vulgar protagonists really annoy me.

The Last of Us, s1e1.

2025, Week 41

2025-10-12T17:00:01.000Z

A week of winding down, shifting focus, senioritis gradually reaching a crescendo.

Art
Wake, oil on canvas by Lee Mullican. Ancient Flutes, turned bowl in cocobolo wood by William Hunter. Nature Sets Her Hound Youth after the Stag (from The Hunt of the Frail Stag), Netherlandish tapestry in wool and silk. Expo Mouth #10, oil on canvas by Tom Wesselmann.

Books
Mistborn. DNF.

Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future. This has been my morning subway read (daydreaming about east coast HSR).

Crossroads of Twilight. Chipping away at the WOT series until I find my next novel. Seems like consensus ranks this as the worst of the franchise.

Running
Kept my mileage in check, short and steady except for a very fun weekend loop. Looking forward to a couple weeks off.

Around the Web
Will it internet? Spencer Chang time-travels with a watch.

"Subway Builder is a hyperrealistic transit simulation game. Build a new subway system from the ground up while dealing with real-world constraints and costs." Made by @Colin_d_m.

Why Are So Many Pedestrians Killed by Cars in the US?

What happens to college towns after peak 18-year-old? "By 2030, 20.7% of Americans will be 65 or older, while just 20.2% will be under 18."

"Even when telling the history of a country, Shakespeare’s worlds are small; Melville’s, despite being substantially hemmed to a boat, is somehow large. Maybe Shakespeare in some way captured all there was to be captured at the time; if so, in Melville we can see how much larger humanity has become: industry, trade networks, energy, science, anthropology, firms with multinational labour, knowable continents beyond great seas."

Daniel-isms: 50 Ideas for Life I Repeatedly Share, Part 1 and Part 2.

"One thing that I always have, especially if you go to a big concert hall, is that I very frequently want to turn up the volume."

Russell Crowe on maps. Stars! They're just like us! (Thanks, Jara)

Music
Myrkur, Spine. Scandinavian folk + metal.

Klaus Schulze, Deus Arrakis. Been killing it for decades. I should spend more time with his work.

Fusilier, Ambush. I didn't end up loving the rest of the album as much, but I audibly said "wow" on my walk to work when I first heard one of the transitions in "LLC". I love how adventurous the album feels.

DjRUM, Under Tangled Silence.

Various, Tron OST and Nine Inch Nails, Tron: Ares OST. Fun compare/contrast – the electronic+orchestra hybrid in the first, with some pop mixed in, and then the more stark band/studio sound in the most recent.

The Consolers, Jesus Brought Joy. Gospel duets. You can't not smile.

Movies
The Silence of the Lambs. Still great! Would love to see it in theaters someday. When the lights go off and the night vision clicks on…

Manhunter. Still great! On this watch, struck my how quiet and thoughtful so much of the runtime is. Newly appreciated the climax, with our hero fully inhabiting the villain's mindset and behavior, creeping through the moonlit forest to approach the house.

Tron. The cutting-edge visuals of the time are so different in style, and relatively crude compared to what we can do today, that they circle back around to become foreign and strange and wondrous again. Love that the in-computer world also had a bit of silent film look. Beautifully lived-in live-action interiors, too.

TV
The X-Files, s5e1–2 "Redux I & II". We're back! Tough watch in the first , so much talk talk talk talk talk talk. Things picked up in the second one. Mulder is getting so affectionate! I'm ready for Scully to get out of bed, and for both of them to get back to weird middle-America spooky investigations. This main government conspiracy arc is never going to go anywhere! Remember who your friends are.

Hannibal, s1e1. Revisiting this for a third perspective on the Hannibalverse. I think Mikkelsen is my favorite Lecter of them all.

Words of Wisdom
Irving Berlin: "Life is 10 per cent what you make it, and 90 per cent how you take it." (Thanks, James)

2025, Week 40

2025-10-05T21:02:33.000Z

This weekend we celebrated our anniversary. A highlight was a trip to the Metropolitan Opera, on my local bucket list. I love that we still have grand occasions and spaces like this: tuxes, chandeliers, gold, red velvet, broad curving staircases. Rituals and visuals that dial up your expectations, call your attention to share something outside yourself.

As for the opera itself, we saw Mozart's Don Giovanni, which I've only heard a few excerpts of – the overture and the Commendatore's re-entrance Great music and great singing (an untrained ear on this part), but I struggled in the second act a bit, where it felt like the momentum lagged. I was most disappointed by the bland staging, tough. Just like the spare set in the production of The Tempest I saw last year. It was all solid blue-greys colors and empty planes, uniform costuming. The transformation at the end was nice, but saving it for the very last few moments made for a leaden visual experience for most of the run – "It's a famine of beauty, honey!"

"Crudele? Ah! no mio bene" was my favorite aria. There's a romance to the lyrics, and an earthy practicality: the loving, patient, compromise sometimes needed when committing to a shared vision.

Worked late a lot this week. It eventually caught up with me – I wonder if it contributed to my late-week sniffles? – but i don't regret it. I had a thought that maybe I've been leaving too much buffer, not enough pressure. I default that way, a natural caution and conscientiousness. But it leaves opportunities on the table.

Books
Sense and Sensibility. Finished this yesterday and loved it. I'd rank it below Pride & Prejudice, along with most other books.

Running
A steady but lighter week, tapering a bit before a race next Sunday. This morning was a map-filling run to finish off the last few streets in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood.

Around the Web
Brian Eno in conversation with Ezra Klein. A fun idea: "Children learn through play and adults play through art" (of course not the only way). And this was nicely put: "When we look at any piece of art, we are not looking just at that piece of art; we are looking at this piece of art in terms of our personal history. It’s like you are hearing the latest sentence in a conversation you’ve been having for your whole life."

Alain de Botton in conversation with David Perell. On following the news too closely: "Our inner lives have been industrialized."

"A lot of anxiety can disappear if you stop trying to solve things once and for all and just accept that some questions are meant to be asked."

"Parties are a public service".

"If it hurts, do it more often."

"Technologists and techno-optimists need to realize that the way we talk about innovation in articles, in ads, and in manifestos is often suboptimal for the goal of trying to convince skeptics of the value of progress."

Selling Lemons: The hidden costs of the meta game. "If a buyer can’t distinguish between good and bad, everything gets priced somewhere in the middle. If you’re selling junk, this is fantastic news"

"Absent legacy-media prestige or any earlier outdated marker of status, a way to distinguish yourself, to exhibit prestige, is to be an ambassador for a more prestigious brand." and We are the slop.

Music
Curtis Harding, Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt. Self-described "slop 'n' soul" that grows on me day by day. I like the lead guitar in "The Winter Soldier".

Star Feminine Band, Jusqu'au bout du monde. Upbeat, Beninese garage rock. Big fan, check out the title track.

Marshall Allen, The Omniverse Oriki. Heavily chant-inflected noise, jazz, exploration? Didn't click.

Daryl Johns, Daryl Johns. Throwback-y pop/muzak/mall jazz/sitcom intro music, calling back to Sting or Toto or Rick Springfield or the like. "I'm So Serious" is a good example.

Clipse, Let God Sort Em Out. "E.B.I.T.D.A." is so, so fun.

Witchcraft, Idag. Open bluesy metal that made me think of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, etc..

Christopher Stark, Fire Ecologies. Orchestral spookiness. I like the ticking-clock edginess of "Scene 4: Infernal Dance".

A co-worker mentioned Midland, "Final Credits" as a favorite. (Dance music is often great for work, too. Discuss.)

Two albums from Takashi Kokubo, like vaguely dark and sentimental lullabies with nature sounds: Forest and Gaiaphilia.

Movies
Crimson Peak. The third time I've seen it (first, second). Love it. Horror needs more romance – passions heighten danger!

TV
Line of Duty, s4e5–6. I love this show.

Alien: Earth, s1e3. Circled back for one last try. The cyborg guy is intriguing, but for the most part it's just not working for me.

2025, Week 39

2025-09-28T16:40:19.000Z

Last week I went bouldering for the first time in 6 years or so. So great! I need to work that back into my life. For me it's one of those pleasures like playing guitar or videos, where I never got very good, don't particularly care, and find a lot of satisfaction in re-learning the basics every now and then.

Books
Sense and Sensibility. Things I'm appreciating: mixing dialogue with summary of dialogue and the way the narration undercuts and pokes fun at its subjects. Also appreciating how primogeniture and entailment make even the most comfortably wealthy women so vulnerable. An incredibly enjoyable book.

Running
This weekend I ran a long loop touring some of my least-favorite neighborhoods, and had a great time. It's not only where you are, but what you make of it.

Around the Web
Zadie Smith on The Art of the Impersonal Essay. "It’s in that optimistic spot that I set out my stall, yes, and my ideas and arguments such as they are, sure, but without demanding to see anyone’s identifying papers in the opening paragraph."

"Just remembering that everything is connected to the heart can spare you a lot of suffering."

Encourage purposeful friction. "In general, if you can reduce the friction required to start doing or continue doing a thing, you’re more likely to do that thing, and keep doing it longer. Great! Helpful. Unless the thing is something you don’t want to keep doing."

"We specialise in whatever whoever has recently died specialised in."

A 13-meter long table made from a 5000-year old oak log.

Illiteracy is a policy choice. "If you live where I do, in Oakland, California, and you cannot afford private education, you should be seriously considering moving to Mississippi for the substantially better public schools."

"I decided to deconstruct the linguistic memes that dominated the Twitter-waves this year."

Who's Getting Rich Off Your Attention?

"Rich people want middle class culture but delivered in a bespoke, upmarket form".

Why Warm Countries Are Poorer? "A big percentage of equatorial population actually lives in mountains: The closer to the equator, the higher up the capitals!"

Good phrase: "mapping the space between one-off demo and load-bearing infrastructure".

"Aphorisms never accomplish anything. Their whole talent is traveling beyond their occasion, gathering force as they go, to end up on a refrigerator magnet."

"If you want to be able to finish large, complex projects, you have to practice finishing things. which usually means doing smaller projects."

My website is ugly because I made it.

Music
Cappela Romana cond. Alexander Lingas, A Byzantine Emperor at King Henry’s Court: Christmas 1400, London. Very very cool album, love the concept: "Go back in time to 1400, when Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos, seeking foreign aid for besieged Constantinople, spent Christmas in the court of English King Henry IV. […] medieval Byzantine and Sarum chant and royal ceremonial performed by two very different historic choirs, one singing in Greek and the other in Latin, as they celebrated the feast of Christmas at London’s Eltham Palace." Favorite might be "Kalophonic Polychrónion", a baritone and a drone, can't beat it.

James Blackshaw, Unraveling In Your Hands. Twelve-string acoustic meanderings. Second favorite album of the week. I'll keep this one around for a bit.

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen Sings Gluck Handel Vivaldi. The sweet melancholy of "Che farò senza Euridice?" is quite lovely.

Arias for Guadagni: The First Modern Castrato. Here's another version of "Che farò senza Euridice?".

More Mozart: Concertone KV190, Horn Concerto No. 3 KV447, Piano Concertos No. 2 KV39 & No. 4 KV41. He has a very high floor but didn't fall in love with any of these recordings.

Movies
Weapons (2025). Fun to watch but nothing lingering afterward. The vignette structure is a welcome change of pace.

28 Years Later. This is a good blend of high and low. References to Bible stuff, Bergman, Hamlet. I like the use of montage to unsettle and give some historical resonance. Appreciate that the father and mother are very imperfect. What's with movie dystopias leaving all the women in floral dresses?

TV
Line of Duty, s4e2–4. I love Hastings. An imperfect but forcefully moral leader, endlessly disappointed that others set such a low bar for themselves.

SpongeBob Squarepants, s1e1. I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!

2025, Week 38

2025-09-21T19:44:42.000Z

Last week I was out of town for 3 days, out in San Francisco for a work conference we were hosting. I've been there maybe a half-dozen times now, and I think it's gotten better each time. Or I'm just different, finding it a bit easier to get on its wavelength.

On the day of the conference itself, I didn't have formal responsibilities. So just tried to be a welcoming and friendly presence, using the opportunity to strike up conversations with customers, prospects, vendors. Not my natural inclination in a crowd – I was completely fried by the time I went to bed, after the after-after-party – but at the very least, a nice change of pace from the usual.

Two trips to the Pacific coast in the last month, but the view from the plane had me itching for a mountain edition.

Art
The Mellow Paid, oil on canvas by Stuart Davis. The Flatiron, platinum print photograph by Edward Steichen. Departure of Summer, oil on canvas by Man Ray. LA 8, oil on canvas by Shirley Goldfarb.

Books
Sense and Sensibility. Inconsistency is hurting my moment. Need to get back on track.

Running
Heading out of town threw off my rhythm, and cut into my mileage but I rallied for a great long run yesterday. Cooler weather seemed to boost everyone's mood – lots of greetings and smiling faces. Even the seedier neighborhoods couldn't deny it.

Around the Web
Oliver Burkeman on threading the beads of life.

Questions to ask when you think need to finish something.

All leaders are GPT-5s.

Policing and prosecution, inside vs. outside of NYC.

The closest you can get to walking around New York City, 1670?.

Music
Invocazione Mariane perf. Andreas Scholl, Alessandro Tampieri with Accademia Bizantina. I really like the countertenor sound. See "Chi mi priega" and "Quis non posset contristari".

Old Harp Singers of Eastern Tennessee, Old Harp Singing.

Phantoms, This Can't Be Everything.

Movies
Get Out. Masterpiece, gets better every time.

Challengers. So fun! Sexy, messy, shot in interesting ways, makes dramatic mountains out of molehills. Interesting to watch a movie where I've heard the soundtrack before seeing it.

TV
Abbott Elementary, s4e22. I think I've seen more season finales than regular season episodes? Always surprised how gently they close things out.

Line of Duty, s4e1. They know how to start with a bang.

2025, Week 37

2025-09-14T19:09:02.000Z

Last weekend felt like I barely had any time. Felt good to get back to routine, and by comparison, feels like I've been luxuriating in vast expanses of time to work with, happily filled. A good feeling.

Art
Polaroid-style paintings by Edward Cushenberry. Untitled (Harlequin), paper and box construction by Joseph Cornell. Wise Elders Portraiture Class at Centro Tyrone Guzman with En Familia hay Fuerza, oil on linen by Aliza Nisenbaum.

Books
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV. Finished. Maybe my favorite of the year, after Middlemarch. I was sad when it ended.

Sense and Sensibility. Just started! (Turning into an accidental Brit Lit year...)

Running
Yesterday's long run was tough. I bet the layoff/irregularity of the travel week threw things off, and odd timing last week. Filled in a few more pockets of the Brooklyn map, which feels good.

Around the Web
"Instead of Depression", poem by Andrea Gibson.

"I do not think reading is morally good, creates empathy, or a duty. Take all that off the table. We’re just talking about fun here." (via)

Reading with AI.

"The chat context is, among many other things, a handy illusion that conceals a great weakness of current LLMs: their slowness."

From burner phones to decks of cards: NYC teens are adjusting to the smartphone ban.

"The way that we manage temptation as a society is through manners, expectations, and peer pressure."

The percentage of Americans saying college is "very important" has fallen to 35%.

Field Noise is back!

What is an American? and "National" conservatism is un-American.

A 160-pound hiker carries about 44 liters of body water. Losing 1% of body mass as water (i.e., 0.73 liters, about 25 ounces) is the first threshold where performance starts to slip.

Music
Phantoms, Phantoms, and the "Perpetual Motion" single are both fun high-energy dance albums.

Nourished by Time, The Passionate Ones. A genre-crossing, a very "headphones" album. "It's Time".

Duffy x Uhlmann, Doubles.. Intimate guitar duo, no stand-outs, but all of it worth a listen.

Ezra Collective, Dance, No One's Watching. Dancehall funk, I like "The Traveller".

Baby Rose, BADBADNOTGOOD, Slow Burn. I like the backing music/arrangements a lot but the singing style, and the shound of awll the chewred-up shlurrred wuordsh, is really grating for me. :(

La Harp Reine: Concertos for Harp at the Court of Marie-Antoinette perf. Les Arts Florissant, Xavier De Maistre cond. William Christie. I like how the limited volume of the harp forces the orchestra to stand back a bit, even more than usual for concertos.

Movies
Knives Out. Re-watch, still fun, and funnier than I remembered.

District 13. Another re-watch, still fun. There is a certain delight in seeing physical/athletic greatness on screen, often worth the drop in dramatic/acting talent.

Saved!. Light teen comedy skewering a certain strain of Christian moralizing. We don't often see people sincerely wrestling with their religion on screen.

TV
Alien: Earth, s1e1–2. Some interesting additions to the mythology but something is just slightly off. Not sure if I'll continue (but I might!).

CSI: Miami, s6e18. One of the worst-written/looking episodes.

Words of Wisdom
"The people close to you can make their exit out of your life, either by choice or by death. Act accordingly." and "Call your mom. Call your brother. Call the homeboy you used to party with in college. Forever is a long time."

2025, Weeks 35 & 36

2025-09-07T19:09:01.000Z

Last week I went to Los Angeles. My first time back since I moved here to Brooklyn. Took some trips down memory lane – my old apartment, favorite coffee shop, neighborhoods and restaurants with good memories – and also remembered what a lonely and strange time it was. I'd arrived there just a few weeks before the first inklings of a new virus, and a couple months later, lockdown. Happy to be there, and remembered what drew me west, but lots of old emotions shook loose, rose to the surface.

I remember when I first left I had a feeling that I might need to go back at some point and try again. I'm not sure that itch is there the same way. I'd be happy to live there again, but it's less… mysterious now? A known quantity for the right time of life, whenever that may be.

I rode in a Waymo for the first time while I was out there. It was such an odd mix of mind-blowing experience – wow! it's really happening! – and just completely mundane. After a few minutes, it felt totally normal and safe and pleasant. Hard to imagine going backwards from here. (I think I also feel safer as a pedestrian, seeing how well it picked up on runners!)

I also had my first experience on a diverted flight when thunderstorms shut down JFK, and my first time visiting (a hotel on the fringes of) Detroit. Lucky that I don't have more travel scars of this kind.

Art
California Copied from 1965 Painting in 1987, acrylic on canvas by David Hockney. Seated Male Figure, burnished ceramic with slip from Colima, Mexico ca. 200 BCE–500 CE.

Relative to the Getty and the Broad, I think LACMA – the We Live in Painting: The Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art exhibit was super-cool – and the Hammer Museum – really liked Rising Sun, Falling Rain: Japanese Woodblock Prints from the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts – deserve much more attention.

Books
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV. Now firmly into Henry IV's reign. I might keep reading history in this region or era for a while? I've enjoyed pairing with some LLM Q&A as I go along.

Running
Last week all of my running was in my old Santa Monica neighborhood. Mostly around 5am, to squeeze it in before work on east-coast hours. Nothing beats a run on a quiet moonlit street.

Around the Web
Why our house is a library.

"The beautiful thing about travel is that it teaches people how to enjoy themselves in spite of a near-constant stream of small disappointments."

"Air conditioning use in European countries remains around 19 percent overall, with much lower rates in specific countries—only about 5 percent of homes in the UK have cooling systems, and just 3 percent in Germany." And speculations on the class dynamics of air conditioning in Europe. I'm enjoying this beat.

Maybe trains are not abundant?

Music
Gabriela Ortiz, Yanga perf. Los Angeles Philharmonic cond. Gustavo Dudamel. I like the hand drums and general expansion of the percussion section, but I just could not get into this.

Marconi Union, The Fear of Never Landing. Final track – "Cloud Surfing" is one I had on repeat for a while.

Until Death Overtakes Me, Diagenesis. Gloomy droning funeral metal. I like it!

Mozart!

Flute Concertos perf. Anna Besson, Clara Izambert, Reinoud Van Mechelen, A Nocte Temporis. The Andantino from the concerto for flute and harp is undeniable.
Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 perf. Francesca Dego, Sir Roger Norrington con. Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Piano Concertos perf. Jeremy Denk with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. I used to read Jeremy Denk's blog quite a bit, so a novel surprise to see this one pop up in search. Timpani adds so much to the opening of the D minor piano concerto – a punch you simply can't get with just the strings and winds.

Nei giardini d'amore: Baroque arias for 2 alti perf. Carlo Vistoli, Hugh Cutting, William Christie, Les Arts Florissants. "Sempre piango e dir non so" was the stand-out for me.

Movies
Ingrid Goes West. The influencer cliches feel a bit dated and worn already, but luckily it's more focused on the obsessive fandom turned sour. Good physical comedy, too.

Zodiac. I think this is the 4th time I've seen it? It's so easy to watch this movie.

Drumline. Love seeing Atlanta on film. The main character is very annoying but loved Orlando Jones as the band director.

TV
Binging a new TV obsession one week, and then completely abstaining the next week.

Line of Duty, s2e6 and Line of Duty, s3e1–6. Interrogation scenes are consistently great in this show. Not sure I've seen many other TV shows use them as effectively.

Words of Wisdom
"One band, one sound!"

2025, Week 34

2025-08-24T18:22:27.000Z

Last weekend we made gumbo. Today, pralines. Rounding out the repertoire from my New Orleans side of the family. I've been making the oyster dressing for family holidays for a good while now, and I've got a decent handle on red beans & rice. These treats used to be reserved for special occasions, or the summer vacations down to Louisiana. Now as an adult, good reminder that I can… just cook them? Whenever I want?

Had breakfast with a friend this morning and reflected on how nice it is to learn about all the small little tidbits – grad school progress, the new hobby, work challenges, reflections from a recent trip – the collection of small facts (for me) that make their life their life. It's nice to have a rooting interest in other people's lives.

Sometimes reading my Kindle in the dark in bed feels like a very primal experience. Like being near a campfire, calm and quiet, safety and interest nearby, darkness surrounding.

Art
Wooden face mask from the Bembe region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. #49, oil on canvas by Cy Thao. Portrait of Tah-Bo-Ho-Ya, oil on panel by Elbridge Ayer Burbank. Stokrozen quilt by by Ans Schipper-Vermeiren.

Books
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV. Steadily chipping away, and really enjoying it. So much of progress and coalition-building(/-ruining) can depend on quirks of personality, temperament, reputation.

Running
Much lighter week. Wish I'd spent a bit more time stretching or cross-training or the like, but glad I took a lil' break.

Around the Web
Frank Chimero took a sabbatical. "There’s a pressure to have noticeable outcomes to life choices like this. I made space, and after 3 months, all I have is a more internalized sense of that space."

"Asking for help in a way that ppl actually want to help is the number one skill it's literally the most important skill".

The Four Players That Span the Entire History of the NBA.

Moderation is not overrated. "One of my rules of internet discourse is that whenever I see people talking about how something is not a “silver bullet” or a “panacea,” I know I’ll need to take the rest with a grain of salt."

"The death rate from heat in Europe is almost twice the death rate from guns in America". Not good!

Music
Joe Hsaishi Conducts. Maybe the first time The Desert Music has really clicked for me.

While I've been reading The Eagle and the Hart, decided to put on some late 1300s/early 1400s music to keep the mood going. Can't say I deeply connected with any particular works in these collections, but they're all great, and a good reminder of how much talent you con find in any niche you care to look into:

Gothic Voices, Echoes of an Old Hall
Pro Cantione Antiqua, Ars Brittanica: Old Hall Manuscript, Madrigals, & Lute Songs.

Mozart, Piano Concertos Nos. 9 in E-Flat Major, KV271 "Jenamy" & 12 in A Major, KV414/3585P, Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Major, KV211. The second movement of KV414 stole the show for me.

Disasterpeace, It Follows OST, after watching the movie last week.

Radiohead, Hail to the Thief, (Live Recordings 2003–2009). I'll take the studio recordings over these, but reliable as always.

Movies
Goodbye, Dragon Inn. Quiet, observant mood-piece, rainy night at a movie theatre during its final screening.

The Invitation (2015). Third viewing. I really like this movie. (The first time I saw it), I liked for plot/suspense reasons. The second time, I appreciated but felt like I was missing something. This time, I connected much more on an emotional/character level. Repeat viewings can pay off!

KPop Demon Hunters. It's fun! I like how the animation style borrows from manga and such in more expressive moments. Also interesting that the fight scenes are largely "something to do", and presented as artificially high stakes – we know the heroes are going to survive, so let's just make it look cool and keep the story going. I know nothing about the musical scene, so I'll spend some time with the soundtrack, and I think I'll line up a deep-dive into K-pop in general later on.

TV
Line of Duty, s2e3–5. I love how quickly this show moves along. There's not a lot of meditative artistry or glamour. Just the facts, and messy people, and turning the screws a little tighter. Great interrogation scenes recently.

Words of Wisdom
"Skills expand the effectiveness of your kit but they don't substitute for its essential components. The best system is one where gear and training are aligned, with neither one of them overcompensating for the other."

2025, Week 33

2025-08-17T15:00:03.000Z

Art
Moses and the Burning Bush, acrylic on canvas by Keith Haring. Stahlwork, aerial photography of steel production by Bernhard Lang.

Books
Wolf Hall. DNF. Good read, but I lost my momentum somehow. Maybe just need more plot, less character?

On the Calculation of Volume, Book 1. Boring in the details it covered but somehow mildly addictive. (Maybe a little bit like My Struggle?) I think I'll probably skip the sequel and the other five books, but you never know.

The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV. So many details, but I'm into it.

Running
For my work run club, we got custom singlets. 😎

Around the Web
"If your hobby looks exhausting to someone else, that means it’s really yours."

I need to get back to England for the Stanley Donwood/Thom Yorke exhibition at the Ashmolean.

Is air travel getting worse?

ldial: Listen to the best independent and community radio stations in the US. Felt really good to flip on Atlanta's WREK 91.1 on a Sunday morning.

The Social History of the Code Machine. "Timeless values like remaining disciplined under pressure are expressed in actions like marching in a straight line and we become attached to those actions rather than the values. When technology changes those actions, it feels viscerally wrong to us."

NYC's Median Rent is ~$1.6k, and How That is Even Possible.

Where to Look: The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

A 2000-year-old Roman sun hat.

Skateboarding Into Middle Age. And "Skateboarding is the only recreational activity that my kids have pursued in the city that has not required a membership, formal belonging to an organization, or that is dictated by a specific schedule". I started skating a bit at the office, a few minutes each morning when I go in. I'm terrible and it's great.

Music
Marconi Union, The Fear of Never Landing. "Eight Miles High Alone" and "Crystalline" are my faves.

Jenevieve, Crysalis. Haven't stopped listening since I started it. We need more albums with songs that just crisply end, instead of fade out! "Crysalis", love the big bass and splashy cymbals. "Haiku" and "Naive" are lovely ballads. "Missing Persons" sounds like something I'd hear from Kacey Musgraves (complimentary). I love the echoes of R&B predecessors – "Head Over Heels" is kind of a waste lyrically, but the Quiet Storm production is great. "Hvn High" revives the Michael Jackson era. "Nocturne" has the '80s keyboard woodwinds and backbeat. "Faded Lve" with the 70s disco/funk rhythm guitar and walking bass. I love the soda-shop harmonies in "Damage Control". All that in 42 minutes. What a fun album.

Four Tet, There Is Love In You. I like the faster-paced, glitchier stuff like "Sing".

Blackbraid, Blackbraid III.

Movies
It Follows. Second viewing (the first). Holds up! I didn't remember how Detroit-y this movie is. Abandonment of the city echoed by the abandonment of the youth. I want to spend more time with the soundtrack soon.

A Working Man. Jason Statham is just trying to be a regular guy! Give you one guess what happens next.

TV
Ballard, s1e9–10. I hope they find better writers for the next season, but I like the little family they've formed in the basement.

Line of Duty, s4-5. Has some of the most maddening protagonists you'll ever find. I'll return for a second season.

2025, Week 32

2025-08-10T18:14:31.000Z

This morning I spent a couple hours listening to Bach, loudly, while I puttered around the house. As good as earbuds or headphones get, there's nothing that can replace big speakers moving the air, recreating the space and reverb and texture from when it was recorded. (Of course, the extension of the argument is to go to a more live shows…)

I'm enjoying cooking as a creative outlet lately. I think I always have – thinking back to attempting scrambled eggs with a childhood best friend after every sleepover (surely one more spice will make them good?) – I just never point my time or energy in that direction on a regular basis. This weekend: an apple tart, and savory quiche. I think my "I don't care about cooking" identity might be helping. I'm not invested that much in the end result, as long as the vision is clear and ideas are flowing and the process feels fun. Probably better this way.

Art
Spring, study for the Jusélius Mausoleum frescoes, tempera on canvas by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Evocation d'une forme humaine, lunaraire, spectrale, sculpture in polished bronze by Hans Jean Arp.

Books
Wolf Hall. Predicting a DNF, but slight chance I'll dip in again.

On the Calculation of Volume, Book 1. A woman relives the same day over and over. Will probably finish this today. (Will I do it again when I wake up?)

Running
More morning runs over the last week, even managed to squeeze one in before I went to the office. If I'm going to wake up naturally at 5am for no reason at all, might as well take advantage of it.

Around the Web
Why is Rear Window so tense?

37 takeaways from 200 hours with Bach. "How much of Bach do you know? You’ve tasted only a morsel of the world’s biggest cake."

A narrative on fulfilling jury duty in DeKalb County, Georgia.

"Managers don’t often think about their power collectively, but you have it and you can use it."

A Treatise on AI Chatbots Undermining the Enlightenment.

How AI, Healthcare, and Labubu Became the American Economy. "We need to live in the future to build the future!"

100 years of Art Deco: a movement comes of age. (Thanks, James)

Music
Balimaya Project, When the Dust Settles. Tight jazz / west African blend. "For Aziz" is good; the riff in "Anka Tulon" got stuck in my head for a couple days.

Boards of Canada, The Campfire Headphase. I was vaguely aware of this act two decades ago, but never gave it any time. So now my 2025 ears can't help hear "chill vibes to study to".

Two albums of classical guitarist Jason Vieaux playing Bach: Lute Works, Vol. 1 and Violin Works, Vol. 2. Can't go wrong.

Movies
Smile. Had to watch because I heard the second was even better. It's good, and the lead is so good, but couldn't help thinking the roots-in-trauma horror is getting a little worn out.

The Princess Diaries. What an absolute treasure. So glad I saw this.

Smile 2. Thematically richer than the first, maybe less haunting, with another intense, capitivating lead performance. Undermined a little bit here and there with repetitious moments, but it's good.

TV
Ballard, s1e7–8.

CSI: Miami, s7e3.

Line of Duty, s1e1–2. Off to the races.

2025, Weeks 30 & 31

2025-08-03T15:40:25.000Z

Last weekend I went back home to Atlanta. After a 6am flight, the first order of business: breakfast order at Waffle House. Felt good – and strange – to be back in my old stomping grounds downtown.

Second mission: a visit to the High Museum for their exhibition Faith Ringgold: Seeing Children, which was just about perfect. Especially liked the low-mounted art on the walls, and the storytelling area where they had a ceiling-mounted video of Faith Ringgold reading Tar Beach on a loop. (The opening sentence is one of the greatest in all literature.) The collection for Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan was a really nice surprise. Beautifully lush, dense plant-tangled landscapes.

Aside from that, lots of time with family, seeing our local 700-foot waterfall, picking blueberries in the back yard, pondering "Western Art", playing on the floor with paper collage and Legos, eating too much, and sipping evening coffees.

Going back home made me fall in love a little more. Seeing people care about someone you love is inspiring. Like when friends show up to your amateur concert or sports events. It's validating. You want to live up to their encouragement.

Art
The Conversion of St. Paul, a bas relief in stone and glass by Lumen Martin Winter. Ran by this one on the face of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, had to pause to admire for a moment. A Maori feather cloak (kahu huruhuru) in a checkerboard pattern.

Books
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, interesting twist on Rumpelstiltskin folklore.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Only ~20% into it, but so far so good.

Running
Lovely long long run to and through Central Park yesterday, along with Riverside Park and the Hudson River Greenway. (It's so nice to be able to pop into a deli for a mid-run snack.) The biggest breakthrough was bringing some running shoes to Atlanta and making sure I got a few miles in. It's more the commitment than the value of the workout itself.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Geo Gerard biked every road in Atlanta and shares an accompanying photo collection: All the Roads Taken.

Dan Pelzer read a lot of books and kept a hand-written list for decades.

A man who puts jet engines on things.

What 300 Years of Firewood Prices Say About the Economy. Odd Lots is such a good podcast.

Indonesia climbs the value chain and The only thing worse than sweatshops is no sweatshops. A lesson here in not being too picky about how the poor grow wealthier. There is so much at stake!

"One big benefit of traveling is the diversity of places you can see. But another big benefit — not to be neglected — is the diversity of eras you can sample. I am so, so glad I saw what those places were like in the late 1980s, China most of all and also the hill tribes. No history books can compensate for that. So that is a very good reason to travel NOW. And to travel to places that are going to change a lot."

"Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners."

What if you could search every visible word on New York City’s streets?

One Photographer’s 50 Year Quest to Capture the Chrysler Building.

Music
Hamid Al Shaeri, The SLAM! Years: 1983–1988 (Habibi Funk 018). Like this one quite a bit! "Tew'idni Dom" (I love the key modulations) and "Ayonha" made it on my "2025 Bangers" playlist.

Doctor 3, Danilo Rea, Blue. Clean modern piano jazz.

corto.alto, Bad With Names. Horn-forward beats-lounge.

Mulatu Astatke, Mulatu Steps Ahead. The usual jazz/latin/funk blend, see "Mulatu's Mood".

Yamaneko, Pixel Wave Embrace. Video game-y bleeps and bloops, just a little grimey.

Sophye Soliveau, Initiation. Soul + harp, hard to go wrong. "Initiation II - Wonder Why" and "Simple Pleasures".

Movies
Predator (1987). Still enjoyable. Arnold was so much slimmer back then. (Previously.)

Woody Woodpecker. I have my nephew to blame for this one. It's not good.

The Wild Robot. A rewatch, another nephew selection. It's fine! (Previously.)

Los cronocrímenes (Timecrimes). Pleasantly surprised with this little time-travel thriller.

The Illusionist. Good old-fashioned magical romance. Would pair well with The Prestige.

TV
Peaky Blinders, s1e1–2

Ballard, s4–6

2025, Week 29

2025-07-20T17:34:00.000Z

I already had a lot of experience when I joined my team at work. Through some internal moves and a wave of new hires, I've accidentally become one of the longest-tenured. I am The Veteran. Welcoming the recent crop of ~new-grad hires and helping them find their footing has made me realize how much I take for granted. So much just comes easily. Makes me think back to my days working in a public library when I was shortly out of college. I had a couple teammates nearing or past retirement age. Nothing phased them. Objectively, I understood why – they'd seen it all for decades. But of course I couldn't muster the same ease in the same way, though I tried. And I was glad to have the model. So, on my mind lately: what do I want my version of leadership to look like? What's the stamp I want to make? And who am I looking up to now?

Art
Landscape (Bordeaux II), oil on canvas by Amédée Ozenfant. Hautajaiset (Funeral), sculpture by Axel Robert Petersson. Portrait of Joaneta Obrador, oil on canvas by Joan Miró.

Books
Winter's Heart. Done. 9 down, 5 to go?

Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter. DNF. Memoir just isn't for me.

Brave New World, Huxley, DNF, dreadful.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Just started.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
In Praise of More Hangout Modalities.

Summer Travel: Less Phone, More Sketchbook. (via)

"That's why I encourage everyone to walk and take buses whenever you can, because you end up dealing with people who remind you what humanity actually is. Not the polished cartoonish version we're supposed to aspire to, but the far more common messy, complicated, and resilient version."

"We owe our electric age to scientists who were crazy, ignorant, or both."

Idea for a "cover index" to measure great songs.

RIP, Mark Snow.

Music
Mozart Piano Sonatas perf. Angela Hewitt. Cool to hear how much change there can be over a decade and a bit. You can hear really Beethoven bubbling up by the time you reach K.457.

A bit of nostalgic return to Washed Out…

Life of Leisure EP. "Feel It All Around" feels like stepping into a shower. "Hold Out" has the perfect drive for a workout.
Within and Without. "Soft" has a nice mix of melancholy and hopefulness. I have such a vivid memory hearing "You and I" for the first time at one of their shows, bass player vamping in front of a box fan tilted up and blowing his hair.

Addison Rae, Addison. It's not for me, but it goes down smooth and leaves no aftertaste.

Movies
Fast & Furious. This didn't hold up at all for me. It was sad that I felt so remote from it all. Action pieces didn't land, relationships felt thrown together. Felt like I was mixing essential context from a TV show or something. (Has it really been 12 years since the last time I saw it?)

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Now this is a movie! Dudes being dudes. Naval warfare is one of the craziest things we've ever done.

TV
The X-Files, s4e24 "Gethsemane". A bit of an underwhelming season finale, but maybe there's some courage in not relying on traditional cliffhangers. We've been watching every Sunday night for the last 18 months or so. Taking a break for a little while!

Ballard, s1e1–2. So far, scratches the itch. I need a beach house.

2025, Week 28

2025-07-13T16:56:36.000Z

Art
A Mayan blackware ceramic vessel modeled in the form of an owl. [Untitled] (Sax Player), print from engraving on plexiglass by Scott Smith. Landscape with Charon Crossing the Styx, oil on wood by Joachim Patinir.

Books
Winter's Heart. Homestretch.

Running
Feels good to steadily pick up my volume and consistency since late winter. Yesterday I went on my longest run of the year so far, and today, no ill effects. Still one of my favorite ways to explore the city. (Mill Basin is a strange little self-contained world. Felt like I was in Florida.)

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
From a profile of an archaeologist couple: "One of the reasons we’re able to make as many contributions as we have is that we stayed put at one site for a long period of time and we just kept asking questions."

"Given Canada’s vast size and low population density, I was surprised to discover that the country feels more urban than the US, with far more skyscrapers per capita."

Young families have stopped leaving big cities, for now.

Thoughts from buses across America. "In any town such as Harrisburg, you can have two very different experiences, one optimistic, the other pessimistic, and that is the defining feature of the US."

‘No One Else Has a Bike Like Mine’: How Deliveristas Trick Out Their Rides.

"AI feedback (“you raise a profound point”) creates a new market niche for the offhand, the critical or slightly dismissive, the kinds of response only a slightly jaded human being can currently provide."

"I painstakingly printed out my social media feeds FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH so I could read them like a newspaper, as god intended."

NYC art schools see record-high application numbers as Gen Zers clamber to enroll.

"I’ve been sober for six years now; and that kind of milestone does something to your perception of time. It creates a before and an after, and it invites you - gently at first, then insistently - to take stock."

Growth, not gain.

A visual research tool that maps out a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

Music
Cerrone, Christine and the Queens, Catching feelings. Fun! Good pop/EDM/disco feel.

Laura Cannell, A Compendium of Beasts, mixing olde medieval and folk traditions:

Domenico Scarlatti, Sonatas, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 perf. Angela Hewitt. I'm partial to the B minor, Kk.27 and the G minor, Kk.426 seems to anticipate Chopin or the like.

Movies
Red Eye (2005). Tight thriller. I like the focus on only two actors for most of the runtime. Helps that both are charming.

Battle Royale. Second viewing. I love the melodrama – heightened with teenage hormones – and how we learn about so many relationships in the school. Beautiful soundtrack mixing in classical orchestral work.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Still so fun. I think the characters actually work on their cars more than any other film in the franchise. That's cool. I think this is the third or fourth time I've seen it? (Previously.)

TV
The X-Files, s4e23 "Demons".. Feels like I've seen this one a few times before (i.e. Mulder perseverating on sister trauma → unhinged behavior → getting arrested).

2025, Week 27

2025-07-06T16:44:24.000Z

I fear that I haven't paid much attention to my day-to-day life lately.

Art
Approaching Storm, print by Grant Wood. A 19th-century Earthenware pitcher, made in Bangor, Maine.. A male figure in the Nomoli style.

Books
Winter's Heart. It feels good when you learn how to read a particular book.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"It wasn’t because I was smarter or more dedicated, but simply because I’d been looking directly at a specific problem they only encountered as part of a much larger institutional landscape."

"By their late thirties, nearly two-thirds of people born in Wyoming have moved to other states."

"Here I pause for one moment, to exhort the reader never to pay any attention to his understanding, when it stands in opposition to any other faculty of his mind. The mere understanding, however useful and indispensable, is the meanest faculty in the human mind, and the most to be distrusted."

Road House: The Perfect '80s Western. "Dalton is Fonzie-cool, Eastwood-mysterious, and physically pristine."

Why are movies about research so addictive?

The Sustained Two-Shot.

Ryan Coogler talks about film stock and aspect ratios.

Beatrice Chebet breaks the 14-minute 5k barrier.

Music
Taylor McFerrin, Early Riser. Jazz/soul/electronic. I like all all the layering in "Postpartum", and I think that's also what I respond to in "Already There" – something to latch onto no matter where you put your ear.

Daoud's soda single. "plato's twins" has been on repeat, with a restlessness that reminds me of Harmony of Difference-era Kamasi Washington. The full GOOD BOY album was merely good.

Muslimgauze, Single #One.

Movies
You Hurt My Feelings. Such good heart in this one. Love how it portrays how we all seek and need validation outside ourselves (even though we might know better?), and the payoff that can come from trusting, again and again.

The Hunger Games. The shakiest camera you've ever seen. (Previously.)

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Charming as usual. I always wish these were paced just a hair faster.

Transporter 2. Cross an Audi commercial with CSI: Miami b-roll, mix in some Jackie Chan-tics, you got yourself a stew.

Skyfall. So dreary. I give up! I don't like James Bond! (Previously.)

TV
The X-Files, s4e22 "Elegy". The events/mystery side of this is a mess, but appreciated some nuance in the Scully/Mulder relationship.

Couples Therapy, s4e13–18.

Department Q, s1e9. I don't like watching someone get tortured for a full season, but hard not to like a grumpy, swaggering detective.

CSI: Miami, s8e19. Young Alan Ritchson!

2025, Week 26

2025-06-29T13:53:16.000Z

I'm just hunkering down and avoiding the heat as much as I can.

Art
Bird on a branch in front of a skyline, illustration by Leo Gestel. Illustration (Typhoon), woodcut by Edward Alexander Wadsworth. Mithila/Madhubani school illustration of Three Figures: woman with two children playing ball. Drying the Linen, or Moonrise at the Priory, oil on canvas by Maurice Denis.

Books
Winter's Heart. I guess we're doing this!

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
How to Surf the Web in 2025, and Why You Should. "To surf, you must begin on a normal website with outbound links, and avoid all the algorithm-driven thoroughfares (Reddit, YouTube, X, any 'apps') that direct most of today’s internet traffic. You also have to be on a real computer, not a phone. If you end up on social media, you’re no longer surfing."

macOS Icon History.

The trend in book covers with bright type over a painting.

Which book genres are men or women more likely to leave reviews for?

NYC bakeries that sell one thing.

Can AI speak the language Japan tried to kill?

Why Does Every Commercial for A.I. Think You’re a Moron?

Heir Ball: How the Cost of Youth Sports Is Changing the N.B.A..

Music
The Knife, Tomorrow, In a Year. Reminded me of mid-19th-century opera.

Bronski Beat, The Age of Consent. I like the slinky, bluesy city feel in "Love and Money".

Billy Idol, Rebel Yell. So good! "Rebel Yell" is eternal. Ditto for "Eyes Without a Face".

Mark Pritchard, Thom Yorke, Tall Tales. "Back in the Game" and "The Spirit".

Movies
Avengers: Endgame. Too many speeches, and the number of storylines to touch on kills the momentum, and its too timid to land the sentimental Americana register it dabbles in here and there… but still a good conclusion to this arc. (Maybe I just prefer the gloom of Infinity War?)

TV
The X-Files, s4e21 "Zero Sum". "A man digs a hole, he risks falling into it." See Proverbs 26:27.

Couples Therapy, s4e7–12.

Our Great National Parks, s1e2.

Dept. Q, s1e7.

2025, Week 25

2025-06-22T18:00:59.000Z

I got a photo from family recently. My grandpa was a lifelong craftsman, mechanic, carpenter. On the day he died, three tools had been left out on the table saw in the barn. A combo square to plan and check; a notched wooden guide to steer boards safely over the blade; a screwdriver for the hundred little tasks that screwdrivers are useful for. Measure, plan, push forward, adjust.

Art
Exhibition coming soon to the High Museum: Faith Ringgold: Seeing Children. See you in ATL!

Man of the Night, statue in bronze by Germaine Richier. The Tilled Field, oil on canvas by Joan Miró.

Books
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. Maybe it's because I'm too familiar with them, but surprised by how… dry? factual? the stories were. Like reading very straightforward reporting. Not bad, though. Just not as dramatic as you'd think in this telling.

It. DNF. I've never read Stephen King before! I think I should look to his other, shorter works.

Between Two Fires. Historical Christian horror? Interesting! Getting a better sense of the time period (Black Death-era France), how desperate and destructive and confusing it must have been.

Running
I'm acclimating to summer weather. This weekend I continued my irregular series of running to the end of various subway lines, with a journey east through Forest Park to the Jamaica–179th Street end of the F line. There's something interesting on the other side of every intersection.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Captchas in textiles.

"Your time and energy are the key bottlenecks in your life, and thus choices are always being made."

What Happened to Working Your Way Up from the Mailroom? "The measure of how efficiently talent is allocated in a society is how young you are when your dreams are crushed."

"We learned this about platforms a long time ago: following the old newspaper schematic, they aren’t the printing presses, but rather the assignment editors."

"'What about x, y, z? They’re really pushing the boundaries of fiction as a medium.' I don’t want to be mean, but I doubt it."

Is embracing AI intellectual or anti-intellectual? and the value of academic silos.

Invite knowledge through randomness with WikiRadio and WikiTok.

"The basic fact is that you cannot defend democracy if you cannot meaningfully contest a wider range of Senate seats."

Music
Two more from The Knife this week:

Deep Cuts. I like "You Make Me Like Charity" and videogame melancholy of "Behind the Bushes".
Silent Shout. "Silent Shout" feels like it has a lot of early synthwave Kavinsky-type sounds percolating in there. Not a complaint. "Like a Pen" is great, too.

Movies
Avengers: Infinity War. Captain America's phone has an Atlanta area code! The deaths of Vision and Spider-Man hit hard. Respect for movies willing to end on a sour note. Well done.

Gosford Park. I'll just echo everything I wrote about my first viewing. Still one of my favorites seen in 2024.

TV
Couples Therapy, s4e1–6. What an addictive show! And so rare for me to feel emotional about any reality TV. So much hurt that goes so deep.

The X-Files, s4e20 "Small Potatoes". Another good silly one.

Dept. Q, s1e4–5.

2025, Weeks 23 & 24

2025-06-14T17:11:32.000Z

I remember getting really grumpy that first Sunday in June. Lots of waiting, and random empty timeslots to fill. Nothing clicking. This last Sunday, stark contrast: up at 530am, out the door before 6am, and a morning of trailrunning ahead of me. Always the balance of planning enough that I don't feel lost, but not so much that I feel hemmed in. Self-management is hard!

Last Friday evening we went to see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at BAM. Treading was an excellent duet (Steve Reich soundtrack!), but I looooooved Grace. It opens with a delicate solo that had this edgy restlessness lying underneath, then turns into a huge ensemble piece switching between gospel, house, afrobeat soundtracks. High energy, super cool, great costuming, too.

I got a new laptop and it's great and perfect and… underwhelming. I no longer feel the quiet fury and resignation and impatience I'd feel watching the old one slowly grind through clicks and keystrokes. But in the end, just another screen and keyboard?

Some friends visited the city earlier this week, their kids in tow, and enjoyed the brief window into the kookiness and chaos that is the young mind. The one who barely looked at me when introducing myself soon latched on, eating up every morsel of attention. The distinct personalities with just a handful of years. The way brothers alternately admire and despise each other in 5-minute cycles. What a ride.

Art
Tapestries by Sam Dienst. Meditating Frog by Sengai Gibon. Aztec figure carrying corn.

Books
Extinction. Finished, glad I read it, good change of pace. The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James, a magical realist western, didn't click with it, DNF'ed. The Story of King Arthur and his Knights by Howard Pyle, just started.

Running
Most recent highlight was doing some trailrunning up along the Hudson River valley. We took the Metro North train up to Manitou, stepped off onto a quiet country road, ran up into the hills and ridges, eventually descending back to Garrison (where we saw the train coming around the corner and finished with a desperate, exhausted last-minute sprint) to catch the train back home.

I'm feeling… excited for summer long runs!?

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Musical stars we're forgetting and when pop music went supernova.

Italo Calvino’s 14 Criteria for What Makes a Classic. (via)

How to Live on $432 a Month in America. "For the right young person — there are many opportunities to stop pointing the finger at the boomer and to become the boomer, if they so choose." (via)

Things To Do While Waiting.

It’s a great time to be a human philosopher.

"[LLMs] devour schlep, and clear a path to the important stuff, where your judgement and values really matter."

Nice rocks.

Federal law enforcement funds would be better spent solving all murders instead of deporting people.

Music
A couple albums from Of the Trees…

Harvest
The Tale of the Elegos. I like this one more, felt more cohesive, more natural flow.

André 3000, 7 piano sketches.

Zeena Hawkins, Three Harps, Tuning Forks & Electronics. I feel like this album title is directly marketed to me, specifically. "Tuning Forks" is great.

Ghost, Skeletá. Theatrical metal, so fun.

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 perf. Wiener Philharmoniker cond. Carlos Kleiber.

Two from Justice, both fun in the moment, but not a ton of staying power for me…

Justice. "Genesis" is a good start, like a movie overture. Then turns into a good stank-face romp.
Hypderdrama

Some quiet piano albums from Elijah Fox…

Steve Reich, Music for 18 Musicians. Heard this again at the Alvin Ailey show and remembered why I love it.

The Knife, The Knife. I like the messy jagged guitar reverb in "I Take Time"

Movies
For a good while there I was burned out on superhero movies and Marvel specifically. I've been playing catch-up, and enjoying it.

The Incredible Hulk (2008). I've never spent much time with Hulk comics or otherwise. I think I prefer how Ruffalo carries the role, but I love how this one looks, and gave me a new appreciation for the character.

Avengers: Age of Ultron. Probably the best villain in the whole arc?

Spider-Man: Homecoming. Spider-Man/Peter Parker is at his best when he's a teen, rather than a bumbling adult. (Or maybe you need to be Christopher Reeve to pull it off the type?)

Thor: Ragnarok. It's fun. I wish more of the movies were this colorful and silly.

TV
The X-Files, s4e18 "Max". "Men with spartan lives, simple in their creature comforts, if only to allow for the complexity of their passions."

The X-Files, s4e19 "Synchrony". Surprised it took so long to do time travel. Or am I forgetting other episodes?

Reacher, s3e8. Each season has gotten worse. Disappointing trend!

2025, Week 22

2025-06-01T17:22:03.000Z

I don't miss Twitter and for the first time in a long time, I gave serious thought to deleting my account. Doesn't feel the same when I hop on. The magic is gone. Some change in audience and content over the last decade+, sure, but maybe it's just I have changed? I keep bringing this up (like in week 18) because I didn't full expect it to happen. I thought I was just going to take it off my phone, refocus a bit. In the past, while never a heavy poster, I was a diehard at-least-daily reader and generally unabashed fan. It felt like the nerve center for all my interests. Now, it's a place I find interesting for a few minutes every week or so. Things change.

Highlights from last week include the Liberty vs. Valkyries game (wiped the floor with them), and the Powerhouse Arts Community Day, where I learned about Mucky the Dolphin.

Art
Almondsbury to Temple Quay, map in stitched canvas with hand painted silk applique by Kate Tarling. Edtaonisl (Ecclesiastic), painting by Francis Picabia. Bōtarō's Nurse Otsuji Prays to the God of Konpira for His Success, color woodblock print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. A 2nd-century Roman brooch in the form of a dog attacking a boar.

Books
Rainbows End. Finally done! Appreciate the amnesia revival, wearables, competing augmented realities, asshole protagonist

Extinction, by Douglas Preston. Fun murder mystery with debts to Jurassic Park. There's a lot of value in "whatever keeps the pages turning".

Running
After a great stretch last week, this week I barely ran at all. On the bright side, got to fill in some big gaps in my map. I really love learning all these Brooklyn neighborhoods first-hand.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
The case for more public youth art.

Adjusting for demographics and income, the South is an educational powerhouse.

In the U.S., more people work for the MTA than in coal mining.

Very strange and cool to see an LLM talk about how it thinks.

What happens when the intelligence goes out?

Scott Sumner suggests some overlooked films.

The Entity: On the Technologies of Late Cruisedom.

Clint Eastwood: "There are directors who lose their touch at a certain age, but I’m not one of them."

Music
A few more form Jon Hopkins. Enjoyable, but none of them latched onto my soul the way my first exposure did back in week 15.

Blackbraid,"War Drums at Dawn on the Day of My Death". Metal!

Elliot Cole: Percussion Music. Inventive, exploers the full spectrum of possibilities. Enjoyed this more than I expected.

Movies
Now You See Me. Did not enjoy! Wish we spent more time with the magicians instead of the cops. Maybe it all works better on a big screen?

The Return. I like how this film takes the events of The Odyssey for granted. We see everyone exhausted with this era of their lives, reckoning with what must come next. Ralph Fiennes is shredded! I hope I look as good in my 60s as he and Binoche do.

TV
The X-Files, s4e17 "Tempus Fugit". A hangar and a cliffhanger!

Reacher, s3e6-7. Ready for it to end.

Words of Wisdom
"Nibble, and your appetite will grow."

2025, Week 21

2025-05-25T17:30:53.000Z

Feels like work kinda took over this week. Demanding mostly in just raw hours, but not really difficulty. Crawled to the finish (a walk to our favorite pizza place) and had a wild Friday napping on the couch. A good life, all in all.

Art
Harlem Street Scene, screenprint by Jacob Lawrence. On the Bank, oil on canvas by Frederick Carl Frieseke. White Moving Forms on Black Background (TNT), sculpture in painted metal and wood by Jean Tinguely.

Books
Rainbows End. A bit more than halfway through, hoping I can pick up steam and move on to others. Winter's Heart. Other Thing by Craig Mod.

Running
Good mix this week: weekday evening trail runs, morning runs before work, and exploring some new streetsin Dumbo and Gowanus on my long run.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"Let’s let them be young and have fun, even if we cringe at it."

The Most Valuable Commodity in the World is Friction.

A family that makes art together…

"Kids won’t flatter your ego. If it’s not fun, you’ll know."

Music
A few more with Sō Percussion and…

Bryce Dessner, Music for Wood and Strings.
Steven Mackey, It Is Time.

BLAAP, Of the Trees, Freddy Todd, Volcanology. I like "LIFE CONTROL", puts a little snarl on my face.

Movies
In the Cut. A sick romance and murder mystery all wrapped up. I didn't love it but I feel like it's so fresh and disorientingly different I eventually will.

X. Horror on the farm. Interesting commentary on ageism.

Trap. Good to see Hartnett explore so many moods and facets. Falls flat in the last 10-20 minutes or so, but plenty of fun beforehand.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. A little flabby and dour. It's lost the spark of silliness that makes the franchise great. But the biggest setpieces were as good as you'll find.

TV
Reacher, s3e5. Teresa!

Bosch, s1e6.

2025, Weeks 19 & 20

2025-05-18T17:29:04.000Z

One of those periods where life runs away with me and other things fall away. A busier period than usual. In the middle of the worst of it, I felt oversaturated and exhausted. After the fact, not too bad? There's a lesson in there.

All started on Sunday night a couple weeks ago, random dinner out at a new place… before leaving the next morning for a three-day work retreat the next morning. (One big adjustment: my wife travels for work much more often than I do, so it felt weird to be the one leaving her behind.)

Our company went up to MASS MoCA, and took over the museum. What a treat to have a place like that to ourselves. One morning, after a 5am wake-up, I got to have a James Turrell piece all to myself for a while. The huge Sol Lewitt collection was probably my fave, though.

Came back to reality and been playing catch-up since then. But I lucked into a concert on Friday with Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion at BAM. Really awesome performance. Loved how they played with lamps, and used the instrument blankets to build out the set as the show went on.

Last Saturday and Sunday, I took a two-day workshop about weaving at the Textile Arts Center. I know how to use a loom now! Started from yarns, measured out the warps, strung it all up, and then played with different patterns.

Mission accomplished for me: I have a much, much deeper appreciation for the history of the tradition, and the incredible labor and thoughtfulness that goes into this craft. And I'm really happy with how my little sampler turned out:

Maybe it will move from casual exploration to a classic hobby?

I continue to be Twitter-less or Twitter-lite these days, keeping it desktop-only. Yesterday I put it back on my phone, stayed up too late scrolling for nothing in particular… and then woke up and immediately started scrolling for nothing in particular lol. It's amazing to watch the casino addiction re-form so quickly – deleted again!

Books
Rainbows End. Library loan expired. Guess I gotta buy it now.

Winter's Heart, cont.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Designing for constraints in education. "We have to design for the standard days not the ideal ones."

Mississippi Schools Are Better Than Yours. "Painting the Deep South as an embarrassing cultural backwater is one of the last socially acceptable forms of prejudice among elites."

3 thoughts while pushing a wheelbarrow.

"If the United States had matched the rate of improvement in road safety since the 1970s seen in, for example, the Netherlands, Sweden, or Spain, it would have prevented 2 out of every 3 road deaths."

Appreciating the architecture and optimism of Radio City.

Music
Inspired by the concert, dived back into Shaw/Sō again, all strongly recommended…

Also played:

Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, Ex Tenebris Lux. String orchestra texture and swells.
Francisco Mora Catlett, Outerzone. Free-spirited jazz and noise.
Howie Lee, Event, Fact, and Those which are emphasized. Glitchy electronic patches and samples and explorations.
Harald Grosskopf, Synthesist. German electro!
Songs from the Kitchen Disco: Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Greatest Hits. Listened to this after hearing "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" on the dancefloor.
Leyla McCalla, A day for the hunter, a day for the prey. Haitian-inflected folk.
Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, The Melody of Rhythm. It's an interesting mash-up from insanely talented people, but I don't think it's a successful one?

Movies
State of Play. Fun re-watch. Journalism can be really compelling – underdogs, persistence, troublemaking.

Practical Magic. Totally charming! Really enjoyed it, and appreciated how many odd little turns it took, and tension drawn out from people who aren't sure why they're behaving the way they are. And briefly, one of the best road trip scenes you'll ever see.

The Order. Really like this one, too. A crime drama that's not quite gritty or grim, just... worn down? (And maybe I need a mustache again...)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Desert sandstorm shootout is really cool, the chase scene with the little yellow car is still perfect, and so is the fight in the narrow alley. Warming up for the grand finale.

TV
The X-Files, s4e16 "Unrequited". Vietnam vets again!

Reacher, s3e4. Reacher is too sociopathic. I'll still finish the season, I think.

CSI: Miami, s7e18.

2025, Week 18

2025-05-04T17:57:03.000Z

I don't remember when I took Twitter off of my phone. A month ago, a month and change? It's become more like a weekly treat on a Saturday or Sunday morning on the laptop. I feel like I'm missing out on a ton, but mostly don't think about it. I feel less distracted, less twitchy, reading more, having fewer "where did the evening go?" moments. It's a good change.

Art
Vessel in the Form of a Circular Pyramid from Colima, Mexico, c. 300 BCE–300 CE. Blue House (from Food Clothing Shelter portfolio), 1996, photogravure on paper by Laurie Simmons. Pueblo vase in sterling silver, 1893 by George Paulding Farnham. Brooklyn Summer Friday Night, 1954, oil on canvas by Diana Korzenik.

Books
Rainbows End, cont.. Favorite part so far is this idea of reviving people afflicted with Alzheimer's, what they might experience as they return to full understanding of the world.

Running
A fun week of running – a Sunday long run visit to Marine Park and the salt marsh, another touring through Red Hook this morning. Running with new friends, a sunset run on Tuesday and an impromptu club run before work on Friday. It's felt pleasantly erratic.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
An appreciation of Revenge of the Sith. Do we make "downer epics" anymore?

Robert Daniels and Odie Henderson talk about Sinners.

Your next best friend.

Who’s most likely to change (or hyphenate) their name after marriage?

"The TikTokers documenting themselves wading into the sea, reading by the beach, drinking espresso, and riding Vespas for the sake of #eurocore are live-action role-playing Europeanness, in Europe. Which is, of course, what tourists have been doing for centuries."

"People like to psych themselves up by talking about how there’s no point in winning elections if we’re not going to stand up for our core values, but the converse is equally if not more true — there’s no point in articulating a policy agenda that stands no chance of being enacted."

Lamenting the kerning on Pope Francis' tomb.

Music
Various, Sinners OST. Ginz Zilbalodis and Rihards Zalupe, Flow OST. Harald Grosskopf, Ümit Han, Magnetfeld. Darkside, Nothing.

Movies
Gone Girl. Fourth viewing (my notes on the previous three). It has such a mesmerizing pace. The media angle really struck me this time, the need to play to the cameras.

Ex Machina. Third viewing (the first two). Felt a little impatient this time, but I think I appreciate each of the individual performances more. Nuanced work.

Along with The Social Network last week, these made for a fun accidental trilogy on tech/media/misogyny.

TV
The X-Files, s4e15 "Kaddish". Golem!

Reacher, s3e1–2. When I say this I mean it literally: I don't know what's going on.

2025, Week 17

2025-04-27T17:21:35.000Z

Felt like a bit of auto-pilot this week, activities on most evenings and packed days in between.

Books
Bright Young Women by Jessical Knoll. A little disappointed in the end, as it veered away from what I was most interested in, but it kept me turning pages, and that's victory enough.

Rainbows End: A Novel With One Foot In The Future by Vernor Vinge. Just begun – lively!

Running
A return to a higher-mileage week after winter dormancy. Also ran with a group from the office, which was novel. (Running in Manhattan at 6pm is really annoying!)

Explored a new park this morning, a rare bit of quiet.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"what does it seem like everyone else is mysteriously bad at? That’s probably a sign that you have good taste there."

I feel for the owners, but I like the vandalizing woodpecker.

Overhead view of Manhattan looking south, 1931. (via)

Dispatches from my year of classical music.

Why Have Sentence Lengths Decreased?

Music
Paolo Fresu, kind of MILES. Cool jazz covers.

Mark Pritchard, Thom Yorke, Gangsters. "Back in the Game" is just about perfect.

Kuniko, Steve Reich, kuniko plays reich. The steel pans in the first movement of "Electric Counterpoint" was unexpected and completely perfect.

Mandrill. I overheard "Chutney" playing at my go-to burrito place, and had to know what it was. Blues rock, hippie flute jams, west african drumming, they got the whole stew. "Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi) - Movement V (Beginning)" was another fave.

Blanc du Blanc, Scientist, Scientist Meets Blanc du Blanc: Before the Beginning. Trippy reverby headspace dub. See: "Taming Power of the Small: Dance of the Celestial Beings".

Movies
The Social Network. Still great. Filed under: David Fincher.

Sinners. Overstuffed to its benefit and detriment. A lot to say but I don't now what it means to say. At its best when leaning into music-video excess and reality-bending. Too many endings!

Flow. Pleasant and kinda boring. Like watching someone play an open-world video game, but more aimless and cloying. Beautiful, though.

Dark City. Second watch, just as good as the first. A weird little masterpiece.

A Poem
"Walk On" by Donna Carnes

You walk on
Still beside me
Eyes shadowed in dusk;
You’re the
Lingering question
At each day’s end.
I have to laugh
At how
Open-ended you remain
Still with me
After all these years
Of being lost.
I carry you like
My own personal
Time Machine,
As I put on my lipstick, smile,
And head out to
The party.

2025, Week 16

2025-04-20T16:35:21.000Z

Did my taxes last week, a capstone on an other wise perfect Sunday: awake early, reading and writing in bed for a bit, morning walk, personal admin, afternoon run, pizza, movie, nap, dinner, reading until bedtime.

I got audited by ChatGPT this week, now that it has ability to remember and consider previous chats. I played with a few questions I've seen floating around:

Describe me based on all our chats – play it straight.
(necessary follow-up when LLM was trying to butter me up:) I don't see much criticism there. Feels like you're soft-pedaling a bit…?
Based on everything I’ve ever asked you, what do you think my biggest blind spots are?

I got the kind of accurate criticism that makes you squirm but where you also quickly 'fess up to it – embarrassed laughter, easy recognition of my best and worst.

Art
Yesterday after visiting a new diner, we went to see Amy Sherald: American Sublime at the Whitney. I'd previously seen her work collected at Spelman Museum in Atlanta and a couple years later at Hauser & Wirth in LA. I don't know many other artists where I've been able to revisit the work in person over a few years, and see them refine and iterate and grow during my actual lifetime.

A Universe of One, 2018, collage, watercolor, and charcoal on canvas by María Berrío.

I signed up for a two-day weaving workshop at the Textile Arts Center next month. It's been a consistent interest for a few years, just as an appreciator of the craft. Can't wait to get hands-on and learn more. I've also been taking more photos lately. I have no method or philosophy that I know of. I just like trying to capture things that might look interesting? And that's enough for me right now – feels good to be a carefree dabbler.

Books
Bright Young Women. Re-visited, found my way in.

Running
Really enjoying my early evening runs before dinnertime. And this morning I had best run-walk ever, wife by my side, cold breeze, warm sun, flowering trees in bloom. Perfect start to the day.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
I've been off Twitter for a couple weeks now, and generally drew back from online inputs this week. I'm liking this change. I'll be back later I'm sure.

"i think creative people ramp up when they lean into their pretentiousness. creativity is supposed to let you be someone you're not (but aspire to). admit that beauty moves you, that footnotes excite you, that you think art matters. 'I do have taste and i'm not ashamed of it.'"

Music
Vega Trails, Sierra Tracks. Folk/chamber music – double-bass and saxophone and drums and orchestra – that would be perfect for a soundtrack. Probably my favorite of the week. I like "Murmurations".

Or maybe it was John Carroll Kirby, Septet? Tightly-written jazz with a bit of funk exocita. Dig the bookends, "Rainmaker" and "Nucleo".

Abercrombie, Hammer, DeJohnette, Timeless. A bit more jam-jazz than I typically respond to. I like "Red and Orange", though.

Terje Rypdal, Chaser. Is this easy listening? Or a predecessor? "Once Upon a Time" typifies the spacy, jazzy, noodly vibe.

Eberhard Weber, Endless Days. Jazz bass, didn't stick with me.

Elliott Carter, Orchestral Songs & Choral Works.

Laura Cannell, "Wake the Slumbering Lyre".

Movies
The Clock (1945). Charming. Strangers meet in NYC, have some adventures, fall in love. I love the willingness to let linger on their faces. The elation when they found each other at the train station! It will probably make my end-of-year lists.

Dawn of the Dead (2004). Pretty good! You got your reliable people, you got your flakes, you got your bad decisions, you got your relentless zombies. I don't need the body horror stuff, but the dread and close calls are dialed-in.

Small Things Like These. Gentle, heavy, dark, hopeful. Powerfully acted without being loudly acted.

TV
The X-Files, s4e14 "Memento Mori". Very worried about whatever deal was made with the Cigarette-Smoking Man.

2025, Week 15

2025-04-13T14:31:05.000Z

This was an exhausting week at work, and that sort of vacuumed up all the energy I might have put elsewhere. Took on some work in a new area, straight to the deep end, trying to absorb context on the fly. Add in our usual backlog and a critical incident or three, and poof, the workdays fly right by… and continued into the night a few times. It's nice to know that, when needed, I can just crank out a 12-hour day and come back for another one. People are resilient!

This week I also had a last-minute hang with a friend in town, one I hadn't seen in a couple years. A huge and immediate boost. Highlight of the week.

Art
Starry Night and the Astronauts (1972), acrylic on canvas by Alma Thomas.

The People’s Bank Shortly Before the Crash (1877), oil on canvas by Christian Ludwig Bokelmann.

Reflection #2 (1959), tapestry by Kay Sekimachi in plain-woven linen, cotton, and rayon.

Books
Life and Fate. Feels like I'm losing my grip on this book. Found myself skimming over, rushing through, attention drifting.

Bright Young Women (Knoll). A little bit of trashy killer thriller to liven things up. I think this will end up as DNF.

Running
One of the things that fell by the wayside this week. I did return to run club yesterday for a rainy 38° run over the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridges. A familiar route, but made sure to liven things up for myself with a couple detours. Needed that dose of selfishness.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"The idea that nastiness and negative affect are going to win the day strikes me as a lazy tactic that people reach for because they lack creativity and skill."

Patrick Collison on what Europe and the U.S. each excel at. I've only spent a couple months in Europe (at most), but it has the ring of truth.

Read to live, live to read. (via)

Middle-aged man trading cards.

"And the days are not full enough", poem by Ezra Pound.

Music
Freddie Jackson, Rock Me Tonight. Another r&banger that I heard my local grocery store: "Rock Me Tonight for Old Times Sake".

Jon Hopkins, Singularity. This one rips. See "Emerald Rush" and "Everything Connected".

Jon Hopkins, Music for Psychedelic Therapy. On the lighter, wispier side of electronic vs. the pulsing EDM flavor of the previous.

Harms Way, Posthuman. Metal. "The Gift" is easily the least like the others, but I like it's nightmare-ish basement-of-horrors energy.

Movies
West Side Story. The first and only time I saw was when I was a kid, must have been elementary or middle school. I also played the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story orchestra suite in college. So it was fun to revisit a story I barely remember set to music I know really, really well. The brownface and accents are rough, but it's still a pretty lovely movie.

The Sacrament. Inspired by events at Jonestown. Gene Jones gives a tremendous performance. The rest of the movie, I could take or leave. The wikipedia is haunting enough on its own.

TV
The X-Files, s4e13 "Never Again". Scully wrestles with her inner demons by getting a tattoo.

Bosch, s1e3-4.

Severance, s2e10. Finale! I don't need another season, but I'd 100% tune in if we get one.

Abbott Elementary, s4e18. One of the funnier episodes I remember.

2025, Week 14

2025-04-06T16:47:16.000Z

Yesterday we took a day trip to Washington D.C., which is a kind of trip I don't do often enough. I got the idea when I spotted a new exhibition at the Renwick Gallery, We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts by Black Women Artists. And so a couple months ago we scheduled a trip to see it, and I was so looking forward to it…

…and I left the building disappointed. I think I've long had resistance to political or activist or tribute art. There was plenty here. And I had trouble seeing past it. I remember having the ungenerous though for a few of them, "Why is this a quilt?". And leaning into my cynicism further, feeling like it was roughly equivalent to, e.g. bronze sculptures of military heroes. I like portraiture, but memorial work, message work, documentary work… not quite as much. So I left there feeling a little deflated. Nothing like the thrills I'd gotten from previous quilt stuff recently.

It's not fair, but that's the way it happens sometimes. I walk in with hopes and curiosity and it just doesn't land. But then we walked across the Mall (passing through huge protest crowds that renewed my faith in America a little bit), and saw some cool stuff at the National Gallery.

Art
Some favorites from yesterday:

Miss Ruby's Crown, 2009, an awesome quilt by Gwendolyn Aqui-Brooks.
From Traditional to Contemporary, 2021, sweetgrass woven basket by Corey Alston.
Marriage in Form, 1996, a pair of bowls made from Pacific yew by Bob Stocksdale, and hornet's nest paper by Kay Sekimachi.
The Return from the Hunt, Flemish tapestry c. 1525-1550, workshop unknown.
New House in the Suburbs, gouache on canvas by Paul Klee.

Books
Life and Fate, cont.. Enjoying the vignettes but also hoping to find some larger arc to hold on to.

Running
Enjoyed another evening trail run in the middle of the week, and a Friday evening run to fully transition away from the workaday work. I've not run with my run club much lately, for accidental reasons. It's funny how quickly the ties can dissolve if you don't regular invest in them. I bet when I go back again this week I'll think, "why did I ever fade out?"

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"From 1984 to 1988, I worked in the Telephone Reference Division of the Brooklyn Public Library." (via) When I worked at a public library, reference work was one of the more stressful and satisfying parts of the job, a rollercoaster that could go from "How am I supposed to know?" to "I can't believe I pulled this off." in a few minutes.

Good conversations have lots of doorknobs. (via)

"My scheduling principle is to do the thing I hate most on my to-do list. By week’s end, I’m very happy." (via)

"Business is a lot like the law, in that it doesn’t necessarily work the way you feel it should. It works the way it does whether you like it or not."

RIP, Val Kilmer. I liked Scout Tafoy's tribute, and Adam Nayman's on "a mercurial A-lister who toggled between total immersion and resistance". In the "if only" category: "My dream is to play Frankenstein with Werner Herzog directing."

Why domestic prices rise with tariffs.

Music
Deniece Williams, This Is Niecy. '70s soul, big fan of "Cause You Love Me Baby". Like Jara said, a great roller-skating song.

Some regional compilations, various artists…

Two from Terje Rypdal…

Blue. I love the bass and heaviness in original version of "Last Nite", whic doesn't come through as clearly when it soundtracks the balcony scene in Heat. And "I Disremember Quite Well" made me think of The Place Beyond the Pines soundtrack, e.g. "Schenectady".
Lux Aeterna, with orchestra and organ. Echoes of Arvo Pärt?

Nils Petter Molvaer with The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Certainty of Tides. Jazz trumpet and moody strings. I liked it.

12 Ensemble, Metamorphosis.

TV
The X-Files, s4e12 "Leonard Betts". A headless man eats cancer. Classic.

The Pitt, s1e2.

Severance, s1e9. Clearing the stage for the finale.

2025, Week 13

2025-03-30T16:36:55.000Z

This sentence aside, I find myself in a less reflective mood lately. A few highlights this week:

Working from home on Tuesday just because, and going for an early evening trail run
Knowing exactly what I need to do and getting into The Zone™ to crank it out
Recognizing when my brain was toast after a few long days, letting go of my usual instinct to resist, and just going to bed at 915pm
Appreciating the different joys that are available when I'm solo vs. when I'm not
Touring a new arts center at their open house and imagining myself there for future shows
Understanding new coffee beans well enough to get what I want out of them

Art
Mother and Daughter at Penn Station, NYC, photo by Ruth Orkin. Ma Vie En Rose, hand-stitched silk collage by Billie Zangewa. Female figurine from Guerrero, Mexico, ~1500–500 BC, made of earthenware with pigment decoration in the Xochipala style.

Books
The Modern Myths. DNF. I didn't expect this, but I think I wanted more essay-like editorializing/theorizing, and fewer academic analyses of other examples? Not bad, though.

My Brilliant Friend. DNF. Kind of amazing in its compulsive readability, very colorful, but I never felt like it was adding up to anything. I wonder if I'd feel differently with older protagonists.

Life and Fate. Enveloping so far. Might be my next Big Book™ for the year.

Finally got around to renewing my library card, so now I have Libby access again if this one falls by the wayside.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"Around a dozen members is the sweet spot of social motivation: small enough to know everyone, yet large enough that the group won’t collapse if one or two members’ enthusiasm wanes; small enough that you are not daunted by competing with the whole world, yet large enough that you still need to be on your toes to keep up." (via)

"Don't end the week with nothing. Prefer to work on things you can show. Prefer to work where people can see you. Prefer to work on things you can own." (via)

"If you are blaming people for gentrification (in most of its meanings), you are forming a circular firing squad."

"Today, the Old Leatherman is one of those stories that you either really deeply know or have never heard of at all."

The Neighborhoods visits my neighborhood, Crown Heights.

I had an idea this morning, and I was sure that/hoping that someone had done it before: Walking the Length of Long Island. Hmmm. HMMMMMM. 🤔

Bilge Ebiri and Michael Mann talk Thief.

"In our hyper-digital age, it's increasingly the context and framing of information (not the content itself) that drives debates."

"Dynamism does not just mean saying hello. Dynamism also means saying goodbye."

Music
Favorite of the week: Gino Vannelli, Brother to Brother. I first heard "I Just Wanna Stop" in the grocery store last week, and I just wanted to stop and tell you what I feel about it! So good!

Fairport Convention, Liege and Lief. Hippie rock.

Masahiro Takahashi, Humid Sun. Delicate electronic, like RPG village music.

Max Oazo, Moonessa, Once Upon a Time (Melodic House & Techno). Maybe I should listen to more remix albums? Played this a lot in work crunch-time this week. It's a good thing I've never tried any drugs – there's a plausible alternate timeline where I got lost in the club scene.

Movies
Rumble Fish. A story of a younger brother and an older brother and forming yourself on your own. With the benefit of hindsight, a totally loaded cast. Matt Dillon! Nicolas Cage! Laurence Fishburne! Diane Lane! Dennis Hopper! Mickey Rourke! Sofia Coppola! Tom Waits!

Elevation. An economical monster thriller. I had fun with it.

His Girl Friday. Madcap screwball antics. I wish they still wrote dialogue like this.

Birth. I love the way this movie looks, and Nicole Kidman puts on a show. Disturbing and depressing.

Den of Thieves. Compared to my week 3 viewing, not quite as fun. I like seeing the MARTA trains scoot by during the shootout.

TV
Bosch, s1e2.

The Pitt, s1e1. Under-recognized part of being an E.R. doc is you must repeatedly walk away from people who are in crisis.

The Residence, s1e4. Just parachuting in for a quick taste. Good example of the power of storytelling by charismatic people.

Severance, s2e7-8. I'm glad that Gemma is no longer an icon, but something more grounded. Cool to see factory town roots of Lumon.

Words of Wisdom
"Breaking the problem down and then actually changing behavior to get different results works surprisingly well provided you’re willing to do it. Often success doesn’t come to us the way we want to receive it."

2025, Week 12

2025-03-23T20:54:25.000Z

A reminder to myself: It's nice to call my family. They've known me longer than anyone else, and there's no replacement. Lucky.

Art
Golden Pheasants in Snow, painting by Itō Jakuchū. Love how detailed and crowded this is, like an expensive wallpaper. A Musical Company in an Interior, oil painting by Pieter Symonsz Potter.

Books
After spending most of the year with Middlemarch, it's been a challenge to settle into another one. The Modern Myths: Adventures in the Machinery of the Popular Imagination has been pretty good so far. The Faerie Queene was a DNF.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"As an adult with any degree of complexity to your life: if you want your life full of more of the things you want, you should be willing to do those things imperfectly but frequently."

Leaning into my discomfort era.

An archive of ASCII bedrooms.

"Progressivism should not be a ritual to be followed; it should be a tool to getting real stuff that makes life better."

"All innovation (particularly social innovation) should be presented as a return to tradition."

"One of the most common megaproject failure modes is to not freak out soon enough, and having a concrete plan is the best antidote."

"Outside of Manhattan, 63% of all properties within one kilometer (1KM) of a subway have two stories or less, while 92% are three stories or less." Kinda crazy. So many easy wins just lying around.

New UI & UX in AI.

Movies
Conclave. Modest gossipy drama that evaporated as soon as I turned the TV off. It sets the stage, puts the pieces in motion, and we see who is left standing. I see what they did there, with the ending, and with the way women step into and out of the action througout, but… it felt a little cheap, after so much petty personal conflict and politicking, it suddenly wanted us to care about ideas?

Drive-Away Dolls. Horny and juvenile, but I appreciate how they play with the transitions, soundtrack, and moments of heightened acting. The bit parts were the best parts.

Speak No Evil (2022). A vacation from hell (see: The Rental). Like many good horror movies, we build unsettling dread and discomfort from the small ways that people fail to trust their instincts around other people who constantly push the boundaries. "Because you let me." An incredibly uncomfortable climax, sickening. Not sure I could watch that again – I immediately swore it off – but the lead-up was great.

Red Riding: 1974. A journalist gets hooked on a case, pays the price. It's good.

Speak No Evil (2024). After I cooled down from watching the original, curiosity about the remake won me over. More straightforwardly dramatic, less tense. More of a character piece, with much more focus on our main villain.

Heretic. I really appreciate late-career Hugh Grant. Seems like he's having fun. Mounting stress, a rich conflict, and heroines that surprise you.

Music
Thomas Tallis, Lamentations of Jeremiah perf. The Tallis Scholars.

A couple more from Luther Vandross this week…

Give Me The Reason. "There's Nothing Better Than Love".
Songs. Much more church-y, right from the start.

Jon Hopkins, Ritual. The opening few seconds of the album are so good, like a breath and a meditation chime. Draws you right in. "part v - evocation" made me think of the Gone Girl soundtrack (complimentary!).

Bill Evans, From Left to Right. Jazz with piano and Rhodes piano and orchestra and it's all good.

TV
The X-Files, s4e11 "El Mundo Gira". Back from a little break, and the show is back on track. I loved this episode. In style, like a telenovela, heightened soap opera desperation, but with a chupacabra.

Black Doves, s1e1. Something's missing…

2025, Week 11

2025-03-16T17:19:20.000Z

A week of ups and downs – a trail race, an injured finger, a random Sunday evening adventure, a 24-hour stomach flu, a miserable workday, an invigorating professional conference, a beautiful evening run, a long call with a friend. Let it come, let it be, let it go.

The highlight was finishing Middlemarch yesterday, in one long final push. It's one of those books where I'll miss living with the characters for so long, each of their personalities and arcs so vivid. Some overall themes in the book: the importance of who you marry, how community inertia can defeat or deflect idealism but also help you find purpose and place, how financial struggles can multiply your frustrations, the value of a happy compromises and ordinary virtues.

Art
Lady at a Mirror by Candlelight oil on canvas by Godfried Schalcken.

Books
The Faerie Queene. Just dipped my toe in. We'll see if it lasts.

Middlemarch. Finally done, loved it. One last round of quotes:

"He distrusted her affection; and what loneliness is more lonely than distrust?"
"The lights were all changed for him both without and within."
"What we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope."
"He had begun to perceive that Mr. Brooke’s mind, if it had the burthen of remembering any train of thought, would let it drop, run away in search of it, and not easily come back again."
"He looked almost angry. It had seemed to him as if they were like two creatures slowly turning to marble in each other’s presence, while their hearts were conscious and their eyes were yearning."
"If youth is the season of hope, it is often so only in the sense that our elders are hopeful about us; for no age is so apt as youth to think its emotions, partings, and resolves are the last of their kind. Each crisis seems final, simply because it is new."
"Caleb was very fond of music, and when he could afford it went to hear an oratorio that came within his reach, returning from it with a profound reverence for this mighty structure of tones, which made him sit meditatively, looking on the floor and throwing much unutterable language into his outstretched hands."
"It was one of those gray mornings after light rains, which become delicious about twelve o’clock, when the clouds part a little, and the scent of the earth is sweet along the lanes and by the hedgerows."
"He was now a prey to that worst irritation which arises not simply from annoyances, but from the second consciousness underlying those annoyances, of wasted energy and a degrading preoccupation"
"For the majority, who are not lofty, there is no escape from sordidness but by being free from money-craving, with all its base hopes and temptations, its watching for death, its hinted requests, its horse-dealer’s desire to make bad work pass for good, its seeking for function which ought to be another’s, its compulsion often to long for Luck in the shape of a wide calamity."
"Rosamond played the quiet music which was as helpful to his meditation as the plash of an oar on the evening lake."
"that beneficent harness of routine which enables silly men to live respectably and unhappy men to live calmly"
"Damme if I think he meant to turn king’s evidence; but he’s that sort of bragging fellow, the bragging runs over hedge and ditch with him"
"There is no sorrow I have thought more about than that—to love what is great, and try to reach it, and yet to fail."
"Shallow natures dream of an easy sway over the emotions of others"
"We are on a perilous margin when we begin to look passively at our future selves."
"The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Our interfaces have lost their senses.

Oliver Burkeman on toxic preconditions.

"Beyond interactivity, what a video game promises is not just rendered image and sound, not just narrative, not even just the joy of play, but inhabitation of an imaginal realm that is both deeply interior and collectively shared."

Music
Terry Callier, What Color Is Love. Folk/soul/blues with a warm baritone. Check out "Dancing Girl".

Nonkeen, All good?. "be a" pushes a lot of good buttons I love: mildly sinister bass, chattery snare, clicky cymbals, insistent tempo lots of layers.

Keith Jarrett, The Köln Concert. An hour of solo jazz explorations on piano.

Greg Foat, Gigi Masin, Dolphin. Lounge-y jazz shuffle, keyboards forward. I like "London Nights" and the walking bass in "Viento Calido".

Hatebreeed, Perseverance. By-your-bootstraps motivational therapy metal, hell yes!

Movies
Touch of Evil. Dynamic and quickly-moving, everything tainted.

TV
Scandal, s1e1. Speaking of quickly-moving, this is breakneck TV. "My gut tells me everything I need to know."

Bosch, s1e1. Felt good to dip back into the series, like putting on comfortable shoes.

Severance, s2e6. Burt is sketchy, huh. I liked the speculative fiction angles here: jealousy of yourself, jealousy of your partner's innie, innie/outie adultery, innies with souls distinct from their outies, etc..

Dark Winds, s1e5-6. Just along for the ride.

2025, Week 10

2025-03-09T17:44:49.000Z

The last week was a blur! I felt most days I came back home feeling wound up but fuzzy-brained, and every morning I felt like I needed an early start to not feel overwhelmed.

I'm glad I ended the week with a race, the 11-mile event at the Squatchapple Trail Party at South Mountain Reservation out in New Jersey. Friday night, I didn't want to go – long week, bad training, low energy, wishing I had more time, etc. etc. etc.. Saturday morning, I kinda wanted to go, but not really, but I wanted to follow through on my commitment. Three miles into the race, I was so, so happy to be there. I wonder why I get in this kind of cycle.

I wiped out twice (both times on ~flat ground, and never on the reckless downhills!) and hyperextended my finger crash-landing during the second one. Worth the price

Art
Vessel in the Form of a Head, ceramic from the Missippian cultures of modern-day Arkansas, ca. 1450-1550. Apples, Grapes, Lemon on a Table (for BAM), print by David Hockney. Abstract Cityscape, oil on canvas by Léopold Survage. Salt or Pepper Shaker, earthenware and glaze designed by Russel Wright.

Books
Middlemarch, cont.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
A Day At the Museum.

"We found that time spent on leisure over and above an individual's average was positively related to work-related self-efficacy, but only when the individual's leisure activities were high in seriousness and low in work-leisure similarity, or when they were low in seriousness and high in similarity." (via)

Stone Soup AI.

"These tools have removed a lot of the friction from coding and because of that, I am less likely to give up."

RIP, Gene Hackman. "To watch him, in any one of his almost insanely varied roles, often meant sitting there with your jaw hanging in disbelief. What was he doing? How was he doing it? Why am I buying it?" and "That’s the actor’s magic: capturing the attention of the camera and the viewer on the other side of the screen and transforming from Just A Guy into The Man." and "Hackman stood out by appearing ordinary while setting up bespoke fireworks displays […] a vivid illustration of what we might call the Gene Hackman Principle of Transformative Acting: The best special makeup is talent.".

Learn your lines, show up on time, and give it your all.

"Take a close look at what you assume the solution to your life must look like. Are there any of those assumptions that you could turn into variables instead?"

Music
Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars, Radio Salone. I love the reverb in the opener, "Chant It Down", but didn't love most of the album. One exception, with more drums and chorus and reverb: "Toman Teti M'Ba Akala".

Holy Tongue, The Tumbling Psychic Joy of Now. Ear-filling pulsing pagan electronic stuff.

Zapp! Love & Basketball's impact continues. Fun to listen through a decade of their work. All of these are solid, funky, fun:

Zapp. "Be Alright" is a good slow burn.
Zapp II – "Do You Really Want An Answer?" fits well with the Luther album I listened through later.
Zapp III
The New Zapp IV U – finally arrived at the only song I knew beforehand, "Computer Love". So good.

Luther, Never Too Much. I'll need to spend more time with his discography. Lots of stuff I like from e.g. Barry White and Lionel Ritchie shows up here. Can't beat the title track, and the backing vocals in "Don't You Know That?" add to the intrigue.

Gidion Kremer, Songs of Fate. Violin meanderings, didn't love it.

Hanni Liang, Voices for Solo Piano. I like the Sally Beamish's "Night Dances" – I hear it as curious and exploratory.

Movies
The Wild Robot. Visually, beautiful. I like the hand-painted look. The tory was stale and preachy, though, and music felt like replacement-level inspirational schlock. Still funny here and there. A far better movie about a robot learning to love and find common cause: The Iron Giant.

Gladiator II. I literally sat up straighter when Denzel came on screen. The movie is better when he's on screen, and fine when he's not. I appreciate how they escalated the Colosseum battles.

TV
The X-Files, s4e10 "Paper Hearts". Mulder has the longest leash any employee has ever had. Tom Noonan plays our villain so well – a calm approach, "I'm already in jail so, meh, let's just see if I can get anything out of this…".

Severance, s2e5. I kinda wish I got a perfect-bound volume for performance reviews?

The White Lotus, s3e2. This show is so strange. Sometimes it feels like watching a travel brochure, but with some very light plotting. Just a good long soak in a warm bath.

Words of Wisdom
"Life isn’t as long as you think it is. You have a choice: You can go and try to live a playful life, or you can go and live a life which excludes playfulness. And it doesn’t get you anywhere. Playfulness gets you somewhere."

2025, Week 9

2025-03-02T17:12:25.000Z

Recently I moved up to the ChatGPT Pro subscription, and was surprised I felt mixed feelings about it, a sort of self-consciousness. I found myself thinking through a talk track to justify it, from a humanities perspective. I don't think I have well-informed thoughts on the methods – theft, presumptive use, plagiarism, rights of the creators, etc.. I'm sure that's written elsewhere and better.

But I did think about the history of humanity, and culture as this technology to promote ourselves forward - what we honor, stories we share, mistakes we've made, progress we've gained against the terrors we create or stumble upon, the collective wisdom of the ages. And now have a place where it's consolidated. That's cool, even if it's a fuzzy composite.

I also think about the idea of scenius. where in a time and a place, people come together and form something special. I'm not sure you can do that with just yourself and an LLM, in the same sense, but there may be something analogous – a willing and skilled collaborator at hand, one that by definition some experiences much vaster than your own. That's cool!

I grew up a library kid, in large part because my mom is a library adult. The type of library adult that gets a temporary visitor card at the local branch while on vacation. And now the library is right here, and you can have it be a teacher, too. "The great thing about dead or remote masters is that they can't refuse you as an apprentice. You can learn whatever you want from them." While it's not individual, and we're I'm not sure we have any new and distinctive works from AIs to inspire us... if you just want to learn a variety of things, you really can just dial one up and join the guild.

This week I had a teammate at work break down in tears. What a deviation from the norm! I've only seen this a couple times. Interesting experience to have to show up in a familiar way, in a totally different context.

I made a calendar of my 2024 running routes and finally got around to a test print. Need to do 2023 and get'em properly framed.

Art
Silhouette, illustration in India ink, charcoal, and gouache on wood pulp board by Man Ray. River Light, glass mosaic by Kiki Smith. Greatest New York, panoramic print by Henry Wellge. Freedom and Order: Children Playing, East 116th Street, photo by David M. Bernstein.

Books
Middlemarch. Need to pick up the pace. I'm still loving it, 2/3 complete, but also getting restless!

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
A vision of peak male performance, from an Economist profile of Tyler Cowen. "There is no concrete return on most of the data-accumulating he does. He has been researching, unpaid, for decades, at a rate that would put most people in hospital."

"For better or worse, when you start thinking about tractable problems, you’ll almost always find that you’re doing less than you could be doing and you might start to feel guilty."

"The place’s dual nature — its existence on the border between utopia and dystopia — has always been a part of the aesthetics." On the Severance building.

A gradient of time zones.

"This website collects movie clips with inaccurate binocular shots (i.e., two overlapping circles instead of one, as you would see in real life)."

Music
A few from west Africa to start the week. Starting with Youssou N'Dour, upbeat Senegalese:

The Guide (Wommat). "Generations" has these great bippity rippedy bass lines.
Joko: The Link, love the layere drumming in "Beykat".

Amadou & Mariam's Dimanche a Bamako didn't really click, but I did like the desert blues in the last track, "Gnidjougouya", the way the melody rises and falls and loops back, the dueling electrics, the harmonies crowding and clearing.

Speaking of desert blues, Tinirawen did click pretty well:

Elwan, especially with the grungy guitar and unison vocals in "Sastanàqqàm".
Idrache (Traces of the Past)

Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 7 rec. Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra cond. Simon Rattle. There's a lot happening in this piece. I remember really liking it when I first deep-dived Mahler years ago, but it didn't hit the same!

Bonjour Tristesse, The World Without Us, metal.

Scotch Rolex, Shackleton, Omutaba, Three Hands of Doom, sampled electronics. See "Insect Vibration".

Movies
Final Destination. It has a proper opening credits sequence, an efficient opener with good suspense and ensuing anguish, and then veers into Rube Goldberg death machines lol.

Running
I underestimated how much regular running improves my mood. Hard to recognize the value without the contrast of going without it for a while, but: it's great to have something consistent in your week that will put the juice back in.

TV
The X-Files, s4e9 "Terma". Back to the larger arc, with an action-movie feel. Mulder's re-entrance with a tan and a smirk is A+ television.

The White Lotus, s3e1. This is my first exposure to the franchise. I get why people would watch it.

Severance, s2e4. Irving was right!

Paradise, s1e1. Good excuse to rewatch The Shot™.

2025, Week 8

2025-02-23T16:09:06.000Z

It's nice to spend time differently, to give a familiar situation a new flavor. I worked Monday, a holiday for many, and so I was working largely solo. And then took the Friday off, so I could feel the reverse – goofing off when most were plugging away. I also had the chance to catch up on admin stuff in the morning, at ease, when usually that gets filed away for the evening time.

This weekend we had a "spa night". Where ordinarily the evening might be pizza and movie, we put on face masks, moisturizers, serums; listened to a spa treatment playlist; ate fresh ceviche, granola bowls, probiotic juices, etc.. It's not something I want every day, but the change gave me a new appreciation, like stepping into a parallel universe and arriving back to the norm refreshed.

Art
Constructive City with Universal Man (Ciudad constructiva con hombre universal), oil painting on board by Joaquín Torres-García.

Composition, by Maria Helena Vieira da Silva. "The many colorful patterns […] derive from azulejo, decorative ceramic tilework common in Portugal and Spain, which the artist collected and admired."

Books
Middlemarch. Steadily chipping away and just past the halfway point. Let's do some more quotes:

"We are all of us imaginative in some form or other, for images are the brood of desire."
"I can't wear my solemnity too often, else it will go to rags."
"Mr. Casaubon, indeed, had not thoroughly represented to those mixed reasons to himself; irritated feeling with him, as with all of us, seeking rather for justification than for self-knowledge."
"Time changes the proportion of things, and in later days it is preferable to have fewer sonnets and more conversation."
"Will was not without his intentions to be always generous, but our tongues are little triggers which have usually been pulled before general intentions can be brought to bear."
"She was no longer struggling against the perception of facts, but adjusting herself to their clearest perception."
"They were looking at each other like two fond children who were talking confidentially of birds."
"Will not a tiny speck very close to our vision blot out the glory of the world, and leave only a margin by which we see the blot? I know no speck so troublesome as self."
"Her anger said, as anger is apt to say, that God was with her – that all heaven, though it were crowded with spirits watching them, must be on her side."
"What is the use of being exquisite if you are not seen by the best judges?"

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
The wisdom of Tom Cruise: "You know, no one asks Gene Kelly, why do you dance? If I do a musical I want to sing, I want to dance. And I want to see how I can do it. You got to figure it out, it’s not just doing it. It’s how is it part of the story? How do we invest the audience in that? It’s always better to go for it, it’s always better to try than to tend to not do it. It’s always better to ask the question, and don’t be afraid."

A map of obscure islands.

Taking an Internet Walk, good ideas if you need to (re)learrn how to browse!

From Chat → Tools → Tasks → Crons? (via)

I'm glad I never spent time in school pickup lines as a kid. A bunch of times, we'd talk our bus driver into letting us off early so we could take a shortcut through the woods, rather than sitting on the bus another half-hour to wind its way to our door. It's smart to stay on good terms with your bus driver!

Ask for no, don't ask for yes.

"Blogs are a backwater (the web itself is a backwater) but keeping one is a statement of how being online can work. Blogging as a kind of Amish performance of a better life."

"CA attitude to US like Calif attitude towards Texas: many stereotypes, little knowledge, and getting crushed on growth."

Running
My first run back after illness was deflating. So much lost, so much to regain. :'(

Music
Marshall Allen released New Dawn at age 100. When you listen, you can understand why this guy would get along with Sun Ra. "African Sunset" and "Boma" are my faves.

Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano, Jan Lundgren. Mare Nostrum. Jazz with piano, trumpet, accordion. You might recognize "Que reste-t-il de nos amours?", later adapted as "I Wish You Love".

John Luther Adams, big orchestra stuff in An Atlas of Deep Time and Waves & Particles. I prefer the first one.

Individual songs on repeat: Roger's "I Want to Be Your Man" and James Holden's remix of The Smile's "Don't Get Me Started".

Movies
Da 5 Bloods. "War never ends for those involved." We're so lucky to have Spike Lee. Complicating complex issues, no one comes out innocent. Familiar methods at work: lots of history lessons and documentary imagery mixed in, direct address to the camera when reading letters.

Sisu. Nazis try to steal gold from a lonesome Finnish miner out in the countryside, and… he is not pleased. Carnage! Pretty ideal 90-minute taciturn action-western.

The First Omen. Now I understand why kids named "Damien" are always evil. The suspense is better than the climax, but that's most of the movie, so, thumb-up.

The Last Samurai. Scratches the The Last of the Mohicans or Dances With Wolves itch in a different way – more focus on the budding friendship, less on the personal stakes.

Katsumoto: You believe a man can change his destiny?
Algren: I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.

TV
Severance, s2e3. Reintegration!

2025, Week 7

2025-02-16T16:01:55.000Z

I got sick this week, catching some local plague that had me down, but not out. This is what happens when I laugh in the face of the gods. I'd just had a conversation last week about my run of good health.

In hindsight, pushed it just a little bit too far on run last Sunday – heading out to run in the snow because it's fun, regardless of that slight hint of a sniffle and tickle in the back of my throat.

It turned into an opportunity of its own. To skip the commute and work from home so I don't infect people. To take a little extra time with the morning coffee ritual. To cut out evening commitments and recognize how much time I have, to recognize the choices available when I get back in the swing of things.

Art
Terra cotta vase by Fritz Albert. I love the twisted pedestal base, like long leaves.

A Pende carving of a man riding a buffalo.

Books
Middlemarch!

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
I wrote about my favorite movies seen in 2024.

A woman has been journaling for 90 years. (via)

"This is a map of my life, where each week I’ve been alive is a little box."

Citibike Stories. Bike rental travel patterns in NYC neighborhoods, lovely mapping.

Jane Austen Math, "ranking all of Austen’s single men across four weighted dimensions — fortune, morals, manners, and [sex appeal] — to develop secondary insights, calculate their individual total status, and analyze their relative marital desirability."

What people get wrong about today's NBA. A great counterpoint video on the idea that "they all just shoot threes".

Kevin Kelly offers 50 years of travel tips. I like his model of "R&R" vs. "E&E". A few philosophies that caught my eye:

"Organize your travel around passions instead of destinations."
"The most significant criteria to use when selecting travel companions is: do they complain or not, even when complaints are justified? No complaining! Complaints are for the debriefing afterwards when travel is over."
"Although it tries, money cannot buy what time delivers."
"Laser out, meander back."

You Need More Lux. "Lux are the measure of how much light you get. Summer sunlight is about 100,000 lux. An overcast winter day is 1,000 to 2,500 lux. This is a huge difference!"

Test Driven Writing (or Test Driven Documentation).

"Aim to be 90% done in 50% of the available time."

Movies
To Live and Die In L.A.. Good to finally cross this one off the list. Corruption is contagious!

The Blue Gardenia. Raymond Burr! I grew up watching Perry Mason re-runs on daytime TV. So it was fun to see him in movies, and so young, in this and Crime of Passion last week. Also features a Nat King Cole spot! We need more stars popping in for musical interludes.

Nosferatu (2024). Seductive, horrifying, beautiful, crushingly sad. Eggers is such a talent. Has me thinking about revisiting The Northman again.

Love & Basketball. A sweet story with characters are charming and frustrating. I really like the parallel sequences of games/practice, with each on their same-but-different journey.

I Saw the Devil. Korean revenge flick. We spend a lot of time with the villain, and he is tremendously haunting. Seeking vengeance will poison you.

Arcadian. Post-apocalyptic monsters out on the farm. Nicolas Cage delivers, and the monsters are right up there with the inventiveness in Attack the Block and Annihilation. There's a few moments of counting here, feels like they could have extended that somehow. It's fun!

Music
Giridhar Udupa, My Name Is Giridhar Udupa. The opener "Aadhi – The Beginning" is exemplary – woozy pulsing electronics with ceramic drum cross-rhythms. Really fun album.

Jeremy Ledbetter Trio, Gravity. Tight, crisp jazz pieces. I really like the patterns in in "Two Cousins".

n.o. Arts Ensemble, Deaths and Entrances. Melancholy operatic chamber work, some hints of olde Renaissance music.

Ambrose Akinmusire, honey from a winter stone. "MYanx" has some hard funk, spoken-word, very freewheeling.

TV
The X-Files, s4e8 "Tunguska". Frickin' Krycek, I swear…

My Favorite Movies in 2024

2025-02-16T15:10:34.000Z

I watched 125 movies in 2024. That total was down from 178 in 2023, and I'm glad for that. The year before felt like too many, too indiscriminate. I took 2024 at a healthier pace, and I feel like my choices were pretty dialed-in. The top ~20% of those 125 are easily recommendable, so I'll share those.

For the very top tier, I'll excerpt my previous write-ups. These are the first-time viewings that really moved me, or stuck with me long after, listed in the order I saw them:

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Coming of age that pays attention to the parents, too.

You see that Margaret is different – or at least that this won’t (only) be a typical coming-of-age/tween romance story – early on when we first see her bedroom. We see maps and star charts, and in her voiceover prayers, a search for place and meaning.

Godzilla Minus One. Melodrama at its finest.

I appreciate this as a period piece, and not just in costume – also works in an orchestral soundtrack, and heightened acting and staging that wouldn’t be out of place in the late 1940s. Fascinated by this idea of Godzilla being a creature known to locals, but barely a rumor elsewhere. Unresolved shame will keep you from love!

Das Lehrerzimmer (The Teacher's Lounge). Perfect rendition of how our actions can ripple out unexpectedly.

A school community frays when a thief runs loose, frustrations rise, and accusations start flying. This will make my best-of list at the end of the year. But you don’t have to take my word for it: “It’s probably the best thriller of this type since “Uncut Gems,” another movie where just watching realistic characters making bad decisions was so nerve-wracking that it made you want to crawl under your seat.“

Crooklyn. What's that line about happy families being alike, and unhappy ones in theor own way?

Love the hilarious chaos of a 5-kid household, and the variety of “characters” on the block, and the lively soundtrack, and the shock of travel to foreign lands (Virginia).

Gosford Park. Not sure I've seen any movies that juggle a web of relationships as well and as lovingly as this one. Flows effortlessly from scene to scene.

Gossipy upstairs/downstairs intrigue and murder mystery, constantly mocking Americans, Hollywood, buffoon cops, catty elites. Kristin Scott Thomas is a natural at snobbery. Love how it takes huge cast and makes it feel natural. You assemble the collage as you go along.

Hundreds of Beavers. No other movie pushed its ideas as far, and then further, and then a little bit more, and why not, how about a little bit more.

Made me feel alive again! Talk about a palate cleanser. A masterclass in escalation. Zany blend of animation and practical effects, Looney Tunes silliness and an improv troupe’s “why not?” go-for-broke attitude.

Red Rooms. Can't recall any recent movies that burrowed under my skin like this one. It is true horror in the moral sense. A cautionary tale for the web!

This draws you into the most queasy, vile territory. We never directly see much violence, but we see the harm it does to people who feed on it. Our protagonist is uncomfortably lacking in affect – except a horrifying climax where she participates in an auction.

Here are the other worthy contenders from my watching year. If you told me you were going to watch one of these, I'd be excited for you and curious to hear what you think. Links are to my previous posts, again in order I saw them.

2025, Week 6

2025-02-09T19:11:10.000Z

For the last week, I've been obsessed with my new CO₂ monitor. It's been so fun to keep tabs on it throughout the day. I notice how it spikes when I get trapped in a meeting room, or after cooking; and how it gradually trends upward over the course of the day indoors; and how quickly it drops when I throw a window open.

I didn't have much reason to get it other than curiosity. I've seen snippets about how high levels of CO₂ affect cognition, drowsiness, etc., but wasn't sure I was actively suffering in that way. But I suppose it's like that business idea that you can manage what you can measure, but translating more to a personal skill. I remember learning how to use a ruler as a kid, and a thermometer, and counting heartbeats, and then running around and using them on stuff and seeing different numbers. Eventually you can guess how tall that building is, what the temperature is right now, what 25°F will feel like, or that your heart rate is oddly high for what you're doing.

Maybe I'll be able to do the same for CO₂ and humidity at some point? Anyway, another way to learn more about the world! I'll probably do more purchases like this this year.

Art
Velório da noiva (Bride's Wake) and Colheita de flores (Flower Picking), paintings Maria Auxiliadora Silva.

Winter Scene in Brooklyn, oil on canvas by Francis Guy. (Dumbo used to look like this?!)

A textile fragment from the Paracas culture of Peru. "Composite beings celebrate the importance of the agricultural cycle. Both figures carry strings of lima beans in one hand while chili peppers emanate from a staff in the other and tubers float above their heads."

Running
I've now run every street in Park Slope. And that makes 5 additional neighborhoods where I've run every street, since finishing up my local Crown Heights stomping grounds. Sunday morning runs in fresh powder, highly recommended.

Books
Middlemarch! So fun. More quotes:

"'The theatre of all my actions is fallen,' said an antique personage when his chief friend was dead; and they are fortunate who get a theatre where the audience demands their best."
"It is an uneasy lot at best, to be what we call highly taught and yet not to enjoy: to be present at this great spectacle of life and never to be liberated from a small hungry shivering self – never to be fully possessed by the glory we behold, never to have our unconsciousness rapturously transformed into the vividness of a thought, the ardor of a passion, the energy of an action."
"There are answers which, in turning away wrath, only send it to the other end of the room, and to have a discussion cooly waived when you feel that justice is all on your own side is even more exasperating in marriage than in philosophy."
"As the sore palate findeth grit, so an uneasy consciousness heareth innuendoes."
"In all failures, the beginning is certainly the half of the whole."
"She felt that her tears had risen, and it was no use to try to do anything else than let them stay like water on a blue flower or let them fall over her cheeks."
"The right word is always a power, and communicates its definiteness to our action."
"The troublesome ones in a family are usually either the wits or the idiots."

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Craig Mod reflects on 6 years of the membership program. There is wisdom here: "The program exists for the goals, not the members".

The 1997 Nike/Penny Hardaway Super Bowl commercial had an insane number of stars!

Norm Macdonald tells a long story about a pig.

"Those who write for children have the chance to point them towards beauty that they do not yet know exists: towards versions of joy that they have not yet imagined possible."

"Horizon of uncertainty" is a really neat phrase.

"Employees are at an established company because they made a decision in life for stability. Embrace that, continue to provide stability (currency for employees) in these uncertain times as it will be key to steadying the ship and retaining talent. […] If your company employee age is trending younger (ie. folks have only just started pushing out babies) then you'll need create space for them to be able to grow on the job." The management politics of implementing AI will be interesting to watch.

How far you can get from London by train in 12 hours.

Movies
Crime of Passion. A driven newspaper journalist rejects the roles that society wants for her, plots a way to power. What should we make of Rivera's "Cargador de Flores (Flower Carrier)" framed in the main couple's bedroom?

Tampopo. A stranger rides into town and helps a woman with her struggling noodle shop. The feeling may fade a bit with time, but right now I'm in love with this movie. Such a big heart. And expansive enough that the main plot is interspersed with vignettes with unrelated characters, snapshots of a world beyond, full of concerns and worries and dreams just like our own.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Franchise complete. I don't remember the different movies/plots in this franchise all that well, but I'll put this one pretty high on the list. I like the wartime/battle scenes, and Ron really redeems himself from the previous, making himself useful again. Appreciate how many people get to contribute throughout the series (e.g. destroying horcruxes). It's not just the Harry show.

Music
AYRTBH, Bust Fossil. Electronic textures, I suppose? Not sure what to make of it all, but I like "bicycle" and "beverage".

Mdpri & Git Busy Trio, BA*. Jazz/funk/hiphop. "又鸟鸡鸡鸡鸡" is sampling/homaging something but I can't put my finger on it…

Sestetto Dino Piana & Oscar Valdambrini, 10 Situazioni. Some of it sounds like '70s TV show themes (complimentary!). "Placido" is v. nice.

Kibrom Birhane, Here and There. Ethiopian jazz with a lil' bit of butt-shakin'. Check out "Maleda".

Marshall Allen, the New Dawn single for his upcoming album. I like "African Sunset".

Triosence, Giulia, crisp piano jazz trio.

Voision Xi, Queen and Elf. Soft ballads, lounge singer stuff.

Various Artists, Guruguru Brain Wash 2.

TV
The X-Files, s4e7 "Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man". I had a strong negative reaction after I first watched it, but then I did some reading around, and now I rank it pretty high? Regardless of the literal truth of the story we see, appreciate the reflection on CSM's loneliness, and an opportunity to ponder the character beyond the plot purpose to foil investigations.

Severance, s2e2. Interesting to see more adventurous camerawork here. Milchick is the creepiest person in town and I don't understand why people keep inviting him inside their homes!

2025, Week 5

2025-02-02T17:26:06.000Z

This week at work I had to reckon with not being as productive as I could have been. A bit embarrassing to take a look back at previous weeks, and see with 20-20 hindsight, so much under-used capacity. But as with many things in life, big dividends can come from renewing your focus, cleaning up bad habits, and taking on a little more than you think you can handle. Like I talk about with running a lot, I like checking in every now and then and see where my limits really are. An emotionally exhausting week but it also opened up a lot more. The ceiling is higher than it was a week ago.

Art
A Taino ceremonial seat (duho) or platter. "The large eyes, gaping mouth, and curled toes of this figure suggest a heightened state associated with the consumption of cohoba. This vegetal hallucinogen was used by Taino spiritual healers and leaders to communicate with supernatural forces. The figure lies on his back with fists clenched behind his head, and wears a woven skull cap and bands around his arms and legs. He is identified as a zemi, a deity or ancestral spirit that permeated the Greater Antilles."

Woman on Rose Divan, oil on canvas by Henri Matisse.

An Ethiopian fly whisk made of bone, dyed horsehair, and plant fiber.

Books
Middlemarch!

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"If you’re roughly 70% happy with a piece of writing you’ve produced, you should publish it."

28 Films for the 28 Days of Black History Month. I watched a couple of the shorts, the Sesame Street "Cracks" short is really interesting and I liked the child detective story in The Case of the Elevator Duck, too. The Magnificent Major features a young Tisha Campbell

In How to Change the NYC Charter to Solve the Housing Emergency, Part 1 and Toward a Blogosphere That Can Draft Law, really appreciating Daniel Golliher's… I'm not sure how to describe it – entrepreneurial civics? There is a lot of progress lying around waiting to be picked up.

"Americans need to know that when the future comes, we’ll all get to go together."

"Informed rejection is a perfectly acceptable choice. But avoidance, especially with tech, is a default whose feasibility continues to shrink with every innovation."

"The winners will be those people who have exercised a whole bunch of curiosity." and "The future belongs to people whose work cannot be easily reduced to a dataset, and who can use AI to become even better at what they do."

What fully automated firms will look like.

"The time to snoop around for “waste” is when everything else is going so great you’re getting sort of bored."

Music
Daniel Trifonov, My American Story, with Philadelphia Orchestra. This album helped me have an A+ lovely morning commute.

Adam Rudolph, Archaisms I and Archaisms II. I remember a moment listening to this at work last week when I was growing more and more frantic and unfocused and it's because "Archaisms A2" was taking over my brain.

Caroline Shaw continues to be one of the most interesting composers. A few singles, choral works, presumably for an upcoming album:

Various, Seippelabel, Vol. 11. Lots of ambient space wash. I'll keep this around for a while.

The Orb, Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld.

Vijay Ayer, Compassion.

Movies
Carry-On. Great fun. Good to see a "regular guy" action movie. From the director who brought you other great regular-guy thrillers like The Shallows, Non-Stop and Run All Night. Reliable!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Everything is grey! At least we get more color on the core friendships. Ron is exasperating, though. I like the "travel around the world to collect stuff" aspect (a core RPG element), and especially like the zombie/apocalypse movie vibe on the return to Godric's Hollow.

TV
The X-Files, s4e6 "Sanguinarium". Witchcraft and cosmetic surgery! This was fun, if gruesome.

Severance, s2e1. At long last, started the new season. Putting out this theory before I continue the season: Ms. Casey is in a coma or something – basically accidentally severed – and she can only wake up and function as a partial "innie" version, and MDR is helping with some sort of sketchy scifi brain repair work.

2025, Week 4

2025-01-26T20:04:26.000Z

Yesterday I went to an afternoon choral concert put on by the Park Slope Singers, a local amateur community group. The main work was C.H.H. Parry's Songs of Farewell.

There was something pleasantly low-key and make-do about the whole thing. It was a refreshing change from the military polish you'd find at your major orchestra and operas and ballets, every moment from arrival to tickets to entrance to first notes drilled to perfection.

It was informal and welcoming, the audience talked back to the conductor, a man got up to use the bathroom during the singing, and there were miscues and wrong notes here and there. And it was lovely. A group of people volunteering their own time to do something they love and share their gifts. A beautiful thing, to gather with others and do your best.

One of the settings was John Gibson Lockhart's poem, "There is an Old Belief":

There is an old belief,
That on some solemn shore,
Beyond the sphere of grief
Dear friends shall meet once more.
Beyond the sphere of Time and Sin
And Fate's control,
Serene in changeless prime
Of body and of soul.

That creed I fain would keep
That hope I'll ne'er forgo,
Eternal be the sleep,
If not to waken so.

Art
A turquoise standing male figurine from the Wari culture of Peru.

Greyhound Bus, photo by Ming Smith, part of the "August Moon" series on exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Art.

Books
Middlemarch, cont. What a fun book. Happy to keep going. Another round of quotes in the meantime…

"Money's a good egg; and if you've got money to leave behind you, lay it in a warm nest."
"Their eyes met with that peculiar meeting which is never arrived at by effort, but seems like a sudden divine clearance of haze."
"I think any hardship is better than pretending to do what one is paid for, and never really doing it."
"Time, like money, is measured by our needs."
"One must be poor to know the luxury of giving!"
"I don't translate my own convenience into other people's duties."
"A sense of contributing to form the world's opinion makes conversation particularly cheerful."
"I call that the fanaticism of sympathy. […] If you carried it out you ought to be miserable in your own goodness, and turn evil that you might hae no advantage over others. The best piety is to enjoy – when you can. You are doing the most then to save the earth's character as an agreeable planet. And enjoyment radiates. […] Would you turn all the youth of the world into a tragic chorus, wailing and moralizing over misery? I suspect that you have some false belief in the virtues of misery, and want to make your life a martyrdom."

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Middlemarch is trending…

The past isn't irrelevant, it's just poorly transmitted. I love this framework: "We first have to look at legacy and innovation as constants and tools."

Archaeologists Are Finding Dugout Canoes in the American Midwest as Old as the Great Pyramids of Egypt. (via)

2025: New York City's Electoral College Election.

A guide to falling in love with New York City.

What is the "Brooklyn" of each city?

"It took visiting roma/la condesa to truly realize that “williamsburg” has been one of america’s most powerful cultural exports of the 21st century".

How sci-fi can have drama without dystopia or doomerism.

Digital avatars when streaming the Australian Open?

No, we are not producing too many STEM graduates and Ignore the Grifters - AI Isn't Going to Kill the Software Industry.

Movie critic Tyler Smith of Battleship Pretension fame released Cinematic Suffering: Reviews of Terrible Movies.

Movies
Oppenheimer. I like how it takes care to situate you in the time – The Wasteland, Stravinsky, Cubism, etc.. Emily Blunt's voice/delivery is so good, and don't think I've ever seen Josh Hartnett so fully in the moment. Maybe the best moment is when the man at the center of it all is suddenly no longer powerful. What do you do next?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The greyest film to date. Wish we had more Snape story. Good to see relationships building among the students, and to see Harry less angry, and seeing his caring side. Also interesting that Harry doesn't battle in the end, but only witnesses. I don't think the mourning scene stuck the landing. One cool thing about Hogwarts I'm just now noticing: the kids have phones, no TV, no Switch, etc.. Just newspapers and books and fireplaces and each other's company.

TV
The X-Files, s4e5 "The Field Where I Died". Multiple personalities and past lives and doomer cults. Mulder/Scully relationship is more volatile than usual here, with Scully calling Mulder out on his constant selfishness. I like the rich contrasty images in this episode.

Severance, s1e6–9. Rewatch complete, really glad to have done it. Can't believe it's been so long.

Music
Missy Mazzoli, Vespers for a New Dark Age. Inventive chamber choir work, very nice.

Yaminahua, Derelict. Opens ominous, hyperkinetic factory EDM.

Brie Larson (yes), Finally Out of P.E.. I had no idea!

Back to Ajate again, this time a pair…

Alo. "De De" is the winner.
Abrada. I like the wa-wa funk in "Okamin".

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Challengers OST. If you've heard their other work, you know it's good and you know what you're in for.

Berlioz, open this wall. Jazz/lounge-inflected house music, see the muted trumpet + found vocal snippets on "nytmp".

Running
Back-to-back long runs this weekend, practicing running while tired. A few runs in the teensºF, and luckily not windy enough to make it terrible. Race coming in a month and a half!

2025, Week 3

2025-01-19T18:12:38.000Z

I've mentioned goblin mode a couple times (2024 week 4 and week 36), and this week I had another go-round, a shortened version. For me it usually involves an intentionally horrible diet, and playing videogames too long, and not going to bed on time, and so on. Minor sins, available for a limited time only.

I think about it like a bizarro mirror image of New Year's resolutions. Every so often, it's good to think about getting your act together. But it can warp your perspective, turning your life into a never-ending battle of shoring things up. Designing your goblin mode gives you a program for letting go for a time… and a chance to prove you can snap back to your standards. Permission to "fail" is a valuable thing.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
RIP, David Lynch. Kyle MacLachlan remembers his friend. I didn't love the couple of Lynch films I've seen, but appreciated the spirit of gentle, earnest, insistent optimism and goofiness, maybe most apparent in the daily weather reports he did for a while. And I was glad to see the bits of folk wisdom that surfaced in my feeds in wake of his death:

"I wish what every addict wishes for: that what we love is good for us."
"Anger and depression and sorrow are beautiful things in a story, but they’re like poison to the filmmaker or artist. They’re like a vise grip on creativity. If you’re in that grip, you can hardly get out of bed, much less experience the flow of creativity and ideas. You must have clarity to create. You have to be able to catch ideas."
"It’s like dipping a white cloth into gold dye; you dip it and that’s meditation, then you hang it on the line in sunshine and that’s activity. The sun bleaches it until it’s white again, so you dip it and hang it again, and each time you do that a little more of the gold stays in the cloth. Then one day that gold is locked in."

I wish The David Lynch Quote Collection cited the sources, but they have the ring of truth. Lynch directed a haunting PSA about littering in NYC, too.

I loved this conversation between Zena Hitz and Henry Oliver on The Common Reader, especially the linked part, analogizing the great literary works to great songs: "Me reading Lady Macbeth's speech when I was 14 – what use did that get me? Nothing obvious. Except that sometimes the words are still in my head, and they echo in my head the way a great piece of music does." I'd never thought of it this way, remembering snippets of plot or quotes or emotions, the way we might feel things again when we remember a chorus or a swelling of violins or what-have-you.

And they discuss living with these works, and how it's good to read the great books early, so you can re-read and grow with them, and draw different meanings. (Made me think of how so many Motown songs were so fun as a kid, and as an adult, I can better recognize the anguish and frustration behind many of them.) The episode also has good critique of common methods literary criticism – "explaining things away, rather than raising problems.", and a recollection of George Steiner's encouragement to memorize poetry because it gives you ballast against the tides of life.

Let the user help solve their own problem. "The algorithmic-only model admits only one remedy: Improve the algorithm. But because no algorithm will ever be perfect, you’ll be playing this game of whac-a-mole forever." This feels most true in e.g. Twitter feed and Spotify Weekly playlist. They will both nose-dive, quickly, if I don't give it them hard shake every now and then. (via)

Why everything might have taken so long. (via)

Oliver Burkeman on the right dose of self-discipline. "Somehow, I’d turned the thrilling prospect of a better life into a sequence of lifeless tasks I had to execute – and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it."

Nabeel Qureshi collected some principles for living.

"Once you are ok with people telling you ‘no’, you can ask for whatever you want. (Make reality say no to you.)"
"Doing things is energizing, wasting time is depressing. You don’t need that much ‘rest’."
"Think in writing."
"The most valuable feedback usually hurts a lot."

Decline the cease-and-desist of winter!

Watching Your House Burn on a Ring Camera. I'd never thought of this possibility.

Art
Farm near Duivendrecht oil on canvas Piet Mondrian. I don't think I'd ever seen a Mondrian that wasn't abstract color blocks, so this was really neat peek into the past, trying to imagine the steps in between.

Music
Tchaikovsky & Ellington: The Nutcracker Suites perf. Harmonie Ensemble/New York. Classical and jazz performances, both perfect in their own way.

Dobrinka Tabakova, Kynance Cove, On the South Downs, and Works for Choir. Lovely collection of choral work, peaceful and smooth. The "Magnificat" from Truro Canticles might be my fave.

Laura Cannell, The Rituals of Hildegard Reimagined. Reminds me of Flute 3000, in the best way.

Mount Eerie, Night Place. Languid rock. I haven't listened to anything like this in a while. Took a while to get my ears situated again!

Mk.Gee, Two Star & The Dream Police. Maybe like Prince x Frank Ocean (complimentary, of course)? See: "DNM" and "I Want".

Movies
Den of Thieves. I never should have waited so long to see this. I was expecting something more schlocky (like, Expendables-level antics?) but this was tighter than expected. The main characters were all a little… off? I like when a movie can surprise you not for plot reasons but character reasons. That's good stuff. You can see the fingerprints from Heat throughout the movie – dumpsters subbing in for airport substations might be my favorite. Appreciated seeing Eric Braeden in a small role here – his Victor Newman in The Young and the Restless back in the '80s/'90s filled me with envy and fury.

Rebel Ridge. Opens with an Iron Maiden song, nice. Echoes of Rambo, with the opening confrontation passing over a bridge, and the contrast of military decency vs. police cravenness. I appreciate the inciting incident is a straightforward abuse of power, civil asset forfeiture, that isn't strictly personal. At least not at the start. Really liked our main character's calm, mostly polite, deliberate delivery – you can tell it takes effort, and that makes you more curious than a direct threat might. Excited to see what Aaron Pierre gets up to next.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It's good that the core three has loosely expanded to six, because Harry is exhausting to be friends with. Ron and Hermione could use a breather. I love the Death Eater masks!

Books
Middlemarch, cont.

TV
The X-Files, s1e4 "Unruhe". Spooky predictive death photos + an exploration of mental illness.

Severance, s1e3–5. I like see Cobel/Selvig put on the back foot a little bit by the Board, and clawing her way back. She's can't-look-away awful!

2025, Week 2

2025-01-12T18:17:11.000Z

Last week was my first full week of work this year, and Monday was tough. I woke up physically well-rested and ready, but my mind was… not in the mood. From eyes-open, my mind was delivering a comically-enthusiastically-worst version of my inner monologue – sour, pessimistic, cynical, dreary.

I flip back and read my old journals every now and then. And in the periods when I was in deep depression, I can recognize myself, like an old friend. But can't relate to those feelings in the same way. It's very past-tense. My mindset is so different now from those years living in an emotional fogbank. At some point I decided – more or less – that I was done with it, and as I found my way out, I grew an important skill: knowing when to ignore myself!

So that was Monday: my inner voice had a lot to say about how miserable he was. But these days it's easier to say, "cool story, bro, but we have things to do". That sour version? I can wait him out while I move on with my day. A bit of keep-busy here, some mindless scrolling there, an attentive version of "going through the motions", and counting on a night of sleep to wash it all clean. Worked like a charm, Tuesday was lovely.

Art
Reminiscence of a Cathedral, oil on canvas by František Kupka. (Interesting to compare with the Norman Lewis cathedral from 2024 week 52.)

Torso of a Young Man, sculpture in colored plaster by Raymond Duchamp-Villon.

Benin/Edo crest mask in copper alloy and iron.

Harrowing woodcut block print by Wharton Esherick.

Small Town by Day (Badische Kleinstadt bei Tage), oil painting on board by Georg Scholz.

Running
I finished running every street in another neighborhood. At least, where I drew my boundaries for one – the Lefferts/Flatbush area between Empire, Parkside, Linden, and Utica.

That last run was a very "thinky" one, similar to my Monday experience. Temps were in the mid-20s, strong winds, and I was just tired. I had to fine-tune what I paid attention to in my body, balancing exertion to make progress and stay warm vs. overheating that leads to sweating and chills.

And same for my mind, starting out with a steady stream of "I don't want to go. Is this worth it? I'm tired. This is boring. I could turn back – it will be here next weekend. Etc." That was the first two-thirds of the run. And then it flipped. Suddenly I was 2 or 3 miles from wrapping up a months-long goal, new wind in my sails, and the jog home felt easier than when I first stepped out. The mind is a funny thing.

I also took accidental pocket photos.

Books
Middlemarch. I'm loving how detailed the characters are. We understand their mannerisms, their differences in speech, what they say, their own thoughts on what they're saying and reacting to. Eliot uses the omniscient perspective well. I'm charmed, hope it keeps up. Perhaps I'll share some quotes every now and then...

"Sane people did what their neighbors did, so that if any lunatics were at large, one might know and avoid them."
"The mere idea that a woman had a kindness towards him spun little threads of tenderness from out his heart toward hers."
"We mortals, men and women, devour many a disappointment between breakfast and dinner-time; keep back the tears and look a little pale about the lips, and in answer to inquiries say, "Oh, nothing!" Pride helps us; and pride is not a bad thing when it only urges us to hide our own hurts-not to hurt others."
"Brooke is a very good fellow, but pulpy; he will run into any mould, but he won't keep shape."
"He was gradually discovering the delight there is in frank kindness and companionship between a man and a woman who have no passion to hide or confess."
"His efforts at exact courtesy and formal tenderness had no defect for her. She filled up all blanks with unmanifested perfections."

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
What could we gain if adults reclaimed the freedom to play?

"Now I think the best response to losing is to take it as easily as possible. Maybe not enjoyment, but bemusement if you can manage it." Reminded me of Hawks player Larry Nance Jr. on staying balanced after wins and losses: "An old saying one of my vets taught me was, 'What do we do with shit? Flush it and move on.' […] Always, the most important game is the next one."

Photographs of Snowmen (1854–1950). What a lovely collection.

Untouched Policy Areas: Pre-packaged ideas for the budding wonk.

"The boomerask starts with someone asking a question, but—like a boomerang—the question returns quickly to its source."

"Demand for apprenticeships is outpacing their availability."

"Requiring students to take general courses to demonstrate competencies that AI can replicate serves no educational purpose. The university’s role in the AI era is teaching students how to participate individually in knowledge creation, not just knowledge consumption."

"Websites will be increasingly aware that they’re being consumed by AI, and they will have a vested interest in messing with the way AI ‘perceives’ them."

Technical writing predictions for 2025.

"This is your update about getting by as a visitor to a China that has tried to remove all cash from daily life".

I like Notion's face-maker. A self-portrait, as of January 2025:

Music
I spent most of my time with a couple more from Blood Incantation (picking up from 2024 week 50)…

Timewave Zero. Loving this album – relaxing, dreamy, drony, ominous ambient/electronic drifts.
Hidden History of the Human Race. Start contrast: very not-relaxing, nightmarish metal riffs and guttural screams. The range!

SML, Small Medium Large. Exploratory… jazz? Electronic? Whatever you can do with bass, synthesizer, saxophone, percussion, and guitar, you'll find it here. It's cool!

The Durutti Column, Fidelity. I have a hard time situating this album in 1996. Maybe with so much of the band's history in the '80s, it's impossible not to have some of that sound carry on with them. I like the submerged feeling of "Grace".

Ajate, Dala Tuni. High-energy afrobeat. I love the buzzing marimbas in "Waya Yawa".

Movies
Foe. Kind of clunky. It has an interesting concept strangled by weird choices. At first I thought the method was roundabout Malickian dreaminess, but later concluded it's just… bad construction. The leads are supposed to be sad and torn, but they come off as inconsistent, wooden, and a little insane. Aaron Pierre is a compelling presence, thought, so I'll move Rebel Ridge higher on my watchlist.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Hormones are raging at Hogwarts! Continues the darkness from #3, and we even get our first death. Interesting to see an increase in embedded handheld/steadicam shots.

TV
The X-Files, s4e3 "Teliko". At the very least, it led to a fun use of ChatGPT: making it tell me a few Bambara folktales.

Severance, s1e1-2. Really happy with the rewatch so far, connecting the tidbits that I didn't know what to do with the first time around.

2025, Week 1

2025-01-05T16:43:23.000Z

For the first time in a long time, I didn't make it to midnight on New Year's Eve. Jetlag took me down early, and I was too drowsy to set the 11:50pm alarm I'd told myself I would just a little while earlier. But I woke up and took a walk in the park and saw a new sunrise on familiar streets, a celebration in its own way. I appreciate how many good things came my way in 2024 – wedding, graduating school, new job, family visits – and plenty of other small victories here and there. What do I want from 2025?

"And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been, full of work that has never been done, full of tasks, claims, and demands; and let us see that we learn to take it without letting fall too much of what it has to bestow upon those who demand of it necessary, serious, and great things." (via)

Art
I fulfilled my 2024 week 51 hope of seeing the exhibition of Gee's Bend quilts at the Nicelle Beauchene Gallery. Worth clicking through their gallery there, but to call out a couple favorites:

Marlene Bennett Jones's "Gee's Bend Pockets (2024)", made me think of barns and corduroy farmland.
I like how the checkerboard quilt from Rita Mae Pettway, "My Way (2017)" used a few different shades in the lighter-colored squares, and the overstitching guides your eyes across.
The photo of "Star Bright (2023)" by Mary Hall, Doris Mooney, and Elaine Spencer doesn't quite do it justice – the ruching gives it a three-dimensionality that only translates in person.

Running
Returned to running after 10 days away while vacationing. Felt good to get back out there. Now I've got a three-month window to prep for a 20-mile trail race in early March.

Books
The Path of Daggers, finally done. I'll wait a while before tackling the next in the series. Glad to have momentum again.

Middlemarch. Only a few pages in. I've heard raves and I've heard rants. What will I think?

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
I'm loving Issue 1 of The Metrograph. Great collection. From the "Movies Come To This Place for Magic" interview, a couple of fun excerpts:

"Michael Weber: We believe that as magicians, we don't keep our secrets from our audiences, we keep secrets for our audiences. […]
Derek DelGaudio: […] There's this dictum, 'Magicians guard an empty safe.' It's about the disappointment laymen experience when they discover a secret is something simple or banal, like a mirror."

And when telling a story, magic and drama are somewhat at odds:

"There is a fundamental difference between drama and magic. Drama aims to keep the audience wondering, 'What happens next?'. But an audience's reaction to magic is the opposite, it's reflective. They see something magical and ask, 'Wait, what just happened?'"

India has too few tourists and how to visit India for normies. I should move it higher on my list?

Enjoyment is a skill. You should buy into this idea, and I like a lot of the suggestions here. "Sometimes, when I encounter creative work by someone from a location I’m not familiar with, I’ll go on Google Street View and take a poke around a neighborhood they’re from, or might be from. I feel like it gives me hints about the lived texture that they’re drawing from or commenting on."

Learning to Slow Down Time.

Growing a Human: The First 30 Weeks. I appreciate these reflections on something I'll never experience first-hand.

Using LLMs and Cursor to become a finisher. There will be earth-shattering discoveries and breakthroughs to come, but AI will also unlock a lot of progress by unlocking small, incremental progress that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Music
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis. Funky jazzy big-band. Mostly didn't click with me but I liked the downtempo "Railroad Tracks Home".

Mary Halvorson, Cloudward. Angular jazz ensemble. I like the layers in "Tailhead".

Movies
Alien: Romulus. I have mixed-to-positive feelings, but it is decidedly an Alien movie, and delivers everything you'd expect. I love that our main android is not especially smart. He's slow, loyal, vulnerable, needs babysitting. "Let me borrow your robot" is a great starting point. Too bad some of the digital effects looked pretty cheap, the sweeping space vistas for one, but most especially and tragically the rival android – really poor choice. I struggled with the young cast, too. They seem too fresh and healthy for indentured laborers in a mining colony? Nice touch with the dipping birds and the canary in the mine. Lots of fan service, cliches, and echoes, but it ties into the mythology well, and it's all fun!

TV
The X-Files, s4e2 "Home". Maybe the grossest, most uncomfortable episodeinbreds, gross, so dark

CSI: Miami, s6e9. Calleigh's life is threatened! I'm astounded by the number and length of time-killing filler scenes – their main use of the crime lab.

Cross, s1e7–8. What a stressful ending! Great wrap-up, and I hope we get another season. The fake-out with the sedatives and faulty execution was brutal. I love the occasional swerves into Shaft mode, in music and tone.

Words of Wisdom
"never underestimate the power of going somewhere beautiful and just sitting there"

2024, Week 52 + The Remnants

2025-01-01T16:47:34.000Z

Last week I went to London, which I can confirm is one of the world's greatest cities. I had one previous whirlwind as a teenager, but remembered it mostly in snapshots, or occasionally unlocking a memory when I retraced the same steps. Visiting during the holiday week was a great choice. Everything was quiet and uncrowded for the first week, and we had an easy time making our own fun when some attractions were closed for a few days.

On this trip I realized how nice it is to do a vacation on "easy mode". Sure, it took a couple days to adjust to some basic differences: which side to walk on, how to get from here to there, some vocabulary swaps. But there are huge advantages in using the same language, ubiquitous and speedy public transit (and here I thought I was lucky in NYC), never needing cash, a density of attractions, and pleasant strolling in any direction you care to walk. Big contrast from other international trips, where everything had a bit more friction. It all adds up. Not better or worse, just different.

We saw a lot of the usual highlights, but I really liked the London Canal Museum. A small one, a bit out of the way, but the narrowboat tour helped crystallize the history and geography I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Seeing the maps of England's canals criss-crossing the country over the centuries helped understand how coal, ice, and limes – for example – would arrive from Leeds, Norway, and beyond, and how London helped center it all. And seeing how I could take a boat to the places I'd walked just a couple days before. It all felt very alive and connected.

Another highlight: sitting in bed, propped up with pillows against the headboard, book in my lap, coffee on the side table, nowhere to be and nothing to do but exactly what I wanted.

Another highlight: finding the WatchHouse family of coffee shops. We ended up visiting five of their locations (Belsize Park, Hanover, Somerset House, Spitalfields, Tower Bridge), each with their own local flavor. I'll have to check out their only NYC location soon.

In the time leading up to this trip, if the topic ever came up, I'd ask people for their advice, requesting two items: a "must do" and a "don't bother". You can learn a lot this way. There's a lot of information e.g. in whether or not the answers come easily, and how I respond when I hear them!

Art
My favorite work of art from the trip was The Three Fates / The Triumph of Death, a tapestry from 16th c. Netherlands at the Victoria & Albert Museum. It's huge – 8ft x 10ft – and so richly detailed. I learned the word for one style I like more generally – millefleur. (I think there's a parallel here with some music I like – the piles of notes in the Bach-era baroque organ, for example, or polyrhythmic layers in classical Indian percussion, or in 20th-century Steve Reich compositions, etc.).

Also got a kick out of Lauren Halsey's installation at the Serpentine Gallery, emajendat.

And a few good ones from the Tate Modern:

Lady with Fruit, paper collage by Benode Behari Mukherjee. "Mukherjee turned to paper collage as a medium for artistic expression in 1957 when he lost his sight. […] His sight loss restricted him to working with simple shapes in flat colours, with which he was able to compose complex images from memory." Cool!
Los Moscos, mixed media on canvas by Mark Bradford.
Cathedral (1950), oil painting on canvas by Norman Lewis.
Fire! Fire!, oil paint and meccano on woven fabric by Enrico Baj.

Running
Not applicable during this travel week. I thought about packing extra stuff for running, but we already had a healthy interesting schedule. Away from the areas crowded with foreigners like me, London seems like a really fun city to run and get lost in. Next time?

Books
The Path of Daggers, continued. As usual for Robert Jordan, things pick up quite a bit in the second half. Looking forward to finishing in the next couple days.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Jimmy Carter, cyclist. Got my photo taken with him after a Sunday school session down in Plains, Georgia. Glad he represented my home state so well in office and after.

An appreciation of Zakir Hussain, RIP. I'm lucky I got to see him perform when I was in college. His charisma was off the charts, contagious joy.

"read the book, get a treat (movie) is an undefeated teaching strategy. and you can also just keep doing it as an adult!"

Marya Gates released her annual Directed by Women Viewing Guide for the year.

What is the most divisive film?

Yes, Americans are much richer than Japanese people. It's easy to look at other countries and get jealous, so I appreciate the nuances added here, aspects that don't make the headlines and that I don't readily consider – more overtime, more elderly still working instead of retiring, longer commutes, etc..

Dwarkesh Patel's sketched some notes on China.

"Rule #1: Build your castle on land you own."

"The best, healthiest response […] is to reject all this insanity entirely."

"There are two key emotions that drive my research habits: wonder, and pure unadulterated rage."

"Automated vehicles would be a huge positive technology shock to suburbanization the way trains and elevators were to urbanization."

The AI-Native Product Manager.

Music
Standards, Fruit Galaxy. A half-hour of clean prog rock instrumentals.

Sid Meier's Civilization VI OST. I appreciate the sunny optimism I hear on this album. Fun to hear "Spain (The Medieval Era)" covering Tarrega's "Recuerdos de la Alhambra".

Movies
Deathtrap. Fun! Full of twists, violates your expectations. I love seeing evil Christopher Reeve.

Twisters. It's fine, gets the job done. Leans a bit too hard on American and trauama, or maybe the problem is that it rushes through it? The spectacle in the movie theatre is cool. No kiss!

Freaky Friday (2003). I had no idea this was a remake, several times over. I get it, though. Fun, lively, tugs at the heartstrings at just the right moment.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I really loved this one. It's dark and dreary, heavy vignetting, Dementors looming. Harry carries more anger with him. I like that we don't have as many record-scratch moments to watch things be magical, we just see it as the story moves along. I wish Ron had more to do, but I liked seeing Hermione's early reflexive draw to him, and her using magic to… attend more classes. 🙃 I need to get one of those marauder's maps.

And that makes 125 movies seen this year. I'll share my favorites soon.

TV
The X-Files, s4e1 "Herrenvolk". We're going to keep going back to the disappeared sister.

Columbo, s5e1 "Forgotten Lady". Janet Leigh as a tragic, murdering dreamer clinging to youth and celebrity that will never return. I found this surprisingly touching?

Cross, s1e6. I knew the pregnant cop would have a role to play. "Only the road knows."

2024, Week 51

2024-12-22T17:09:05.000Z

This week I went to a white elephant party. Aside from a renewed appreciation of Brooklyn brownstones, we took away our prize – a handful of scratch-off lottery tickets. I had no idea they were so awful. Just a really terrible experience, the manual labor, the numbing futility of it all. I felt very… repulsed by it. (That said, I think I'd get a kick out of picking numbers and then watching the TV inevitably not say them.)

I was thinking the other day about detective shows, and how it's so common for the protagonists to work cases at a couple different levels across a season. Maybe the primary case is a new string of crimes that's hot in the community, and that drives the day-to-day. And in parallel, they'll work something older, more deeper, more personal. Minus the murders, I wonder if that's a useful frame, the detective mode of living: give your best to something present that needs your more urgent, frequent attention... and also to continue chipping away at something deeper that's gnawing at you. Do we all need a cold case?

Art
I wish heard sooner about the Gee’s Bend: My Way Today exhibition at the Nicelle Beauchene Gallery. Hope I can pay a visit early in 2025 before it wraps up.

Running
Returned to the Tuesday/Thursday run club cycle after some irregular weeks. On some nights, it's really annoying to have made the commitment to lead the group, and have to follow through on it. But it's in the repeatedly showing up that makes it valuable. "We dedicate ourselves daily anew."

On Saturday morning, my first snowy run of the season.

Books
Native Nations, cont.
The Path of Daggers, cont.

I'm trying to decide what my loose reading goals should be for next year. My goal this year was to start 50 books – mission accomplished, 58 started, and many proud DNFs to get there. Back in 2021 I caught up on a bunch of Shakespeare plays. Next year, I think maybe get I'll back to tackling some Big Books™? Middlemarch, War & Peace, that sort of thing. We'll see.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Favorite first-time watches this year from Letterboxd critics and contributors.

Ted Gioa submits his 100 best recordings of 2024, part one and part two. And Amanda Petrusich's list of best albums.

"I start with the question, What do you want your relationship to paid work to be?"

"the trick is you can just keep “getting undergrad degrees” in your regular life by going through phases of stuff you’re into. It’s the ideal lifestyle"

The Underrated Joy of Being a Working Mother. "To focus only on her struggles is to miss an equally vital truth: the joy that comes from holding two worlds in tandem, and finding pleasure and meaning in both."

An interview with Annie Rauwerda from Depths of Wikipedia. "I think that one shared quality of every single person I've met who has stuck around Wikipedia for a long time is that they have very little hesitation to work hard, and they put a low value on their own time."

"Agathonicity is usually described as the property of objects getting better with use."

"An Anti-Tag Cloud shows you the most common English words that never appear in a text, visualizing the "negative space" of a literary work." (via)

Why is Spain's social housing so well-designed?

Atlanta Can’t Afford to Punt on Beltline Rail – Part One: Density and Part Two: Connectivity.

Music
A few from Caroline Shaw…

In Waves perf. Ars Nova Copenhagen. I really like the "spray"- or "steam"-like sounds the chorus makes here and there.
Rectangles and Circumstance perf. Sō Percussion. Big fan of this album. "The Parting Glass" is so lovely – vibraphone + voice is a winning combo. I love the way the percussion droops out of tune, turning the harmonies a little sour and bittersweet.
Leonardo da Vinci OST. It is simply not very interesting!

VOCES8, Nightfall. Pleasant choral arrangements to pluck at the heartstrings. Sigur Rós "Fljótavik", Max Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight". "Zelda's Lullaby" was a fun surprise!

Bruce Liu, Waves: Music by Ravel, Rameau, Alkan.

Handel, 8 Great Suits for Harpsichord perf. Asako Ogawa. The Allemande from HWV 426 is really nice.

Schubert: Chamber Works perf. Tetzlaff, Tetzlaff, and Vogt. I like the Adagio from D.821.

Movies
Happer's Comet. Vignettes from the middle of the night in the suburbs. Almost no speaking, just observation, very meditative… and weird, because people are! Roller skates, corn fields, glowing lights, chirping frogs and bugs.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The kids grew about 5 years in the year between movies. I'm glad they dialed down the "look how magical" moments, and amped up the stress levels – I audibly gasped when Hermione got petrified. And while last week I complained about quidditch, I recognize now that those scenes are useful for a bathroom/snack breaks. Only two movies in, but so far I'm glad to be rewatching this series.

Batman Returns. This time around, I really appreciated all the kooky sets. And I like the chaotic circus henchmen, and the Penguin's theatrical flair, always playing to the cameras. I should watch more Michell Pfeiffer? For as long as she's been going, I haven't seen that many of her films. (my previous viewing)

TV
Cross, s1e5. I like that we spent most of the episode in one building, a good way to escalate this turning point in the movie. The almost-escape scene was really solid – I don't think I've seen anything quite like it. Cross' pride will be his ruin – don't play with your food!

2024, Week 50

2024-12-15T18:28:21.000Z

This week my team at work had an off-site gathering. Highlight was learning improv for a couple hours. Mark of 10 years ago would not have been so ready to fully commit. It's really cool to see and feel how much more comfortable I am in my own skin, a feeling of safety, new perspective on what counts as risky.

I also did my first escape room, which was amusing.

Lowlight was sitting down for dinner in a fancy restaurant for a couple hours. I appreciate the generosity, but… they're not for me. I find restaurants more and more tedious. Impatience? Casualization of taste?

We also had an office holiday party this week, which I skipped entirely. It made me think back to earlier in career, another period where I was fully bought-in to a role and team, and how much more time I invested in the social side of things. Spending time with out-of-towners, joining team events, etc.. I remember how I felt a little mild annoyance with the never-joiners… and now I am one. Perhaps I can take it as a sign of better boundaries and more compelling opportunities outside of work, the perks of growing older and wiser?

Art
Incredible glaze on this Qing dynasty porcelain vase. (via) I like how The British Museum can let you search by culture/period or object type.

Doubt-Forest4, 2009 acrylic painting by Dae-Won Yang. (via)

Running
Yesterday morning I ran the NYRR Frosty 5K and set a new adult-era PR of 24:07, a full minute faster than I ran the Harlem 5K back in August. I could have broken under 24 minutes, but [if I had any excuses, they'd go here], but more importantly – it was super fun! I think I enjoyed the Harlem race more for the surprise of running on streets I don't know very well. But I can't deny the boost I got from racing on a loop I've done hundreds of times. Big advantage on the climb up Battle Pass Hill – no need to get psyched out, I done it twice a week for years, it'll be over in a minute, keep pushing, harder!

Another great reason to get out of bed early on a 24º morning: sunrise on a lake.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Reflections on donating a kidney.

"Not everyone learns best from the top teacher out there, not everyone enjoys the writing of the most prolific blogger you know, and not everyone uses the most popular app for their problem. You don’t know who might benefit from what you offer."

Each of the critics at RogerEbert.com shared their top 10 movies of the year.

"One of my colleagues had said that the Internet is the most effective short-term, nonprescription painkiller out there."

"Tedium and boredom are both patterns of thought, not circumstance."

6 lessons I learned working at an art gallery. "It is not that I’m some grumpy person who thinks that some people are great and others aren’t, in some predetermined way—I think you can to a large extent decide which kind you want to be. But if someone else isn’t measuring up, I have no idea how to convince them to do so. So I look for people who have already decided."

A few nuggets from Things learned in 2024 from James Dillard…
- "78 percent of Christmas hits were penned before 1990"
- "Lake Superior is about the size of the state of Alabama"

…and from 52 things Tom Whitwell learned:
- "London Underground has a distinct form of mosquito, Culex pipiens f. Molestus, genetically different from above-ground mosquitos"
- "In the 2020s, over 16% of movies have colons in the title.").

"The core intuition is simply that you should be asking more questions."

"IMO one of the biggest benefits of travel is just acquiring a scaffold to hang future knowledge on. Places that had similar embeddings in my mind before I saw them (Chongqing vs Chengdu, Abu Dhabi vs Dubai, Wroclaw vs Warsaw, etc.) become extremely distinct, and future facts become much stickier."

Books
Meditations for Mortals. Finished, recommended! "Going through the world with the default belief that it’s full of people or things that need holding at bay is a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Native Nations, cont.

Build a Large Language Model from Scratch, cont.

Music
Blood Incantation, Absolute Elsewhere. I like how this album balances metal with Pink Floyd-style stadium/galaxy rock.

Beethoven, Complete Piano Trios perf. Weiss Kaplan Stumpf Trio.

E-40, My Ghetto Report Card. Exploring some of the Bay Area sound.

Reformation: Keyboard Works by William Bird, Orlando Gibbons, John Bull, & Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck per. Mishka Rushdie Momen. "Delicate" is the word that comes to mind. Really lovely.

Galina Grigorjeva, Nature morte perf. Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir.

Movies
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Dated effects, but I'd forgotten this thing is a couple decades old now. We spend a LOT of time showing how magical everything is. Quidditch is not interesting, never has been! The chess match also kills momentum, goes on a bit too long. I forgot that Voldemort was barely present. I appreciate the skill of the talent scouts, they did a great job finding these kids. And I appreciate the characterization through costume – e.g. Hermione with necktie sharply knotted and cinched, Harry's knotted loosely under an unbuttoned collar, Ron's untied and draped over his shirt.

Farewell, My Lovely. The line delivery felt really stilted here. Like they were reading or reciting what they'd memorized, rather than speaking. It didn't fully make the transition from the page. Fun to see young Charlotte Rampling – don't think I'd ever seen her without wrinkles, grey hair, etc..

P2. I like when horror movies play on common everyday fears, e.g. being trapped in a parking deck with a creep.

Zack Snyder's Justice League. It is a vision all its own, which is great. Surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I was expecting a movie where I'd end up half-watching while scrolling Twitter, but… I was lured int. Like a bunch of 25-minute stories strung together. We need more episodic movies! (I liked that about Furiosa, too.) And the 4:3 aspect is cool! Widescreen ≠ inherently epic. For as many epic events we see, it's a shame that our heroes merely look… deeply concerned? when someone dies. Also a funny contrast where Gal Gadot has such limited range, but Wonder Woman is very fun to watch in action scenes. I really like those Parademons henchmen, cute waspy cannon fodder (like the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz!). Having Joe Morton as the father of Cyborg is a really great touch, seeing as how he also led to Skynet. I wish Superman would use the ice breath more.

Monkey Man. The action is bloody and frenetic. I won't pretend to understand the connection to current Indian politics, beyond the broad strokes. Hijras play a fun role in the film, and the goat Zakir Hussain is a minor but prominent character, too, so that's another good reason to watch.

TV
The X-Files, s3e24 "Talitha Cumi". I lost the plot here! Aliens, an ailing mother, The Smoking Man, Mr. X, The Bounty Hunter. All systems going… somewhere.

Cross, s1e4. My prayers from last week were answered: we got more scenes of Cross thinking through things. There's even a "he's wired in"-type moment!

Words of Wisdom
"i recommend exploring niche interests in public"

"it’s important to know at least one guy who you find really annoying but who is also very similar to you. it keeps you humble and aware"

2024, Week 49

2024-12-08T19:09:14.000Z

I'm typically in the office ~5 days every week. The rare, random days when I decide to work from home are a real treat. That may be the key for me – regularity, with potential for a surprise here and there?

I was supposed to run in a race in Central Park on Saturday: an irregular event in a place I'm very familiar with. The thought of it became less and less appealing as the day grew closer. Going out of my way to do two laps I've already seen plenty of times?

So I skipped it. And did my usual Saturday morning long run (regularity), filling out my map in Brooklyn, exploring some new-to-me streets (potential surprises) on a sunny 28º morning. I'll never know what sticking to the plan would have been like, but can't say I regret my choice.

Art
"Woodland Elves VII", bone china with transfer-printing, hand-painting, and lustre glaze by Daisy Makeig-Jones.

On Brooklyn Bridge, oil on canvas by Albert Gleizes.

A Zapotec ceramic vessel in the form of a seated male figure.

A tatanua funerary mask from the New Ireland area of Papua New Guinea.

La Pythie Philippise, bas-relief terracotta by Emile-Antoine Bourdelle.

Books
Build a Large Language Model (From Scratch) by Sebastian Raschka. Part of a weekly book club at work, we'll see how far I make it.

Meditations for Mortals, cont.
Native Nations, cont.
The Path of Daggers, cont. (again!)

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
10 Rules for Students and Teachers. "Consider everything an experiment."

Bilge Ebiri's top 20 films for 2024, for now?

MGMT playing "Kids" in 2003. Clearly came a long way since the self-conscious beginners in the video, a lesson for us all.

Big-city people walk faster than they used to. (via)

"Cruise ships continue to grow: a natural experiment in what can be achieved outside the constraints that have stifled progress on dry land."

"Conversation with others often emphasizes the most well-understood elements of an idea."

I'd never thought about citation in the age of AI, until now. Chicago beats MLA?

Every UUID and a write-up on building it.

Music
Highlight of the week: Kevin Puts, Marimba Concerto, The City, & Oboe Concerto No. 2 "Moonlight" perf. Katherine Needleman, Ji Su Jung, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra cond. Marin Alsop. Marimba was my favorite instrument to play, back when I was deeper into music in high school and college. The concerto is a beautiful piece, had me falling in love again.

I continued the old-school French from last week with a couple more from Guillaume Dufay…

Le Prince d'amours perf. Ensemble Gile Binchois.
Choral Music perf. Cantica Symphonia.
…and Johannes Ockeghem, Missa "De Plus en Plus"; Chansons, perf. Orlando Consort. I remember studying the mass in college. Funny feeling, that little tickle of recognition after 20 years.
…and Guillaume de Machaut, Sacred and Secular Music perf. Ensemble Gilles Binchois. Monk chanting kinda stuff.

The Human League, Dare!. It's sad how many bands I know for one (1) great song ("Don't You Want Me"), and only many decades later do I learn they have a lot of great songs (like "Do Or Die")! A good reminder as the year wraps up and best-of lists arrive: there are treasures to find everywhere you care to look.

Lucio Battisti, Una giornata uggiosa. Italian pop recommended to me at work. Reminds me a bit of Gipsy Kings crossed with… something else I can't quite put my finger on. The guitar in "Gelosa cara" made me think of "Used Ta Be My Girl". The soft rock in "Con il nastro rosa" made me think of "Seabird".

Anne Paceo, S.H.A.M.A.N.E.S. "Reste un oiseau" is the pick here.

Movies
Monolith. A disgraced journalist-turned-podcaster goes kooky when chasing down a story. A solo performance, like The Listener and others I recommended in week 16. I'd recommend The Vast of Night for other powerful over-the-phone storytelling. Echoes of Annihilation at the climax.

Red Rooms. Along the same lines of tech-enabled perversion when chasing down a story… phew! This draws you into the most queasy, vile territory. We never directly see much violence, but we see the harm it does to people who feed on it. Our protagonist is uncomfortably lacking in affect – except a horrifying climax where she participates in an auction.

Lots of medieval allusions at play. She uses the screenname "LadyOfShallott", and has a painting of the character on the wall of her mostly-empty apartment (which is high in a tower, where she observes the darkest parts of life remotely from the web, mostly nocturnally, and comes out because she finds a male figure so compelling...). The killer's last name is "Chevalier". She drinks wine from a silver chalice, and wears a cross bottony. And there's an olde-style period instrument soundtrack, but with modern (dis)harmonies.

Really solid movie I probably can't bear to watch again. An even better movie about a woman obsessed with criminal court proceedings: Saint Omer.

Hundreds of Beavers. Made me feel alive again! Talk about a palate cleanser. A masterclass in escalation. Zany blend of animation and practical effects, Looney Tunes silliness and an improv troupe's "why not?" go-for-broke attitude. One of my favorites of this year.

TV
The X-Files, s3e23 "Wetwired". TV transmission brainwashing! A reappearance of Mr. X and the Smoking Man. Surprising impact from the scene of Scully paranoiacally tearing apart her hotel room in search of a bug – really well done.

Cross, s1e2–3. The main villain seems a little too perfect, too slick. His chaotic sidekick is more uncomfortable to watch. Props to grandma for cutting the wires. I like the scenes where we see Cross flexing is psychology expertise, drawing connections, following hunches from longtime experience – more of that, please.

Words of Wisdom
"Never listen to people who want you to enjoy fewer things."

2024, Week 48

2024-12-01T19:22:51.000Z

I went back home for Thanksgiving. And cried when I left, like I usually do. At the airport, my wife asked me what I'm usually feeling in those moments. I could barely get the words out. I'm lucky to have both of my parents still around. As the years pass I recognize more and more that I'll only get so many of these visits.

I spent an hour mowing the lawn at my parents' house. It used to be a weekly chore, done reluctantly. Returning to it a couple decades later, in colder weather, it was… kinda fun? Clear purpose, fully absorbing, plenty of time for wandering thoughts. I'm glad I don't have a lawn, but it feels good to appreciate what I once dreaded.

Travel tip: keep a default packing list saved in a note somewhere. Each time you travel, make a copy of it and adjust it for the trip you're taking.

One thing Southwest Airlines gets right is how they take drink orders. They come around with a notepad and write them down, then return with drinks on a tray. I think other airlines could take a cue from this. No need to clog up the aisles with big carts (and the constant noise and chatter). Southwest's version is a more peaceful experience.

Art
An Elema standing male figure made of bark cloth, paint, and fiber.

A pair of vases by Keith Haring, ink marker on fiberglass.

Love on Front Street, mixed media paint and colleage by Adolphus Washington.

My Backyard by Torvalt Arnt Hoyer, oil on canvas.

Two men in costume and wearing masks from Huixquilucan at the fiesta of the Huehuenches, color lithograph by Carlos Mérida.

Runner at the Goal by Paul Klee, watercolor and graphite on paper.

Running
Today was my first run of the season in 20-something degree weather. Good prep for this weekend's race. As always after five days off, I felt both fresh and out of shape.

Books
Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. This one is off to a good start. I loved Oliver Burkeman's previous The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking, and enjoyed Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, too.

Native Nations: A Millennium in North America. I thought I DNF'ed, but I got into it again! This book has me brainstorming about a road trip to see Native American sites.

Nightwing: Leaping into the Light. Dipped into this on impulse. Comics are fun on iPad/iPhone!

Batman: Urban Legends, Vol. 1. Before reading this, I took a second to catch up on Batfamily lore and wow, I have missed a ton over the last 30 years.

Articles
See Newly Discovered Nazca Drawings That Depict Llamas, Human Sacrifices and More. "A new A.I.-assisted survey published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found 303 additional geoglyphs in just six months." The illustrations are super cool – that hummingbird! (original paper here)

How NBA fines turn bad moments into good deeds.

Repeal the Jones Act of 1920.

Lauren Groff: "Having a really rigid artificial structure allows me freedom within that structure. Having an alarm go off and saying, “That’s the end of my creative day,” that allows you to relax into it. Having a door that closes implies that the door could be open if I chose to do that."

Music
Nubya Garcia, Odyssey. I appreciate the range and variety on this album, with some intimate jazz, some harder funkier stuff, and some louder big band. "Clarity" is a favorite – bluesy strings and jazz combo, like a mid-'40s movie soundtrack.

Tonus Peregrinus, Leonin/Perotin: Sacred Music from Notre-Dame Cathedral. Old church monk chanting stuff. It's nice!

Guillaume Dufay, Dufay: Chansons perf. Ensemble Unicorn. The music you see in movies when there are people in a castle dancing.

Chappell Roan, Good Luck, Babe!. This is the first of her songs I've heard (that I'm sure of, anyway). Good pop!

Duke Pearson, Merry Ole Soul. (via Matt Thomas, had to go and look it up!)

Mary Wells, The Definitive Collection. I like the hoarse blues in "Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right" and the softer daydreamy "What Love Has Joined Together".

TV
Three episodes of The X-Files as we sprint to the end of season three:

s3e20 "Jose Chung's from Outer Space". A story-within-a-story approach, about how crazy people can sound when telling their tales. My least favorite episode? Odd parody, humor didn't land for me. I wonder what people were thinking when they saw it and didn't have Wikipedia to turn to to process it all?
s3e21 "Avatar". Skinner has a succubus! We see him wounded and vulnerable. We also see how despeate Mulder is for a buddy that will believe with him. I thought this episode looked great – rich shadowy '90s legal thriller vibes.
s3e22, "Quagmire". A lake monster in Georgia. Scully says Mulder is like Ahab, and the desire to believe is a way of preserving hope.

2024, Week 47

2024-11-24T17:46:29.000Z

Over forty years on Earth and I'm still learning how to manage ebb and flow of a week. One day I went to bed grumpy and sad and tired. The next day I woke up feeling fine, normal, as if nothing had happened. Another day I woke up energized and silly and ready to take on the world, like I'd somehow caffeinated myself in my sleep. Where do these moods come from? The mystery of body chemistry.

Regardless of what follows, a sunny Sunday morning walk + yoga + waffles + nature documentary is a great way to start your week.

Art
A ceramic Tlapacoya kneeling figurine. A pocket chess set from Marcel Duchamp. A Mumuye monkey mask made of wood, raffia, and fiber.

Running
My winter running project: running every street in PLG/East Flatbush, and then every street in Park Slope. I'm running a 15k in Central Park in a couple weeks.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"Americans just really like thinking of themselves as “working class”, no matter how much money they earn or what degrees they have hanging on their wall." This attitude seems like a blend of "aw shucks" humble popularism and a sort of stolen valor. Seems like bad karma.

How to have a superstar career outside a superstar city. Love this: "Great work is never the default path so don’t waste your time worrying about what you’re missing out on."

"Being driven mad online is avoidable." And some reminders about how to stay sane.

"We must build routines that are not just filled, but fulfilled."

Blockchain for beginners.

"An ode and exhortation to the 70% of New Yorkers in the broad middle of city politics. This moment is yours if you will claim it." See also: You Don't Have to Feel Bad About Politics.

Books
Native Nations, continued, and Termination Shock – soon to DNF? This one is taking forever to get anywhere...

Movies
A Laundry Day. A short film from Johanna Makabi. Like a poem that lands the punch in the final words.

The Batman (2022). Didn't enjoy it as much as the first time, but it holds up pretty well. I still like the moodiness, and the steady drip drip of the detective story, but it felt a bit more flabby on this watch, and a little preachy? Cool to see how precise and sharp Zoë Kravitz' acting can be.

Gosford Park. Absolutely loved it. Gossipy upstairs/downstairs intrigue and murder mystery, constantly mocking Americans, Hollywood, buffoon cops, catty elites. Kristin Scott Thomas is a natural at snobbery. Love how it takes huge cast and makes it feel natural. You assemble the collage as you go along.

Music
More Max Richter…

In a Landscape. Lots of flowy, melancholy cello. It's nice.
The Leftovers: Season 1 OST. I need to get back to watching the show.

Devonté Hynes, Master Gardener OST. Love the closing song, "Space and Time", which led me to…

Mereba:

Room for Loving.
the "Counterfeit" single
The Jungle Is The Only Way Out. "Stay Tru" made me think of Chloe x Halle's "Do It".

Also in rotation:

Mary J. Blige, Gratitude. "Need You More", Jadakiss' voice is so good. "I Got Plans" has a nice throw-back feel.
Pure Desmond, Audrey. Clean west coast jazz.
Adam Ben Ezra, "Can't Stop Running". Really nice upright bass + percussion number.
Cubiclor, Hardly a Day, Hardly a Night. Trancy dancy EDM stuff – "Melodies" is great.
An excellent playlist: Dance in the Ruins: Nov 2024 mix. I'll be giving a few of these albums a proper listen later on.

TV
The X-Files, s3e19 "Hell Money". Most depressing episode yet? Rare episode where there's little in the way of supernatural events. It stays focused on beliefs, and the more generic human evil of preying on the vulnerable. I'd never heard of hell money before.

Cross, s1e1. I've only seen Morgan Freeman play Alex Cross. I like Aldis Hodge's version so far. Curious how they'll use D.C. to tell the story.

Night on Earth, s1e1. TIL there are mice that hunt scorpions.

Words of Wisdom
"Some metaphor: projects require soil to grow in, sunlight to grow toward. Your soil is not your sunlight. You need both, but they are not the same."

2024, Week 46

2024-11-17T17:13:26.000Z

Yesterday I went to the Brooklyn Musem. They've had a bit of a glow-up recently, and their exhibition of Brookyn artists is a lovely way to celebrate it and they have the full collection online. The in memoriam, 2022 quilt by Clayton Okaly was a favorite for me.

While we were there, we took few minutes to sit down and sketch. I picked one at semi-random, a seated guy leaning with his elbows on a table or bar. Then little observations started adding up, things my eye wouldn't have seen if I wasn't using my hands. What else am I missing because I'm not taking enough time to see?

Art
A Yup'ik nepcetaq mask. The notes were very helpful: "In the central carving an angalkuq (shaman) stares intently through two bentwood rings, which represent layers of the universe. As mediators between worlds shamans have the ability to travel beyond the everyday realm. Feathers and wooden carvings of hands, feet, fish, and a bird radiate beyond the second, outermost ring. With hands and legs matching the tone of his face the angalkuq seems to reach across the boundaries of the world. He touches that which we cannot see, the inner life of all things."

Books
Termination Shock, continued.

Running
Picking up where I left off with the project in September, I've now run every street in Bed-Stuy. I didn't expect the wave of satisfaction that hit as I was knocking out the last few blocks. Big smiles.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
IMG_0416, a treasure trove of iPhone → YouTube uploads.

Listen to random forest audio with Tree.fm.

"A corollary to 'you can just do things': you can just ignore things."

Don't ask to ask, just ask. "You're asking people to take responsibility. You're questioning people's confidence in their abilities. You're also unnecessarily walling other people out." (Thanks, Jara!)

"When you take an occupation that people think they know and point it in another direction, then you create a gap, or chasm. Then the viewer has to help fill that chasm. Well, that’s what art does. You have two poles; you get them to a certain point and the spark’s gonna fly."

Hollis Robbins on the "last mile" problem: "We're creating a world where AI algorithms serve the majority while human insight becomes the ultimate premium service."

"Like many pictures in my camera roll, it’s unremarkable. And yet, unlike other pictures taken that night, it conjures up for me a potent memory that’s not exactly depicted within the photo, but with a few taps I can always evoke it."

"Tourism has become value arbitrage: Invest in an undiscovered place early so you don’t have to go there when it’s overrun."

Notes on Guyana. I don't read the whole text of Lakeman's posts, but the on-the-ground photos are always interesting.

"In 31 years of age I think I’ve finally discovered the cure to depression and it’s just leaving the house at every single possible opportunity no matter how badly you don’t want to." Today is my 1349th consecutive day going outside no matter what, and can vouch that it makes a huge difference.

Movies
Civil War. An unlikely family road trip movie, but a team of (bloodthirsty?) journalists. "We don't ask. We record so other people ask." They're not heroes, they're emotionally deadened thrill-seekers, and the generational trend isn't good. Distracting to see what's obviously (to me) Atlanta filmed as NYC. (Seeing the blighted Herndon Stadium was both cool and depressing.) Just seemed a bit sloppy? Between Men, Annihilation, and Ex Machina, Alex Garland has a pretty high batting average.

Master Gardener. Really loved it, didn't expect the warmth and sentimentality, and I wasn't ready for such a hopeful ending. "I never knew what direction it was going to go." I wrote that about Paul Schrader's First Reformed – the first of his man-in-a-room trilogy – and the same applies here. Makes me want to rewatch American Gigolo.

The Grand Budapest Hotel. Second viewing (the first). I might still call it my favorite, but would be interested in a _The Darjeeling Limited_rewatch. Not a movie I love, though, and ditto for Anderson as director. I'm glad he's able to do his thing, though, and hope every director gets to be as weird and specific as they can muster.

Music
Nicolas Deep, Gata. Good pulsing work music. I like the group chanting in "Savan".

Max Richter, On the Nature of Daylight. "A Catalogue of Afternoons" is a good one to keep on loop while you putter through quiet tasks.

Mongo Santamaria, Afro Roots. So much good stuff in the percussion. I'd love to hear a version without vocals.

Sun Ra Arkestra, Baby Won't You Please Be Mine. I like the shaggy bluesy NOLA feel in the title track.

Naoki Sato 六人の嘘つきな大学生 OST. "Chaos" is a favorite – I love that whirring rise and fall in the opening minutes, like a robot breathing. Also a fan of "Betrayer", love a steady pulse that builds and builds. From the composer who brought you the soundtrack for Godzilla Minus One.

Big Gigantic, Brighter Future 2. Strip mall dance pop. I could barely finish.

Yusuf Lateef, Suite 16. Didn't care for this one, either!

TV
The X-Files, s3e18 "Teso Dos Bichos". Another edition of revenge after death x indigenous cultures… but this time through a mob of cats lol.

The Penguin, s1e1. First sample was pretty good. I like when main characters are getting squeezed from all directions. Sofia Falcone is a compelling foil. I've seen NY/NJ mob boss tough-guy characters ten million times, so I'm curious what novelty they'll bring to it.

2024, Week 45

2024-11-10T17:38:54.000Z

We elected a new President on my birthday. I've gotten better gifts before, but… #WeMove!

Running
I went out for some trailrunning in Harriman State Park on Saturday morning. I wasn't really familiar with the area. What lovely surprise, though, when we ended up just a half-mile away from the Lemon Squeezer – a part of the Appalachian Trail that squeezes through some looming boulders. I passed through my first time a lifetime ago in 2007. We took a quick side trip to visit again.

I passed walked into the channel and – feeling the cold rock, hearing the scrape of backpack – the most vivid, visceral memories washed over me. Unexpectedly moving to retrace those steps. Mark v.2007 would not have predicted the details of Mark v.2024, but I think he'd be stoked.

Books
Outlander. DNF. I remember this circulating a ton when I was working at the library. Not for me!

Termination Shock. Just started, appreciate the early momentum.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Projects are things with steps.

"Accomplishing worthwhile things isn't just a little harder than people think; it's 10 or 20 times harder."

The Housing Twenties: New York’s Biggest Building Boom and Its Lessons for Today. "The period from the Great Depression to America’s entry into World War II (1930 to 1941) […] surpassed housing construction in the best 12 years of the 21st century (2012 to 2023)."

I fell asleep in a driverless car.

"I didn’t take animation seriously because it came easily to me. It took me a long time to realize, maybe it comes easily to me and it’s fun because I’m good at it. Maybe that’s what a talent is called, but you feel like you have to beat yourself up and do things the hard way or it doesn’t count."

A reflection on the 10th anniversary of Nightcrawler. "As our relationship with cameras and information delivery systems has evolved, the public often finds themselves a spiritual descendant of Lou or Nina, even with good intentions."

"God walks out of the room when you’re thinking about money."

An excerpt from "Any Morning" by William Stafford…

Little corners like this, pieces of Heaven left lying around, can be picked up and saved. People won't even see that you have them, they are so light and easy to hide.

Movies
The Lion King (1994). Watched as a sing-along. I tell you what: this hits way different as an adult with aging parents!

Crooklyn. Watched on the big screen at BAM. Love the hilarious chaos of a 5-kid household, and the variety of "characters" on the block, and the lively soundtrack, and the shock of travel to foreign lands (Virginia). One of my favorites of the year so far.

Music
Time for Three, Letters for the Future. New music for string trio and orchestra. The strumming and pizzicatto bits in "The Shallows" were nice – warm Americana.

Another round of comparing recordings, ft. Camille Saint-Saëns…

Organ Symphony; Bacchanale; Danse Macabre; Carnaval des Animaux. Just now realizing that the "Aquarium" is featured heavily in in Days of Heaven!
Symphony No. 3 / Piano Concerto No. 2. Don't think I'd heard the "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28" before, nice surprise.

Samuel Siskind, Fourth Wall Ensemble, Christopher Allen, Johnathan McCullough, Awake. Lovely chamber/choral opener.

Svaneborg Kardyb, Superkilen. I like this combination of keyboards and percussion, with some electronica mixed in to expand it. I had the title track on repeat for a while.

Wolfgang Lackerschmid, Chet Baker, Ballads for Two. Trumpet + vibraphone, "Softly As a Morning Sunrise" is the highlight here.

Cobrah, Succubus. BDSM pop. Not sure I'd give it "10/10", but it was a welcome injection of novelty. Buckle up!

Molly Lewis, On the Lips. Lots of whistling and mood-setting – I like "Lounge Lizard".

TV
The X-Files, s3e17 "Pusher". Trance brainwasher! Skinner as plot point (ht Jara). Holding hands several times, Scully's concerned expressions. Russian roulette!

CSI: Miami, s7e12 "Head Case". I like all the lab work they did in this one. Eric and Calleigh need to sort it out this mess lol.

The Terror, s1e9-10. Welp, everyone died! Glad the ending of the show wasn't as Hickey-centric as I feared. Respectful appreciation of an ensemble cast. Really enjoyed the scene of finding the Northwest Passage.

Words of Wisdom
"In a cemetery once, an old one in New England, I found a strangely soothing epitaph. The name of the deceased and her dates had been scoured away by wind and rain, but there was a carving of a tree with roots and branches (a classic nineteenth-century motif) and among them the words, "She attended well and faithfully to a few worthy things." At first this seemed to me a little meager, a little stingy on the part of her survivors, but I wrote it down and have thought about it since, and now I can't imagine a more proud or satisfying legacy."

2024, Week 44

2024-11-03T18:02:16.000Z

This morning I used my extra fall-back hour to do some trailrunning, and it's just a perfect way to start the week. (Some people will try to tell you that the week starts on Monday, but it does not.)

Art
Exquisite Corpse paintings by Kerry James Marshall. (via)

Coptic Tapestry with a Shepherd Milking a Goat.

A gorgeous snuffbox from ~1740s Paris, crafted from gold and mother of pearl.

Running
On Tuesday night the run club when down to a spooky Halloween house.

I used to take Sundays all or mostly off. One change I'm enjoying lately is following my Saturday long run with a short-to-medium run. Squeezing a little bit more out of tired legs, keeping it chill and exploratory.

Books
The Saltwater Frontier. The book has moved on from the more conceptual, sweeping summary material to more nitty-gritty dates-and-facts-and-stats. I've enjoyed it, but looking forward to wrapping up soon.

Florida by Lauren Groff. Just started, reserving judgement.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Prep for next year's Halloween viewing: 24 Hours of Horror with Robert Eggers, director of The Witch and the upcoming Nosferatu remake. Also on Letterboxd.

A collection of movie visual techniques, like dolly zooms, match cuts, and wipe transitions.

How to Make Pixel Art From an Existing Image.

"Friends, I encourage you to publish more, indirectly meaning you should write more and then share it." I like the notion that "not every gift needs a bow".

"The exact reason I recommend people learn foreign languages: smart people need the experience of being wrong."

"The bottom line is this: men do not differ significantly from women in the importance they attach to various policy issues; and their positions do not appear to have shifted much over the last two years." I find this somewhat reassuring. Vibes are powerful.

How I write code using Cursor: A review.

Movies
I Know What You Did Last Summer. Been a while since I've seen it, gets the job done. My 100th movie of the year.

Longlegs. Gross and unsettling at times, but maybe would have found it scarier in the theater? I enjoyed seeing Maika Monroe settling in as a distinctive oddball character, and Nicolas Cage is an all-timer.

The Naked City. Interesting for its snapshot of 1940s NYC neighborhoods, and a decent little procedural mystery.

Presumed Innocent. I need to watch more 80s/90s legal thrillers. Great courtroom scenes, always love when they approach the bench and hash things out. Harrison Ford has a lot of range in stillness.

Music
After hearing one of his songs at the vinyl bar, I dove into Doug Carn's soulful jazz explorations from the 1970s…

…and from there into more jazz…

Sun Ra, Kingdom of Discipline. The organ in "Sophisticated Lady" is so good. I also liked his recent "Lights on a Satellite" single.

Ryo Fukui, Scenery. Check out "I Want to Talk About You".

Two from Alfa Mist, Antiphon and Variables

Walter Smith III, three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not.

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Yesterday You Said Tomorrow. Covers "The Eraser", so that's cool!

…and eventually, the genre started to feel a little stale. Or like I'd kept taking spoonfuls without chewing. To change things up I re-visited Camille Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3. It hit like a truck, great stuff.

TV
The X-Files, s3e16 "Apocrypha". The black oil backstory. I like when Mulder and Scully go off on separate adventures and then team up again after swapping clues. One of the better-shot episodes, good mood.

Batman: The Animated Series, s1e31 "Dreams in Darkness". Scarecrow episode, a rare one with Batman narrating previous events, like a film noir detective.

2024, Week 43

2024-10-27T16:00:56.000Z

Last weekend was Open House New York Weekend, where you can snoop around a bunch of places that you usually can't. I went to Brooklyn Army Terminal to see some oddball art and open studios.

I think I had a breakthrough on that morning adventure. Namely, getting better at managing hangry-ness. Half the battle is predicting it: when I'm on a long morning adventure, I'm going to get tired, hungry, cranky, frustrated. So I left the house prepared, and arrived home happy rather than desperate.

With my new wisdom, I implore you: carry snacks. The great enemy of your progress is unresolved tension within!

Running
I got an idea for a spiral running route one night as I was going to bed, so used that for my Saturday long run. The result GPS track, map redacted:

Wasn't sure how it would feel to run it, but it was a really neat way to revisit familiar territory.

Books
The Subtle Knife. DNF. Just couldn't stay attached.

The Saltwater Frontier: Indians and the Contest for the American Coast. Really enjoying this one, with focus on the native, English, and Dutch on the coast up here from Hudson Valley to Cape Cod. We think of colonization as a land-based thing, and underestimate the maritime powers already in place.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
William Gibson on a radio interview with R.P. Bird in 1987. Listening to oddball radio shows late at night – one of those things I remember that my kids probably won't. (via Joanne McNeil)

"Here is a (very) nonexhaustive list of nonprofits that have helped achieve prosocial outcomes, that do not currently have enough funding to achieve their greater ambitions." Lots of good stuff out there.

Boosting Housing Affordability: Practical Suggestions for Congress and the White House. Interesting to see what opportunities are available, some direct, some bankshots.

"A lot of people don't know how government works generally, even if they're inside it. They certainly know their piece of it, and they know how to navigate the relationships. They’ll always tell you politics is relationship driven, and it certainly is. And they’re also deeply creative. It requires ingenuity to figure out how to get an agenda through the system."

We can Terraform the American West.

Movies
The Witches (1990). Fun! Anjelica Huston is such a good diva. Love the handicraft make-up and costuming. Unhinged at times, and maybe feels unsure of its target age. Enjoyed it, though, and enough so that I'd be willing to check out the remake.

Scream VI. I agree with my complaints from my first watch in May, but also my conclusion: I love this franchise. I like the darkness in our heroine, and focus on the sister relationship as they find their own way through trauma.

Music
The Smile, Cutouts. Must feel good to reset under a new name, remove the expectations of the old one. "The Slip" is so good, dark and slippery. "Eyes & Mouth" is about as funky as I've heard them, and I love how the toms are tuned so loose. The whole album just races by.

Ngô Hồng Quang, Nhìn Lại. I like the mix of old and new. The final ballad Chông Chênh Sông Hồng is lovely, as is the a cappella "Có Những Ngày".

Gonchareva, Ocean, Symphony for Electric Violin and Other Instruments in 10+ Parts. The variety of intrumentation is the best part. Not your grandfather's symphony.

Bill Evans Trio, Sunday at the Village Vanguard. I love how close this recording is, right on your ears. "My Man's Gone Now" might be my favorite here.

Bill Charlap Trio, Street of Dreams. More piano-led jazz combo. "Out of Nowhere" has such good bones, hard to go wrong.

Jupiter & Okwess, Na Kozonga. Congolese afropop/funk. Big fan of "Izabela" and Bakanda Ulu", at least before the heavy belting starts.

TV
The X-Files, s3e15 "Piper Maru". Feels good to be back on mainline conspiracy stuff. Frickin' Krychek.

CSI, s10e14. Starring Rascal Flatts? Didn't see it coming.

The Terror, s1e8. Ugh. It's the Hickey show now.

2024, Week 42

2024-10-20T15:43:59.000Z

I removed Twitter from my phone last Sunday, and it's been interesting to compare before and after. I'm lucky that, compared to some, I don't seem to be as triggered by the sewage you can see there sometimes (often). But still, just as addicted as many. It keeps me hooked.

But I cut it off for a bit, and all that would-be scrolling time became much more peaceful. Go figure! Kindle on the train, RSS in those weird restless pockets that open up throughout the day, Kindle before bed. A bit of time on the laptop in the evening, but I usually don't have much appetite for that after a day of work. Compulsion replace with intention. Nights are quieter, and feel longer, and days a bit more deliberate and focused. It feels good I'm pretty sure I'll be back eventually, but enjoying this right now.

I remember I had a tough start on Monday. A bit of Sunday scaries, and bad sleep from wordy thinking + struggle to find the right temperature. Still wrestling with changes in my routine, but things are settling into place. I try to remind myself I don't need to form an opinion or change it all immediately. I let the new days settle into place, and see what I want to change when it's taken form.

Art
"Wind, Miami Beach", photo by Anastasia Samoylova.

"Woman Leaning on Her Hands", bronze by Henri Matisse.

"Pierrot with Clarinet", sculpture in plaster by Jacque Lipchitz.

Running
I think I'm finding my groove again. Back to my usual weekly mileage after a couple down weeks. Sunday afternoon jogs are proving useful to replace the weekday mornings I pulled back on. Saturday long run include a stint of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway I'd not done before, connecting Sunset Park and Bay Ridge/Fort Hamilton. I think I've run almost all of Brooklyn's perimeter/borders, except for a few odd miles here and there.

Books
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson. Ultimately really depressing! Glad I read it. The world of ambassadors and diplomats is interesting, though. I wonder what the best general history books on the Foreign Service are?

Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West by Calder Walton. The 10% of so that I read seems good, but I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach here. DNF.

The Subtle Knife, by Philip Pullman. I was going to read the The Golden Compass only to realize I read it two years ago. Need to Wikipedia that one and get this started again.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
I’m visiting all 350 of NYC’s neighborhoods. Here’s some of what I’ve learned so far.

"The obituaries section is exclusive real estate. They don’t let boring people in."

"Politicians from the left and the right sometimes like to say that 60 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. It’s the type of statistic that can fit a variety of economic narratives. […] It’s also, more importantly, not true."

Using static websites for tiny archives.

Movies
Coraline. Pretty good! The stop-motion animation is really impressive, easy for my attention to be focus more on that than the plot. The story is unhurried and pleasingly creepy.

The Witch. I just love this movie. Third or fourth time I've seen it, and keep finding new riches. Robert Eggers is one to follow.

Music
Pharoah Sanders, Great Moments with Pharoah Sanders was my favorite album this week. Perfect music for walking through the city in the morning. Check out his "Naima" and "Soul Eyes".

Jaco Pastorius, Jaco Pastorius. Insane electric bass playing here.

Yin Yan, Mount Matsu. Some interesting electronic/south Asian surf rock?

Giuliano Sorgini, Lavoro e tempo libero. Disco! "Turbine in moto" is a good closer.

Brian Green, Impressions for Headphones. No single track was especially affecting, but useful and enveloping when taken as a whole.

Keith Jarrett, Facing You. Jazz piano as soloist. I like "Starbright".

Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" rec. New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein. I went through a big Mahler phase a while back, maybe a decade ago now? Still love the scale and drama of it all.

TV
The X-Files, s3e14 "Grotesque". Here we have a more tormented Mulder than we usually see. A detective in too deep for his own good, like you see in Seven or Hannibal or something. But we also understand new motivations, chips on his shoulder from a career being bullied and ostracized. I like the range we get to see from Scully here – loyalty, patient, frustrated, angry, worried, commanding. Interesting that the enemy here has honor enough to help himself get caught.

The Terror, s1e7. The crew has abandoned ship for overland journey, and Mr. Hickey is outta control. Hope he doesn't take over the plot, but… I don't think I'll get my wish.

2024, Week 41

2024-10-13T17:24:07.000Z

Took a few hours last Sunday evening for a couple hours of reading – phone off, devices stashed away… and a break for cookies. An ideal evening. And a different version of that this morning: a bus ride across town, a trio of lattes, and a sunny stroll back home. New rituals to make the time go slower.

Books
Shards of Honor. Setting this one aside for the moment. Lots of things happening but not building up enough.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson (no relation). So far, so good. I remember reading The Devil in the White City when it came out, and being annoyed with his constant teasers and hints to close out each chapter. Still has that tic here, but it's not bothering me as much.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"When the whole [TikTok] feed is taken together, it’s almost digital vaudeville: a song, a short sketch, a physical feat, slapstick, animal acts and satire, one after another, in a personalized variety show on your phone."

"The Delaware Aqueduct, 85 miles end to end, is the longest tunnel in the world".

Movies
Scream (1996). Third or fourth time I've seen it? This time around I especially appreciated how scenes were blocked out, and the emphasis on how we feed on TV sensationalism.

I Saw the TV Glow. Moves in its own time, at its own pace.

Music
Elysian Spring, Glass Flowers. I like the gentle bossa nova opener "Blue Sands" into hard swing of "Richards Whistle"

Ibibio Sound Machine, Doko Mien. "Wanna Come Down" puts the hard funk in your face, and "I Will Run" is a more electro-dreamy morsel with a bit of gospel flavor.

Moses Yoofee Trio, OCEAN. I love a crispy, up-front sound in the drumkit. The title track is great with the bass noodling over a piano pedal tone at the opener, and I love the way "RICHMOND" builds and pivots halfway through.

Brandon Coleman, Resistance. Heavily vocodered pop/roller disco in the vein of Daft Punk, etc.. See "Live for Today".

TV
The Terror, s1e6. The worst carnival ever, and sunrise has never been so deflating.

2024, Week 40

2024-10-07T19:38:40.000Z

I got married on Friday morning and it was perfect.

Art
Concrete Mixer (Revolving Doors) by Man Ray. Brown should be used more often with bold color wheel shades.

I really like this anniversary quilt inspired by fallen leaves.

Running
Had to squeeze in runs where I could – running an errand, on the way to see family, random afternoon shake-outs. Feels weird to have the mileage cut to half of what it was two weeks ago, but it will take some time to find where to fit it all in the new work schedule.

Books
The Peripheral. DNF, plotting too erratic, lost my patience.

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. Just started, and I don't love the writing, or the plot, but something is keeping the pages turning so I'll just go with it for now.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"When protecting yourself from a certain unpleasant possibility becomes non-negotiable, you’re liable to suffer in other ways, often to a much greater degree."

"You’ll be miserable if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do."

"When you can't decide which path to take, it's almost always due to ignorance. In fact you're usually suffering from three kinds of ignorance simultaneously: you don't know what makes you happy, what the various kinds of work are really like, or how well you could do them."

"The capacity to get up and walk away from the work is the same capacity that permits you to make meaningful progress in the work, when the time for that arrives."

Bad service is a sign of a better world. "Temporary parasocial relationships are right up there with big houses and fast cars for me: overrated traps that siphon away household resources from the things that actually matter. The ribeye served with a smile over clean linen is fine, but it’s got nothing on tacos uncermoniously dropped on a plastic table you can afford to share with someone you love."

Vital City, Issue 9 is all about the NYC subway.

Movies
Salt (2010). A rewatch. One of the more implausible action films I've seen lately, and that's saying something. All in good fun. Angelina Jolie elevates the material.

War for the Planet of the Apes. Another rewatch, and I had a much different reaction than my first viewing. I think I'd pinpoint the same gripes, but they didn't tip the balance this time. Really enjoyed it. There seems to be benefit in watching the others more recently, having a better sense of Caesar's arc.

Fright Night (1985). Last rewatch of the week, still fun. One of the best depictions of sexy-magnetic vampires. Great mid-80s fashion, too. I can't tell if the Evil Ed character was just an unpolished actor or just dialed up to 11? Or both?

Interview With the Vampire. Fun to compare this with the TV show, and wonder which is more true to the book. This one has more glamour, and better sets, but lacks the intrigue and tormented relationship that gives the TV show a bit of oomph and heightens the tragedy. I hope Tom Cruise will do some more goofy costume-and-makeup roles in the future…

Music
Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble. Glitchy jazz with ominous moody lounge stuff. I prefer "Amygdhala".

Masahiro Takahashi, Humid Sun. More in the dreamy/sleepy/optimistic strain of ambient.

Bach: Flute Sonatas. Check out the slow movement in BWV 1030.

TV
X-Files, s3e11 "Revelations". Stigmatic child turns the tables on Scully and Mulders usual skeptic vs. believer dynamic.

X-Files, s3e12 "War of the Coprophages". Roaches! The silliness here was a breath of fresh air. I like the repeated hang-ups and exasperation.

X-Files, s3e13 "Syzygy". Young Ryan Reynolds cameo. Uneven in tone. I wonder how I'd evaluate it if I hadn't seen movies with similar best-friends-at-odds horror plots.

The Terror, s1e5.

2024, Week 39

2024-09-29T19:49:21.000Z

This week I started my new job. I had such a nice routine from the last year or so, especially my mornings. Now each of those perfectly-crafted hours are oddly-shaped chunks that don't fit where they used to. The novelty of a commute will wear off eventually but I like the chance to read more on the train, and to take mid-day breaks walking around new Manhattan blocks.

Family comes into town for our wedding soon, so the schedule is going to feel topsy-turvy for a little longer yet. (✿◠‿◠)

Art
A highlight of the week was seeing the Edges of Ailey exhibition at The Whitney, especially Romare Bearden's 'Bayou Fever' collages.

Running
I didn't run all my usual days, so I was extra-fresh for the 15 miles out to Shirley Chisholm State Park. A pleasant drizzly rain with a bunch of cute little soggy snails.

Books
The Peripheral, cont. Progress took a dip, but feels like things are picking up again.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots

"My attempts over the years to put on a show or a film as background noise always left me feeling demonically possessed by an enraged, guilty Catholic: only passively paying attention to what was happening on screen felt like a mortal sin. Somehow, Criterion24/7 unlocked something in me that finally, mercilessly, let me switch my brain off and get fed whatever was being served."

"On the wall, there were monochrome photos of Petersen’s employees and their friends: well-dressed, tattooed, and helmetless, they rolled through groves of oak and eucalyptus, and pedalled along sun-dappled ridges. The photographs looked like an ad for California."

Congress needs to invest in itself.

Movies
Inside Out 2. I enjoyed it about as much as when I watched the first one, but didn't feel as adventurous. It's a fun story with now-familiar mechanics. It did have more moments of cackling-with-recognition, and enjoyed a couple scenes with mixed animation styles. Nice trend lately – will we/do we already see this in live-action movies?

Music
Brooks & Dunn, Brand New Man. A trip down memory lane. Man, I was exhausted with the song when I was 9 years old, but… "Boot Scootin' Boogie" kinda rips? "My Next Broken Heart" and "Neon Moon" has a great lean-back feel like "Islands in the Stream" mixed with Jimmy Buffett.

Nala Sinephro, Endlessness and Space 1.8 have cool blend of ambient, funk, chamber jazz, etc.. Thoughtful and spacious, best as a full-album ride.

Minoru Muraoka, Bamboo. Gave it a listen because Japanese flute + jazz combo feels like sure-fire success. A bit disappointed it was mostly covers. Might be some more good stuff out there.

TV
X-Files, s3e10 "731". The Smoking Man is up to his old tricks! >:(

The Terror, s1e2–4. Really happy with this show. Claustrophobia in the great outdoors.

Kaos, s1e3. A rebound episode for me. The whole Minos scene is really nicely done.

2024, Week 38

2024-09-22T21:13:05.000Z

Last week I got a new job. And with that, I felt a creeping anxiety about how to fill my time before it started. I'd spent the last year and change either doing schoolwork or job searching and then suddenly: not necessary anymore. The old routine no longer applies. A happy shock, but it's unsettling when one phase of my life grinds to a halt and another one starts.

I ran a race this weekend, and kinda sorta mostly didn't really want to when I woke up. It felt like a chore to get through so I could get back home and do other things. I arrived at the race later than I wanted, and didn't get to warm up, so the first few miles were a bit of a drag. Blah. A few miles in, I somehow found one of the good ways to pull myself out of a rut: asking, "Am I really giving this my best?" The answer is usually "no", and I can adjust accordingly. I suppose this is just a variation on "make the best of it". I eventually convinced myself to turn on the jets, tapped into something deeper. That, and the cheer section with Diana Ross playing around mile 5, helped turn things around.

Books
New York 2140. A little aimless toward the end, but love how it unfolds and explores all the communities involved. It will go down as one of my favorites this year.

Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past. DNF. I think I like the stories in anthropology more than the science of it.

The Peripheral. I like how William Gibson just tosses you in a pool of detail and makes you sort it out. I will go for paragraphs with no idea what's going on, you realize what a key word means, and it all clicks into place very nicely.

Running
I ran the NYRR New Balance Bronx 10 Mile this morning and finished in 5746th place overall. 😤🏆🐐

I also did some morning trailrunning, and on one evening run I saw a nice full moon over the Wendy's.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
I spent the better part of a day last week clearing out a backlog of open tabs and unread RSS. It wasn't totally worth it, but I had fun!

"Writing on my own site has very different affordances: I’m not typing into a little box, but writing in a text file. I’m not surrounded by other people’s thinking, but located within my own body of work. As I played with setting this up, I could immediately feel how that would change the kinds of things I would say, and it felt good. Really good. Like putting on a favorite t-shirt, or coming home to my solid, quiet house after a long time away." I'd never heard of the POSSE model of online writing before – "publish on your own site, syndicate elsewhere".

Why Was the Miami Vice Pilot So Good?. "[Jan] Hammer says that when he watched the first cut of the pilot, he was unprepared 'for how beautiful it was. I thought, Wow — this is actually like something that I would watch.'" I love this line from Michael Mann: "We haven’t invented the Hula-Hoop or anything. We’re only contemporary. And if we’re different from the rest of TV, it’s because the rest of TV isn’t even contemporary."

Breaking Away from Disney Animation. Pushback/spinoffs from the early 20th c. Disney house style.

"When new creative mediums appear, it’s never immediately obvious what virtuoso-level performance with that medium looks like."

"It is my hypothesis that, back in the 2000s, everybody’s activation energy was a bit lower. More of us were bloggers, back then. Linking felt more natural, somehow. Now, in the 2020s, the algorithms do most of that work. You must lower your activation energy again."

"Being 10x faster also changes the kinds of projects that are worth doing. […] Having 10x as much feedback is a huge advantage in learning any complex skill."

"Will is a kind of skill."

"We do not really know what people want in terms of housing or transportation because their options are incredibly limited."

Great video: Cruel Musical Chairs (or Why Is Rent So High?).

To Boldly House Where no Housing has Gone Before (Part I): New York’s Land Reclamation History. "Lower Manhattan south of City Hall is about 50% bigger than it was before the Dutch arrived."

Measuring Housing Regulations at Scale.

Which School Districts Do the Best Job of Teaching Kids to Read?.

The ozone layer is healing.

Movies
Attack the Block. Over a decade old already – John Boyega is but a wee child here. It's aged very well.

Tomb Raider. Second viewing (the first), and it's still a blast. I like the young Croft's swagger, a reckless confidence that gets… corrected… but never squashed. Action movies are better when the characters act like they're in danger!

Blow Out. My third watch (the first). The ending makes me feel icky every time, gutting. I love the old accents – no one sounds like that anymore!

Music
The Quintet: Jazz at Massey Hall. (via) As you might guess, a Parker-Gillespie-Powell-Roach-Mingus line-up plays some good music! I love just about every version of "All the Things You Are".

Since I saw Nate Smith when I was in Albany last week, decided to check out the discography:

Pocket Change, a re-listen of the first and only album of his I'd heard. All solo drumming. "DumDum" is good entry point.
Kinfolk: Postcards from Everywhere, jazz ensemble.
Kinfolk 2: See the Birds. Disliked most of the vocals on this album. :(
Pocket Change 2: Mad Currency. Another solo show.

Sabrina Carpenter, Short n' Sweet. Ton of fun! I like "Please Please Please" – I'm hearing Kacey Musgraves in there. "Slim Pickins", too. Both are great.

Mark Guiliana, The Sound of Listening and MARK, which I enjoyed more for being more energetic and weirder and harder to classify.

Tindersticks, Soft Tissue.

Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana, Mehliana: Taming the Dragon

White Rabbits, Milk Famous. Interesting as a historical artifact – "here's something popular I missed in the 2010s" – but I dunno, rock just isn't very interesting to me these days.

TV
X-Files, s3e9 "Nisei". Alien autopsy! I'd never heard of Unit 731, awful stuff.

IWTV, s1e5-7. This season was very Hannibal. Fun to see the change in costume, etc. over the years. I'd tune in for another season, but wouldn't put it on my calendar.

Kaos, s1e2. I thought I was done with the show after this one, but I feel like it's burrowed in, just curiosity to see where they take it.

CSI: Miami, s3e3. I like when procedurals have two murders going on in one episode.

The Terror, s1e1. Really liked the first taste. Can you imagine being life on a ship stuck in the ice in arctic winter? Lordy. (Thanks to @jamesfflynn for the rec!)

Words of Wisdom
"Wisdom is always wont to arrive late, and to be a little approximate on first possession." – attr. Francis Spufford

2024, Week 37

2024-09-16T14:44:13.000Z

This weekend I went to Albany, adding another state capital to my meager collection (let's see, top of my head: AL, AZ, AR, CO, GA, HI, IN, LA, MD, MT, TN). I think we've locked in a good travel pattern: leave home early, arrive late morning, grab a snack, hit the museums, crash for a nap, then have an evening activity out before going to bed. Next morning: wake up, eat well, and get some nature before heading home.

I was pleasantly surprised with the NY State Museum, the size and scope of it. There's so much expertise and attention that goes into these places! Even the "unimpressive" ones can have a lot to offer if you're open to it. Similar feeling about Washington Park, a green treasure at the top of the hill, and the Lark Street Neighborhood was a cute entry point to it.

The best exhibition at Albany Institute of History & Art, by far, was Enchanting Threads: The Art of Salley Mavor – intricately detailed fiber arts scenes, colorful and playful. The trip accidentally coincided with the Riverfront Jazz Festival, so the evening entertainment was Nate Smith (pretty sure I first heard his sick drumming on Pocket Change). Listened by the water with a limeade, followed by a plate of Jamaican sides, and then fireworks. Couldn't have planned it better. Twilight Market was nearby – not for me, but glad to see a smaller town has room for all types.

Favorite meal was breakfast at Iron Gate Cafe, followed by lunch at El Mariachi. Stacks Espresso Bar did its job.

The biggest lesson here: you don't need a Brand Name™ travel destination to have a really fulfilling trip.

Art
I had to look her up after seeing her art, and I'm so happy that Salley Mavor has a great blog with lots of behind-the-scenes details.

Blue Leaf Form, a lithograph from William Turnbull.

This Chokwe Chief's Chair is so cool – I've never seen sculpture like that on rungs between chair legs!

Running
Cut back the mileage in prep for Bronx 10-mile. I think with one more run, or maybe two, I'll have run every street in Bed-Stuy. 🔜

Books
New York 2140, cont. Savoring this one, and hoping I can find more like it.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
I like the whirlwind tour of California history in "How California Turned Against Growth". I would read… ~49 more capsule summaries like this.

What are subway signals and why should you care?

Robert Caro buys a writing shed: "This particular shed was a floor sample, bought because he wanted it delivered right away. The business’s owner demurred. “So I said the following thing, which is always the magic words with people who work: ‘I can’t lose the days.’”" The word count calendar is cool, too.

Celebrate Your Victories. "And then … be prepared to let it all go."

Movies
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. All about efforts to get power or keep it. Caesar and Koba's relationship is so heartbreaking, both deeply motivated by their experience, both unwilling in their own way to see past it. Koba's play-acting scenes, the whole making a fool/circus monkey act, is so brilliant.

The Firm. On rewatch, keeps getting better! (previously) An underrated Tom Cruise micro-skill: intense phone conversations.

Music
Top recs this week...

A lovers rocks playlist from Questlove. Lots of new stuff for me, and I especially liked "El Cielo" from Radio Citizen & Bajka, "Lost Weekend Dub" from Slowly, and especially Ernest Ranglin's "In the Rain".
Sona Jobarteh, Badinyaa Kumoo. Upbeat kora + Gambian griot from a cousin of the great Toumani Diabaté. Hard to pick just one! Maybe "Fondinkeeya", with all its intertwining threads.
Salif Keita, "Folon"…..The Past. I like the lean-back funk feel on "Mandjou". "Nyanyama" the opening aching vocals of reminds me of Thione Secks's "Mass Ndiaye" (complimentary!!).

And as for rest of my listening…

LL Cool J, The Force. It was "Black Code Suite" that put Sona Jobarteh ↑ on my radar. I like the throwback feel, machine gun chatter in "Basquiat Energy"
Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1. Number 8 just hits different, huh?
Jeff Majors, For Us All (Yoka Boka).
Raleigh Ritche, You're a Man Now, Boy. Straightforward modern pop/R&B by the star of the Interview with the Vampire TV show.
Bonnie Prince Billy, Hear the Children Sing the Evidence. The wandering folk you'd expect from him!

TV
X-Files, s3e8 "Oubliette". A dungeon kidnapping thriller!

The Leftovers, s2e2 "A Matter of Geography". Focusing on the NY folks' move to Texas. Kevin is losing it.

Kaos, s1e1. I wish it were a little snappier and goofier, but I generally like where it's going.

2024, Week 36

2024-09-08T17:28:47.000Z

Last week I finished a project: MoviePeers.com, a novelty website inspired by a tweet from last year. I'd been meaning to circle back to it for a while! Felt good to wrap it up and ship it.

The long weekend felt like it split the week into two parts – one in goblin mode, watching movies, reading; the other cranking through interviews, administrative stuff. Also got a wedding license and picked up my ring. Big week!

Art
A Navajo weaving of an Intel Pentium chip.

The flat face of this mask (kplekple) really tickles me for some reason.

Extraordinary Values, painting by Ray Yoshida.

Running
It's that time of year where an evening run comes with a lovely sunset.

I ran about ~16.5 miles yesterday, my longest in a good while. Felt great during the run. Feeling some "overdid it" kinks in the system today, but really happy with my progress, the fact that it didn't feel like a big deal. Running with company probably helped with that. The next couple weeks will be a short taper to my next race.

Books
New York 2140, cont. This book has been so fun. Halfway through.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"The older you get, the more you’re able to look at it and go, well, it’s not my brilliance that made this thing a hit and it’s not my stupidity that made this one flop."

"One Minute Park allows you to visit parks from around the world for one minute each." (via Naive Weekly, one of my favorite newsletters)

On luxury produce: "A certain kind of tomato has become a status symbol."

How pour-over coffee got good.

"Nobody has ever scolded themselves for failure to complete a reference book. They are intended to be used as the reader demands—nothing more. You owe no obeisance to the author; there is no pretense of a conversation."

Progressives need to learn to take the W. "There’s another, more subtle cost of perpetual outrage as a theory of change. I think it leads to premature exhaustion and unnecessary disillusionment, by preventing progressives from realizing when they’ve had major successes."

The latest issue of Bright Wall/Dark Room is focused on Spike Lee.

The Secret Inside One Million Checkboxes.

Furnishing your house with server racks.

Movies
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. It's crazy how good this movie looks. An under-appreciated franchise this century. I love how they show the ape societies developing – architecture, costume, tools. Interesting that they do the same no-kiss greeting as in Fury Road/Furiosa: foreheads touching, hand on the back of the other's. LOL at apes talking about now-immiserated scavenger humans like stray animals. I like the very gradual character reveals!

Incroyable mais vrai (Incredible But True). A couple buys a house that happens to have a portal where you can time travel 12 hours ahead while also getting 3 days younger. Great soundtrack! Old-school classical and videogame-like electronic versions. I like the use of montage to fast forward.

Beast. Jessie Buckley is awesome and after seeing this and Men and Women Talking, I'll keep tuning in.

Beetlejuice. Speaking over very gradual character reveals. They very literally do not make them like this anymore. What a manic, crazy blend – I love the actors, across the cast, putting all their chips in. The suicide jokes (?!) didn't age well!

Music
Started off the week in an R&B mood…

Prince, For You. Never gone that deep in the Prince archives before. "Soft and Wet" is the only one I knew of, still bouncy and perfect. The demented backbeat in "In Love" feels like a decade ahead of time.
Maze, Frankie Beverly, Silky Soul. Late '80s disco/funk/soul/R&B – even if you don't know the songs, the music sounds so familiar and comforting (and owes a tremendous debt to Marvin Gaye). "Love's On the Run" has the bump.
The Best of Sade. When the "Best Of" album comes out before two other killer albums. "Hang On to Your Love" deserves some more attention. "Kiss of Life" has lovely production, something I'd listen to when I take my imaginary sailboat out at sunset. The grinding, vaguely menacing electric guitar takes "No Ordinary Love" to a level few can reach.

I like listening to other people's playlists. But more often, I just pillage and plunder for ideas. I usually end up skimming the titles and snagging a couple albums that catch my eye. This week, albums stolen from a playlist for driving around Oahu:

Pacific, from Haruomi Honoso, Shigeru Suzuki, and Tatsuro Yamashita. "ノスタルジア・オブ・アイランド (Nostalgia of the Island)" is an easy fave, lazy and happy.
Raymond Scott, Manhattan Research, Inc.. I really like the noises, but there was too much talking (for me, at the time).
Daniel Lanois, Shine.
Gaussian Curve, Clouds.
A.R.T. Wilson, Overworld.

Cameroon: Baka Pygmy Music. Highlights are the children singing in "Hut Song" and aquatic percussion in "The Water Drum".

Back to Beethoven again this week, comparing/contrasting recordings to make my soul bigger:

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4, Op.58 & Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 19 perf. Rudolf Serkin, Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra.
Beethoven: Piano Concerto Nos. 4 & 5 perf. Daniel Barenboim, Berliner Philharmoniker.
Beethoven: Piano Concertos No. 3 Op. 37 & No. 4 Op. 58 per. Krystian Zimerman, Leonard Bernstein, Wiener Philharmoniker. I like how the piano sounds here, it seems to have the most "sparkle" to it.
Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4, perf. Mitsuko Uchida, Kurt Sanderling, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. This sound is so smooth and round and full, and feels like a wider overall dynamic range in the recording/performance. Probably my favorite of this bunch.

TV
X-Files, s3e7 "The Walk". Another military revenge plot, this one in a veterans hospital. Fun to see the "No sir, it's unusual." guy from No Country for Old Men in a starring role here.

The Leftovers, s2e1 "Axis Mundi". This show. Dang. This is why we say some works have a "rich text". I took a bunch of notes, but feel like I just need to let them simmer. I had no idea Regina King was in this show!

Interview With the Vampire, s3-4. So, this Claudia character… I appreciate what she's doing for the story, but a very tiresome presence on screen.

2024, Week 35

2024-09-01T18:33:38.000Z

Last weekend I tried on my wedding ring, and what a lovely feeling. It came out a bit too large, but the re-size should be perfect when I pick it up again. How many things do I own that I expect will be with me until I die?

Running
Ran to a new area yesterday, Forest Park. I need to get back there to see some more of the trails. But maybe take a shortcut on the subway instead of getting there six miles in.

Books
New York 2140, cont.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
YouTube TV, flipping through channels like we used to. Mixed feelings! It feels nostalgically satisfying, there's always some curiosity and surprise in what's next but… I'm glad we've moved on.

"Most of our everyday knowledge of how to use computers can be considered folklore."

"There is a genre of 21st century male 'I have perfected the game of life' routine that essentially assumes the absence of other people". Sad!

OpenStreetMap, then and now. It's incredible to see the progress and detail added since 2008. Incredible public resource, up there with Wikipedia.

James Flynn analyzes the everyday genius in a short clip of The Big Lebowski.

Movies
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The Furiosas hold their own. Chris Hemsworth is a delight. I like that his Dementus is not particularly smart. I also like that Furiosa is mostly silent, like Max. The inventive vehicles and weapons and tactics are an ongoing treat. I really like the episodic format. It feels more refreshing in this fiction context than when I see it in a biopic or something.

The African Desperate. Fun work in the editing/cuts/sound, and in the presentation of phone/text convo. And the art school talk is so perfectly eye-rolling. Interesting how the dialogue is so filled with throwaway memes, references, abbrevs, catchphrases. Ultimately I struggled with the characters, who seem aimless, insufferable, self-destructive. Like being sober when everyone else is drunk or drugged – a bit of a drag!

Late Night With the Devil. Horror movie on the set of a live television show. We get breaks from the action when they go to commercial. Refreshing change in setting.

Music
Leo Takami, Tree of Life. More straightforwardly meditative and drifting than last week's.

Abel Selaocoe, Where Is Home / Hae Ke Kae. South African cello and vocal wanderings.

Afro-pop from Amero-Zimbabwean Chiwoniso…

Ancient Voices. The title track has a steady bittersweet momentum, and I like the chorus joining in to tell the story.
Rebel Woman
Tichazomuona, with Dumisani Maraire. The mbira has a perfect sound.

Barry White, Is This Whatcha Want?. Unassailable: "Don't Make Me Wait Too Long".

Floating Points, Ocotillo. "Del Oro" stayed on loop for a while.

TV
Interview with the Vampire, s1e1–2. Trashy horror-romance. Can't believe it took this long, but watching this made me realize that Hannibal is a vampire.

How to With John Wilson, s1e3. The shine is wearing off a bit, but still a valuable reminder how interesting other people are, and how being open opens up a lot.

Words of Wisdom
"God forgive me for being so idle; I am quite sillily interested in this work."

2024, Week 34

2024-08-27T18:52:19.000Z

I've been working on a coding project (more to come) and collaborating with AI is so fun. I like the near-limitless patience – explain X for the tenth time, remind me why we're doing Y, let's start over from scratch... again. Stuff that would exhaust a human teammate is taken without flinching. I hope we can learn from this.

Books
New York 2140. Loving this book so far – intrigue in a New York City partially submerged by global sea level rise. Exactly what I needed. Really appreciate this line:

"Stick your finger on your little tourist map and wherever it lands, amazing things will have happened. The ghosts will rise up through the manhole covers like steam on a cold morning, telling you their stories with the same boring maniacal ancient-mariner intensity that any New Yorker manifests if they start talking about history. Don’t get them started! Because a New Yorker interested in the history of New York is by definition a lunatic, going against the tide, swimming or rowing upstream against the press of his fellow citizens, all of whom don’t give a shit about this past stuff."

The Path of Daggers, cont.

Running
I'm now over 1,000 miles for the year so far. Getting close to filling out my map of Bed-Stuy, too. Just a few more runs and I'll have every street done.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Eastern Parkway was never meant to be a highway. If only…

"I was '2 months away from quitting the podcast' for 2 years."

"It’s worth listening to your intuition because this is what’ll set your perspective apart from everyone else who’s also looking around for problems to solve."

"In midlife almost everything looks like a midlife crisis book."

Movies
Totally Killer. Dialogue reminded me of Hitman a bit, not in a good way, sometimes sort of listless, slow, obvious. And it ran the "boy, times have changed" and raunchy humor into the ground. But! It's a pretty fun satire and I like the time travel angle.

Sherlock Holmes (2009). I love the fashion from this time period. Leaning into Sherlock's restlessness and Watson's gambling is a plus.

Music
Continuing the Asian kick from last week, I really enjoyed the stuff I've found in the Nonesuch Explorer Series.

Explorer Series: Indonesia - Java: Court Gamelan, Vol. I
Explorer Series: Indonesia - Java: Court Gamelan, Vol. II
Explorer Series: Europe - Bulgaria: Village and Folk Music of Bulgaria. Really liked all the 1-3 minute track lengths on this album. The tight small-group harmonies in "Jofcharche mlado" followed by the more expansive chorus + woodwind + strumming" in Trugnal mi Yane Sandanski, Iele" capture the range well.

After seeing a random twitter thread about it, I switched over to Japanese jazz…

Leo Takami, Next Door. Maybe my favorite of the bunch. Reminds me of Pat Metheny – nylon electric guitar + piano + percussion is a proven blend, like in "As If Listening". "Family Tree" opens and closes with this melancholy line where I feel like he's quoting something – Eno's Airports, or Satie's Gymnopedies, or a snippet of Copland – but maybe that's just what happens when something is so spare, clear, beautiful, dialed in. Or maybe it's a quote!
Masabumi Kikuchi, Poo-Sun.
Hiromasa Suzuki, High-Flying opens with the title track quoting Marvin Gaye. A bit more funk/fusion/blues-y than the previous.
Masabumi Kikuch & Masahiko Togashi, Poetry.
And a playlist: "japanese jazz when driving on a warm rainy night".

I really enjoyed this compare/contrast exercise, and I should do it more often:

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" & Coriolan Overture, performed by Budapest Festival Orchestra, 2024. Is #3 the best Beethoven symphony?
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, Op. 55 "Eroica" - Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 1, Op. 11 (Live), from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 2018. A notable increase in tempo in this Eroica. Buoyant!

Star Feminine Band, self-titled and Paris. High-energy Beninese teenage garage band!

TV
The X-Files…

s3e4 "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". Quote of the season so far: "I believe in your abilities, but not your attitude."
s3e5 "The List". This show loves to consider revenge after death. Has a great moody look to it – deep shadows, Florida sweat. Stories set in the prison system, with so many abuses of power, are really tough to watch.
s3e6 "2Shy". I like how they literalize the psychopath's hunger to kill. Also: old school internet dating! Vulnerability, loneliness, hopefulness, the willingness to ignore red flags. Also interesting to see the villain's reluctance to engage when it's not on his terms.

The Leftovers, s1e10 "The Prodigal Son Returns". Season finale stuck the landing. I am hooked.

How To With John Wilson, s1e1. So unexpectedly funny! I love the juxtaposition of image and word. This really made me appreciate NYC anew. Can't wait to make my way through the rest.

Words of Wisdom
"All hobbies require zero talent if you’re comfortable with being bad at them." Get a hobby!

2024, Week 33

2024-08-20T13:10:14.000Z

Ups and downs last week. Found myself in a bout of mid-week doldrums. That's been a Wednesday/Thursday pattern a few times, and… I think it may be caffeine-related. Time to cut back.

Running
The race I was in left me defaulting to higher speeds, so it took a bit of time and conscious effot dial it back to the norm. After the race week taper, ramped up the volume quite a bit. It's funny how noticeable it is when I'm underfed. A big healthy meal and a good night of sleep can make a big difference.

Books
The Vaster Wilds. Don't read it to cheer yourself up.

Don Quixote, trans. Grossman. Pretty sure I've DNF'ed this in every decade I've been alive. 🤷‍♂️

Nuts & Bolts: Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World in a Big Way. Nails are more interesting than you'd think!

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"Thriving and growing cultures are liberal about handing out 'cultural green cards.'."

Movies
The Rental. Effective! Good use of fog. Interesting choice to keep the villain unknown. I dig it. Airbnbs are creepy!

Collateral. Never gets old.

Days of Heaven. I was really disappointed with the sound at BAM Harvey Theater – too hot, too echo-y – but it's still a splendid movie. I'm happy I got to see it on a big screen again. I really like Malick's willingness to remove boring, functional dialogue. He'll give you a couple clips of dialogue, or what they see, just enough to get the basic idea of what people want, and then he lets you look at how they're processing it all.

Music
Listened to a bunch of great music from Asia this week…

Explorer Series: Indonesia - Bali: Golden Rain. Love the contrast in frenetic melodies vs. the very ponderous ding-dong of the deeper gongs in the first couple tracks. The explosive piston vocals in "Ketjak: the Ramayana Monkey Chant" are fantastic.

Mandolin Duo: U. Srinivas – Vol. 1.

Gundecha Brothers, Bhaktamar Stotra.

Sabri Brothers, Qawwali: Sufi Music of Pakistan.

Nusrate Fateh Ali Khan, Best Urdu Qawwalies. Seven hours' worth! "Allah Hoo Allah Hoo" is a banger.

Rare Voodoo Songs from Northern Haiti. Really beautiful singing with minimal percussion accompaniment, as in "Pikan Kwenna".

James, Seven. If you like early U2, you might like this.

TV
The X-Files, s3e3 "D.P.O.". I like this lightning kid, and most of the creepiness comes from the very real-life stalking rather than the superpowers or generic villainy. Jack Black guest appearance!

The Leftovers, s1e9. Based on this and Hannibal: if you see an odd deer, it's a bad sign. Deer, metronome, smoking. Everybody disappeared. :(

Columbo, s4e3 "By Dawn's Early Light".

Lost, s4e2. The island is getting crowded!

2024, Week 32

2024-08-11T22:23:17.000Z

This week I watched a bunch of the Olympics. Peacock made all the difference – finally a focus on events without all the backstory filler! I'll tune again for Los Angeles 2028 if (I'm not there in person…)

The clear highlight for me was watching a distant relative win a silver medal. I won't mention their name out of respect for privacy/not wanting to be a celebrity stalker. I just recently learned we're related! But man, what a thrill. I've never watched the Olympics with rooting interest like that, and ended up jumping up and down in my living room.

I found myself thinking back to the first Olympics I paid attention to, 1992 in Barcelona. Imagine 9 years old and seeing the Dream Team guys playing together, Dan & Dave commercials during the lead-up, the torch getting lit with a bow & arrow, and later Derek Redmond limps through the finish of a 400m semifinal with his dad. So much athletic drama to soak in, and knowledge that it was going to be down the road in Atlanta in just few years' time.

Anyway, great week, a renewed spirit. The vibes have shifted!

Art
Rugs by Agda Österberg.

Enjoy summer more, read books, poster by Bill Sokol.

Running
Yesterday I ran the Percy Sutton Harlem 5k.

The last race I'd run was back in 2019, before I left Atlanta. I did that one in 24:03, at 7:45/mile. Yesterday on a tougher course in warmer weather: 25:20 at 8:10. I had 25:00 as my reasonable goal going in, so I'm really happy with how things turned out. Haven't lost much speed in the last 5 years, but I can handle much longer distances much more easily than I could then. It was a really fun course, too. A squished loop, with plenty of sharp turns and some wicked hills to crush your spirts before you sail back down.

The 5k is kind of a perfect distance. And when you recover a few minutes after finishing? Plenty of energy left to cheer for others.

Books
Here in the Dark. First-person narration is tricky, especially when the narrator has sharp edges. (__ that one noir with narration I really liked?)

The Vaster Wilds. Archaic, prayerful language. Reminds me of The Road, but not as morose and dreary. It's got more urgency at the point we enter the story.

The Path of Daggers, cont.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"One of the great pleasures of trends is the option of sitting them out." (via)

Designs for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics from Lance Wyman.

"Big week for the glasses community."

"These examples are real ways I've used LLMs to help me. They're not designed to showcase some impressive capabiltiy; they come from my need to get actual work done. This means the examples aren't glamorous, but a large fraction of the work I do every day isn't, and the LLMs that are available to me today let me automate away almost all of that work."

Do Quests, Not Goals.

"You’ve got to be proud of your wounds."

Plant Care and Power Tools.

When online content disappears. "38% of webpages that existed in 2013 are no longer accessible a decade later"

A much-needed change: a new generation of elite female runners embraces strength over thinness.

How a Rare Disorder Makes People See Monsters. This is wild.

The Urban Family Exodus Is a Warning for Progressives.

Movies
Hit Man. Overall fun, but it had too many flabby, listless passages. Not loose or goofy enough for a hangout flick. Not tight enough for a thrill. It just felt low-energy for me. Surprisingly quiet, too. I'm willing to chalk some of it up to mismatched expectations, but I was a bit let down. "Hit Man serves as a fitting microcosm of the dilemma of this charismatic new face: all the right components there but in the wrong proportions, too many ideas and not enough wisdom to discern which are worth pursuing, the right time but the wrong place."

Superman: The Movie (1978). Better in keeping with the spirit of the week, rewatched this in celebration of Truth, justice, and the American Way.™ I got all choked up hearing Lois' dazzled, hopeful, love-doped reflections during their flight scene. "If you need a friend… I'm the one to fly to." 😭

Music
Mase, Welcome Back. "Breathe, Stretch, Shake" is so good. And the electronic (vocoder??) backbeat on "Into What You Say" is undermined by a terrible chorus. (Thanks, Jara!)

Christine & The Queens, PARANO¨IA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE. More "epic" than previous albums but I'm not sure it benefits. Will need a few more listens.

Muslimgauze, Mullah Said. Haunting and tranceful. Goblet drums! "Every Grain of Palestinian Sand" just buckles in and keeps pressing forward. Really liked this album.

Ezéchiel Pailhès, Ventas Rumba. Latin keyboard work, would make a good companion with Frankie Reyes from last week. I like the title track.

GoGo Penguin, Man Made Object. I looped their 2018 tune "Raven" a bunch in the past, and "Branches Break" on this album has similar flavor, a prominent acoustic bass, a chattering drumset, and a pressing forward momentum.

B. Fleischman, The Humbucking Coil

Job for a Cowboy, Doom. It'll wake you up.

TV
The X-Files, s3e2. "Paper Clip". I love seeing the Smoking Man nervous and trying to cover his tracks. Skinner taking action!

The Leftovers, s1e8. Kevin is having memory lapses. His daughter is chaotic and trying to join the cult. Nora has a gun. Cult lady got kidnapped, and then…

House of the Dragon, s2e7-8. Welp. Farewell to all that.

New York Undercover, s1e1. Off to a good start. With musical guest Teddy Pendergrass!

2024, Week 31

2024-08-04T17:41:36.000Z

One way to have a fun life is to literally run your errands. (A bike is also a lovely way to do these things, but for shorter distances, bikes add a bit of overheard I don't have patience for.) I did that a few times in the last week: walking a mile to the library and doing a lazy loop back for an extra two; and making a mid-day two-mile loop to deliver something to a friend. In previous lives in Atlanta and LA, I'd take longer-than-necessary runs to the grocery store, then take MARTA or walk back after loading up.

Always pays to mix in more of what you love into your day-to-day.

School
I finished! New bachelor's degree in computer science on the way. I recorded, let's see, 1286 hours in total getting the thing done. I don't know think it will feel really real until I get the diploma in the mail. But I learned a lot, I'm glad I did it, and it feels good to be done. I'm ready to get back to work.

Running
My highest volume of miles in the last year, at least – a bit over 38. Not feeling too bad, all things considered. But looking forward to a bit of a taper the next few days, and really excited for the Percy Sutton Harlem 5k at the end of the week. I hears it's a hilly, "rude" course.

Books
I realized today that it's been a year since I had a homework-free weekend. I wonder how my reading habits will change now that I have more brainpower for non-school reading…

A Crown of Swords. The Wheel of Time, book 7. Finally finished. Robert Jordan's books have these crushingly tedious sequences but so often in the last 20% the momentum builds and it all adds up to something really fun. That's how he tricks you into the next one.

The Path of Daggers. The Wheel of Time, book 8. See above. Shortest book in the series, though!

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
The Columbo Screenshots twitter account is a daily source of delight.

Bring Back the Animation. "There’s an airiness, a spontaneity to hand-drawn animation, which lends a playfulness to even the creepiest, most surreal imagery. Consider the “Friends on the Other Side” sequence in The Princess and the Frog, and its rapid-fire dance of floating heads, exploding skulls, and sinister swirls of fire and fog. If these elements had any weight or volume, they’d either be too terrifying or, more likely, too kitschy. Delivered as a two-dimensional, hand-drawn experience, it’s all fast and fun — like a thought briefly brought to life, then snatched back into the ether."

Coping strategies for the serial project hoarder. "No project of mine is finished until I’ve told people about it in some way."

"Running, and other forms of aerobic activity, offer an inherent rewards structure that never seems to lie. You do the work, you reap the benefits. If you don’t, you won’t. In that way, endurance training is one of the most honest expressions of self that we have."

The Summer of Girly Pop.

"We need some quick education for the terminally online in just how unusual they are."

Traffic Enforcement Dwindled in the Pandemic. This is bad!

Urban explorer captures images of North DeKalb Mall before demolition. When I still lived in Atlanta, I'd often go to the AMC attached to this mall. I hope it gets a new lease on life.

Movies
Das Lehrerzimmer (The Teachers' Lounge). So good! A school community frays when a thief runs loose, frustrations rise, and accusations start flying. This will make my best-of list at the end of the year. But you don't have to take my word for it: "It's probably the best thriller of this type since "Uncut Gems," another movie where just watching realistic characters making bad decisions was so nerve-wracking that it made you want to crawl under your seat. "

Music
Hermanos Gutiérrez, Sonido Cósmico. These guys are so good. One way music can be good is to reward all levels of attention, and these guys make stuff that satisfies the full range of attention. The wah-wah and organ in "Barrio Hustle" is a special treat.

Sally Oldfield, Mirrors: The Bronze Anthology. Really enjoyed this album. Reminds me of those other '70s folk/pop greats – Carole King, Carly Simon, Francoise Hardy, etc.. Marimba is criminally underused – nice to hear it in "Sun In My Eyes". And the sparkling glockenspiel on "Blue Water" – excellent. "Strange Day in Berlin" opens with undulating woodwinds that made me think of Smetana's "Vltava/The Moldau".

Jordi Savall's reconstruction of Bach's Markus Passion, BWV 247, one of many reconstructed versions.

Frankie Reyes, Originalitos. I remember being obsessed with Boleros Valses y Mas a few years back. This is another delightful go-round with Latin synthesizer keyboard pieces. Like something you'd hear on a merry-go-round, or in a silent film soundtrack?

Amiina, Kurr. "Sogg" has a pleasant, drifting melancholy.

Ice Spice, Y2K!. We need more albums with short track lengths! It's okay to stop when you've said all you need to say. I like contrast of the suggestive, labored delivery in Bitch I'm Packin' and the aggressive, confrontational "Gimmie a Light".

Tarwater, Dwellers on the Threshold.

TV
The Leftovers, s1e7. The son/bodyguard is growing more skeptical of the cult guy. Cult guy never blinks and gives incredible hugs (???).

House of the Dragon, s2e6. Ongoing highlight is the spy/advisor characters to help stir things up.

2024, Week 30

2024-07-29T13:34:58.000Z

I passed this junk barge and towboat when I was out with my run club this weekend. Another runner joked it was a metaphor for his life. But, it's kind of a good one? Not glamorous but quietly powerful, useful, persistent, full of material to transform into something better. I'll take it.

Running
The highlight of my running week was visiting the first Summer Streets of the season, up in Queens. The event area was a bit desolate, but fun to take my first trip running over the Pulaski Bridge, visiting the The Hydration Guy, and coming back through Domino Park.

Art
NBA legend Bill Russell made art for the Olypmics.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
The Ten Muses of Poetry.

Guinea worm is disappearing and that's one reason Jimmy Carter will always be a top-tier President.

Kamala Holding Vinyls. My contributions:

I really like this metaphor: "The way a lawsuit works is that there's music and then there's lyrics. The lyrics are the technical legal theory. But if you don't have a good tune, often it's hard to get the judge to sing along, so the music is the emotion behind the lawsuit."

"When you deliver work you’re really proud of, you’ve almost certainly done too much and taken too long."

"Late last year, we invited students to participate in an experiment: We gave them $100 and a disposable camera each and asked, What is it like to live where you live?"

"Intelligent people are just as prejudiced as less intelligent people - but toward different groups."

"The class gap leads to an awareness gap, which leads to an empathy gap."

Movies
Upgrade. AI plots seem so much more real these days! Just a few years into this era, and I'm sitting up in my seat a bit more with these stories. I really appreciated Logan Marshall-Green's acting in the early fight scenes: surprise and fear at his new abilities, still merciful for his enemies.

Dead Reckoning (1947). "What to do in a hot wind smelling of night-blooming jasmine except wait and sweat, and prime the body to sweat some more?" We need more writing like this! And more wise guys narrating their way down a trail of clues.

Non-Stop. I need to check out the other Collet-Serra/Liam Neeson collabs. I've only seen Run All Night.

Music
Really liked Oval's 94Diskont., especially "Cross Selling" and the insistent "Commerce Server"

Talk Talk, Spirit of Eden. "Wealth" makes me think of Pink Floyd – is there a "Money" tie here?

Tonstartssbandht, Petunia. Lots of reverby guitar. I love "What Has Happened" – the stereo effects wobbling, brushes on the drumset, soft vocals, pulsing, hypnotic. A bit of electronic x folk vibe.

BACH. Still undefeated. One thing I really appreciate about classical is the ability to compare interpretations side-by-side.

Tianqi Du, Bach: Keyboard Concertos. Lighter, smoother, more reserved. Has a polite, sophisticated feel for me.
Gile Bae, J.S. Bach: Keyboard Concertos. This recording seemed more dark, driving, intense piano against a brighter sound in the orchestra. More Romantic-style variation in volume, more spacious echo-y. Not sure I liked it more, but appreciate the contrast.

Brian Eno, Eno (OST). Effectively a greatest hits album, so yeah, pretty great. Forgot how perfect "Spinning Away" is, and "Regiment", phew, always gets me hyped. The movie seems really cool.

Books
A Crown of Swords, cont.
The Cyberiad: Stories, cont.

School
I submitted my capstone project, and it got rejected for a couple little deficiencies. Ironed those out on Sunday morning, maybe get across the finish line before the end of the month.

TV
X-Files, s3e1 "The Blessing Way". Didn't love this season premiere, but appreciate how consistently this series works in spiritual/afterlife/astral plane sort of stuff. And I still love Skinner.

Lost, s4e1. We're never going back!

The Leftovers, s1e6. I love all the speculative stuff here. Like how groups hold conferences about the Departure(?), there are markets in mannequin corpses so people can have tangible funerals for the missing, the spike in charismatic opportunists, etc..

House of the Dragon(s), s2e5. Lots of dragon talk.

Words of Wisdom
"Almost nobody hears too many sincere compliments."

2024, Week 29

2024-07-23T00:15:31.000Z

I traveled this past weekend, down to Maryland for a family reunion on my fiancée's side. I'd never been to one before. I was mostly surrounded by strangers, but found a warm welcome and I can see the appeal in events like this. Renewing present bonds, honoring the previous generation, encouraging and modeling for the next. Family can be a beautiful thing.

We took the trip down there on Amtrak. Couldn't ask for a smoother trip. If only the rest of the States had trains as easy as we do up in this corner of the country. Just night and day compared with the usual airport/airplane experience.

We only spent a couple hours in Baltimore, but the Baltimore Art Museum was a worthwhile side trip.

The event was hosted at a local Quaker/Friends meeting space. I liked the Biblical cartoons in the hallway.

School
Capstone project is maybe 1/4 done. (Actually more like 1/2, but I'm hedging for a confidence boost.) (It's actually more like 2/3-done, just being careful!) Maybe have that wrapped and submitted this week? We'll see.

Running
The week was just too darn hot, so I leaned on morning runs and kept'em short. Still managed to run a few miles of new-to-me streets. Also trying to make another local park turn red on my personal Strava heatmap.

Our trip out of town gave me a rare treat: trailrunning in a new city. I went out to Broad Creek Park and jogged in swampy suffocating forest and had an absolute blast.

Books
Everything You Ever Wanted. Reading about listless depressed people is not very compelling. (Although it does remind me a bit of The Leftovers, with a group that has lost meaning and chosen to exit…)

The Cyberiad: Stories. Been a while, but Stanisław Lem is usually pretty rewarding. That's the case so far here.

A Crown of Swords, cont.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
I don't have time to dive into the new Michael Mann Archives right now. But it's super cool that he's taking ownership of this and sharing the work behind the work.

I Went Looking for a Man in Finance. Fun bit of local anthropology.

The Eyes of Lacy. "Owlishness, then, is the opposite of pretty, petty, and shallow; it is a term we reserve for those who are more lens than body, who make us acutely, uncomfortably aware of our own moral and physical imperfections."

Nicolas Cage Will Always Go Big. "It’s not crazy to think he’s trained (or retrained) some part of the movie-watching public to be more open-minded in general when evaluating quality acting, encouraging them to prize factors other than delicacy."

A collection of video game skies.

Movies
Top Gun: Maverick. Second viewing, still love it. Those opening scenes with the test flight are just achingly beautiful. I just want to soak them in. Reminds me of the plane/boat travel scenes in Miami Vice.

Music
Lots of electronic this week, and while all were enjoyable, few tracks in particular got etched in my mind.

Ekolali, Playfond 2. The drums and muted droning flutes in "Doggerland" are great. Doggerland!

My favorite of the week is a new one out from Laraaji, Glimpses of Infinity.

Huerco S., Colonial Patterns and For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have) and Plonk.

Space Afrika, Somewhere Decent to Live.

TV
The X-Files…

s2e23 "Soft Light". Tony Shalhoub (!) is scared of his shadow. I reallly like the concept in this one. It's rare that the weekly "monster" is ashamed, fearful, caring.
s2e24 "Our Town". Another warning about food supply chain vulnerability, but with a factory chicken town cannibal cult.
s2e25 "Anasazi". Poisoning an apartment building's water supply is wild. I wonder how much that has happened before. Out to the desert for aliens, and the sloppiest cover-up job you've ever seen.

The Leftovers, s1e5. One of the cult people gets a free day and returns with renewed faith. This show is agonizing in a great way.

2024, Week 28

2024-07-14T20:52:51.000Z

Today I decided on my wedding band. At a couple points in the brief sizing tests, my finger felt trapped and panicky. It will be fun to get used to it. I can't wait to fidget-spin it when I'm lost in thought.

School
Last week was a big turning point: passed my two final classes, and moved on to the capstone project for my degree. And with that, a big shift in attitude and confidence. The finish line is in sight.

Books
A Crown of Swords. Returned to where I left off in the Wheel of Time series, as an antidote to a general book lull and a couple sleepless nights. And what do you know, I pushed through some boring stuff and found my groove again. (I'll also give some credit to House of the Dragon for making me want to get wrapped up in a fantasy universe again, if not that particular one.)

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
How Olympic athletes get fed. "There are also grab-and-go spaces with things like burgers and shawarma sandwiches. We don’t talk about nutritional values there, because this is what the athletes want after competing."

The American Elevator Explains Why Housing Costs Have Skyrocketed.

“Bullshit Jobs” is a Terrible, Curiosity-Killing Concept. "Consider reading it an act of meta-anthropology, exploring why a professional anthropologist could be so relentlessly, aggressively incurious about the lives and experiences of others."

Activism as production vs. consumption.

Why a hotter world might be a more dangerous, violent, and less productive one.

Movies
Jagged Edge. Sexy legal thriller! I don't think I've seen Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close so young before. Really appreciate how this one toys with your convictions.

Inside Out (2015). Better than expected! Not sure I dig the Bing Bong character. I also wonder what this story would be like with Sadness' journey at its center.

TV
The X-Files, s2e22 "F. Emasculata". This episode inspired gruesome artwork in my household.

The Expanse, s2e13. Season finale! Everyone has the Protomolecule now! The episode suffered in a way that many long-running series do: I didn't trust that anyone was really in danger.

The Leftovers, s1e4. Such an odd show. It's great. Appreciate how often they tell a full story arc within each episode, not just a path from A to B.

Bob's Burgers, s5e12. Silliness, like usual!

House of the Dragon, s2e4. Dragons, etc..

Game of Thrones, s3e9. The "red wedding", etc.. I only made it a few episodes into GOT, but glad to get some closure on what this was all about.

So much TV this week! I need to get back into the movie groove…

Music
Holly Herndon, Platform. Oddball cyborg vocals and synthesizer stuff. In wake of PROTO a couple weeks ago, maybe my favorite album of the week.

Ghost, Opus Eponymous and If You Have Ghost. I like the main riff in "I'm A Marionette". I just really love this band! Distinct nasal singing and general theatricality.

Spent some time with The Joy's South African a cappella and otherwise.

Amabutho. "Jele Iguana" is my favorite.
Hammarsdale
The Joy. The clicks and "tss" and harmonies in "Amaqatha Amancane" are really nice.

Kamasi Washington, Fearless Movement. A lot more hiphop/rapping than previous albums, and more vocals in general. Not my preference, but the ensemble is as locked as ever. "Road to Self (KO)" is the slow-build multi-genre noodling I signed up for.

The Blackbyrds, Action. I love "Soft and Easy". Is there word for that kind of ostinato on the electric guitar that shows up in this Barry White genre?

Akusmi, Fleeting Future and Lines. Chamber minimalism in the spirit of Reich, Glass, et al..

On recommendation from my brother, listened to Sylvain Rifflet, Cake Walk From a Space Ship and Dooble. Jazz a bit on the experimental side.

2024, Week 27

2024-07-07T22:00:56.000Z

What am I making harder than it needs to be? In a response to a tweet about counterproductive difficulty in beginner running programs, I found something to ponder:

"People like it to be harder than it has to be. You know why? Because if it was easier than they thought, it would make them realize they could have been further along years ago. It’s like a confirmation bias to protect the ego that it has to be hard. I’m not saying it’s easy but sometimes it isnt as hard as you think."

I've gotten more injury-averse as I've gotten older. I want to avoid injury, because I really really want to avoid not being able to run. The change in mindset has pushed me to take a longer view. I can always come back tomorrow... but only if I don't wreck my progress today. (And also, sometimes: I can always come back tomorrow... but it'll be better if I do something today.) The reward for this consistent, steady, non-punishing approach has been a couple of the best running years of my life.

Seeing that tweet also made me think back to playing music in college. I was working through a marimba piece during a lesson with my percussion teacher. I played through a section, then he stopped me and asked a simple question: what does "Allegro" mean? I gave the simple answer: "fast". And he countered with a bit reframe: what about "fleet", "brisk", "energetic", "zippy", "storming"? Play again, same tempo, but it feels different, it sounds different. I recognized "fast" mode felt like a sprinter, tense, coiled, explosive, muscular. But I could also play fast like a… robin? Or a stream?

We went through a similar exercise when playing snare one day. I'd sometimes wind up like a caveman with especially difficult pieces, not playing relaxed. So: tap 20 times with the same force, but start with a heavy grip and gradually loosen it. The drum makes a sound, but the drumstick itself does, too. A tense fist is tiring, and the wood can't resonate as much, and the overall sound can have a dramatically different color to it. You have to set things in motion, trust the work to release its own vibrations out into the world.

School
Revisions, revisions, revisions. Few things as annoying as finishing something, moving on… and then later recognizing the work isn't finished yet. My program is ~94% complete at this point. Funny feeling on the precipice. But lots of hard work to go.

Running
Took a break this week, dialed it back about 20%. It's startling how much easier a 4-run week feels compared to a 5-run week. One small goal accomplished: I've now run every street in the Clinton Hill neighborhood.

Books
Moonbound. Robin Sloan is just a fountain of ideas and optimism, and both of those traits carry through in this scifi-fantasy mishmash. It has fun and enjoys playing with your expectations.

The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn. It's only a couple decades old, but funny how much that was common knowledge then (neighborhood boundaries, makeup) doesn't apply anymore. Appreciate the historical nuggets in here. Glad to live in a place that changes.

Music
I missed Mary Lattimore's Rain on the Road back in May. "The Poppies, the Wild Mustard, the Blue-eyed Grass" has a really cool build-up and disintegration into UFO space noises.

Labradford, Mi Media Naranja. "Wr" has heavy reverb guitar and a bit of spooky voiceover.

Bohren & Der Club of Gore, Sunset Mission. Maybe I'd call this "film noir music"?

Jerry Goldsmith's Chinatown OST.

Bark Psychosis, Hex.

Harp Concertos of Handel, Boiedieu, Mozart, Dittersdorf, Glière, and Rodrigo. The Handel was new to me. Pretty wonderful!

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
MAKE IT A LIBRARY SUMMER

How to Catch a Lab Leak. Fascinating interview about researching Soviet Union anthrax deaths. "All of these things are full of stories of human beings and all the nutcakes and crazy things that happened. You've got to make allowance for that in nearly everything."

Michael Mann includes Out of the Past in his Letterboxd list of his favorite films – I can relate!

An appreciation of critic Greg Tate. "His best paragraphs throbbed like a party and chattered like a salon."

The quiet return of eugenics. "The new eugenics will shortly be with us, although it will not describe itself as such. It will be described with euphemisms such as ‘genetic enhancement’ or ‘genetic health’."

High-pressure youth sports is bad for America. "Shifting from informal and school-based sports to expensive pay-to-play leagues has landed us in a pretty dysfunctional place, where parenting is unnecessarily complicated, society is unnecessarily inegalitarian, and communities are unnecessarily weak."

Movies
Terminator 2: Judgment Day. A 4th of July rewatch. Hope we don't blow ourselves up!

Event Horizon. Horror in space, etc.. It's done much better elsewhere.

The Lady Vanishes (1938). It takes a moment to adjust to old movies. I like the wisecracks and innuendo here. Good to see an elderly actress in a dynamic main role; shame to see our firecracker primary heroine largely be set aside when she partners up.

TV
The Expanse, s2e12. I keep thinking about about starting over from the beginning of the series. I think there are some nuances I keep bluffing my way through.

The Leftovers, s1e3. Uh-oh. The cult bought the church down the street.

House of the Dragon, s2e3. Ended this episode not necessarily interested in more GOT lore specifically, but more interested in being immersed in one of those elaborate worlds. Inspired me to pick up the Wheel of Time series again before going to bed.

Wild Portugal. As with many nature docs, too much slow-motion footage. Bustards look really cool. I had no idea the whole genet family existed. Wolves are still the best.

2024, Week 26

2024-07-01T14:08:53.000Z

This week we got our wedding invitations back from the printer (featuring custom designs by Jara Montez!), and… it's the coolest feeling. Just a few months away.

Art
Check out the Fungus of immortality.

Pierrot with Clarinet by Jacques Lipchitz. I recognize the word from the orchestral piece "Pierrot Lunaire", the movie "Pierrot Le Fou", etc., but never knew what it was – a sad clown!

Books
Zero Days. A husband/wife team of security consultants are caught in a web of intrigue. Been a while since I've read a book in first-person perspective. A bit wordy, but it flies right by.

School
Buckled down, finished a class. One to go. Great way to kick off the second half of the year.

Running
I've steadily been filling out the map, and got another quick win – finished running every street in Clinton Hill. With that and Crown Heights already done, next project is running all the streets in Fort Greene and Bed-Stuy.

Enjoyed my extra hill workouts this month, but recognize the cost in simple time away from home. I talked with a run club buddy this weekend about his prep for a 50-mile race, and he talked about how it "became his whole personality" for a few months. Not sure I want to go there.

Music
Thom Yorke, Confidenza OST. I like the woodwinds in "The Big City" and the hazy desert drug den trance in "Prize Giving".

The Blue Nile, Hats. A lot of bangers on this one. My ears pick up some hints of Peter Gabriel/David Byrne. "Let's Go Out Tonight", "Headlights on the Parade", and "Seven A.M." are all great.

The Blue Nile, A Walk Across the Rooftops. "Stay" is straightforward '80s pop.

Soulja Boy, souljaboytellem.com. I love a good intro → opening track transition. "Intro" → "Crank That" is so fun. "Let Me Get Em" and "Donk" represent the best of joyful snap.

Black Coffee, Home Brewed. Took a minute to get used to longer track lengths – all but one over 6 minutes! Didn't know what I was getting into. "Mama" represents well the trance feel throughout the album.

I worked in a bunch more classical this week, especially woodwinds. I wonder what music of this era will still be heard in 200–300 years…

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
USA Olympian heptathlete Anna Hall shared her competition journal, and it's just fascinating to see the blend of goals, tips, motivational talk, progress tracking, etc.. "Choose Violence!!!!!!"

What does a board of directors do?

How children refer to adults.

"Oftentimes when I just don't feel comfort, usually that means it's going in the right direction."

One Million Checkboxes is a lovely experiment, like something from the web of yore!

"Dribbling out details of a character’s past like breadcrumbs is a hackish and tiresome device: Filling in backstory shouldn’t be confused with character development." I've never watched the show in question, but really appreciate this criticism. I often feel ambivalent about flashback scenes, and now that it's been spelled out, I think this is probably one reason why.

Movies
Trigger Warning. It's not great, but it gets the job done. I appreciate Alba's heroine using knives and machetes instead of a gun. Tiptoes close to "Kill Bill" form at a few moments – I think leaning more in the western/martial arts direction could have been interesting. Also appreciate all the Mexican pride – leather jacket with the eagle and snake, embroidered blouse, etc. – and the varieties of southwestern lifestyle on display. I could do without the slurs to underscore the villainy.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). Never saw the original, but got inspired to watch this after learning of Donald Sutherland's passing. It's so good. Creepy plant horror is under-explored.

TV
The X-Files, s2e20 "Humbug". Murderous intrigue in a circus sideshow community. Right from the jump, it toys with your prejudices and expectations. Fun episode.

The X-Files, s2e21 "The Calusari". Really appreciate how this episode was shot. One of the better climaxes in the series. Even if we've seen similar before in e.g. "The Exorcist", some sights just don't lose their impact.

The Leftovers, s1e1–2. I kept seeing this show pop up every now and then, even before the recent 10th anniversary appreciations. Finally piqued my curiosity to check it out. I'm in!

The Expanse, s2e11. I'm really growing to appreciate how much the political intrigue is becoming more compelling. They've shaped that arc and transition very nicely.

House of the Dragon, s2e2. The collective decision-making is just… come on, people! What a silly show.

2024, Week 25

2024-06-23T17:59:05.000Z

Good week. Last week's R&R helped a lot. Came into this week with more focus and more time-in-chair than I'd been able to do previously.

After launching runwear.app, I decided to let all the ideas in the backlog simmer for a little while, and switched over to a new coding project. Feels good to have a clean sheet of paper and a steep learning curve again.

I think it also helped that I returned to my old burger place again. And again. I'm realizing the extra time and energy is worth it, even on a 90º afternoon...

School
Finished up two projects for my current class. One to go.

Running
Three of four Wednesday evening hill workouts complete. Really happy I worked this in. Next month, switching to trail runs. Trails at twilight? Can't beat it. Falling in love with running again. I've been on such a high, and knock on wood, healthy as can be. So many ideas and goals bubbling up. (Maybe that's one thing hobbies are good for: a low-stakes area of continuous work, experimentation, reward… so you can better recognize by contrast the areas where you don't have it!)

Books
The Good Thieves. Katherine Rundell strikes again. Her writing style doesn't strike me as much as it did the first time, but that's to be expected by the time you a writer's fourth book. It's still as lively as ever, and I still appreciate the relentless optimism and mild deviance she promotes. 😈

Music
This felt like a "clean-up" week, not as focused as previous ones. Just tidying up some stray albums I'd saved for later.

Overseas, from Tommy Flanagan. I really like how his toms are tuned, high and resonant. As on "Dalarna", the piano + brushes combo is still undefeated.

Thom Yorke, Suspiria OST. I like "An Audition" for all the wiggly static. Short but sweet.

Thom Yorke, Anima. I like "Twist" for its full saturation. "Not The News" has this wonderful brush/sandpaper sound, along with sirens and bleeps and bloops. Just perfect.

No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom. I gained a glancing awareness of the "I'm Just a Girl" discourse, which led me to better things: re-listening to this album. "Spiderwebs" is due for a revival?

Electrelane, The Power Out. I don't listen to rock very much anymore! Just really lost the taste for it, unless it drifts more into the prog/metal realm. I really like hippie/folk/cult/choral flavor in "The Valleys".

Masego, Studying Abroad: Extended Stay. "Sides of Me" is the best one. Love the looseness in the snaps.

Moodswings, Moodfood. Easy listening wallpaper. Always appreciate when nature sounds work their way in, as on "Thailand". Really nice orchestration – saxes, bass, shaker – in "Yebo/Sema".

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
It was Black Writers Week at RogerEbert.com, your finest source of movie and TV writing. Robert Daniels introduces great writing on…

…and much more.

The Hands Behind New York City’s Hoop Dreams. Talking with NYC Parks employees that make replacement rims for public basketball courts.

The mysterious tyranny of trendy baby names. The graphs of most popular ending letters, changing over the decades, are super cool.

Movies
F/X. A movie special effects genius is recruited by the Justice Department to help stage a fake assassination, so they can move a key witness out of sight and move a big case move forward. Lots of fun. They don't make'em like this anymore!

TV
The X-Files, s2e19, "Død Kalm". I hope Scully & Mulder have generous hazard pay. Impossible task for the makeup team.

The Expanse, s2e9–10. I'm coming around on those Martians a little bit.

Bodkin, s1e7. Season finale in the books. Decent show overall, starting strong and coasting to a pleasant stop.

2024, Week 24

2024-06-16T22:10:38.000Z

I keep a tally of how I spend my working hours. I put it all in a spreadsheet to make sure I've got enough "butt in chair" time when it comes to school, coding, career stuff. It also helps me admit when I'm burned out, because the numbers don't lie. Recently: 📉. So I took a few days off this week, just focusing on rest and recuperation. And movies. Felt great. Coming out of this weekend with a just-enough-vacation sort of freshness.

A couple other highlights this week:

Having hot dogs and potato chips for dinner, along with a summer blockbuster on TV.
I finished v1 of www.runwear.app, aka Project Runwear, a little experiment to help me figure out my running outfit given the local weather, dialed in based on my own experience. It's not essential right now – these days the main question is: tshirt or tanktop? – but it will be useful in the fall and winter, soon enough.

Art
Look at this cool pair of teacups by Sargent Claude Johnson.

Books
Titanium Noir. A blend of hard-boiled detective in a scifi web of intrigue. I thought I was going to drop it, but glad I decided to push through. There's some sort of "wise guy" crack on just about every page, often our can't-help-himself hero just digging the hole a little deeper.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Free Things NYC 2024.

The case again travel. "You have to let go of wanting to do anything existentially and focus on shortest term pleasure. Optimization of time and energy is the complete antithesis of loafing." and "Moving is the most passive thing that feels active." (via)

Running
Hill workouts are going well. And I've started taking small tangents from our run clubs usual routes – breaking off for little spells of novelty before rejoining. Gotta do the things that keep me interested.

Music
Godzilla Minus One OST. Enjoyed what I heard during the movie, but I really knew I'd like this when I saw the track list.

Holly Herndon, PROTO. Herndon was a recent guest on Ezra Klein Show, and is thoughtful on her use of AI systems in her music. I like the overlapping voices and orchestra hits in "Eternal"

Movies
The Rock. Nicolas Cage is such a gem. I should really spend more time with his filmography.

Perfect Days. Such mixed feelings! It's lovely but I felt a little remote from it. Some of this may be situational. The theater played a pre-roll promo with the director and lead – "This beautiful movie is about X. It's also about Y. So-and-so is a true talent." – and I found it really, really off-putting.

She's Gotta Have It. Spike Lee was just shot out of a cannon, huh? Really cool seeing Fort Greene Park, just down the road. And man, he loves a musical interlude. Didn't know he was doing those from the jump. Why not?

Men. What you might call a "rich text". E.g. we're picking apples in gardens within the first few minutes, and plenty more comparably subtle imagery to come. Really appreciate the eeriness simmering underneath from the very beginning. The sinister, fantastical turns toward the end are a bit too drawn out, but effective in their own way.

Orion and the Dark. Glad to see animated movies mixing in different visual styles in the middle of the movie. Interesting that they didn't have that contrast for the framing device. Don't always love a narrator, but it fits the structure.

Passing. Really heartbreaking, uncomfortable. I like how how the upper-class milieu just heightens everything, draws in your focus. Ditto for dense, allusive conversations, and our limited view through Clare's perspective. We get only a limited sense of the tradeoffs, though some acutely felt. The book was one of my favorites read in 2022.

Immortals. This got on my radar from cool-looking stills. I think I was expecting something a more clean, campy, cartoony, adventurous. It was much more in the 300 vein, with plenty "look at this badass being a badass" slow-mo-ments, plenty of bloody splatter to go around. Still elevated by the thoughtful sets and costuming. (The Fall is the only other Tarsem film I've seen, with a narrator dials up the kooky visuals even more.)

TV
The X-Files, s2e17, "End Game". Alien Bounty Hunter escapes again. I still love Skinner so much. The most unpredictable character in the show.

The X-Files, s2e18, "Fearful Symmetry". Zoos are bad! Love the recurring PNW environmentalist hippie types we've seen in this show.

The Expanse, s2e5–8. I liked the first season, and the corresponding first book in the series. I abandoned the show a while back, though. I started to tune out when the Mars characters and bureucrats were getting more focus. I think I'm still trying to figure out exactly where TV fits in my life.

Bodkin, s1e6. Curious how they're gonna wrap this up…

2024, Week 23

2024-06-09T20:04:04.000Z

This week I was called to jury duty. I was so excited, and hoped to get on a case. But alas, I was not needed. As on previous jury calls, it's nice to see a big random-ish slice of your community, and to get a view of how things work. I was surprised how much paper-shuffling goes on. All those perforated mailers getting torn and re-sorted and passed around over and over and over.

School
Oh boy. Should be able to knock out one of three course projects tomorrow. Hopefully the next two not far behind. Two classes to go.

Running
I'm doing mid-week hill workouts this month. Mostly "just because". It's been fun to red-line and learn where the limit is, if only for 20-30 seconds at a time.

Books
Native American Folklore and Traditions. Last weekend I went to the library and picked up some coffee table books to keep lying around. This one has cool old photographs, illustrations, and as-told-by vignettes of the lives from a few different cultures.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Maybe it's because I kept trying to read this in bed with my mental battery at ~3%, but I simply could not follow a word he was saying. Another time! Great movie, though.

We Had to Remove This Post. A novella about a content moderator at a fictional social media company. Best when it touches on the socioeconomics that could lead someone into these roles. It is unrelentingly dark.

Music
Depeche Mode Week, cont.. Hit a rough patch and recovered!

Exciter. "Dream On" has some outlaw country flavor to it, and also that slide guitar in "The Sweetest Condition". "Comatose" has some interesting electronics whoops and gurgles. I appreciate the experimentation, in the abstract, but did not love this album.
Playing the Angel. Distorted noise? That's definitely "A Pain That I'm Used To", and appreciate. Overall, not into the vocals.
Sounds of the Universe. "Fragile Tension" and "Jezebel" are the winner, maybe?
Spirit. The processing on the vocals isn't my favorite, but I like the steady grind of "You Move".
Memento Mori. We're back! What a rebound! One of my most-played albums last year. "Ghosts Again" and "Always You" both have a desperate achiness that gets me every time.

The Pointer Sisters, So Excited!. Saved By The Bell memes aside, the title track is so so so good. Honky-tonk piano adds a lil' somethin' you don't hear much anymore.

Candi Staton, Young Hearts Run Free. Again, that title track is electric – perfect blend of depressing lyrics and intoxicating disco. Stuck in my head for days. "Summer Time With You" delivers the Barry/Marvin/dancefloor/orchestra/whispered romance you need this time of year.

Koffee was recommended by a run club buddy who's into dancehall/reggae. Listened to Rapture and Gifted. I like "Gifted" and really like "Lonely".

Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Against optimization. "Optimization presumes a kind of certainty about the circumstances one is optimizing for, but that certainty is, more often than not, illusory."

"Mr. Jarndyce called me into a small room next his bedchamber, which I found to be in part a little library of books and papers, and in part quite a little museum of his boots and shoes, and hat- boxes. 'Sit down, my dear,' said Mr. Jarndyce. 'This, you must know, is the Growlery. When I am out of humour, I come and growl here.'" (via)

"When you’re learning a trade, it’s almost impossible to be patient. You have no idea how it’s supposed to go, so you’re often doubting yourself. You charge through and see what it’s like first. It makes patience impossible."

The collage-wall immediately communicates to an audience: “here lies a teenage girl.”

NSYNC – I Want You Back. Looking at their music video is so revealing. The varying levels of comfort on-camera, showmanship, dance precision. Contrast with "It's Gonna Be Me" just a few years later (production value aside) – it's easy to forget the development from beginners to experts!

The Musical History Lesson Buried Beneath the Song of the Summer.

Look how neat this tiny little TV is.

Our Incredible Journey catalogs when companies get acquired and throw their customers to the wolves, lol.

Movies
Godzilla Minus One. Loved this movie, and it has taken the crown for favorite movie of my watching year. I appreciate this as a period piece, and not just in costume – also works in an orchestral soundtrack, and heightened acting and staging that wouldn't be out of place in the late 1940s. Fascinated by this idea of Godzilla being a creature known to locals, but barely a rumor elsewhere. Unresolved shame will keep you from love!

TV
The X-Files, s2e16, "Colony". A bit disorienting, didn't get the usual time to settle in. Clones being hunted down!

Abbott Elementary, s3e13, "Smith Playground". Are Janine and Gregory getting together or what?

Bodkin, s1e5. Most interesting episode so far in terms of structure. Also appreciate the mostly-Elvis soundtrack.

2024, Week 22

2024-06-02T18:02:52.000Z

Build all the scaffolding you like, nature will follow its course.

Wardrobe Upgrade PSA
Prescription sunglasses are great! I've been wearing glasses since 8th grade, and contacts almost as long. My new prescription sunnies are perfect for when I'm going to be out in the sun for a while, but not long enough to "waste" a pair of contacts and wear sunglasses. For daytime runs, errands, morning walk, etc., I love being able to do a quick swap and head out the door.

I also got some roomy, light-wash khakis. Summer dad style: activated. 😎

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"Don't apologize for your interests. Sell your interests." Can't speak for him, but I think Joe was using "sell" in the broader sense of promotion/persuasion, rather than simple transaction. In any case, I choose to read it that way!

Zadie Smith: "Generally speaking, I don’t make notes. I sit down. I write a novel. But already this non-novel that I was refusing to write had generated a drawer full of notes and a shelf of books."

Jumping, a really interesting animated short with a first-person "through the eybeballs" perspective. (via Funkaoshi)

I've only seen a handful of Howard Hawks movies, and didn't love them all, but love this description: "his movies feel like motorized airport walkways — life, but a little bit quicker, a little bit smoother than normal people can manage." Along the same lines, and great reason to listen to podcasts at 2x: people are funnier when reactions are quicker, snappier! Bonus: an interview clip of Howard Hawks talking about overlapping dialogue. (via Bright Wall/Dark Room)

I love Tyler Smith's re-appreciation of Congo. "Marketing, critical consensus, box office; while these are impossible to ignore, they do tend to fall away on their own as the years go by, leaving only the movie itself, free of baggage and ready to be seen from a fresh perspective." It's been a few years, I need another re-watch.

"Moments that get ‘gridded’ are highly economical. They refine an entire story to a few key images less for their formal memorability (meaning, they don’t look particularly special) than for what they symbolize: critical emotional flashpoints that, taken together, constellate the fantasies that shows like [these] reflect and cater to."

"The gender gap in higher education is wider today than it was in 1972, when Title IX was passed, but the other way round, with men earning only 42% of degrees".

RIP Bill Walton. A remembrance from my friend James and from the Trail Blazers.

Movies
Alien. Terror, in deep space! I guess I've seen this 5-10 times now? Never once let me down. I'm reminded again of Ebert's note on the cast's age: "By skewing older, "Alien" achieves a certain texture without even making a point of it: These are not adventurers but workers".

Aniara. Despair, in deep space! A spaceship bound for Mars is knocked off-course, sending immigrants into a years-long voyage to nowhere. The crisp hotel/cruise-ship vibe wears off and we see passengers moving through stages of grief, despair, escapism, cult beliefs, false hopes. What I found most intriguing here is the AI service/entity called Mima from which the passengers get a sort of spa experience, lulled into hypnosis by their own experience and memories. Not too hard to imagine…

Music
Depeche Mode Week. I didn't quite finish, but spent most of the week listening through their discography. I wasn't prepared for how zany/computer-y their early work was.

Speak & Spell. Interesting how upbeat, pop, and chip-tune-y this is. Good choice doing single promo for "Just Can't Get Enough".
A Broken Frame. "Nothing to Fear" sounds like SNES RPG music, great instrumental. Also dig "The Sun and the Rainfall".
Construction Time Again. This feels like the album where the distinctive open baritone voice really comes to the fore. I think "And Then…" is my favorite here. "More Than a Party" is solid.
Some Great Reward. I LOVE the disjointed melancholy lullaby of "It Doesn't Matter", with its occasional sour bursts.
Black Celebration seemed like a more blandly consistent album. No strong stand-outs. I'll take "World Full of Nothing" on this one.
They must have been saving up for Music for the Masses, where it feels like all the familiar pieces have fallen into place. I love the long lines of "The Things You Said" – a bit of Kraftwerk flavor in the counterpoint organ bits? I also like the murky haunting of "Agent Orange".
101 (Live). Do I like live albums? I think get too attached to perfect studio vocals to appreciate most live recordings. I tend to like the instrumental ones more. And I don't want to listen to those dorks in the audience have a sing-along. I want to be there! There's a new book about this album that sounds promising.
Violator. "Enjoy the Silence" and ominous "Memphisto" win the day.
Songs of Faith and Devotion. Here it feels that we're more fully transitioned into stadium/industrial rock, with added electronics. Add a touch of blues? Vocals are more belt-y. It's not quite as fun for me. I'll still shout out "Judas", I think.
Ultra. "It's No Good" feels like a return to form – maybe that's why it's gotten so much play? I want to fix their sound to a certain point in time. Also, some of these songs are really long – 7/12 over 5.5 minutes! I get restless...

Maybe I'll make a playlist of favorites when I catch up to today, and see what themes I can spot?

In other listening, since "Water" was the big hit last week, I continued with Tyla's TYLA. This week, I'll shine a light on "On and On".

Inspired by my friend Will, I revisited Mastodon's Remission. The opening riff of "March of the Fire Ants" is a classic.

Antonio Salieri, Piano Concertos.

Alice Coltrane, The Carnegie Hall Concert.

Books
Infinity Gate. Enjoying this scifi so far. Given an infinitude of Earths in different realities/dimensions and development paths, imagine a paranoid super-civilization develops among them.

School
Another class down, two to go.

TV
X-Files, s2e14, "Die Hand Die Verletzt". A small crew of (half-hearted?) devil worshipers meet their match.

s2e15, "Fresh Bones", Haitian voodoo stuff. I was nervous about this one being more clumsy or offensive, but not too bad in the end. I like the military and refugee aspects – sadly relevant for NYC right now.

Bodkin, s1e3–4. I'm enjoying the "Sunshiny Yankee" trope in this series. Seen also in Catastrophe, for example – an "aw shucks" friendly and gullible American, so easily bullied.

2024, Week 21

2024-05-26T20:36:33.000Z

This week I got a new bucket hat. I have not owned a bucket had since I was maybe five or six years old. And "owned" is a strong word here. I have no understanding of my relationship to that hat. It's more like: I can see I was photographed wearing it, and I remember it being in my bedroom.

But now I'm an adult, and I intentionally bought a bucket hat, and I found myself with a funny feeling: do I look weird? After 41 years, I've got things pretty dialed in at this point. I can't remember the last time I stood in front of a mirror and wasn't sure. Took a second to gather my courage, damn the torpedos, and step out into society. Still growing!

(Btw, I look I great. And now I own two bucket hats.)

Running
Hot days are back. Wardrobe is shifting to lighter fabrics. Sunscreen is slathered. Shade is precious. Pee is orange. I designed a hilly route for run club's weekend long run and everyone hated me for it. 😈

School
This week was a struggle. I found it difficult to focus, but in a physical sense. Like my body itself was bored and restless, didn't want to stay put. Managed to finish a project and submit, hopefully doesn't need too much revision.

Music
Cantus Thuringia, Time Stands Still. "Come Again" is beautiful.

Brahms: Complete Choral Works all blended together for me. I struggle with Brahms! Couldn't name a single piece that's stuck with me. :(

Inspired by Craig Mod's latest newsletter, went back to listen to Tony Williams' Tokyo Live.

I spent some time with Jamiroquai. On Travelling Without Moving, "Everyday" is smoooooth! And from Synkronized, are you sure you've played "Canned Heat" enough recently?

Mozart, Clarinet Concerto (+ Oboe Concerto & Bassoon Concerto).

Bach, Oboe Concertos (BWV 1053, 1055, 1056, 1059, 1060). The adagio movement in BWV 1059 is perfect, I tell you.

Tyla, "Water". I've had/will have this on repeat for a while.

Movies
Space Is the Place. Sun Ra! I wouldn't recommend it but it's an interesting slice of history. And I appreciate that Sun Ra has been doing this space thing for decades. If you go long enough without breaking character...

The Swimmer. At opening, it captures the feeling of a boundless perfect day. By the end, nothing seems possible. The character seems to be well-known but long missing. Have to fill in the blanks as you go. I love all the image blurring, fuzzy focus, leafy obstructions, lens flare, warm comforting haze. Also: young woman meeting her boyfriend "through a computer"!

Dune: Part Two. Blah. Felt more choppy, episodic, ponderous. The movie insists you understand that everything is so Important! I found myself wondering what a non-widescreen version would look like. Even a 4:3, there's a lot of real estate, that doesn't always have that much going on. Entire planets with nothing but humanoids, vehicles, and vaulted rooms.

Scream VI. Really appreciate that they continue the opening schtick. The goriest one yet, but it's not an improvement. And a bit too much plot-splaining to wrap things up. New York City, though! Change of scenery is welcome, as is new energy from cast turnover. I've decided that I love this franchise.

The Silence (2010). Good thriller, left me feeling icky (complimentary?). I like that it has some frustrating protagonists, a few people you just need extra time to figure out.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
The morning after I watched the movie, I listened to "The Swimmer" as read by Anne Enright on the The New Yorker Fiction podcast.

"Storytelling is the well-orchestrated withholding of information." George Miller on making Mad Max and collaborating with wife and editor Margaret Sixel. Loved this, too, on gardening/editing parallels:

She happens to be a really great gardener, on any scale—whether a big thing like a farm or a small back-yard garden. And she’s comprehensively good: everything is taken into account. I think that is where the same skill sets overlap. To make a great garden, you have to understand all these hidden processes and dimensions to a ridiculous degree: the soil, the geology, the sun, the light, the weather. You have to know the plant and when to put in the seed or seedling. But here’s the thing: somehow, in that process, you have got to anticipate what will happen a year down the line, or five years down the line, and how all those variables will fit into a graceful whole. I knew that’s how she approached gardens; I have seen gardens that she has done that are twenty-five years old. And I knew that is how she approached editing.

"In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, only about 6 percent of forty-year-olds had never been married. Today it is true of one in four."

"The Earth receives about 173,000 TW [of solar energy] continuously, more than 10,000x humanity’s current needs."

The Rise of Rapid Regional Rail.

How Might We Learn?.

TV
X-Files, s2e13, "Irresistible". This was the saddest, creepiest, most unsettling episode yet. Good to see some meta conversation about the trauma and the toll of their work.

Bob's Burgers, s8e9. Watched immediately after the X-Files episode above – needed a palate cleanser!

Bodkin, s1e1-2. Off to a strong start! A "quiet little village" mystery in the vein of Deadloch, Broadchurch, Three Pines, etc.. Podcasters, smh.

Words of Wisdom
"Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously." Prentis Hemphill, quoted in an essay on the men vs. bear debate.

2024, Week 20

2024-05-19T19:49:03.000Z

A few years ago when I lived in Santa Monica, I walked every street in city limits. And I did the same in downtown Atlanta a couple years before that (along with other silly walks).

After my run yesterday, I'm getting close to filling in the map of my neighborhood here in Crown Heights, Brooklyn – only 9 or 10 miles left! 🔜 There is nothing like knowing every inch of where you live. Can't recommend highly enough.

School
The last two courses were the most tedious I'll come across. Definitively in the homestretch now.

Running
This week I focused on working through fatigue. So: a couple short runs with weights beforehand, and ending my longer chill runs at a faster tempo. It's been fun to practice like this for a little while. To feel that extra bit of tired resistance, and insist on pushing through it. Cultivates an interesting focus, and I suppose it's good to annoy myself with slightly-higher expectations every now and then.

Books
I just started Medieval Horizons: Why the Middle Ages Matter, and it's already rewiring my brain a little bit. It starts with an important corrective: our tendency to see "progress" through a mostly technological lens tends to exclude as much as it highlights. The flourishing of the Renaissance, Enlightenment, etc. was percolating long before.

Music
Big nostalgic highlight this week was seeing a twitter convo that reminded me of the "Birdman" track from Pilotwings 64. One of my favorite videogame tunes of all time. and then saw a message from the composer Dan Hess. He's got a fun "Birdman" remake on his own channel.

This was very much a week of re-visiting classics. One interesting thing I seeing the disparity between hits and long tail. Not everything you do will be celebrated. Happens to the best of'em.

Aretha

Get It Right. I like "I Got Your Love".
Sparkle. It's too bad everything on the album so completely overshadowed by "Something He Can Feel". The orchestration on e.g. "I Get High" is so good.

Diana

Diana Ross. "Where There Was Darkness" reminds me of the Prayer of St. Francis lol.
Everything Is Everything. Wasn't expecting two Beatles covers!

James Ingram, It's Your Night. "Yah Mo B There" is great – see also the music video with Michael McDonald.

Fatback Band. Is This The Future?. Funky! I like the title track and Sunshine Lady.

Quick hits…

From Deodato's Motion, "Are You For Real?"
From Teddy Pendergrass, Life Is A Song Worth Singing. "Close the Door" has the hoarse Barry White delivery + orchestral backing I love.
Monteverdi, Duets & Solos
Galina Grigorjeva, Nature morte

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"I will give you my three real keys to life. No jokes in this part, okay? They are number one. Bust your ass. Number two. Pay attention. Number three. Fall in love."

"In 1985, I asked my brother David (age 15) to be the rotoscope model for my new game, Prince of Persia." Very cool to see that old VHS footage. (I loved the way that game looked – there was nothing like it – but man, it was infuriating to play!)

Generative AI Is Totally Shameless. I Want to Be It. There is a humorous/lightly cynical tone here, but I think there's an interesting silver lining: it's pretty much always willing to try. No small thing!

No Web Without Women.

"The same thing happened in the United States, though not to quite the same extent. In 1980, there were around 28,000 drunk driving deaths there, while in 2020, there were 11,654. Despite this progress, drunk driving remains a substantial public threat, comparable in scale to homicide (of which in 2020 there were 594 in Britain and 21,570 in America)."

Movies
Taken 2. Does what it says on the tin! My previous review holds up.

TV
X-Files, s2e12, "Aubrey". I haven't seen many unrepentantly ugly characters in this series, so the ex-con in this one was a bit jarring. One of the more down-to-earth episodes?

Shōgun, s1e10. Great show. I have my quibbles here and there, but really happy I put the time into it. I hear they're already signing people to come back for second and third seasons. I think I got enough out of this one that I'm not sure I need more, but maybe I'll be swayed.

2024, Week 19

2024-05-12T19:39:00.000Z

This week I celebrated my anniversary (until the new one!) with the aforementioned gumbo and a big ol' cake that lasted a few days. Recommended!

Another highlight of this week: I printed my old iPhone journals into hefty hardbacks. One of the most satisfying little projects I've done. Five or six years of material in a form I can hold. The cloud is vapor; paper is forever. What's a body of work without a body?

And another: a weekend stroll on the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, rambling 11-12 miles from Tarrytown to Yonkers through backyards and local parks, much of it with the Hudson River in sight. I need to go back and run it.

Books
Still Life. I loved the Three Pines TV show, and this is the book that started the Inspector Gamache franchise (and inspired the awful movie :\ ). Enjoyed going back to the source, comparing the characterizations in the book with the two acted versions. Like the hero, the plot gently takes its time to observe and absorb.

School
Structure makes a big difference!

Running
My highest-mileage week in the last year or so, I think. Mostly from mixing in more frequent, shorter weekday runs. Feeling more tired, but looser? I registered for a couple more races in the fall, so there's lots to look forward to in the back half of the year.

Music
Amanda Whiting, "The Liminality of Her". Spacious lounge harp! "Facing the Sun" makes me think of… lazy days in Central America. I like how forward the rhythm section is throughout the album.

Shaboozey, "Cowboys Live Forever, Outlaws Never Die". Can't say I like it, but it's interesting.

In the barely-30-minutes-long category: Juaneco y Su Combo, El Gran Cacique. Peruvian rock & roll x cumbia x psychedelia.

In the barely-16-minutes-long category: Benedikt, Jag är sen igen. I like the insistent heartbeat in "Til fordel for ny".

In the 18.5 hours long category, a compilation of Keith Haring's mixtapes. It's a cool capsule of a certain slice of radio and subcultures. Also, listening to stuff like Good Life, it's obvious why the Streets of Rage II soundtrack hits so hard.

The Beloved, Happiness unlocked a memory I didn't expect – one of my roommates in college had an EDM mix that featured "The Sun Rising" on it. Hadn't heard that in a couple decades (!). In its gentle, direct vocals, "Don't You Worry" made me imagine a Arthur Russell x Depeche Mode crossover.

I listened to Fauré's Requiem three times on Friday (and a few more times in my head). It's the perfect way to start your weekend.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"Bureaucratic hell is always about one person's ease coming at the cost of someone else's frustration, time wasted, and busy work."

How a migrant farmworker built generational wealth, penny by penny. Beautiful story.

Movies
Air Force One. Incredible watch, lovely momentum. It holds up so well. And there's something comforting and reassuring about films of the 1990s. They just look right. Special effects can be "good enough" if you care about what's going on!

Scream 4. It's been really fun to catch up on this franchise. "All through the movie, 'Scre4m' lets us know that it knows exactly what it's up to — and then goes right ahead and gets up to it."

TV
X-Files, s2e11, "Excelsius Dei". When elder care goes bad, toxic mushroom edition.

Bodies, s1e6–8. I'd give the series a solid B. Unlikely to rewatch or think about it much, but I don't regret any of it. That's something!

Shōgun, s1e9. Mariko's persistent death wish is heartbreaking. Curious how they're gonna wrap this up. (I hear rumors of season 2, but kinda don't want it?)

Converting My Day One App Journal Into Printed Hardbacks

2024-05-08T17:33:53.000Z

There is no substitute for journaling on paper. I first started keeping a regular journal, in fits and starts, back in 2014. I used the Day One app back then. Over time it became a several-entries-daily habit. I'm grateful I had Day One back then. It was the first thing that finally got the journaling habit to stick, and it's the habit that led to me to start putting things on paper.

I eventually tapered off of Day One around 2020, when I had fully transitioned to the ever-growing stack of paper journals. But seeing my beautiful journals accumulate on the bookshelf eventually made me annoyed that my older journals were trapped on my phone/in The Cloud™. Luckily, old Mark anticipated this, and exported the JSON archive from the app. I figured I'd do something with it someday. Last year, I lazily poked at the file, trying to get it into something usable. Then I put it on the backburner for a while, as my skill and attention level was too low to manage it at the time.

After a few months of school, I decided to revisit. My goals were fairly simple: extract the worthwhile stuff, make it look decent, and get it printed & bound. And so I took a nebulous cloud of memories and feelings and put them into a pair of 600-page A5 hardbacks. I think they turned out pretty well!

I wanted a two-column layout so I could easily search/skim by the date. The left column also has the location, weather, and tag metadata for each entry. I had the thought to use the tags to create an index, but skipped implementation because I just really needed to get it finished. I was pretty rigorous with tagging, though, and think I could have done some cool things with it.

I used a pretty straightforward Python script to parse the JSON to grab the journal entries, assemble them into HTML blocks, and stitch them all together. I added a dash of CSS to get the layout where I wanted it. With all entries assembled, the script converts the HTML to a PDF. And the PDF, I sent that off to a printer – I used Mixam without really doing much research. I'm happy enough with the results, and appreciated their simple interface to upload and preview the content. (Funny surprise to see the actual printing and shipping was done in the UK. These journals have traveled more than I have lately.)

I'll share my script below. It's tailored to my particular vision for the final printed book and their standard export format circa 2020, but should be easily adaptable for other goals.

import json import re from datetime import datetime from weasyprint import HTML

Define regex to find unused image references

example: ![](dayone-moment:\/\/C5B5BC18EEB544D8A8D6F81A4B510B09)\n\n

image_pattern = re.compile( r'^\s*!\[\]$dayone-moment:\/\/[A-Z0-9]{32}$\n*$', re.MULTILINE) p_break = re.compile(r'

\s*<br\s*/?>')

Initialize HTML document as list of entries

html_parts = [ """

Journal Entries """ \]

Read the JSON file

with open('DayOneSample.json', 'r', encoding='utf8') as file: data = json.load(file)

Iterate over entries, parse data, append to list

for entry in data['entries']: # convert datetimes raw_date = datetime.strptime(entry['creationDate'], '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ') date_line = raw_date.strftime('%A, %B %d, %Y at %I:%M%p')

# use regex to remove image references journal_entry = image_pattern.sub("", entry['text'])

# process text to remove extraneous newlines journal_entry = journal_entry.replace('\n\n', '

') journal_entry = journal_entry.replace('\n', '
') journal_entry = journal_entry.replace('

', '
') journal_entry = journal_entry.replace('

', '
') journal_entry = journal_entry.replace('

', '

# parse location data location_info = entry.get('location', {}) city = location_info.get('localityName', 'Unknown') place = location_info.get('placeName', 'Unknown') lat = location_info.get('latitude', 0) long = location_info.get('longitude', 0) country = location_info.get('country', 'Unknown')

# parse weather data weather_info = entry.get('weather', {}) wx_temp = ((weather_info.get('temperatureCelsius', 0) * 9) / 5) + 32 wx_description = weather_info.get( 'conditionsDescription', 'No weather data') wx_line = f"{wx_temp}°F, {wx_description}"

# fetch the tags tags = ', '.join(entry.get('tags', []))

# append HTML entry + metadata to list html_parts.append(f"""

{date\_line}

☉ {wx\_line}

⌂ {place}, {city}, {country}

☷ {lat}, {long}

༶ {tags}

{journal\_entry}

""")

Close and assemble the HTML entries

html_parts.append("""

""")

html_content = ''.join(html_parts) html_content = p_break.sub('

', html_content)

Write entries to HTML file and generate PDF

with open('sample.html', 'w', encoding='utf8') as file: file.write(''.join(html_content))

HTML('sample.html').write_pdf('sample.pdf')

2024, Week 18

2024-05-05T19:15:25.000Z

Maybe the most important event this week was re-learning how important it can be for me to have order and momentum in what I do. A while back I had to table a personal project so I could focus elsewhere. When I tried to come back to it on Tuesday: immediate frustration. I'd forgotten where I was, the original goals didn't seem to matter at all, I wasn't sure where to pick things up. I was lost, and desperately furious with myself for having lost the plot.

After a few hours to settle down, I figured out the relevant goals and made a list of to-dos. Came back the next day and had an absolute blast, ended up renewed by all the progress. What a difference a day made – twenty-four little hours.

ಠ_ಠ → (✿◠‿◠)

I'll launch into the coming week boosted by my first-ever visit to Brooklyn Botanical Garden. I traveled across the realm to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx before I visited the one down the street. I've lived in walking distance for a few years, sure I'd get to it "some day". All's well that ends well, a perfect dewy morning stroll.

A few other highlights of the week:
- making pancakes for a weekday lunch
- visiting an elementary school's plant + bake sale
- making gumbo!

Art
So much personality in the Makonde Portrait Mask (lipiko).

Figure (akua ka'ai). "Sometimes also referred to as 'god sticks,'' they would have been planted in the earth, positioned on altars, or located in the rafters, thatched roofs, or walls inside temples."

Up and Going (New York), by Gerald K. Geerlings.

Running
My running club did a course preview run for an upcoming half-marathon, so our route took us down to Coney Island. I added a few miles when we were done, and was amused to see the vibe shift. One one end of the boardwalk: amusement parks, hot dog stands, runners, tourists, parents with strollers. On the other: old Russian retirees chatting on benches. A beautiful day to be outside.

Books
The Explorer. Another kids book from Katherine Rundell. In the first three pages, we crashed an airplane. This is the kind of active plotting my brain needed this week. It also feels like a rewind for me, staying true to some core piece of myself. – Hatchet, The Swiss Family Robinson, My Side of the Mountain, Robinson Crusoe, Island of the Blue Dolphins – since childhood, I've had a thing for getting stuck in the wilderness!

School
My latest class has required a lot of "grinding it out", mainlining vocab, making ChatGPT summarize the essentials at a high level before I wade into the muck. The only way out is through.

Music
TECH, from Owen Kleon. My far-and-away favorite is the found-sound layers building up in "Typing". The melody/chord progression of "AI Buddy" made me think of "Suspicious Minds". Not sure if that was intentional or not, but the pairing resonates well. Great dark energy in "Cards" and persistent development in "Television". Cf. an interview with the artist.

Shaboozey's "A Bar Song" is more catchy than I thought it would be! I'll find more of his work soon.

Pure dumb luck to stumble on Sabrina Carter's "Espresso" – perfect pop confection. My incessant replays eventually led me to her "emails i can't send". "Read your Mind" and "Feather" are similar upbeat disco-inflected dancefloor magnets.

Cocteau Twins is one of those bands where I fell so hard for a few albums that I never really looked further. My loss! I took time this week to fill in the gaps:

On the "The Pink Opaque". I like the vaguely-ominous "Pepper-Tree" (like the cavern level in a video game?).
From "Blue Bell Knoll", it's gotta be the open strings of "The Itchy Glowbo Blow".
And same rationale for "Squeeze-Wax" on "Four-Calendar Cafe".
From "Milk & Kisses", it's "Calfskin Smack" by a mile, for those jangly open strings again, and the fun backing vocals.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"It feels like being too serious online skips a generation.
Boomers: Not funny online (at least not intentionally)
Gen X: Funny or at the very least not too serious
Millennials: Sanctimonious, virtue-obsessed, much too serious
Gen Z: Funny"

Interviews with New Yorkers who work in tight quarters.

"Is there anything out there like Stumbleupon that will just show me weird, creative websites if I click a button?" Lots of good stuff in the thread – Marginalia Search and Kagi Small Web are especially promising.

"Creating a culture where people can try new things and be ‘a little good’ is the way forward."

Movies
Redemption / Hummingbird. I wasn't expecting this to be so dark! And wasn't expecting to see Statham smile, either.

TV
X-Files, s2e10, "Red Museum". Look, there is just a lot going on here! Possession, serial killers, vegan cults, factory-farming conspiracies. But we got an iconic dinner scene moment out of it.

Shōgun, s1e8. The very far-reaching limits of absolute loyalty and sacrifice, phew.

2024, Week 17

2024-04-28T19:41:22.000Z

This week I celebrated one year in the new apartment. But at what cost?!!?! Moving here meant leaving my favorite local food spot. It's only 3/4 of a mile away now, but that's a big difference from when it was literally right around the corner. Even today I refer to it not by its proper name but as "Around the Corner". It's that kind of love.

It's become less of a routine visit, and more of a rare treat. But on Friday afternoon, with a fresh school victory and sunny afternoon to soak it in, I went for a long walk and paid a visit. For a few hours, the world was right again.

Running
I had two long runs bookending the same calendar week. Felt the toll, a little sluggish on yesterday's, but also felt decent enough for a light run on today, day 8. The last couple years, I've had a pretty steady drumbeat of running on Tu/Thu/Sat, usually with one of Sun/Mon/Wed mixed in, depending on schedule. Now I'm thinking I'd like to introduce those light, short runs more frequently, bump it up to ~5/7 days each week. Motion is lotion.

Books
There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension. "It is one thing to experience death and another to understand it to be possible on its own terms. To grasp the certainty of its arrival but still cling to a hope for that certainty to come in a very specific way, at a very specific time, after a life has fulfilled all of its promise." Hanif Abdurraqib is a tremendous writer. This has a more memoir-y, reflective, prayerful? voice than I've heard from him before, took a bit of adjustment to learn to fly with him. I'd recommend it and especially the ones I read previously: A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance and They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us.

School
Finish one class, start a new one. Rinse, repeat. I'm ~86% done with this degree, and feel a breeze at my back.

Music
Another great playlist from Matthew Perpetua took up most of my listening week, spinning me out in a few directions: The Dawn of Alternative, 1988-1990. So cool to hear stuff I recognize from childhood alongside stuff I only learned about later in life, and seeing how those contemporaneous threads all flowed together. I ended up doing a lot of scattered samplings, and not much full play-throughs. The main effect was to get me listening Depeche Mode again.

But I did dip into The Sundays, Reading, Writing, & Arithmetic. I like "A Certain Someone".

And I listened to The Church and realized they're the ones who sing "Under the Milky Way".

Unrelated to the initial playlist, I liked Vanishing Twin's "Choose Your Own Adventure". In particular: "Eggs" and "Truth Is Boring" (tabla!).

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Problems need solutions, not explanations. I might suggest "not only", but still an underappreciated point.

Compelling thread of research on crime victims. It's very good and worthwhile to combat all manner of crime and its causes!

Jerry Seinfeld on The New Yorker Radio Hour. "I don't like old people, period. They don't look good. Everything's going, everything's deteriorating, I don't wanna see this. […] I feel like God is like, 'I'm with ya up to about 38. If you wanna stay, you can stay. But I'm moving on.'"

"There’s no secret sauce, no special workout or electrolyte drink that will unlock your potential and fuel your dreams. At the end of the day, there’s just you, doing the best you can with what you got, day after day and run after run."

A series of posts about writing/illustrating a bikepacking manga.

Movies
Road House (1989). I've watched this a handful of times – TBS afternoon staple – but I think I'd never seen this without commercial breaks. And it had been a long time since the last time. Patrick Swayze's charisma is on another level. I dig the traditional orchestral soundtrack, with moment-to-moment exclamations and punctuations that feed into the action. A lost art.

Anyone But You. Something is off here. I appreciate a few elements of the production design, like the scene transitions – neon sign in the bar and a diegetic piano backing score in particular. The line delivery from our mains feels a little dry sometimes. Too neat, too calm? I could see it being "in character", with our protagonists not wanting to lose their cool or show weakness. But the effect is cold. It's such contrast with their initial meet-cute, and later escalations and resolution of the romance. Need more consistent voltage to keep us attached. The parents are stronger roles. Here I'll again register my complaint of defaulting to wealthy/comfortable people on screen. It's fabulous to look at, but boy can it be stale. A few genuine laughs, though, and maybe it will get you to read more Shakespeare.

The Warriors. Contrasting with the above – such zest here! Scrappy energy, style, grit, invigorating soundtrack. With a few years in New York City under my belt, it's gotten more an more enjoyable to see things I recognize on screen. The subway in the 1970s-80s looks like a nightmare. I like how they capture the fundamental spookiness of an empty platform. Really appreciate the variety in costuming, and each gang's schtick. The radio DJ had me thinking about the switchboard ladies in John Wick, broadcasting the bounties. I don't want to see a straight-up remake (I'm glad we've largely gotten rid of homophobic slurs, by the way. It's so jarring.), but it's still fun to imagine what those contemporary gangs and costumes might look like.

The Clovehitch Killer. A straightforward thriller – what if you learned your parent was a long-dormant serial killer? – that starts well and stumbles toward the finish line. I think they show us more than we need to see. Dylan McDermott and Charlie Plummer are both great. There are few things I like in a movie more than riding bikes around small towns.

TV
X-Files, s2e9, "Firewalker". I remember this one from childhood. That kind of body horror sticks with you. Leland Orser and Bradley Whitford guest appearances!

Bodies, s1e3. I didn't know Samuel Barber adapted his Adagio for Strings into the Agnus Dei we hear at the close of the episode.

Shōgun, s1e7. Things aren't looking good for Toranaga-sama.

2024, Week 16

2024-04-21T20:34:47.000Z

On Saturday, I took the train up to Harlem and walked through a few parks (St. Nicholas, Morningside, Cenral), looking at flowers (tulips everywhere), art, and New Yorkers out for fresh air. Lovely day, also got to work on my black coffee no-sugar crossover into step-back fadeaway from mid-court.

Books
The Emigrants. I appreciate the shifting characters from section to section, and the detailed look at each, wandering down biographical rabbitholes as much as our narrator's curiosity or attention allows.

To Hold Up the Sky, cont.

Household Upgrade PSA
These SinkShroom sink strainers have the best draining power of any I've used. The hollow handle and high-level hole seem to make a real difference. (Lesson: There is still so much room to improve every life!)

Music
Sault is "a British music collective that make a mixture of R&B, urban contemporary gospel, house and disco". Sign me up. I loved Earth this week. The combo of drums, harmonies, chant, and dub-like echo/reverb on "The Lords With Me" gets me HYPED.* Love the polyrhythms and groaning (lol) on "Power" and "Soul Inside My Beautiful Imagination", and the steady march of "Fields" transforming into Hendrix-y blues-rock stadium riffs. * (Realizing I have a thing for chanting: see also the end of "Acknowledgement", "Khawaja Tum Hi Ho", "Love Is Everywhere", etc.!)

The Past Lives soundtrack turns the dreaminess dial a little tooooo high sometimes, but it's great when you need it.

From Maze and Frankie Beverly "Silky Soul" delights with heavy Marvin Gaye influence/homage. In "Change On Our Ways" couldn't help but hear Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin'"

The NID Tapes: Electronic Music from India 1969-1972. An hour of perfect weird computer noises. A+.

I listened to a few Kiasmos albums – self-titled, Blurred (my favorite), Flown. Solid upbeat head trip/working music. I like the high suspension/pedal point in "Paused".

Yat-Kha's Yenisei-Punk is worth a sample, if only to remind yourself of the variety the planet has to offer. Don't get stuck!

Running
Feeling plateau-ish lately. I've been running-by-ear for the last few weeks, taking the pressure off. I need to turn the screws again.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
ArborVille is such a cool mix of ASCII maps and memories. (Via Naïve Weekly, a great newsletter with consistent pointers to the more adventurous web of yesteryear, today.)

An interview with Giancarlo Esposito. "I mention my children because I learned a lot from them, now that I’m able to hear them. Hearing with your heart is different than hearing just with your ears."

"Harlem is a vision as much as a place, in all of its incarnations; and in all of its incarnations, there is always, somehow, a catch."

Repairing undersea cables is one of those quiet labors that keeps the planet stitched together. Jealous of journalists who get to do reporting like that.

Movies
The Listener. Tessa Thompson takes phone calls. It's like a gentle tour through society's various illnesses and hang-ups, so to speak. A few other mostly-one-person films I'd easily recommend: All Is Lost, The Shallows, Locke, The Guilty and its remake.

The Beekeeper. A man with a secret past, etc.. I like the variety of killings, but perhaps he's a bit too invincible? Maybe they're playing into the mythical angle, "when society needs a hero". Our heroine side character is a bit of a waste, doesn't add enough. Have to say, it's very refreshing when action heroes – like Statham here, and Keanu – have some credible martial arts background from their younger years, and aren't just sluggers. There's an ease and a precision to it, not easy to fake.

Picnic at Hanging Rock. I love how nebulous and haunting this is. A perfectly lovely sunny day ruined, sickening because you have no idea what happened, and you're just left to stew in your own imagination and distraught gasping into a kerchief. Can definitely see the influence on The Virgin Suicides.

TV
3 Body Problem, s1e1. It was cool to recognize/remember parts of the book, but just couldn't get into it.

X-Files, s2e8 "One Breath". Scully's back! Appreciated the "strength of your beliefs" call-back. 🥲

Bodies, s1e1–2. Decent little detective drama, told in parallel scenes in vastly different eras. Not all of the period stories are hitting the same way, but their relative rankings shifted from first to the second. We'll see what develops.

Abbott Elementary, s3e10. This show does so well at balancing the goofy and the sentimental. I've seen collectively maybe ~64 minutes across all the seasons, and it still had me choking up a bit.

Shōgun, s1e6. Ochiba is on the rampage.

Words of Wisdom
"I put time and love and too much energy into this finished project just to put it on Instagram and forget it about it. Like, no, promote your shit, let people know, be proud of the shit that you made."

2024, Week 15

2024-04-14T17:40:37.000Z

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.

"A Toast to the People".

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."

Dawn Staley, gospel edit.

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..

2024, Week 14

2024-04-07T22:04:52.000Z

It was a long wait between my aunt's death and her funeral, a month or so of delay while distant family could arrange their travel. All of us grieving in a limbo state, not able to reach all the stages of the process. But the death had also happened years earlier, by degrees, as we lost her to dementia over the last decade. At the funeral mass the priest talked about death as reunion, and especially in the Easter season, a promise of going home. She'd been traveling a long time alone by the time we had to say our final farewell.

I traveled back to Atlanta late last week, my one-time home I've been back to a hundred times, and from there up north to the small town where I was born and grew up – where my grandparents are buried, and where my parents will be also, on some day I'll meet in the future. And all through the weekend, surrounded by family, I'm thinking about my new home, my heart in New York City, future family. Finding home in several places is a funny feeling. There's the idea that you carry loved ones with you when they pass on, all those good memories. You carry the grief and the hurt, too, but you grow new happiness around those feelings. I suppose it can be the same for the places you've lived and leave.

I said goodbye to my aunt at the gravesite, and "hello again – long time, no see" to my grandparents in the plot a few feet over, and then goodbye to my parents and siblings at the airport. Goodbye to one home, and went home again, carrying a bit more with me, committing again to grow new happiness here, to make sure I miss it when I leave.

Art
The Ancient Art Archive has a very cool collection of pictographs, petroglyphs, cave paintings, mounds, etc.. (via Smithsonian)

Iglesia El Rosario in San Salvador looks rad. (via)

Running
Mostly a restful week off, minus a family hike on Saturday. I'm really excited for the runs to come this spring and summer. So many ideas to unleash.

Books
The Iliad. All of these dude are constantly mad. I find myself thinking of The Northman, which is not an amazing movie, but excellent in how it makes you sit with a character bound up in a foreign-to-us set of values. (Eggers did the same with The Witch). Another honor culture leaving wreckage in its wake.

Music
Last week's Beyoncé helped me learn about Linda Martell, who had only one big album, Color Me Country. Her rendition of "San Francisco Is a Lonely Town" is great.

I stumbled on an article about underrated Aretha Franklin albums from the 1970's. If I had to choose, it would be Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky), on the basis of the multiple moods in the the title track, the wisftful ballad "Angel" and its powerful follow-up, "Sister From Texas". On that last one, when the band climaxes at "But I'm in there fighting everyday / because I got a few more dreams in me", the delivery makes for a perfect pump-up/run-through-a-wall moment.

Caroline Polacheck's, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, I especially like the flamenco-EDM in "Sunset". So fun to have a moment like when I heard "Butterfly Net": really liked it, went back to look up what's playing, and realizing she's singing with another artist I like. Validating.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
From the Iliad, mapping the catalog of the ships.

On close.city, you can travel times to supermarkets, transit, libraries, parks, playgrounds, and more, down to the block level.

"Though he’d originally figured he’d go to college, the route began to feel less appealing during the pandemic, when he watched his parents—both tech workers—gaze at their computers all day and realized he didn’t like the idea of spending his life seated before a screen." The kids are alright!

How colleges turned pink. "There are now 2.4 million more female than male undergraduates on U.S. campuses (8.9 million women compared to 6.5 million men)."

TV
X-Files, s2e5 "Duane Barry". Intense. And we got another "To be continued"!

Reacher, s2e7-8. Find myself mulling over the last scene, not sure if they earned it or not. Season one did a better job of explicitly exploring Reacher's wounded, walls-up solitude. This one is more roundabout but they really put a nice bow on it.

Words of Wisdom
"Kids are wildly ambitious. They have had the experience, over and over, of something being hard and then buckling down for six months and getting good at it."

2024, Week 13

2024-03-31T20:00:49.000Z

With the end of the school term, I had a few days' of extra time on my hands. And I learned that the first day of vacation is a wash. The whiplash of going from full days to empty days is difficult. I should account for this a bit better – lower expectations, lower the pressure, try to leave that one diem un-carpe'ed.

School
As I settled in, I took more time for coding projects toward the end of the week. Nothing to share right now, but it was a rewarding shift in focus. Less book-learnin', more hands-on. One particular project was on the back-burner for a year until I had enough attention on it. I'm excited to see how it turns out…

Art
I need to see the Amish quilts at the Smithsonian American Art Museum next time I'm in DC.

Running
Strava tells me I set a new PR in the 10-mile. It happened on accident, and I have no idea what it may have been in my younger, fitter life. A validating moment, though, as I continue to explore the fitness I unlocked through all the wintertime training. Part of building endurance is a lot of long, easy, slow, slow, slooooooow gentle runs, and the dividends aren't immediately obvious. Unleashing myself a bit the last couple weeks has been like exploring a cave. I know it's bigger somehow, but the chambers aren't fully mapped!

Books
Crytonomicon. DNF. Yeah, I had to call it off.

The Iliad. The Wilson translation is off to a good start. I got this book in hardback months ago. But most of my reading happens at night these days, and it was just too unwieldy to read on the couch, or in bed, in the dark. So, Libby to the rescue to borrow the ebook. (Also, I love Libby's feature where, if you have a book on hold that comes in too early for you, you can postpone it a little while.)

Music
Have to start with COWBOY CARTER. I listened to this just a few hours after it was released. Not something I planned, I just couldn't get back to sleep that night. But wow, it's really nice to recline in the dark with music. And also nice to check in on Twitter when I'd hear something – "hmm, there's some Fleetwood here… and this one is Tina Turner x Outkast…" – and see it validated by other insomniac music nerds enjoying the same thing. Setting aside the pre-launch singles, favorites are "BODYGUARD" and "DAUGHTER".

After Tyler & Schneider and Eno last week, I returned to Hermanos Gutiérrez, Hijos Del Sol. El Bueno Y El Malo was one of my favorite albums last year. It's hard to recommend just one track from either, as they carry a similar flavor through all the songs. Looking for similar work, I found my way to an excellent "Ambient Western" playlist ("Big Sky chill, Bootgaze, deep thought cowboy, high lonesome, stagecoach radio" !), which I think will unlock a lot of good stuff as I dig in further.

From Jenevieve, Division, I especially like the pop throwback sounds like on the title track – some "Maneater" urgency in the rhythm section? And "No Sympathy" sounds like something I'd enjoy from Carly Rae Jepsen. "Baby Powder" is solid downtempo, allowed the breathe.

Some other odds & ends:

I like the ominous undertone and wooden shuffling/grinding sound in Mary Lattimore's latest, "Nest of Earrings".
I haven't played the game in decades, but memories are resurfacing from listening to the Myst soundtrack.
Appreciate the bounciness in Alan Parsons Project, "Step by Step". (Great first-song → second-song transition on that album!)

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Matt Zoller Seitz interviews Damon Lindelof upon learning his life inspired an episode of The Leftovers.

The reliable Robert Daniels on Jordan Peele's "Us", and explaining movies. "Unforeseen consequences arise when art is made definable."

"Physical media fans of all types tend to see themselves as survivalists prepping for apocalypse."

"A good way to judge the quality of scientific criticism is to ask yourself: 'Does this argument reject the best available evidence in favor of a solution that is essentially, assume the existence of a Transform Society button…'"

Dark software is like ghost kitchens – as software components and functionality are refined, it becomes easier to mix-and-match, brande, and narrowly target certain customers.

An app to make emoji floral arrangements.

"This website is still under construction, as I find my (pathless) path, but I’ve really been appreciating the framework of 'personal website as private engine of change'."

Movies
Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery. This took a fun, zany turn in the last few minutes, but the TV show is so, so, so much better in every way. (I'm still begging for another season!)

Zone of Interest. More impactful because it's so mundane. Disturbingly calculating, evil, selfish people carrying on indifferently. Ugh.

Point Break. The original, of course. It wasn't until I watched this with a Californian that I realized how what seems super cool sub-cultures (LA surf bros!) to me (a kid raised in the rural South) can be so eye-rollingly familiar to people with first-hand exposure to it. The fight on the lawn after the house raid still makes me squirm. An excellent footchase, too. (Ends in Ballona Creek, I wonder how it maps out before?)

Video Games
I go through phases with gaming – a few weeks on, a few months off. Lately, I'm back on.

A couple weeks ago I dipped back into Tetris Attack because it's relaxing stress. Something about the level of repetition, focus, and absorption makes it easy to wind down with, even though my heart is racing.

And I returned to Octopath Traveler, a multi-character, multi-plot RPG with elevated ~16-bit aesthetics. I took a bit too much time off, struggling to remember some plot/biography, but it's fun to play. Related, one thing that's underrated in RPGs is effective controls and menu navigation. I think they nailed it. That sort of polish makes a difference.

Luigi's Mansion 3 is a little slow (we're getting carried away with cut-scenes!), but silly-spooky is a good vibe.

TV
X-Files, s2e4 "Sleepless". Enjoyed Tony Todd in his starring role. Really intense episode. Loved the use of super-close, claustrophobic close-ups here and there.

Reacher. s2e5-6. I like all these NYC scenes. Domenick Lombardozzi is so reliable, straight from central casting.

Words of Wisdom
"The best teaching will increasingly focus on what can't be learned online."

2024, Week 12

2024-03-25T00:26:37.000Z

Yesterday I spent an hour or so mending clothes. I fixed a couple holes in denim with an iron-on patch for the first time. And sewed up a loose seams in a few sweatshirts and another pair of jeans. It feels good to take care of things. And it inspired a round of "do I need this anymore?", which led to a new bag of clothes to donate. Spring cleaning is in full effect.

My mom revived her genealogy hobby recently, and turn up some new bits of family history on the New Orleans side. I learned that back in the 1920's my great-grandfather drove into a tree when the steering wheel locked up (don't trust antique cars!), and also that he was arrested for running a bar without a state license. Both were enough to make the local paper.

Books
The Honjin Murders. DNF. Rural mid-century Japanese detective fiction – it sells itself! Wrong time for this one, though.

Cryptonomicon. Interesting so far, but I'm feeling initial worries about the number of lectures disguised as conversations I'll come across…

Not a book, but interesting: Boox Palma is phone-dimensional e-ink device that just looks cool. A more peaceful version of a phone but in a hand-friendlier size than a Kindle. I don't need more devices, but...

Art
The Nimrud ivory of a lion eating a man is pretty intense. (via the mostly-not-related Statecraft article on Iraqi state capacity)

School
One more exam and the term is done. I need a break!

Running
This week I decided to re-introduce a bit more speedwork and weights. Fun 5k tempo run on Monday just to check in, see where things are. Feels like all the long runs through the winter paid off, the well is deeper, there's more draw on, but alas, I am still slow. For now... 😈

Music
Nejma Nefertit's Animal Barz is a hiphop creature concept album – "Pigeons"!

My fiancée made me a "Baptist Bangers" playlist and that led me to "Shackles (Praise You)" from Mary Mary, and back to Kirk Franklin's "Revolution" – fond memories of the brilliant ecstasy of Vine: the "mind if I praise God?" meme is a pinnacle of internet culture.

I like the talking drums in the latest Tierra Whack, "MS BEHAVE".

Floraleda Sacchi plays Ryuichi Sakamoto (RIP) on the harp. I like "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence".

From William Tyler and Luke Schneider, "No Trouble" has big-sky reverb-y slide guitars that remind me of Eno's work on Apollo – like "Silver Morning" and "Deep Blue Day".

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
"A hobby is probably one of the best forms of life insurance that one can have."

The Citizens Budget Commission survey data for 2023 has intriguing maps and comparisons to the 2017 and 2008 survey data.

A series of articles on how Manhattan got its grid.

Steven Soderbergh talking about his year in reading with NYT Book Review. "I read in order to calm down."

Also enjoyed this Vulture interview with Hanif Abdurraqib, whose new book There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension is due in my mailbox soon.

“Please don’t get too worried about whether your desired baby name is 'too popular,' especially if it’s not in the top five names in your state. Because, statistically, it’s probably not.”

In Rapa Nui news: settlers there likely had contact with South America 1000 years ago. And (via Marginal Revolution), they may have independently developed a form of writing. Pacific cultures are really cool.

Camille Herron ran 560 miles in 6 days and drops some of the wildest quotes you'll ever read. "I felt like after a couple of days, the miles just kind of melted away and the days blended together. I felt like I was taking it 100 miles at a time after a period." !

Movies
Iron Man. This holds up, and it was funnier than I remembered. Marvel is so lucky they got a talent like RDJ to kick things off.

Anatomy of a Fall. Loved this movie. I need to find more French courtroom drama. There's some flavor in their trial system that feels more cinematic. I like the physical layout of the courtrooms. More confrontational and interactive, a little less speechy? It feels dynamic. (Saint Omer is another excellent French one where we don't see the crime and must draw our own conclusions during the trial – one of my favorites from 2023.)

TV
X-Files, s2e3, "Blood". This week's happy casting surprise: William Sanderson, who I knew best as J.F. Sebastian from Blade Runner and E.B. Farnum from Deadwood.

Jack Reacher, s2e4. Funniest episode of this season so far, needed the jolt. Also appreciate the "Jack Margrave" call-back.

Shogun, s1e4. Tempers and romance coming to a boil. Canons! I'm into it!

2024, Week 11

2024-03-17T23:35:43.000Z

Last weekend, I felt a depressive tinge seeping into my days. Like a too-heavy vignette in a photograph, making the edges a little dimmer? It's not an unusual thing for me, this time of year. I recognize it. It often goes along with some itch in the springtime – promise in the air, but a resigned bittersweet something just sort of lingering and weighing things down. It could also be pollen.

It's also a time of year when I think about blowing everything up – maybe I should quit that job, cut all ties, walk across Mongolia? – but again, not new, and in a way I'm glad I've got some reps under my belt. I'm happy about the transition I've made to be able to manage through it without getting thrown off course too much. It's not a tidal wave that flattens me. I can recognize it – "Oh, this again? Fine, whatever." – and have some capacity to try to go about my days like I usually do, stubbornly refuse to be blown off course.

Books
Rooftoppers. This was a delightful change of pace. Writer Katherine Rundell first came on my radar through her book on John Donne and then her brilliant, lively Conversation with Tyler Cowen, which made me go looking for more of her work. This story – about an orphan in search of her mother – has so many lovely turns of phrase…

"When the music went right, it drained all the itch and fret from the world and left it glowing."
"Books crowbar the world open for you."
"You have been the great green adventure of my life. Without you my days would be unlit."
"Muscles, she thought, are a thing worth having. They make the world easier to reach."
"She felt as confident as a crow. Say what you will against crows, Sophie thought, they do look like they know what they’re doing."
"Perhaps, she thought, that’s what love does. It’s not there to make you feel special. It’s to make you brave."

Based on the evidence here, I should read more of her children's books, or at least read her book about why I should!

Running
I had the most delightful long run on Saturday morning, from my place in Brooklyn up into Queens, taking me over the Kosciuszko Bridge for the first time. Crossed over for incredible skyline views…

…and then dumped out into desolate warehouse-industrial district, so fun its own way. Like peeking behind the scenes – for example, I passed by a FedEx distribution center, which explains so many shipping notifications show my packages arriving in Maspeth before reaching my door – making the everyday miracles more tangible.

School
My first term ends in a couple weeks. Pending approval, just a couple softball classes to wrap up before starting the second one. Over 3/4 done with my degree at this point, and reality will come crashing down soon after. 🥳

Music
Big week for Ariana Grande! I really enjoy her new album, eternal sunshine. For me, maybe best since Dangerous Woman? The 90-second intro perfectly sets the scene and leaves you hungry for the rest. The short decelerando at ~2:20 of “the boy is mine” is so satisfying (and bit surprising that more songs don't play with tempo?). I also love “yes, and?”, a solid house dance club banger, and the disco shuffle in “bye”. And: thirty-five minutes long!

Kevin Ayers' 1972 album Whatevershebringswesing is really playful, carefree, exploratory rock. I dig the 2-channel stereo effects in "Song From the Bottom of a Well". And the instrusive interruption in “Champagne Cowboy Blues” at ~2:45, like a marching band passing by, or driving by a live band on a patio? What's going on there? I feel like I recognize the “Lullaby” melody from somewhere, but might be hallucinating that.

Kali Malone has excellent glacial-pace organ pieces on All Life Long.

Listened to more Suzanne Ciani, continuing from my first listens in 2024 week 8 and week 9). I think I'll put Dream Suite up there with Velocity of Love. I was delighted when “Adagio”, at ~2:13, quoted melody from “When I am laid in earth…”. (Previously talked about that opera in 2024 week 4.) “Sogno Agitato” sounds like something you’d hear on a movie soundtrack. Maybe something where a stressed-out person, well-heeled, is walking hurriedly, maybe down a European cobblestone streets, possibly pursued, or perhaps it’s for the spy who’s tailing them. Plottings are falling into place, there’s no going back.

The TENET soundtrack rips. Most especially at the half-way point of POSTERITY, the ominous buzzing and drumline-style battery transitioning into strings and that shuffling sound, then heartbeats and electro-wobbling. So good. I don't remember the scene in the movie it goes with, but I remember the feeling I had when I first heard it. (I'm in a funny place with this movie – it felt a little bit tedious to watch, and same on my re-watch, but I think I want another dose! If only it were shorter…)

After seeing Donald Glover dressed like one of The Whispers, I decided to go back and listen to a few albums. I love the soft, diffuse sound of the snare on “Keep Your Love Around", and a great chorus. "You Are The One" is a solid ballad with surprisingly punchy bass. Hearing their original "Rock Steady" reminded me of Freddie Gibbs' sampling it for "Slangin' Rocks" – a 2010 song with a fun throwback 1980-something delivery when he arrives 2 minutes in. Silly and hard at the same time.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Talked about John Tesh a little bit on twitter, and learned his dad wanted his son to follow him into the underwear business. And that when he had the inspiration for “Roundball Rock”, he called his answering machine to leave himeself a voicemail with the melody.

The Atlanta metro is now bigger than DC and Philadelphia, moves to #6. 😤 And even if there had been no international immigration, “Only five of the largest fifteen metros had population gains that didn’t depend on immigration, all in the Sunbelt: Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Riverside CA.“

The renderings for The Torch skyscraper in NYC look so rad.

"Lockdown gave parents a front-row seat to our virtual classes and made it easy for them to monitor their kids. Even though we’ve been back in person for several years, they haven’t left." Good read on helicopter parents now piloting their helicopters into the schools and stirring up dust. (Thanks, Jara!)

You can now search for flights that don’t use Boeing. (via Matt Thomas)

We're a lot better at forecasting weather than we used to be.

Are Dune and Dune 2 camping movies? (Hollis Robbins is a great follow – elliptical, considered, allusive commentary.)

Montaigne had blogger energy.

Movies
Ferrari. At its best in the racing scenes, as you would hope. The car wrecks are wild, as is the depiction of people just standing behind simple hay bales for protection? (Or not!). The race toward the end is exhilarating, enjoyed the tease/decoy with the "children and stray dogs" foreshadowing unfulfilled. Penelope Cruz is tremendous. She had a couple brief close-up scenes that had me frozen in place. The opera scene is compact, vivid storytelling, and I love how it's told from multiple points of view. It perfectly brings to life the way your mind can drift when you're listening to music.

TV
X-Files, s2e2, "The Host". I remembered this one, mostly from being scarred and scared after the shower scene. I remember after seeing this as a kid, I spent a few weeks after taking special care to check the drains.

Batman: The Animated Series, s1e10, "Nothing to Fear". I love the title cards in this show.

Jack Reacher, s2e3. This season hasn't been as fun as the first, but feels like the ensemble is coming to life a bit.

Shogun, s1e2-3. The conversation is the plot! Love that. Also appreciate Blackthorne's moment on the ship – "No yesterday, no tomorrow, just today." – obviously made me think of Tokyo Drift. ("No past and no future. No problems. Just the moment.")

Words of Wisdom
Never stop following your dreams.

2024, Week 10

2024-03-10T21:50:32.000Z

I arrived at today's blank page (minus the first music bit below), just not feeling it, with a sense of "ehh… can't I just do this tomorrow?" The answer is yes, but as with so many things: push on a bit, try to enjoy the ride, see what happens.

Art
Went to a gallery opening on Friday. Susan Chen’s paintings have some really lovely chunky globs, building up texture and detail the closer you look.

Books
Finished…
The Heart Goes Last. (DNF) The characters have a sort of manic interiority, and much of the book moves forward through their neurotic daydreams, fears, speculations. It’s light and funny (Saunders-y?), but too much of it for me right now.

Cheerfulness: A Literary and Cultural History. Some of the later close-reading of Austen and Dickens wasn't as fun for me – in contrast with the parts I read last week – since I didn't know all the stories. And on the final segments, on e.g. Boy Scouts, the self-help industry, and marketing, maybe we just don't yet have enough perspective. It's not the future yet. Cool to trace an idea in this way across such a long timespan, in a very tangible form. I'd read more like this!

In progress…
Babel-17. There's a really fascinating premise in here, where our protagonist understands words, speech, communication, body language so well it's effectively telepathy. And she's recruited by the military, who are facing a novel language used as a weapon. I feel a DNF coming on, though. We'll see.

Music
Kacey Musgraves, "Deeper Well". First heard this right when I was publishing last week’s post, played it 4-5 times, and it was the first thing I put into this draft.

Listened to a lot of John Tesh this week, and if there’s one thing going for it, it’s heavy use of major-key optimism. If you listen to live version of "A Thousand Summers", and just earnestly let it soak in, you may not feel like you can take on the world, but it won’t feel unreasonable.

ScHoolboy Q’s Blue Lips. Love the variety in the production. Just throwing everything out there. The orchestra on "Blueslides" is the winner for me.

When I saw Ramanan’s post about a recent Feist show I realized I hadn’t heard any of her albums since Reminder back in 2008. Spent some time catching up on everything since then. I like "In Lightning" on her latest, but it’s not really in keeping with the rest. The collab work on "Hiding Out in the Open" is nice – singing in harmony is one of those simple pleasures we don’t get enough in modern pop.

Kamasi Washington’s latest single, Prologue, has me intrigued for the bigger release in May.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
The 2024 Vulture Stunt Awards celebrates the best movie stunts in a variety of forms – fights, cars, guns, goofs. Includes lots of clips, fun to relive those.

NYT film critic Alissa Wilkinson hosted an AMA.

I knew I wasn't crazy!: Jalapeños aren't as hot as they used to be.

Anil Dash shared an important PSA on making better documents. "You almost never want to be building dramatic tension in a professional context"

Dwarkesh Patel interviews Patrick Collison. “Maybe one version of what people in their twenties should do is get some ideas to domains you're interested in or care about, but then figure out: where can you learn the highest standards? Where are the highest standards embodied and where can you go and experience that firsthand?”

Reading about the history of public transit in Atlanta always makes me ache for (a better version of) the old streetcar system.

These 3D diagrams of NYC subway stations are so… validating? My experience walking through these clicked into place when I saw these! There are so many angles and inclines and turns that I can sense but never could have described accurately, much less illustrate.

"Running has never lied to me."

The power of television: "HBCU enrollment increased 26% between 1976 and 1994, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But the agency noted, 'virtually all of the increase occurred between 1986 and 1994.' “A Different World” aired from 1987 until 1993."

Movies
Drylongso. A young art student, uncomfortably caught between neglect at home, a demanding night job, and precarious safety in the community, works on a photography project to document Black men in her neighborhood. Lovely local characters, down-to-earth telling, and fun genre detours.

1976 / Chile '76. This was a fun watch, will probably get mention in my annual favorites. A comfortably retired woman, casually busy redesigning the family beach home, is drawn into political intrigue during the reign of dictator Pinochet. Really great score, colors, style, paranoia.

Michael Clayton. Still love it. Fourth time I’ve seen it, at least, and just now caught the horse on the hill in his son’s book!

TV
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, s1e10, "Cinderella". It's fun to see the dazzling two-hour spectacles of modern animation, but nice to be reminded how little you need beyond a good story.

X-Files, s2e1 "Little Green Men”. We’re already at the point where my memory of the show is fading out. Really dark opener! Everyone is sad and scarred from the ending of the first season. :( Hoping we see more of Director Skinner. He's a compelling, enigmatic presence.

2024, Week 9

2024-03-03T22:54:15.000Z

I started off the week on a high note, with a walk-and-talk phone call with my friend James. I walked to a local park and wandered around, doodling aimless loops around the paths while we chatted. Got some pastries from the coffee shop on the way back home. 😎 A+ Monday morning, 10/10 experience, highly recommended.

I bookended the week on a similar high note, in the same park, talking about wedding plans. A+ Sunday morning, 10/10 experience, highly recommended.

Also popped into a couple community gardens and saw some chickens.

Public Service Announcement
THE SOLAR ECLIPSE IS JUST A MONTH AWAY. Be sure to stock up on eclipse glasses, available in a convenient 5000-pack.

Art
The @high.school.high account on Instagram collects vintage high school yearbooks, and there's a lot of cool work there. Veronica Kraus (@vrklempt) had a cool interview about her project, which nicely summarized the appeal: "What makes these yearbooks stand out from, say, a trade paperback or album cover from the same time period is the youthful, DIY sensibility embedded in its pages. Look closely and you’ll notice hand-drawn letterforms with off-kilter proportions; layout page designs with inconsistent and/or awkward spacing; a mish-mash of graphic styles; and a general disregard for 'design rules' in favor of unbridled and exuberant play."

School
Finished a project, focused on application front-end work. And then started another, more focused on back-end. So just two Java-focused classes to wrap up. I’m eager to move to other topoics, but really happy with the leveling up in these last two. Feel much more comfortable building from zero, and generally picking my way through the brambles of icky legacy code.

Running
I decided to listen to my nagging aches and pains, and dial back the mileage. This week I only ran 12 miles, compared the usual 25-30ish I’ve been doing this year. Noticeable improvement. Funny to feel in worse shape aerobically but better mechanically. Also funny to notice this feeling of having "energy with no place to go". In place of the usual runs, returned to the weight training I should never have let fall off, along with sweet, sweet rest.

On my run yesterday, there was an old lady sweeping the stoop and sidewalk as I passed. I startled her a moment, but after shared apologies, she bade farewell with “God bless” as I continued on my way. ♥️

Books
Finished…
Things Become Other Things. Craig Mod stuck the landing on this one. I read it as a tale of infrastructure (familial, societal), how far you're allowed to fall, what follows when opportunities are washed away.

In progress…
The Heart Goes Last. Margaret Atwood's post-collapse tale is turning the pages on its own.

Cheerfulness: A Literary and Cultural History. Timothy Hampton as written a sort of biography of the idea and word itself, its shifting meaning, purpose, connotations. So far we've explored cheerfulness through the writings of St. Paul, Chaucer, Augustine, Erasmus, Calvin, Rabelais, Montaigne, Shakespeare. An academic flavor, but not the stuffy kind. Good stuff.

Music
Prince Fatty & The Aggrovators, Prince Fatty Meets the Gorgon in Dub. (Funny to see this album after reading some of the Medusa-focused Stone Cold last week). Favorite of the bunch is “No Love in Their Heart”.

Glasser’s Crux – as in “Vine”, for example – brings back memories of Björk’s Homogenic. Swooping, swooning electronic waves with eccentric vocals and pulsating backbeats.

My tour through Suzanne Cain’s electronic work continues with her gentle 36-minute Velocity of Love from 1986. Really growing to love her work. Imagine a Tangerine Dream/Vangelis soundtrack, but focused on the most romantic, sensual, dreamy parts. Cf. the title track and "Lay Down Beside Me".

Cleo Sol’s "23" was on constant repeat back in 2021? 2022? when I first heard it. I liked her latest, Gold, with more throwback R&B, though I don't think it reaches the same heights. “In Your Own Home” gets close.

Mariam Gebrou’s Souvenirs is a pleasant little keepsake.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Large parts of Spain are ~as population-sparse as Iceland, Scotland, deep Scandinavia. Plenty of room inland as people gather in the major cities and coast. Makes complete sense, but I had no idea!

The minor league Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp baseball team will soon hold a public-domained theme night, with King Kong and Steamboat Willie jerseys, etc..

“I can’t be destroyed through a computer I’m too outside”

"The problem is, the new Disney princess is neither subversive nor revelatory; if anything, she offers a decidedly one-dimensional vision of what a strong female character (and, by extension, women in general) can aspire to."

Atlanta’s Black History, in photos. Gotta bring back those Hawks unis.

New York City’s trash removal challenges are… complicated.

The City mapped all their NYC stories to see what neighborhoods are getting the most attention. Appreciate this self-scrutiny. I'd be really interested to see this for other metros/papers I know well – ATL (AJC) and LA (LA Times).

Movies
Dune (2021). A rewatch. It succeeds at being BIG. But there’s not much emotional weight to it for me. Lots of “telling” dialogue, and gadget-splaining, but I’m not sure how you much you can avoid that. Favorite part was seeing moody teenage Paul Atreides, on the brink of leaving his homewarld, wearing a long dark coat, sulking on the cliffs with ominous drums & riffs swelling in the score. The movie is at its best when he's less confident.

TV
X-Files, s1e23 "Roland". Another dead revenge plot! As with a lot of older shows, entered with some discomfort with the '90s representation of mentally disabled.

s1e24 "Erlenmeyer Flask”. Closed out the first season with a couple of the most important phrases on television – “Trust no one.” and “The truth is out there.” Excited to keep this going.

Shōgun, s1e1. Good enough to sample the second one. So fascinating to see religious rivalries on screen. Not sure I've seen that anywhere else.

Words of Wisdom
"A task done with cheerfulness is doubly gracious, since whatever is done appears to come both from within and from outside you."

2024, Week 8

2024-02-25T23:17:49.000Z

This week I got a call from a family member who wanted to talk about our shared medical history. Specifically, three men in our family affected by prostate cancer – all detected early and defeated. He didn’t want me to ruin the winning streak, so I got a “yo, get this taken care of” call. Such a great feeling to have fellow men looking out for me. I hope to carry on the tradition – minus the disease part. I got my eyes checked – no change! – and enjoyed how peacefully, pleasantly boring these spaces are. Another highlight of the week was date night – walked the High Line at dusk, ate at a diner, and enjoyed an evening of string quartet performances. Historically, string quartets haven't done much for me. But I feel like the door opened a little bit. More for the never-ending to-listen list. Art There are fire bowls, and then there are fire bowls. Check out the Brazier with Design of Willow, Cherry, and Bridge. (via) This online International Collection of Child Art – found this after Austin Kleon’s 2/23 newsletter sent me down a wormhole – is filled with delights...

Books I blocked out 4 hours today just for reading, and it was such a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

The Sleepless. Finished, and enjoyed it. Appreciate the core conceit – people stop sleeping, first due to epidemic, and later when opting in. What would you do if sleep wasn't required?
Cyclettes. Biking-adjacent memories and snapshots. Easy breezy, makes me want to ride. Mission accomplished.
Stone Blind. DNF, not the right time!
Things Become Other Things. Purchased at the very first minute it was available, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. Halfway through, great stuff as expected.

TBOT was delayed in large part because I've become such a Kindle convert, despite all its drawbacks. These days I do most of my reading in late evening or just before falling asleep. And Kindle is just about the best way to read in the dark! Coupled with their own catalog, my local library via Libby, and various public domain resources... instant access makes a big difference. Running Felt fast and fresh last Monday. So fun. I was reaping the benefit of lots of little maintenance work – squats while I'm making coffee, leg extensions while the microwave is running, touch the ceiling while I'm watching TV. But still, I've ramped up a lot lately, and I've noticed my body breaking down a little bit. More creaky and squeaky than I want to be. Dialed it back on Saturday's long run, a bit shorter distance, but still checked out a weird little pocket park behind an IKEA. Looking forward to an easier week with lower mileage and a bit more variety – neglected my weightlifting! Music My favorite track of the week: “Dormi, o fulmine di guerra”. This aria from Alessandro Scarlatti's oratorio La Guiditta is so peaceful – a military general is seduced into a drunken sleep, unaware that he's soon to be betrayed! Suzanne Ciani's Golden Apples of the Sun was a primary work soundtrack this week. And a work soundtrack revisited: Chilly Gonzales' Solo Piano. When "Gogol" shuffled on, I remembered keeping this album on repeat a few years back. I love the way this is recorded, the way you can hear the physical action of the piano – wooden levers shoving felted hammers into wires. Hatis Noit, Aura. Compelling, wobbly, visceral vocal work. Made me think of eastern European folk song. I like the seagulls on “Inori”. Lil Jon’s Total Meditation does what it says on the tin. The opening monologue of "Boost Focus" brought a smile: "Before I do a DJ set for thousands of people, I know I must bring my A-game. If I make one mistake, I could jeopardize the flow of an entire event. I could throw the vibe just completely off..." (Cf. "If you're careless, and you make a mistake... Everyone, you're gonna bring down everyone.") Articles & Episodes & Twoots We can get good stuff with much less work than we used to. Not to mention non-physical goods – medical diagnoses, business advice, book recommendations... Craig Mod reviewed year 5 of his Special Projects membership program. This stuck with me: “I’ve historically operated from a place of great scarcity. That is, underestimating my own resources / capabilities. Sometimes we choose a gear when we are eight, or twelve, or fifteen, or twenty-five — based on our resources and situation at that time — and then stay in that gear indefinitely. Time passes and the ground truth no longer aligns with that past choice. Meaning: It’s good to revisit and recalibrate your own self-imposed limitations every now and then.” I loved the Odd Lots episode on the U.S. battery industry, really appreciate how in-depth they're willing to go on any and every business, industry, niche. RIP Flaco. Juvenile reminds us that we're old now. Solange got into glassblowing. "And I didn’t take much from the program, but I found a glassblowing studio there. The lessons I learned with this material – it’s constantly evolving. The moment you become still, it’s over. You have to surrender yourself to the song and dance of this material. So much of my life has been about control and needing to control my own story. Through glassblowing, I had to surrender to this other material’s story." “You are the most qualified person to create environments and experiences that you will personally enjoy, and in doing so you will attract people who like things that you also like.” “Regardless of the conditions, the run called for 14 miles with an aerobic progression from steady state down to race pace. The progression, by the way, wasn't the goal. The goal was not making excuses.” Movies Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. This was fun! One delight here is seeing a team that just loves each others' company. I listened to the soundtrack a few months back, and it's a key part of the momentum. TV Reacher, s1e5-8. Halfway through, I was on the verge of quitting, but episodes 5 and 6 pulled me back in. And the last two episodes helped put some humanity back into our rough-edges protagonist. Closed out the first season this weekend. I'll be back for another. X-Files, s1e22, "Born Again". Creepy kid being creepy. Third episode this season, I think, where the deceased take over the living to enact their revenge or otherwise put a bow on things.

2024, Week 7

2024-02-18T23:24:46.000Z

We renewed our lease this week, so we’ve got at least another 15 months in Brooklyn. Let's hope year number three is the best one yet.

I also went to a house party for the first time in ages. It felt so normal and pleasant, just good ol'-fashioned low-stakes positive community. What a nice boost to launch into a new week.

Running
I also got a nice boost from my weekend long run. The Brooklyn Public Library system has a new Browse the Branches program. At every branch, you can collect a unique sticker and put it in a little booklet, like the National Parks. I plotted out a 15-mile loop to 11 branches in my area, and ran to collect them in 4 inches of snow and slush. Perfect Saturday morning action, followed by a perfect equal and opposite reaction: the Saturday afternoon nap.

School
Learning the Java Spring Boot framework and it’s been a pleasant surprise! I had one of those moments of looking back and seeing step-change progress. I didn’t clearly notice it while it was happening, but I have been learning a good bit, and looking back, I can see a clear growth in knowledge from then to now. No substitute for hands-on.

Books
The Sleepless – Enjoying it, but lately I’ve been too sleepy to make much progress at bedtime. Will definitely keep chipping away.

Music
The recent snowfall led me to Ferron’s "Snowin’ in Brooklyn", which led me to "As Soon As I Find My Shoes I’m Gone", which led me to the rest of the album. I dig it!

Beyoncé has a couple new country songs. I love "TEXAS HOLD’EM" – but that 2010s-indie-folk whistling in the chorus had me doing a double-take. I like the backing sounds in "16 CARRIAGES", with a whip cracking, clop-clop horsetread sound at the close, etc.. The density of musical ideas in her recent work is so incredible. You hear similar in "MY HOUSE" recently, another multi-mode single that shifts form two minutes in. I need to take another tour through her discography.

Inspired by that Grammy duet with Tracy Chapman, I took some time to listen to Luke Combs. I have pretty adventurous musical taste, I think. Some genres I don’t prefer, but I’m willing to sample anything. So I was fascinated by the feeling of comfort I had when listening to, say, "One Number Away". It made me remember back to elementary/middle-school age. My school bus driver had wired up 3-4 speakers from the radio through the length of the bus. So country music was my soundtrack, morning and afternoon, every day from 1st through 8th grade. I wonder how to weight the music (it’s a good song!) vs. my upbringing, but there’s probably something deeply embedded in my psyche that responds to country, even though I rarely listen to it. (Another thing that jumps out is how easy it is to understand the lyrics! I barely pay attention, anyway.)

After hearing of his death, I also listened to a lot of Toby Keith and… well, it’s not for me. "Ain’t It Just Like You" is pretty good, though (despite a relatively weak chorus).

As I mentioned last week, I listened to a lot more of Alice Coltrane. Definitely prefer the later era. Lukewarm overall? Realized I’d listened to Eternity a few times before – "Om Supreme" is still great. The spiritual flavor of her work as heard on Radha-Krsna Nama Sankirtana is an interesting turn. I like the dreaminess of "Ganesha", and the intimate devotional of "Prema Muditha" makes me feel like I'm intruding somehow.

EARTH, "Your Song". I love hearing the familiar – 2000's pop/R&B – in languages I don't understand at all.

Yusef Lateef's Eastern Sounds is perfect soundtrack when it's the end of the workday and I'm sort of winding down, BUT I'm also sort of still in the groove. You can just glide forever on this.

Articles & Episodes & Twoots
Jerusalem Demsas has a substack, which is an easy subscribe.

Speaking of expertise on housing, I don’t often think about accounting and tax policy, but there’s a good argument that depreciation policy holds back housing construction, and it would be “easy” (relatively speaking) to make it much better.

This episode of Plain English on anxiety got me thinking. One nice bit: the very important distinction between therapy and "therapy content".

10x - Funding Ideas for Better Public Service. I had no idea a program like this even existed. It is welcome and reassuring to see the government with experimental, improvement-focused programs.

"Most podcasts are boring because the interviewer is asking questions they already know the answer to, faking the role of an ignorant audience member. They're much better off asking questions they don't know the answer to, but genuinely want to know the answers to."

On casual programming: "At a high level, there’s one thing that sticks out to me: there’s little computation involved in most of these. They’re mainly about data wrangling and automating tedious manual tasks."

Words of Wisdom
"You can do two things: you can pout, or you can go out there and respond."

Movies
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Loved it. You see that Margaret is different – or at least that this won't (only) be a typical coming-of-age/tween romance story – early on when we first see her bedroom. We see maps and star charts, and in her voiceover prayers, a search for place and meaning.

TV
A Real Bug's Life, s1e2. Pleasantly upbeat and funny. I'm not the target audience, so I left feeling a little short on detail. For example, it just tossed out a quick aside on how bees can detect polarization of light (wild!) – and then moved on to the main plot. (But maybe enticing interest is the whole game?) Also: we can get the most insane footage these days. Leaps and bounds beyond what we used to have.

Jack Reacher, s1e2-4. Reacher is in pain and it's hard to watch. :( A soft moment arrives and you see the walls go up. His knee-jerk smart-ass approach to life can be a little grating, but there's a tender heart in there.

The X-Files, s1e20, "Darkness Falls". Most exciting thing here is seeing a Titus Welliver guest spot, and a glimpse of the everyday lawlessness that still exists in the wilder corners of the States. And s1e21, "Tooms" was better than I feared! I appreciate the scene near the end, Mulder crawling through the tunnel like Bishop.

Batman: The Animated Series, "Feat of Clay" parts I and II – "Listen up, scum wad!" LOL. Such a treat to dip into this show again.

2024, Week 6

2024-02-12T02:44:33.000Z

More reminder than revelation: weekend naps are worth it, in moderation. Art I like this gingerbread house I stumbled on during my run yesterday, artist unknown: Blue Lagoon, is one of many cool quilts by Michael C Thorpe. (via) I went to the Brooklyn Museum this weekend for Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. Favorite piece there, by a wide margin, was Derrick Adams' Floater 74. His recent work is super cool. Running Through most of the winter, my running has followed a casual “today’s mood” sort of program. Two weeks ago I started a new formal running plan, in prep for an upcoming race. So far, so good. One thing I've noticed is how adding 1-2 miles to a typical ~6-mile weekday run can feel like such a big adjustment. The extra exertion isn’t a big deal. But the ripple effects on diet, recovery, sleep, social time, etc. are very real. No such thing as a free run. Books A Crown of Swords. I finished the previous in the series with so much energy, but had a really hard time getting back into the groove. Moved on to others, for now. How to Say Goodbye. It's barely a book. Short read, loving/haunting illustrations. The Sleepless. Noir-ish novel set in a near-future where we no longer need to sleep. Some people opt in, others do not. I'm enjoying the pace. Music A great week for listening! Tracy Chapman’s Grammy appearance got me curious. “Fast Car” came out when I was a kid, and I remember it being low-key omnipresent on the radio up through high school. I never listened to her self-titled back then, but it’s good! I especially like "If Not Now...". The piano and conga work reminds me of something from the Carly Simon “Anticipation” / Carole King “Tapestry” era. I spent a lot of time with a couple playlists of opera duets, trios, quartets, etc.. A couple I really liked: * "Dôme épais le jasmin à la rose s'assemble" from Delibes’ Lakmé has been on a bunch of soundtracks (about a minute in). It’s gorgeous, and you can’t unhear it. * The oboes and basset-horn in "Mi lagnerò tacendo, notturno" stuck with me. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Blackbraid II is heavy and screamy. Really like the riffs in the second half of the album, as in "Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood". I love the horns and general '80s pop richness of Yukihiro Takahashi's "My Bright Tomorrow" and "KILL THAT THERMOSTAT", and the stereo bounciness of "OH LES BEAUX JAPANAIS!". I just love disco. If you give me a jangly rhythm guitar, a roving bass, four on the floor... I, too, will be ready for Murder on the Dancefloor. Les Arts Florissants recorded a 3-volume/6-disc collection of madrigals from Carlo Gesualdo. The choral packaging is familiar, but the harmonies are so far ahead of their time. So many moments you feel a little unexpected ~twist~ in your brain. Also fits in that special category of “music that can function as wallpaper but also reward close listening”. Hard to recommend one, but worth a sample. The adagio from Bohuslav Martinů's harpsichord concerto is excellent. I love the soft droning organ and synthesizer tones in Alice Coltrane’s Kirtan: Turiya Sings, how it fills up the ears. The album was "initially released in 1982 on privately-pressed cassette for her Vedantic Center's students”. See "Rama Katha". I’ll be spending more time with her work! Articles & Episodes & Twoots The Vesuvius Challenge was successful. Incredibly cool that we can read text from charcoal. I’m trying to imagine the feeling of scholars who have been toiling within the field for decades, suddenly getting a rush of attention, abilities, technology that unlocks decades of progress... that they may never see. "One of my New Year's resolutions is to not try to be modest unless I really mean it." Thinking on this, and I think I like it! “I think people confuse the feeling of nostalgia for the past with the feeling of being alive in that moment. They think they are remembering a feeling that they are in fact only having now, as they remember.” Service journalism meeting the people where they are: "We used 311 call data to find the New York zip codes with the most heat-related complaints per person. Then, we sent the guide to getting your heat fixed to nearly 1,400 addresses via postcards." IRS is taking a huge, much-needed step forward: the Direct File pilot is alive! Limited scope and availability, but hope this keeps moving forward. Movies The Place Beyond the Pines. My fourth viewing. My notes on the first, second, and third viewing show a growing appreciation – five will not be enough! I really felt for Eva Mendes’ character on this watch. Dealt a bad hand several times over, just moving forward as best as possible. Emory Cohen is perfect as the very, very wounded teen putting on his best cool, unaffected front. And what's with that smile at the end? What lessons has he learned? I appreciated more parallels and echoes on this watch. Characters wearing t-shirts with lightning bolts on them. Gosling appearing with an t-shirt inside-out (like his life) after a major revelation. Dane DeHaan scooting around with his backpack and bike. Gosling barging upstairs to build a crib, dirty cops barging in to rob it. Bradley Cooper with his own two momentous walks up the stairs, and two trips into the woods. So neatly done. That soundtrack, too! Fallen Leaves. Took a while to get used to the dry humor and deadpan delivery. Appreciated a setting I've not seen much of, working class Finland. Two star-crossed will-they-won't-they lovers scratching out a bit of hope in a comically hostile world – turn on the radio and its either war updates or love songs. TV X-Files, s1e18, "Miracle Man". One unexpected part of this rewatch is the emphasis on Mulder’s sister as a driving force. I didn’t remember her coming up so much. I love how direct Scully is when they’re interrogating people. She just says blunt things in the most calm, polite, “here’s your chance to convince me otherwise” tone. She’s got no time for your BS. And s1e19, "Shapes". Felt very anxious about the Native American depictions going in. Could have been worse! Most of all in this episode, I really appreciated how much this show travels around, all across the US, urban, rural, and everywhere in between. Jack Reacher, s1e1. This was fun! I'm into it. I like Tom Cruise's sarcasm and confidence in the movies – hard to match that – but this better fits the brutish charmer I remember from the books. Miami Vice, s1e10, "Give a Little, Take a Little". Parallels between life undercover and life as an informant. Interesting to see so many freeze frame moments. Fun guest stars: Burt Young, Terry O'Quinn, Michael Madsen.

2024, Week 5

2024-02-04T22:50:17.000Z

For several years, I used the Day One app for daily journaling. It’s how I got the habit to stick. After a few years, habit established, I moved to paper journals instead. (It's much more fun to see them stack up over time!) I exported all of those old entries to some .txt and .json files before I deleted the app. A few days ago, I got the idea to upload those old journals to ChatGPT. And then I asked it to work up a psychological profile and tell me about the writer. Some qualities it highlighted: - Socially Active but Sometimes Withdrawn - Reflective and Thoughtful - Adventurous and Curious - Analytical and Introspective - Humorous and Witty Some areas of struggle/challenge/growth: - Consistent Communication - Balancing Social and Personal Time - Tendency Towards Self-Criticism - Overthinking Social Interactions - High Expectations and Perfectionism - Occasional Negative Self-Perception We went further in-depth, poking and prodding. All pretty spot-on, seems like an accurate read with good grasp of nuances, not too much hallucination. I’m curious what it would be like to digitize and upload all those bound journals I’ve written in the 6-7 years since, and ask the bots to compare/contrast the two writers… Art "Chandelier of Lost Earrings" by Lauren Sagar and Sharon Campbell. (via @womensart1) I love the @StampsBot account, where I get small little injections of art in my day, like this flower on a Rwandan stamp or this goofy Japanese bird or this Tajikistani ruby ore. Makes me think of sculptures you see in a public park. It's not often moved me or stirred my soul, but I like the little touch of delight – "that's nice". More nice things. Running I felt like I’d gotten into a rut lately, with many runs happening at the ~same speed. Cranked it up for a couple miles on Tuesday, a literal change of pace, felt great. Not registered yet, but I'm eyeing 20-mile trail race the next month or so. I haven’t done that distance since… maybe a few years ago when I was living out west and running around the Santa Monica Mountains NRA. After a move back east and slow build-up after injury, it feels so, so good to be back where that distance seems pretty reasonable and attainable. I feel like I have so many ideas for routes and challenges and can't wait to take them on. School I got a Linux certification, and now I’m in the depths of Java. I still find the syntax a bit tedious, but I think I’ve turned a bit of a corner. It doesn’t matter that much! Music I saw André 3000 at the Crown Hill Theater last Monday. Felt great to support another ATLien far from home. Not the most incredible concert experience I've ever had, but very glad I went. Yancey Strickler’s write-up of the concert captures it well. "The Long Day Closes" perf. The Sixteen, by Chorley & Sullivan, was a stand-out this week. Books Lord of Chaos: finally finished. Turned a corner in this book about 2/3 in, after nine thousand pages of table-setting, the pace picked up. And a narrative change where more was hinted and hidden, motives clear but intentions ambiguous. It got fun again! On to A Crown of Swords as of last night. It'll be nice to move on to somewhat shorter books. The last three were ~20% longer than series average, and a nice tidy 800 sounds great right about now. Eight more books to go. Honestly couldn't tell you what compelled me to do this re-read, or to continue with it, but it's been fun. Articles & Episodes & Twoots David Cain on The Two Ways of Doing is my favorite thing I read all week.

Embracing the reward while resenting the price just isn’t a viable way to go about something for long. You’re always in inner conflict. You’re driving with the brakes on.

An illuminating history of standard Western music notation, and why alternatives haven’t taken off. ASCII Theater lets you stream free text-based movies in your terminal app. Captions, too! (via) "To use AI at work requires you to think about what your work means to others, and what it means to you. " Gothamist on the NYC wildlife beat: Photos of Flaco, free for a year. And we've got coyotes in the city, too! Beware fairy tale brain. “Something I don't like about Letterboxd is how the social aspect encourages users to have "clever" responses to a movie, when sometimes the only appropriate reaction is leaving the theater and silently reading the Wikipedia entry in the bathroom line.” And in that spirit, here are my minimally clever thoughts... Movies Fast X. I've only seen some of #8, and totally missed #9. I'm kinda tapped out on this franchise in its current era. This is easily the worst scripted and worst acted of all the ones I've seen. But! Silliness has its merits, and Momoa is the argument in favor. I liked his a kooky Bane-meets-Joker angel of vengeance. Statham is a breath of fresh air, too. Feels like the franchise is choking on its nostalgia. The body count/collateral damage is piling up and it's making me sad. TV True Detective, s3e3. Interesting to see the wartime-veteran angle picking up. The X-Files, s1e17 "E.B.E.". Glad we returned to mainline UFO stuff after a few episodes away. I love when people think their place is bugged and they tear it apart!

2024, Week 4

2024-01-28T22:12:30.000Z

My fiancée was out of town all week, so in her absence, I went into full goblin mode for a few days. 😈 By the time we got to Wednesday morning, the thrill was gone! Art This MoMA overview of Henri Matisse’s cut-outs is really cool. I learned his transition into "drawing with scissors" was partially a desire for speed: easier to edit a painting, or just cover a larger space, by slapping some paper on the wall. Running On Tuesday night I did Bakline’s open-course race from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Short and sweet, good times. (Dave Hashim took some great photos.) Funny to realize I’ve been in NYC for two years, but only just now ran in Manhattan at night. Nighttime running was my default in Atlanta and LA, but somehow fell out of it. I need to get back! Nice long run out to Sunset Park on the weekend. I love the Brooklyn Tower looming in the skyline like the Eye of Sauron (on the right). Squeezed in some trailrunning, too – also need more of that. Articles & Episodes & Twoots Nobutaka Aozaki made a large map of Manhattan, assembled from on-scrap directions from strangers. (via) Wikiflix is a nice UI for movies that have ascended into the public domain. Amazing what a smidge of design polish can do to sell the product. "OLLOS is an experiment that organizes everything in my personal computing environment on one unified timeline." I really like this experiment, one big river of items to flow through. "Montaigne turns your Apple Notes into a website." Like the above, I like this personalization of computing. It's going to be so cool to see how this trend develops, as the bots make it easier to PM something useful for yourself. There is a downside to the "TGIF" mindset – be careful about wishing your life away! "'There’s no sound I don’t like,' Aissam said, with the help of interpreters during an interview last week. 'They’re all good.'" We can heal forms of deafness with gene therapy. The next decade of medicine is going to be incredible. But on the other hand... "I worry that one of America’s superpowers is to spin up yarns to reduce the urgency for action." A story of a hate crime in a local park caught my eye this morning. I had a similar experience when I was out for a run at some point last year. (I got some homophobic slurs / violent threats when I dared to run with... running shorts?). No identity harm for me, and didn't really feel physically at risk. But nonetheless I was really shaken/sad/angry/baffled by the malice. Mercifully, I've had a briefer experience than the victim in the story, and one with none of the fallout that family has had. But I can relate to the jumbled feelings in the wake. Can't imagine what it's like when that's a normal risk in your daily experience. Music Dido & Aeneas is one of my favorite operas. The songs that close Act III – "When I am laid in earth…" / "With drooping wings…" – are rightfully celebrated. Beautiful stuff. But on this recording from Nuova Musica, the dance / "Often she visits…" section really caught my ear. I love the period instruments, and the recording is so spacious. Learned about Jah Division from a running buddy – Joy Division covered in reggae/dub form. "Fu Manchu Dub" is a good one. I've gone through the same pattern with just about every album in the Radiohead family tree: 1. Okay... 2. Hmmm I dunno... 3. Hold on a minute...! 4. Okay I love it. :) From The Smile’s latest album, the early fave is "Teleharmonic". We'll see how things change on replay after replay. I’m going to see André 3000 & flute-friends in concert soon. 😎 Movies Due to the aforementioned goblin mode, took in quite a few this week. Kimi is a perfectly solid 90-minute thriller. What jumped out on rewatch is the perfection of the corporate exec role – sympathetic and instantly suspicious. The Creator has very cool sets and setting, and I'm always open to more philosophical scifi. "Everything In Its Right Place" is a sick needle drop, the way it fills the ears. I remain frustrated that John David Washington has such a compelling presence and charisma, but scene to scene, in every movie, my trust in the acting waxes and wanes. :/ Scream 3. It’s total nonsense, in a good way. Like a soap opera, maybe. Hone in on a few elements, dial them up. Appreciate that all of these movies explore trauma exhaustion, the film industry, the press, bloodthirsty audiences, toxic fandom, etc.. Barbie. Wonderfully inventive and vivid... and repeatedly stalls out for talking points. And a little too much Ken, for my taste? Found it dazzling and frustrating, and I wonder what a shorter, zippier cut would feel like. Cast was great, and I really, really hope we see more movies with stylized sets and practical effects like this. The artifice can be so invigorating. Loved the the staginess and visible seams in Anderson's Asteroid City and Roald Dahl adaptations, for example, and the spare spaces in Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth. The Kid (1921). My first Charlie Chaplin. A clean 54 minutes. Sentimental, filmed with a doting smile on the lens. Fun to see signs in Spanish in old Los Angeles. But wild to see a major city in shambles, all those dirt roads, and even the average/nicer areas looking shabby. People who long for the days of yesteryear should spend more time looking at old film and photos. The past sucked! Flashdance. I remain fascinated with Pittsburgh, where this movie takes place. Probably the never-visited US city I'm most curious about. Anyway, this is perfectly overstuffed plucky-striver fun. The musical x gritty Midwestern industrial crossover here makes me itchy for a Streets of Fire rewatch. "This is one of those movies that goes for a slice of life and ends up with three pies." – Ebert says it like it's a bad thing! Phoenix (2014). Somehow Saturday afternoons have become my time for quiet European drama. Here we have a Holocaust survivor, the only surviving of her family, recovering from a major reconstructive surgery, and reluctant to leave the country to start over in Jewish sanctuary cities. She remains in Berlin in hope of finding her husband, who had likely turned her over to the Nazis. They meet and we see their relationship transform. It’s really good. This is the middle of a thematic trilogy from Christian Petzold – Barbara and Transit are also excellent. I’ll be watching more from him. TV Miami Vice, s1e9, "Glades". Don’t know where to begin here, it’s so strange, with our heroes doing guerrilla warfare in the swamp. But it had me thinking about the value of TV built for commercials: you get a break!

2024, Week 3

2024-01-21T22:46:22.000Z

If it snows, I'm making a snow angel. Such a great gift to give yourself. 10/10, strongly recommended. Other highlights and happenings from the previous week... Art I love these weavings from Elsa Pärs-Berglund. Tremendous work. I also love these woodcuts by Gorden Mortensen. The crisp lines and gentle saturation remind me of the work I often see in the Masterpieces of Japan feed. Running Had my first 25º run of the year last week. So fun! So cold! New fleecy running tights make a big difference. Some dicy, icy weather killed my usual routine, but bright side: hesitantly embraced the treadmill and... it wasn't so bad! Worse in memory than reality. This week I'll be doing a cool Bakline race starting in my neighborhood and finishing in Manhattan. What makes it extra-cool is that you can enter in a "prediction" group, and the winner is the person with the most accurate estimate of their finish time. No pace gadgets allowed! Should be a blast. Articles & Episodes & Twoots Convention and disagreement in how maps are shaded. (thanks, James) Hakeem was so so good.

Hakeem Olajuwon is the NBA’s all-time leader in 5x5 games with six Hakeem is also the all-time leader in: - 5x4 games (24) (D. Robinson 13) - 5x3 games (94) (Robinson 73) - 5x2 games (327) (Robinson 224) - 5x1 games (787) (K. Garnett 723)

Music Lou Reed's Hudson River Wind Meditations was re-issued, and Move Your Heart is a great place to start listening. The album made me think of a couple from the 1970s – Catherine Christer Hennix's 1976 Electric Harpsichord, and the 1972 The Wind Harp – Song from the Hill. "Soave sia il vento" from Mozart's "Così fan tutte" was a revelation. My soul has been renewed. And building on that, I had a blast listening to this on repeat and making ChatGPT tell me about it.

M: So that opera "Cosi fan tutte", what's that song "Soave sia il vento" about? CGPT: "Soave sia il vento" is a renowned trio from Mozart's opera "Così fan tutte". This beautiful piece is often praised for its melodic and harmonic beauty. In the context of the opera, it occurs relatively early in Act I. The song is a moment of serene and tender beauty. The characters Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, and Dorabella are at the shore, bidding farewell to Ferrando and Guglielmo, who are pretending to leave for war (as part of Don Alfonso's scheme to test the sisters' fidelity). The lyrics express a wish for the winds to be gentle and the waves to be kind during their journey. The words translate to something like: "May the wind be gentle, may the waves be calm, and may every element respond benignly to our desire." The trio is a sublime example of Mozart's ability to convey deep emotion and a sense of peace through music. The harmonious blending of the three voices, along with the orchestral accompaniment, creates a soothing and contemplative atmosphere. This piece reflects the themes of love, loyalty, and the bittersweet farewells that are central to the opera's narrative.

...and on from there digging into music theory, operatic conventions, similar works in music history. Opera tutor on demand, very cool. Otherwise, I loaded up on Gramophone’s best of 2023 list, and have been gorging on old stuff recorded anew. Books Lord of Chaos, continued. Almost 2/3 done, chipping away before bed. School Finished my project for Data Structures & Algorithms II. Exhausting and satisfying. Now transitioning into Linux en route to an LPI certification. TV X-Files, s1e13, "Beyond the Sea", s1e14 "Gender Bender", and s1e15 "Lazarus". This has been a really tough few episodes for Scully! Manipulated by a death row psychic, hypnotized and assaulted by a religious zealot, ex-boyfriend's dead body possessed with a killer's soul. Phew! Fargo, s1e1. Felt too similar to the film, but just colder, darker, nastier. Couldn't find the levity or warmth I appreciated in the original. I hear the full run is great, but I just couldn't continue with it. True Detective, s3e1-2. Off to a good start, I'd say. Movies Rewatched Love & Friendship, an understated chamber comedy with Kate Beckinsale starring as a selfish, plotting antiheroine. Incredible costumes and a lovely soundtrack. (Previously). Pulse is turn-of-the-century internet horror. Love this kind of horror where things are just... off. In one scene a person walks too slowly. In another, someone stands up in a way you know is wrong. Visceral, but rather than grisly. Admirable work on a lower budget, with horrible things revealed just with change of lighting or perspective, but in the frame the whole time. And I those beautiful beige-box computers did make me the slightest bit nostalgic.

2024, Week 2

2024-01-15T00:31:22.000Z

January is passing with blazing speed Art I love old Japanese panel art on huge panels and it would be cool to own some one day. I also love a lot of Byzantine art, and saw a the cool Africa & Byzantium at the The Met recently. Related to those, I've been thinking about the slow-burn interests you develop over a lifetime. Lots of stuff 10- and 20-yo Mark cared about are still in effect – running, hiking, orchestral music, sculpture, etc.. Some others, never would have seen coming: Byzantine art, Native American history, tapestries and textiles. What a gift, to keep stumbling on new stuff. School I finished a project, and now feel 20x more competent with Python. Next adventure is all Linux, which is one of those areas where, all due respect to the super-fans, I've never bothered to look at for more than a second. Curious what's in store. Running In the last week, I ran the fastest 10k I've done in a couple years... which was so so much slower than what I did when I was younger. Funny to know, objectively, I'm not as fast today, but still feel so happy with it. It's been a great year of running. I've been a part of a local running club for most of my time in Brooklyn. I dabbled a bit in Atlanta, didn't have one at all in Los Angeles, and now have a hard time imagining not having one again. Again, something I never would have guessed in my '20s, a pretty dedicated solo (or duo) runner. Books Lord of Chaos, continued. Finally getting some bubbles in this pot. Blogs & Pods & Twoots Natural Fibers in Outdoor Performance Apparel. I've been a member of Backpacking Light for a couple decades now (!), and an episode like this is a perfect example why. Deep science nerdery into hows and whys of fibers, weaves, knits, fabrics, and how they differ in effectively keeping you cool/warm/comfortable/safe. Nicholas Cage has respect for the dollar. (Cf. "No amount of money, neither large nor small, ever should be taken for granted because somewhere along the way someone earned it".) Derek Thompson, in conversation with Oliver Burkeman: "Everything we radically oppose in life, we ironically revere. We give power to the things that we set up our life in opposition to." Burkeman is an excellent guest, here and elsewhere. Huge ancient lost city found in the Amazon. "Prof Rostain says he was warned against this research at the start of his career because scientists believed no ancient groups had lived in the Amazon. 'But I'm very stubborn, so I did it anyway.'" LIDAR is so cool. Feels like there are still so many old cities we haven’t found yet. We underestimate how much history the past had! Music

Old-school-flavored soul/R&B from Jalen Ngonda
Betty Benedeadly, "Mojave Mystic" – some kinship with Hermanos Gutiérrez in this one.
This playlist of X-Files soundtracks has been on repeat during working hours.
Brandee Younger's cover of "If It's Magic"

Movies Twister. The '90s were a great era for movies. It could be simply a formative-age thing, but they just... look right! Wear & tear, sweat, grain, a little softness in the image. This is standard adventure-romance fare, but you've got some terrific non-star star power here: Hunt, Paxton, Hoffman, Gertz, Ruck, Davies. What's not to like? Leave the World Behind. Very nicely introduces the tension and looming sense of... something... not quite right, but never ratchets up very much. TV X-Files, s1e12, "Fire" was a bit of a miss for me. Evil guy being evil. Three Pines, s1e4-8. I am bummed that this show didn't get another season. There are moments of rough dialogue, some characters sketched a little too sparsely, some dialogue that really insists you get the message, and yet... so much else working in its favor. Honorable heroes, and I can't think of any crime show that cares so much about its victims and makes time for grieving families. Here's hoping we'll get more someday. (Small consolation, there is a movie, and I'm curious how it interprets the characters in this world.)

2024, Week 1

2024-01-08T00:05:02.000Z

At the start of this week, I spent some time talking through 2024 goals. I'm excited for what's to come. One over-arching desire is to build more intention and reflection. A weekly review may become part of that. It's a beginning. See where it goes? School Last October I went back to school, scratching an itch, giving myself a chance to explore and learn where I hadn't given myself the chance in the past. This week's focus is a project around the traveling salesman problem, working in Python. It's felt great to see my progress, and see the project transition from googling every step, to more and more code coming from my fingers. Plenty of googling in the future, but that transition from "how to build from zero" to "how to fix what I just broke" is very satisfying. One of the biggest improvements is just making myself form very precise, discrete to-do lists, and knocking them out one at a time. Running Fully transitioned to winter-running mode over the last few weeks. Runs in the 30-40ºF range are the new norm for the foreseeable future. Every season, every temperature drop comes with some new anxiety. I never quite remember what I wore last time it was XX temperature. There's always that little bit of paranoia when setting out, a hard time trusting the wardrobe as I walk out the door – even when I've looked up previous runs and used the same setup. But everything settles in within a few minutes. There's a lesson here. (This is also inspiration for a coding project.) Pushed myself a smidge on a long run this weekend, just to check in on my fitness... and in the middle of that run I did the fastest 10k I've recorded in several years? Felt like I had plenty left in the tank. Really curious to see how much I can improve over these next few months. Books Lord of Chaos. In progress. I started a re-read of the The Wheel of Time series roughly a year ago? First read during high school/college. Book six now, and thousands of pages to go. It's a perfect bedtime read when school and life has me too fried for more. Blogs & Pods "One of the most interesting things you can do as a reader is to sit down and think about why you abandon a book." Music The start of the year is always so good for me. https://twitter.com/mlarson/status/1743674368046084176 This year I stole the idea of so many, to create an ongoing playlist of stand-out tracks as I go through the year. Sampling from a couple great albums so far: Nation of Language, "Sole Obsession" Portico Quartet, "On the Light" Bulgarian State Television Female Choir, "Polegnala e Todora (Love Song)" I also have a new running playlist. Most often I'd create them for an immediate need, and delete later on. For the current on, I've just kept adding more. I keep it playing from newest-to-oldest, so that the freshest stuff is always near the top as I sprint around town. Recent additions: Mýa, "Free" Ghost, "Spillways" Movies Bad Boys (1995) Will Smith before he was charismatic? It's very much the Martin Lawrence show. I was surprised to see Smith so muted. You have to be wary with comedies of a certain period. Plenty of juvenile crudeness, innuendo, prejudice lurking, and... I'm over it! I'll still watch the sequel – I hear it's got more Michael Bay-ness going on. R.M.N. Villagers in a small town in Romania grapple with accepting outsiders (room for improvement...) and with their own economic need to leave home to thrive (and how they are received in turn). Empathy as a function of location. A major scene takes place at the most toxic community meeting you've ever seen (and it's sad that you probably know exactly what that's like!). Influenced by true events, and clear Biblical-refugee echoes here, with its Christmastime setting. TV The X-Files I haven't watched much since the '90s. Late last year, decided to revisit. I'd forgotten how much wisecracking Mulder does. This week featured "Fallen Angel" and "Eve". Strong entries, but "Ghost in the Machine" and "Ice" still have my top spots for the first season. Three Pines Another rewatch in progress. I really like my first go-round with this unfortunately one-season show. Mystery series in rural Canada with a bit of coziness, oddball characters, and a season-spanning arc with an indigenous community. It's nice to watch a crime show where, like Columbo, you sense the lead detective is fundamentally good and decent. Dark heroes are a bit overrated. Life On Our Planet Seven episodes in, the mammals are taking over! LFG!

Art Trains

2023-01-19T01:06:14.000Z

This weekend I took the train from New York City to Washington, DC. An experiment: 3hrs down, 8 hours on the ground, 3hrs back home. A rousing success. I was blown away how much nicer the train trip was. Took a subway to the train station, grabbed a coffee and snack, and then pretty much walked directly to my car and seat. My big fat cushiony seat with plenty of legroom, next to the big window. No security hoops to jump through, no rules for seatbelts and tray tables. What a dream. Definitely want to do more trips like this. The specific reason for the trip was that the Rubell Museum DC just opened late last year. I can't think of any other time in my life I was around "at the beginning" for a new institution like that. What a cool opportunity! The featured exhibition was What's Going On? – a nod to Marvin Gaye, who went to junior high in the building that now houses the museum. Really liked the Kehinde Wiley in the main hall – Sleep (2008):

(Seeing Wiley's work in person for the first time was one of my favorite art moments.) Also enjoyed a bedazzled and dazzling work from Mickalene Thomas, whose collaged paintings just burst out of the frame. After the Rubell, the next stop was the National Gallery of Art, East Building. Man, I love quilts. I loved this one, "Columns of Blocks" (2003) from Gee's Bend quilter Sue Willie Seltzer, "evoking ripples and reflections on the wide, wandering Alabama River", as the placard has it.

Perfect. And I'll close with Max Ernst's "A Moment of Calm" (1939). Love its dense details, making harsh, spiky angles somehow lush and warm. And those big birds are just silly.

In summary: 10/10, will train for art again.

Favorite Movies Watched in 2022

2023-01-05T01:03:03.000Z

I watched 166 movies this year. I'm proud of that, sort of? Appreciate that I put the time into something I love. But also... probably a good idea to cut back a bit. Or a lot. Stil, I don't quite regret it, not with some of the high peaks in this year's viewing. I tweeted some of the favorites I watched for the first time, and thought I'd expand on the stand-outs here. School Daze Really enjoyed catching up on a few Spike Lee films this year. His Pass Over made my second tier, and Malcolm X just missed the cut. The energy in School Daze is off-the-charts. I love Lee's willingness to blend genres, do whatever will drive the story in an entertaining way. It may not be a dedicated musical, but if we need to have a dance-off in a salon or enjoy a joyous, raucous step show, we are GOING THERE. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives Completely mesmerized me. The languid forest conversations, visits from the dead, blurring boundaries between this life and the next. This was only movie last year that I re-watched right away, the following day. Clouds of Sils Maria I like the everyday-ness of this, a view into a rarified world – being a celebrity seems pretty boring a lot of times! And the meta-commentary on its themes – losing your youth and your place in the world. It just glides along. Whale Rider This movie got me more emotional than just about anything else I watched. I love that our heroine is so direct, undisguised in what she wants. We get a glimpse into a community, and see the young teach the old. Ebert sums it up nicely: "There is a vast difference between movies for 12-year-old girls, and movies about 12-year-old girls, and "Whale Rider" proves it." The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) Just a slick propulsive action movie. They don't make'em like this anymore. Kimi An agoraphobe is forced outdoors. Love the blend of modern concerns – pandemic, surveillance, corporate malfeasance, cover-ups – and Soderbergh's usual zesty presentation. This would make a fun pairing with The Outside Story. Vesper I watched this one on 12/31 – a perfect example of why I don't finish my list until the new year starts. Vesper is a biotech scifi fairy tale in the sodden forests of the north. This is sort of perfect species of science fiction for me: give me a few characters to care about. And sketch their life with such precise details that you understand their broader world without being lectured about its rules. Haunting, hopeful. Very grateful to have seen these. Thinking about movies in 2023, I need more constraints. Too often, I skipped over things I wanted to see in favor of the zeitgeist, or feeling a need to "catch up". And too often, I chose movies as the lazy way out, something only to pass the time. Not inherently a problem, but the blend is off. I'd like this year's movies tilted more toward the ones I'm especially intrigued by, watched when I can bring them the energy they deserve.

On Running Away

2022-12-20T01:27:34.000Z

I tossed off a tweet when I was making breakfast the other day:

Advice on leaving (your place of birth, social media platforms, etc.): Make sure you're running toward something, and not just away from something! ✨

What prompted it was I was cooking breakfast, and reflecting on my move from Atlanta to Los Angeles a few years ago, and then from Los Angeles to New York City. When I told my family about the first move, my dad was curious why, and shared something along those lines. He was nudging for details and trying to understand my mindset – was I hurting? Worn down? Desperate? Or alive, seeking, hopeful? It stuck with me. And luckily the second move was much higher on the "running toward" than the "running away" side of things. I was also thinking of a certain website that's been in the news lately for leaning into some of its worst qualities. I'm one of the lucky people with a small, friendly following that generally has a great experience. I see many people who seem increasingly frazzled and broken by theirs, though. I don't feel it directly, but I can understand it. It's valid, as all emotions are. I think the part of the advice above that I love the most is the attitude it implies – positive, constructive, optimistic. Reminds me in a slant way of the current tag line for Alan Jacobs' blog:

More lighting of candles, less cursing the darkness

I'd always want to leave with a promise of something better, not a curse on the past. I'm open to the idea that Mastodon or Post or Hive or whatever is a better Twitter than Twitter. And I hope if (when?) I leave I've got a good vision of what "better" looks like. Eventually every escape will come to rest, and when you look around, it helps to have some standards to measure by. Similar to Amy Poehler's perspective I shared a few years ago:

I see life as like being attacked by a bear. You can run, you can pretend to be dead, or you can make yourself bigger.

I don't want to wear out my shoes fooling myself. What will make me bigger? It may not be another app. I've got time to think it over. I hope you do, too.

December 15, 2022

2022-12-15T03:08:07.000Z

Romantic comedy is the only genre committed to letting relatively ordinary people — no capes, no spaceships, no infinite sequels — figure out how to deal meaningfully with another human being. These are the lowest-stakes movies we have that are also about our highest standards for ourselves, movies predicated on the improvement of communication, the deciphering of strangers and the performance of more degrees of honesty than I ever knew existed — gentle, cruel, blunt, clarifying, T.M.I., strategic, tardy, medical, sexual, sartorial. They take our primal hunger to connect with one another and give it a story. And at their best, they do much more: They make you believe in the power of communion.

Rom-Coms Were Corny and Retrograde. Why Do I Miss Them so Much?

Collage, #1

2022-12-14T00:16:41.000Z

Move the little bits around and glue it to other stuff. Does wonders for your brain.

Is this thing on?

2022-12-13T01:27:43.000Z

I think I miss blogging? I feel annoyed when I look back at the date of the last post here, and know all the interesting stuff that happened since. I moved across the country, for example. Twice. And there was a wee pandemic. But outside of my journal (kept daily, religiously), no record of my thinking, my influences. I also miss the attentiveness it cultivated in me, when that flow was at its best. I gave a little extra consideration to what I was taking in. The intake hasn't really slowed. But the processing and reflection, that background hum ("hmmm I might share this") tapered off. I miss it. So... yeah, I'm thinkin' I'm back. We'll see how it goes.

Indulgence

2019-06-05T02:01:53.000Z

Most indulgences are pleasures borrowed from your health or sanity — mindless entertainment, processed food, booze or needless shopping. But not in this case. You’re making your pleasure from the cleanest ingredients: leaves, water, and time.

How to sit in a chair and drink tea.

Don’t Breathe

2019-06-01T02:30:15.000Z

Don't Breathe. A good gimmick stretched too far. Much preferred the basic home invasion plot before the homeowner got... complicated.

Atlanta Urban Walking Trilogy

2019-05-30T04:21:04.000Z

On Memorial Day weekend I finished an urban walking trilogy. One morning in 2017 I set out to walk 19 miles from the heart of downtown out east to the top of Stone Mountain. I had toyed with the idea for a while, and figured one morning, what the heck. Why not? As soon as I finished, I thought about where else I might go. In 2018, it was 23 miles out northwest to Kennesaw Mountain's summit. This year, I did a little morning 13-miler down to the airport. Most of the time on these walks, it's not really enjoyable. The streets and highways aren't friendly for pedestrians. The sun bears down on you. Hard sidewalks (when they exist) make my feet hurt. I walk past industrial parks, encampments for those with no other place to sleep, empty lots, next to 4-lane highways, underneath interstate overpasses, past strip malls, past front porches. I feel kinda scummy and outcast, especially when just starting out. But eventually there's a sense of place I develop, connecting the pieces, filling in the gaps, that I don't get in other ways. And there's a satisfaction of looking back to where I came from, and knowing what's in between. Like most dumb Type 2 fun I do, I'm... not exactly sure... why? But when I get ideas, and wonder what-ifs, and they don't go away, it's usually best to try to give them life.

Paddington

2019-05-28T03:00:56.000Z

Paddington. Oh man I was obsessed within minutes. So much heart, moral grounding. And the visual comedy! The dopey slapstick! Gotta chase down the sequel soon.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

2019-05-28T02:15:06.000Z

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. It was good. I consider myself a big enough fan of the franchise that I know I'm probably grading on a curve, but I think "good" is accurate. I feel like the world is getting a little too big. Too many characters. This world of assassins used to feel more sneaky and underground, now it feels ubiquitous. There were too many coins being slipped across tables followed by meaningful eye contact. Halle Berry had a nice turn. Laurence Fishburne continues to be simply the best at... speaking... words. Love the final pitched battle gimmick: dudes with so much body armor they keep reviving like zombies. If you can't send infinite waves of infantry, make them recyclable. John Wick riding horseback through the city at night is very much my shit.

Hiking Kungsleden

2019-05-28T00:02:57.000Z

Back in July 2017, I spent a couple weeks hiking Kungsleden, a 270-mile trail in northern Sweden. I started at Hemavan and walked ~215ish miles north up to Saltoluokta, with time constraints keeping me away from the last chunk. Researching the trail was a bit challenging. While there was a lot of content on general trekking approaches, I didn't find a lot oriented toward the more ultralight/lightweight approach I prefer. There wasn't a ton of information in English, either. And because I do almost all of my hiking in the southern U.S., it was a little difficult to translate my own experience into what I would need to have a good time in a far different environment. So here I'll jot down the gear and resources I used, in hopes it will help the next person along. (I meant to write this sooner, but... 🤷‍♂️).

Timing and Conditions

I hiked from July 3 to 17. It was a higher snow year (I am told), and my start date was a few weeks earlier than peak season begins. When I began there was still snow lingering on many portions of the trail. Snow crossings happened on most days, but none of it was particularly difficult. It was rare to see patches longer than 100 meters or so, none of it was very steeply sloped, and I had only a bit of post-holing here and there. There was quite a lot of water on the trail – creek crossings, snowmelt, boggy sections, etc., so keeping feet dry was just about impossible. Temperatures ranged from high 30s on the coldest mornings, in the 40s and 50s on most days, with sunnier ones briefly in the upper 70s or low 80s. I was lucky to only have heavy rain on a couple of days. Those were pretty miserable, and just about perfect for hypothermia. Just about every day had some strong winds at some point. Walking from the south to the north kept the prevailing winds at my back, and I'd highly recommend a northbound hike for just that reason. The hut system is very nice, and I took advantage of it here and there.. Most have bunks, gas stoves, etc.. The best part is many have little shops with enough food to buy for the next few days. There isn't a ton of variety, but if you're hiking at a fair pace, you don't really need to carry more than 2-3 days of food and a few bites to fill in the cracks. On to the gear.

Kungsleden Gear List

Clothing

Item	Rationale	Retrospective
Goodhew merino-alpaca quarter crew socks	Durable, warm	As expected, lots of miles left on these. Seemed to hold on to mud more than other merino socks I've used – side effect of long-hair alpaca, perhaps? I only used one pair for hiking, the other reserved for nighttime toastiness.
Adidas Traxion trailrunners	Light, flexible; Deep cleats for mud and gravel; mesh for easy drainage	Great choice. Feet wet every single day but shoes never waterlogged too long.
Swrve slim pants	Cut for city cycling = deep pockets; no extra fabric to flap in wind, puddle at ankles, soak up water; don't like zipoffs or cargo pockets; polyester more stretchy and comfy in rain and in bed	Perfect choice, very happy
Lightweight merino long-sleeve shirt	Comfy when damp; thinner for quicker drying; no stink	Rarely to worn alone; usually needed additional layers for bugs, cold
Prana polyester long-sleeve quarter-zip hoody	Easy temp adjustment; love the thumb loops	Worn daily over the merino, usually all day. Hood very useful for light bug pressure when headnet too hot/fussy. (Interested to try a midweight merino with synthetic button-up?)
Under Armor spandex boxer-briefs	No stretching, bunching, chafing, smell	Perfect choice
Patagonia R1 hoody	Warmth when active; deep venting; thumb loops!	Hood is still a little tight and short for my long neck :(
Polyester balaclava	Adjustable warmth when not wearing R1	Kept my cap from blowing off across the moors; lifesaver for nose/mouth when cold, dry air started to affect my lungs
Topo Designs camp hat	Woven better than mesh for wet/wind; broad, flat brim helps when wearing glasses in rain	Perfect choice
Casio digital watch	Slim, inexpensive, water resistant; tells time	Never took it off
Generic fleece gloves	Warmish	Perfect for small temperature adjustments. Worn daily. Not great in rain, but jacket sleeves helped. These things are... 15 years old?
Rab Kinetic rain jacket	Light; long sleeves cover hands; great hood	It worked great, but maybe a liiiiiiittle too light. A few more days with heavier rain would change my calculus here.
Sierra Designs rain pants	Inexpensive, durable	Light enough, sufficiently windproof; not going to spend much on something with limited performance requirements that gets heavy wear
Marmot Ion windshirt	Helps with insects + cold, wind when active	Absolutely perfect... for only one single day (cold, windy, alternating snowfall and sun). Otherwise, easily replaced by rain jacket.
Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic insulated jacket	Nuclear option, just in case	Mostly used as pillow. Could be replaced with 8-10oz vest, perhaps.
New Balance running tights	Night-time layer if everything is drenched	Never needed
ULA Circuit backpack	More durable as luggage than my lighter packs	Worked perfectly; love the hip pockets
Tarptent Moment tent	Not bringing trekking poles; sets up easily	Loved all the mesh for views and bugs; managed well in heavy winds
Western Mountaineering Ultralite 20º sleeping bag	Only other option was summerweight bag	A little bit overkill, but no complaints
Supercat alcohol stove	Inexpensive, fuel everywhere, easier to fly with	Would bring again
Evernew .9L Ti pot	Trusty ol' standby
20oz bike water bottle	Water everywhere, don't need a lot while moving	Also very useful for drink mixes and steeping lots of tea at end of day
Platypus 2L water bottle	Camp convenience
DEET	Mosquitos waking up...	Essential for middle stretch – boggier, lower-elevation campsites

(Not listed are the usual essentials and conveniences – sunglasses, first aid kit, chapstick, nail clippers, small light, journaling stuff, maps, etc.)

Helpful Links and Resources

I got a lot out of Danielle and Wayne Fenton's Kungsleden journal, and found their book quite useful as well. The photos were super helpful for understanding terrain and weather and such. Ditto for Distant North and Aaron Teoh's pages. (That said, there's a fine line where you can read and see too much ahead of time...). Over on BackpackingLight.com, the trip reports from Kristin Gates' and Jörgen Johansson's trips in Alaska were useful for rounding out Arctic travel knowledge, as were as various forum posts. The Swedish Mountain Maps app was really useful for daydreaming in advance, and the occasional peek at the terrain. The STF Kungsleden Facebook page is good for the on-the-ground trail conditions in the days leading up to the hike. The Calazo maps are really good, and I was glad I had them along. And there you have it. Enjoy your hike.

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts

2019-05-26T14:25:32.000Z

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts. The old lonesome house, and our weary protagonist, reminded me of Unforgiven. So much western goodness: Leone-esque desert wah wah guitar, church bells, lonesome trumpets; lone figures in a heat-rippled landscape; swords at the ready at the hip or hand like pistols, or resting across a saddle. Interesting gender themes: entitlement, absentee parents, naming children, pregnancy rumors and shaming. Birth scene seems an echo of early trauma. See also: Revenge, MFA, A Vigilante, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, etc..

Wonder Woman

2019-04-22T00:24:24.000Z

Wonder Woman. Watched on a flight, which is the perfect environment for quietly sobbing at moments of goodness. The origin story can be so tired, but I just loved the moral heart of this one. The No Man's Land scene is perfect (and well-named...). Dr. Poison is such a great villain. I loved the make-up and sly creepiness and the hoarse voice. Wish she had more to do. The line "It's not about deserve... It's about what you believe." – such a great scene – got me thinking about William Munny. "Deserve's got nothin' to do with it."

Crazy Rich Asians

2019-04-21T22:15:06.000Z

Crazy Rich Asians. Family drama! Family over mere passion mentioned several times. I like the loving attention to food, and flowers. Interesting that the soundtrack featured so many Asian-language covers of American songs, rather than local originals. I like the reclaiming of the Apocalypse Now helicopter/Wagner scene. Our hero Nick kinda drove me a little nuts with the constant smiling (reminded me of Jean Dujardin in The Artist). Gotta admit I love a good wardrobe change montage – they get me every time. I wonder if there's some meaning or symbolism that went over my head during mahjong game, specifically the bamboo 8 tile. At the least, an echo of the early poker scene ("playing not to lose").

Free Solo

2019-04-21T22:00:05.000Z

Free Solo. Super invigorating. Yeesh. I can't imagine. There are times I've gotten a little bit nervous about moves on a 15ft bouldering wall. I didn't realize he had a girlfriend at the time of filming. The feat itself was amazing, but what made the movie good was those peripheral relationships. How people around him were stressing out, trying to be supportive without pressuring and without losing their minds. Saw this one on a long flight. Other outdoorsy movies I've seen on flights: Wild, 127 Hours.

A Vigilante

2019-04-21T03:55:42.000Z

A Vigilante. Wilde is superb. The movie is not. Among recent woman-seeks-revenge movies, I looooooved Revenge. Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts was pretty good. MFA was alright.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

2019-04-13T02:51:26.000Z

Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Second viewing (the first). The opening bombing run is really good. I'd forgotten about it – holds up on rewatch. The casino interlude is so, so dumb. I appreciate the visual contrasts in the salt planet battle. Not just the colors, but the scale, like with Finn's tiny figure juxtaposed with the gigantic tanks in empty space. We need more like that. So many close-ups. Love the tortured silence of Kylo Ren. So depressed, a mindset to just let it all go, burn it all down. Broader theme here of how brash, seat-of-the-pants heroism is often foolish. The writing still strikes me as bad in many spots. I didn't notice the first time around how the kid Force-pulls himself a broom at the end.

Us

2019-04-01T00:40:53.000Z

Us. I didn't love it, but liked it a lot and it's grown on me since. There's so much to dissect and analyze, which is fun, but better to just stew in it and let it creep you out. Jordan Peele has such a vision. I hope he's making gobs of money and putting into new work. Get Out is also a treat.

Matilda

2019-03-25T00:18:23.000Z

Matilda. Starts with so much energy, but I couldn't sustain my enthusiasm the full runtime. It's fun, though.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

2019-03-18T02:11:26.000Z

Can You Ever Forgive Me?. Melissa McCarthy is so great. Love the portrayal of depression, loneliness, the walls and inability to connect, or only go so far before withdrawing. Nice touch with how the city sounds you hear in the apartment early on are echoed by/set up the sirens after the urgent voicemail!

Mandy

2019-03-18T00:00:36.000Z

Mandy. Psychedelic revenge horror. This was a little too drawn out for me. You're just immersed in suffering. But its mood and wholeness was great. The woozy rainbow colors and lens flare (like Annihilation), the washes of color. Excellent soundtrack – I've been using it for work music ever since.

Good Things in 2018

2019-03-17T16:13:15.000Z

It's never too late to reflect. I walked a lot. It's the best. One of my goals was to walk every street in downtown Atlanta. Done. I also walked from my place downtown out to the peak of Kennesaw Mountain. This was ~23 miles of mostly road walking that was mostly... pretty miserable. It's hard to feel like you're living your best life when you're walking a narrow strip of grass next to a 4-lane divided highway through light-industrial zoning. But you grow in some odd way. You feel a bit more sympathy for when you see someone doing it who maybe didn't have the same choice in the matter. Similar to my walk to Stone Mountain I featured in Good Things in 2017, "Really glad I did it, and I will never do it again." I also got some good walking when I made a summer visit to Glacier National Park with my dad and brother. We hadn't had a guys-only trip like that since... I couldn't tell you when. No place like it. Only downside was not being able to disappear into the wilderness immediately. Glacier was my second National Park of the year. Earlier in the spring I went on a volunteer trip to Saguaro National Park, working on a long-running project to remove invasive buffelgrass (which increases wildfire risk, among other issues). It was the most incredible experience. I've long loved the outdoors and hiking and such, but there was something about that trip where nature just really bowled me over. I was there after a dry winter (I am told), but rains had come through just before I arrived. Over the course of the trip, I got to see the desert wake up. Spring was beginning. So many crazy plants I'd never seen up close, or even heard of, were leafing out over the course of the week. To see the dry brown scrubby landscape come alive, and then return home to the lush damp south... I was absolutely drunk on nature. I went to my usual weekend stomping grouds, a favorite state park, and I was just in aww. "Look at these grasses! These leaves!" That new appreciation for nature ended up feeding into an amazing reading streak. I surfed one of those rare waves of books, hitting a stride where every book leads to the next and the next and the next. I think it really kicked off with McPhee's Encounters with the Archdruid, just before the Saguaro trip. I read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek and that led me to The Hidden Life of Trees and then I figured I'd give Desert Solitaire another shot, and loved it this time around. I read Goodbye to a River, where I got a feel for the frontier, and more curiosity about the history of the west and non-white experience of the environment. Empire of the Summer Moon was a nice complement. A Natural History of the Senses worked its way in, and Black Nature, and This Radical Land, too. (In the midst of this I took an excellent workation trip to Toronto, and saw Niagara Falls on one of those little boats, and had an out-of-body experience.) After adding Coming Into the Country and Rainy Lake House to the reading binge, I'd touched just about every region of the country. This all tied together and peaked with what I think was my favorite book of the year, Empires, Nations, & Families. Whew. What a ride. Outside of that, some other 2018 reads I enjoyed more than average, with especially goods ones asterisked:

La Place de la Concorde Suisse (McPhee!)
You & a Bike & a Road*
A Whole Life
In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing
Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries
The Three-Body Problem*
The Power
Hamlet* (Shakespeare: pretty good writer)
Basketball: A Love Story
How to Think Like an Anthropologist*

I watched some good stuff, too. Many of the stand-outs were smaller-scale movies. Favorites, among those new to me, mostly in reverse chronological order:

I built on my daily push-up and squat habits, slacked off on meditation, and got a lot better at flossing regularly. (Don't economize on floss. Buy the good stuff and use it liberally.) I started doing evening journal to match my morning one. I've really liked this addition. It's a good opportunity to scrub my brain clean before I sleep. Usually it's just bulletpoints of what happened during the day, and that's plenty. Good year, though it didn't always feel like it. 🤔

Eighth Grade

2019-03-17T15:24:46.000Z

Eighth Grade. I largely can't relate to this, because I think I was mostly too oblivious in middle school to feel terribly awkward or unfit. The movie is still great, though. Loved the use of the soundtrack, emphasizing the cuts and subjectivity. Great closing speech at the end. Not eloquent but heartfelt, which is maybe better.

A Simple Favor

2019-03-17T15:19:31.000Z

A Simple Favor. Pretty fun mix of thriller and comedy and keeps a light touch. Blake Lively has a great role. I dig it.

Memento

2019-03-17T15:12:01.000Z

Memento. Fourth viewing (previously). Joe Pantoliano is superb. Filed under: Christopher Nolan.

March 17, 2019

2019-03-17T15:07:23.000Z

Hip-hop artists are musicologists, and sampling is one way histories are folded into the present.

Missy Elliott’s “Supa Dupa Fly” Came from the Future.

Black Panther

2019-03-17T15:04:53.000Z

Black Panther. Solid entry. Great villain, but our hero is kinda bland. I'm not over the moon with it. Lots of humor falling flat. I selfishly liked seeing the High Museum as a featured setting. Seemed like there's some Star Wars influence here. Also, love to see MMA becoming a part of the action movie vocabulary. Not just punches and kicks, but the grappling, throws, chokes, holds, etc.. These people should be complete martial artists. The star of the soundtrack was the talking drums. 👌

Spider-Man 2

2019-03-17T14:57:27.000Z

Spider-Man 2. I took a break from superhero films for a while but couldn't have found a better way to return. I was just so impressed with this movie. Even more so because I never liked Spider-Man comics. The pace, the stakes, some great slapstick and sight gags. Just firing on all cylinders.

Angels Wear White

2019-03-17T14:51:28.000Z

嘉年华 (Angels Wear White). Good drama and melodrama. I like how they show the effects of crime here, spinning out effects in all directions, bringing out good and ill in those who weren't directly involved.

Avengers: Infinity War

2019-03-04T00:38:34.000Z

Avengers: Infinity War. It was mildly distracting to see the movie's first major battle taking place in my downtown Atlanta neighborhood, just blocks away. Is this how New Yorkers feel all the time? Thanos is a great villain. Maybe knowing they'd have him around later let them invest more and give him some motivation beyond destruction? I like the several scenes where loved ones are torn between hard choices – Vision and Scarlet Witch, Thanos and Gamorra, Starlord and Gamorra, etc.. My main frustration with the movie was the big Wakanda scenes. We are convinced this is the most technologically advanced civilization on the planet, and they are fighting a crucial battle... with infantry, hand-to-hand? It's a shame. They could have done something more interesting. The giant roto-tiller machines were cool, though.

Widows

2019-02-24T00:29:42.000Z

Widows. Balances a big set of characters without losing its pulse or momentum. I loooooooved the culminating heist. Filed under: Steve McQueen.

Searching

2019-02-22T00:25:46.000Z

Searching. This is a nice little manipulative thriller. Respect for how they experimented with form to give life to an otherwise straightforward tale. The opening montage killed me.

Lady and the Tramp

2019-02-16T01:12:33.000Z

Lady and the Tramp. I saw this a million times as a kid (my sister had the VHS). Saw it again on a whim when I was in Los Angeles. Fun screening with a theater fool of kids who were super into it. The stereotypes... don't age well. But the rest does. I'd forgotten about the music. Several good tunes in this one. I'd totally forgot about He's A Tramp (those back-up vocals!). Bella Notte is unforgettable. And La La Lu? Just perfect.

Leave No Trace

2019-02-11T02:09:52.000Z

Leave No Trace. Second viewing (the first). What is appropriate for an adult who can't make peace with the world isn't appropriate for a kid who's just becoming ready for it. Using "You Are My Sunshine" as the opening song... :'(. Noticed the color yellow appears a few times – her favorite color, the bees, the yellow blanket at the first house they settle in, the "Don't Tread On Me" flag when the bulldozers tear down the encampment, and when dad is brought back to the house, there's a yellow blanket or sweater where Tom puts her stuff. The list of "inspiration source materials" in the closing credits was a cool addition. And there's a fern at the very end of the credits – looks like a seahorse, doesn't it? I love this movie.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

2019-02-04T02:20:17.000Z

Mission: Impossible: Fallout. Such a reliable franchise! I like how this one raised the level of glamour, the cosmopolitan sheen. And I love how they handled the White Widow/Max connection.

Nocturnal Animals

2019-02-04T00:13:32.000Z

Nocturnal Animals. Stylish, moody, multi-layered, draws you in, but maybe too meticulous for its own good. I was left a little cold.

What Do We Mean When We Call Art ‘Necessary’?

2019-01-29T02:45:27.000Z

The effect is something like an absurd and endless syllabus, constantly updating to remind you of ways you might flunk as a moral being.

Glad to see someone writing about one of my least favorite descriptions for art.

This usage seems to gesture everywhere but at the art itself, both as an admonishment to the audience and an indictment of the world that has begotten the themes contained in the work being discussed.

On the Basis of Sex

2019-01-29T02:14:44.000Z

On the Basis of Sex. Paint-by-numbers biopic. RBG is pretty impressive and I'm glad I know more of her story now. Everyone does their part and we all leave inspired. It's fine!

万引き家族 (Shoplifters)

2019-01-29T02:10:25.000Z

Shoplifters. It's bittersweet and so, so good. I like this improvised family, formed by choice and by happenstance, lasting as long as convenience and commitment allow. But for how long? Lots of beautiful moments – out thieving, on the beach, enjoying a rainy afternoon. I like the "mother's" transformation over the course of the film. Interesting to see side of Japan I'm not used to – the poor, the neglected. I like this one more and more since the time I saw it.

January 23, 2019

2019-01-23T00:50:36.000Z

Asking yourself, “What am I doing when I like who I am?” seems to me to be a more direct way to figure out what you need more of (and what you need less of) in life, regardless of what you think you should need. Often, the healthy, fulfilling things we’ve drifted away from are things whose significance probably wouldn’t occur to us, until we start doing them again and see how much they contributed to our well-being.

Where Self-Esteem Comes From

January 21, 2019

2019-01-21T01:42:19.000Z

I’m not of the opinion that a film absolutely needs to have a clear moral framework to have worth, but I do believe that making a film is a moral act. Even if the filmmakers pose questions to which they give no answers, the formulation and presentation of the questions themselves are loaded with a moral reasoning.

On The Vexing Moral Murkiness of "Sicario".

The Big Sick

2019-01-21T01:40:37.000Z

The Big Sick. Funny, bittersweet rom-com. I should probably watch more comedy. Shout-out to Romano and Hunter. So great in their roles.

The Equalizer 2

2019-01-21T01:36:14.000Z

The Equalizer 2. I hope they just quietly let this franchise slip into obsolescence. Too much going on here plot-wise, and this edition of McCall seems to have a haranguing Cosby-esque vibe where the first one had more charm. I think the highlight for me was seeing Donald Cerrone's bit part.

First Reformed

2019-01-21T01:27:32.000Z

First Reformed. I dig it. Some great performances. I never knew what direction it was going to go.

Arbitrary Goals

2019-01-19T04:30:00.000Z

The “time” just provides a framework to allow you to get to a place where it’s going to be hard. If you just did it casually, it would be much more comfortable, and I don’t think it would be as transformative or profound, on a personal level. So, I use the “time” as a beacon, or a motivator—whatever you want to call it—not to break a record, but more like if you challenge this time, it’s going to get you to a place where it’s going to be uncomfortable and hard and … you’re going to learn something.

Really loved that bit of Joe Grant's Nolan's 14 interview. It captured one reason a lot of my hikes turn out the way they do. I like being outdoors and have a few regular haunts. But sometimes I can't talk myself into getting out until I have a "gimmick", I call it. Some silly goal. Can I do 40 miles in a day? What's it like to hike an all-nighter? Can I cover X distance in Y hours... with no running allowed? What if I hiked the same 3-mile loop until I lost my mind? So I put myself in these odd situations, and at times I've found myself 20 miles out from the trailhead, thinking, "Well, 20 miles to get back home. The only way home is to put the hours in... so might as well get on with it." I go through all these emotional roller coasters and eventually there's a certain peace that comes along, but only after I've really stretched.

Heat

2018-12-17T01:54:36.000Z

Heat. Up to 7 or 8 viewings now? (Filed under: Heat). Caught a few more "time" references this go-round. Hanna's wife offers him coffee before he heads out – can't, no time. The daughter's anxiety attack is about being late for her father. And of course the parting shot when Hanna meets with the snitch. One other minor thing: the Pietà statue at the hospital at the beginning of the movie is echoed by our protagonists at the end. I might have to call this my favorite movie.

Roma

2018-12-13T03:31:08.000Z

Roma. It is a seriously beautiful but I left frustrated. In several emotional, daunting, or stressful moments the camera drifts away from our protagonist to just sort of take in the scenery. In form, it seems like it... doesn't care? She's a bit of a cipher. Perhaps that's the point, and the broader time and place is what we're meant to understand. You can see the climax coming a mile away. I like the water imagery, but the astronauts even more.

Harry Potter Sorcerer’s Stone

2018-12-13T03:17:22.000Z

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. What a delight. These movies could have gone off the rails in a million different ways, but they really came through. Somehow I felt the ~magic~ in this one, like literal gasping. So fun. (Side note: this came out 17 years ago???????)

살인의 추억 (Memories of Murder)

2018-12-10T03:09:16.000Z

Memories of Murder. I give this a solid A-. Pretty mesmerizing, and pretty depressing. I loved the lush orchestral score. Some Chinatown vibes here and there.

Bonnie and Clyde

2018-12-09T03:01:54.000Z

Bonnie and Clyde. The criminal road trip movie is a tough one. I think I respect and appreciate this one more than I enjoy it. Those birds at the end, though. What a moment! I'll take Badlands over this one, given the choice.

The Game (1997)

2018-12-07T02:54:13.000Z

The Game. Good harmless fun. Slowly plugging the holes in my David Fincher knowledge. Current rankings:

Logan

2018-12-02T02:41:33.000Z

Logan. I had sworn off superhero films for a while, needed a break. This was a solid re-entry. And a relief to see a superhero film that's not a direct sequel, and also not an origin story. Hard to see a hero so thoroughly vulnerable. Really fun limo chase.

Network

2018-11-28T02:35:08.000Z

Network. Oof. Too real, these days. And pretty great. Recommended pairing: Nightcrawler.

Deliverance

2018-11-27T02:30:54.000Z

Deliverance. Pretty incredible movie. I like the sound work, the atmospherics. Young Jon Voight here reminds me of a young version of my dad (minus the rock climbing). Man vs. wild is just another name for man vs. man. 🤔

Willow Creek

2018-11-26T02:59:14.000Z

Willow Creek. This had some fun sound design. Super intense at the climax. Good chemistry from our lead pair, too. No masterpiece, but it takes the mold from The Blair Witch Project, trims some fat, and gives us what we want. Like in The Orphanage, I like the stress more than the scares.

Transsiberian

2018-11-26T02:52:21.000Z

Transsiberian. Man, Woody Harrelson is a treasure.

Testament

2018-11-25T02:43:47.000Z

Testament. Really good. I'd like to see more post-apocalyptic films like this. It's just people, a community, dealing with it and trying to support each other. How times change and how it changes them. Good slow burn.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

2018-11-25T02:41:19.000Z

Cave of Forgotten Dreams. Cool mostly for the fact that the cave exists, and that they got extended access to it. I saw some pictographs out in Utah a couple years ago, maybe a square meter or so's worth on a cliff wall, and still think of them with awe. Can't imagine what a whole cave-ful is like in person. Filed under: Werner Herzog.

Mr. Brooks

2018-11-24T02:31:43.000Z

Mr. Brooks. Two things I really like here: 1) villainous Kevin Costner (cf. A Perfect World) and 2) showing the subconscious/alter ego/devil on the shoulder in William Hurt. I think the plot might have a bit too much going on, but it's fun stuff.

The Uninvited (2009)

2018-11-22T02:28:14.000Z

The Uninvited (2009). A remake of a Korean film. Elizabeth Banks and David Strathairn are just about always worth a watch, but this one can be skipped. Less than 90 minutes though! Maybe I just prefer more loose ends?

Klute

2018-11-21T02:20:35.000Z

Klute. A young Jane Fonda and a young Donald Sutherland. I don't remember ever seeing them performing young. Didn't love the movie, but just to see and understand the early talent is cool. Good companion films: Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, All the President's Men, Night Moves.

Night Moves

2018-11-18T02:11:58.000Z

Night Moves. This was great. So much despair in sunny places. Gene Hackman has a crazy amount of charisma. (The more recent and unrelated movie called Night Moves is good, too.)

Psycho

2018-11-15T02:06:56.000Z

Psycho. Revival showing on a big screen. The movie has gotten better as a I age. Funny how that works. I appreciated it so much more this time around. Filed under: Hitchcock.

Mulholland Falls

2018-11-12T02:02:47.000Z

Mulholland Falls. If you must watch an early/mid-century L.A. crime tale, let it be Chinatown instead.

The Fly (1986)

2018-11-10T01:54:27.000Z

The Fly (1986). Excellent. I hadn't seen this in ages. I remember watching it as a kid and being kinda bored and impatient. Totally different experience as an adult. You kinda know what's coming and it's supported and pushed the whole way with the character development. Fun performance.

You Were Never Really Here

2018-11-06T01:46:03.000Z

You Were Never Really Here. I don't really... get it... but Phoenix is great. I'm glad he's finding himself some oddball roles to live in.

Trust

2018-11-05T01:19:15.000Z

Trust. Pretty good. And sad. But count me in for anything featuring Keener and Davis.

A Star Is Born (2018)

2018-11-02T00:24:09.000Z

A Star Is Born (2018). Didn't fall in love with it as it seems so many others did. Really loved the first hour or so. The build-ups to the musical set-pieces were perfectly manipulative – such perfect pace and timing and stakes. Ally's career seemed a bit too easy and magical, and the snapshots of whirlwind success kinda killed the second half for me. But it's not just her story. Good stuff.

Nosferatu

2018-10-29T00:58:11.000Z

Nosferatu. The cut back and forth during the sleepwalk is so good. I like those creepy Venus fly traps and spiders. The score in my version had some Sibelius quotes – nice. Didn't expect the tie-in with the plague, but I really like it.

Rear Window

2018-10-25T03:15:50.000Z

Rear Window. Masterpiece. Saw this one at a revival screening. What a treat to see it on a big screen. Still my favorite Hitchcock.

El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

2018-10-20T23:51:09.000Z

El Orfanato (The Orphanage). I really like stressful movies like this. Dread and anxiety make the best kind of horror.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

2018-10-19T23:48:49.000Z

The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's a classic. Holds up well on my 10-millionth rewatch. Lots of lovely little details in music, scenery, etc.. (Previously.)

Tomb Raider

2018-10-17T13:55:19.000Z

Tomb Raider. So fun! I love how you see our characters growth – a bike race in familiar neighborhoods, a foot chase from some teenage thugs, waterboarding with a showerhead? We get lower stakes, and mistakes, but similar thrills. Even when the difficulty ratchets up, we see a cycle of vulnerability, fear, panic... and then determination. Our hero is not invincible, not inevitable. (Reminds me of Die Hard that way.) I like seeing the increasing influence of MMA in recent action films – more grappling, jujitsu, throws, locks, holds.

The Lodger

2018-10-16T19:11:00.000Z

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. Preeeetty good. Theater screening with live accompaniment. So much more beautiful to look at than I expected for something created 90+ years ago. Sometimes it's hard not to laugh at old-timey-ness (in plot, acting style) of old movies (or books, for that matter), but if you can be present and give yourself over, you'll see why they've stuck around. Filed under: Hitchcock.

Green Room

2018-10-14T23:34:59.000Z

Green Room. Dark. Having a harder time with irredeemably bad villains (outside of your comics types). Never quite hangs together. Tensions not high enough, light moments fall just a little short.

Hereditary

2018-10-14T15:01:34.000Z

Hereditary. I liked it... and it's completely draining. Just seeps in and grinds you down like the characters. Toni Collette is a master.

Lean On Pete

2018-10-13T23:18:31.000Z

Lean on Pete. Tempted to call it my favorite of the year. So many characters that seem to live on outside the frame, defying the template you might expect of them, in "this kind of movie". I was all-in from the first few seconds.

It Follows

2018-10-13T14:50:23.000Z

It Follows. Loved this movie. Good theme, good creeps, good jumps, great soundtrack.

Chinatown

2018-10-12T16:41:14.000Z

Chinatown. (Previously). I think my fourth or fifth viewing and worth every one. A perfect movie, pretty much. The pure evil of Noah Cross rings a little too true these days. :(

The Descent

2018-10-10T16:38:11.000Z

The Descent. Gets to the point! Set the scene, give me foreboding hints about who's up to what, then creep me out. Very efficient opening. I'm surprised we haven't seen more movies set in caves.

Arnold Schönberg: Playing Cards

2018-10-09T01:50:20.000Z

Arnold Schönberg: Playing Cards. I love those designs.

This facsimile edition of playing cards painted by the composer Arnold Schönberg in c.1910 was published by Belmont Music Publishers in 1981 and produced by Ferd Piatnik (Vienna), with a preface by the composer's daughter, Nuria Schoenberg-Nono. The original cards were made in watercolours and gouache on cardboard with gold and silver, size: 10.5 by 5.5 cm. No reverse has been found for the cards so a coloured pattern painted in one of his diaries was used.

Filed under: not just a composer.

Sullivan’s Travels

2018-10-08T18:30:53.000Z

Sullivan's Travels. Second viewing (the first), this time on a big screen. Holds up.

The Blair Witch Project

2018-10-08T01:28:45.000Z

The Blair Witch Project. I missed it back in the day. Pretty fun! Refreshing to see how such good work can be made at such small scale, and still kick off a little revolution in the genre.

Support the Girls

2018-10-07T22:30:46.000Z

Support the Girls. We need about 15 movies like this every year. Pretty great. Love the everydayness of the struggles, but still a huge and deserved catharsis. I'd like to see more movies about managers. Seems like a rich but neglected vein for material.

The Score

2018-10-07T22:11:53.000Z

The Score. Decent cat-and-mousing. Shape-shifting characters seems like a whole thing back in the 90s/2000s. Fun to see actors that are just plain old now in their younger and more athletic days. I love when movies show all the gadgetry and tools that thieves put to use, borrowing from other realms to suit the need.

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear

2018-10-07T18:23:27.000Z

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear. I think you see the title and know what you're getting into. I still stand by the first Ninja. This one is longer, darker, angrier, but doesn't quite rise to that level.

Alan Watts – “Music and Life”

2018-10-06T19:16:42.000Z

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGoTmNU\_5A0 Alan Watts – Music and Life. (via somewhere on Twitter months and months ago)

Kung Fu Killer

2018-10-06T18:19:54.000Z

Kung Fu Killer. One of the small pleasures of international films is seeing the little differences in societal choices. For example, how the police uniforms and prisoner uniforms are different than what we see in the States. Nothing new here story-wise, but plenty of good fightin', and the variety of weapons, styles, and freakish athleticism is always fun.

Starship Troopers

2018-10-04T22:53:25.000Z

Starship Troopers. Not for me. Ditto Robocop:

I appreciate the intentional over-the-top-ness but eventually it became a bit tedious for me.

John Wick 2

2018-09-27T01:14:32.000Z

John Wick 2. A+, I say. Expands the universe, crazifies the action. Just as fun as the original for me.

Alien 3

2018-09-23T22:31:22.000Z

Alien 3. Interesting thematically, but more fun to read about than to watch. It's a very very steep drop-off from Alien and Aliens to this (same is true for most movies, to be fair). Filed under: David Fincher.

Dressed to Kill

2018-09-17T01:32:27.000Z

Dressed to Kill. This was excellent. Love the wordless moments, just guided by soundtrack to clue you in and shape the emotion. That museum scene! The tension! De Palman surveillance and paranoia in full force. And something about all those clocks? Nancy Allen is a hoot. And Dennis Franz! Perspectives on psychosis and the trans community haven't aged well. It is of its time. Filed under: Brian De Palma.

Harry Brown

2018-09-16T21:25:52.000Z

Harry Brown. Grumpy old man vengeance like Gran Torino, but much much more dark and grim and cynical. Too much so for me.

V for Vendetta

2018-07-25T14:30:30.000Z

V for Vendetta. Wow, I didn't remember this being so tedious. What a drag.

People of the Horse | Erika Larsen

2018-07-23T18:05:22.000Z

I was looking through some old journal entries and remembered seeing an exhibit of Erika Larsen's photography. This series really stuck with me.

Night Moves

2018-07-23T15:30:57.000Z

Night Moves. Second viewing (the first). I forgot how good this one is, visually. So many shots underscoring the protagonists' perspective, seeing their environment torn apart, or reshaped, or unappreciated.

Leave No Trace

2018-07-23T01:49:41.000Z

Leave No Trace. Loved it. Such a good quiet story. I like melodrama but it's also nice to see this, too: just naked presentation of people trying to do what they must while trying to take care of each other. Other good movies with Oregonians wrestling with modernity: Old Joy, Night Moves, The Goonies.

Logan Lucky

2018-07-22T02:32:10.000Z

Logan Lucky. Preeeetty good. Heist movies are inherently absurd. Just gotta lean into it and I love that this one does. Neat to see scenes with cameos of local regular Atlantans like me. Shaky accents here and there. Can't shake the feeling that at times it's mildly classist in a pointing-and-laughing kind of way more than a laughing-with-them way. (Some defensiveness bubbling up, I think – I feel like I notice and feel this more about movies set in the South than movies with similar casts in other regions.) No less fun for it. Filed under: Steven Soderbergh.

Get Out

2018-07-19T02:07:43.000Z

Get Out. The more I think about it, the better and better it becomes.

Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek)

2018-07-18T15:20:29.000Z

Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek). Really really liked it. A child is orphaned by war and later seeks out her birth family. Took a couple turns I wasn't expecting. I was a puddle. Soundtrack has some bangers, too.

Culling vs. Surrender

2018-07-17T15:20:56.000Z

There are really only two responses if you want to feel like you're well-read, or well-versed in music, or whatever the case may be: culling and surrender.

Culling is the choosing you do for yourself. It's the sorting of what's worth your time and what's not worth your time. It's saying, "I deem Keeping Up With The Kardashians a poor use of my time, and therefore, I choose not to watch it." It's saying, "I read the last Jonathan Franzen book and fell asleep six times, so I'm not going to read this one."

Surrender, on the other hand, is the realization that you do not have time for everything that would be worth the time you invested in it if you had the time, and that this fact doesn't have to threaten your sense that you are well-read. Surrender is the moment when you say, "I bet every single one of those 1,000 books I'm supposed to read before I die is very, very good, but I cannot read them all, and they will have to go on the list of things I didn't get to."

The Crow

2018-07-17T14:10:15.000Z

The Crow. I like the style, but I was not moved. Revenge can only get you so far. If you're gonna watch an Alex Proyas movie, make it Dark City!

Sahara

2018-07-17T01:39:02.000Z

Sahara. Really dumb, but also kinda subversive! There's some, uh, provincialism and casual violence that doesn't age well, but it's fun overall. Love the big reveal moment. Normally in these sorts of adventure movies it's a room full of treasure. Here, it's toxic waste.

A glamorous Goodwill mystery: Who are the strangers in these slides?

2018-07-15T13:10:55.000Z

The Argus 300 Model III slide projector would be perfect for viewing the boxes of slides she’d inherited from her grandmother, she thought. She didn’t notice the original owner’s slides until later.

What a cool find. I hope they can learn more.

The Secret Meaning of Jurassic World

2018-07-15T02:27:37.000Z

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYzmmXkf9bY I loved this video essay, exploring a not-great movie's self-awareness and the way it subversively advertises the blockbusters that paved the way for it. (Narrator Tyler Smith co-hosts two podcasts I also love, Battleship Pretension and More Than One Lesson.)

Twilight

2018-07-13T18:35:36.000Z

Twilight. Hoo boy. Yeah. It's not great. There's a lot of hopeful staring and stewing in the tension, which I imagine (hope) comes across better in the books. Here it's just kind of stagnant. No flame, no heat.

Nobody Walks in L.A.

2018-07-13T13:35:24.000Z

Nobody Walks in L.A.. It's uneven. I wish our heroes were more evenly matched, but she nobly spends a lot of time and effort dragging around a mopey dude. It picks up, though. I love a good walk-and-talk (e.g. Before Sunset, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight, Top Five, Certified Copy, Midnight in Paris).

Take a Photo Here

2018-07-12T18:00:35.000Z

Teju Cole on the sameness of travel photography:

The visitor to a place like the Roman Forum does not only take a photograph of the Forum; he also takes a photograph for the Forum. His photograph partly serves the narrative chosen by the Forum’s custodians. The visitor is inadvertently mesmerized not only by the site but also by the municipal or museological organization of the experience of the site.

Incredibles 2

2018-07-12T12:35:26.000Z

Incredibles 2. I liked it more than the first one. This one seemed funnier, and I like that the main heroes swapped roles. The set piece with the Screenslaver chase, fight, and monologue was delicious.

A Complete Guide to Getting What You Want

2018-07-12T03:02:10.000Z

Everything you’ve ever wanted and then obtained, except maybe for the very latest thing, is probably not providing any great satisfaction at this moment.

And later:

The farther your plan deviates from established “best practices” (i.e. how the people who actually achieve your goal tend to do it), the more likely it is that you don’t actually intend to do it.

Dear Zachary

2018-07-12T02:58:13.000Z

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. At some point last year I polled friends for movies that most reliably make them cry. They were right on this one. It's completely gutting. Interesting how often documentaries can become their own subject, the creator becoming aware of and changing/reacting to the story in front of them as it goes along.

Faces Places

2018-07-12T02:43:12.000Z

Faces Places. What a lovely documentary. I like the odd couple, clearly affectionate while also finding time to needle each other. I especially liked the mixed reactions to their art that they got from their collaborators. Some proud, some uncomfortable!

Lady Bird

2018-07-03T14:15:16.000Z

Lady Bird. I like the momentum. Great in its cuts and edits and how it skips through time. Like our heroine, it refuses to get stuck.

Three statistics to understand the world

2018-07-03T11:20:00.000Z

One key reason why we struggle to see progress in the world today is that we do not know how very bad the past was.

Paranormal Activity

2018-07-03T01:28:04.000Z

Paranormal Activity. This was really fun. Ending seemed inevitable, but I suppose there's not much else you could do. Weird that being creeped out can be so fun. Filed under: horror.

To survive our high-speed society, cultivate 'temporal bandwidth'

2018-07-03T01:12:41.000Z

To read old books is to get an education in possibility for next to nothing.

Alan Jacobs.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

2018-07-03T01:03:00.000Z

The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Mise-en-scène will tell you what you need to know! I liked The Lobster more. Colin Farrell is slowly sneaking up the ranks of favorite actors.

The Incredibles

2018-07-01T22:05:55.000Z

The Incredibles. Long overdue! Pretty, pretty good. Not as funny as I'd expected, but that's alright. I like the nimble score and playing off genre tropes.

Murder on the Orient Express

2018-06-28T15:25:23.000Z

Murder on the Orient Express. I think my favorite part was the extended opening, gathering up all the players before the journey starts. Mostly entertaining. The final act/resolution seems a bit over-cooked. I wonder if it comes across better in the book, though.

Hours

2018-06-27T14:10:05.000Z

Hours. The parts focused on the central gimmick are tense and focused, as they should be. The rest (long intro and flashbacks) adds some meandering softness that undermines it. Good one-man show, though.

My Visit to the World’s First Gym for Your Face

2018-06-26T14:30:04.000Z

Self-improvement imperatives always offer the seductive notion of untapped potential: it’s a bummer to feel like you have to change, but a thrill, sometimes, to imagine that you can. The trouble is that there is no feasible end to this process.

And this, too:

Today, young female professionals have an unprecedented amount of economic and social capital; at the same time, our adulthood has been defined by constant visual self-surveillance, a market-friendly feminism that favors any female acquisitive behavior, and an overwhelming redirection of anxiety into the “wellness” space.

June 26, 2018

2018-06-26T02:41:28.000Z

You don’t have to attend every argument you are invited to.

Uptown Girls

2018-06-26T02:38:44.000Z

Uptown Girls. It's not great but I love that it makes the effort to be better than it strictly needs to be to get the job done. Like the high-energy opening setpiece, around the room and out the building to grab a taxi. Small touches like the quick cut when looking at the mirror in horror; the Road Runner cartoon playing during the break-up scene; the use of mirrors and blocking during the ballet practice; the cuts between street fights; the train reaction shot transitioning to Coney Island; the spin of the teacup echoing the spin at the beginning of the movie. It all adds up. Brittany Murphy is completely charming.

Source Code

2018-06-07T14:05:00.000Z

Source Code. It's good clean fun!

Letter of Recommendation: Airport Layovers

2018-06-07T02:42:13.000Z

I loved this essay on layovers. Airports are usually incredibly relaxing for me:

All sorts of big questions wait on the other side of the gate. Will Bill still love you when you get home? Will you make it out there at college? Will Morocco be everything you’ve always dreamed of? But you don’t have to answer questions like that during a layover. You can’t: The whole point is that they have to wait. You have been granted a reprieve — a chance to consider life as it was before it goes away, or as it might be when it arrives.

M.F.A.

2018-06-05T15:35:21.000Z

M.F.A.. Meh. Never finds its momentum, stalls itself out with side stories. At least it complicates the choices here and there, more via word and plot than presentation. Contrast with the excellent Revenge.

The Little Things Matter: A Microeconomic Travel Guide

2018-06-04T19:40:56.000Z

How are the sidewalks? [...] What kind of pollution?

Revenge

2018-06-04T14:35:52.000Z

Revenge. Really liked it. Take some pulpy Kill Bill and cross it with high-contrast Spring Breakers and The Guest-like creepiness and soundtrack. Thematically heavy-handed sometimes, with the fruit and the bugs and the beer cans and tattoos. Contrast the male gaze at the opening with the appreciatigve gaze after the cave scene – one of awe, of power rather than lust. And that leads into one of my favorite shots in a while, with her riding the ATV through the desert with that earring gleaming. Maybe file this one under loincloth chase films?

A Hole

2018-06-04T02:07:23.000Z

A while back I went trailrunning with an old friend. We went off trail at one point and cut through the woods toward nowhere in particular, toward wherever we would end up. We came across a hole in the ground. Holes are inherently interesting – something missing, a ready-made mystery, and you can fill them up with whatever stories you want. We hauled up a long branch and eased it down the hole 'til we hit bottom. We marked the spot at surface level and drew it up again, like we were checking the oil. We stretched out on the ground next to the branch to measure it out. Six feet plus five-and-a-half plus, oh, maybe three-and-half. We had ourselves a fifteen foot hole, maybe two feet wide, and no explanation. Didn't need one. We dropped a pine cone down and listened for it to hit bottom. It took a while. I thought about dropping in, just to scare myself a little. I think I could have gotten back out. Pretty sure. Probably. As long as the mossy sides weren't too slick. I wondered what reception was like down there.

Annihilation

2018-06-04T01:54:51.000Z

Annihilation. Second viewing (the first). Felt more sluggish and less magical this time, but I don't regret the rewatch.

Angel Heart

2018-06-01T19:00:41.000Z

Angel Heart. Love the mood and atmosphere. A nice blend of noir and horror, sort of ambling along as our PI reluctantly goes where the clues take him. Mickey Rourke was super charismatic. Haven't seen much with him aside from the recent stuff (Iron Man 2, The Wrestler, and the small bit in Man on Fire).

Coherence

2018-05-31T15:00:07.000Z

Coherence. Very nice little chamber scifi. I liked it quite a bit. Just put people in a room and give them a problem. Easy. This would pair well with other small-scale scifi like Primer, Upstream Color, The One I Love, or something like The Invitation for stressful dinner-party hijinks.

Allied

2018-05-30T14:20:33.000Z

Allied. Second viewing (the first). The seams showed a bit more and the pastiche was more apparent and I liked it more because of it, I think. The too-clean appearance heightens the fairy tale, like memory tends to soften things. Noticed a few fun edits, like the lightning shifting to the lantern on the landing strip, and the beats of the final gunshots at the tank crew matched by the curtains being drawn open. I also liked the parallels with two big decisions happening in cars – once during the sandstorm, again in the rain at the airstrip.

There's More to This World Than You Have Seen

2018-05-30T12:20:07.000Z

I really liked Ethan Warren's reflections on Punch-Drunk Love. (Bright Wall/Dark Room is one of the best publications going.)

Rush Hour

2018-05-29T14:55:55.000Z

Rush Hour. Lots of it is very fun. It's also of an era where, with 2018 eyes, a lots of it makes me cringed. I miss these action/adventure movies. Low stakes, focus on fun.

Barracuda

2018-05-28T14:29:31.000Z

Barracuda. Features one of the most unlikeable yet magnetic characters I've seen in a while. Good fun.

Carrie

2018-05-28T14:19:25.000Z

Carrie. Last time I saw this was middle school I think. Long time ago. So sad, wrenching. We remember the mad scene for good reason, but build-up to it at the prom is exquisite.

The Hole Where All the Success Leaks Out

2018-05-28T14:09:06.000Z

Everything has its own list of classic amateur blunders. [...] Just one of these blunders, made consistently, can undermine almost everything you’re doing right.

There Will Be Blood

2018-05-08T01:06:25.000Z

There Will Be Blood. Second viewing. Daniel Plainview is a sad sad sad lonely man, who is also very funny sometimes. Filed under: Paul Thomas Anderson.

A Modest Guide to Productivity – Frank Chimero

2018-05-02T15:15:00.000Z

When the day’s list is done, do not go back to the master list. The rewards of productivity must not be a bottomless well of work.

News-Adjacent Reading

2018-05-01T14:35:59.000Z

Ask yourself what are the relevant topics you have yet to read good pieces on, and then try to find them and read them. Over time, your broader opinions will then evolve in better directions than if you focus on having an immediate emotional reaction to the events right before your eyes. The more tempted you are to judge, the higher the return from trying to read something factual and substantive instead.

Tyler Cowen on finding saner, more productive ways to relate to the news (if you must).

Interiority

2018-05-01T01:41:23.000Z

To explore someone else's interiority is not just to flash, at this moment, to what you think the other person might be thinking or feeling. It's a layered, almost literary thing, to imagine the history of their experiences (known and unknown, actual and possible) and to think through those experiences, thoughts, and feelings all the way through to the end.

Today I found myself thinking back to this, from the January 12 edition of the Kottke/Carmody Noticing newsletter.

The Fast and the Furious

2018-04-23T18:15:01.000Z

The Fast and the Furious. Second viewing (the first). It's aged pretty well. I really got a kick out of the dialogue this time around. I also like the sound effects when cops break up the street race, and everyone scrambles, and you can hear the car alarms/locks chirping. And that first moment when Brian hits the NOS and we dive into engine is still such a rush. Filed under: The Fast and the Furious.

Streets of Fire

2018-04-22T14:36:40.000Z

Streets of Fire. It's such a good mash-up. Combine a western-style rescue movie with hardboiled dialogue (Michael Pare has a good John Wayne-ish drawl to his delivery sometimes), and set it in a rockabilly + '80s glam alternate universe, and take some musical breaks. It stays pretty high-energy and moves along quickly. Early work from Diane Lane, Willem Dafoe, Bill Paxton, Rick Moranis. It's just plain fun.

The Florida Project

2018-04-11T15:28:48.000Z

The Florida Project. Kids are deeply weird. I like how this movie holds to their perspective with a lower, child-height camera angles. And the colors! It's largely episodic, but eventually adds up. The choices in the very very last scene didn't work for me, but I forgive it easily. I liked Sean Baker's earlier Tangerine, too.

The Revenant

2018-04-10T17:35:56.000Z

The Revenant. Second viewing (the first). I appreciate it so much more this time around. Jumping out this time were the recurring trees that save his life or support him throughout. ("The wind cannot defeat a tree with strong roots. If you look at its branches, you swear it will fall. But if you watch the trunk, you see its stability.") Like when he uses a branch as a cane. Or when injured, he's hauled on a pallet of branches. When leaving his son for the last time, he turns away and props himself on a tree trunk. When escaping downriver, he floats on a log. He's sheltered by an impromptu branch hut during a storm, a tree breaks his fall from a cliff, a tree branch makes a decoy when trying to lure Fitzgerald out of hiding. I also liked the nature interludes – elk crossing a river, buffalo stampede, avalanche – that make this epic tale seem so small, and nature indifferent.

Seeing What Is There

2018-04-10T01:24:40.000Z

This past Saturday, I woke up early and went hiking. The day started gloomy like the photo above, then misty, then drizzly, and the weather got worse and worse as the morning went on. Toward mid-day, the rain was coming down pretty steady. I came around a bend on the trail, walking up to a lookout point. A man and woman were standing there with their ponchos on, looking out at the wall of rain and fog and the dark fuzzy outlines of the ridge beyond. I started a little small talk. "Not much of a view today!" The guy smiled and laughed and gently corrected me: "Well... it's different."

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

2018-04-10T01:16:53.000Z

Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I liked it, overall, and it had just enough small things to drive me a little nuts. Snoke is a misfire (just call Ed Harris! You have the budget!), and so were the various little animals. That one ship's jump to light speed was sublime. And very good space debris throughout. I like our time with Rey and Kylo, and Poe's debacles. Finn was wasted, unfortunately. Benicio Del Toro is the best, but I wish they could have found him some other way. The space chase could and should have been gut-wrenching, but something about the cuts and pacing made it just sort of... there. I wonder how I'll feel whenever I rewatch it again. Of the latest batch, this ranks behind Rogue One. Filed under: Star Wars.

The Silence of the Lambs

2018-04-08T22:07:02.000Z

The Silence of the Lambs. Re-watch (previously). Masterpiece. I noticed the close-ups much more this time around. The face are very, uh, in your face. Jack Crawford might be the most unsettling character in the whole movie.

American Honey

2018-04-08T21:59:49.000Z

American Honey. Second viewing (the first). I still don't know what to make of it, thematically, but I was entranced again.

The Master

2018-04-08T21:54:30.000Z

The Master. Second viewing. I liked it a bit more than the first time I saw it. The argument at the party is such a great scene. I miss Philip Seymour Hoffman. :(

Green

2018-03-26T01:22:22.000Z

I spent a few hours at my favorite nearby park today. Heavy rains had the creek running high in the banks. Chilly air still had some snap to it, a different damp, one that makes your cheeks flush but makes you more eager to set out rather than bundle up. Walk along the creek, look out into the forest, and see the flora feeling the same way – branches blushing green, let's get started, stretching out from the greys and browns of the last few months. Buds to unlayer and blossom soon enough. Just you wait. A few weeks ago I spent a week volunteering in Saguaro National Park, which was mostly grey and brown. I learned all about the cactus, succulents, flowers, trees, and more than I thought there was to know about grasses. It rained a bit before my arrival there, and there too I got to the first greens of the season peeking out. It was a preview of a preview, a hint of spring before spring. I came back home craving the first greens and what comes after. And out today, I think I see the plants craving it, too. Following through on their own promise. Just you wait. We'll make it through the grey and brown and step out again.

We’re Building the Ship as We Sail It

2018-03-22T14:15:43.000Z

I was having trouble sleeping a couple nights ago, so I read some Kay Ryan poems to settle my brain a bit. This one helped:

The Girl With All the Gifts

2018-03-22T02:11:59.000Z

The Girl With All the Gifts. Has anyone written about how in movies, if a child is portrayed to be courteous and well-behaved with adults, we think they're creepy? There's just something off about a kid who cares a little too much about adults. I like the fine line this one walks, betraying our sense of what a happy ending should be. I think my favorite parts of zombie movies are when they have to sneak by them. This one has a couple good scenes like that, and they made me remember and appreciate similar ones in Shaun of the Dead, Train to Busan, and World War Z.

The Gift

2018-02-27T04:59:15.000Z

The Gift. Second viewing (the first). Very nicely done. Love the characterization through costume. Edgerton's character consistently has something in the wardrobe that's on the border of "uncool" and "unsettling". Love how it shows people wrestling with intuition vs. manners, protection vs. politeness.

Annihilation

2018-02-27T01:31:30.000Z

Annihilation. I dig it. Interesting to see scifi that leans so much on biology. One of those slower exploratory scifi movies that later gets crossed with some truly horrific gore (Stalker meets The Thing?). Great score, especially the climactic scenes. The music was so... three-dimensional. It felt novel somehow to have a discernible rhythm in there, not a long fermata.

Blade Runner 2049

2018-02-27T01:24:41.000Z

Blade Runner 2049. Pretty. Good. Can't say I like it as much as the original. I think they could have bumped the pace a bit without losing much. But there are far worse ways to bathe in goofy visuals.

Art Moments

2018-02-13T01:31:53.000Z

When the portraits of the Obamas were revealed today, I mentioned that seeing Kehinde Wiley's work was one of the big Art Moments in my life. I started thinking about a few other peak experiences and wanted to jot'em down. First, Wiley. I saw an exhibition in Phoenix, and just drooled. I love the large painted portraits, but it was the stained glass that really won me over: The first time I ever saw Out of the Past, I almost couldn't believe it was happening. At that moment, it was a pinnacle combination of zippy script, glamour, camerawork, noir, tragedy. Just dumbfounded and grateful that I'd found it. As a teen I got kinda lost in the Louvre and then I came around some the corner, I saw Winged Victory, and I couldn't move. When the spell wore off a little bit, I didn't want to leave. In college I went to see the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra play Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 with a buddy of mine. At this point it was one of my favorite works for orchestra, one I'd listened to a million times, and I lucked into one of those edge-of-your-seat performances where everyone was locked in. It's all great and then we come to the close of the third movement, just a few minutes remaining, where the pianist is racing through a closing bit of fireworks (32:18 or so), and where there's a pause (32:33) – it's just a second, but at this point we're just dying to hear the orchestra re-enter – we can hear the pianist and the composer both take a deep breath and lunge into action and boooooom we're back with timpani and strings and big chunky chords and we're all losing our minds. Lordy. Lastly (for now) I went to Chicago a few years back and wandered around the Art Institute. I had some time to kill so I figured why not wander to the bottom floor and see about that Ethel Stein exhibit they had tucked away. I'd seen plenty of woven stuff before but this was one that made me really appreciate how high the ceiling can be. I know I'm missing a bunch, and that's fine. These are the ones that stick out for now. Here's to many more.

Wind River

2018-02-13T00:35:32.000Z

Wind River. Man, this was great. I've been catching up on 2017 movies, and when I see ones like this and The Lost City of Z and Good Time, I start to wonder why we weren't talking about them all year long. Wind River sits with its pain, a steady undercurrent of mourning, and explores how we accept loss, or find ourselves in some other endless form of pursuit, resignation, denial. Native American mistreatment is also a big theme, shown with visuals – contrast modest homes vs. trailer parks – or just ignorance, like when our well-meaning FBI agent bumbles through an interview with a victim's family. At times the script feels more written than spoken, but that's not so bad when the words are great. Director Taylor Sheridan also wrote the excellent Sicario and Hell or High Water.

Columbus

2018-02-08T15:15:57.000Z

Columbus. I dig it. There is definitely some Lost in Translation similarity. Two strangers finding another someone who's a little lost, seeing each other down the road a ways. They each give each other the nudge they didn't want to want, but know they need. I like how these characters sometimes get a little peevish with other. The script is rough sometimes, but every picture is lovely to look at.

Knight of Cups and the Spirituality of Sleaze

2018-02-08T04:22:06.000Z

If the film has a point, it is that “discerning a point” is harder than ever in a world where mediated experiences of “beauty” are more ubiquitous, accessible and customizable than ever, but less and less tied to rubrics of meaning.

I really liked this essay by Brett McCracken.

Life Off Grid

2018-02-08T04:12:07.000Z

Life Off Grid. This was a decent little documentary, profiling a few Canadians from each province who decided to disconnect, to one degree or another. It made me realize my instant association with "off the grid" is survivalist paranoiacs. Not fair, but there you go. Nice to have a broader perspective here. For many of them, going off the grid wasn't the goal in the first place. It was a side effect of some other life choice. One guy, for example, just wanted to live with less money. Another couple, well, they liked the location, and electricity simply isn't available out there. Each find their own way. Another common theme was the sense of responsibility and efficacy. Most of them talked about or hinted at ripple effects of their choices, the tensions between what they want, the effort it would take to attain it, and all the baggage that could come along. Also cool to see how each household approached common problems in different ways – water supply, grocery shopping, TV, poop, dishes. On the whole, the eastern Canadians seemed more... balanced? Mainstream?

Beltline

2018-02-06T03:40:25.000Z

I did some volunteering with Trees Atlanta recently. In one of their offices they had this 10-year-old map of the Atlanta Beltline, with plans for the surrounding landscapes. Very cool to see this early vision – and a different one than the neighborhood/transit-focused one we're used to – back when it was mostly just a dream. It still is, but it’s also on its way. I like that they still have it around.

Emily Dickinson, Famous Gardener

2018-02-04T15:01:19.000Z

Via @KishWidyaratna:

Emily Dickinson was, in her lifetime, perhaps more widely known as a gardener than poet. She would send her friends bunches of flowers with poems attached, but "they valued the posy more than the poetry". 💔 Her 1840s herbarium is online here via Harvard.

Never knew about this. So cool.

We Are What We Repeatedly Do

2018-01-30T03:09:54.000Z

I like David Cain's writing about the importance of re-learning:

I’m sure the Germans or the Japanese have a word that means, precisely, “Life-changing ideas that do not change our lives because we only read about them once, agree enthusiastically, and then forget them before we act on them.” If not, we could use one. How many times has your mind been set ablaze by a profound truth from a book, podcast, article, or a speech, only for the idea to fade before you could do anything with it?

One thing I've been pondering lately: making space for good stuff I already know about. After I ported over thousands of old tumblr posts, the ongoing clean-up process has resurfaced a bunch of old stuff I forgot I ever experienced.

Dunkirk

2018-01-29T01:39:36.000Z

Dunkirk. It is tremendous. Couldn't look away for even a sliver of a moment. Out of all of Christopher Nolan movies I've seen, I'd rank this at the top. One thing that did him a favor is that the dialogue is so minimal. A trim, direct story so he can focus on the construction. I love the layered stories – the boat scenes being my favorites – that are racing to meet at the end, which we know with hindsight is only a beginning. I haven't updated my Christopher Nolan power rankings in a while, so...

That feels right for now.

Good Time

2018-01-28T03:32:10.000Z

Good Time. Hoo boy I loved it. An urban chase film where our protagonist keeps digging himself in bigger holes. The music is key – similar to how Thief and The Guest get so much grimy energy from their own moody, heavily electronic scores. Interesting choices to light scenes using only televisions, and in the roles that phones play in plot and theme.

Phantom Thread

2018-01-26T05:43:40.000Z

Phantom Thread. Loved it in the moment. Didn't know where it was going, didn't care, I just knew I wanted to be there. I'd probably put this in my top 3 Paul Thomas Anderson movies, but I'm not yet sure how I'd reshuffle them.

It Comes at Night

2018-01-25T01:03:41.000Z

It Comes at Night. It's great! Movies like this remind you of what a simple, almost primal pleasure it is just to watch how light fills and moves through a dark place. I also like that it doesn't bother with answers about the general state of the world, and doesn't waste time with half-hearted attempts. People seek and accept what's practical, and move on. Backstory is irrelevant to a degree. The red door in the house – like a church, perhaps? I've really come to love this survival-cabin subgenre. Other recent ones that are worth a look: 10 Cloverfield Lane, Into the Forest, Z for Zachariah. What else?

I Am Not Your Negro

2018-01-25T00:53:50.000Z

I Am Not Your Negro. I liked it a lot. Just the premise – a movie rendition of an unfinished book – is such an interesting way to start. I've heard similar formulations before, but two ideas in here really stuck with me. One, his comments during an interview that, while he may not know what whites believe, he can see the state of our institutions (church, work, real estate, etc.). They tell you something you cannot deny. Second, his prompt to ask ourselves why the negro was invented. Black people didn't come up with it. It's a white invention to fill some need – one worth examining. Recommended. Filed under: documentaries.

Bras on Instagram

2018-01-25T00:29:30.000Z

I really liked Lauren Hallden's Towards a Bra-Free Instagram Experience. It made me start to wonder about the effects of a social medium when it thinks you are something... but you are not that. Every so often I've noticed an account can stumble into a sort of algorithmic death spiral. I remember years back when I foolishly gave The Great Gatsby five stars on Amazon, and for months on end it thoughtfully suggested classic after classic after classic after classic. I guess that's to be expected. But what's get interesting is that somehow it's not just an annoyance – I don't use the suggestions that much – but it also feels like a wrong worth correcting, a sense of identity betrayed. And I have to try to convince the black box that this is what I'm about. I've spent my fair share of time on Instagram, and don't really regret it much. Perhaps that's because the channel isn't as emotionally charged as others can be. But I recently removed the Instagram app from my phone, just as a little experiment. I still log in every now and then on the iPad to see what's up. (By the way, Instagram via iPad web browser is so much better than the iPhone app it's crazy. There also seem to be fewer ads?) This removal is also part of a re-RSSing (and re-assessing) project I've been trying to do. If I check comething a lot, find a feed. If I think about a topic a lot, find the feeds. Instagram doesn't have any built-in feeds that I know of, but you can cobble something together through various means (for example). So far I like this approach. I see only what I wanted – and I miss what they think I wanted. I'm okay with this. This product manager idea of "discovery" has never ranked high on my list, and I don't miss content-hopping down the bottomless pit. That's what Twitter is for.

Imaginary Book #3

2018-01-23T23:11:33.000Z

A spread from my forthcoming imaginary book, Pilgrims and Converts: The Sublime Loves of Terrence Malick. To the Wonder (2012). Song to Song (2017). Knight of Cups (2015). Filed under: imaginary books.

When to Share

2018-01-22T20:27:01.000Z

“When not telling feels like ‘hiding,’ it’s time to tell. There’s your opener, too. ‘I should have said this sooner.’”

Carolyn Hax. As it is in relationships, so it is on the web.

The Post

2018-01-20T03:25:14.000Z

The Post. Precisely what I expected it to be!

If you grew up somewhere else...

2018-01-18T18:30:00.000Z

A question I like to ask when I travel: “What would I be like if I grew up here?”

Dan Wang. I've been thinking about this for a while.

Song to Song

2018-01-16T01:50:04.000Z

Song to Song. Rooney Mara might be the best dizzy princess Malick's ever had. This one also has some of the best music. It's also one of the few Malick's to ever make me laugh multiple times. I was surprisingly swept up for the first hour or so. And yet... the staying power wasn't there for me. Still good, though. Updated Terrence Malick power rankings:

Days of Heaven (as if!)
The New World
Badlands
The Thin Red Line
The Tree of Life (maybe one spot higher?)
Song to Song
To the Wonder
Knight of Cups

That is a solid body of work.

The Neon Demon

2018-01-16T01:28:02.000Z

The Neon Demon. This is Nicolas Winding Refn's best movie, haters. I think it was More Than One Lesson, their episode on this movie, where Tyler Smith talked about this being a perfect pairing: Refn loves image and surface and sheen, and here he finds characters to match. Mirrors everywhere, all-consumptive. Don't forget it's a horror movie. My Refn power rankings:

A Ghost Story

2018-01-15T01:14:19.000Z

A Ghost Story. I loved this movie. I will probably put it on my favorites-of-2018 list. I like this view of ghosts as sort of outside of time, in both directions. Ghosts as unfinished business. Ghosts with flaws and hang-ups. And the idea that places are saturated with history, and by the same token history isn't just events in time but in a space. Solid soundtrack, too.

I Move to Keep Things Whole

2018-01-13T04:16:19.000Z

By Mark Strand via Rachael Maddux's poem-a-day bender.

Silence

2018-01-11T01:59:31.000Z

Silence. I confess: I got bored. Maybe someday a different me will have a better go of it. Filed under: Martin Scorsese.

All the Money in the World

2018-01-07T15:15:57.000Z

All the Money in the World. It's perfectly fine! I didn't know until afterward they re-shot so much of the movie. I respect it for that more than I actually enjoyed it. I will probably never see it again, which always feels a little bit bittersweet. Filed under: Ridley Scott.

War for the Planet of the Apes

2018-01-06T02:10:18.000Z

War for the Planet of the Apes. Kind of a bummer. At first I was really into the melodrama. Eventually, it became very tedious. It seemed like they were stopping for a sappy moment every 5-10 minutes. The Gollum/Jar Jar ape didn't help. I also don't understand why a crucial character uses a crossbow in a world with guns. Another hang-up was that I couldn't figure out how the world fit together. That's one thing I liked about Rise... and Dawn... – the geography was clear. You knew who was where. This one started in those awesome rainforests, then moved to a snowscape, and then to the Sierras? Or Tahoe? The previous ones were strong in that they felt like our world. I don't know what happened to it here. Bummer. Filed under: Planet of the Apes.

Why Walking Helps Us Think

2018-01-04T02:58:28.000Z

When we choose a path through a city or forest, our brain must survey the surrounding environment, construct a mental map of the world, settle on a way forward, and translate that plan into a series of footsteps. Likewise, writing forces the brain to review its own landscape, plot a course through that mental terrain, and transcribe the resulting trail of thoughts by guiding the hands. Walking organizes the world around us; writing organizes our thoughts.

– Ferris Jabr.

The Lost City of Z

2018-01-02T02:00:20.000Z

The Lost City of Z. I had my eyes on this movie for so, so long. It was the one 2017 film that I was really craving. And I'd loved the book when I read it a few years back, so I had high hopes. All hopes fulfilled! I will watch this one again.

Margaret

2018-01-01T20:00:01.000Z

Margaret. The first film of the new year was so damn good. Takes the everyday and shows its operatic moments. The surly, volatile teen protagonist is all of us at some point, many points – heroes of our own story, center of the universe, disappointed by and disappointing those who care about us. One especially nice touch is the sound. Throughout there are interludes where you hear snippets of other conversations, city life, sometimes even more clearly than the main characters. Loved it. Bright Wall/Dark Room did an entire issue about Margaret; lots of good reading there. The only other Lonergan movie I've seen is Manchester By the Sea. Solid, but I'd rank this one way, way higher.

Good Things in 2017

2018-01-01T15:47:13.000Z

This year was terrible in many ways but really really wonderful in many others. Some good stuff... In July I spent a few weeks in Sweden, most of it hiking. A couple cold, soggy, windy days were terrible, but I can laugh about them now. And some of those days were right up there with the best days of my life, period. One of them was so especially grand that I still haven’t quite yet found the words, and may never, and maybe I shouldn’t. Other travel highlights: a trip to see friends get married in Maryland; a workation to Chicago to spend time with the best team on the planet; and a visit to New Orleans to celebrate my grandfather’s birthday. Along with his travel and stay in Georgia for a few months, I got to spend more time with him than I had in decades. I don’t take it for granted.

I mastered sleep. Oh my lord has this been huge. My family spent the previous two Christmases at the beach. Both times, I ended up sleeping 10, 12, 14 hours a night... and napping in the afternoons. After a few days like that, I felt like I was seeing in color again. The freshness didn’t last after the first awakening – I spent a year squandering it – but the second time around I realized it was dumb to let myself spend months decaying into zombie mode. I just can’t thrive on 6-7 hours a night; I’m more of a 9er. A regular, earlier bedtime has cost me a few dozen late-night movies, but it’s been so, so, so worth it. I started making collages every now and then. I tried it on impulse because I had some magazines and scissors nearby, and it was instantly therapeutic. I found a meditation routine and got into a groove with it, and fell out and found it again, and again, etc.. I eat veggies every day (pretty much, mostly, I try?). I don’t do as many straight-up workouts as I used to, but the average day is more active. I biked more in 2017 than any year since I was a kid. I barely drove at all (yaaassssss), outside of trips to my parents’ house or out for a hike. Aside from the Sweden trip, I had a lovely day knocking out a 35K at Cloudland Canyon for my 35th birthday. And on a lark one Saturday I walked 20-something urban miles from my house in downtown Atlanta to the summit of Stone Mountain. Really glad I did it, and I will never do it again. I put in a bunch of miles at my favorite state park once or twice a month.

I read a bunch of good books (8 them by John Mcphee 😎). Here's the best of my reading year, with the top 5 distinguished with a *:

(On a related note, I'm in the market for more fiction...)

I didn't see any movies released in 2017, which was fun for a few months… and then didn’t feel any particular way for the bulk of the year… and then felt deeply miserable for the last few weeks. But for the last few days it's been nice to salivate and plan what I want to catch up on. Instead of trying to keep up with whatever happened to be new, I saw a lot of great old stuff and re-watched a lot of things I love. The best of the new-to-me for 2017:

I perfected a bunch of small things. And I still feel really smug about these dumb little tweaks and upgrades to stuff that doesn't matter very much but still makes a difference. I got a trim wallet and a fresh key fob and new keyrings that better fit my ideal pocket situation. I switched over to wireless earbuds and thin linen bath towels. I got new pens and longer Lightning cables and made fine-tuned some hiking gear. I donated a bunch of clothes, and standardized much of the rest (blue oxford-collar button-downs, grey sweatshirts, grey t-shirts, and jeans, or GTFO). I finally took care of a bunch of tedious finance/household administration that I’d been putting off for, uh, years. I asked people where to spend more on charity, did it, and it felt wonderful.

Afters years of being inactive, I deleted my Facebook account and never looked back. I let my 8-year-old Tumblr drift into dormancy, ported the posts over here, and decommissioned it entirely. I let this blog lie fallow. And I started it again. ❤️

Mother Nature's Sons

2018-01-01T15:46:20.000Z

I loved this Robert Moor essay on environmentalism and masculinity.

Even as progressive men renounce the traditional notion of subordinated femininity, many still harbor conflicted notions about manhood. They want to feel individually reckless, but not socially irresponsible. They want to minimize carbon emissions, but not to scold, scrimp, or carry tote bags. They want to be pure of deed but wild at heart. So they dig ever deeper into the past, searching for a way of life that existed before “real” men and their ecological consciences parted ways.

His book On Trails was one of my faves of 2017.

Heat

2017-12-30T00:38:14.000Z

Heat. A half-dozen screenings and it keeps on delivering. One thing that really stood out this time was the use of the color blue with McCauley's character. For example, early on, there's the famous shot at his house, echoing Colville's "Pacific" painting, but saturated in a moody blue. This is McCauley as the cool, remote professional. During a following celebration dinner with his team, you see his appreciation and envy of his crew's families. He goes to call Eadie. The shot of him on the phone has the frame split in half. He's on the left against a cool blue background, the right side is warmer. In the course of conversation with her he steps from left to right. Later in the movie, McCauley is on his way to escape, home-free. He gets a farewell call from Nate, who also tells him where Waingro is. He dismisses the idea of going back, and keeps driving, content. The camera stays on him at the wheel, and we can see through the rear window. As he enters a tunnel the lighting is a bright wash... that transitions to blue. He turns grim and decides on revenge before escape. Speaking of Waingro, interesting how his actions play up the appetites. In his introduction, he's looking for more coffee before the score. After the heist, he's smugly enjoying some pie while the main crew stares at him in disdainful silence. Later we see him with cigarettes, booze, women. Last little clever bit: in the course of the famous diner meeting, McCauley mentions, "There is a flip side to that coin. What if you do got me boxed in and I gotta put you down?" At the final climax, we see McCauley escaping into the airfield, making his last stand behind a shed, backgrounded with its large checkerboard pattern. Boxed in, the chess match coming to its endgame. Filed under: Heat.

The Dark Knight

2017-12-26T00:28:10.000Z

The Dark Knight. Second viewing. (The first). It's not good enough to carry its thematic weight. But Ledger is brilliant. That scene meeting with the mob... ("You're crazy." / "I'm not. No. I'm not.") ...chills.

The Village

2017-12-24T01:24:25.000Z

The Village. I'd heard it was among the better of Shyamalan's but I wasn't expecting such a... masterpiece? So very, very good. Imagery and structure and theme and camerawork and characterization is all dialed in and thoughtful.

Into the Wild

2017-12-23T02:00:03.000Z

Into the Wild. Man, this dude, as portrayed, was insufferable. Awesome cast.

One Hour Photo

2017-12-18T01:02:48.000Z

One Hour Photo. One thing I've come to regret is that I disliked Williams' sillier movies so much I ignored most of his other roles for a long time. A solid, creepy score and a solid, creepy lead.

Once Upon a Time in the West

2017-12-17T00:47:09.000Z

Once Upon a Time in the West. Third viewing. (First, second.) I heard a snippet of Jill's Theme and there was no looking back. I had to watch it ASAP. One of my favorite movies, top 5 for sure. Filed under: Sergio Leone.

The Fountain

2017-12-16T01:00:12.000Z

The Fountain. Second viewing. (The first.) I think I have to bump this up to my favorite Aronofsky. Izzy's lines drive me a little nuts. Thematic bludgeons. But the visuals, the score, acting, tone, mood, and everything else that's supporting the themes: on point. Filed under: Darren Aronofsky.

L.A. Confidential

2017-12-11T02:55:10.000Z

L.A. Confidential. I think I've re-watched this on accident two or three times. Somehow it just doesn't stick, slides right out of my memory.

Nightcrawler

2017-12-10T22:55:38.000Z

Nightcrawler. Third viewing. (First, second.) What a creep. Not sure if it's coincidence or foresight, but this movie anticipated so many of today's headline issues – journalism and technology, display over discernment, race, class, economics, sexual misconduct in the workplace, narcissism, freelance desperation, moral compromise. It's all there. And Bill Paxton is so great. RIP.

Noah

2017-12-08T01:00:00.000Z

Noah. I didn't know much going in (except for, you know, one of the most famous Bible stories). There was a good bit of fantasy-type and action-hero stuff that, uh, I wasn't anticipating. Overall, pretty darn good. The flood scene juxtaposing the Ark and the small spit of land – completely gutting. And I don't know how that Creation scene works so well, but it's such a genius interlude...

The Two Faces of January

2017-12-03T20:50:14.000Z

The Two Faces of January. I watched it the same day I finished the book. I should double-up like that more often. (I liked the movie more.)

End of Watch

2017-11-27T02:50:15.000Z

End of Watch. A+, four stars. Blown away with how unexpectedly great this was, and how much I loved it. Start with something like Miami Vice, but dial back the moody cool and swap in more humor and camaraderie. Loved, loved, loved this movie.

Run All Night

2017-11-27T00:50:10.000Z

Run All Night. Second viewing. (The first.) Not sure why I gave it another shot. There's not enough running! I like the looks at the various intra-gang relationships here and there.

Sicario

2017-11-22T00:50:47.000Z

Sicario. Second viewing. (The first.) It's so gorgeous. I wish the soundtrack were more interesting – lots of bom bom bom military stock-issue heavy orchestra stuff. I like how they tell you in the title what it's all about and then they distract you from it for two hours. Nicely done.

Mad Max: Fury Road

2017-11-20T02:10:56.000Z

Mad Max: Fury Road. Second viewing. (The first.) Felt a little drawn-out this time around. Still a visual delight and I love how they fleshed out this insane world.

Allied

2017-11-13T00:45:14.000Z

Allied. Oh man. I fell in love with it within a few minutes. I wish we had more movies like this. Old-fashioned glamorous romance, melodrama. Sweeping but intimate. The stakes are high because the relationships matter.

The Departed

2017-11-11T00:45:41.000Z

The Departed. Third, maybe fourth viewing. Somehow it's compulsively watchable but I don't actually like it that much? I like the Japanese original Infernal Affairs more, I think. Filed under: Martin Scorsese.

Arrival

2017-11-01T23:45:28.000Z

Arrival. Second viewing. (The first.) The mind-bending scifi stuff doesn't dazzle as much, having seen it twice and read the story a few times. I like the sappiness, though, and I wish they'd play it up more. But I think if they had, I probably wouldn't have liked it as much the first time...

Panic Room

2017-10-23T23:35:56.000Z

Panic Room. Nicely constrained in time and space. I like the hints for stuff that comes up in the story later on, little things that foreshadow and reward your attention. Things are often in the frame for a reason.

Seven

2017-10-23T23:35:03.000Z

Seven. It's not aging very well for me. Mid-grade Fincher is still pretty darn good.

Dances with Wolves

2017-10-19T00:50:22.000Z

Dances with Wolves. The love story is a ruin, but I really like everything else. That buffalo hunt is spectacular.

Stagecoach

2017-10-16T03:35:05.000Z

Stagecoach. It is every bit as good as you've heard. Really wish I hadn't ignored the praise for so long. I like these movies where a loosely-tied cast of characters get thrown together. Made me think of Mad Max: Fury Road, if taken down to a crisp 90 minutes. The pacing sweeps you up. I wasn't expecting a love story, too!

The General’s Daughter

2017-10-15T20:30:12.000Z

The General's Daughter. Ugh. Just too much.

Congo

2017-10-15T02:25:37.000Z

Congo. Dumb old-fashioned '90s jungle adventure. It's not good, and not really close, but has its charms here and there. Laura Linney!

Doctor Strange

2017-10-14T23:25:55.000Z

Doctor Strange. It's a nice change of pace to see a superhero who's a bit of an asshole. Great finale. But still, it's yet another superhero origin story... There has to be another way.

Alien

2017-10-12T23:25:07.000Z

Alien. Perfection. Still a five-star film. I love those Nostromo jackets!

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

2017-10-09T01:20:59.000Z

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. So, so corny, but it keeps it light and there's a good adventure waterfall scene. Thesis: bad action/adventure movies are better than most other genres done badly.

Prisoners

2017-10-08T23:20:51.000Z

Prisoners. The older I get, torture scenes in movies are just more and more unbearable. I fear we still haven't appreciated Hugh Jackman enough. Nerdy Terrence Howard is a treat! Gyllenhaal's character is so weird and I love that they don't delve into it. much He just is.

The Invitation

2017-10-01T23:15:22.000Z

The Invitation. Really good! Draws you in and lingers. I like how it lets the suspicion sizzle without confirming it until late in the game. Love the use of and absence of sound throughout.

Passion

2017-09-29T23:15:23.000Z

Passion. The ballet scene is sublime. Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune plays prominently – teased early on a billboard. More on-the-nose than I expected it to be, and I was hoping for more of a slow burn.

Wish You Were Here

2017-09-24T23:10:48.000Z

Wish You Were Here. I really like that Joel Edgerton. The movie is fine. Plot gets a little tooooo thick and I wonder if the timeline-chopping hurts it.

Z for Zachariah

2017-09-18T01:10:12.000Z

Z for Zachariah. I liked it overall. Chris Pine has such a great blend of charm and menace. Accents are hit and miss. Biggest annoyance was the sets and costuming. The apocalypse looks a bit too much like a magazine spread. The score was written by the same woman who scored for the excellent, lovely-sounding, and harrowing Compliance. Good stuff.

A Most Violent Year

2017-09-17T23:05:49.000Z

A Most Violent Year. Solid. Gotta hang on to what you got. I like that the hero is a runner.

Felony

2017-09-16T23:05:52.000Z

Felony. I like a story where people goof up and cover it up. But this was kinda bland. Jai Courtney surprisingly good as a straight-arrow type?

Predator

2017-09-15T23:05:26.000Z

Predator. Holds up! I forgot how fluid and pleasing some of the camerawork is here. The scene where they unload a zillion bullets into the jungle has a strange formalist beauty. Final fight just a wee too long.

Take Shelter

2017-09-11T23:00:12.000Z

Take Shelter. Good lord I love this movie. Gut-wrenching to see a man surrounded by, and pushing away, people that care about him. (My first viewing was somehow five years ago?)

Sliding Doors

2017-09-07T23:00:42.000Z

Sliding Doors. '90s movies are really growing on me. Paltrow and Lynch and Tripplehorn are such natural charmers.

Valkyrie

2017-09-03T23:00:12.000Z

Valkyrie. I... don't remember much about. It was fine?

Our Kind of Traitor

2017-08-30T23:05:14.000Z

Our Kind of Traitor. It was fine. Fairly standard spy intrigue stuff. I'm on board with that, but just ran out of steam somehow.

20th Century Women

2017-08-22T01:30:43.000Z

20th Century Women. I loved it. The '70s were weird but then again so was every time. Bening is a genius.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2017-08-20T01:27:11.000Z

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The Riders of Rohan are the best. Loved'em in the book. Love'em in the movies. I think they nailed the melodrama in this one. And the build-up to the spider set-piece is pretty great. I still think the song during the closing credits is a huge misfire. Should have gone instrumental!

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

2017-08-16T01:25:27.000Z

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. You can see the move ripping at the seams. There's a lot of story to pack in here. Lots of it feels clipped, rushed, off-kilter. Romances are un-earned. Jarring shifts in tone. Gimli has a lot more to say. Legolas slides on a shield? It's a mess, but may have the best landscapes of the trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

2017-08-14T02:21:31.000Z

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Appreciated the soundtrack more this time around. Pretty sure it's borrowing from Dvorak. Also reminded me of The Last of the Mohicans in mood. Great work with the suspense and setting the sense, and such a great ending. Not a teaser, but a promise of adventure.

American Honey

2017-08-13T04:22:12.000Z

American Honey. Wow, probably one of my favorites I saw in 2017. Slice-of-life-y, crazy energy, the time just slipped right by. I was swept up. Filed under: road movies.

The Fugitive

2017-08-08T16:51:37.000Z

The Fugitive. Had a good time live-tweeting this one. Holds up really well. Favorite thing I noticed this time around was how Ford's wardrobe changes with his status in the story. He starts in a tux, then a suit, then jail uniform, then dirty coveralls, then clean coveralls, then a military jacket, and tweed. That's when you know he's really back in charge.

Jaws

2017-08-01T03:59:56.000Z

Jaws. I dunno. It's perfect. What do you want me to say?

Shaun of the Dead

2017-08-01T03:57:54.000Z

Shaun of the Dead. I really really really wish I'd seen this one years ago. Like pretty much every comedy, the rapid-fire funny bits eventually decay into a slow shuffle, but it's worth it. Pegg and Wright are truly gifted.

Bridges of Madison County

2017-07-24T08:06:33.000Z

The Bridges of Madison County. I kinda hate myself for saying this but I think Streep gets under my skin a little bit. The micro-mannerisms. I just about eye-rolled myself inside-out when she closed the fridge with her foot. Still, a lovely little doomed romance. A story of acceptance. I like the way it just sorta relaxes into the story and takes its time even though it covers such a short time period. I'd say this is better than maybe half of the Clint Eastwood movies I've seen.

Nerve

2017-07-24T08:06:33.000Z

Nerve. So fun! Saw it on an airplane. Got such great zip and momentum and soundtrack. It loses some of that momentum as the stakes rise, but minor fault. Worth a watch. It took me forever to realize why Emma Roberts and Dave Franco each looked so familiar even though I knew I'd never seen either one before.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

2017-07-24T08:06:33.000Z

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It's not perfect, and I'm a little annoyed that they're still making these... but, now that they are, I think this is the kind of story I'd like to see more of. Sort of putting some shape around the original 6-episode arc rather than extending it. I wish it were more melodramatic. Also a wee long and kind of a bad script? Dumb fan service (I assume we're due for lots more) and the CGI Tarkin and Leia are huuuuuuge mistakes. Still, seeing Mendelsohn, Mikkelsen, and Whitaker in the same movie? What a treat! Much, much better than The Force Awakens. Filed under: Star Wars.

Ocean's Eleven

2017-06-22T04:14:27.000Z

Ocean's Eleven. It's decent! It doesn't have the same zany charm as the first time I saw it, but holds up well enough. Filed under: Steven Soderbergh.

Star Trek: Beyond

2017-06-20T02:22:18.000Z

Star Trek: Beyond. These movies are getting worse. :( Hope they don't keep going this route, where they turn into basically superhero films. I fear it's too late. Filed under: Star Trek.

Eyes Wide Shut

2017-06-19T01:15:54.000Z

Eyes Wide Shut. Third or fourth time I've seen it. I like it more. Probably bump this up to #3 after 2001 and The Killing. Overall I'm not a huge Kubrick fan, though. Filed under: Stanley Kubrick.

The Truman Show

2017-06-15T04:26:05.000Z

The Truman Show. So, so great. Really lovely blend of comedy and drama. Everyone is perfect in their role.

Close-Up

2017-06-11T15:03:32.000Z

Close-Up. I decided to dig into some Iranian films this year. This one is based on a true story where a guy convinces a family he is a famous director and wants to use them in his film. He is found out. This movie re-tells the story... using those same people as the actors. One of those movies where talking about it afterward was more interesting than watching it, but still compelling crazy stuff. The only other Abbas Kiarostami I've seen is Certified Copy, and it was marvelous.

The Mummy (1999)

2017-06-11T02:55:26.000Z

The Mummy (1999). Why did we ever stop making solid, pure adventure films? These old movies always have a bunch of lazy exoticizing that doesn't age well, but I miss the spirit of the whole thing.

Her

2017-06-03T04:59:31.000Z

Her. Third viewing. Just as compelling as the first time, though these days the hook seems more unlikely and even more unappealing. Filed under: Spike Jonze.

Train to Busan

2017-05-23T03:33:51.000Z

Train to Busan. Mostly pretty fun. Genre films are at their best when they let you know the rules and then explore them. It has some surprising worthwhile characters, too. They're not all zombie fodder.

The Place Beyond the Pines

2017-05-23T02:10:19.000Z

The Place Beyond the Pines. Third viewing. I'm going to keep coming back to it. Filed under: Derek Cianfrance.

No Way Out

2017-05-12T00:59:34.000Z

No Way Out. Really fun, really twisty, really '80s. I like this version of Costner – slick as hell, and in deep shit. I wish Sean Young's character had a bit more going for her. Gene Hackman is one of those actors who does so well playing gross people I have to remember that and counteract it.

The Sixth Sense

2017-05-09T00:43:08.000Z

The Sixth Sense. I didn't remember this one being as good as it was, but it holds up pretty well for most of the story. Don't love how it wraps up, but hard to hate the journey there.

Manchester by the Sea

2017-05-02T00:34:25.000Z

Manchester by the Sea. Emotionally exhausting, slow reveals, full of heart.

RoboCop

2017-04-21T00:24:00.000Z

RoboCop. I appreciate the intentional over-the-top-ness but eventually it became a bit tedious for me. Shifts in tone keep you on your toes, though.

Elle

2017-04-17T03:51:04.000Z

Elle. I… have never seen anything quite like it. Guess I need to catch up on Verhoeven’s other work now.

Interstellar

2017-04-17T03:31:20.000Z

Interstellar. As much as I whine about Christopher Nolan films, he’s got some gifts. My experience the second time around was almost the reverse of my first viewing: I was feeling the family story, and the epic space adventure had me twiddling my thumbs. I need an alternate cut of this movie that removes the “let’s explain the science” interludes. Just gimme the melodrama. The heightened emo stuff just wrecked me.

No Country for Old Men

2017-04-17T03:20:54.000Z

No Country for Old Men. The 10th anniversary is coming up soon (!), and it gets better every time.

A History of Violence

2017-04-17T03:15:02.000Z

A History of Violence. I remember reading the graphic novel way back in the day. Pretty solid small-town drama. Reminded me of The Equalizer, with the focus on some tidy local drama that caps off with a little road trip to the rich bad guy’s house.

Frailty

2017-04-02T17:18:05.000Z

Frailty. A father reveals to his sons that God has called them to kill demons. I really like the use of sound in this one, the full range from silence to full intensity at just the right moments. Also some smart visuals, like how we see humans get killed, but when demons are destroyed, we don’t. It doesn’t give away the truth, because it’s not the point.

In the Bedroom

2017-04-02T17:15:15.000Z

In the Bedroom. This was excellent. Just lures you in, and you care about every single one of them. In a few decades we’re gonna look back and realize we didn’t appreciate Tom Wilkinson quite as much as we should have. Peak Tomei, too.

The Thing

2017-04-02T17:15:11.000Z

The Thing. I feel like this one has been in the air a good bit recently. I… don’t understand all the hubbub. It’s fine. Just wasn’t for me.

Going Clear

2017-04-02T17:15:07.000Z

Going Clear. A bloated redheaded paranoiac congenital liar amasses customers/fans. Hilarity ensues. Didn’t learn a ton, but I suppose it’s nice to be reminded why some things creep you out.

Frankenstein

2017-04-02T17:15:03.000Z

Frankenstein. The last time I saw this I was in late elementary or early middle school, I think. Probably about a decade too early to appreciate the moral aspect of the horror. Heartbreaking, disturbing, must-watch. Makes me curious about the book…

A Simple Plan

2017-04-02T17:14:57.000Z

A Simple Plan. Watch this one a couple days after Bill Paxton’s death. He’s great. Could make a nice combo with Fargo.

Children of Heaven

2017-03-05T01:11:58.000Z

Children of Heaven. I loved this movie within minutes. Amazing piece of work. Majidi gets so much mileage out of the smallest moments. The schoolkids’ foot race at the end was more intense than most blockbuster finales. Anything can be high-stakes if you care about the characters.

10 Cloverfield Lane

2017-03-05T01:08:25.000Z

10 Cloverfield Lane. One of those movies that takes a few different shapes. Start with a stalker suspense, then abduction horror, then bunker survival, then… well, ya gotta watch it. Love how a few new details surfacing makes you change what you’re rooting for. Good ride.

Complete Unknown

2017-03-05T01:06:49.000Z

Complete Unknown. It seems so unfair that a perfectly-fine-but-not-great movie like this gets saddled with a terrible name. Weisz and Shannon are top-notch.

Cold War

2017-03-05T01:06:46.000Z

Cold War. It’s a bit of a mess but it’s decent. Always keeps moving. Bureaucratic succession drama disguised as action film! Sometimes watching foreign movies I think I’m probably missing a lot of cultural context that would help me settle in.

The Stranger

2017-03-05T01:06:43.000Z

The Stranger. Edward G. Robinson is a treasure.

You're Next

2017-02-26T16:00:22.000Z

You’re Next. This one got on my list right after I finished The Guest for the first time. Solid home invasion horror. The story details for this sort of thing are almost never satisfying, but the trip is fun.

The Lobster

2017-02-26T16:00:18.000Z

The Lobster. Oof. This is brutal. Deadpan funny and dark as can be. Seems like so it’s fully thought through and considered. I need to find more by this Lanthimos guy.

Knight of Cups

2017-02-26T15:54:05.000Z

Knight of Cups. After I watched it I wrote some snarky tweets rolling my eyes at this movie having beautiful people walking aimlessly. I meant it, and I also still liked it. The interiority that’s getting stronger in his films is interesting for me. Not so much just watching the characters but riding along with them. Also, he’s the only person making weird idiosyncratically Malickian movies with big names, whenever he feels like it. However he’s getting it done, respect. Filed under: Terrence Malick.

The Grey

2017-02-26T15:54:02.000Z

The Grey. I wish the poem at the heart of the movie was better. For me, there’s not quite enough there for the melodrama it’s asking for. I think maybe it would have been better without knowing the reasons our hero is so dour. But of course I like the survival bits. The surprises and set pieces are all great.

Miami Vice

2017-02-26T15:53:59.000Z

Miami Vice. I love this movie. The pathos was stronger this time around, the resignation. On each watch I also become a little more resentful that Foxx doesn’t have a bigger role. His relationship with Crockett has something to offer the story, but we don’t see it much. I’d be up for another 12 minutes with the two of them on screen. Filed under: Michael Mann.

Punch-Drunk Love

2017-02-12T22:50:15.000Z

Punch-Drunk Love. I put this one off for a long, long time. I started very skeptical, but it won me over. Brings out sides of Sandler I never knew were there, and gotta respect a movie that drifts so freely from convention when it feels right. My PT Anderson power rankings:

The Master
Hard Eight
Punch-Drunk Love
There Will Be Blood
Magnolia
Boogie Nights

Cameraperson

2017-02-12T22:50:11.000Z

Cameraperson. Man I loved this one. A collage of footage from director Kirsten Johnson’s work on other films. It works as an experience of the lives she documents and as seeing through her own eyes, and as wrestling with the choices of what or what not to show and how or how not to tell these stories. Highly recommended.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

2017-02-12T16:01:14.000Z

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I remember having the biggest crush on Dr. Elsa Schneider as a kid and feeling very conflicted about it. It’s a fun ride, but also felt a little frustrating sometimes when they’re playing for laughs.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

2017-02-12T16:01:11.000Z

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I forgot how weird this movie was, is. Breakneck zany with no patience for sitting around asking questions.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

2017-02-12T16:01:08.000Z

Raiders of the Lost Ark. It holds up the best of the original trilogy. I feel Iike the Marion Ravenwood character still hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves – Karen Allen is great. Watching as an adult you realize that Indy is… often not very good at what he does. Still gorgeous and fun and it’ll be that way for years to come.

How I Got My Attention Back – Backchannel

2017-02-05T19:03:04.000Z

It’s not Wikipedia that we binge on all day.

How I Got My Attention Back – Backchannel

Robert Eggers, Director of ‘The Witch,’ on the Horror Right in Front of Us | | Observer

2017-02-05T19:02:55.000Z

“Because modern horror is usually this masochistic titillation bullshit, a lot of people in interviews will tell me [The Witch] is not a horror film, it’s a psychological suspense thriller with supernatural elements,” he said, putting on a tone of faux-snobbery. “And I’m like, ‘O.K., that’s cool.’ But then fucking Edgar Allan Poe isn’t horror, either. “What’s important to me about horror stories,” he continued, “is to look at what’s actually horrifying about humanity, instead of shining a flashlight on it and running away giggling.”

Robert Eggers, Director of ‘The Witch,’ on the Horror Right in Front of Us | | Observer

The Witch

2017-02-05T19:02:50.000Z

The Witch. Second viewing. Incredible movie, and my appreciation grows and grows the more I think and read about it.

Blue Ruin

2017-02-05T18:52:54.000Z

Blue Ruin. Second viewing. I wasn’t as gobsmacked as I was the first time I watched it, but it holds up really well.

Stormy Monday

2017-02-05T18:34:26.000Z

Stormy Monday. I like its stylishness, the moody, cynical, compact story. Also enjoyed Mike Figgis’ Internal Affairs.

Love & Friendship

2017-01-07T03:51:44.000Z

Love & Friendship. If you like Jane Austen and/or Whit Stillman, you can’t go wrong here. Chatty, witty, gossipy. Things really pick up when Sir James Martin appears. It’s like someone tossed a confetti bomb into the room. I should watch more chamber pieces.

Inside Llewyn Davis

2017-01-07T03:11:13.000Z

Inside Llewyn Davis. I liked it but I feel like I was missing a little something. It’s just not the Coen way to get super sappy. Can’t help but see this movie as the two of them trying to work out how they’d carry on without the other. I’d rank this one third out of their movies I’ve seen, behind No Country for Old Men and Fargo and way ahead of The Big Lebowski.

Genevieve Bell: ‘Humanity’s greatest fear is about being irrelevant’ | Technology | The Guardian

2017-01-04T02:58:43.000Z

I’m interested in how animals are connected to the internet and how we might be able to see the world from an animal’s point of view. There’s something very interesting in someone else’s vantage point, which might have a truth to it. For instance, the tagging of cows for automatic milking machines, so that the cows can choose when to milk themselves. Cows went from being milked twice a day to being milked three to six times a day, which is great for the farm’s productivity and results in happier cows, but it’s also faintly disquieting that the technology makes clear to us the desires of cows – making them visible in ways they weren’t before. So what does one do with that knowledge? One of the unintended consequences of big data and the internet of things is that some things will become visible and compel us to confront them.

Genevieve Bell: ‘Humanity’s greatest fear is about being irrelevant’ | Technology | The Guardian

Paris Review - William Gibson, The Art of Fiction No. 211

2017-01-04T02:49:19.000Z

There was a lot of inherent cultural relativism in the science fiction I discovered then. It gave me the idea that you could question anything, that it was possible to question anything at all. You could question religion, you could question your own culture’s most basic assumptions. That was just unheard of—where else could I have gotten it? You know, to be thirteen years old and get your brain plugged directly into Philip K. Dick’s brain!

That wasn’t the way science fiction advertised itself, of course. The self-advertisement was: Technology! The world of the future! Educational! Learn about science! It didn’t tell you that it would jack your kid into this weird malcontent urban literary universe and serve as the gateway drug to J. G. Ballard.

And nobody knew. The people at the high school didn’t know, your parents didn’t know. Nobody knew that I had discovered this window into all kinds of alien ways of thinking that wouldn’t have been at all acceptable to the people who ran that little world I lived in.

Paris Review - William Gibson, The Art of Fiction No. 211

January 3, 2017

2017-01-03T02:06:42.000Z

Resentment might start with a wrong that’s done to you, but harboring it in silence is a wrong you do to others.

Carolyn Hax.

On Digital Minimalism - Study Hacks - Cal Newport

2017-01-03T02:06:37.000Z

Be wary of tools that solve a problem that didn’t exist before the tool. GPS helped solve a problem that existed for a long time before it came along (how do I get where I want to go?), so did Google (how do I find this piece of information I need?). Snapchat, by contrast, did not. Be wary of tools in this latter category as they tend to exist mainly to create addictive new behaviors that support ad sales.

On Digital Minimalism - Study Hacks - Cal Newport

The Neon Demon

2016-12-31T21:00:57.000Z

The Neon Demon. If divisiveness was Refn’s goal, it seems he delivered. Lots of hate and eye-rolling for this one, and I get it to a degree (especially when the director is kind of a troll). But I liked it. I appreciated Lauren Wilford’s perspective. Movies are not just the stories they’re about, but also the way they are about it. Gotta make space in the world for demented fever-dreamy impressionist movies, too.

Bone Tomahawk

2016-12-31T20:45:11.000Z

Bone Tomahawk. It’s a western and a horror film. I shouldn’t have to sell it more than that, but I’ll add that it has a script that just blew my mind. So funny, so sharp. There’s some thematic richness, too, in how these characters (all pretty well-drawn) manage what they face together (some, uh, seriously horrific stuff – fair warning). So pleasantly surprised with this movie. I need a rewatch!

Arrival

2016-12-31T20:35:47.000Z

Arrival. I loved the short story collection that this movie draws from. I wish they’d played the extremes just a bit more. Maybe get even more nerdy with the science/linguistics, and even more fragmented/playful with the chronology. Can’t have everything, though. It’s about as good an adaptation as you can ask for that’d still get wide release.

Moonlight

2016-12-31T20:23:49.000Z

Moonlight. Loved it. Broke my heart many times over. One of my 2016 favorites.

Bølgen (The Wave)

2016-12-31T20:13:16.000Z

Bølgen (The Wave). With disaster films, you pretty much know what you’re getting into. This one delivers on all the beats you want – peaceful daily life with the foreboding undercurrent; the guy who has a spider-sense about what’s coming; the family drama; the series of traps and mishaps. These can only get so good, but it holds up its end of the deal. This could make a nice double-feature with Force Majeure.

Halloween

2016-12-31T19:56:10.000Z

Halloween. It holds up!

Sicario

2016-12-31T19:49:46.000Z

Sicario. As visually awesome as you’ve heard. Blunt and Brolin are great as usual, fine, sure, but Benicio Del Toro is probably in my top 5 all time?

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

2016-12-31T19:44:20.000Z

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. As always, good company elevates everything, so live-tweeting the movie took a fun story to another level.

Chimes at Midnight

2016-12-31T19:33:51.000Z

Chimes at Midnight. Kinda exhausting.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

2016-12-31T19:28:39.000Z

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Disappointed. There is some charm in its weird parent-comedy moments, but missed the mark for me. Still a big fan of the first one.

Hush

2016-12-31T19:21:40.000Z

Hush. There’s a pretty bullshit moment near the climax but it’s mostly pretty fun. I had a few shouting-at-the-TV moments, which is mostly what I’m looking for in this kind of movie.

Kubo and the Two Strings

2016-12-31T19:16:07.000Z

Kubo and the Two Strings. Absurdly gorgeous for stop-motion animation. I’m so impressed. The plot drags at times, but always dazzling in some way or another.

Carolyn Hax: A quick trip from travel mode to grump mode - The Washington Post

2016-12-31T19:08:33.000Z

Alone time is a gift many people don’t feel comfortable asking for, and not having it when needed is a common cause of stage sighing and other put-upon theatrics.

*ahem*

Carolyn Hax: A quick trip from travel mode to grump mode - The Washington Post

In “Collateral Beauty” and “Passengers,” Two Tales of Gaslighting - The New Yorker

2016-12-31T19:08:31.000Z

Fantasy, even when it’s rooted in practical details and doesn’t involve any metaphysical impossibilities, is the hardest genre to pull off, for the simple reason that life is interesting. A drama or a comedy that sticks close to experience has the intrinsic virtue of documentary—and, as with documentary itself, less is usually more.

In “Collateral Beauty” and “Passengers,” Two Tales of Gaslighting - The New Yorker

Hell or High Water

2016-11-27T18:04:08.000Z

Hell or High Water. A western family heist movie that has it all: quiet moments, comedy, high-stakes action, strong relationships. One of the best of the year.

Man of Tai Chi

2016-11-27T18:04:05.000Z

Man of Tai Chi. Good fightin’. It’s rare that martial arts movies work in some good grappling and wrestling, but it really takes this one to another level. This makes a nice pairing with 99 Homes – about a hero’s incrementally ignoble choices leading to self-destruction. Filed under: Keanu Reeves, martial arts

99 Homes

2016-11-27T18:04:02.000Z

99 Homes. A tale of greed and selfishness. I think the lead’s motivation is borderline too irrational to hold up, but you never know. Wasn’t expecting so much from Andrew Garfield, but he’s legit. Shannon is the king.

The Ides of March

2016-11-27T17:18:11.000Z

The Ides of March. I don’t think I remember a single thing about this one. ¯(ツ)/¯ Seems like a shame, with Hoffman, Giamatti, Tomei, and Wright on the cast.

Eastern Promises

2016-11-27T17:18:08.000Z

Eastern Promises. It’s fine!

Gone Baby Gone

2016-11-27T17:18:05.000Z

Gone Baby Gone. Second viewing (I like my first write-up). One thing I hate in this movie is how a disfigured villain character distances us. Seems like kind of a weasel move. You see similar in True Detective, which also really bothered me. So much of the series lingers in mundane evil and violence, and then… the final villains are freakshows. Lame. I suppose it’s a bit different here with the denouement, but the earlier raid still gets under my skin.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

2016-11-27T17:18:01.000Z

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It’s an odd one. Absolutely gorgeous at times. I like the olde-timey lens distortion and sepia tones. And the slow-burn obsession is awesome. Reminds me a bit of Public Enemies, with the possessive attraction to a charismatic criminal.

Force Majeure

2016-11-27T16:44:50.000Z

Force Majeure. Domestic dramas are better when they are also dark comedy. I really liked the balance here. So much awkwardness, the couple tentatively probing and exploring what they’ve learned about each other, figuring out how to break the silence when vulnerability is high.

Into the Blue

2016-11-27T16:44:46.000Z

Into the Blue. One of the mid-level ‘00s action/adventure films that holds up. I love some of the cliche characters here. Like, yep, that new friend is definitely going to ruin everything by doing something dumb. You know it instantly. And I’d totally forgotten about Brolin’s role in this. If a movie makes you envy a lifestyle even if it’s not a great movie, it’s still doing something right.

Midnight Special

2016-11-27T16:44:42.000Z

Midnight Special. This was one I liked so much in previews and during the majority of its runtime that there was probably no way for it to conclude in a way that I loved. Good ride. Jeff Nichols is on a roll.

The Thin Red Line

2016-11-27T16:44:38.000Z

The Thin Red Line. A little weaker each time I see it, some parts seemed kinda limp, but it’s still great. Filed under: Terrence Malick

Do we need more radical Islam? - Marginal REVOLUTION

2016-09-02T02:07:30.000Z

In general, I am suspicious when someone dismisses a view for being “radical” or “extreme.” There is usually sloppy thinking behind that designation. Why not just say what is wrong with the view? How for instance are we supposed to feel about “radical Christianity”? Good or bad? Does it mean Origen or Ted Cruz or something altogether different? Can’t we just debate the question itself?

The same is true in politics. Let’s say someone favors free trade and the First Amendment. Is that “radical”? Or is it mainstream and thus non-radical? Does labeling it radical further the debate on whether or not those are the correct positions?

Do we need *more* radical Islam? - Marginal REVOLUTION

Blow Out

2016-08-31T16:35:40.000Z

Blow Out. Last movie I saw at Ebertfest, and man what a way to go out. Love the cold open with a terrible horror film shoot… which we revisit later on. The movie does this throughout, working with both highbrow and lowbrow, exploiting genre trappings while mocking them. John Lithgow is amazing. I love how much old tech is in this: tape recorders, 16mm film, photo development, paper flipbooks, wearing wires. The climax, so ecstatic and lush and colorful and heightened through its slowness, is perfect. There’s something about the idea of truth in this one. Audio isn’t enough. It’s seeing that’s believing.

The Scrying Game — Real Life

2016-08-31T15:24:28.000Z

Making leisure your labor, an elaboration of “working from home,” can be a profound comfort. Collapsing the public and private can mean protection from both realms — stripped of some of the obligations of traditional professionalism, your public life can be more intimate and casual. And when you “be yourself” for a living, your private self can be infused with the armored posturing of a public persona. This elision can also, truly, drive a person crazy.

The Scrying Game — Real Life

Love & Mercy

2016-08-31T13:00:14.000Z

Love & Mercy. Biopics are not my strong suit and I usually complain about them. This was a good one, alternating between an older and a younger Brian Wilson, some of the scenes echoing each other. It didn’t delve into the drug stuff as much as I expected, or the long years he spent in bed. I wonder if that was a PR thing? Or maybe it just doesn’t lend itself to picturization. Still an interesting view of mental illness, and mental illness in a particular time and place without stuff we take for granted now. Also an atypical romance here, where the collapse happens in a way that you’re sympathetic to both. He’s a broken man; she’s a woman who knows she can only give so much. I left wondering about how thwarted and overwhelmed he must have felt. Not just the creative struggle to take what’s in his head and make it real. There’s also the conflicting and belittling messages from father, doctor, bandmates, etc. Wicked sound design at times playing against all of those in a few scenes, like when he rejects his father and picks up the headphones, some studio breakthroughs, some moments wrestling with schizophrenia. After seeing this, I’m also curious about The Wrecking Crew, a doc about the session musicians who helped create the original sound for the Beach Boys and many others. Filed under: Ebertfest

August 30, 2016

2016-08-30T23:57:02.000Z

I started watching Stranger Things yesterday, and this moment from s1e1 spoke to me on a deep level. And the soundtrack is pretty rad, too.

10 Reasons the 5K is Freaking Awesome

2016-08-30T14:10:23.000Z

I had to ask myself, Is this as fast as you can possibly run right now? and when the answer was No, making myself try harder for no other reason than that trying hard matters.

10 Reasons the 5K is Freaking Awesome

Radical Grace

2016-08-30T14:05:33.000Z

Radical Grace. This was a fun documentary. It tracks a group of feisty nuns and their guerrilla battles with the patriarchy in the Catholic church. They come under a lot of fire for more progressive outspokenness on a variety of issues. The sisters keep alive a sort of old-school community-based hippie evangelist approach. There’s some good droll “those wild women need supervisin’!” humor throughout. The nerve! Favorite line was from Sister Jean Hughes, when she said something like “God is not a man with a beard. God is the impetus for good.”

Is ‘Rage Twitter’ Meaningless, or an Expression of a Deeper Sense of Hurt? – The Extratextual

2016-08-30T14:00:20.000Z

Twitter puts its users in the uncomfortable position of spectating people’s tirades and honest outpourings of hurt while being almost entirely powerless to respond in a meaningful way.

Is ‘Rage Twitter’ Meaningless, or an Expression of a Deeper Sense of Hurt? – The Extratextual

Why Is It So Hard to Get Serial Drama Right in 2016?

2016-08-29T23:35:51.000Z

As TV drama becomes more traditionally novelistic, announcing exactly how long a story is going to take and assuring us that the end of a season will be the End, we can breathe a sigh of relief, because we know that at least one thing we’ve invested our emotions in will set an endpoint and stick to it and let us move on to something else.

This speaks to me. I don’t remember the last show I watched past the third season. I’m sure I’m missing out on many wonderful experiences, but… to each their own. Cf. streaming TV as a new genre.

Why Is It So Hard to Get Serial Drama Right in 2016?

Force of Destiny

2016-08-29T13:08:31.000Z

Force of Destiny. In this one a sculptor gets liver cancer and falls in love. One of those sweet gentle ones, very weepy and slow. Every now and it’s intercut with trippy scenes: a heron flying with a stick; the hero with his mother as a child; scenes from Italy travel and boats; a masked ball with people in the hospital. One thing it captures well is that special sort of quite terror and anxiety of waiting in the hospital, surrounded by other people’s grief and afflictions. The autobiographical overtones here made me wonder if it’s self-indulgent, and if that’s bad, and why it matters, and why it bothers me, and what it means that it colors my reaction to the film so much. Also a little bit of a not-too-subtle organ donation promotional, and I’m on board with that. Filed under: Ebertfest.

Even Superheroes Punch the Clock - The New York Times

2016-08-29T01:23:44.000Z

All of Bourne’s enemies, as well as his potential allies, are colleagues of one kind or another, and his very existence is a horrifying reductio ad absurdum of life on the corporate treadmill.

Even Superheroes Punch the Clock - The New York Times

Storyboards for Heat

2016-08-29T01:20:57.000Z

Michael Mann’s photographic storyboards for the bank heist from Heat. Filed under: Heat.

Eve's Bayou

2016-08-29T00:50:15.000Z

Eve’s Bayou. One of my absolute favorites from Ebertfest. Maybe my favorite, period. Stands out superficially with some impressive child actors, female leads throughout, and no white people. I love how it accumulates little moments. There’s a vibe here I’m not savvy enough to describe other than “very 90s” that’s very… old-fashioned. Full orchestra. Soft film image. Evening glow. It felt like a play at some points, with some of the momentum and delivery in the dialogue, and how the scenes were staged. The scene where Mozelle tells the story of her husband confronting her lover is a little masterpiece. Highly recommended!

Disturbing the Peace

2016-08-29T00:50:10.000Z

Disturbing the Peace. A documentary about how former militants – Israeli and Palestinian – changed their minds, joined up with the enemy, and started to work for peace. It opens with personal stories of transformation. Confessions of wrongdoing. Stories of victimhood. The moment they decided to do something different than fight the other side. In form, it’s a mix of talking heads, reenactments, news reel footage, and live documenting protests and nonviolent demonstrations. My favorite part was this really great scene between husband and wife. The wife holds a more angry and strident pro-Palestinian stance. She sees the nonviolent, loving approach as a surrender. There’s this awesome parental tension I’d never considered – how do they decide to expose their daughters to that greater world and their perspective, when to introduce them to certain ideas, etc. There’s also the fact that the rest of the populations (Israeli and Palestinian) sometimes aren’t just ambivalent but sometimes strongly anti-nonviolence, strongly against peaceful protest. Gave me a new appreciation, of how hard it is to do protest work when the rest of your community hates what you’re doing… I forget whether this was in the movie or in the post-movie conversation, but I also like the idea that forgiveness is not altruistic. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself. Filed under: Ebertfest.

Man on the Street - The New Yorker

2016-06-28T01:49:31.000Z

In 1966, a photographer Cunningham knew gave him an Olympus Pen D half-frame camera. “It cost about thirty-five dollars,” Cunningham wrote. “He said, ‘Here, use it like a notebook.’ And that was the real beginning.”

Man on the Street - The New Yorker

L'Inhumaine

2016-06-28T01:34:08.000Z

L'Inhumaine. Marcel L’Herbier’s old French 1924 silent film. I saw this one at Ebertfest, along with Darius Milhaud’s original score played live by the Alloy Orchestra. It… messed with my head. It starts at this awesome crazy-designed mansion of wealthy singer. You see, she’s a babe and there are men competing for her attention. One is jilted and attempts/fakes suicide. People mourn. There’s a big scene at a Paris theatre with a big rabble-rousing crowd. (That scene also features some awesome cameos from real-life friends from the art world – Proust, Joyce, Pound, etc.). The singer feels guilt. The suicide guy returns. One of the other suitors, a Maharaja, seeks revenge for his jilting by posing as a taxi driver and planting a poisonous snake in her cab. She dies. A mad scientist revives her. Etc. That’s not even the half of it. The final trippy hallucinatory sequence is NUTS. There’s montage, translucencies, overlapping images, swapping color filters, flashes of bold color, accelerating cuts. Don’t sleep on the old stuff.

adventure journal – The Struggles of an Introverted Adventurer

2016-06-14T14:31:11.000Z

I am not shy, but I am elusive.

A lot of the essay is a more mopey than rings true for me, but I like that description a lot.

adventure journal – The Struggles of an Introverted Adventurer

The Third Man (1949)

2016-06-14T14:13:32.000Z

The Third Man (1949). Number four from Ebertfest. I dug it, and I remember basically nothing about the plot. Post-war Vienna light-and-shadow mystery stuff, cock-eyed angles. Orwell’s reveal, emerging from the shadows, is so good. Nice sewer chase at the end, though I wish they’d tightened it up a bit. I wonder how they managed the sound down there. And basics like navigating around. Apparently that persistent zither soundtrack was a local, on-the-spot hire, some dude they found on location at a cafe during the filming of the movie.

Northfork

2016-06-13T14:22:10.000Z

Northfork. Third movie I saw at Ebertfest. It’s really bizarre and I really liked it. In this one, there’s a small town that’s about to be flooded as a new lake is constructed. Some G-men types are hired to evacuate people (a pair of lovers; a guy who nailed himself to his front porch, waiting gun in hand; a man who built an ark for himself and his two wives). There’s also a storyline with a small dying orphan boy who has dreams with imagery that draw from the knick-knacks on his bedside table: a cup of tea, a model plane, a Bible, pillow and its feathers, a model hand, a music box. So, a story of transitions and leave-takings. But for all that, it has its light moments like some really droll, straightfaced wordplay delivered without a hint of knowingness (“fowl play”, “What are you talking about Willis?”), a quartet of angels looking for a chosen one, and some weird gags like the guessing game at the diner. There’s a blend of Catholic, Mormon, and Amish local influence along with some magical realism. So, a really, really odd one. Some of the drama is a little flat, but I love the imagination.

June 13, 2016

2016-06-13T12:21:50.000Z

Compatibility is an achievement of love; it must not be its precondition.

Alain de Botton.

How Americans pretend to love ‘ethnic food’

2016-06-12T23:22:15.000Z

Despite all this talk about how we eat everything and like everything, we are not willing to pay for everything at the same rate, and that tells you something.

How Americans pretend to love ‘ethnic food’

Grandma

2016-06-12T23:20:49.000Z

Grandma. Another one from Ebertfest, one of my least favorite of the weekend, but it’s not bad by any means. In short, a granddaughter goes to her grandmother’s house to get money for money for an abortion, and we go from there. This grandma… has anger issues. She’s gruff, flaky, independent. It’s weird having a central character who’s so angry all the time. Takes something special to keep her worth watching. She’s her own worst enemy for sure. She also drives a classic car that’s near breaking down. She doesn’t take care of it – metaphor! Themes of motherhood, parental influence, experiencing and anticipating loss, grieving, etc. All female cast except for an excellent Sam Elliott cameo and the guy at dinner.

Guillermo del Toro's Twitter book recommendations (with tweets) · tehgort · Storify

2016-06-12T22:32:57.000Z

Just like it says on the label. Awesome that someone took the time to collect these from his excellent Twitter account.

Guillermo del Toro's Twitter book recommendations (with tweets) · tehgort · Storify

Crimson Peak

2016-06-12T22:30:28.000Z

Crimson Peak. This was the opener at Ebertfest when I went a couple months ago. I loved it the first time and it was even better with an enthusiastic crowd in an old theater. Felt like an event. The anticipation helps a lot, and having the director on hand to talk about his movie does, too. One of my favorite lines from Guillermo Del Toro’s awesome Q&A that night:

I don’t make eye candy. I make eye protein.

He shared background on the influences, comparisons and similarities to Jane Eyre and Frankenstein, which have a similar sense of loss and abandonment, and to a few Hitchcock movies – Rebecca, Suspicion, Notorious – as more recent gothic romances where love ends in conflagration. In this one the heroine’s experience of love goes hand-in-hand with the experience of death. He also talked a lot about the unity of construction through the whole thing. How the story is told in architecture (different architectural styles through the house and each floor, the differing levels of moral order and corruption), in costume (Chastain’s blue dress borrows architectural elements from the house; another draws influence from her association with moth vs. Wasikowska’s butterfly; she’s the only person to wear red, etc.), and in sets (oversized chairs when our heroine takes ill). Aside from the movie itself, I also enjoyed hearing Del Toro talk about two approaches to evaluating a movie. One, as a viewer, does it do its job? Like, did you feel like you wasted your time? And another way is to approach it as a piece of art – taking into account the context, influences, intentions – did it meet its goals?

How Burglars Commit Crime and Take Advantage of Cities by Hacking Architecture | VICE | United States

2016-04-06T02:18:33.000Z

At some point in everyone’s life, you think like a burglar. It’s when you’re trying to sneak out of the house as a teenager, or you’re trying to sneak downstairs to look at Christmas presents, or you’re doing anything where you’re trying not to get caught, sneaking in, out of, or through a building in any way.

How Burglars Commit Crime and Take Advantage of Cities by Hacking Architecture | VICE | United States

The Efficiency Trap

2016-04-06T02:18:30.000Z

People don’t read these books to find out how to be better human beings. People read them to figure out how to become the kind of human being the workplace is looking for.

The Efficiency Trap

How Aerial Surveillance Has Changed Policing — and Crime — in Los Angeles

2016-03-30T01:34:21.000Z

Cities get the types of crime their design calls for.

Excited for Manaugh’s book to hit my mailbox in a few days.

How Aerial Surveillance Has Changed Policing — and Crime — in Los Angeles

The Witch

2016-03-30T01:33:55.000Z

The Witch. Feminist folk horror? I dig it.

The Da Vinci Code

2016-03-30T01:33:47.000Z

The Da Vinci Code. I remember reading a few pages of the book when it came out, and… yeesh. This is much better. Not great at all, but elevates the source material into something amusing.

I Want You Still: Celebrating 40 Years of Marvin Gaye’s Sensual Classic | Pitchfork

2016-03-30T01:33:40.000Z

Fun interview about creating one of my favorite albums. Nice bit:

Out of the 13 months we took to make the album, there was six months of partying. Seriously. We would come into the studio, and Marvin would say, “Let’s go play basketball.” And we would play basketball half the day, on studio time. There was no pressure.

I Want You Still: Celebrating 40 Years of Marvin Gaye’s Sensual Classic | Pitchfork

Citizenfour

2016-03-06T20:46:25.000Z

Citizenfour. There’s this interesting tension where a guy has done something earth-shaking, and he knows it… but he’s watching the effects while hidden in a hotel room far from home. Very cool to see all the planning and diligence they took to keep things mum until they were ready to reveal. So glad they took the time to document this while it was happening. I’m probably on a watchlist now.

March 2, 2016

2016-03-02T15:00:09.000Z

nyctaeus:

Ad Reinhardt, from ‘How to Look at Art, Arts & Architecture’ (1946)

The Seven Habits of Highly Depolarizing People

2016-03-02T04:33:02.000Z

Count higher than two. Of all the mental habits that encourage polarization, the most dangerous is probably binary thinking – the tendency to divide everything into two mutually antagonistic categories.

The Seven Habits of Highly Depolarizing People

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2016-03-02T04:29:31.000Z

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Such a lovely mix in this movie. You’ve got one-liners, goofball slapstick, melodrama, real drama. Those mournful interludes on the Civil War battlefront hit hard this time around. :’(

Meru

2016-02-24T02:32:27.000Z

Meru. I liked it most when they were showing the footage that makes you squirm and makes your palms get sweaty. Wish they’d geeked out on the nitty-gritty climbing details more, and/or cut back on the talking heads. Sometimes the people who were there aren’t the best ones to tell the story?

Gone Girl

2016-02-24T02:24:17.000Z

Gone Girl. Third viewing. Filed under: Gone Girl.

The Weird Global Appeal of Heavy Metal

2016-02-24T02:15:17.000Z

The explosion of local bands around the world tends to track rising living standards and Internet use. Making loud music is expensive: You need electric guitars, amplifiers, speakers, music venues and more leisure time. “When economic development happens, metal scenes appear. They’re like mushrooms after the rain,” says Roy Doron, an African history professor at Winston-Salem State University.

The Weird Global Appeal of Heavy Metal

Tangerine

2016-02-16T01:26:35.000Z

Tangerine. It kicks your feet out from under you with all this zany energy. I wish it could have sustained it all the way through. The scene at the end where all the threads come together is a bit of a too-long jumble. And some parts are, ah, problematic because the tone feels a bit off. But man, such a fresh and fiery start. I love how they work in the soundtrack, and let the visuals and the music guide you every now and then.

The Assassin

2016-02-16T01:18:41.000Z

The Assassin. Not going to pretend that I understood the plot in its finest details, but it’s pretty great. We have a heroine who’s had her life planned for her, and now she is wrestling with a choice. Love how the soundtrack often sticks to almost silence, except for a slow drum strike every few seconds. There’s one long scene that’s we watch – just barely, sometimes – through these gauzy curtains that drift back and forth as the camera pans from A to B and back. It’s one of those moments that gets me fired up about what you can do with movies with a little patience. Rare to see something so reflective yet so lively.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

2016-02-16T01:04:38.000Z

I read Greg McKeown’s Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, and I got some good ideas out of it.I suppose at it’s heart it’s about making decisions. “Less but better”. It’s a tough one to pull quotes from. Some of the best parts were a few graphics here and there. This was important:

Routine is one of the most powerful tools for removing obstacles.

I also like this idea of an “essential intent”. That is, some idea that’s both somewhat inspirational but also concrete. It gets you motivated… and you also know when you’re done. “Done right, an essential intent is one decision that settles one thousand later decisions”. Maybe the most immediately practical part was a section on sayning “no”, where appeared this lovely bit of conversational judo:

Use the words “You are welcome to X. I am willing to Y.” For example, “You are welcome to borow my car. I am willing to make sure the keys are here for you.” By this you are also saying, “I won’t be able to drive you.” You are saying what you will not do, but you are couching it in terms of what you are willing to do. This is a particularly good way to navigate a request you would like to support somewhat but cannot throw your full weight behind. I particularly like this construct because it also expresses a respect for the other person’s ability to choose, as well as your own. It reminds both parties of the choices they have.

And this section on sleeping:

The best asset we have for making a contribution to the world is ourselves. If we underinvest in ourselves, and by that I mean our minds, our bodies, an dour spirits, we damage the very tool we nee to make our highest contribution. One of the most common ways people – especially ambitious, successful people – damage this asset is through a lack of sleep. […] While there are clearly people who can survive on fewer hours of sleep, I’ve found that most of them are just so used to being tired they have forgotten what it really feels like to be fully rested.

Guilty as charged. Reminded me, I realized this over Christmas vacation recently, when my previously typical 6-6.5 hours of sleep each day ballooned to 10-11 when I didn’t have any constraints. I felt like a different human being and now I’m all about that 8hrs every day. Worth a read.

Basin and Range

2016-02-09T04:19:17.000Z

I read John McPhee’s Basin and Range, and really liked it. He’s just a ridiculously great writer. Big chunks of the book tie in with a road trip he takes with a geologist named Deffeyes. They stop a lot and look at rocks.

Deffeyes said, “Let’s Richter the situation,” and he got out and crossed the road. With his hammer, he chipped at the rock, puzzled the cut. He scraped the rock and dropped acid on the scrapings. Tilted by the western breeze, the snow was dipping sixty degrees east. The bedding planes were dipping twenty degrees east; and the stripes of Deffeyes’ knitted cap were dipping fifty degrees north. The cap had a big tassel, and with his gray-wisped hair coming out from under in a curly mélange he looked like an exaggerated efl. He said he thought he knew what had cause “that big goober” in the rock, and it was almost certainly not a manifestation of some major tectonic event – merely local violence, a cashier shot in a grab raid, an item for an inside page.

There’s a lot of neat historical parallels, like how geology’s growing understanding of deep time put humanity in our place, just like over in biology, natural selection was having a similar effect. It’s 300 pages about rocks, y'all. This is one book of a four-part series collected in Annals of the Former World and I’m very, very tempted. Filed under: John McPhee.

The Revenant

2016-02-09T03:54:52.000Z

The Revenant. I still hold to my first reaction:

I wish THE REVENANT were wilder, of all things. Camera makes you feel not like you’re there, but like you’re on an Arctic ride on rails. Or a videogame cut scene? I liked it though. Looked like the most miserable filming experience one could ask for. Also, Tom Hardy has never lost a staring contest.

A bit of a slog. Doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of meat on those bones. Birdman also felt a bit stifling for me. Amazing that this thing got made, though. I wonder if all the PR talk about the filming conditions was sort of an admission/cover that they didn’t quite get what they wanted out of this one. See also: The Grey and Grizzly Man.

Out Stealing Horses

2016-02-08T01:18:07.000Z

I read the first 1/3 or so of Per Petterson’s Out Stealing Horses, but then I came to a chapter where I predicted what was going to happen within the first couple pages. When my prediction turned out to be right, I tried to press on but interest dwindled too quicky. Lovely writing about nature, though. I like this, too:

Time is important to me now, I tell myself. Not that it should pass quickly or slowly, but be only time, be something I live inside and fill with physical things and activities that I can divide it up by, so that it grows distinct to me and does not vanish when I am not looking.

Carol

2016-02-08T01:11:42.000Z

Carol. I feel like there’s enough there for me to like it more than I do, but it wasn’t for me. I don’t regret watching Blanchett and Mara for a couple hours, though.

Spotlight

2016-02-08T01:11:39.000Z

Spotlight. I loved it. Great writing and acting. Teamwork, thinking, putting pieces together. There is some conflict here and there, and most of it doesn’t seem too drummed up for drama, but just real people navigating messy institutions and practical realities. Love the costume design, too. Doesn’t just capture the era but the personalities, too. One of my faves of last year.

The Oxy Epidemic Shows What Happens When Addictive Drugs Are Easily Available | Mother Jones

2016-01-11T01:49:40.000Z

It’s easy to favor drug legalization when you’re middle-class and well educated. Your social group probably doesn’t include many people who abuse drugs much in the first place. Moderate users can afford their habit. And when their use turns into addiction, they usually have a strong support network to help out. It’s a problem, but not a huge one. In poor communities, none of this is true. Drug addiction is financially ruinous. It often leads to petty crime. Support systems are nonexistent. The justice system is harsh. There are no rehab centers on the Malibu coast to help out. Drug epidemics — Oxy, meth, heroin, you name it — are devastating. It’s something to keep in mind when you consider both the costs and benefits of drug legalization. Ending the war on drugs would indeed be a huge benefit, but the costs might be higher than you think.

The Oxy Epidemic Shows What Happens When Addictive Drugs Are Easily Available | Mother Jones

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

2016-01-11T01:47:28.000Z

Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I had fun, and quickly forgot it. It mostly felt good to be watching a Star Wars movie again. If you’re pretty sure you don’t care about Star Wars in general, this movie will not convince you otherwise. If you do, you will probably leave feeling satisfied, depending on how you like your ratio of pandering nostalgia vs. breaking new ground. The hat-tips and references to previous movies wore thin pretty quickly and for me slowed down what otherwise has some nice momentum. Definitely some groaners, though (for example, the snowy mountain Nazi castle…). I really like Ridley and Chiyoga as the new faces. Isaac is always reliable. I feel like in a few months or maybe not until VIII we’ll look back and admit “Hey, VII is pretty thin but it’s not a total trainwreck and that’s okay”. Ranking the best episode 7’s in 2015:

Creed, by a landslide.
Furious 7
The Force Awakens

January 6, 2016

2016-01-06T03:36:52.000Z

To discard the stuff we’ve acquired is to murder the version of ourselves we envision using it.

Laura Miller in Marie Kondo Will Help You Tidy Your House, Embrace Your Mortality. Cleaning up is hard to do, y'all.

The piles of stuff we might need someday are an argument that we will always be around to need them. The plans to revisit those photos and take up again that course of study, the books we fully intend to finally read assure us that there will be enough time to do so. Mementos presume the ongoing existence of a rememberer. Yes, all of that is a lie, but it’s a necessary lie. And all the joy in the world can’t really compensate for having to let that go.

Cf. “Our unlived lives…”

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

2016-01-06T03:36:36.000Z

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I don’t know how you could watch the prequels and pick anyone other than Obi-Wan Kenobi as the coolest guy in the galaxy. I also appreciate that it undercuts the Jedi a bit. They are powerful and try to do some good, but they mess up a lot. I really dig the psychological battles and manipulation in this one. Great stuff. While Christensen is not a good actor, I buy into his tortured melodrama because I believe in Darth Vader’s arc. You’ll forgive a lot if the story is worth believing in. Would have loved more of that. Meanwhile, who the hell is General Grievous? (Know what’s cooler than two light sabers? Four light sabers!) Yeesh. Better than the other two prequels, I think, and a good way to close things out.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

2016-01-06T03:36:33.000Z

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. One of my major complaints of the prequels is that everything looks so nice, and nothing really feels lived in. Very true in this one. I like that we get to hang out with Obi-Wan so much, doing private eye stuff, chasing down assassins. Overstuffed and scattered, though, and there’s just no way that Anakin & Padme fall in love. Teen Anakin is a nightmare. While I don’t see him in that relationship, I can start to feel for him here, just tragicomically buffeted by his emotions, absolutely at their mercy. The soundtrack is in peak form here, too.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

2016-01-06T03:36:29.000Z

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Maybe it’s just that time has washed away the hurt and shattered expectations of 1999, but my thoughts after a second viewing:

If I learned anything from STAR WARS it’s to let go of hate and stuff and I realized episode 1 is kinda campy and charming on second watch?

The story is blah, the writing and acting is blah. But yet, I don’t regret watching it again. I love how every setting is packed with goofy species and local details, every cityscape is full of air traffic. If there is any saving grace, it is the soundtrack – the best part of all of the prequels.

January 3, 2016

2016-01-03T22:21:32.000Z

You don’t realize how much of your sense of self is bound up in how you use your time until you have a lot of it.

Max Read in Milling Time.

Aurora

2016-01-03T22:21:24.000Z

I read ~1/3 of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora, and no further. Got distracted by other books and never found my way back.

New year, new you? Forget it

2016-01-01T16:31:46.000Z

Behind the seductive lure of “New Year, New You” lies another kind of mistake, too: the idea that what we require, in order finally to change, is one last push of willpower. (Presumably, the hope is that the “January feeling” of fresh starts and clean slates will provide it.) The assumption is that you’re a bit like a heavy rock, poised on a hill above the Valley of Achievement, Productivity and Clean Eating. All you need is a concerted push to get you rolling.

Filed under: my really good resolutions tag. New year, new you? Forget it

About

2016-01-01T05:55:27.000Z

Hi there.

Mark Larson – me – is a dude who lives in Brooklyn, New York. I write at least a few notes on every* movie I watch (*I used to, anyway!) and every* book I read (*ditto!). I tag posts religiously and that will be your best window into recent obsessions and stuff I think about a lot. Like relationships, work, writing, opinions, empathy, arguments, happiness, death, and so on. I also tweet and do the other usual social media stuff. And I love email – send me some: markdlarson at hey dot com.

Target in the Night

2015-12-30T02:48:33.000Z

I read Ricardo Piglia’s Target in the Night and I liked its blend of paranoid detective mystery/family drama. Shout-out to Deep Vellum for the translation.

Streaming TV Isn’t Just a New Way to Watch. It’s a New Genre.

2015-12-30T02:48:29.000Z

Streaming TV Isn’t Just a New Way to Watch. It’s a New Genre.

December 29, 2015

2015-12-29T03:33:58.000Z

If you’re 30% through your life, you’re likely 90% through your best relationships. Some really great visuals in this one – how many books you might read, how many times you might go swimming – and then it comes to this:

I’ve been thinking about my parents, who are in their mid-60s. During my first 18 years, I spent some time with my parents during at least 90% of my days. But since heading off to college and then later moving out of Boston, I’ve probably seen them an average of only five times a year each, for an average of maybe two days each time. 10 days a year. About 3% of the days I spent with them each year of my childhood. Being in their mid-60s, let’s continue to be super optimistic and say I’m one of the incredibly lucky people to have both parents alive into my 60s. That would give us about 30 more years of coexistence. If the 10 days a year thing holds, that’s 300 days left to hang with mom and dad. Less time than I spent with them in any one of my 18 childhood years.

Damn.

December 29, 2015

2015-12-29T03:22:02.000Z

austinkleon:

Ellsworth Kelly, Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance I—VIII

From The Philadelphia Museum of Art:

While in Paris between 1948 and 1954, Ellsworth Kelly explored many new artistic strategies. Seeking to abandon figuration for abstraction, in 1950 he seized upon the randomness of collage made of cut-up pieces of his drawings. In a further effort to remove any semblance of a figurative image from his work, the next year he arranged collaged elements by chance on the systematic form of the grid. The fortuitous discovery in a Paris stationery shop of a stock of gummed papers in twenty colors led to eight collages entitled Spectrum Colors Arranged by Chance; the present composition is the first in the series. With a method both systematic and random, Kelly took the small squares of colored paper and arranged them quickly and intuitively on the grid, as if by chance, using no system or scientific method except to proceed progressively from the grid’s lateral sides toward the center. As a result of Kelly’s instinctive and playful method of composing, try as one might, there is no scheme or pattern to discover in the arrangement of the colors in this vibrant collage. Innis Howe Shoemaker, from Philadelphia Museum of Art: Handbook of the Collections, 2009.

From an interview at the Tate Museum:

Christoph Grunenberg: Did you use a mathematical system with the early works?

Ellsworth Kelly: It was a chance system for the placement of colours on a grid. Numbered slips of paper each referred to a colour, one of eighteen different hues to be placed on a grid 40 inches by 40 inches. Each of the eight collages used a different process.

Christoph Grunenberg: Did you make conscious references in the arrangement of these works to the aesthetics of the colour chart?

Ellsworth Kelly: I never thought of colour charts at all when I was working on them. They were really an experiment. I wanted to show how any colour goes with any other colour. Above all, I wanted to learn about colour relationships. Many of the works of this period start from chance encounters, such as shadows on a staircase, the reflections of the sun on the River Seine and the exposed sides of buildings that showed the abstract black patterns where the chimneys had been. After the experiments with arranging colours by chance came my first works using the actual colour spectrum as a source (Spectrum I, 1953).

via Socks. Filed under: Ellsworth Kelly, color

I really love these. Pixel art before pixels were a thing.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

2015-12-29T03:17:49.000Z

I read GK Chesterton’s story collection The Man Who Knew Too Much, and it was a lifesaver. I picked this book on instinct right before I took off on a flight. When I was doing my final packing the morning of my trip, none of the books on my nightstand felt right. All the books at the airport looked dumb. It was a crisis. Then I remembered Project Gutenberg. I skimmed through some of the top/popular lists, clicked on some names I recognized, and a few seconds later I had a handful of options ready for travel. A good collection of fun, cynical mysteries, usually with some laconic or mordant humor. There’s usually some corruption at the heart of things. If you ever find yourself in a pinch, Gutenberg has you covered.

December 22, 2015

2015-12-22T02:58:06.000Z

BLDGBLOG: Ghost Streets of Los Angeles.

I love the idea that the buildings seen here take their form from a lost street—that an old throughway since scrubbed from the surface of Los Angeles has reappeared in the form of contemporary architectural space. That is, someone’s living room is actually shaped the way it is not because of something peculiar to architectural history, but because of a ghost street, or the wall of perhaps your very own bedroom takes its angle from a right of way that, for whatever reason, long ago disappeared.

Why Do I Have to Call This App ‘Julie’?

2015-12-22T02:55:03.000Z

Why Do I Have to Call This App ‘Julie’?

Chi-Raq

2015-12-22T02:50:49.000Z

Chi-Raq. This one made me wonder if other movies are even trying to be interesting. Some parts I didn’t love, some I actively kinda disliked, but man there’s so much good stuff. So many different moods and shifts. It’s a little bit of a mess but I’d much rather feel that investment, alternately cackling with pleasure and rolling my eyes, than settle for a placid, sated indifference for two hours.

Equilateral

2015-12-22T02:42:51.000Z

I read Ken Kalfus’ Equilateral, and thought it was worthwhile. A 19th century engineer coordinates the construction of a giant continent-spanning triangle built as a signal to Martian civilization. There’s a faint kinship with Euphoria (which I loved), in its blending the romance, science, and exploration.

Creed

2015-12-17T03:30:27.000Z

Creed. Loved it. Loooooooooooved it. I’d put it up there with the original. Jordan and Thompson leads radiate young beautiful blackness. There’s nothing new in the plotting of their story, but I love how they grow together. They each have their own thing cooking, neither one gives it up, and they find a way to show up for each other. Stallone – and I love how these movies can’t help but be autobiographical – is solid, that ideal Balboa mix of tough and noble and vulnerable. Interesting naming of Jordan’s lead. I was thinking Adonis complex, but rather than driven by misperceived appearance, it’s a deeper shame from ancestry, or maybe even just existing in the first place. Also ties in with rebirth pattern you see in the myths: the son and the franchise. Love the camera tracking in the first big fight, and its willingness in calmer scenes to sit back and bit and not shove faces in your, uh, face. Also dig the fun details like the stat cards for rival boxers. Why not? Even the triumphantly corny moment with the biker kids taps into something so local and specific you can’t argue with it. I was ready to fight. One of my favorites this year.

December 17, 2015

2015-12-17T03:30:24.000Z

I started using Day One last fall. Today makes 365 consecutive days with at least one entry, most with several sets of notes and a photo or two. Think I might get those 600-something pages printed and bound and read everything I forgot. I guess I could have been putting this on paper all along, but y'know, whatever helps you build the habit…

Structured Procrastination: Do Less & Deceive Yourself

2015-12-16T02:28:33.000Z

Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong tack. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator and destroys his most important source of motivation. The few tasks on his list will be by definition the most important, and the only way to avoid doing them will be to do nothing. This is a way to become a couch potato, not an effective human being.

cough. Filed under: procrastination. Structured Procrastination: Do Less & Deceive Yourself

Only God Forgives

2015-12-16T02:25:40.000Z

Only God Forgives. Rewatch. I thought maybe I was missing something the first time around, but I have trouble meeting it where it is. I wish there more tension to hang these beautiful moments on.

To the Wonder

2015-12-16T02:20:41.000Z

To the Wonder. I dig it, just like the first time. Filed under: Terrence Malick.

Ex Machina

2015-12-16T02:14:54.000Z

Ex Machina. Definitely thinner the second time around (the first), but it’s still fun.

Spectre

2015-12-15T01:17:32.000Z

Spectre. Nope. I admit that I’m not a huge fan of the franchise, in general, but this seemed especially flavorless.

Room

2015-12-15T01:17:26.000Z

Room. I love that a huge piece of this movie starts where many would have left off. Like most of it is time-shifted, where we see the after-affects of a horrifying experience, not just the first victory over it. Some side characters I can’t get behind, but the leads are solid gold.

When Popular Fiction Isn’t Popular: Genre, Literary, and the Myths of Popularity | Electric Literature

2015-12-15T00:57:19.000Z

There is an odd cognitive dissonance that happens in these conversations, where we are simultaneously supposed to believe that literary fiction is “mainstream fiction” and genre fiction is “ghettoized,” and also that literary fiction is a niche nobody reads while genre authors laugh all the way to the bank.

How to talk to anyone: the experts' guide

2015-12-15T00:55:54.000Z

There’s a phrase I like to use: “The roof is an introduction”, which means that if you’re in the same place, you always have something in common. Remember that most people in any room feel uncomfortable. If we can be aware of that, and think, “What can I do to make other people feel comfortable with me?” that’s not just a great strategy for socialising – it’s a kindness.

How to talk to anyone: the experts' guide

Crimson Peak

2015-12-15T00:54:09.000Z

Crimson Peak. Marketed as one thing, gives you something better. Loved this beautiful heightened melodrama, everything so grand and loaded.

Pan's Labyrinth

2015-12-15T00:54:05.000Z

Pan’s Labyrinth. Watched in preparation for Crimson Peak. It was a DNF when I first attempted it a few years ago. This time around? Eyes glued to the screen. Really good stuff, if you time it right.

Bridge of Spies

2015-12-15T00:53:59.000Z

Bridge of Spies. It was a perfectly pleasant and engaging movie and I have not thought about it in a couple months.

December 9, 2015

2015-12-09T05:36:50.000Z

[wpvideo 4nm08CHw]

visionaryskeptic:

a dog standing in water

The Politics of Empathy and the Politics of Technology — The Message

2015-12-09T05:36:05.000Z

Then there’s the question of automated changing of profile pictures to express sympathy, a form of emotional disaster relief. We first saw this phenomenon when Facebook created an easy way for people to apply a rainbow overlay to their profile pictures to support and celebrate a civil rights win: marriage equality. Even if you approve of rainbowing profiles, you have to acknowledge that by encouraging rainbows, Facebook was making another political choice, like the way Safety Check was a political decision.

The Politics of Empathy and the Politics of Technology — The Message

Leveling both sides of the playing field

2015-12-09T05:36:00.000Z

What if, instead of teaching women that they have to raise their hands to speak at meetings, we taught men to be more reflective and circumspect; instead of telling women to tamp down their emotions at the office, a man was told that he didn’t appear committed enough to the job because he’s never shed tears over it; instead of pushing women to take public credit for their work, we publicly admonish men who don’t properly acknowledge others’ contributions? I was just invited to a seminar on public speaking skills for women — where’s the class on listening skills for men?

Leveling both sides of the playing field

Public Enemies

2015-12-09T05:32:40.000Z

Public Enemies. I love how so many people get to “lead” in this movie, though Depp is still at the heart of it. Forgot about the brief Channing Tatum scene. The arrest/trasnport/imprisonment scenes have some nice echoes of Kit Carruthers, the charisma and confidence. “We’re having too good of a time today; we’re not thinking about tomorrow.”

The Wesleyan Argus | A.O. Scott Defends the Art of Criticism

2015-11-29T17:14:40.000Z

“One of the things that any artist is working with is other art. You think about filmmakers, for example, and they all start out as film fans. You have Martin Scorsese as a kid going to double features every day and absorbing all of the world in that way, and then thinking about Quentin Tarantino in the video store,” Scott said. “In the simplest way that you see something or you hear something, and you start thinking, ‘How did they do that? Could I do that? Could I do it better? How would I do it differently?’ All of what we identify as aspects of the creative process, the absorption of influence, the learning and discarding of rules, the workshop discipline of figuring out what works and what doesn’t and how—all of that is criticism.”

And:

Most human effort results in mediocrity, it’s just the tragic fact of the human condition. The question is, though, how mad are you gonna get about that?

The Wesleyan Argus | A.O. Scott Defends the Art of Criticism

Hunger Makes Us Modern Fans: An Interview with Carrie Brownstein | NOISEY

2015-11-29T15:48:07.000Z

Fandom carries with it an inherent curiosity, and I think curiosity is what allows us to be open and optimistic and to allow into our lives experiences that we would otherwise be closed off to. We’re confronted all the time with so many instances and so much information that almost requires a shutting down—almost requires us to become inert… to become frightened. There’s something about fandom’s relationship to curiosity that keeps us moving forward into the world and into the process of discovery, and I think to balance that with the things that feel more frightening and uncertain… It helps me keep optimism as part of the ingredients in my life, and it helps me live in the present. Even if you’re discovering something old for the first time, the process of allowing something new into your life I think speaks to an allowance that’s important.

Hunger Makes Us Modern Fans: An Interview with Carrie Brownstein | NOISEY

Reasons to Survive November

2015-11-29T15:45:34.000Z

josianecurtis:

November like a train wreck—
as if a locomotive made of cold
had hurtled out of Canada
and crashed into a million trees,
flaming the leaves, setting the woods on fire.

The sky is a thick, cold gauze—
but there’s a soup special at the Waffle House downtown,
and the Jack Parsons show is up at the museum,
full of luminous red barns.

—Or maybe I’ll visit beautiful Donna,
the kickboxing queen from Santa Fe,
and roll around in her foldout bed.

I know there are some people out there
who think I am supposed to end up
in a room by myself

with a gun and a bottle full of hate,
a locked door and my slack mouth open
like a disconnected phone.

But I hate those people back
from the core of my donkey soul
and the hatred makes me strong
and my survival is their failure,

and my happiness would kill them
so I shove joy like a knife
into my own heart over and over

and I force myself toward pleasure,
and I love this November life
where I run like a train
deeper and deeper
into the land of my enemies.

Tony Hoagland

November 29, 2015

2015-11-29T15:44:51.000Z

brightwalldarkroom:

“It’s said that Chaplin wanted you to like him, but Keaton didn’t care. I think he cared, but was too proud to ask. His films avoid the pathos and sentiment of the Chaplin pictures, and usually feature a jaunty young man who sees an objective and goes for it in the face of the most daunting obstacles. Buster survives tornados, waterfalls, avalanches of boulders, and falls from great heights, and never pauses to take a bow: He has his eye on his goal. And his movies, seen as a group, are like a sustained act of optimism in the face of adversity; surprising, how without asking, he earns our admiration and tenderness.” —Roger Ebert

The digital revolution in higher education has already happened. No one noticed.

2015-11-25T04:22:14.000Z

Our collective obsession with elite students and institutions means public conversations about college are increasingly irrelevant to the lives of many of the actual students.

The digital revolution in higher education has already happened. No one noticed.

November 25, 2015

2015-11-25T04:16:04.000Z

Buster Keaton – The Art of the Gag. Tony Zhou does a lot of good stuff. Closely related to this one, and just as wonderful, is his video essay on Jackie Chan and action comedy. Filed under: Buster Keaton.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

American Psycho

2015-11-25T04:15:57.000Z

American Psycho. Great example of how a movie can depict the absolute worst human being and make it enjoyable. A tale of hyper-masculine narcissism and sociopathy. Status envy. The recitations of facts, routines, brands and such, all that cataloging reminded me of… Walt Whitman? Bale’s character develops in only one direction, but he gives it his all.

The Book of Strange New Things

2015-11-25T04:00:41.000Z

I read a good bit of The Book of Strange New Things, and found a lot of it really good, but didn’t stick with it. The concept – a Christian missionary goes to another planet… and… well, you’ll have to find out. I might, too.

How Friendships Change When You Become an Adult

2015-11-24T02:44:19.000Z

“The real bittersweet aspect is young adulthood begins with all this time for friendship, and friendship just having this exuberant, profound importance for figuring out who you are and what’s next,” Rawlins says. “And you find at the end of young adulthood, now you don’t have time for the very people who helped you make all these decisions.

How Friendships Change When You Become an Adult

November 24, 2015

2015-11-24T02:41:59.000Z

Making a masterpiece with Bob Ross and the iPad Pro Pencil.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Back to the Future and creative frustration

2015-11-24T02:41:43.000Z

Back to the Future and creative frustration

"Back to the Future" is now all back and no future | MZS | Roger Ebert

2015-11-24T02:39:53.000Z

The passage of time makes the whole trilogy seem wise and humble, in ways it never could seem in the eighties or nineties or aughts, because the entire thing is really and truly a time capsule—not of any temporal-physical reality, but of a particular strain of American cultural posturing circa 1985-1990. All movies, particularly time-travel movies, have a touch of this. But the “Future” films are different because, unlike the vast majority of time travel stories, they are anchored very strongly in the “present.” The present is not merely a framing device or a launching pad for adventures, as is the case in most time travel films. All visits to the past or future are related to the present – and the stakes are not just personal (Marty’s existence, his parents’ happiness), they are cultural. Marty doesn’t just change his family, he changes the town, and by implication, American life.

"Back to the Future" is now all back and no future | MZS | Roger Ebert

Beautiful Mutants / Swallowing Geography

2015-11-24T02:26:25.000Z

I read some of both halves of Beautiful Mutants and Swallowing Geography: Two Early Novels, and didn’t finish either one. Maybe too rough or biting for me at the time.

Sympathy for the Devil by Lorrie Moore

2015-11-20T04:38:33.000Z

The ability on a camera-laden set to inhabit a character without a twitch of distraction or preoccupation or visible hint of the internally or externally irrelevant is a scary but brilliant feat. Ordinary people cannot do it. But I have seen great actors do it even at cocktail receptions full of cell phones. In a world where major writers have announced that they cannot focus on their work without extracting or blocking the modems in their laptops, this kind of thespian concentration is worth noting. (One thinks of the writer Anne Lamott’s remark on her own maturing undistractibility: “I used to not be able to work if there were dishes in the sink,” she has said. “Then I had a child and now I can work if there is a corpse in the sink.”)

Sympathy for the Devil by Lorrie Moore

My Writing Education: A Time Line - The New Yorker

2015-11-20T04:35:26.000Z

George Saunders is a gem.

There’s this theory that self-esteem has to do with getting confirmation from the outside world that our perceptions are fundamentally accurate. What Doug does at this meeting is increase my self-esteem by confirming that my perception of the work I’d been doing is fundamentally accurate. The work I’ve been doing is bad. Or, worse: it’s blah. This is uplifting–liberating, even—to have my unspoken opinion of my work confirmed. I don’t have to pretend bad is good. This frees me to leave it behind and move on and try to do something better.

My Writing Education: A Time Line - The New Yorker

Why cabin fantasies shut out reality

2015-11-20T04:35:20.000Z

The trend for digital detox holidays and other fashionable manifestations of spare, minimalist, decluttered living: what if they’re at least partly motivated by avoidance?

Why cabin fantasies shut out reality

The Martian

2015-11-20T04:34:47.000Z

The Martian. What’s most refreshing here is that it’s a fairly gentle, nice movie. Perfectly pleasant, always positive. I don’t think there’s anythig here for me to come back to, but it was really fun to watch. I didn’t finish the book.

Primal Fear

2015-11-20T04:34:44.000Z

Primal Fear. Ugh.

Why I Quit Ordering From Uber-for-Food Start-Ups

2015-11-19T04:00:03.000Z

Sprig-type operations drain agency and expertise out of the world. They centralize, aiming to build huge hubs with small spokes; their innermost mechanisms are hidden. They depend on humans behaving as interchangeable units of labor.

Why I Quit Ordering From Uber-for-Food Start-Ups

Absolute Power

2015-11-19T03:56:12.000Z

Absolute Power. A jewel thief witnesses the President murdering his mistress. I’d put this in the upper middle-class of movies Eastwood has directed.

Living and Dying on Airbnb — Matter

2015-11-19T03:46:00.000Z

Startups that redefine social and economic relations pop up in an instant. Lawsuits and regulations lag behind.

Living and Dying on Airbnb — Matter

Why is English so weirdly different from other languages? by John McWhorter — Aeon

2015-11-19T03:44:34.000Z

English is a mutt and it’s the best thing. I love dives like this, into the history of a language. Well, at least this one.

Why is English so weirdly different from other languages? by John McWhorter — Aeon

In the Line of Fire

2015-11-19T03:41:22.000Z

In the Line of Fire. Cat, mouse. Better than I’d hoped. I still can’t jive with Malkovich, though.

Can a Trip Ever Be ‘Authentic’? - The New York Times

2015-11-18T04:15:01.000Z

Our notion of places — which is to say the romances and images we project onto them — are always less current and subtle than the places themselves. […] That disconnect is even more acute because so many travelers have been everywhere (if only on-screen), which in turn means that reality — all that is unmediated and nonvirtual — holds a greater premium than ever.

Can a Trip Ever Be ‘Authentic’? - The New York Times

Collateral

2015-11-18T04:12:33.000Z

Collateral. I keep trying to re-rank Mann movies and running out of #1 slots.

November 18, 2015

2015-11-18T04:11:30.000Z

Getting along isn’t luck, it’s a skill.

Carolyn Hax.

November 5, 2015

2015-11-05T02:26:47.000Z

Informal language is the athletic clothing of ideas.

Paul Graham.

On The Knick Set With Steven Soderbergh, Binge Director

2015-10-23T00:54:39.000Z

On The Knick Set With Steven Soderbergh, Binge Director

Resonant Frequency: A Glitch in Time: How Oval’s 1995 Ambient Masterpiece Predicted Our Digital Present

2015-10-23T00:54:29.000Z

By virtue of being atmospheric, ambient music tends to make the listener aware of the hardware involved in reproducing it, so it’s always, in a sense, about technology.

Resonant Frequency: A Glitch in Time: How Oval’s 1995 Ambient Masterpiece Predicted Our Digital Present

October 23, 2015

2015-10-23T00:53:56.000Z

The restriction of trailers to a few minutes of carefully selected and edited shots and scenes endows what we do see, from faces to car crashes, with a kind of pregnancy or underdeterminacy that allows audiences to create an imaginary (as-yet-unseen) film out of these fragments—we desire not the real film but the film we want to see.

Lisa Kernan, quoted in Matt Thomas’ The Following Post Has Been Approved for All Audiences.

Cardiologists and Chinese Robbers

2015-10-18T22:49:42.000Z

There are over a billion Chinese people. If even one in a thousand is a robber, you can provide one million examples of Chinese robbers to appease the doubters. Most people think of stereotyping as “Here’s one example I heard of where the out-group does something bad,” and then you correct it with “But we can’t generalize about an entire group just from one example!” It’s less obvious that you may be able to provide literally one million examples of your false stereotype and still have it be a false stereotype. If you spend twelve hours a day on the task and can describe one crime every ten seconds, you can spend four months doing nothing but providing examples of burglarous Chinese – and still have absolutely no point.

If we’re really concerned about media bias, we need to think about Chinese Robber Fallacy as one of the media’s strongest weapons. There are lots of people – 300 million in America alone. No matter what point the media wants to make, there will be hundreds of salient examples. No matter how low-probability their outcome of interest is, they will never have to stop covering it if they don’t want to.

Cardiologists and Chinese Robbers

Save for Later

2015-10-04T23:14:02.000Z

The Bookmark represents what we wish for. It’s the earliest indicator of intention, and the most vulnerable; by definition, the act of saving something for later means that whatever we hope for hasn’t happened yet. Bookmarks are placeholders for the future. By thumbing through them, we can start to see what might happen next.

Save for Later

Film Snob? Is That So Wrong?

2015-10-04T23:10:38.000Z

If the words nerd and geek can be rehabilitated — if legions of misunderstood enthusiasts can march from the margins of respectability to the heart of the mainstream — then why not snob as well?

Film Snob? Is That So Wrong?

September 28, 2015

2015-09-28T01:08:38.000Z

Atlanta’s MARTA Map – Super Mario 3 Style.

September 28, 2015

2015-09-28T01:04:00.000Z

Internet writers live on Twitter and it greatly distorts their understanding of reality.

Nobody Is On Twitter.

As someone who loves Twitter, this can be hard to admit, but ultimately Twitter is an ephemeral online forum that nobody really uses, and our tiny politics subpocket of Twitterdom almost certainly has no effect on anything.

September 22, 2015

2015-09-22T01:59:07.000Z

I love these drawings by Delmer Daves for his adaptation of the 1957 3:10 to Yuma. It makes me so happy to see these things sketched out and then see how they really came to life, just like they had in mind.

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

2015-09-22T01:57:13.000Z

3:10 to Yuma (2007). Well, Russell Crowe is no Glenn Ford, but who is. Loved the original movie, which fleshes out the very short story really well. This movie adds in a bit too much extra material for me, which dissipates the tension. Good, though. Themes of pride, circumstance, honor. Love this line on insurance/forced retirement, basically: “They weren’t paying me to walk away; they were paying me so they could walk away.” Filed under: westerns.

Out of Sight

2015-09-20T18:28:43.000Z

I read Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight and it was just what I needed. Fun crime/love caper with great dialogue, always moving to the next thing. Makes me want to watch the movie again.

The Salvation

2015-09-20T18:28:28.000Z

The Salvation. I feel like Mads Mikkelsen’s face was just begging to be put in a Western. This one sometimes feels like it was assembled from a western-movie kit, but has some really good moments – I particularly like the conversation with the priest in the jail, the parallel funerals, and a silent escape on a train.

The Hunt

2015-09-20T18:18:33.000Z

The Hunt. After wrapping up the second season of Hannibal, I decided I needed to watch more Mikkelsen. Good drama here, terrifying and heartbreaking. A reminder of how fragile communities can be.

September 20, 2015

2015-09-20T18:18:30.000Z

Friendship is not a pale imitation of sexual romance. It is a romance unto itself.

Leah Reich, via Matt Thomas’ essay on Paul Walker and male friendships.

The Aviator

2015-09-20T18:18:25.000Z

The Aviator. I often struggle with biopics, but I liked this one a lot. I like how the film stock and coloring shifts with the passage of time, the recurring hands imagery, and the sympathy we feel as we see this man changing. “Nothing’s clean, Howard. But we do our best.”

Close at Hand

2015-09-14T02:15:52.000Z

I loved this dive through the history of pockets and gadgets and little daily conveniences we keep with us.

Close at Hand

Shutter Island

2015-09-14T02:15:49.000Z

Shutter Island. Better than I thought it would be. Scorsese takes some simple genre stuff to some good creepy heights.

September 14, 2015

2015-09-14T02:15:44.000Z

The first draft is always perfect. perfect. Its only job is to exist.

Casey Fowler.

The Story of Your Life

2015-09-01T00:52:07.000Z

In telling the story of how you became who you are, and of who you’re on your way to becoming, the story itself becomes a part of who you are.

The Story of Your Life

September 1, 2015

2015-09-01T00:52:02.000Z

The best way to “educate yourself,” for most people at most stages in your life, is to make marginal adjustments in your peer group.

Tyler Cowen. (Along the same lines.)

The Gift

2015-08-30T21:32:28.000Z

The Gift. I loved this movie for 90 minutes and then I hated it so much. There are a couple late plot decisions that totally broke the spell. But, credit is for a spell-binding run up to that point. It’s amazing how much tension Edgerton wrings out of thin air. I liked it.

Mission: Impossible 3

2015-08-30T21:32:22.000Z

Mission: Impossible 3. Better than I remembered. Hoffman is casually one of the most terrifying villains of the past couple decades. It’s a shame that Keri Russell didn’t have a larger role. Current Mission: Impossible rankings:

It seems the rule of thumb here is that the quality of the MI films is inversely proportional to the length of Tom Cruise’s hair.

My new attitude to travel is to skip the iconic – and I thank my father for that

2015-08-30T16:18:47.000Z

As I grow older, I hope to become more like my father, who caused much amusement by firmly declining a ride by the White House when we went to Washington DC to visit my in-laws. “It’s the White House,” my mother-in-law said to me. “Anyone would want to go.”

Anyone except my father. Over the years of saying no to other people’s adventures, he has retained his triangularity in a world of round pegs with well-rounded to-do lists. He loved what he loved – the bridges of New York, the Halal street food vendors, the ferry to Staten Island – not because they were iconic but because they pierced his indifference.

My new attitude to travel is to skip the iconic – and I thank my father for that

Why patience really is a virtue

2015-08-30T15:55:00.000Z

When you take a class with the Harvard University art historian Jennifer Roberts, your first task is always to choose a work of art, then go and look at it, wherever it’s displayed, for three full hours.

Why patience really is a virtue

August 30, 2015

2015-08-30T15:54:57.000Z

Diamonds – Kurt Pio. These paintings are awesome.

August 27, 2015

2015-08-27T03:23:59.000Z

My creative process begins with: just thinking. I do a lot of thinking, a lot of pondering. I rarely watch films in airplanes; I just sort of sit there, looking at the ceiling. Day dreaming is the equivalent of doodling; it’s mental doodling.

Marc Newsom.

August 15, 2015

2015-08-15T22:42:03.000Z

heidisaman:

Composition no. 62 is from Rear Window (1954, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) Cinematography by Robert Burks

I love love love that you can see the reflection of the window through the lens.

Compositions no. 1-61

Finally, A Non-Embarrassing Classical-Music Scene in a Blockbuster Movie - The New Yorker

2015-08-15T22:19:55.000Z

The tendency to associate classical music with murderous insanity is a curious neurosis of the American pop-cultural psyche.

Finally, A Non-Embarrassing Classical-Music Scene in a Blockbuster Movie - The New Yorker

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

2015-08-15T22:18:18.000Z

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. It’s fun! I wish it were as stylish as some of its predecessors. I wasn’t picking up on a McQuarrie directorial stamp like we saw in the De Palma, Woo, and Abrams movies. Also a little bit disappointed with Hunt this time around. Seems like he was a bit overmatched at times – more like something you saw in the early stages of Edge of Tomorrow, or something out of Indiana Jones. I’m use to a Hunt that’s more ruthlessly (absurdly) competent. But still, really solid, and I love the pace. That Ferguson is Cruise’s equal (superior?), the opera scene is top-notch, the villain is perfect, and it’s nice to see an action movie that doesn’t feel like it needs a built-in romance. Filed under: Tom Cruise, Mission: Impossible.

August 14, 2015

2015-08-14T01:21:03.000Z

I’d never had to sit and try to think about exactly what I meant by each thing I was saying, because normally, I had written it. And so honestly, what I tried to do was picture what an actor I admired would do, and I copied that. And that is the absolute truth. I imagined what somebody would do if they were given this part, and then I did all of those things.

Jason Segel talks about taking on the daunting role of David Foster Wallace.

Mindy Kaling's Guide to Killer Confidence

2015-08-14T01:18:30.000Z

Here’s how I think you can get your confidence back, kid: Work hard, know your shit, show your shit, and then feel entitled.

Mindy Kaling's Guide to Killer Confidence

Song of the Sea

2015-08-07T15:00:07.000Z

Song of the Sea. From the same crew that brought you The Secret of Kells. This one is lighter, and more of a mess. It is heart-stoppingly gorgeous at times, and I love the sound design. I also love how much the story was told visually. The direction tunes us in to the acting, their moods, what’s they’re interacting with, where they are, guiding us along as they meet their new challenges. That’s all lovely. But there’s a lot of mythology and plotting and tasks that got in the way for me, and when the climax came around, I just wasn’t invested enough to revel in it. I think The Secret of Kells is the stronger of the two.

When Did Feminism Get So “Sneaky”?

2015-08-06T15:00:04.000Z

There’s a nefarious, Mobius strip quality to “sneaky feminism” as a piece of rhetoric. If the point of using it is to satisfy readers that the product in question is ideologically sound, but also chill (Lean in! Not too far!), then this ostensible attempt to make feminism palatable is rather anti-feminist, if sneakily so. That’s because one of feminism’s foundational goals has always been to release women from their disproportionate obligation to show tact, delicacy, and sweetness—to say their piece without being aggressive or annoying about it. Yet we’re asking feminism itself to shimmy through a window and creep down a corridor dancing between laser beams before whispering its claims in the cultural ear.

When Did Feminism Get So “Sneaky”?

The Guest

2015-08-06T14:00:07.000Z

The Guest. It’s a really satisfying little thriller. Love that they cut out whatever dumb backstory explains this guy, and just ran with it. Sort of like Jack Reacher, with a drifter passing through town, getting mixed up with some teens that are waaaaay out of their depth. Love the creepy pumpkins and jack o'lanterns other spooky mood bits throughout. Gotta be one of the last movies to work CDs into the plot. Killer soundtrack.

Q&A: Kobe Bryant talks retirement, playoffs and life after basketball

2015-08-06T12:00:03.000Z

“They see me workout. They see me train. They see the effort I put in. But I’m always Dad to them. If I try to show them how to make a move, they are like, ‘Dad, seriously?’ [Like] I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’m just Dad. It’s awesome.”

Q&A: Kobe Bryant talks retirement, playoffs and life after basketball

Three Colors: Red

2015-08-04T03:35:14.000Z

Three Colors: Red. Third and last in the Three Colors Trilogy. This one felt more natural than Blue (and less of a drag), and not as zany as White. So balanced and sure. I dig it.

The Anthropoid Condition - The Los Angeles Review of Books

2015-08-04T03:24:38.000Z

This is one of the best interviews I’ve read in recent months. I could feel my brain stretching and warping throughout. Thanks to @mattthomas for recommending it. Some good morsels, unapologetically out of context:

My modus operandi in general: to try to be as precise and informed as possible while also taking metaphors seriously as paths to insight.

And:

Since mortals cannot read (or write) very many books, I think an author should thank the reader for choosing your book by not wasting their time.

And:

The history of media theory from McLuhan to Kittler was always also an implicit theory of gender. What if the philosophy of technology focused on birth as much as death? What if we appreciated container technologies as much as power technologies, or labor on life as much as work on things? What if we took domestication not as lost vigor but as the site of the hardest and greatest work? The book doesn’t answer these questions at length, but suggests they are essential to any future philosophy of media.

And:

It would take a lot of thought to detail my research techniques but they include the following imperatives: write early in the morning, cultivate memory, reread core books, take detailed reading notes, work on several projects at once, maintain a thick archive, rotate crops, take a weekly Sabbath, go to bed at the same time, exercise so hard you can’t think during it, talk to different kinds of people including the very young and very old, take words and their histories seriously (i.e., read dictionaries), step outside of the empire of the English language regularly, look for vocabulary from other fields, love the basic, keep your antennae tuned, and seek out contexts of understanding quickly (i.e., use guides, encyclopedias, and Wikipedia without guilt). As to tools, the body is the writer’s essential tool, and I have not quite resolved the question of how to write and read and have a body at the same time.

His new book sounds great.

The Anthropoid Condition - The Los Angeles Review of Books

I run a university. I’m also an Uber driver.

2015-08-04T03:14:37.000Z

Instead of getting a glimpse into the new economy, I was getting full exposure to the burdens of the old economy — specifically, how hard it is for regular working people to make it from their home or apartment to a job every day.

I run a university. I’m also an Uber driver.

Trainwreck

2015-08-04T03:13:12.000Z

Trainwreck. Gonna sound like a total old man, but this is a mess. I walked out of the theater thinking, “Okay, that was fun here and there”, and as the week went on I got more and more annoyed. Vulgarity can be fun, but it’s not enough. There’s some super lame homophobic/racist stuff. The main character seems to despise her sister’s child and husband for no good reason. Surprisingly frosty relationship. Interesting that it opens up with strong resistance to anything resembling slut-shaming… and then tells a story leading to a very traditional redemption and triumph. Acting-wise, Schumer is better than I expected. Hader every bit as good. LeBron is magnetic, but his character is just weird. Better writing would have helped him shine. In general, the celeb cameos are lame. There is some lovely physical comedy, though. Like early on, walking down a shitty sidewalk in heels, and a triumphant moment on the boat. And later one, putting an average person next to pro perfomers, and seeing how they compare. That’s great stuff. But the scene exists as a dance ex machina (sorry), and doesn’t work. Where did she find time for that? No idea why Ezra Miller exists in this story. Blah. Cf. The Age of the Jokeless Comedy

July 28, 2015

2015-07-28T01:31:33.000Z

The best way to communicate your needs clearly is to trust them, vs. spinning them in the most favorable way or second-guessing your own normalcy.

Carolyn Hax. Hax!

The Place Beyond the Pines

2015-07-27T02:38:30.000Z

The Place Beyond the Pines. This was my second viewing (cf. the first), and I really really liked it. The whole thing hung together for me better this time. One thing I noticed the second time around that I appreciated: the movie opens with the sound of Gosling’s breathing prominent; the second main chapter opens with Cooper’s. I would watch a feature film made entirely of those tracking road shots.

July 26, 2015

2015-07-26T17:56:32.000Z

The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature’s Most Epic Road Trips | Atlas Obscura.

July 26, 2015

2015-07-26T17:52:33.000Z

Lil B sums up summer in Atlanta.

Blackhat

2015-07-26T17:43:47.000Z

Blackhat. Some really cool moments and scenes, but a bit underwhelmed the second time around. (The first.) Updated Michael Mann rankings:

Selfish

2015-07-26T12:16:42.000Z

I read Kim Kardashian West’s book Selfish, and can’t help but like her more. (I’ve never watched the TV shows, and only know the bare sketches of her bio and place in culture at the moment.) I think any book of portraits of just one subject would have a similar effect. Just another human gettin’ by.

July 22, 2015

2015-07-22T01:39:07.000Z

Haven’t seen the whole fireside chat, but had to dig up the source when came across this great Jeff Bezos wisdom around 4.5 minutes in, on anticipating future business needs:

I very frequently get the question, “What’s going to change in the next ten years?” And that is a very interesting question. It’s a very common one. I almost never get the question, “What’s not going to change in the next ten years?” And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two. Because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time. In our retail business, we know that customers want low prices. And I know that’s going to be true ten years from now. They want fast delivery. They want vast selection. It’s impossible to imagine a future ten years from now where a customer comes up and says, “Jeff, I love Amazon. I just wish the prices were a little higher”. “I love Amazon. I just wish you’d deliver a little more slowly.” Impossible. And so the effort we put into those things, spinning those things up… we know the energy we put into it today will still be paying off dividends for our customers ten years from now. When you have something that you know is true, even over the long term, you can afford to put a lot of energy into it.

There’s a life metaphor in there somewhere.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Give me file hierarchies, or give me chaos.

2015-07-22T01:26:54.000Z

When it’s time to get dressed in the morning, I don’t throw myself into a giant room full of clothes. I pull socks from my sock drawer and shirts from my shirt drawer. I’ve been doing this since I was five years old. It’s not a challenge.

Give me file hierarchies, or give me chaos.

Koji Kondo’s Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack

2015-07-21T02:02:18.000Z

I read Koji Kondo’s Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack and had felt many feelings. Overall a bit dry and academic. If you were obsessed with games of the era (I’m guilty), you probably know too much industry history to find anything new here in the first half, and you’re already sold on the cultural import. The second half focuses more on the music itself, and digs into music theory a bit more… but if you know a good bit about music already, it also feels like… just not enough. It still made me very nostalgic, though, and for a while I convinced myself I need to buy a Wii U or something.

July 21, 2015

2015-07-21T01:30:04.000Z

A scan from Better Cooking, Better Living (1952).

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold

2015-07-21T01:30:00.000Z

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Gotta admit I didn’t follow this one very well. I liked it, though.

Drive

2015-07-21T01:29:54.000Z

Drive. Third viewing. That elevator scene is still top notch. I’m a sucker for any movie that suspends time to drift into a moment just because. Oscar Isaac has some of the best casual menace in the game right now. Filed under: Drive.

Magic Mike XXL

2015-07-15T02:35:47.000Z

Magic Mike XXL. My appreciation for it grows as time passes. It’s more aimless than the first one (which I really liked), and I think that “this isn’t gonna be like last time” shift is pretty obvious right away with the “Pony” solo. This one seems more gentle and… appreciative? Everybody learned some lessons over the years since the last one. Now it’s time to celebrate, honor that time, and move on. It’s a shame their crew only has like 1.5 decent dancers, but it kinda works. I really enjoyed Kameron Hurley’s series of tweets about the movie, which had me shouting in agreement. Filed under: Magic Mike.

Team America: World Police

2015-07-15T02:19:34.000Z

Team America: World Police. A mixed bag. Some brilliant satire and some painfully juvenile stuff. Interesting to see things that were casually fun back then that just won’t fly today.

July 14, 2015

2015-07-14T02:58:38.000Z

I see life as like being attacked by a bear. You can run, you can pretend to be dead, or you can make yourself bigger.

Amy Poehler.

Why Can't Streaming Services Get Classical Music Right?

2015-07-13T03:08:35.000Z

Don’t get me started. Hard out there for a baller.

Why Can't Streaming Services Get Classical Music Right?

Three Colors: White

2015-07-13T03:08:31.000Z

Three Colors: White. Second in the Three Colors trilogy. A dark and funny revenge (?) tale, with a little bit of shaggy dog thing going on. Another thumbs-up from me. I like when movies lull you into getting invested in a terrible protagonist.

Three Colors: Blue

2015-07-13T03:08:27.000Z

Three Colors: Blue. On grief (+ separating yourself from it) and human connection (+ separating yourself from it). I dig it. It doesn’t play like a weepy melodrama because our lead is in such a shambles, she’s unpredictable and hard to read. Never gonna argue with a Binoche movie. This is the first I watched from the Three Colors trilogy.

The Girl on the Train

2015-07-12T17:23:45.000Z

I read a quarter of Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train, and bailed. I’m pretty sure I won’t finish, anyway. Might grab it again later to make sure I’m not missing out. For now, on to the next.

Unless You Are Spock, Irrelevant Things Matter in Economic Behavior

2015-07-12T17:13:03.000Z

Rationally, no one should be happier about a score of 96 out of 137 (70 percent) than 72 out of 100, but my students were. And by realizing this, I was able to set the kind of exam I wanted but still keep the students from grumbling.

Unless You Are Spock, Irrelevant Things Matter in Economic Behavior

Enlightenment on Your iPhone

2015-07-12T17:11:51.000Z

To pluck some things from the list, while ignoring others, strikes many Buddhists as absurd. McMahan said, “It would be as if somebody went to the Catholic Church and said, ‘I don’t buy all this stuff about Jesus and God, but I really dig this Communion ritual. Would you just teach me how to do that bit? Oh, and I want to start a company marketing wafers.’

Enlightenment on Your iPhone

Balancing Frames and Canvas at Viktor & Rolf

2015-07-11T14:54:53.000Z

thecuttingclass:

Viktor & Rolf, Couture, AW15, Paris. In a show that saw artworks exploding off the wall to form couture gowns, Viktor and Rolf created garments that exaggerated the balancing acts that lie at the heart of all clothing. On everyday clothing, common pattern shapes are regurgitated so that designers don’t have to deal with pesky things like gravity. However, once materials become harder, heavier or stiffer the ability to shape and control the structure of a garment to form extreme silhouettes becomes more and more important. Keep reading

Previous favorites from The Cutting Class.

Rapping – and rocking – with Matt Bonner | Concord Monitor

2015-07-11T14:50:39.000Z

“You’re about to get an exclusive here,” Bonner said. “I hate to make excuses, I was raised to never make excuses, but I went through a two-and-a-half month stretch where I had really bad tennis elbow, and during that stretch it made it so painful for me to shoot I’d almost be cringing before I even caught the ball like, ‘Oh, this is going to kill.’ ” […] “Everybody is going to find this hilarious, but here’s my theory on how I got it,” he said. “When the new iPhone came out it was way bigger than the last one, and I think because I got that new phone it was a strain to use it, you have to stretch further to hit the buttons, and I honestly think that’s how I ended up developing it.”

Rapping – and rocking – with Matt Bonner | Concord Monitor

Reading War and Peace on my iPhone

2015-07-09T02:44:41.000Z

Loved this essay from Clive Thompson. The part about exporting his marginalia into a little mini-book is very intriguing. And how compelling reading changes our habits:

The phone’s extreme portability allowed me to fit Tolstoy’s book into my life, and thus to get swept up in it. And it was being swept up that, ironically, made the phone’s distractions melt away. Once you’re genuinely hankering to get back to a book, to delve into the folds of its plot and the clockwork machinations of its characters, you stop needing so much mindfulness to screen out digital diversions. The book becomes the diversion itself, the thing your brain is needling you to engage with. Stop checking your email and Twitter! You’ve got a book to read!

Reading War and Peace on my iPhone

July 9, 2015

2015-07-09T02:39:28.000Z

heidisaman:

“When you’re an actor, you can act on your own, but you kind of need to get hired. You need to be chosen. And when you’re chosen to act in something, the thing itself is already validated—it’s already real in some way. But for the most part, people who are creators—writers and directors—are always starting from zero. Nobody is asking them to make what they make. Every time you set out to create something from nothing that nobody has asked for, you feel the void more than you do in any other art form. I do, anyway. I’d never experienced that with a film before Frances Ha, where at first there was nothing, and then there was something because we made it. Frances Ha felt like I gave birth to it. And then I realized that that’s what you have to do on every single project for the rest of your life, if this is what you want to do.”

– Greta Gerwig on writing and acting in Frances Ha

Still from Frances Ha (2012, dir. Noah Baumbach)

July 9, 2015

2015-07-09T02:36:01.000Z

balltillifall:

Reading Amazon reviews of MAGIC MIKE reinforces my view that it might be one of the most incredible acts of cinematic subversion of our time. Soderbergh tricked a bunch of horny Midwestern housewives into watching a super dark treatise on modern American culture by cloaking it in the trojan horse of a “sexy Channing Tatum movie” (and made a bucket of money while doing it).

FURY ROAD getting a bunch of bro’s to watch a dystopian, feminist revenge flick and SPRING BREAKERS tricking tween Disney fans into seeing a fucked up Harmony Korine neon fever dream are the other other recent examples that come to mind.

Michael Clayton

2015-07-09T02:34:17.000Z

Michael Clayton. Third viewing (second, first). Something about this movie just really clicks with me.

Euphoria

2015-07-05T17:00:38.000Z

I read Lily King’s Euphoria, and loved it. A love triangle among anthropologists on assignment in the jungles of New Guinea! Loosely based on/inspired by the life of Margaret Mead, who seems fascinating after doing a bit of side reading. Finding lovely turns of phrase like this is one of the reasons I read:

One woman had bright gold hair, the other eyelashes like black ferns.

July 5, 2015

2015-07-05T16:57:34.000Z

I didn’t read the article, but this photo by Billy H.C. Kwok is really great.

The Obtuse Triangle

2015-07-04T17:51:06.000Z

“I asked him, how does it feel when people say [Phil Jackson] won only because he had Jordan, Pippen, O’Neal and Bryant? He brightened. “Feels great!” he said. “I’m so glad I had those players. Made all the difference.””

The Obtuse Triangle

Magic Mike XXL Movie Review & Film Summary (2015) | Roger Ebert

2015-07-04T17:48:33.000Z

When a series about a handsome and charming male stripper serves up two dud love stories in a row, you have to assume it’s intentional – that the films are genuflecting to the idea of including a “love interest,” but not trying too hard to make a convincing one, because it might interfere in with the films’ true, great, ongoing romance, between the audience’s eyeballs and Channing Tatum’s body.

Magic Mike XXL Movie Review & Film Summary (2015) | Roger Ebert

The Sun Never Sets: On Roger Federer, Endings, and Wimbledon

2015-07-04T17:47:46.000Z

Who knows what goes on in any athlete’s head, but he comes across as someone who has genuinely found a way to solve the three brutal overlapping problems that come for any really great athlete late in his or her career. Namely, how to a) keep up the phenomenal and borderline terrifying level of motivation required to commit to nonstop training and preparation after you’ve already realized all your goals, while b) making peace with the fact that you not only aren’t as good as you once were but in fact are doomed to get worse, while c) maintaining a realistic, evolving sense of what you can do so that you know how to plan and when to feel proud, frustrated, optimistic, etc.

The Sun Never Sets: On Roger Federer, Endings, and Wimbledon

The Captive

2015-06-29T03:34:58.000Z

The Captive. There is way too much going on here.

Jurassic World

2015-06-29T03:27:32.000Z

Jurassic World. There are at least three establishing shots early in the movie that make sure you’re ready, later on in the movie, for a terrible jab about high heels. It’s that sort of dedication to the stupidest things where this movie really shines. I’m curious about how this amped up B-movie plays for a young audience that doesn’t have ties to the earliest film. There’s a lot of fan service here with “remember how ___?” nudges throughout. The cellphone ringtone that pulls from the main theme was a nice touch. Along with those references, I thought I saw some borrowing from other movies, too: *Predator*-vision with people getting killed in the jungle; *King Kong*, where a monster looms over a woman in a tattered dress; flying creatures pouring over the horizon, like *The Wizard of Oz*; the scene people with tossing air tanks off the back of a vehicle has a hint of *Jaws* to it. There’s also a complete orgy of product placement! Converse, Beats, Samsung, Verizon, Coca-Cola, Blackberry, Mercedes, Starbucks, Margaritaville. I’m pretty sure I’m forgetting another 5-10, minimum. Totally shameless. It’s too bad that Chris Pratt is no fun here, mostly posing stiffly and asserting. They killed his charm, but he’s somehow still the best thing going here. D'Onofrio manages to make his Hoskins character more interesting than it should be, with all the swagger and bluster. Most of the others are pretty bland. Least (spoiler) favorite (spoiler) part (spoiler): the viciously indulgent death of the British nanny. Other downsides relate to its general overstuffed-ness. Earnest family bonding moments and a vast insider corporate conspiracy? That I have so much to say about this says… something. So anyway, go watch Jurassic Park instead.

Top Gun

2015-06-24T02:24:47.000Z

Top Gun. Exhilarating for the first 80 minutes or so. Intoxicating. Is there any other movie where people are this cool? So many blinding, aggressive smiles. I remember when I was a kid I thought Iceman was a punk. Now he seems so chill and reasonable. “It’s not your flying, it’s your attitude.”

June 24, 2015

2015-06-24T02:15:30.000Z

nevver:

Gluyas Williams

Blade Runner (Final Cut)

2015-06-22T22:17:57.000Z

Blade Runner (Final Cut). I like how the more I watch this the less I root for Deckard and the more I pull for Roy, Pris, Leon, and Zhora. Deckards’s kind of a jerk, right? Fits with the film noiriness to have a hero with a dark side. Those elements stood out a lot more this time, too, so much smoke and fog, backlighting, rainfall leaving everyone bundled and drenched. I forget how jarring some of the cuts and transitions are, but I’ll forgive a lot. Such a whole, rich world. You feel like you could go there. Filed under: Blade Runner.

June 22, 2015

2015-06-22T00:17:28.000Z

nationalgeographicscans:

Rug Washers in Tehran, Iran, 1960

June 22, 2015

2015-06-22T00:17:23.000Z

Photography would seem to preserve our past and make it invulnerable to the distortions of repeated memorial superimpositions, but I think that is a fallacy: photographs supplant the past and corrupt our memories.

Sally Mann, Hold Still (via austinkleon)

Adaptation

2015-06-22T00:17:18.000Z

Adaptation. I dig it. Weird and lively. Nicolas Cage is genius again. My Spike Jonze rankings:

Her
Adaptation
Being John Malkovich
“Flashing Lights”
“Sabotage”
“Get Back”
Where the Wild Things Are

Internal Affairs

2015-06-19T01:16:52.000Z

Internal Affairs. The main reason I watched this was becase I’d recently watched Infernal Affairs, so I figured why not. Pretty solid! I love the undercurrents of menace and heat. So much imagined, suggested, inferred. And always fun to see a charming star like Gere play someone who’s just a terrible human being.

Dark Places

2015-06-18T01:09:13.000Z

I read Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places, but I didn’t finish. It’s really into being dark, and it leans so hard on its ugly rawness that it seems a little… insecure? Let this not dissuade you from reading or watching Gone Girl, though. That one. That’s the stuff.

June 18, 2015

2015-06-18T01:04:23.000Z

I went on a little hike last weekend.

June 18, 2015

2015-06-18T01:03:04.000Z

What I learned from Prince and Muhammad Ali was that it’s possible to love yourself so much that everyone else does, too.

Anil Dash.

Infernal Affairs

2015-06-18T01:02:56.000Z

Infernal Affairs. The source material for The Departed, and every bit as good as it’s remake. Maybe better. I appreciate its briskness where Scorsese tends to linger. Good soundtrack for the occasional jolt, and I like the emo, slightly soap opera moments, too. I also enjoyed Tony Leung in the excellent In the Mood for Love.

Train Dreams

2015-06-16T00:53:20.000Z

I read Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams and enjoyed it. Short and sharp. I like the “scenes from a life” method here. Hits some highlights, not strictly chronological, plenty of asides and characters that aren’t strictly relevant to any plot (such as it is), but add color and fragrance to the story. Parts of it based around the Pacific Northwest logging scene reminded me of The Golden Spruce.

Jurassic Park

2015-06-16T00:49:55.000Z

Jurassic Park. Damn this movie is good. One of those movies where just skimming through search results looking for a good headline image had me smiling. Dr. Sattler is up there amongst the best heroines of the last couple decades. Smart, tough, funny, bold, decisive. (“We can discuss sexism in survival situations when I get back.”) There’s a lot of humor I’d forgetten in this one.

“Are these characters… autoerotica?” “No, we don’t have any animatronics.”

Some catchphrases (“Hold on to your butts.”), and a few great monologues, like…

I’ll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you’re using here, it didn’t require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn’t earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don’t take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox, and now you’re selling it.

Also nice to see an action/thriller that, despite it’s crazy dinosaurs, is very human. It isn’t heavily reliant on overt evil, just self-interest and shortsightedness that devolves (see what I did there) in just about the worst ways possible. And the heroes are pretty regular people, out of their depth, but thinking on their feet and for the most part working together. Even the kids make some good decisions. Maybe the best sequence in the whole thing is where that teamwork is undercut by each group working with limited information. Dr. Grant and the kids are making their way back to HQ, while the folks at HQ are working to get the power back on. It’s brilliant. Each group is separately in danger, each one needs to succeed, and the success of one group of good guys, at the wrong time, is really gonna screw over the others. I’m surprised more movies don’t do something like that – the same team accidentally working at cross-purposes. If you haven’t seen this in a while… fix that.

Bright Wall/Dark Room June 2015: A History of Violence

2015-06-16T00:35:22.000Z

The scaffolding around this essay is my unshakeable belief that images matter, in real time and in retrospect, because visual media can and do shape the way we see the world, frequently more than we bargained for. Does Hersh’s account transform “Zero Dark Thirty” from half fact into whole fiction? If the cinematic treatment of a supposedly true story turns out to be a lie, does that make it propaganda? To what, exactly, can we ascribe the profusion of doubt that’s accompanied this tale of sound and fury, and what does it mean that this is a story we can’t seem to tell, much less find the moral in?

I really liked this essay (and the movie).

Bright Wall/Dark Room June 2015: A History of Violence

The Secret of NIMH

2015-06-14T17:26:27.000Z

The Secret of NIMH. I’d heard about it for ages, but this was the first time I’d seen it. Stumbled on a big-screen showing on a recent trip to San Francisco, and I figured why not? So much more funny and bizarre than I expected. I’m having a hard time imagining a similarly weird movie like this coming out any time soon. Refugee displacement, magic, biomedial ethics, eugenics, interspecies rivalry and cooperation, etc. I’ve been watching (slightly) more animated stuff lately, with good results.

Margin Call

2015-06-14T17:08:13.000Z

Margin Call. “Be first, be smarter, or cheat.” Good ensemble corporate thriller. I don’t understand Kevin Spacey. Given the strength of this and All Is Lost, I guess I should get around to seeing A Most Violent Year. Other good movies about corporate crises: Arbitrage, Michael Clayton, The Insider, The Social Network, The Informant!.

June 10, 2015

2015-06-10T02:13:06.000Z

The Cine-Files » THE TINNITUS TROPE: ACOUSTIC TRAUMA IN NARRATIVE FILM.

How—if at all—do increasing or changing representations of acoustic trauma articulate with changing notions of nation, security, and warfare? Tinnitus is the top disability in American troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and untold numbers of westerners have experienced it after terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid, London, and Boston. It does seem plausible that consequence-free cinematic explosions began to strain credulity (not to mention morality) after such attacks, even for those who have not directly experienced acoustic trauma. Tinnitus offers an economical representation of trauma in films that aspire to some level of realism and empathy—and in fact, researchers view tinnitus and PTSD as related. Could a nation’s trauma be sounding in the ears of its onscreen heroes?

June 10, 2015

2015-06-10T02:12:58.000Z

Listen for follow-up questions, because when those dry up, that means your companion’s interest usually has, too.

Carolyn Hax.

CONVERSATIONS ON SLOWNESS | Vestoj

2015-06-10T02:12:41.000Z

When we talk about the 1970s for instance, they think about ABBA as one of the icons of the decade. They don’t know that ABBA at the time was considered to be extremely bad taste – vulgar and completely unfashionable. ABBA was still wearing platform shoes when everyone else had already moved on. What I mean to say is that it’s not always the best versions of the past that live on.

CONVERSATIONS ON SLOWNESS | Vestoj

The Heart Machine

2015-06-09T02:01:07.000Z

The Heart Machine. I liked it! Good movie about FOMO, longing, lies, relationship anxiety, and the going bonkers as a result of all that. Other highly recommended movies about technology and mysteries about the person you’re falling in love with: The One I Love, Her, Ex Machina, and Blade Runner. Apparently this is one of my favorite genres.

Thrillers

2015-06-09T01:43:34.000Z

There are a lot of ways for a novelist to create suspense, but also really only two: one a trick, one an art.

The trick is to keep a secret. Or many secrets, even. In Lee Child’s books, Jack Reacher always has a big mystery to crack, but there are a series of smaller mysteries in the meantime, too, a new one appearing as soon as the last is resolved. J. K. Rowling is another master of this technique — Who gave Harry that Firebolt? How is Rita Skeeter getting her info?

The art, meanwhile, the thing that makes “Pride and Prejudice” so superbly suspenseful, more suspenseful than the slickest spy novel, is to write stories in which characters must make decisions.

Thrillers

Why Michael Pollan Is Wrong About Artisanal Food

2015-06-09T01:42:01.000Z

I’m kind of exhausted with food talk these days, so I almost skipped this interview. Glad I didn’t. It’s a great change of pace.

Farm products are not food; they are the raw materials for food. Turning plants and animals into something edible is just as difficult, just as laborious as farming itself. Very few of our calories come from raw, unprocessed food. And if those calories are from fruits and vegetables, then it’s only because centuries of breeding has made them less chewy, more tasty, and easier to digest. Cooking, which is one part of processing, went hand in hand with becoming human. Human food is processed food. And there are good reasons for this. Overall, processed foods are easier to eat and digest, more nutritious, tastier, safer, and longer lasting. The idea that any change made in the raw material is detrimental is just flat wrong. […] That we can talk about “A cake made from scratch” when the butter, sugar, and flour that go into it are are highly processed shows how we have lost awareness of the energy that formerly went into food preparation.

Why Michael Pollan Is Wrong About Artisanal Food

Mad Max: Fury Road

2015-06-09T01:31:23.000Z

Mad Max: Fury Road. Ridiculously fun, and so refreshing. I do wish the dialogue were more intelligible. I would have killed for some subtitles or something in the first 10-15 minutes. Sneaky side-effect, though, is that it makes you dial in a bit more, and pay attention. On the other other hand, it doesn’t matter too much, though, as it’s a (very extended) chase film where the details don’t matter too much. (Made me think of Apocalypto in its relentlessness.) Furiosa joins a long, storied line of shaven-head heroines like Ripley, Lt. Ilia, LUH-3417, what’s-her-face in V for Vendetta, et al. Filed under: road movies.

The Loveless

2015-05-29T02:16:29.000Z

The Loveless. Gotta admit I got really restless watching this one. Funny to see old fashion from yesteryear that’s still around today, but the cultural associations are so different. I love Willem Dafoe. Another willfully slow-paced and stylish movie with a hero on the fringe: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Easy Rider is a better movie focused on bikers. Can I count The Place Beyond the Pines, too? And yeah, Sherlock Jr. has one of the best motorcycle scenes you’ll ever see.

Blue Steel

2015-05-29T01:58:40.000Z

Blue Steel. It took me a while to realize I’d seen big chunks of this one before. Jamie Lee Curtis is a cop with itchy trigger finger issues, but she’s also in a frame and no one believes her! Interesting to watch this in the wake of The Thin Blue Line and see how easily cops are over-committed to their early suspicions and prejudices. Slowly catching up on Kathryn Bigelow films. She’s good.

The Robots Are Winning! by Daniel Mendelsohn

2015-05-26T23:22:32.000Z

On two strains of Greek narrative (economic and theological) that continue in modern science fiction storytelling. Good stuff. Filed under: Daniel Mendelsohn. The Robots Are Winning! by Daniel Mendelsohn

Our Pampered Wilderness

2015-05-26T23:22:21.000Z

A reservation can cost up to $220 per night for a minimum two-night weekend stay in midsummer. Coffee delivered at your tent-flap is $9 extra. This is the worst thing to happen to public camping since poison ivy.

Our Pampered Wilderness

The Thin Blue Line

2015-05-26T23:21:19.000Z

The Thin Blue Line. I appreciated it more for historical/influence reasons than for the viewing experience. Charles Musser’s Criterion essay helps put it into context.

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga

2015-05-26T01:21:53.000Z

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga. It tracks a year in the lives of Siberian trappers, mostly. Deep Russia is such a strange place. I’m both in love and terrified. Definitely want to see more Herzog, documentaries in particular. So far I’ve only seen Grizzly Man a couple times, and The Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans.

Three-Ten to Yuma, and Other Stories

2015-05-25T20:05:39.000Z

I read Elmore Leonard’s Three-Ten to Yuma, and Other Stories because I really liked the old movie that was based on the title story. The others are similarly brisk and evocative of more than they say explicitly. This was a great fit with my current reading cycle. Some small tasty bits to shake things up between a couple longer ones.

May 25, 2015

2015-05-25T18:50:46.000Z

Don’t You (Forget About Me) - A Tribute to 80’s Teen Movies. (via). So many formative feelings here.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Orion Magazine | Landspeak

2015-05-25T03:19:13.000Z

A new edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary was published. A sharp-eyed reader noticed that there had been a culling of words concerning nature. Under pressure, Oxford University Press revealed a list of the entries it no longer felt to be relevant to a modern-day childhood. The deletions included acorn, adder, ash, beech, bluebell, buttercup, catkin, conker, cowslip, cygnet, dandelion, fern, hazel, heather, heron, ivy, kingfisher, lark, mistletoe, nectar, newt, otter, pasture, and willow. The words introduced to the new edition included attachment, block-graph, blog, broadband, bullet-point, celebrity, chatroom, committee, cut-and-paste, MP3 player, and voice-mail.

Orion Magazine | Landspeak

Heat

2015-05-25T03:19:07.000Z

Heat. Fourth viewing. Can’t get enough of this movie. Filed under: Heat.

The Secret of Kells

2015-05-25T03:03:59.000Z

The Secret of Kells. Gorgeous, but a little thin, story-wise. It focuses on Brendan, and hints at so many possibilities about creativity, religion, fear, duty, and so on… but only hints, and left me wanting more. Not sure there’s enough in here for kids, either, now that I think about it. Beautiful, though. I love that it embraces the frame and uses big chunks of the screen borders just for mood/decoration when it feels like it.

Sphinx

2015-05-17T16:36:42.000Z

I read Anne Garréta’s Sphinx, and there’s a crazy Oulipian experiment going on here. Once you realize the constraint that makes this book strange and different, you can’t help but be impressed that it was 1) written and 2) translated well (shout-out to Deep Vellum). It’s a story of the narrator’s obsession and romance, “caught up in a love that was always uncompleting itself”. I enjoyed it.

The Inner Game of Tennis

2015-05-14T02:41:57.000Z

I read Timothy Gallwey’s The Inner Game of Tennis, and really enjoyed it. It’s one of those “hub” books you come across every so often, where you realize there are spokes sticking out into a bunch of other stuff that’s been on your mind lately. Gallwey’s working theory here is about the internal dichotomy between “Self 1” and “Self 2” in performance. Self 1 is that voice inside, that part of you that “knows” how to do things, that instructs, urges, reprimands, exhorts. Self 2 is the one that does things. Given that Self 1 is so eager to “try hard” and correct and evaluate, successful practice and performance is about building trust for Self 2 and learning through practice and simple observation.

Letting go of judgments does not mean ignoring errors. It simply means seeing events as they are and not adding anything to them.

Mindfulness! There’s a flip side of that, too – Self 1 can be too pleased with itself when things are going well. Self-congratulations also takes you out of the moment. I really like this section, about avoiding criticism as we learn:

When plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice that it is small, but we do not criticize it as “rootless and stemless”. We treat it as a seed, giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed. When it first shoots up out of the earth, we don’t condemn it as immature and underdeveloped; nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand in wonder at the process taking place and give the plant the care it needs at each stage of its development. The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential.

Another interesting bit:

If you think you are controlled by a habit, then you will feel you have to try to break it. […] There is no need to fight old habits. Start new ones.

And I thought this was nicely phrased…

Natural focus occurs when the mind is interested.

Focus isn’t something we do, it’s something that results. I also like one final section on the games that people play aside from the actual game itself. We each tend to embrace different goals within the game: to be perfect, to be better than the other guy, to appear to be great, to bond, to learn, to be challenged, etc. Each of these motivations influence and contaminate and distract us from performance to some degree. Very highly recommended! Some other related posts around here: Never try to look cool and learn something at the same time. Nervous is good. Performance vs. editing. In order to have your best performance you have to be relaxed. That eye-on-the-object look. Reality not maybe is zen. Festina lente. Willing to be shit at things. Forever the 5-year-old of something. A good coach made you suffer in a way that suited you.

Carolyn Hax: A friend with seemingly everything still has time for fine whine

2015-05-14T02:35:53.000Z

Classic Hax. You have to be pretty open-minded and self-aware to be able to sympathize with those who appear to be (and may objectively be) more fortunate than you are.

Or she’s genuinely unhappy. It can, of course, happen amid gaudy equity, lovely kids, an attentive spouse, a flexible career, stable finances and ambitious travel; just because these have societal value doesn’t mean they’re valuable to her. And just because the decisions were “very-thought-out” doesn’t mean they were the right ones for her. If a person’s baseline understanding of herself is a degree or two off, then her choices can lead her, over the years, hundreds of miles off-course.

Carolyn Hax: A friend with seemingly everything still has time for fine whine

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

2015-05-13T00:33:33.000Z

I read Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, but it took me a while. When it’s good, it’s great. When it’s not, it’s a wispy, ambiguous snoozer. Seems like a book you really have to just vacuum up in one fell swoop… or save it and nibble every now and then. I took the slow route.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High

2015-05-12T03:03:17.000Z

I re-read Crucial Conversations, a book I’d read for a previous job years and years ago. It’s proven its worth many times over. It’s all about creating safety when you need to hold people accountable, or have other awkward conversations where your counterpart’s defenses (and your own!) are going to be on high alert.

I was an undercover Uber driver

2015-05-11T01:36:33.000Z

An interesting take I haven’t seen elsewhere. Plenty of stuff I’d never thought about before, like:

One way Uber has fewer costs than the taxi companies is that its drivers use their personal insurance policies as their primary coverage.

The companion piece has some interesting tips and tricks. Gotta know where the free parking and bathrooms are.

I was an undercover Uber driver

Predestination

2015-05-11T01:32:37.000Z

Predestination. The brisk opening especially felt a little 1990s-ish, in a good way. I wish that pace had kept up. Reminded me of Dark City a bit. Love the costume and set details that keep you oriented. As with many labyrinthine movies, I’m curious about what the experience would be like if they told it straight, in one chronology. There’s so much story in this story that it sort of spoils itself, but… I liked it. How wrong can you go with time travel?

The Insider

2015-05-11T01:32:33.000Z

The Insider. It’s awesome, like all the rest of Michael Mann’s stuff. He’s got such a great handle on momentum within and across scenes. Great cast across the board. Love the mini-breaks just to gaze and reflect and get in their heads a bit. (Filed under: Michael Mann).

Pitch Perfect

2015-05-10T19:09:40.000Z

Pitch Perfect. A perfectly average and enjoyable modern musical comedy. So much of the humor is non sequitur. Anna Kendrick is a delight, as always. I won’t go out of my way to watch the sequel, though.

Grizzly Man

2015-05-09T03:40:43.000Z

Grizzly Man. Second viewing. (The first.) I found myself less sympathetic and more disturbed and saddened the second time around.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

2015-05-09T03:40:36.000Z

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Thrives more on effective mood and style and ambiance than narrative strength. Too cool for its own good, in both sense of the word (for my tastes), but it’s fresh, and I like the genre-blending across western, noir, and horror. Soundtrack.

The New Yorker’s Susan Orlean on the magic and mystery of writing

2015-05-09T03:40:34.000Z

I also think if you’ve got writer’s block, you don’t have writer’s block. You have reporter’s block. You only are having trouble writing because you don’t actually yet know what you’re trying to say, and that usually means you don’t have enough information. That’s the signal to walk away from the keyboard, think about what it is that you don’t really know yet, and go do that reporting.

And also:

My father was really, really the author of my particular personality. He gave me a million different pieces of advice, but one that comes up all the time is: Anything that can be fixed with money isn’t worth crying over.

The New Yorker’s Susan Orlean on the magic and mystery of writing

Wolf in White Van

2015-04-28T22:35:41.000Z

I read John Darnielle’s Wolf in White Van, but only 1/3 or so. Onward!

That Ominous Pulse

2015-04-28T22:35:38.000Z

I’ve noticed a few recent movies with electro-ish scores that feature some sort of pulse or buzz or building waves of raw sound. Not especially melodic, just a persistent, engulfing motif that swallows you up.

From *Upstream Color*, one of my favorite soundtrack moments in recent memory, “As If It Would Have A Universal And Memorable Ending”:

From *Gone Girl*, “Consummation”:

And recently in *Ex Machina*, there’s the last minute or so of “Hacking/Cutting”:

The last two especially remind me of the opening few seconds of Yeezus. I’m sure I’m missing some other good examples?

True Grit

2015-04-28T22:26:04.000Z

I read Charles Portis’ True Grit and was surprised how it manages to wring so much humor out of a pretty straight-shooting narrator. A quick read.

Ex Machina

2015-04-27T02:00:06.000Z

Ex Machina. One of my favorites of the year so far. Oscar Isaac’s Nathan is awesome, flipping back and forth from intimidating to genial. He’s a brogrammer archetype. Excellent critique here of tech sexism and overreach. His overconfidence makes him too casual, flippant about the ethics. Domhnall Gleeson’s Caleb has his own blinders, about gender in particular. Some of the dialogue was tiresome. I wish they’d felt more courage to just let people talk, and let the audience get lost a bit (if needed) without preface and theory. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised how they handled the ending. I’d imagined something more traditional. Loved it. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for a couple weeks now. Good stuff.

The Fault in Our Stars

2015-04-22T01:31:17.000Z

I read John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and I was the guy wiping away tears and sniffling in public. Good one for all you softies out there. Recommended.

Why Everyone's Saying 'YAAAAAASSSSSS' Now

2015-04-22T01:26:35.000Z

The word “yes” is an extremely dull way to express the varied sentiments of “yes.”

Why Everyone's Saying 'YAAAAAASSSSSS' Now

2001: A Space Odyssey

2015-04-21T01:36:15.000Z

I re-read Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and am glad I did. It was cooler than I remembered. Much of it is a bit cold and distant, like the movies, but still has some awestruck moments, and it’s fun to come back to something that I’ve seen four or five times and have such convenient visuals/memories for. If you like the movie, this is a natural complement.

The Town

2015-04-16T01:36:31.000Z

The Town. This movie is so great. (Previously.) Follows that wonderful formula that Heat, uses: criminals + leader + wildcard teammate + romantic complication + the pressure to do just one more job = everything falling apart. Hall and Hamm’s characters seemed stronger on second viewing. Renner’s character? I can’t enough.

Doug MacRay: You can’t be up there killing people. James Coughlin: Hey, you brought me.

Ida

2015-04-16T01:22:21.000Z

Ida. It’s exceptionally lovely to look at. Black and white brings out the layers and textures and lighting. The boxy aspect ratio makes is a refreshing change too. I’m thinking it’s under-used these days. (Meek’s Cutoff is another recent example that does it well.) Story isn’t as invigorating as the visuals, but it packs a lot in and feels so much bigger than its minutes, in a good way.

I Walk Alone

2015-04-16T01:12:48.000Z

I Walk Alone. Spins out of control really nicely! Solid.

The Martian

2015-04-16T01:07:25.000Z

I read about half of Andy Weir’s The Martian, and then I bailed. DNF. Definitely enjoyed the thought process and survival engineering. Ultimately, I was hoping for some more narrative progress, more quickly. On to the next.

Peter Thiel on the Future of Innovation

2015-04-16T01:06:20.000Z

Good stuff here. I appreciate the range and pace. It’s a little bit obnoxious, too, but better that than boring.

TYLER COWEN: It’s like Beach Boys music. Sounds optimistic on the surface but it’s deeply sad and melancholy.

And also:

PETER THIEL: I remember a professor once told me back in the ’80s that writing a book was more dangerous than having a child because you could always disown a child if it turned out badly.

And also:

PETER THIEL: I think often the smarter people are more prone to trendy, fashionable thinking because they can pick up on things, they can pick up on cues more easily, and so they’re even more trapped by it than people of average ability.

Etc.

Peter Thiel on the Future of Innovation

April 11, 2015

2015-04-11T16:57:25.000Z

Mapped: How hard it is to get across U.S. cities using only bike lanes - The Washington Post.

We’d never build a street grid that looks like this and expect drivers to navigate the city through it.

April 11, 2015

2015-04-11T16:53:58.000Z

Obvious Button States — The Brooks Review. This kills me over and over.

April 7, 2015

2015-04-07T01:23:08.000Z

I was out on a trip recently, and had been away from home for two weeks. I missed it much more than I thought I would. But then I was finally on the plane again.

I find flights pretty relaxing in general, something about the ambient hum of brown noise from wind and engines, and just enough oxygen to keep your body functioning. I can grab some fitful sleep, here and there, but most of my time was spent watching movies, and the clock. I managed to doze off again for an hour or so near the end of the flight.

I woke up. Too groggy and loopy to think much, but I put my earphones in and put my music on shuffle. I slowly inch the window shade up and squint out as my eyes adjust. It was a fresh morning for me, late morning in California, and I was finally just one more leg away from home. I’d been over the Pacific for about 12 hours, and as our path broke the coastline of California, Fleetwood Mac’s “Sara” shuffles on. And then I’m all goosebumpy, smiling, welling up and spilling over with a few relieved, grateful tears. I have no idea what that tune is about, but sometimes a song and a moment just hit you like that. And as soon as I got back I started thinking about what other trips I’d like to take.

Furious 7

2015-04-07T01:23:03.000Z

Furious 7. On the whole, much more of a soap opera than the previous movies. Or just opera. It’s grand, it’s sentimental. The series seemed to transition from heist flick into slightly more of a superhero ensemble piece. The mission and conflict is much more personal through and through, rather than practical. The bus scene up there is not in any way ruined by the trailer. So much better than I thought. Other good stuff: I like how they set up and executed the staircase scene. And this one felt funnier than the previous ones. It’s a bit slighter and choppier in hindsight, but when I was watching they really played the whole range pretty well. I also have to mention that it was difficult to watch at times, for real-life reasons. Seeing Paul Walker doing dangerous things in cars, knowing the circumstances of his death, made me a little uneasy. In the theatre it made me think of Heath Ledger’s Joker from The Dark Knight. It’s all too easy to make those eerie parallels with the real world. I trust that this one, too, will be easier to watch again later, because you also get to see him just having fun with his fellow cast, enjoying this ride like we do. Filed under: The Fast and the Furious. I guess I have to go back and re-watch all of them now.

Casablanca

2015-04-06T00:04:18.000Z

Casablanca. It’s perfect. Claude Rains keeps the whole thing moving.

Erin Brockovich

2015-04-06T00:04:13.000Z

Erin Brockovich. Roberts is great, but it’s hamstrung by its repetition. Manages to make paperwork interesting for a couple hours, though.

The Devil Wears Prada

2015-04-06T00:04:10.000Z

The Devil Wears Prada. It does a good job of playing both sides. I wish it would move a little more quickly.

The Social Network

2015-04-05T23:47:21.000Z

The Social Network. I didn’t like the Zuckerberg characterization as much this time around (previously), but somehow I felt more sympathetic. Great movie. Filed under: David Fincher.

The Spiritual Shape of Political Ideas

2015-04-05T23:47:16.000Z

The mainline congregations may be gone as significant factors in the nation’s public life, but their collapse released a religious logic and set of spiritual anxieties that are still with us—still demanding that we see our nation and ourselves in the patterns cast by their old theological lights.

The Spiritual Shape of Political Ideas

April 2, 2015

2015-04-02T03:06:22.000Z

I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life.

Angelina Jolie Pitt, Stoic philosopher. Filed under: acceptance.

Run All Night

2015-04-02T03:03:39.000Z

Run All Night. Well there’s nothing new here, but some good stuff, and also a groaner of a villainous re-appearance. I was surprise at how many nice photographs there are in this one, in particular some really lovely nighttime city scenes. Makes me more curious about Unknown and Non-Stop.

Mean Girls

2015-04-02T03:01:12.000Z

Mean Girls. Brilliant. Another screen-on-the-green viewing. This might be the movie I quote the most? (Previously.)

Blade Runner

2015-03-31T02:18:21.000Z

Blade Runner. Had the good fortune to see this on a big screen, in a big park. So rad. Filed under: Blade Runner.

The Equalizer

2015-03-31T02:15:58.000Z

The Equalizer. Second viewing (the first). I wish there were a prequel about Marton Csokas’ character.

Wild

2015-03-31T02:02:27.000Z

Wild. Meh.

Nebraska

2015-03-31T02:02:24.000Z

Nebraska. It’s good. Does it’s best work in the lighter moments, but that’s just me.

Lost in Translation

2015-03-31T02:00:59.000Z

Lost in Translation. Bill Murray is the best. Johansson is really good, but I don’t see this movie working without him.

Top Five

2015-03-31T02:00:55.000Z

Top Five. Let’s see, a movie about an actor known for more mass-market-friendly work who’s anxious about trying his hand at something more serious. Sounds familiar, but worked so much better for me. I don’t follow the business side of movies very much, so I really hope this did well enough for Rock to do many more.

Nightcrawler

2015-03-31T02:00:50.000Z

Nightcrawler. Second viewing, ditto everything I wrote before), and I loved it even more this time. This was the first of a handful I watched on a very long flight. Sorry not sorry for the deluge to come.

First Alan Adler Invented the Aerobie. Now He’s Created the Perfect Cup of Coffee

2015-03-31T00:47:26.000Z

At first I was stirring it in a cup and then pouring the slurry into the AeroPress. Later on I learned that I could stir it right in the AeroPress.

I love that in the early, prototyping days even the inventor didn’t know how to use his invention.

First Alan Adler Invented the Aerobie. Now He’s Created the Perfect Cup of Coffee

A Bewildering Crash - The New Yorker

2015-03-31T00:47:21.000Z

To be told that a scene of mass death is the result of an accident or terrorism is to be given not only an explanation of the cause but also an idea of how to reckon with the consequence.

A Bewildering Crash - The New Yorker

March 27, 2015

2015-03-27T13:29:23.000Z

How the Hawks are running away with the East

2015-03-12T03:47:28.000Z

I love this so much:

[Point guard Jeff Teague] reported to training camp in September 2013 and couldn’t find his chair. “You’re over there now,” said reserve big man Gustavo Ayon, motioning to the spot between center Al Horford and forward Mike Scott. [Head coach] Budenholzer wanted players sitting next to one teammate they could influence and another who could influence them.

How the Hawks are running away with the East

March 11, 2015

2015-03-11T02:03:43.000Z

No Country for Old Men

2015-03-11T01:58:41.000Z

No Country for Old Men. Fourth or fifth time I’ve watched it, I think. Dear lord. There might be just a single-digit number of movies better than this one.

Shitphone: A Love Story

2015-03-11T01:58:07.000Z

One of the lesser-appreciated joys of online shopping is that, in the process of streamlining and compressing the expressions of capitalism we call “retail,” it gives us a god’s eye view of market patterns. In one search on Amazon or Newegg you can see a category’s past, present, and near future: high-margin luxury options on one side, low-margin or out-of-date good-enough options from unlikely or unknown brands on the other. Then, in the big mushy middle, brands fighting over a diminishing opportunity. This is faintly empowering. To watch the compressed cycles of modern consumer electronics pass through your viewfinder gives a calming order to an industry that depends on the perception that it is perpetually exceptional. This perspective also helps to enforce realism about your relationship with consumer electronics. Whether you choose the luxury option, the commodity option, or something in between, you are buying future garbage.

Shitphone: A Love Story

March 10, 2015

2015-03-10T01:16:22.000Z

I’ve had my dictaphone since the mid- to late ’90s. In my previous life, I used to record demos on it. Then I ran into some trouble with tendonitis and repetitive stress and it prevented me from writing at my laptop. I got really bummed about it, so I started speaking my scripts out into this dictaphone I had lying around. I realized it was really helpful for my creative process. Having a linear writing machine, where I couldn’t go back and hate myself and edit myself, allowed me to blast through drafts of scripts much more quickly and write from a much more instinctual, as opposed to intellectual, place. It’s a mess when it comes out, but the pacing is really good. So I have Radio Shack to thank for my entire creative process.

Mark Duplass. (via). And also:

For the first time in my life, I’m starting to make more money than I know what to do with. And it’s really weird. What it does is it kind of kills your god. Because your god, as an artist, is to try to find a way to make the art you want to make while being financially sustainable. And to have achieved that murdered my god. So now I look to Warren Buffett — the way he’s still actively excited about achieving career success and making money, and then he throws it all away on people who need it. That is the most inspiring thing that I can imagine.

Fargo

2015-03-09T01:03:26.000Z

Fargo. First off, how is this movie 19 years old now? Second, it’s great. Some of the gee-golly-dontcha-know Midwestern charm doesn’t age as well, but it does a wonderful job of nudging these great characters along, and switching between their scenes. McDormand and Macy are geniuses. I realized when watching this time that Stomare’s Grimsrud character is something of an early variation of Waingro, and anticipates their own rendition of Chigurh, too. As for the based on a true story part:

If an audience believes that something’s based on a real event, it gives you permission to do things they might otherwise not accept.

Badlands

2015-03-09T00:54:32.000Z

Badlands. Second viewing (the first), this time at the theater. You can’t not like Sheen (and Kit). I don’t think this viewing changed its spot in my Malick rankings (3rd), but it does boost his work as a whole.

March 3, 2015

2015-03-03T03:52:23.000Z

Conley Presler got a letter from Mr. Rogers.

You are special, and you make each day a special day for the people who care about you – just because you’re you.

March 3, 2015

2015-03-03T03:49:16.000Z

Darkwater - Matt Gemmell.

That’s what’s so frightening. Because it feels wonderful. Sensory deprivation, when you need it most. It’s an off-switch from all that’s outside. And wherever you go, it stays with you.

February 24, 2015

2015-02-24T02:59:11.000Z

Elisa Strozyk’s Wooden Textiles. (via)

The Silence of the Lambs

2015-02-24T02:48:24.000Z

The Silence of the Lambs. Absurdly great movie. Its greatest strength is its exploration of institutional sexism and the constant, relentless challenge of demanding respect and getting her shit done without it. Combines some great slow-burn mystery/thriller tactics with occasional over-the-top violence and just enough sly humor. The pacing and the ties between scenes are brilliant. I also appreciate the small bits of foreshadowing and “warm-up” material (the view from the Belvedere, inkpen, creeper nightvision goggles, etc.) throughout.

The art of the bug

2015-02-22T19:31:40.000Z

If the experience is demoralizing and alienating, our community has squandered your potential. The tricky part is that the computer has no idea that you’re just a beginner.

The art of the bug

Gone Girl

2015-02-22T19:31:35.000Z

Gone Girl. A+. This movie is even more slack-jawed “whaaaaa…?” and nightmarish the second time around. (The first.) Detective Rhonda Boney is the best movie character since Steamboat Willie, probably.

February 21, 2015

2015-02-21T19:03:41.000Z

The invisible network that keeps the world running - BBC - Future.

To find out more about this huge, invisible network, I accompanied a group of architects and designers called the Unknown Fields Division for a rare voyage on a container ship between Korea and China. The aim of the trip was to follow the supply chain back to some of the remotest parts of China and the source of our consumer goods – and what we saw as we travelled through mega-ports and across oceans looked closer to science fiction than reality.

If I ever change to a new career it just might be container shipping.

A Professor Explains Why He’s Teaching College Kids About Kanye

2015-02-21T19:02:50.000Z

Just down the road from me, Georgia State professor Scott Heath doing work that needs to be done.

“He’s aware of the criticism and the critiques that come his way, and he then critiques those critiques. This is a guy who gives interviews where the entire interview is about another interview that he gave earlier,” says Heath, pointing to conversations with Jimmy Kimmel and Ricky Smiley as examples. “That, to me, is very keenly discursive.”

And also:

“He’s having to process or deal with other people’s interpretation of what he’s saying and who he happens to be,” says Heath, alluding to Du Bois’ assessment that black people in America are tasked with the emotionally arduous task of filtering their own identities through the lens of dominant white culture. “An exciting moment for me was the students reading Du Bois and the lightbulb going off and them making the connection to Kanye.”

Filed under: Kanye West. A Professor Explains Why He’s Teaching College Kids About Kanye

GQ&A: Kobe Bryant

2015-02-20T12:43:45.000Z

Do you ever think that the qualities that make you great are actually problems?

Oh, yeah. But the things that make a person average are also problems. The things that make someone not good at anything at all are a problem. If you want to be the greatest of all-time at something, there’s going to be a negative side to that.

GQ&A: Kobe Bryant

How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life

2015-02-20T12:43:18.000Z

I read Russ Roberts’ book How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life, and it’s certainly the most heavily dog-eared book I’ve read in the last couple months. It’s slighter in hindsight, but still got some good stuff out of it. Smith is best known for the more macro-level, distant, impersonal view on economics in The Wealth of Nations. This books relies on Smith’s lesser-known A Theory of Moral Sentiments, which explores the more intimate, direct relationships between individuals. What I like is its undercurrent of humility and courtesy, for one, and the idea of ripple effects that go beyond us. There’s the idea of the “impartial spectator” in here – a hypothetical (and likely impossible) imagined outsider, an objective witness we can turn to to evaluate what we do. Of course, we’re delusional and biased and self-obsesssed. The principle stands, though, and the community around us helps to shape this hypothetical ideal that we imagine. Virtuous behavior is like passable writing vs. great writing. At a basic level, there is grammar and syntax. There’s broad agreement on many of those details. But there’s a special something that goes beyond the basic requirements. Along the same lines, no one individual really decides what proper grammar is, and how a language works. But many people, making many small decisions every day, spread and sustain behaviors that add up to something bigger on the scale of family, office, neighborhood, nation, culture. And it’s that big-picture thinking that (hopefully) motivates us to “be lovely even when we can get away with not being lovely”. Going along with that are some healthy warnings about our obessions with powerful people, and about hubris when it comes to societal engineering. Some other parts I like? Smith on keeping it simple:

What can be added to the happiness of the man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience?

Smith on praise we haven’t earned…

To us they [his praises] should be more mortifying than any censure, and should perpetually call to our minds, the most humbling of all reflections, the reflection of what we ought to be, but what we are not.

Or as Roberts phrases it, “Undeserved praise is a repimand – a reminder of what I could be.” There’s another great section that talks about how gadgets are seductive. Roberts says, “We often care more about the elegance of the device than for what it can achieve.” Smith’s line here made me think about the tech and especially the #EDC community:

How many people ruin themselves by laying out money on trinkets of frivolous utility? What pleases these lovers of toys is not so much the utility, as the aptness of the machines which are fitted to promote it. All their pockets are stuffed with little conveniences.

Smith on why friendship is so valuable when you’re grieving – we see our pain through their eyes, and see it’s not so bad:

We are immediately put in mind of the light in which he will view our situation, and we begin to view it ourselves in the same light; for the effect of sympathy is instantaneous.

Roberts on caring on a smaller scale than save-the-world dreams:

Maybe, just maybe, your best way of making the world a better place is to be a really superlative husband or mom or neighbor. […] We forget that being good at our work helps others and makes the world a better place, too.

And a lovely bit of rabbinic wisdom:

It is not up to you to finish the work. But you are not free to desist from it.

A similar, more energetic book along the same lines is Sarah Bakewell’s very excellent How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer.

Jonathan Ive and the Future of Apple - The New Yorker

2015-02-18T02:56:48.000Z

Even if you don’t give a shit about tech, or profiles of wealthy people, stick around for the lovely little bits of colorful writing. Ian Parker is great:

Ive’s career sometimes suggests the movements of a man who, engrossed in a furrowed, deferential conversation, somehow backs onto a throne.

Jonathan Ive and the Future of Apple - The New Yorker

Still Alice

2015-02-18T02:55:01.000Z

Still Alice. Effective and depressing. Moore is awesome, but the movie isn’t very adventurous, and sometimes a little tedious. Unfortunately strays a bit into advertorial/advocacy/message territory. Which is fine, it’s a great cause, etc. But I think it would have been stronger if it had stuck with the family.

The Time of Our Singing

2015-02-17T02:02:14.000Z

I read Richard Powers’ book The Time of Our Singing and, actually, nope, now I have to tell the friend who recommended it that I didn’t finish.

Will Smith on Kids, Career, and Failure

2015-02-16T20:18:05.000Z

You know, I suck so much more than I’ve thought that I should at forty-six. I hate not knowing what I should be doing. I don’t mind not being where I’m going, but I hate not knowing where I should be going.

Will Smith on Kids, Career, and Failure

It’s Kind of Cheesy Being Green

2015-02-16T20:16:23.000Z

In one good little segment about product management, there’s this:

The reason good product managers are insanely expensive to hire is because they are able to work across many layers of technology at once. I met one person who put transparent plastic sheets on her whiteboard so that she could flip between the layers. That’s right, nerds: three-dimensional whiteboarding.

It’s Kind of Cheesy Being Green

Haywire

2015-02-16T20:15:06.000Z

Haywire. Second viewing (the first). Sometimes it could use a little spark, but I do appreciate it’s overall reserve and steady rumble. If I were in charge, I’d probably do some trimming at the end. Nice, though, to let the side characters like MacGregor and Douglas shine a bit.

Lucy

2015-02-10T02:32:44.000Z

Lucy. Movie trailers can be deceiving. In this case, they sold it as a pretty yawner-looking action movie, but the story is delivered with more spirit and weirdness than you’d expect. There’s this really wonderful ongoing pattern of spliced-in nature footage as counterpoint to the story. A few moments are delightfully heightened (e.g. opening the briefcase), or thoughtfully disorienting (not translating other languages). Most of that is early on, though, and it unfortunately falls back on serviceable scifi/action pastiche, including plenty of Matrix-y philosophy talk. What really helps the early going is that Johansson is more fun to watch. It’s too bad that our hero basically turns into robot, loses affect. There’s an ongoing theme of conquering time via reproduction/evolution, and how knowledge transforms. Notice how they smuggle drugs in their stomach (womb). Also makes me think of study drugs, nootropics, etc. Also reminded me of Ted Chiang’s story Understand in his (really really good) collection Stories of Your Life. So maybe the overall problem here is that it was too good too soon, and once you’ve got the premise up and running, it’s hard to keep it weird. I’d place The Fifth Element ahead of this in my Luc Besson power rankings.

Sorry Please Thank You

2015-02-09T16:22:00.000Z

I read Charles Yu’s Sorry Please Thank You, which I picked up after two of his other books made my 2014 favorites list. The opener “Standard Loneliness Package”, is one of the best in the book (a somewhat different version is online)…

Some genius in Delhi had figured out a transfer protocol to standardize and packetize all different kinds of experiences. Overnight, everything changed. An industry was born. The business of bad feeling. For the right price, almost any part of life could be avoided.

”Troubleshooting” and “Open” are other good examples of what you’re in for: short stories that are a little bit wistful or cynical, a little bit of comic exasperation, and a sort of tech- and/or scifi bent to them. Most of them work with a brain-teaser/experimental premise, but don’t feel as emotionally compelling as his earlier stuff. Third Class Superhero and How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe are definitely worthwhile, though. If you like those first, you’ll probably enjoy this, too.

Batman Returns

2015-02-08T22:20:09.000Z

Batman Returns. It had been a long time since I’d seen it. This Christmas tale also begins with a birth, but it’s so much more desperate and twisted than the traditional one. Too bad Catwoman is the only villain that stresses me out. Penguin is just kinda lame and pitiful. :( I like the staging and framing for many of the scenes. Like during Penguin PR speech, back at the mansion Alfred is decorating the Christmas tree while Bruce watches TV. (Speaking of, kinda funny how Batman learning about about rising threats through television seems so dated now.) And there’s some silly-exhilarating stuff, like when Kyle falls through layers of awnings. That scene at the masquerade (Superfreak!) is a masterpiece. Lovely to look at, and charmingly mental, but the story progression is too herky-jerky for my tastes, and not as fun as the 1989 for me.

February 8, 2015

2015-02-08T14:25:00.000Z

Aside from my notebooks about what I’m reading (which I’ve kept pretty religiously for years), I’ve been a terrible journaler. Never got into a groove and stayed there. But a couple months ago, I started using Day One, and have consistently knocked out a few entries every single day, mostly from my phone. I even went through and back-filled a few memorable trips/days from the months before I had the app. Who knows if it will last, but I definitely don’t regret it.

p>I set up a couple reminders to give me an extra nudge in the morning and afternoon. Sometimes it just ends up as a few bullet points on the day’s goals or failures. Sometimes just a photo and caption. Sometimes something longer. But always something, which is what I’ve been looking for. And, there’s already a few solid, reliable options for exporting, so I have peace of mind if want to jump ship. But so far, so good.

StrengthsFinder 2.0

2015-02-08T14:24:34.000Z

I and a few dozen folks I work with read Tom Rath’s StrengthsFinder 2.0. Good stuff. The assessment results tell me that my top strengths/themes are: Restorative®, Intellection®, Ideation®, Input®, and Relator®. Basically, I like fixing things; stockpiling ideas and connecting them; and sticking with people I’m close with. Sounds pretty fair, and there’s much more depth on each of those in the book and in their online thingy. At the very least, it explains why I love my job as much as I do. Also has some good ideas to invest in those strengths for TrueUltimatePower®. I was a bit skeptical, but it’s worth a read!

February 7, 2015

2015-02-07T20:09:05.000Z

gotemcoach:

Rusty ain’t playing.

Texas: The Great Theft

2015-02-07T20:09:00.000Z

I read Carmen Boullosa’s Texas: The Great Theft. It took me a while to catch on, but then I was able to coast along with the dozens and dozens of side characters and tangents. I didn’t love it, but haven’t read anything else where you get about ten thousand vivid snapshots of a time and place. Also, this book was the first release from Deep Vellum, a specialty translated lit operation run my friend Will Evans. So far my subscription is paying off. More to come.

Blackhat and the Return of Michael Mann - MensJournal.com

2015-02-07T01:42:29.000Z

Do you have any Starsky & Hutch memories?

I remember writing that there was a robbery, and a car jumped the curb and went through the window of a car dealership. And then they shot it. I said, “Wow, this is crazy. I write this stuff, and they go and do it.” So then, of course, the ambition increased.

Blackhat and the Return of Michael Mann - MensJournal.com

Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 158, Shelby Foote

2015-02-05T04:46:46.000Z

On research and not being tooooo organized:

I’ve never had anything resembling a secretary or a research assistant. I don’t want those. Each time I type, it gives me another shot at it, another look at it. As for research, I can’t begin to tell you the things I discovered while I was looking for something else. A research assistant couldn’t have done that. Not being a trained historian, I had botherations that led to good things. For instance, I didn’t take careful notes while reading. Then I’d get to something and I’d say, By golly, there’s something John Rawlins said at that time that’s real important. Where did I see it? Then I would remember that it was in a book with a red cover, close to the middle of the book, on the right-hand side and one third from the top of the page. So I’d spend an hour combing through all my red-bound books. I’d find it eventually, but I’d also find a great many other things in the course of the search.

Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 158, Shelby Foote

The Babadook

2015-02-03T03:42:00.000Z

The Babadook. I, uh, wasn’t too anxious to go to bed after watching this. If I were a child actor, I wouldn’t have survive it psychologically intact. Awesome movie, though, and like many horror flicks, has a lot of material ripe for interpretation. Some lovely foreshadowing – a children’s author, “Mom is very lucky to have you, isn’t she?”, hands on throats, etc. I like the editing, particularly the transitions from night to day, how they often use timelapse or a just a shift in lighting. It keeps the momentum up. Love the sound design (insectoid sound effects were an inspired choice) and those cool blue-grey palettes. Interesting to see TV and the movies as both comfort/entertainment (for the elderly neighbor) and a nudge over the edge. We could see the babadook as repressed memories/guilt/sadness/anger over the husband that fester and spoil as they – and she – are increasingly isolated from work, hobbies, family, community. The refuge where you flee becomes a trap. Eventually, we have to make some sort of peace with our inner torment. Acknowledge it just enough, with proper fear, no more, and move on as best we can, knowing we’ll need to tend to it again later. Another good movie about the fallout after a father’s death: A Letter to Momo.

On Sentimentality: A Critique of Humans of New York

2015-02-03T03:25:18.000Z

I’ve never followed HONY, and I’m not sure if I’ve actually seen any of the posts, but I’m familiar with the project. Interesting how it’s pretty much inevitable that even our most noble efforts will be compromised somehow. You can’t observe and document people as some kind of inert, neutral, sociology-less being… so it’s important to take criticism well when you run with projects like this.

On Sentimentality: A Critique of Humans of New York

From 'American Sniper' to 'Macbeth,' a Reporter's Moviegoing Spree - NYTimes.com

2015-02-03T03:24:44.000Z

I love this essay about a two-day bender at the movie theaters.

Henry Higgins has a song in “My Fair Lady” in which he talks about how even-keeled his life was before Eliza Doolittle came along and messed it up. That is true at the movies, too. Alone, you can respond any way you want; the only negotiation is between you and the screen. Let another person in, and everything changes. My friend was gracious, but I could tell that he wished the seats were farther back and that he was repelled by what he perceived to be the unpleasant jingoism cascading around the theater. I felt responsible, because the movie had been my idea.

That was a bummer. I began to believe that maybe art is better experienced alone, which is not a healthy belief.

And this too:

The movie was “Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb,” and it was pretty bad. It was a perfect thing to see alone, because I really liked it and would not have wanted to explain myself to anyone.

From 'American Sniper' to 'Macbeth,' a Reporter's Moviegoing Spree - NYTimes.com

January 31, 2015

2015-01-31T17:48:26.000Z

balltillifall:

Step 1. Read this book Step 2. Live a cool life Step 3. Repeat once a year

Seneca reblog rule in effect.

ももへの手紙 (A Letter to Momo)

2015-01-31T17:48:22.000Z

ももへの手紙 (A Letter to Momo). The warm-up and the denouement drag a bit for me, but there’s plenty of laughter and heart and goofy “why not?” interludes along the way. I like the focus on the daughter here, and her inner life. Good soundtrack, too. Nice contrast after watching a movie like Big Hero 6. I should be more open-minded about animated stuff in general.

The Myth and the Reality of the $43 Download | The Pitch | Pitchfork

2015-01-29T00:27:34.000Z

Yet here is a most crucial piece of knowledge regarding sound quality: Transmitting electricity is easy, moving air is hard.

The Myth and the Reality of the $43 Download | The Pitch | Pitchfork

January 28, 2015

2015-01-28T04:16:50.000Z

deforest:

I just do things I really enjoy. I enjoy acting. When I’m driving to the studio, I sing in the car. I love my work and my wife and my kids and my friends. And I think, “You’re a lucky man, Gregory Peck, a damn lucky man.”

Making Peace With Music That Everyone Loves But You

2015-01-27T04:47:56.000Z

Part of maturing, I think, is realizing that charges of acting in bad faith are often themselves made in bad faith, an attempt to explain away gaps in understanding between two people rather than trying to bridge them, or even make peace with them.

Making Peace With Music That Everyone Loves But You

The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up

2015-01-27T04:15:13.000Z

I read Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and it was a bit embarrassing to see how many of these recommendations I was already doing. She’s a little nutty, but it’s a great set of advice and perspective. And I really like the part about empathizing with your socks.

Codes, chaos, and the world of Heat / The Dissolve

2015-01-27T04:15:08.000Z

Neil and Vincent are orderly men, and Mann harmonizes their activities beautifully, but being human isn’t an orderly business. Opening up to other people means opening up to chaos and disorder.

And from the later forum discussion of Heat:

It struck me that, for all the ways Heat questions the macho code of non-attachment that McCauley and Hanna live by, it has a very old-fashioned view of the uses of violence. Both McCauley and Hanna deploy it very precisely. What’s wrong with Waingro is that he can’t control himself.

Codes, chaos, and the world of Heat / The Dissolve

American Sniper

2015-01-27T04:15:04.000Z

American Sniper. Not as good as other Eastwood movies with similar thematic material. Broken heroes, the toll of duty and violence, and what it is to have a noble but misunderstood purpose, and so forth. Perhaps this and Selma share some common values? The fake babies are really distracting and completely baffling. Forewarning: there are parts of this movie that will be unbearable if you’re sensitive about violence against children. And if you aren’t… WTF? If I were choosing among 9/11 fallout movies, I’d rather watch Zero Dark Thirty again. Another movie with a great sandstorm climax is Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

Whiplash

2015-01-25T00:59:07.000Z

Whiplash. Fixation and obsession. Somewhat promotes the myth of the tortured artist who must be pushed to self- and other-destructive extremes. If you’ve ever felt that sinking feeling when you become the focus of attention in band class, you can relate to this movie. Good momentum through most of it – take some of that Birdman-esque groove with more big band pop and sizzle. Love the way they did the cuts and shifts. Kind of criminal that they ignored half of the drumset, though. Seriously, all that wonderful energy and no footwork at all? It’s really too bad. Simmons is not jk in this movie. He’s awesome. A weakness is that Teller isn’t his equal. Still fun, though. Another movie that features a horrifying coach/mentor: Foxcatcher.

Inherent Vice

2015-01-25T00:59:00.000Z

Inherent Vice. It’s a fun ride. I didn’t understand it completely while it was happening, but didn’t particularly care about that. Then again, I don’t feel interested in understanding, either. I’d be curious to see Paul Thomas Anderson go back to material that’s not so sprawling. I’m more likely re-watch any of his other movies before this one. Speaking of, I think I’d rank them…

The Master
Hard Eight
There Will Be Blood
Boogie Nights
Magnolia
Inherent Vice

…or something along those lines.

When once isn’t enough

2015-01-24T18:30:03.000Z

To me, the threshold for repeat viewings is this: The first viewing must beckon you back for a second. It’s not enough to feel like you’d missed something the first time […] but you have to like the film and feel compelled to return, like an itch that needs scratching.

When once isn’t enough

Selma

2015-01-24T18:30:00.000Z

Selma. Amazing stuff. Mad respect for movies that take inherently interesting subjects, and then actually measure up. Not just summarizing the events, but giving them dramatic weight. Not just telling what their goal is, but something of their emotional life. (cough) One particularly refreshing thing in this movie: seeing religion treated as a source of solace and comfort. Another thing that struck me about both is the “period” look. Selma a bit sepia and has this constant lens distortion at the edge of the frame (you can see it in the still above). I saw The Imitation Game the day before, and noticed its own “historic” palette is desaturated, but with some hues just exploding, like they were manually re-tinted black-and-whites. In both cases the movies resemble some extant photographs from those times. Which is a bit odd. Like, the world itself wasn’t sepia or desaturated back then. Just got me thinking of whether that “period look” that helps transport us back in the storytelling could also over-distance us from the events and the people. Hems them in, keeps them at arms length, makes it easier to see and forget when we need to remember.

The Devotion Leap - NYTimes.com

2015-01-24T18:28:52.000Z

If they’re going to be open to a real relationship, they have to stop asking where this person rates in comparison to others and start asking, can we lower the boundaries between self and self.

The Devotion Leap - NYTimes.com

Blackhat

2015-01-24T18:28:00.000Z

Blackhat. I really liked it, if my tweet binge is any indication. If you like Michael Mannerisms, you probably will, too. I like how the hacking here wasn’t just people tapping away at a keyboard, but also more general deceptive/intrusive behaviors like social engineering and burglary, and how technology is subverted for purposes good and bad. (Note how our hero goes into final battle with improvised body armor and weapons that reflect prison ingenuity.) I love that the big battle scenes have some geographical/tactical brains behind them, and the hand-to-hand fights are swiftly decided. It’s a movie willing to let its stars lounge in bed, or enjoy a nice view, and get you inside their head a bit. Filed under: Michael Mann

The Imitation Game

2015-01-21T03:06:17.000Z

The Imitation Game. Some good material here, but pretty instantly forgettable. So much left at surface level, it seemed. And they weren’t really lacking for time. Blah.

January 20, 2015

2015-01-20T03:05:00.000Z

putthison:

Three Generations

Martin Luther King Jr. with his father and son. Photo taken in 1963 by Richard Avedon.

(via Voxsartoria)

Boogie Nights

2015-01-20T01:52:07.000Z

Boogie Nights. It’s not my movie, but it’s a great movie.

An Old Fogey’s Analysis of a Teenager’s View on Social Media — The Message — Medium

2015-01-20T01:42:38.000Z

We’ve been down this path before. Andrew is not the first teen to speak as an “actual” teen and have his story picked up. Every few years, a (typically white male) teen with an interest in technology writes about technology among his peers on a popular tech platform and gets traction. Tons of conferences host teen panels, usually drawing on privileged teens in the community or related to the organizers. I’m not bothered by these teens’ comments; I’m bothered by the way they are interpreted and treated by the tech press and the digerati.

An Old Fogey’s Analysis of a Teenager’s View on Social Media — The Message — Medium

Big Hero 6

2015-01-20T01:36:28.000Z

Big Hero 6. It’s good, at times genius, but it’s a mixed experience. I am most disappointed (ugh, so deeply disappointed) that the most fun gimmick in the movie – that there’s this lovable squooshy vinyl robot – is soon wrapped up in armor that disguises what makes him interesting. There are a few great gags that come out of his body and presence. Shame to waste opportunities for more. (I still don’t know anything about the comic books that this movie is working from, by the way. Not sure how it compares.) I also like the parts where the movie was self-consciously “filmed” in big-budget action movie sort of style. I suppose I should also admit that I fell asleep for a few minutes.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

2015-01-13T03:02:00.000Z

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Eeehhhhhhhh. Too many of these people have too many skills, so it all feels overstuffed and much less tense than how I remember the Baldwin/Ford movies. I did enjoy seeing the covert meetings in barren movie theaters, emptied office buildings at night, and lonely forest roads. Some pretty solid Nokia product placement. If I see one more movie where a (heavy finger quotes) “trained assassin” doesn’t know his bullet count… One of my notes while watching this movie:

intense typing

When it comes to rebooted properties featuring Chris Pine, this one ranks behind the first and second Star Trek movies.

January 13, 2015

2015-01-13T02:24:29.000Z

austinkleon:

“READ A FUCKING BOOK” hacked LED street sign in downtown LA

According to the Paris Review, “Indie booksellers are reporting a noticeable uptick in sales.”

I obviously approve this message.

In a World...

2015-01-13T02:09:32.000Z

In a World…. Loved it (again). It’s so nice to see a movie with such… complete characters. Driven, charming, obnoxious, lovable, self-defeating. All of it. And such a good momentum through the whole thing ‘til it smashes right through the glass ceiling. Very much recommended.

Hard Eight

2015-01-13T01:57:30.000Z

Hard Eight. Philip Baker Hall is awesome, and so is John C. Reilly. Love how Reilly becomes a poor imitation of the expert. I love the moments of still life, coffee and pie and cigarettes and such. I felt a bit let down by the reveal. I guess you’d have to steer the climax a bit differently without it, but I didn’t really need a reason for how the story opened. I was totally on board with this strange characters. I think The Master is my favorite of Paul Thomas Anderson’s, then probably this one and then There Will Be Blood and then Magnolia? Hard to say. They’re all pretty solid.

January 13, 2015

2015-01-13T01:34:37.000Z

Grief is as unique as a fingerprint.

Patrick O'Malley. (via)

The Amazon order test as an algorithm for evaluating books

2015-01-07T04:11:09.000Z

If you read a book, how many other related or similar books does it make you order? […] If you don’t end your read with some additional book orders, maybe you need to ask yourself what exactly went wrong.

And this is worth pondering:

How about a book review outlet which refuses to consider the books under consideration, but rather considers and evaluates what they will induce you to read next?

The Amazon order test as an algorithm for evaluating books

January 7, 2015

2015-01-07T01:26:56.000Z

slaughterhouse90210:

“Nothing has topped the way men shake her hand and look her in the eye, what it’s like to be able to call a man a chickenshit to his face and get away with it, to mean it, to feel free and dominant and in control of your life.”
—Megan Mayhew Bergman, Almost Famous Women

January 7, 2015

2015-01-07T01:26:29.000Z

Give your past, present and future selves influence in proportion to what each has earned. Which one of you is working with the most reliable information — about you and nobody else?

Carolyn Hax

January 4, 2015

2015-01-04T20:44:00.000Z

randomscreencap:

“Have you made any New Year’s resolutions, Chuck?”

All Is Lost

2015-01-04T18:57:53.000Z

All Is Lost. Loved it. Perfect movie for the messy, rainy weather of late. Redford’s sailboat is hit by a freight container… and then he deals with it. Minimal script and music, the focus is on inventiveness, improvising, and the mundane aspects of making do. I appreciate that there weren’t any gimmicks that felt too dumb or contrived, like, I dunno, getting tangled in the ropes or something. It’s also a great example of how much more thrilling it can be to focus on the person facing peril, and how they react, rather than show a huge CGI wave vs. a tiny boat. I love the couple moments where he’s… enjoying himself, somehow? A sunset. A simple dinner. And there’s a beautiful, heartbreaking moment before he sends out a communication where he pauses – not quite ready – and then follows through. Other good “peril at sea” movies: Captain Phillips and Life of Pi. Other good survival films: Gravity (+ Aningaaq). The Grey. 127 Hours. Another good movie focusing on one actor, one vehicle: Locke. Another good movie with an older actor trying to get out of trouble: Arbitrage.

Veronica Mars

2015-01-04T14:26:38.000Z

If I were wise enough to know the difference between what I can and can’t change, would I even be who I am?

Veronica Mars. It opens with an explanatory montage narrated by Bell – it’s a nice introduction for newbies and also helps boost the anticipation/nostalgia for veterans. Even with that lead-in, though, I don’t think you could get much out of the movie without watching a good bit of the TV series (which you should absolutely, definitely do as soon as possible). Lots of inside jokes, references, running gags, cameos, and other bits of fan service. There were a pair of legitimately shocking moments in there, too. The great writing that sustained the show carries over here, and the key relationships – Veronica and her dad; Veronica and Logan – are as sharp as ever. Love the Lou Rawls soundtrack during one of the climactic scenes. But alas, it’s not the TV show, and two hours simply is not enough for a challenge worthy of Veronica, and there’s not enough time for beloved supporting characters to remind us why we love them so much. Another great movie that revolves around noir-ish high school drama is Brick.

The Best Books I Read, 2014

2015-01-03T16:49:00.000Z

Well, there’s always 2015. What follows are the best of a pitiful 30 (?!) books I read in 2014, which is nowhere near previous glorious heights. These are in a very particular order – as more discerning readers will see – gently arranged for optimal reading pleasure. Don’t skim or jump around, or you’ll ruin the whole thing. All links are to my own notes on the books, such as they are.

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs is a great reminder to ignore everyone else’s rules about reading. Read at whim!
Mohsin Hamid’s How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia has to be my favorite fiction of the year, and The Reluctant Fundamentalist is right up there, too.
Let’s Talk About Love by Carl Wilson is the best nonfiction of my year, easily.
Stoner by John Williams just works, and I have no idea how.
Definitely Maybe from the Strugatsky brothers.
My experience reading Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl overlapped with the movie in really lovely ways.
And I had similar fun with Dashiell Hammet’s The Thin Man and the film adaptation.
Amy Hempel’s stories in Tumble Home make me want to write better.
I love Charles Yu’s kooky Third-Class Superhero and How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe. I’ve got another one of his books lined up for early this year.
Flush by Virginia Woolf – the best dog biography you’ll ever find.
A new translation of Stanisław Lem’s Solaris by Bill Johnston
I read Njál’s Saga at the end of last year, so I’m giving it another shout-out here.

I hope your year is filled with books you enjoy.

Meditations

2015-01-03T15:53:00.000Z

I re-read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations a couple days ago, a New Year’s tradition. I also spent some more time digging in the appendices in this book, and comparing my notes from 2013. And, as I did last year, I tweeted some quotes and paraphrases that struck me as I read it this time around. A few of those, with book/chapter references:

Expecting nothing, shirking nothing, […] and a heroic truthfulness in all that you say and mean – then you will lead a good life. And nobody is able to stop you. (3.12) Whenever you want to cheer up, think of the admirable qualities and virtues of your friends. (6.48)

That last one makes me think of Seneca, especially, and some other good stuff filed under my friends tag.

Do not be ashamed of being helped. […] It is human nature to love even those who trip and fall.“ (7.7 and 7.22) Without frenzy, without apathy, without pretense. (7.69) Prayer about things you want in the world < Prayer to be free from fear, desire, regret. (9.40) Kindness is invincible. (11.18.9)

I appreciated his personal journaling this year as much as ever, but also felt like some things were missing – because, selfishly, he’s writing for himself and not for me specifically. But I take some comfort in seeing him grapple with his own shortcomings as I work on my own, and try to live well despite them. Be sure to check out Austin Kleon’s thoughts from his own re-reading. I’ve got another re-read coming up shortly, just as soon as the postman delivers the Hays translation that Ryan Holiday recommends. Filed under: Stoicism.

Cyberbooks

2015-01-02T19:49:59.000Z

I read a lot of Ben Bova’s Cyberbooks, but not all of it. There is a certain kind of joy in reading about science fiction that’s no longer fiction. In this case, ebooks and tablets and the future of publishing as seen from 1989. Ultimately it was a bit more light and meandering than I wanted. DNF.

Strange Days

2015-01-02T17:23:10.000Z

Strange Days. The last movie I watched in 2014. The setting is a dark and messy L.A. where the go-to underground drug is VR “playback” of other people’s recorded first-person thrills. All the stuff with rampant police abuse, violence for entertainment, and mediated experience seemed relevant today. It’s one of those where I love the world they built in the early parts of the movie, but didn’t have much interest in the story they developed from there. Love the closing song. My Kathryn Bigelow rankings:

She’s really damn good.

The One I Love

2015-01-02T17:09:00.000Z

The One I Love. Highly recommended, a lot of fun. I wish this one had made a bigger splash. A couple on the rocks goes on a retreat to focus on their relationship. Hijinks ensue. I love movies like this that focus on just a couple cast members, and you get to see their chemistry and talent carry the whole thing. Moss and Duplass are awesome.

Le Week-End

2015-01-02T16:56:00.000Z

Le Week-End. Fast-forward Linklater’s Before trilogy 40 years into the future, and you’ll get the idea. The silly parts are much sillier, though, and the dark parts even worse. Jeff Goldblum’s character is overwhelming and terrible and so much fun to watch.

January 2, 2015

2015-01-02T16:48:30.000Z

The Ultimate David Lee Roth Karate Kick Compilation. Bring it, 2015.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Foxcatcher

2014-12-31T18:08:26.000Z

Foxcatcher. I appreciate the acting, but I couldn’t hang with it. Mark Ruffalo is a genius, though. Matt Zoller Seitz said it well: “If I had to make a list of movies I’m saddest about not having liked, this would rank near the top.”

The Double

2014-12-31T17:51:50.000Z

The Double. Love it. A dark, funny, absurdist cross between the budding romance/bureaucracy of Il Posto with the doppelgänging of Enemy, and Brazil’s clunky, busted futurism.

Good Will Hunting

2014-12-31T17:38:09.000Z

Good Will Hunting. I was that person who had never seen it before. If you’re still that person… keep doing your thing, but consider making time for this movie. Good stuff.

December 31, 2014

2014-12-31T17:38:02.000Z

Stills from Thief. Filed under: Thief.

Killer Mike Explains Champagne in the South | First We Feast

2014-12-29T14:30:15.000Z

“When you pop champagne, man, a guy holding a 40 can’t stand next to you. Our whole shit was, We drinking champagne because we deserve this shit.”

Killer Mike Explains Champagne in the South | First We Feast

Stand By Me

2014-12-29T14:20:03.000Z

Stand By Me. Nothing beats exploring the woods with your friends. Especially when your parents are clueless as to your whereabouts. This one is not as good as I remembered. I couldn’t help but compare it with that other Oregon-based tween adventure from a year earlier, The Goonies, and it comes up short. Maybe it just works better for younger eyes and ears, where the foul language is more scandalous and thrilling, and the loving fisticuffs more relatable. I didn’t realize this is where the production company’s name came from.

The Meaning of “Culture”

2014-12-28T22:13:03.000Z

It goes without saying that “culture” is a confusing word, this year or any year.

The Meaning of “Culture”

A Christmas Story

2014-12-28T22:07:55.000Z

A Christmas Story. It’s aged very, very well.

Taken 2

2014-12-28T22:07:44.000Z

Taken 2. I like the flip-flop here, where Neeson has to rely on his daughter for a bit. Love the absurdly nonchalant use of grenades. Neeson is the most nightmarish backseat driver you could ever imagine. Like The Equalizer, he gives the final bad guy a chance to make the right decision, but… people never learn. Not sure what’s up with the images here, like how the colors were pushed and processed into these weird greenish-yellow skin tones. Tick of the Clock is one of the best things to happen to action movies (Cf.). More of the same ain’t bad, but Taken is better.

Dark City

2014-12-23T21:45:00.000Z

Dark City. Not going to complain about Lizabeth Scott (I only put this one my list because of Pitfall), but there’s not a lot of compelling stuff here. Good job easing into the pivotal scene though. Watch the other completely unrelated 1998 Dark City instead.

Meek's Cutoff

2014-12-22T20:45:45.000Z

Meek’s Cutoff. The opening scene has the cast fording a waist-deep river – rushing water taking over the soundtrack – and you sense that’s about as good as it’s gonna get for a while. I love the contrast between the hot bright sunny bleached-out days, and the nights where you can see absolutely nothing but what fire’s light touches. And the square frame makes things feel a bit more fraught somehow. Over and over we see women hanging back while men deliberate their course. (Often with men in long shot, conversations barely audible, while the women get the close-ups and mediums.) And look where it gets them. By the end, it’s time to try something new. Fingers crossed. Kelly Reichardt’s movies Night Moves and Old Joy are also really good. Wendy & Lucy is still on my list.

A Sense of Where You Are

2014-12-22T20:45:38.000Z

I read John McPhee’s book A Sense of Where You Are. Short and sweet. Good line:

When he wastes time, he wastes it hurriedly rather than at leisure.

I wish McPhee would write about sports more often. Levels of the Game was also really good. Filed under: John McPhee.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra

2014-12-21T22:14:19.000Z

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Pretty to look at (reminded me of how I felt about Iron Man 2). Seemed like Tatum was a little bored?

The Fifth Element

2014-12-21T22:14:14.000Z

The Fifth Element. Just delightful. Even when it’s not always working, it’s refreshing to see them go all-out.

How You Know

2014-12-21T18:13:03.000Z

On re-reading:

Reading and experience train your model of the world. And even if you forget the experience or what you read, its effect on your model of the world persists. Your mind is like a compiled program you’ve lost the source of. It works, but you don’t know why.

[…] Reading and experience are usually “compiled” at the time they happen, using the state of your brain at that time. The same book would get compiled differently at different points in your life. Which means it is very much worth reading important books multiple times. I always used to feel some misgivings about rereading books. I unconsciously lumped reading together with work like carpentry, where having to do something again is a sign you did it wrong the first time. Whereas now the phrase “already read” seems almost ill-formed.

How You Know

You Don’t Have To Be Pretty – On YA Fiction And Beauty As A Priority | The Belle Jar

2014-12-21T18:03:00.000Z

We never say that all men deserve to feel beautiful. We never say that each man is beautiful in his own way. We don’t have huge campaigns aimed at young boys trying to convince them that they’re attractive, probably because we very rarely correlate a man’s worth with his appearance. The problem is that a woman’s value in this world is still very much attached to her appearance, and telling her that she should or deserves to feel beautiful does more to promote that than negate it. Telling women that they “deserve” to feel pretty plays right in to the idea that prettiness should be important to them. And having books and movies aimed at young women where every female protagonist turns out to be beautiful (whereas many of the antagonists are described in much less flattering terms) reinforces the message that beauty has some kind of morality attached to it, and that all heroines are somehow pretty.

Can we please change the script here?

You Don’t Have To Be Pretty – On YA Fiction And Beauty As A Priority | The Belle Jar

Enemy

2014-12-21T18:01:35.000Z

Enemy. Unexpectedly good soundtrack. The more chamber ensemble feel is a nice change. Even got some bassoon leading the way at times. Two Gyllenhaals contrast in appearance (leather band dress watch vs. link sports watch; chinos vs. denim; blazer vs. leather jacket; Volvo vs. motorcycle) and behavior (hunch vs. swagger). Nice how each man (emotionally) is the one the other’s wife has been missing. Also a good reminder of how objectively difficult it would be to live someone else’s life – from basics like knowing which keys to use to family history, social circle gossip, etc. – and the futility of escapism when we have our own multitudes we should be reconciling. There’s a good car scene here, particularly as it settles down with a truck-mounted camera, which then cranes down and closer to the action. Not sure about the spider imagery. Something about weaving illusions, bread-and-circus distractions from real life (like the strip club).

Thief

2014-12-20T20:42:00.000Z

Thief. So great. This was the first time I’d noticed a couple cameos from Manhunter stars: Dennis Farina (Manhunter’s Jack Crawford) as a henchman and William Petersen (profiler Will Graham) as a bouncer at the bar where Caan is late for his date. A few other nice camera/editing odds and ends I appreciated this time around:

During the diamond exchange in the diner, I like how he starts unwrapping one of the packages, then pauses, and the camera cuts away when the waitress arrives.
After Caan barges into the office, the blocking follows the shifting of power. Caan moves from the visitor’s chair in the owner’s office, then parallel to the desk, then moves behind the desk and forces the owner into the guest’s chair.
When using a tracking device to misdirect the cops, the camera tells the story as it zooms past three or four cars, then fixes on the bus.
The wide shots of the monolithic safe at the big heist me of similar shots at the El Paso bank in For a Few Dollars More.
Just about 99% of the movie is urban, but the final setting is in comfortable suburbia (the sort of life that Caan has been working toward). The climactic scene at the mob boss’s house is nearly silent up until the last moments, and then there’s a crane up into the trees…

One last bit of awesomeness is Willie Nelson’s character, Okla, dispensing some perfect life advice:

Lie to no one. If there’s somebody close to you, you’ll ruin it with a lie. If they’re a stranger, who the fuck are they you gotta lie to them?

December 19, 2014

2014-12-19T21:30:17.000Z

press-start-to-begin:

art*

Nobody Is Ever Missing

2014-12-19T21:28:58.000Z

I read 2/3 or so of Catherine Lacey’s Nobody Is Ever Missing, but I didn’t finish. If I were in a different book zone, I’d probably appreciate more how Lacey plays with meaning, and the layering, rewinding, sentence-paragraphs that follow our hero’s thoughts.

Why James Cameron’s Aliens is the best movie about technology

2014-12-19T21:24:02.000Z

That’s what technology is. It’s the world of things, some impossibly stupid, some smarter than we are, we have assembled around ourselves to cover over our fundamental weaknesses as a species. The strength we have, the advantage this gives us, is our ability to stand apart from the things we’ve made: to use them and set them aside; to make them prosthetic extensions of ourselves and to let them go.

Why James Cameron’s Aliens is the best movie about technology

December 16, 2014

2014-12-16T22:02:01.000Z

Most decade-specific words in Billboard popular song titles, 1890-2014 | prooffreader.com. (via)

Stoner

2014-12-16T21:58:06.000Z

I read John Williams’ book Stoner, and found it strangely mesmerizing. So direct and plain and sturdy and beautiful. A couple lines that liked, that also capture something of its directness. At dinner with friends:

They became a little drunk; they laughed vaguely and sentimentally; they saw each other anew.

While the hero rehabs his house and office, the importance of the spaces we create:

As he repaired his furniture and arranged it in the room, it was himself he was slowly shaping, it was himself that he was putting into a kind of order, it was himself he was making possible.

Other smart people agree that this book is great. It was Dean Peterson’s write-up that gave me the final nudge to buy it. Got on my radar when I heard about it from Austin Kleon, Ben Casnocha, Steve Almond, Tim Kreider, et al.

December 16, 2014

2014-12-16T21:06:39.000Z

Tom Gauld is so good. (via)

Out of Time

2014-12-16T21:03:56.000Z

Out of Time. At the beginning, I thought this might tend towards something like China Moon’s Florida noir. It later changes to a cute cat-and-mouse flick – including an awesome race against a fax machine! Not nearly as good as, let’s say, Out of Sight, but a noble effort.

Night Moves

2014-12-08T16:40:05.000Z

Night Moves. Movements of all sorts cultivate their own extremists. Part of being on that fringe is wrestling with futility. Even if you accept that you’re not able to do one huge world-changing act… you may not even be at peace with your own puny effort. Reichardt captures pretty standard thriller genre stuff with a spooky calm. The lead-up to and climax at the dam is brilliant. I love the scenes with jabs at how we’ve alienated ourselves. There are glimpses of homes with heavily landscaped backyards that imitate nature itself; leisure activities like golf in the same faux-natural environments; campgrounds where people sit in RVs and watch TV; gear stores that sell a squeaky-clean impression of interest in the outdoors; etc. Been a while since I’ve seen a character use a public library. Eisenberg is a master of sulking. He’s so good.

December 7, 2014

2014-12-07T17:02:52.000Z

Live by the schedule as a gift to yourself. Deferring to it will take many high-stakes, high-guilt decisions out of your day on a daily basis.

Carolyn Hax. Previously in Carolyn Hax wisdom.

The Dark Science of Pop Music

2014-12-06T23:41:36.000Z

While most users think of Shazam as a handy tool for identifying unfamiliar songs, it offers music executives something far more valuable: an early-detection system for hits. By studying 20 million searches every day, Shazam can identify which songs are catching on, and where, before just about anybody else.

The Dark Science of Pop Music

The Dark Knight

2014-12-06T23:17:09.000Z

The Dark Knight. Re-watched to re-evaluate. Individual performances are great but as a whole it’s just… ¯(ツ)/¯

Jack Reacher

2014-12-06T23:16:17.000Z

Jack Reacher. I liked it the first time, but I appreciate it so much more now. More subtlety than I remembered, like starting with a solid 8-10 minutes without dialogue. More great humor than I remembered, like Reacher sometimes acknowledging that he’s a bit ridiculous. And the mouthing off before the fight outside the bar. Love the dynamism in the car chase, great filming there. Also LOVE how he takes control of the hostage negotiation on the phone. There’s nothing else like it. This, then Oblivion then Edge of Tomorrow is a solid three-year run.

December 6, 2014

2014-12-06T22:58:10.000Z

gotemcoach:

Whatever makes it go in…

Routine!

December 3, 2014

2014-12-03T04:05:11.000Z

Finding Marlowe: Did this man inspire two of noir’s iconic fictional detectives? - Los Angeles Times.

Lost letters worth thousands. A family trying to uncover the truth about a man all mixed up in the glamour and the seediness of L.A. between the wars. And a Hollywood screenwriter who stood to gain a lot from any story I might write. This was L.A. noir.

December 3, 2014

2014-12-03T04:04:48.000Z

jomc:

May 2012: Students in Quebec were asked to send protest march route to the cops & they replied with this: (via https://twitter.com/OccupyRMN/status/538956005422690304)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

2014-11-29T00:37:37.000Z

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. It’s ~40 minutes of almost-revolution and ~80 minutes where we watch them shoot commercials. yawn I think there actually is an interesting movie to be made (already made?) about the internal/self-directed marketing for revolutionary movements, but it’s not this one. The first movie is the best. The second one has its moments. The trend is not good. Fingers crossed for a good finale.

Beyond the Lights

2014-11-28T23:09:50.000Z

Beyond the Lights. This is pretty much at the peak of the bell curve for average, solid rom-drama. One thing I thought particularly interesting: the sexualization of pop music is more apparent/disturbing when it’s a fictional celebrity. There’s no built-in aura of fame, so the constructedness is so much more calculated and weird. Another thing: that they needed to invent a whole new set of songs (that are pretty passable) is an odd peek behind the curtains.

Interstellar

2014-11-28T23:09:42.000Z

Interstellar. First time I’d seen anything on IMAX. Lives up to the format. It’s one of the best Nolan films since The Dark Knight, probably. But it’s very Nolan: he can direct the crap out of some spectacular action/space sequences, but it rarely moves me. (The truck/rocket scene above in the above screencap is a glorious exception). And it could use some trimming. I have to give him credit for directing original material though, and working with smart ideas. No one is doing crazy stuff at that level like he is. Maybe my second favorite after Memento? I need to re-visit The Dark Knight and The Prestige to see where it fits in.

Birdman

2014-11-28T23:09:36.000Z

Birdman. Not for me. But like I said, If you like reading writers writing about how hard writing is, and also acting, you might like it. I appreciate the one-camera, no cuts constraint, but it feels claustrophobic after a while. Sweet soundtrack. Keaton is still the man.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

2014-11-20T12:31:37.000Z

I read Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and I’m still a bit dizzied by how great a writer this dude is. Earlier this year I stormed through How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, which “I loooooooved”. This one is more melancholy, but have to give high recommendations to both.

The Thin Man

2014-11-19T03:46:00.000Z

I read Dashiel Hammett’s book The Thin Man, and quite enjoyed it. Awesome story of a lovable couple casually working their way through a murder case that’s too amusing to ignore. Has some good droll observations about how people work, like the social boilerplate around saying goodbye:

We shook hands and make polite speeches all around and they went away.

Nice turns of phrase, like this bit after an underling compliments his boss:

“And what a hunch!” Flint exclaimed, practically top-heavy with admiration.

And I’m pretty sure this is one of the greatest paragraphs in the English language:

When we stopped at Reuben’s for coffee on our way home at four the next morning, Nora opened a newspaper and found a line in one of the gossip columns: “Nick Charles, former TransAmerica Detective Agency ace, on from Coast to sift the Julia Wolf murder mystery”; and when I opened my eyes and sat up in bed some six hours later Nora was shaking me and a man with a gun in his hand was standing in the bedroom doorway.

How could you read that, and not go immediately to the next chapter? I watched the movie right away, too, like I did with Gone Girl (movie, book). Both recommended.

The Thin Man

2014-11-19T03:45:00.000Z

The Thin Man. I watched this after I read the book. It lives up to the source material, for sure. Delightful murder mystery + comedy. It’s nice to watch a charming couple (and pair of actors) just having a great time.

Nora Charles: You know, that sounds like an interesting case. Why don’t you take it? Nick Charles: I haven’t the time. I’m much too busy seeing that you don’t lose any of the money I married you for.

November 18, 2014

2014-11-18T00:30:00.000Z

Since my son was born I realized: soon, he’ll be three-and-a-half. Soon, he’ll be able to see who I was. And shortly after that, what he’ll be reading in the oldest blogs will be closer to his age than mine. Now, I write for him.

Anil Dash.

November 15, 2014

2014-11-15T16:06:45.000Z

spoliamag:

When I lived in Christian places like Kansas and Texas, every so often I’d get a Christian trying to convert me. Now, though, I only get atheists trying to do the same thing.

I regularly receive emails from atheists who need to bring me to the truth and the light, and the most recent one came two weeks ago. “I feel sorry for you,” he wrote, which is always a good opener. “I feel sorry for anyone who continues on fantasies of Santa Claus or god past the age of 4.”

He wanted to save me through conversation and conversion. The thing is, I had just the week before written this, in my essay on polytheism for the Los Angeles Review of Books, now up on their site:

What a tremendous weapon pity is! If you can frame someone as “pathetic,” then it’s okay to take their land, destroy their language and heritage, steal their children and place them in “decent” homes, and kill off their gods and heroes. It’s for their own good, after all.

In duBois’s book, the language monotheist believers use to talk about the heathens is essentially the same as the language New Atheists use to talk about all believers: “pathetic,” “superstitious,” “irrational,” “a stupendous system of error.” (That last one was said by Scottish missionary Alexander Duff about Hinduism.) Those who believe in something else are not simply different: they are misguided and need correction. This has been the justification for any number of wars or cultural erasings. Religion and dogma as colonialism.

And I wanted to write back, thank you for the concrete example of what I had just been writing about in the abstract! That’s amazing! But his email continued:

“I’ve seen your picture, and I think maybe we could have some fun. :) If you would like to meet up to discuss further, I’d love to buy you a drink.”

Women! Do not fuck your colonialist oppressors! Starve them out until they see the error of their ways or at least die without corrupting any others!

I did not write him back.

Image: get it, St. Hildegard

Nightcrawler

2014-11-15T15:59:48.000Z

Nightcrawler. This is at or near the top of my 2014 favorites. Gyllenhaal and Russo are great. A warning about the easy path from consumer to witness to amateur to professional to accomplice. Joblessness, economic precarity makes that transition even easier. Business theories unmoored from real flesh and blood humanity are worthless. Though the context here is metro network news, it also works as an indictment of CNN (et al.) and international affairs. Promote violence to sell more violence. Think globally, act locally. I love the moment during Bloom’s first monologue in the studio, where this laughably sentimental soundtrack eases in, cleverly undermining the creepster ravings. It’s a wink to the audience – "Can you believe this nut?“ Of course not. I think I might see this one again. It’d make a good L.A. nighttime adventure moral compromise double-feature with Collateral.

November 15, 2014

2014-11-15T15:37:59.000Z

brightwalldarkroom:

The front cover of the press book (“Exhibitors Manual”) for 1947’s Out of the Past.

OUT OF THE PAST insta-reblog rule in effect.

Write a Damn Blog (with tweets) · funkaoshi · Storify

2014-11-11T01:24:26.000Z

Here I use Storify to make fun of needing to use Storify.

Write a Damn Blog (with tweets) · funkaoshi · Storify

Vanguard after the Revolution: Bill James sparked a baseball insurrection, but he has regrets about the world he wrought

2014-11-09T15:01:01.000Z

“I have to take my share of responsibility for promoting skepticism about things that I didn’t understand as well as I might have,” he says. “What I would say NOW is that skepticism should be directed at things that are actually untrue rather than things that are difficult to measure.”

Vanguard after the Revolution: Bill James sparked a baseball insurrection, but he has regrets about the world he wrought

Ten Short Rants About #GamerGate | Popehat

2014-11-09T14:58:34.000Z

But here’s the thing: people will draw conclusions about your motives based on your timing and your chosen vehicle.

Ten Short Rants About #GamerGate | Popehat

That Catcalling Video and Why “Research Methods” is such an Exciting Topic (Really!)

2014-11-09T14:57:51.000Z

Without understanding research methods, you cannot understand how to judge what you see. […] The important methodological point is that the video, without further reflection, can support all three wildly incompatible propositions. In other words, if you just look at the video, you can believe any three, and you will likely choose whichever fits your existing conclusions and prejudices.

That Catcalling Video and Why “Research Methods” is such an Exciting Topic (Really!)

November 7, 2014

2014-11-07T03:42:52.000Z

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.

James Baldwin (via malevichsquare)

The Frighteners

2014-11-07T03:40:14.000Z

The Frighteners. I feel like there’s a very, very good version of this movie lurking beneath the (kooky, stylish) one that actually exists. Good comedy-horror for the most part. The final act is exhausting (seems like many horror movies go awry when they give the villains too much screen time). Jeffrey Combs plays one of the best FBI agents in film history, and man, just imagine: what if – what if – Michael J. Fox had stayed healthy.

William Gibson Has No Idea How the Future Will See Us

2014-11-07T03:26:50.000Z

“In time-travel stories, we tend to imagine that the people in the past are hicks and rubes. And when we imagine people in the future in time-travel stories, they’re always weak and decadent.”

William Gibson Has No Idea How the Future Will See Us

China Moon

2014-11-07T03:26:44.000Z

China Moon. Florida noir! I wish I remembered this one better, but I liked it. Fun to see such a young Benicio del Toro. Director John Bailey did the camera work for the excellent American Gigolo and also contributed to Two-Lane Blacktop and Days of Heaven.

John Wick

2014-11-07T03:26:40.000Z

John Wick. This movie was much better than it needed to be. Oddly inventive, and I love the world they built, with the secret clubs, clean-up contractors, doubloons (!), industry hotel, etc. It’s been a while since a movie had so many judo slams. Also love the way Wick would disable a nearby opponent, turn his attention to more distant ones for a moment, then turn back to neutralize the close one. His fighting had a sense of style, a personality. I need to watch Point Break again.

Dark Days

2014-10-26T20:02:23.000Z

Dark Days. A remarkable documentary about people – a community, a neighborhood you’ll see – living underground in New York City. One thing that many great documentaries have in common: just letting people talk. Heartbreaking, funny, heartwarming. Recommended.

Dear White People

2014-10-26T19:59:43.000Z

Dear White People. Not what I expected, and in a good way. I was thinking it would be more of a gimmick comedy that would burn out. Lots of good stuff about identity and affiliation. But… it’s also insanely likeable. Like you’ve been watching some really charming people spit some talking points you already agree with. Part of me wonders if I should leave the theater feeling more uncomfortable than I did. The funny is never uncomfortably accusing, the drama feels like it pulls a few punches, too. It has a more distinctive cinematography than I expected. Also, gotta say that I’ve done a 100% about-face on Tessa Thompson. I hated her character in the Veronica Mars TV series soooooo much that it blinded me to her talent and how the camera can’t ignore her. Great turn here. I am reminded of my childhood crush on Denise Huxtable.

Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

2014-10-26T18:34:07.000Z

Key Takeaway #1: Students sit all day, and sitting is exhausting.

Key Takeaway #2: High school students are sitting passively and listening during approximately 90 percent of their classes.

Key takeaway #3: You feel a little bit like a nuisance all day long.

Teacher spends two days as a student and is shocked at what she learns

Inside Man

2014-10-24T13:46:54.000Z

Inside Man. I like that you can hear the basic summary (detective vs. bank robber/hostage-taker)… but what you see is a little bit smarter and not as interested in basic genre trappings. On the other hand, it wanders when you might want a little more spark and plausibility. Ebert says it well: “It’s not that the movie is hiding something, but that when it’s revealed, it’s been left sitting too long at room temperature.”

Scream

2014-10-22T01:29:56.000Z

Scream. I’d forgotten how sharp this was. I love the no-BS opening, just straight to a phone call. Lots of good visual storytelling hints early on – the phone, the windows, the knife block, etc. And some good meta touches, like the first phone call, and the TV in the opening scene is prepped for a movie. Also does a good job of introducing characters and suspicions simultaneously, briskly outlining the relationships and why you might want to worry about them. Love the silly touches like the conversation between the two cops, the older one smoking a cigarette, the junior one licking an ice cream cone. A gold mine for movie trivia, and I love the casual spoilers, too. Like many comedies, it stumbles to an ending, and especially struggles when the meta-commentary becomes more and more explicit, and the thing starts narrating itself. Still holds up pretty well, though.

A Knight's Tale

2014-10-22T01:14:38.000Z

A Knight’s Tale. Very historically accurate, and you can’t beat the “Golden Years” dance scene.

The Rise of the Fragmented Novel (An Essay in 26 Fragments)

2014-10-21T00:32:07.000Z

The modern novel is falling to pieces! Ted Gioia looks at the rise of the fragmented novel in modern mainstream literary fiction. He includes a reading list of 57 ‘fragmented’ novels, with essays on each book in the list.

The Rise of the Fragmented Novel (An Essay in 26 Fragments)

Chicago

2014-10-19T22:37:42.000Z

My first-ever trip to a very awesome city. I left my house earlier than usual because I’m 150 years old and like to move through the airport like the Dalai Lama. I was sad that after I first arrived, while taking the elevated train into town, I had to remind myself to stay off Twitter, and… y'know… gawk at the architecture. It was easier with my feet on the ground.

I was surprised at how cool The Bean was. Glad I got to catch it at a few different times of day.

Took a few hours to hit the Art Institute. Gotta say, Magritte is not my thing. I’ve rarely been so bored in an art exhibition. By far – by far – my favorite thing there was a collection of Ethel Stein’s weavings and textiles. It just blew my mind. Can’t believe that had that tucked away in a lower corner.

Lake Michigan is absurdly lovely. I wish Atlanta had some water nearby. I get it. While I was making my way down the Lakeshore Trail one morning, I stopped in the Chicago History Museum. I’d totally forgotten they had that Vivian Maier photography exhibit. The rest of the museum was just okay. But that Maier stuff and the Ethel Stein I mentioned earlier were my favorites from the trip. So glad I stumbled on those.

I also got to eat a Chicago-style hot dog before my next museum stop, so that was another huge victory. I’ll probably be making those at home.

The David Bowie exhibition at the MCA was cool… but it also made me realize I don’t care *that* much about his work. I’d never heard that he’d used a Verbasizer (Burroughsian custom software to remix text for lyrics and ideas), so that was a nice surprise. And the final room where there had three giant screens and a loud soundsystem for old concert footage? Very cool.

The Signature Lounge is at Hancock Tower is a total waste of money and time.

I can’t recommend The Experts at iO highly enough. Such a great improv gimmick: invite an outside expert/research/writer to lecture about their pet topic. The audience learns, the performers riff for 15-20, and then a round of direct Q&A leads to a few more shorter skits. Enjoyed it so much we got some more beer and got tickets for another show there later that night. So great.

I’m not much for pastries, but if you put food on a wooden board, you can usually count me in. And so we got a pastry board at Bristol to eat before I ate even more. Walked off the brunch through various neighborhoods I can’t remember and then a movie-nap. Never underestimate the vacation movie-nap.

Later highlights that afternoon were the big dumb Ferris wheel at the Navy Pier and dumb tiki drinks.

We woke up early to watch the Chicago Marathon, which, for a few minutes at least, had me convinced I should do a marathon. I’m about 95% sure that one of the runners was a bouncer at Signature Lounge. Kind of like how I saw one of the iO actors at a bar later in the weekend. Big city/small town. Seems like an amazing place to live. But it’s not my town. But I’m still excited to go back some day.

Is the sub-2 hour marathon imminent? Don't hold your breath, and here's why | The Science of Sport

2014-10-19T13:50:41.000Z

So a man who runs a 59-min half marathon will not be able to sustain two back-to-back 60 min half marathons. It’s just not possible. And so therefore, before we can even consider the sub-2 hour marathon, we need to look at the ability over the half marathon. Until humans can run a half-marathon in under 58-minutes (and here, I’m talking low-57), it will not be possible to produce 59:59 twice in a marathon.

And that can be taken one step further, to 10km. If you are going to see a 57:x half marathon, then you should also be seeing a 10km that is substantially faster than the current 26:x. The 10km performance required to run a 57 is probably in the high 25s.

I’d never considered that. We may get there, but sounds further away than I thought it would be.

Is the sub-2 hour marathon imminent? Don't hold your breath, and here's why | The Science of Sport

Super Sad True Love Story

2014-10-19T13:44:45.000Z

I tried to read Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story, but it just didn’t sit right. DNF.

Gone Girl

2014-10-17T01:31:00.000Z

I read Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, and really really liked it. It was a welcome change of pace from some of the other recent reading drudgery I’ve put myself through. Just really compelling in its own right. I love when you find an addictive page-turn-y book, whatever the genre, and it just makes you want to read more in general. I only read this book because I heard that David Fincher had his recent movie adaptation coming out. I made it about ~80-85% into the book, and I just couldn’t wait any more before I saw the movie. Kind of a fun way to experience this particular one. I knew nothing about the story, but always had Affleck and Pike’s faces in mind as I was reading, but none of their movements or mannerisms I know from the movie now. I was already well past one big turn in the story, but one climactic scene in the movie tops just about everything. Recommended.

Gone Girl

2014-10-15T17:49:00.000Z

Gone Girl. I loved this one. Pike and Affleck work as both archetypes and just really odd layered characters. Highly disturbing, and like Zodiac, has this seductive quality where you don’t care how long it takes to unfold. I saw it when I was ~80-85% finished with the book – I didn’t want to wait another day. There’s a good chance I’ll catch it in the theaters again. The soundtrack is great, too. As for updated David Fincher rankings… I’ll use recency bias as a tiebreaker, and let this edge in to the second slot:

Express Yourself: NBA's Mike Scott Explains His Sweet Emoji Tattoos

2014-10-15T15:38:34.000Z

Express Yourself: NBA's Mike Scott Explains His Sweet Emoji Tattoos

The Skeleton Twins

2014-10-15T02:15:36.000Z

The Skeleton Twins. Good fun. Luke Wilson steals the show. Some whiplash changes in tone, but they tried to pack in a good bit. A real, live 90-minute movie!

Killing Them Softly

2014-10-15T02:12:34.000Z

Killing Them Softly. A steady chain of transactions – literal and figurative distancing from violence – with a constant undertow of economic collapse/politicking in the background. Very heavy-handed, thematically, but it works. Crummy neighborhoods, bare infrastructure, sweat and damp. The scene with Liotta reduced to tears was more disturbing than any movie violence in recent memory. Odd visuals with the shallow focus and vignetting. I love that hyper-experiential scene with the guy getting hight and his fitful conversation – zooms, speed changes, audio shifts, etc. Too bad the packaging was off. This was much more thoughtful and strange than they sold it.

October 15, 2014

2014-10-15T01:53:19.000Z

gotemcoach:

This kid.

Today Was The First Saturday Without Saturday Morning Cartoons

2014-10-07T02:06:42.000Z

Dang.

Today Was The First Saturday Without Saturday Morning Cartoons

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2014-10-07T02:04:44.000Z

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I loved the trippy oozy music video opening. Seemed like they were trying to kick off a brand. (I’m glad Fincher didn’t get sucked into a trilogy though). Dunno. It’s good. A little cold. Might as well try some David Fincher rankings. I’ll go with…

Zodiac
The Social Network
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Seven
Fight Club

Dirty Love

2014-09-30T00:41:30.000Z

I read Andre Dubus III’s book Dirty Love, but only up to page 100-something. DNF. Just not feelin’ the ennui/melancholy/disappointment thing right now.

Decoding a Menu at Root & Bone - NYTimes.com

2014-09-29T16:05:48.000Z

In a study of more than a million Yelp restaurant reviews, Mr. Jurafsky and the Carnegie Mellon team found that four-star reviews tended to use a narrower range of vague positive words, while one-star reviews had a more varied vocabulary. One-star reviews also had higher incidence of past tense, pronouns (especially plural pronouns) and other subtle markers that linguists have previously found in chat room discussions about the death of Princess Diana and blog posts written in the months after the Sept. 11 attacks.

In short, Mr. Jurafsky said, authors of one-star reviews unconsciously use language much as people do in the wake of collective trauma. “They use the word ‘we’ much more than ‘I,’ as if taking solace in the fact that this bad thing happened, but it happened to us together,” he said.

Another finding: Reviews of expensive restaurants are more likely to use sexual metaphors, while the food at cheaper restaurants tends to be compared to drugs.

Decoding a Menu at Root & Bone - NYTimes.com

The Equalizer

2014-09-29T16:05:44.000Z

The Equalizer. Average, with a few bright points here and there. I love the diner scenes. They build Denzel’s character as the precise, exacting, confident type, but I like the hints of compulsive behavior beyond that. Not just the careful folding of the kitchen towel, or the tea ritual, or the perfectly crisp button-ups, tucked in. There’s the opening and closing the door, flicking the lights on and off, maybe even the car window opening and closing, rearranging the skulls. Nice little wrinkle. Visually its a mess. It reminded me of the colorfully shifty, dizzying jumps and zooms that Tony Scott used in Man on Fire, except without the thoughtfulness and consistency with mood. Also weakly similar to that movie: there is an art to “walking away slowly from an explosion” scenes, and you have to earn it. You can’t just shove one in the middle of the movie. I enjoyed the fight scenes. But have to mention something that drove me crazy: the Sherlock Holmes-ian superpower thing in the office brawl. I’m talking about the thing where time is paused or slowed for a moment, where we get to see how the hero analyzes and calculates all the situational details before getting in a rumble – who is where, what weapons they have, the layout of the room. I don’t mind this sort of movie cliché, or this way of making the hero look awesome. That’s fine. What made it frustrating was that the movie had already shown us those details. I assume it was done to heighten the tension beforehand. But it’s draining to show a guy sitting ready with a knife, and then show us Denzel noticing the guy has a knife. I love that stopwatch, though. All that said: whatever Denzel has, I want it. He’s got charm coming out the ears. And Marton Csokas is awesome.

The Internet Has a Problem(atic) - The Awl

2014-09-29T16:05:37.000Z

Not only did “problematic” become popular because it suits identity politics and sounds smart, it’s also highly shareable. “Problematic” bundles urgency, seriousness, and debatability into a single vague word, which is great for both sound bytes and tweets.

The Internet Has a Problem(atic) - The Awl

Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life

2014-09-28T16:45:02.000Z

I read Adam Phillips’ book Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life, and I wish I’d enjoyed it more. I probably would have, if only I were more familiar with Freud and Shakespeare (King Lear and Othello are frequently discussed). I’ve read a couple of his others that I really liked (Going Sane and On Kindness). This one a lot of “What does it mean when we say ____?” kind of stuff, and a good bit of historical/etymological looks at how our our language has developed ideas like “getting away with it” or “getting out of it”. The best recurring theme for me was the idea of omniscience, and how it relates to frustration (assuming we know what we need; reluctance to seek advice or try new things), escapism/prediction (assuming we know what we’re avoiding, or that we are in fact avoiding it), tyranny (false confidence about someone else’s needs), avoidance (“we mustn’t let knowing do the work of acknowledging”), etc. It seemed a bit more impersonal and less psychological than what I remember of the other two. Still, some good stuff here and there, and Phillips has a knack for aphorism.

For Arianna Huffington and Kobe Bryant: First, Success. Then Sleep. - NYTimes.com

2014-09-28T16:12:00.000Z

Kobe Bryant: Exactly. I’ll give you an example. When you watch me shoot my fadeaway jumper, you’ll notice my leg is always extended. I had problems making that shot in the past. It’s tough. So one day I’m watching the Discovery Channel and see a cheetah hunting. When the cheetah runs, its tail always gives it balance, even if it’s cutting a sharp angle. And that’s when I was like: My leg could be the tail, right?

Arianna Huffington: That’s amazing.

KB: Inspiration surrounds us.

Maybe it was a cheetah named Dirk Nowitzki. Also really interesting in this interview: both of them weaning themselves from the “I only need hours of sleep” lie. They both wised up and made changes to sleep more.

For Arianna Huffington and Kobe Bryant: First, Success. Then Sleep. - NYTimes.com

September 27, 2014

2014-09-27T14:09:26.000Z

thingsmagazine:

David Hockney, ‘The Desk’

Living the GoPro Life

2014-09-27T14:08:29.000Z

When the agony of missing the shot trumps the joy of the experience worth shooting, the adventure athlete (climber, surfer, extreme skier) reveals himself to be something else: a filmmaker, a brand, a vessel for the creation of content.

Living the GoPro Life

15 Questions for San Antonio’s Matt Bonner

2014-09-24T16:16:57.000Z

Here is a very rudimentary formula I came up with for rating a sandwich:

Score on a scale of 1-100:
A = bread
B = meat
C = fixings
D = sauces
.4(A) + .3(B) + .2© + .1(D) = overall score on a 0-100 scale

Each ingredient is weighted based on its level of importance to a good sandwich. Please note that the coefficients can certainly change when dealing with specialty sandwiches (for example, a steak and cheese would have a higher value placed on meat).

15 Questions for San Antonio’s Matt Bonner

Boring Lives, Boring Television

2014-09-24T16:16:50.000Z

So far this year, I’ve watched “The Knick,” “Mad Men,” “Game of Thrones,” “Outlander,” “Boardwalk Empire” and “Downton Abbey.” Oh, I complain about the various anachronisms – the clothes are too clean, the lives of the servants are far too easy and don’t even get me started on, um, almost everything in “The Knick.” But these are forgivable errors, occasionally almost lovable.

The thing I find harder to forgive is the shows’ inability to commit to that drama – to try to actually engage with what was actually dramatic and interesting in those eras. They can’t resist moralizing from the point of view of a 21st-century modern – and so they sap the conflicts they’re portraying of their meaning.

Boring Lives, Boring Television

Training Day

2014-09-24T16:16:45.000Z

Training Day. Pretty good. Denzel covers some good range here, maybe a little toooooo schizo/flip-floppy. Always switching, probing, testing. I was a bit impatient with it after a while. Surprised how well Hawke carried his chunk of the movie.

September 23, 2014

2014-09-23T01:46:03.000Z

McConaughey and Harrelson, BFFs.

Man on Fire

2014-09-17T02:00:49.000Z

Man on Fire. This is the beginning of my Denzel Washington self-education program, as I’ve seen embarrassingly few of his movies, and they were all a long time ago. A guilt-ridden drunk on a revenge mission. Young Dakota Fanning is impossible not to like. And her on-screen friendship with Denzel is fantastic. I really liked the lively, kind of spazzy directing. A rush of colors and cuts, zooms in and out, accelerating and coming to a halt, and how that ties in with characterization and mood. I like the work with the occasional subtitles, too. Interesting that the bullet and the St. Jude medallion come along with sobriety (like AA tokens). Also note the recurring theme of “I’m just a professional” or “I’m just doing my job.” It’s not enough. Cf. Taken, of course.

There is no such thing as tough. There is trained and untrained.

September 17, 2014

2014-09-17T01:46:09.000Z

We make ourselves lists in order to know if we think what we think.

Sasha Frere-Jones.

There is no finality in a list, just a promise that we will argue about everything listed, adjust our thoughts, and watch our feelings change over time.

Minority Report: The Real Problem of the Atlanta Hawks Implosion

2014-09-17T01:46:05.000Z

An interesting byproduct — perhaps a trick — of labeling someone a racist is making them an exception. Racists, once outed, are banished to Racism Island, and then it’s business as usual for everyone else. That’s the Sterling example. But Bruce Levenson isn’t an anomaly. Who doesn’t know a Bruce Levenson? Who hasn’t overheard someone at work or a friend’s dad talk like this before? They’re everywhere.

Minority Report: The Real Problem of the Atlanta Hawks Implosion

Serena Williams Is America’s Greatest Athlete

2014-09-11T23:47:05.000Z

When the culture at large grants athletic adoration to women, it is often of a temporary, fleeting kind directed toward teen-age American sweethearts at the Olympics. Williams has never been America’s sweetheart. […] The failure to fully appreciate her importance is perhaps evidence of our inability to appreciate the stubbornly unfamiliar narrative arc of her career. Williams is underloved because, at times, she has been unlovable and, in the end, mostly unrepentant about it

Serena Williams Is America’s Greatest Athlete

The U.S. Open’s Federer-less Final - The New Yorker

2014-09-09T03:32:17.000Z

So what is happening here? Other players are winning tennis matches. They are doing so by playing better than their opponents, even the ones, like Federer and Djokovic, who usually win. A couple of new guys, who are likable, hard-working, and talented, get their shot at the big fancy trophy and the giant check. Many fans will have a hard time accepting this. It requires a categorical adjustment, a recognition that a tournament is merely a process of narrowing down a pool of athletes to the one who beats the rest, rather than an expression of the Form of the Good.

The U.S. Open’s Federer-less Final - The New Yorker

September 9, 2014

2014-09-09T03:29:40.000Z

Louisiana Loses Its Boot — Matter — Medium.

According to the U.S.G.S., the state lost just under 1,900 square miles of land between 1932 and 2000. This is the rough equivalent of the entire state of Delaware dropping into the Gulf of Mexico, and the disappearing act has no closing date. If nothing is done to stop the hemorrhaging, the state predicts as much as another 1,750 square miles of land — an area larger than Rhode Island — will convert to water by 2064. An area approximately the size of a football field continues to slip away every hour.

September 4, 2014

2014-09-04T16:30:05.000Z

The ONLY Autographed Copy of Tim Duncan’s Honors Thesis!. Oh, Tim. Pretty neat story. Gotta say I’m a bit jealous.

Blue Ruin

2014-09-04T02:10:04.000Z

Blue Ruin. Holy. Crap. Watch this movie. There’s some kinship with Shotgun Stories here, swirling around revenge and vicious family rivalry. Just multiply the intensity by 3 or 4. A wee bit of Fargo, too, what with the bumbling? Great acting, sound, editing, the whole package is legit. This will probably be very high in my 2014 rankings.

Locke

2014-09-04T02:09:46.000Z

Locke. I really liked this movie. Two things it reminded me of: Arbitrage, because he’s in a really crappy position and he’s trying to make do. And Bronson, because it’s Tom Hardy putting on a one-man show and just nailing it. About 99% of it is watching him on phone calls while he’s driving. I love it when movies play with constraints like this. So good.

Imaginary Book #2

2014-09-02T18:43:40.000Z

A spread from my forthcoming imaginary book, Steering into the Skid, which examines automobility and interiority in filmic (anti)heroism. Delon in Le Samourai. Bacon in Footloose. Gosling in Drive. De Niro in Taxi Driver.

The Strange Tale of the North Pond Hermit

2014-09-01T15:32:45.000Z

“With no audience, no one to perform for, I was just there. There was no need to define myself; I became irrelevant.”

The Strange Tale of the North Pond Hermit

August 31, 2014

2014-08-31T15:53:23.000Z

Note to self: awesome photos that I find online can be printed. I think I’m going to print and frame up my #trainstagram collection, too, now that I’m up to a dozen or so.

August 31, 2014

2014-08-31T14:48:28.000Z

Don’t focus too much on this idea that your influences will be similar to people whose films you admire. In fact, it’s really the opposite: You like people who are doing something completely different, and it’s very relaxing to you because they’re dealing with all kinds of problems you don’t have to deal with.

Whit Stillman. Filed under: Whit Stillman, influence.

A Most Wanted Man

2014-08-30T15:55:28.000Z

A Most Wanted Man. No one I saw it with agreed with me, but I thought it was really good. Has a similar feel to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: cold, deliberate. This isn’t the sexy/sneaky side of spying. This is conversation, paperwork, negotiation, management. Every now and then you get to use a hidden camera. The only other Anton Corbijn film I’ve seen is The American, and it’s great.

Guardians of the Galaxy

2014-08-30T15:53:28.000Z

Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s good. Nice to see superhero movies trying to be a bit more lighthearted and funny. Too bad the villains and the climax are so lame. I’d still put the Captain America movies at the top of my Marvel rankings, but this is close behind.

A Decade Later, Whither the Metrosexual

2014-08-30T15:50:33.000Z

The men’s care industry killed metrosexuality by co-opting metrosexuals’ grooming habits and repackaging them as masculine and paternal. Same goes for the renaissance of old-school men’s shops, where conditioning skin and softening hair is neither “metro” nor “narcissistic,” but “classic,” and “quality.”

A Decade Later, Whither the Metrosexual

Against “Against [X]” - The New Yorker

2014-08-30T13:45:42.000Z

“Against [X]” is often not just an effective rhetorical form but also a canny career move: against X as an implicit argument for the polemicist.

Against “Against [X]” - The New Yorker

August 30, 2014

2014-08-30T13:43:01.000Z

The Urban Oil Fields of Los Angeles. Oh my God I love that city.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

2014-08-29T01:43:00.000Z

I read Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, and I loved it in the end. I might even say it changed my life in a few pointed ways. It’s a mildly science fictional story that pairs a good sense of humor with some great thinking on memory, nostalgia, wistfulness, and stories we keep telling ourselves.

Time does heal. It will do so whether you like it or not, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. If you’re not careful, time will take away everything that ever hurt you, everything you have ever lost, and replace it with knowledge. Time is a machine: it will convert your pain to experience.

The writing is slightly distant and self-aware because it’s more fun that way. Like this heavily-footnoted passage, where he’s describing the time machine he lives/works in, which leads to a minor footnote on particle physics:

This unit, this phone booth, this four-dimensional person-sized laboratory, I live in it, but, over time, through diffusion and breathing and particle exchange, the air in here, the air that travels with me, it is me, and I’m it.* The exhaled carbon dioxide that gets recycle and processed by the pump, the oxygen-rich air that is piped back in, these molecules* move around me, and in me, and then back out, all* of it* the same matter.* I breath it* in, it* is in my bloodstream. Sometimes, they* are part of me, sometimes, I am part of them.* Sometimes, they* are in my sandwich,* […]

There are plenty of little aphoristic moments that come up, like…

Life is to some extent an extended dialogue with your future self about how exactly you are going to let yourself down over the coming years.

…or like this aside on growing up in a household with parents arguing and fighting:

Call it the law of conservation of parental anger […] bouncing around, some of it reflected, some of it absorbed by the smaller bodies in the house.

One of my favorite turns of phrase came up in one travel scene, picking up on that swelling, aching beautiful uplift you can feel when flying:

As the machine banks into its approach and we angle into our steep descent spiral, looking down into the city, I have, for a minute or two, some clarified sense of scale, the proper balance of awe and possibility, a kind of airplane courage […]

There’s also some clever meta-textual work relating to the physical book itself and some interludic commentary (like how people in recreational alternate universes can qualify as “protagonists” or even “heroes” in these fantasylands, or diagrams that clarify the plot, background sketches on history/setting, magazine tips for time travel, etc.). I have to acknowledge that there’s a definite patch just after the halfway point where it dragged a bit for me. (You can see him getting carried away, piling ideas between commas.) But the opening half is so fun, and the final sprint led to a goosebumps ending for me. Very much recommended. Earlier this spring I also really liked Yu’s collection of short stories, Third Class Superhero.

Double Indemnity

2014-08-24T17:10:00.000Z

Double Indemnity. So dark, and so funny. They don’t write'em like this anymore. This was my second viewing, and it’s worth a third. Previously.

Sacred Hoops

2014-08-24T17:06:03.000Z

I read Phil Jackson’s Sacred Hoops, and mostly liked the more biographical stuff. His tales of the early days (in a Pentecostal family in North Dakota) reminded me of my father and grandfather, devoted Christians growing up in the midwest and geeking about about basketball and eventually other spiritual traditions. One nice treat of reading books like this – recent history when there are always cameras rolling – is the ability to check YouTube for the highlights.

Boyhood

2014-08-22T01:45:25.000Z

Boyhood. Though the movie is pretty mesmerizing in a slice-of-life-y way, I think I’m more in awe of the work involved than the end product.

Unforgiven

2014-08-19T22:59:29.000Z

Unforgiven. My second viewing. This time around I got to see it on the big screen and it’s glorious. Previously.

Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.

Filed under: Clint Eastwood.

Emily Dickinson: Selected Poems

2014-08-19T22:59:11.000Z

I read some Selected Poems by Emily Dickinson, which is a good way to fill little pockets of time here and there. Some of my favorites:

If you’re hankerin’ for some Emily Dickinson set to music, check out John Adams’ orchestral piece Harmonium, which uses Donne’s Negative Love in addition to Dickinson’s Because I could not stop for Death and Wild Nights - Wild Nights!. It’s a phenomenal piece of music.

August 19, 2014

2014-08-19T22:55:37.000Z

Not having an opinion means not having an obligation. And not being obligated is one of the sweetest of life’s riches.

Paul Ford in How to Be Polite.

Imaginary Book #1

2014-08-17T17:46:00.000Z

A spread from my forthcoming imaginary book, Hangin’ Out: Up-ending Masculinity in 1980s Cinema. Richard Gere in American Gigolo (1980). Josh Brolin in The Goonies (1985). Michael Keaton in Batman (1989). Kyle Machlachlan in Twin Peaks (1990).

Definitely Maybe

2014-08-17T17:04:14.000Z

I read the Strugatsky Brothers’ book Definitely Maybe, and enjoyed its kooky Russian brand of paranoia. I love how transitions between scenes and chapters just drop off and pick up mid-sentence. I heard about this one from my buddy Will, book-devourer and publisher, who also tipped me off to that Solaris translation I wrote about a few weeks ago.

Collateral

2014-08-17T16:15:37.000Z

Collateral. My third viewing. (Ignore my comments after the second.) It feels like every time I watch a Michael Mann movie it becomes my new favorite of his. This movie is seriously in love with LA, too. You almost never get this much richness in setting. The surfaces, the light, daytime and night. Passing scenes and shots of a Hispanic gas station, a Korean (?) newspaper, murals, traffic, strip malls, modest neighborhoods, airport boulevards. Crucial scenes in Latino and (mostly Asian) nightclubs. This sense of place fits with one of the movie’s themes – presence. Our protagonists are Vincent (Cruise’s cool, decisive, efficient professional) and Max (Foxx’s daydreaming perfectionist). Max is dreaming miles into the future, but too hesitant or cautious (“It’s gotta be perfect.”) to do anything to get there. Vincent is skimming along the moment, zipping through assignments. (“We gotta make the best of it, improvise, adapt to the environment, Darwin, shit happens, I Ching, whatever man, we gotta roll with it.”) Two early soundtrack moments underscore the contrast, too. Early on, Max enjoys the nostalgic, old-school vibes of Groove Armada’s Hands of Time as he cruises through the city. Soon after, we see some of Vincent’s subway/disconnection speech (foreshadowing!) backgrounded with a cool blues-y rendition of Bach’s Air on the G String. Pure sophistication. It’s not until (after the missed-opportunity soliloquy in the jazz club scene) Max is forced into impersonating Vincent that he starts to show some real agency. On this viewing the humor came through much more for me, thanks to Cruise. Lines like “Promise not to tell anybody, right?” and “Don’t let me cornered. You don’t have the trunk space.” and “What? I should only kill people after I get to know them?”. I could go on. What a damn great movie.

"Minds wiped calm as sea-leveled sands"

2014-08-17T16:15:27.000Z

Child in the womb, Or saint on a tomb — Which way shall I lie To fall asleep? The keen moon stares From the back of the sky, The clouds are all home Like driven sheep. Bright drops of time, One and two chime, I turn and lie straight With folded hands; Convent-child, Pope, They choose this state, And their minds are wiped calm As sea-leveled sands. So my thoughts are: But sleep stays as far, Till I crouch on one side Like a foetus again — For sleeping, like death, Must be won without pride, With a nod from nature, And a lack of strain, And a loss of stature.

Philip Larkin. Via Maud Newton. Filed under: sleep.

American Gigolo

2014-08-17T15:32:00.000Z

American Gigolo. Fantastic movie. One current is an electric crime drama (and the challenge of justice for outsider groups). Another is the steady melancholy, loneliness, and emptiness of the protagonist’s life. Awesome clothes. And OMG Lauren Hutton. Another good movie that explores the tensions between a criminal profession and desire for a normal life: Thief, of course.

August 16, 2014

2014-08-16T22:59:03.000Z

Fame is a bee.
It has a song—
It has a sting—
Ah, too, it has a wing.

Emily Dickinson.

Flush

2014-08-08T19:46:00.000Z

I read Virginia Woolf’s Flush, a biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s cocker spaniel. We grew up with two cocker spaniels (first Nugget, then Rusty, and I still take pride in choosing such good names), so I was rooting for this one from the start. It’s short and breezy and completely charming.

The true philosopher is he who has lost his coat but is free from fleas.

Matt Thomas reads the Sunday Times so you don't have to

2014-08-08T19:45:21.000Z

austinkleon:

I highly recommend subscribing to Matt Thomas’s NYTimes Sunday Digest:

Every Sunday since 2007 (that’s 346 consecutive weeks), I’ve posted links to and quotes from articles I thought were interesting in that day’s New York Times on my blog. I started doing it to give myself a Sunday…

I can’t reblog this hard enough.

Matt Thomas reads the Sunday Times so you don't have to

All the Pretty Horses

2014-08-06T23:31:21.000Z

I read Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses. I was disappointed that I didn’t learn a bunch of words like I did when reading Blood Meridian. I’m pretty sure No Country for Old Men is my favorite of his, followed by Blood Meridian and then The Road and then this one.

Manhunts: A Philosophical History

2014-08-05T19:11:32.000Z

I read Grégoire Chamayou’s Manhunts. I may not have given it a fair shake – it has a way more academic bent than what I was in the mood for – but there are some neat ideas here. The most useful:

Every hunt is accompanied by a theory of its prey that explains why, by virtue of what difference, of what distinction, some men can be hunted and others not.

One of the better parts of reading this wasn’t the book itself, but how it related to other things I’ve come across. Manhunter, clearly, and how pursuit puts one’s soul at peril. Njál’s Saga frequently deals with banishment and outlaws, vengeance and vulnerability. Also the book Columbine and other events like the OKC bombing and Isla Vista, and how theories of exclusion always follow closely behind. Zero Dark Thirty, too.

The Cold Stoicism of Advice Columns for Men

2014-08-05T17:07:11.000Z

Advice columns for men, however, seem not to have made the leap from proscriptive notions of rectitude to the smart-older-sister vibe of advice for women. In GQ and Esquire and even Maxim, which are full of Q&A-format advice for readers, situations are often posed in a joking tone and answered as if the writer were the dude from the Dos Equis commercials and the ultimate ethical standard is masculinity rather than humanity. “How to be a man” literature is the new conduct literature: it’s not that men haven’t cared about ideals of masculinity before now, but the idea verges on obsession these days, cf. everything from Shia LaBoeuf’s resignation note to the fact that someone greenlit How to Be a Gentleman. It’s a whole genre and evidently a popular one—but, while advice columns are the delicious and healthy snack of things to devour on the Internet, it matters for men and women alike that advice columns for men evolve, not by abandoning their gentlemanly tone but by choosing the right questions to answer.

That’s one reason why I read waaaaay more of Carolyn Hax than anything in men’s magazines. The Cold Stoicism of Advice Columns for Men

August 4, 2014

2014-08-04T16:06:17.000Z

My friend Mario Joyner has a funny line. It’s not something he does in his act, but he’s a brilliantly funny guy about life. The wedding gown, the celebration, the aggrandizement of the woman in this amazing outfit at the wedding—she’s telling the world “I got one of these motherfuckers to act right.”

Jerry Seinfeld.

Manhunter

2014-08-04T02:05:00.000Z

Manhunter. Safe to call Michael Mann my favorite director now? So very good. I wish I’d planned it consciously, but I ended up unintentionally re-watching this around the same time I was reading Manhunts. Another recommended pairing: Matt Zoller Seitz’s reflections (heh) on the mirrors, doppelgängers, doubles, duality, etc. in this and Mann’s other works.

The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel

2014-08-04T02:00:14.000Z

I read a lot of The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel, but not all of them. I liked the ones I read, and still think that previous collection, Tumble Home, is great. But I think I was becoming a little numb. Worth picking up again later.

The NeverEnding Story

2014-08-03T17:26:00.000Z

The NeverEnding Story. The handful of times I watched this as a kid I found it too baffling to grow any sort of attachment or fondness. I remembered only a few snapshots before re-watching: boy reading in attic, boy warrior in a terrifying bog, flying on a dogdragon, wolf with a twitchy nose, a young queen in distress. Good young actors in a dark, compressed allegorical movie about bullying, escapism, and the value of imagination. Let’s also take a moment to appreciate that the villain is called “The Nothing” and the rad electro soundtrack in the Swamps of Sadness. :( :( :(

August 2, 2014

2014-08-02T23:34:46.000Z

In the Cut, Part I: Shots in the Dark (Knight). I really, really liked this dissection, by Jim Emerson, of a chase scene in The Dark Knight. I think the scene still communicates on a sequence-of-events level – chase goes underground, trucks smashes car, weapons are fired, Batmobile rams a dump truck – but there are definitely ways the editing makes it less spatially coherent or viscerally “real”. You can set aside whether that makes the scene good or bad, or whether it undermines or supports whatever Nolan’s intentions were. It’s still a nice primer and breakdown of how they communicate narrative through the frame, and how ignoring or adhering to visual conventions affects how you understand what you see.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

August 2, 2014

2014-08-02T22:51:58.000Z

ryanhamiltonwalsh:

Starting a new tradition with Ikea assemblies where I add the discussion had during the build into the instructions http://i.imgur.com/9LiM59y.jpg

August 2, 2014

2014-08-02T22:51:00.000Z

The genius of this simultaneously simple and profound phrase comes from its naked embrace of the fact that some stories are too good to verify and must be shared as soon as possible.

A brief history of ‘Whoa, if true’.

Once Upon a Time in the West

2014-07-28T16:41:54.000Z

Once Upon a Time in the West. Welp. It’s perfect. This was my second time seeing it all the way through (my first), and I was very lucky to catch it on the big screen. Two things that stood out for me more this time around…. One, the operatic heightening. Straight out of opera, each major character gets a leitmotif in the soundtrack, they’re all introduced in a different way to draw attention to their role, and they’re all pretty unambiguous archetypes: villain, hero, buffoon, hooker with heart of gold. And dang, that score. Two, the recurring hints about time. The movie opens with a shot of a rail schedule, then shifts to a comically, absurdly extended introduction marked by dripping water and creaking windmills. The anxious father who wants to be ready for his beloved’s arrival. Watches checked, appointments made. A capitalist who wants to reach the Pacific coast before his death. A railroad station that must be built on a deadline. Fancy clocks in the financier’s railcar. The clockface in town during a shoot-out. And battles that the hero faces are a sort of countdown: three assassins, then two, then one.

Let’s fly: How to survive air travel

2014-07-27T23:54:16.000Z

This is how you survive the airport:

Arrive early. Arrive early? Sounds simple. It is — let me show you.

I remember reading somewhere that if you’ve never missed a flight then you’ve wasted too much of your life waiting in airports. Fair point, maybe. But I have to agree, after a few recent flights, that arriving much much earlier than needed – giving over to what might first feel like inconvenience – can create some beautifully peaceful and productive time to work with.

Let’s fly: How to survive air travel

July 27, 2014

2014-07-27T23:53:00.000Z

When people say, “I’m the kind of person who,” my heart always sinks. These are formulas, we’ve all got about ten formulas about who we are, what we like, the kind of people we like, all that stuff. The disparity between these phrases and how one experiences oneself minute by minute is ludicrous. It’s like the caption under a painting. You think, Well, yeah, I can see it’s called that. But you need to look at the picture.

Adam Phillips. Filed under: Adam Phillips.

MOONRISE KINGDOM: Wes in Wonderland

2014-07-27T23:51:55.000Z

I’m on record as not being a huge fan of this particular movie, but damn, Anderson is good at what he does. Cf. David Bordwell discussing The Grand Budapest Hotel. Filed under: Wes Anderson. MOONRISE KINGDOM: Wes in Wonderland

Solaris

2014-07-24T01:37:14.000Z

I read Stanisław Lem’s Solaris (the new Bill Johnston translation, grade-A uncut straight from the Polish), and enjoyed it for the most part. Not available in paper, so I finally used this Kindle gadget thing. This is a book for ideas. The writing isn’t too special on its own, on a sentence and paragraph level. I could have done with less of the spinning off into academic/history tangents, but I suppose they have their purpose. Reminds me of Borges a bit, that spirit of developing gobs and gobs of history and references. I think the spirit is more ironic here, underscoring how the knowledge of Solaris that humans gathered and theorized for generations really amounts to so little. Now I really want to watch both movies again. I read a lot of this while listening to the soundtrack for The Fountain, which makes a good pairing. Another Lem book I really, really liked was Imaginary Magnitude, which, as a collection of… stories?… offers a lot more variety and more opportunities to have your mind blown.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

2014-07-23T02:16:48.000Z

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Really underwhelming. I was so fired up for this after re-watching Rise… and hearing good reviews. I think the best way to summarize this one is that there’s just not much to be curious about. Once you get the early outlines, you could finish the screenplay yourself. Bonus points, though, for good use of xylophone in the score. I also thought it was interesting that they only used a handful of locations for this movie: city, grove, dam, village, apartment. Reminded me of the clashing civilizations/neighbors in The New World. Took me the longest time to realize how I recognized Kodi Smit-McPhee: Let Me In.

Nicely Said: Writing for the Web with Style and Purpose (review)

2014-07-23T02:16:41.000Z

I read Nicole Fenton and Kate Kiefer Lee’s new book Nicely Said: Writing for the Web with Style and Purpose. Now that I think of it, that subtitle goes against just about everything this tumblr stands for. Good friendly guide, especially if you need advice more along the lines of project structure and how to think about what you’re doing, more so than nuts-and-bolts writing advice.

In Top Gun, it’s always magic hour for the best of the best

2014-07-22T17:38:03.000Z

For a film that worships the military, and is in turn worshipped by the military, Top Gun seems perversely uninterested in the military—or foreign policy, or warfare—as anything other than a crucible that sweaty, shirtless, constantly showering men must endure on the route to über-awesomeness. The enemy is deliberately shadowy because the real enemy is self-doubt and moral weakness.

In Top Gun, it’s always magic hour for the best of the best

July 22, 2014

2014-07-22T17:38:00.000Z

I like to read my poems, but I don’t like to hear other people read theirs.

Kay Ryan. Zing!

“I Like Things That Look Like Mistakes”: The Perfect Imperfection of Frances Ha

2014-07-22T17:37:56.000Z

Energetic, prone to folly, and warmly sincere, Frances is perhaps the best illustrated character to come out of film in ages, both a perfect fit for the contemporary environment she inhabits and yet timeless in how human she is.

Nodding my head every other sentence. Really great appreciation. I, too, loved this movie.

They are closer than most friends, intimate emotionally with one another more than most people on screen are (unless someone is dying). But the fact that they exist as two separate people whose interests evolve is critical to understanding why Frances and Sophie work as a couple and why Frances Ha works as a film.

“I Like Things That Look Like Mistakes”: The Perfect Imperfection of Frances Ha

Snowpiercer

2014-07-20T19:45:20.000Z

Snowpiercer. I keep thinking about this one. There are plenty of logical flaws, loopholes, heavy-handed messaging, whatever. But it’s so cool. The railroad car constraint lends to some great invention with sets and storytelling and form. Evans shows some range you don’t get to see in the Marvel movies. Swinton drives me nuts sometimes, but I really appreciated her role here for both evil and levity. I rank this highly among 2014 releases, in the good company of Edge of Tomorrow, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Lego Movie.

The Golden Spruce

2014-07-20T15:22:24.000Z

I read John Vaillant’s book The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed on Ryan Holiday’s recommendation. The writing was a bit too overstuffed/awestruck for my tastes sometimes, but there’s some good material in there about the history of the Pacific Northwest and the rise of the modern logging industry. An even better book about man vs. nature: Vaillant’s The Tiger, which is absolutely incredible. I tumbled a couple good excerpts a few years ago.

July 20, 2014

2014-07-20T15:13:56.000Z

cccilla:

George Herriman, 1921

July 20, 2014

2014-07-20T15:13:08.000Z

carpentrix:

theparisreview:

“Arguably literature’s basic charge is to describe being in the world—the Grainger catalog reveals just how extensively our writers have failed to document the varieties of work happening now, and the hyper-precise terminology surrounding that work.”

Dan Piepenbring on the wonders of industrial-supply catalogs.

Neat piece on the specificity of words and the specificity of tools, materials, and devices found in this mammoth catalog. This was a highlight, in his discussion of item descriptions:

“If ‘For sale: baby shoes, never worn’ counts as a story, then so, too, must ‘all-wood coffins store flat and assemble without tools. Can be stacked 3-high when assembled to maximize space in mass-casualty emergencies.’ Or: ‘High-visibility warning whips alert other vehicles of your presence.’ Or: ‘Stretch knit material covers head to protect from overspray.’

Two Ridiculous Headphones and a Pile of Schiit – Marco.org

2014-07-20T15:10:17.000Z

Choosing an audiophile amp and DAC are difficult because audiophiles will tell you a great deal of unscientific wine-tasting descriptions of how each component sounds, then recommend whatever they bought.

Two Ridiculous Headphones and a Pile of Schiit – Marco.org

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2014-07-20T14:58:00.000Z

Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A refresher viewing before the upcoming sequel. I liked it a good bit more than the first time I saw it. Now I appreciate more how the milder human performances help highlight the apes (backhanded compliment?). But wow the apes are great. Good heart in this one.

Pinboard Turns Five (Pinboard Blog)

2014-07-11T02:02:00.000Z

Avoiding burnout is difficult to write about, because the basic premise is obnoxious. Burnout is a rich man’s game.

Pinboard Turns Five (Pinboard Blog)

July 11, 2014

2014-07-11T01:26:44.000Z

Recently I’ve been thinking that when you’re younger, you need to say yes to everything; then, when you’re older, you need to learn how to say no to everything. I don’t mean younger in age, but as a step in your profession.

Liz Danzico.

The Raid: Redemption

2014-07-10T02:30:34.000Z

The Raid: Redemption. This is an implausibly heightened* excuse for great choreography and fightin’. (*a pregnant wife; an innocent bystander who needs to deliver medicine to his bedridden spouse; an unauthorized mission without backup; corrupt leadership; sibling rivalry; etc.) I loved early parts of the movie, where there was more play with music vs. silence, shadow vs. light, when things felt more precarious. Once the shit hit the fan, it was still fun, but more predictable, and less interesting. Transitions got a bit awkward as the stories splinter and rivalries come a head, and people start talking more. I think I would have appreciated something leaner, and something that took more advantage of the architectural aspect like Die Hard. Good relentless fun, though. Two more things: 1) I am getting a bit too old and squeamish for gore, and 2) that moment when the camera drops through the floor (!!). Another movie that’s “pure gold when it comes to the art of moving cameras around moving bodies doing cool things”: Ninja.

Point Break

2014-07-10T02:30:12.000Z

Point Break. So damn good. Sensual west-coast crime cat-and-mouse rivalry a la Heat. I need to move to L.A.. I don’t know what it was, but that lawnmower scene had the most viscerally tense squirmy moments of anything I’ve seen since, maybe Compliance? I also liked Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, and loved Zero Dark Thirty.

July 6, 2014

2014-07-06T15:09:38.000Z

Google’s Street View cameras are touring museums and taking weird selfies by accident.

July 6, 2014

2014-07-06T15:05:48.000Z

Michael Bay - What is Bayhem?. Looks like I’ll be combing through the archives at Every Frame a Painting soon.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

July 5, 2014

2014-07-05T12:47:27.000Z

Optimism is often dismissed as false hope. But there is also false hopelessness.

Text of the 2014 Commencement address by Bill and Melinda Gates

The Crying Game

2014-07-05T12:47:21.000Z

The Crying Game. I think contemporary eyes will guess The Big Twist like I did, and it doesn’t matter because the story and characters are good enough to keep you hooked. Strange turns and odd narrative devices abound.

The Firm

2014-07-05T12:47:10.000Z

The Firm. Better than I remember! I like that the early parts stay upbeat while maintaining the foreshadowing. You can be ominous without being dark. Good momentum through the whole thing. An even better Sydney Pollack film is Three Days of the Condor.

July 2, 2014

2014-07-02T03:27:52.000Z

I particularly hate that phrase about women “wanting to have it all.” Because that’s not about women, it’s about humans. The humans want to have it all! Blame the fucking humans who situated themselves halfway between the beasts and the gods and then discovered it was an uneasy place to be.

Jenny Offill.

“Forgive@h3r”

2014-07-02T03:24:57.000Z

parislemon:

A very clever, poignant lifehack by Mauricio Estrella.

“Forgive@h3r”

Write Flight: When White Hoops Writers Run Away from White Players

2014-07-02T03:22:14.000Z

Most journalists have gotten over using the archaic terms of past generations. Every once in a while that coded language will flare up again (as it did during Jeremy Lin’s emergence a couple of years ago, and when Richard Sherman went off a couple of months ago) but for the most part we know better. We don’t connect ability to chromosomal sequences anymore. Well, except for white basketball players.

Not looking for pity for the white man here, but it’s something I’ve noticed, too. Thoughtful writing on race, sports journalism, and lazy thinking.

Write Flight: When White Hoops Writers Run Away from White Players

I Know Times Are Changing

2014-07-02T03:11:08.000Z

If you don’t want to read Anil Dash geeking out about Prince for 3600+ words, then I just don’t know what I can do for you.

I Know Times Are Changing

War of the Worlds (2005)

2014-07-02T02:54:37.000Z

War of the Worlds (2005). I love the opening hour or so. I think the big weakness is that the aliens are kinda boring. I like their throwback design and effects, but something is missing there. The basement scene also drags on waaaaaayyy too long. Spielberg is still a genius, though.

Duplex

2014-07-02T02:47:10.000Z

I read Kathryn Davis’ Duplex, but I didn’t finish. There’s some neat stuff in here – robots! sorcerers! – but the writing was a bit opaque for me this go-round. Readers with a bit more patience who are willing to re-read will probably be rewarded. (More recent reading.)

Martha Marcy May Marlene

2014-06-24T00:35:43.000Z

Martha Marcy May Marlene. I loved it the first time I saw it. Now I’m even more convinced that it’s pretty special. We have the privilege of seeing all sides, and how hard it is for each to understand the other. Another awesome movie that explores the gap between what one person feels and what others experience is Take Shelter, which has been on my re-watch for way too long. Watch that one, and this one.

Watchmen

2014-06-23T21:43:20.000Z

Watchmen. I don’t know why I do this to myself.

Hide Your Smiling Faces

2014-06-22T21:11:24.000Z

Hide Your Smiling Faces. Two brothers wrestle with death in their midst. Not amazing, but not bad at all. They found some ridiculously great locations, and I appreciate the emotional modesty. If you’re looking for other movies starring two adolescent boys growing up before your eyes, I recommend The Return and highly recommend Mud.

Sound of My Voice

2014-06-22T21:11:19.000Z

Sound of My Voice. Two idealistic journalists join a cult to expose it from the inside. Hijinks ensue. This one was alright, but it makes me curious to see The East, as this seems to be something of a first draft or starter’s kit for the ideas developed in that bigger feature. Brit Marling also does good work in Another Earth and the very excellent Arbitrage.

The Joy of Typing

2014-06-22T20:33:18.000Z

When you can type quickly, there’s a joy to the iterative quality of writing. You start bashing out a sentence, then realize about half-way through that it’s not quite what you want — the phrasing or ideas are “off”, clichéd, flat, barbaric. So you instantly delete all but the first few words and rewrite, zipping back and forth and trying out various microexperiments in phrasing and conception. This is delightful and fun, and pretty much impossible if you can’t type fluidly.

Proponents of handwriting tend to romanticize the physicality of the pencil and paper, while failing to appreciate the rich physical and kinesthetic joys of the keyboard.

Good to see this argument for both/and rather than either/or.

The Joy of Typing

The Obstacle Is the Way

2014-06-22T20:33:13.000Z

I read Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way, at least to the point that I realized it’d be better to peck at it here and there, else the pile-on of stories and reminders would become tedious just chugging straight through. If you’ve been paying attention to Holiday’s must-subscribe reading newsletters, you’ll see many of those works and people and themes resurface here. I’ll keep it nearby to knock off a few more chapters as needed.

The Left Hand of Darkness

2014-06-22T13:23:51.000Z

I read Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness because it’s regarded as one of those high points in the scifi canon. It’s about an envoy on an ambisextrous planet, which is a great start. I wish the political intrigue hadn’t been derailed by a particular journey toward the end, but still enjoyed most of it.

Tumble Home

2014-06-20T23:33:10.000Z

I read Amy Hempel’s Tumble Home. The title novella didn’t do much for me, but the short stories were so crisp and weird and vivid. From page 21, one of my favorite images of the year: “the halved-apple faces of owls”. Short and sweet.

Edge of Tomorrow

2014-06-20T01:34:29.000Z

Edge of Tomorrow. THIS. This is the kind of genre action film we need. Superheroes can suck it. The best Cruise performance in a good while, and his character has a great arc from coward to competence (always likeable, though). I love the film’s learning curve, too. Just enough to string you along, while not weighing you down with unnecessary repetition. For 2014 releases, I have to put this up there with The Lego Movie and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Godzilla (2014)

2014-06-20T01:18:57.000Z

Godzilla (2014). This movie precisely met my expectations, which is kind of a treat in itself. I like how you end up rooting for the big guy. That said, I’m not sure I can describe how tired I am of seeing monsters roar at the screen. We’ve worn it out. The HALO jump scene is one of my favorites this year. Elizabeth Olsen is criminally under-featured. No good reason to waste all that talent, unless you’re also doing it with Watanabe, Binoche, Hawkins, Strathairn, Cranston… This movie is probably better overall, but Pacific Rim had better fightin’. I liked it.

Tony Gwynn's incredible numbers

2014-06-20T00:58:30.000Z

What does it mean to have piled up a .338 batting average over a 20-year career, over 9,288 at-bats? It means Tony Gwynn would have had to go 0-for-his-next-1,183 to get his average to fall under .300 (and even then, it would have “plummeted” to a mere .29997). We kid you not.

Lordy.

Tony Gwynn's incredible numbers

Submergence (review)

2014-06-16T03:12:53.000Z

I read J.M. Ledgard’s Submergence, and while I was hoping for something more plot-y, I came to enjoy its vignettiness, bopping between two characters and their lives with terrorists, hostages, deep ocean science, deep reminiscing.

June 16, 2014

2014-06-16T02:46:18.000Z

I read George Saunders’ Tenth of December. I enjoyed re-reading the story Home (actually, many of these are reprints from The New Yorker), but overall, didn’t enjoy it as much as some of his earlier books like Pastoralia and The Braindead Megaphone. Seems like these had a little more bite to them? Filed under: George Saunders.

Will the Real Introverts Please Stand Up? | Scientific American

2014-06-14T14:41:41.000Z

Good exploration of the misconceptions and what we know from research these days. Made me think of Daniel Pink again:

I’m an ambivert—more introverted than extroverted but with some extraordinarily well-developed faking skills.

Filed under: introverts. Will the Real Introverts Please Stand Up? | Scientific American

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief

2014-06-14T14:41:00.000Z

I read parts of the exhaustive Going Clear, but I didn’t finish it. (Trying to do a better job keeping up with quick book reviews these days, and I finally got talked into Goodreads.)

June 13, 2014

2014-06-13T01:51:35.000Z

heidisaman:

“The less money you take, the more freedom you have. I’ve never made a film where I don’t have final cut. And I can’t imagine doing that. That just seems like it would be turmoil. I edit because that’s where you learn how to direct, really. All the answers of what you should have done are in the editing. I miss out on being able to be in a conversation with someone, and I can see where that can be a really valuable thing—to have someone with more of a distance to be having a dialogue with. You write alone, and scouting is really lonely. Then you do this really intense thing with a lot of people. Afterwards, I usually feel like I want to hide away with my film again and go through the process of making sure that every possible thing has been tried. I’m a big believer in letting your film be bad for a while, and not trying to get to a good cut too quickly. I just want to be involved and I want that process, because it makes me think of what lens I should have used or what I should have done. It’s such a learning experience that I hate to miss out on it.”

— Kelly Reichardt on why she edits her own films

Still from Wendy and Lucy (2008, dir. Kelly Reichardt)

Emphasis my own. I love that.

Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste

2014-06-09T23:42:25.000Z

I read Carl Wilson’s Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste, and it’s probably my favorite book of the year so far. Like Wilson, I never cared that much for Céline Dion’s music, and hadn’t tried to care, but I came away with a new appreciation for where she came from and some of her shrewd business moves. But it’s not just about the music and industry angle, the good stuff is how he uses Dion as the pivot to talk about taste, and all the baggage that informs our opinions.

Much of this book is about reasonable people carting around cultural assumptions that make them assholes to millions of strangers.

So this is right in my wheelhouse, as taste and opinions are two of my favorite tags here. Some favorite parts… On pop criticism and critical reevaluation:

If critics were so wrong about disco in the 1970s, why not about Britney Spears now? Why did pop music have to get old before getting a fair shake?

And later, trying to fight your instincts and keep an open mind:

If guilty pleasures are out of date, perhaps the time has come to conceive of a guilty displeasure. This is not like the nagging regret I have about, say, never learning to like opera. My aversion to Dion more closely resembles how put off I feel when someone says they’re pro-life or a Republican: intellectually I’m aware how personal and complicated such affiliations can be, but my gut reactions are more crudely tribal.

On the acknowledged fakeness of shows like American Idol:

For all the show’s concentration on character and achievement, it is not about the kind of self-expression critics tend to praise as real. It celebrates […] “authentic inauthenticity”, the sense of showbiz known and enjoyed as a genuine fake, in a time when audiences are savvy enough to realize image-construction is an inevitability and just want it to be fun. “Authentic inauthenticity” is really just another way of saying “art”, but people caught up in romantic ideals still bristle to admit how much of creativity is being able to manipulate artifice.

On conformity of opinion:

The bias that “conformity” is a pejorative has led, I think, to underestimating the part mimesis - imitation - plays in taste. It’s always other people following crowds, whereas my own taste reflects my specialness.

On middlebrow:

Middle brow is the new lowbrow - mainstream taste the only taste for which you still have you say you’re sorry. And there, taste seems less an aesthetic question than, again, a social one: among the thousands of varieties of aesthetes and geeks and hobbyists, each with their special-ordered cultural diet, the abiding mystery of mainstream culture is, “Who the hell are those people?”

In a section that ties in the work of Pierre Bourdieu, a bit on class and the varieties of capital:

One of Bourdieu’s most striking notions is that there’s also an inherent antagonism between people in fields structured mainly by cultural capital and those in fields where there is primarily economic capital: while high-ranking artists and intellectuals are part of the dominant class in society thanks to their education and influence, they are a dominated segment of that class compared to actual rich people. This helps explain why so many artists, journalists and academics can see themselves as anti-establishment subversives while most of the public sees them as smug elitists.

I love this section on the double-standards about the emotional content of music, especially when it comes to things like sentimentality, tenderness, etc.

Cliché certainly might be an aesthetic flaw, but it’s not what sets sentimentality apart in pop music, or there wouldn’t be a primitive band every two years that’s hailed for bringing rock “back to basics”. Such double-standards arise everywhere for sentimental music: excess, formulaism, two-dimensionality can all be positives for music that is not gentle and conciliatory, but infuriated and rebellious. You could say punk rock is anger’s schmaltz.

In a section talking about all the ways we can love a song, a reminder:

You can only feel all these sorts of love if you’re uncowed by the questions of whether a song will stand the “test of time”, which implies that to pass away, to die, is to fail (and that taste is about making predictions). You can’t feel them if you’re looking for the one record you would take to a desert island, a scenario designed to strip the conviviality from the aesthetic imagination.

And another one:

When we do make judgements, though, the trick would be to remember that they are contingent, hailing from one small point in time and in society. It’s only a rough draft of art history: it always could be otherwise, and usually will be. The thrill is that as a rough draft, it is always up for revision, so we are constantly at risk of our minds being changed - the promise that lured us all to art in the first place.

While I’m wrapping up, I should mention two things those excerpts don’t capture well: 1) the long, smooth, winding essay feel, as it all snaps into place so nicely, and 2) a lot of fascinating detail on Céline Dion herself. She’s a pro. This book would pair really nicely with two other books I’ve loved: Highbrow/Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America, a sort of historical/sociological exploration of class and taste, and The Age of the Infovore, which runs with the idea of open-mindedness and how we’re all so damn lucky to have so much culture at our fingertips.

Dixie Zen :: Oxford American

2014-06-07T13:14:09.000Z

It’s hard to overemphasize the passivity of tubing. It is sloth ingeniously disguised as adventure. Though you are outside, you may as well be in your living room watching television.

Filed under: the South. Dixie Zen :: Oxford American

M: Roger Angell, A Hall-of-Famer at 93

2014-06-07T13:14:01.000Z

I don’t go for nostalgia. I try not to. It’s so easy to sentimentalize the good old days, but I don’t ever do that. I’m aware that things have changed, but I try not to go there. It’s very easy, and you get sort of a mental diabetes.

I also liked this:

If you do enough reporting, then you don’t have to gush about the emerald field, the white streak of the ball, and that.

M: Roger Angell, A Hall-of-Famer at 93

The Dark Knight Rises

2014-06-07T13:13:57.000Z

The Dark Knight Rises. I enjoyed it this time around more than the first time I watched it. Still uneven and exasperating at times.

The Interrogative Mood

2014-06-07T13:13:52.000Z

I read Padgett Powell’s The Interrogative Mood: A Novel?, which is one-of-a-kind. Easy to pick up and chew a few lines at a time, or just surf along the steady waves of questions. Here’s an idea of what you’re in for:

Is there enough time left? Does it matter that I did not specify for what? Was there ever enough time? Does the notion of “enough time” actually make any sense?

Or maybe this:

Have you ever watched bats come out of a wall? How the soft, friendly things keep pouring silently out of the brick? How they have focus, and mission, and you do not?

Not the most representative sample, but I’m not sure there is one. Good stuff. Thanks to Austin Kleon for the glowing recommendation.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

2014-06-06T01:18:00.000Z

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. I like the world they created, but felt like this one kind of ran out of steam. I take it as a good sign, though, that the games were the least interesting part.

So...

2014-06-06T01:02:40.000Z

Essentially, “So…” is the universal shorthand for, “I’ve given this a lot more thought than you have and will now proceed to refocus the conversation in a way that interests me and highlights my personal file card on this particular topic.”

Merlin Mann.

The New Face Of Literary Publishing In Dallas | Art&Seek

2014-06-06T01:02:35.000Z

My buddy Will Evans is starting a publishing house called Deep Vellum, and I’m so stoked. And now I remember one of the classic economic arguments for reading works in translation…

Tyler Cowen, the economist, advises readers to “snap up foreign fiction translated into English, if only because the selection pressures are so severe”: in order for a publisher to think a work of fiction worth the risk of translating and promoting to a foreign audience, its quality has on average to be higher than the average for homegrown work.

Or, as Colin Marshall puts it: “Snag the stuff that had to see hell to get to to you, no matter where you may be.”

The New Face Of Literary Publishing In Dallas | Art&Seek

Magic Hours

2014-06-06T01:02:29.000Z

I read Tom Bissell’s Magic Hours, a good collection of nonfiction. Just gonna pull out a few parts I really liked. On small towns:

In a small town, success is the simplest arithmetic there is. To achieve it, you leave – then subsequently bore your new big-city friends with accounts of your narrow escape.

Thinking about Stories We Tell last night reminded me of this, on documentaries:

Explanatory impotence is not unique to the documentary but in some ways is abetted by the form. Inimitably vivid yet brutally compressed, documentaries often treasure image over information, proffer complications instead of conclusions, and touch on rather than explore. When a documentary film […] charts the mysteries of human behavior, an inconclusive effect can be electrifying.

Along the same lines, later, on nonfiction…

In the end, great nonfiction writing does not necessarily require any accuracy greater than that of an honest and vividly rendered confusion.

Overall, I enjoyed most of it, but not nearly as much as I liked his more focused, and somewhat more personal book Extra Lives.

Stories We Tell

2014-06-05T02:21:55.000Z

Stories We Tell. Such an amazing movie. Great blend of the real and the invented, as memory is wont to be.

June 5, 2014

2014-06-05T01:11:21.000Z

The breakfast table by John Brack. I took a bunch of photos of the art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, but I think this was my favorite.

June 5, 2014

2014-06-05T01:04:40.000Z

Body my house
my horse my hound
what will I do
when you are fallen

Where will I sleep
How will I ride
What will I hunt

Where can I go
without my mount
all eager and quick
How will I know
in thicket ahead
is danger or treasure
when Body my good
bright dog is dead

How will it be
to lie in the sky
without roof or door
and wind for an eye

With cloud for shift
how will I hide?

May Swenson, “Question” (via malevichsquare)

I’ve come back to read this a dozen times.

Watching Details Move Through Time at Anrealage

2014-06-02T02:23:11.000Z

Anrealage, AW12, Tokyo.

In the same way that some of the Futurist artists used stuttering lines to indicate speed and movement, Japanese label Anrealage was able to give the impression of blurry human movements, seen as though captured through the passing of time for the Autumn-Winter 2012 collection.

At first some of the garments trick the viewer into believing the photos are out of focus, with exaggerated silhouettes enhanced using prints and patterns that blur on the edges. However the effect is created through carefully considered print placements and precise pattern cutting.

Read More

Blows my mind.

June 2, 2014

2014-06-02T01:54:37.000Z

Rivalries are born from teams that play each other a lot. When you’re not in the rivalry and you look back at it, you’re thinking, Well, I hated that guy because he would have made a great teammate.

Scot Pollard. Cf. Carolyn Hax: “Competitive people are most annoying to other competitive people.”

June 2, 2014

2014-06-02T01:51:31.000Z

The Last Word On Nothing | Guest Post: The Art (& Science) of Lefty Portraits.

Consider these simple line drawings of half-smiley, half-frowny faces. In a literal sense, each is equal parts sad and happy. But to most people the emotion on the left side of each face (from the viewer’s point of view) dominates, and determines the overall emotional tenor. There are a few reasons for this…

Lizzie Widdicombe: Could Soylent Replace Food? : The New Yorker

2014-05-15T11:42:41.000Z

With a bottle of Soylent on your desk, time stretches before you, featureless and a little sad. […] Soylent makes you realize how many daily indulgences we allow ourselves in the name of sustenance.

Lizzie Widdicombe: Could Soylent Replace Food? : The New Yorker

May 12, 2014

2014-05-12T23:19:09.000Z

Doubt is what drives me, the nervousness that I don’t have it anymore. There’s nothing a coach or anyone can say to me that’s more powerful than my own fear that I can’t do it anymore.

Shane Battier.

Under the Skin

2014-05-12T23:15:34.000Z

Under the Skin. Even now, a couple weeks later, I’m still not sure if I liked it or not. Which technically is a “yes”, I think. At the least, I appreciate that there’s nothing quite like it.

Demons Hate Fresh Air

2014-05-07T02:54:06.000Z

My father was a very disciplined and punctual man; it was a prerequisite for his creativity…. No matter what time you get out of bed, go for a walk and then work, he’d say, because the demons hate it when you get out of bed, demons hate fresh air.

Linn Ullmann talking about her father Ingmar Bergman. Via Matt Thomas.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2

2014-05-07T02:51:27.000Z

Kill Bill: Vol. 2. The lesser of the two Bills, I say, because there’s so much more talk-talk-talk. It’s thoughtfully done, but I just like the more action-y first one.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1

2014-05-07T02:51:22.000Z

Kill Bill: Vol. 1. The better of the two Bills. Kind of exhausting at times, being submerged in a fanatic’s imagination and obsessions for two hours, but it’s good goofy fun.

La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast), 1946

2014-05-04T20:48:06.000Z

La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast). So creepy and strange and fantastical. Props (so to speak) to the set and costume design and clever special effects.

Frozen

2014-05-04T20:18:36.000Z

Frozen. Sorry not sorry: that famous song isn’t very good – and especially not in comparison to “In Summer”. Good movie overall, though. The state of animation today just blows my mind.

May 4, 2014

2014-05-04T19:52:08.000Z

“James Naismith in 1928, holding a peach basket for his wife, Maude, to make a shot.”

Days of Future Present

2014-05-04T19:49:02.000Z

Blessed with 20/20 hindsight, we’re now able to look back on a given era’s “future” and glean some of what was percolating through the collective unconscious.

Days of Future Present

May 1, 2014

2014-05-01T04:05:14.000Z

Please Don’t Push Me - David Smith.

I haven’t even seen your app yet!

May 1, 2014

2014-05-01T04:02:51.000Z

austinkleon:

my new favorite thing

This is the best thing online.

April 27, 2014

2014-04-27T22:04:26.000Z

fuckyeahdirectors:

Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood on-set of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia (review)

2014-04-25T01:21:33.000Z

If Tyler Cowen, Austin Kleon, and Ben Casnocha all recommend a book, I don't really need another nudge. I loooooooved Mohsin Hamid's How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. Two structural things you don't see very often in fiction: it's written in the second person, and the novel's chapter titles and general format are plays on the self-help genre ("Move to the City", "Get an Education", "Don't Fall in Love"). In the story, the protagonist (uh..."you") is a third-world scrub who gradually climbs his way up the social ladder. I really appreciated the perspective on economics and daily life in a world that that's not all that familiar. Some favorite parts:

You read a self-help book so someone who isn't yourself can help you, that someone being the author.

Some understated humor on receiving bad news:

You take this news as well as possible, which is to say you do not die.

So much awesome imagery and color in this one. As in this classroom scene, where students look on as one of their classmates gets on the wrong side of their teacher:

They watch in horrified fascination, like seals on a rock observing a great white breaching beneath one of their own, just a short swim away.

On becoming a parent:

Fatherhood has taught you the lesson that, even in middle age, love is practicable. It is possible to adore those newly come into your world, to envision, no matter how late in the day, a happily entwined future with those who have not been part of your past.

On books:

Writers and readers seek a solution to the the problem that time passes, that those of us who have gone are gone and those who will go, which is to say every one of us, will go. For there was a moment when anything was possible. And there will be a moment when nothing is possible. But in between we can create.

On taking out a business loan:

With borrowed funds, a business can invest, gain leverage, and leverage is a pair of wings. Leverage is flight. Leverage is a way for small to be big and big to be huge, a glorious abstraction, the promise of tomorrow today, yes, a liberation from time, the resounding triumph of human will over dreary, chronology-shackled physical reality.

That passage hints at what's particularly hard to capture: the restless energy in this book. It just keeps coming and coming, so much invention, and it's so fun to read. I wouldn't be surprised if I reread this one soon.

April 24, 2014

2014-04-24T00:40:42.000Z

thedissolve:

“Comedy thrives inside a fixed frame. It’s not an essential element, but as with dancing and magic tricks, it’s always more impressive if the viewer can see the performer’s hands and feet at all times. In Sherlock, Jr, Keaton moves the camera when he has to, during all of the movie’s crazy chases. But even then, the motion is limited: Keaton tracks alongside the actors, or he attaches the camera to the front of one of the moving vehicles so that he can keep all the action inside the rectangle.Sherlock, Jr. is at its funniest, though, when the camera stays still, and the characters move in and out, like figures in a side-scrolling platform videogame. Maybe that’s because the fixed frame emphasizes the characters as characters, arriving into the picture exactly when needed for the plot—and sometimes remaining stuck there, like the projectionist, never confident that he can find a way to break out of the box.”

Noel Murray kicks off our Movie Of The Week discussion of the 1924 classic Sherlock, Jr. with an examination of how Buster Keaton’s physical comedy thrived in a fixed environment of boxes and lines. [Read more…]

Buster Keaton insta-reblog rule in effect.

Carolyn Hax: Weddings bring out the worst in an unmarried couple - The Washington Post

2014-04-22T00:31:02.000Z

Plus, I wonder whether you’ve actually just talked about it in a non-charged setting and, if you have, why one or both of you isn’t accepting the outcome of that talk as your current reality. “Fighting” is really just a nickname for an attempt to renegotiate what you already know is the truth but don’t want to accept.

Oh, snap. Carolyn Hax bringin’ some real talk. Carolyn Hax: Weddings bring out the worst in an unmarried couple - The Washington Post

This column will change your life: stop being busy

2014-04-21T16:29:21.000Z

There’s only one viable time management approach left (and even that’s only really an option for the better-off). Step one: identify what seem to be, right now, the most meaningful ways to spend your life. Step two: schedule time for those things. There is no step three.

This column will change your life: stop being busy

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction (review)

2014-04-20T16:58:03.000Z

“One dominant, overarching, nearly definitive principle for reading: Read at Whim.”

Somewhere around Christmastime I fell into a massive reading rut. What I was reading was no fun, and there was nothing better out there, and there never would be. Everything was in ruins. Then I read this book. And for the past couple months, I've been on one of those glorious hot streaks where just about everything I've read has been fun, and the stuff that wasn't I dropped without second thought. Coincidence? I have to give some credit to leaving behind the cold, dark, depressing winter, and stepping into the golden light of springtime... but Alan Jacobs' The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction definitely deserves some credit, too. I like the tone of this one. It's like your at a smart friend's house, and he's reclining in a chair and talking at length. Some favorite parts... In an awesome footnote, relating to the "gateway drug" theory of lowbrow reading eventually leading to "better" books, an excerpt from Alex Rose:

“The only conceivable value of trashy books is the dubious but not unthinkable possibility that they might go some of the way towards engendering in young people a love of reading as an end in-itself, which in turn might whet the appetite for better books. For many, that’s the only way in. They’ll read Sweet Valley High or Twilight at thirteen, lose their taste for it by fourteen and demand something richer and more challenging at sixteen. Or so the thinking goes. If the argument applies to one form of entertainment, though, it should apply to all. Why is it that when kids become enraptured by some idiotic program, no one says, “well, at least they’re watching TV?””

In hindsight, this is obvious, but it's a really good, liberating reminder:

“If I set a book aside today I am not thereby forbidding myself to return to it later—nor am I promising to do so. To everything there is a season, and, by corollary, everything is sometimes *out* of season.”

Timing is everything. And along the same lines of releasing the pressure on yourself, we're reminded that "Many books become more boring the faster you read them" and that "All books want our attention, but not all of them want the same kind of attention." I also liked this excerpt from Auden about thinking about how we evaluate the stuff we read:

““For an adult reader, the possible verdicts are five: I can see this is good and I like it; I can see this is good but I don’t like it; I can see this is good, and, though at present I don’t like it, I believe with perserverance I shall come to like it; I can see that this is trash but I like it; I can see that this is trash and I don’t like it.””

If you find yourself in a reading rut, maybe this one will help you get out, too. Recommended.

Third Class Superhero (review)

2014-04-20T16:58:03.000Z

This is a pretty fun collection. Charles Yu's Third Class Superhero has some good light scifi/speculative influences, along with a George Saunders-ian blend of dark but sympathetic takes on modern everyday life (cf. "the Capitalized Phrases, offering entry into an Exclusive Club for People Who Get It"). It's fatalistic, but still curious. Goofiness pops up in the title story (read an extended excerpt):

“Every morning, when I open my eyes, I think the same four thoughts: 1) I am not a superhero. 2) I have to go to work. 3) If I didn’t have to work, I could be a superhero. 4) If I were a superhero, I wouldn’t have to work.”

Ladies and gentlemen, Moisture Man. One of my favorite stories was "401(k)", which has a tongue-in-cheek exploration of the treadmill of consumer society and life's template.

“The Realtor is showing us our dreams. “Private, affordable, midrange,” he says. I never thought I’d have midrange dreams.”

And later in the same story, a sequence on aging:

“The thirties and forties. The long run. The lifelong conversation. Somewhere in here we’ll get incredibly lost, wander around in the desert, and get spit out on the other side of fifty-nine and a half, into the land of penalty-free-IRA-withdrawal, looking around like we just popped out of a quarter-century fun-park water slide tube, thinking, Where am I, how did I get here, can I do it again?”

Maybe my favorite bit in the whole book, a poke at how we think about travel:

“We plan a vacation. We want to see the Other. The travel agent sends us literature, glossies, video brochures. We choose a package deal with Authentic ExperiencesTM****. According to the brochure, there are five kinds of Experience: Urban, Rural, Semirural, Ethnic, and Ethnic with Danger. Standard Endangerment is Mild or Implied, but those in the know understand they may inquire discreetly about Actual Hazard—e.g., I’ve heard there might be something more?...”

This kind of writing – where skills of observation meet clever exaggeration – is just so fun:

“Five-year-olds are playing soccer nearby. More specifically, they are viciously kicking one another in the shins while a soccer ball sits unharmed in the vicinity.”

My other favorite story is probably "32.05864991%", which explores "why men are such terrible emotional statisticians", and the existing of two different Englishes – "the language of the wanted and the language of the one doing the wanting.", and what exactly "maybe" means. I love this bit that touches on nervousness and superstition:

“He has two shirts left in the current dry-cleaning cycle and a pile of shirts on the floor and a pair of brand-new slacks with the tag still on that he doesn’t want to touch for fear that any deviations from his normal routine will affect something that happens during the day and turn “maybe” into “no.” In order to avoid disturbing whatever tension lines of cause and effect may be between him and Janine, he has to minimize perturbations in the system and allow chance to take him where it will.”

Good stuff.

April 19, 2014

2014-04-19T17:31:38.000Z

Cf. It’s okay to not like things.

In Defense of the Expert Review | Balder and Dash | Roger Ebert

2014-04-19T17:31:33.000Z

When scientific experts criticize “Gravity” for failing to display an academic-level understanding of the laws of nature, they are missing the point. Nobody goes to “Gravity” for a physics lesson; they go to be entertained. But there are times when a fact-check of a film can provide necessary context and, especially if the film is based on true events, illuminate not just how a narrative deviates from the truth but why it does. At their best, expert reviews can even illuminate deeper truths, like how reality is an often unintended casualty of pop culture. Since mainstream movies only show us what we want to be true—almost by definition, a film that sells tens of millions of tickets does not challenge any widely-held perspectives—movie fact-checkers can show why a certain film felt the need to diverge from reality to tell a satisfying story.

In Defense of the Expert Review | Balder and Dash | Roger Ebert

April 19, 2014

2014-04-19T17:29:24.000Z

Just How Bad Were the ‘Bad Boys’? | FiveThirtyEight.

The Avengers

2014-04-06T20:00:02.000Z

The Avengers. The basic plot mechanics are a bit tired, but I am not ashamed to admit how satisfying it is to see the whole gang together after seeing others in the Marvel series. A couple neat camera moments (Cap in the rearview and a POV shot that flips along with the car it’s inside of). Nothing quite like the joy/terror of Hulk being Hulk. I really wish Renner had more to work with.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

2014-04-06T20:00:00.000Z

Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I had so much fun. Good action movies make you want to do the things you see on screen. Iron Man is fun to watch, but I don’t feel like I want to fly around and shoot beams out of my hands. But this? Yeah, I want to hold up a shield and run through locked doors. The First Avenger is still my favorite of the Marvel movies, but this is a nice elaboration and keeps the good drama/humor balance. Such a great character, becoming more suspicious, more wary of what he’s asked to do.

Michael Clayton

2014-04-06T19:59:00.000Z

Michael Clayton. I love this movie. (Previously.) Clooney has the lead role, but Wilkinson (incredible) and Swinton bring in the color and the contrast - each of the three responding to the ongoing toll of their work. Other good slow-burning corporate conspiracy mood movies? Gotta check out Arbitrage and The Conversation.

아저씨 (The Man from Nowhere)

2014-04-06T19:59:00.000Z

아저씨 (The Man from Nowhere). Another abduction/rescue movie in the spirit of Taken or Commando, but it plays with the pace quite a bit more. Surprised both by how dark/graphic it was, and by its melodrama (colorful, sunny flashbacks). I like the use of first-person POV in some of the action scenes. Oldboy has some similar driven/relentless/remorseless violence. I also liked Won Bin in Mother.

Deadfall

2014-04-06T18:38:33.000Z

Deadfall. There’s some good northern winter noir here and there, but it’s not consistent. I wonder if a different, shorter edit would have worked better for me. The Place Beyond the Pines is a better exploration of family relationships + law enforcement. The Grey is a better snowbound film where the odds are stacked from the beginning. I should re-watch both of those.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

2014-04-06T18:38:23.000Z

The Grand Budapest Hotel. I dig it. It’s got the usual fussy-awesome art direction and some technically interesting camera stuff, but what I really liked here: a good heart. Didn’t have much of the rooted dysfunction or cynicism or weariness that made some of his previous movies kind of a drag for me at times. I think I’ll call this my favorite of the Wes Anderson movies I’ve seen.

Kickboxer

2014-04-06T18:38:00.000Z

Kickboxer. Another childhood favorite revisited. This has not aged well. If you need ‘80s Van Damme, you will be much, much happier with Bloodsport. This one does have that classic dance scene, though.

April 6, 2014

2014-04-06T17:35:31.000Z

Interesting villain-in-prison cliché to see popping up recently. Practical for shooting movies (nothing blocking your view), but then again, these days you can put a camera anywhere. Pairs nicely with a more paranoid, surveillance-oriented approach to war and policing. Can’t fight what you can’t constantly observe, or so they say.

The Great Discontent: Austin Kleon

2014-04-06T17:35:00.000Z

On the “velvet rut”:

It’s real, and it’s easy to get stuck in it. You start to think, “I’ve got my breakfast tacos, my sunshine, my BBQ, and my food trucks. I’m just going to sit here and do my thing.”

The Great Discontent: Austin Kleon

April 5, 2014

2014-04-05T13:51:18.000Z

One of my general rules is, if you’re on the fence about a movie/TV show/etc and you mull it over for a week, you liked it.

Matt Zoller Seitz. Also applies to books, concerts, paintings…. people?

April 5, 2014

2014-04-05T13:18:12.000Z

http://mlarson.tumblr.com/post/81773559834/audio_player_iframe/mlarson/tumblr_mwufvoBmWP1qld2xe?audio_file=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tumblr.com%2Faudio_file%2Fmlarson%2F81773559834%2Ftumblr_mwufvoBmWP1qld2xe

lacienegasmiled:

Demo of Beat It composed using only Michael Jackson’s voice

As Jackson couldn’t fluently play any instruments, he would sing and beatbox out how he wanted his songs to sound by himself on tape, layering the vocals, harmonies and rhythm before having instrumentalists come in to complete the songs.

One of his engineers Robmix on how Jackson worked: “One morning MJ came in with a new song he had written overnight. We called in a guitar player, and Michael sang every note of every chord to him. “here’s the first chord first note, second note, third note. Here’s the second chord first note, second note, third note”, etc., etc. We then witnessed him giving the most heartfelt and profound vocal performance, live in the control room through an SM57. He would sing us an entire string arrangement, every part. Steve Porcaro once told me he witnessed MJ doing that with the string section in the room. Had it all in his head, harmony and everything. Not just little eight bar loop ideas. he would actually sing the entire arrangement into a micro-cassette recorder complete with stops and fills.”

Reasons why I laugh when people say he wasn’t a real musician.

Dang. Dude was good.

Zen Pulp

2014-03-31T03:13:21.000Z

Zen Pulp, by Matt Zoller Seitz - Moving Image Source. I was trolling the web, looking for some more stuff to read about Michael Mann’s work (as one does), and came across this great five-part video+essay series from @mattzollerseitz. If you’ve already seen his series on Wes Anderson, then you already know it’s good. If you haven’t, then watch that, too.

#trainstagram

2014-03-29T19:03:04.000Z

The first time I instagrammed a container car, it was because I was waiting on my commuter train to show up, and I was bored to death.

(click for superfluous historical facts!)

The second time, I was curious about the word "Maersk".

(click again!)

The third time… yeah, in all honesty, I was just kinda trolling my friends.

(etc!)

But at least a handful of other folks saw the same appeal. I kept seeing the containers, and the each time I did a little more on-the-spot research, I learned how old and/or humongous these companies are.

Kinda cool that there's a whole other part of the economy that's just been chugging along, making the rest of it work a little more smoothly.

And there's the novelty, like birding. I've seen, in passing, a bunch of other containers that I haven't snapped or read about yet.

It's not sexy at all, but there's something compelling here. Some things are born interesting. Some things, given time or attention, become interesting.

The Sisters Brothers (review)

2014-03-29T18:57:22.000Z

Who do you know that has faith in you?

Within the first 40 or 45 pages of The Sisters Brothers there's a lethal spider bite, tough mercenaries marveling at the wonders of a toothbrush, a gyspy-witch, and a bear attack. The next 250 are just about as strong. It's splendid.

The two lead characters--who aren't really good people, by the way--are brothers, and there were plenty of family dynamics here that made me think of my own ("Our blood is the same, we just use it differently."). And our narrator is smart and self-aware, and is constantly tossing out little observations and musings, like:

I could not sleep without proper covering and instead spent the night rewriting lost arguments from my past, altering history so that I emerged victorious.

And here, on booze:

When a man is properly drunk it is as though he is in a room by himself.

And here, on making a bozo move when he's trying to get his flirt on:

My chest swelled like an aching bruise and I thought, I am a perfect ass.

And here, on waking up:

I thought, Why did I bring up God so soon after waking?

Funny, thoughtful, twisted, must-read. Thanks to Austin for the suggestion!

Zodiac

2014-03-28T00:19:49.000Z

Zodiac. A serial killer is the impetus, but the theme is obsession. So good. If only all directors could use their minutes this well.

March 27, 2014

2014-03-27T03:56:18.000Z

Observations on film art : THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL: Wes Anderson takes the 4:3 challenge.

In Grand Budapest Hotel we move from the present, more or less, to events in the 1980s, then the 1960s, and eventually the 1930s, which constitute the central episodes. Anderson has shot the frame stories in different aspect ratios. It’s 1.85 for the near present and the 1980s, when the Author recounts meeting the hotel owner. That meeting, set in the 1960s, is shown in 2.40, the anamorphic aspect ratio. The central story, taking place in the 1930s, is presented in classic 1.37, or 4:3 imagery. With typical Anderson butterfly-collector wit, each era gets a ratio that could have been used in a movie at the time. It’s remarkable that Anderson could persuade Fox Searchlight to let him do this, but it’s also a gift of digital projection: This play with ratios wouldn’t have been possible on film.

I knew something was up, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

Structure

2014-03-27T03:50:56.000Z

Almost always there is considerable tension between chronology and theme, and chronology traditionally wins. The narrative wants to move from point to point through time, while topics that have arisen now and again across someone’s life cry out to be collected.

Filed under: John McPhee. Structure

Pitfall

2014-03-27T03:49:03.000Z

Pitfall. Aw, man. I watched this at the end of last month, so now everything is out of order. Anyway, really dug this one. A guy does some really dumb things while on the job, and the universe exacts its toll. Raymond Burr is so awesome - always loved him since watching Perry Mason as a kid. Reminds me of a portly cross between Kirk Douglas and Philip Seymour Hoffman. What a perfect weaselly creepy charmer.

“Divergent” and “Hunger Games” as capitalist agitprop

2014-03-27T03:48:45.000Z

Let’s pause for a moment, in fact, to notice that this kind of story almost always imagines a future world that’s far simpler than the one we currently live in, one in which all the stuff and clutter of our lives – the screens, the gizmos, the cars, the noise – has evaporated. As David Mamet once put it, every fear hides a wish.

“Divergent” and “Hunger Games” as capitalist agitprop

Frank Chimero - Three Things to Say

2014-03-20T19:19:13.000Z

A person can only have so much expertise, but if you can sell your ignorance and ability to root out answers, you’ll be employable forever, understood frequently, and relatable always.

Frank Chimero - Three Things to Say

The Parallax View

2014-03-20T19:19:08.000Z

The Parallax View. I really loved some of the camerawork and staging and general style, but I just didn’t care. Something about Beatty(’s character) just didn’t click for me. So in general, I’d say skip this one. Actually, do watch the watch the amazing montage/brainwashing scene. And then go watch the superior Three Days of the Condor.

The Broken Circle Breakdown

2014-03-20T19:19:04.000Z

The Broken Circle Breakdown. Heartbreaking. Cf. my thoughts on Blue Valentine. More like Bluegrass Valentine, amirite? Our relationships hinge on our ability to adapt not just to change itself, but also to how we accept/support/deny/undermine the effect on those we care about. I was pleasantly surprised by how much of this movie revolved around parenthood as much as romance. I was hoping for a bit more music. Took a quote-unquote “European” turn for a bit at the end.

March 19, 2014

2014-03-19T14:19:51.000Z

Percentage wise, it is 100% easier not to do things than to do them, and so much fun not to do them—especially when you were supposed to do them. In terms of instant relief, canceling plans is like heroin.

John Mulaney.

March 19, 2014

2014-03-19T03:16:30.000Z

No one wants advice—only corroboration.

John Steinbeck.

State of Play

2014-03-19T03:16:15.000Z

State of Play. A bit a too complicated for its own good, but it’s still fun.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2014-03-19T03:16:09.000Z

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I still like it. Such a nice change of pace, embodied in Oldman’s lead role. Patient, cautious, taciturn, deliberate. (Previously.)

March 15, 2014

2014-03-15T13:16:39.000Z

filmprojections:

Beginners (2010)

I have to re-watch this soon.

Hating Bourbon Street - Places: Design Observer

2014-03-13T14:46:21.000Z

Authenticity is seductive; we embrace it because it makes us feel exclusive. Hating Bourbon Street has valuable social currency, and it’s an easy step toward assuming co-ownership of “real” New Orleans culture. But declaring something to be inauthentic positions the critic in the dubious position of arbitrating reality. […] Worse, inauthenticity rests on the troubling supposition that not all human beings or human endeavors contribute equally to this thing we call culture.

Hating Bourbon Street - Places: Design Observer

March 13, 2014

2014-03-13T14:46:16.000Z

atlurbanist:

Eyes that have seen a lot of stuff in Downtown Atlanta. From the Eiseman Building to the Five Points MARTA station.

Three Days of the Condor

2014-03-12T02:44:39.000Z

Three Days of the Condor. Dang, this movie is so fun. There aren’t many spy films with such appeal to your daydream fantasy fulfillment side, that seem almost within reach. The protagonist here? Just a dork with a day job that mainly involves reading about espionage - news, novels, magazines - and reporting on new ideas. BUT then he becomes the object of various gun-related machinations, and now he’s got to think his way out. There’s some strange sexual politics and some really good writing and some refreshing characterization. Redford and Dunaway are great. It took me a second to figure out why Max von Sydow looked familiar. Worth checking out.

Frank Chimero – This One's for Me

2014-03-12T02:44:29.000Z

In light of all our focus on “progress,” it’s easy to forget that you can turn around from traveling in a wrong direction, and return to the place where things last felt right—whether that’s for something as trivial as what I’m trying to do with my goofy website, or as monumental as restructuring your identity, ambition, and emotional furnishings to match the last time you felt like yourself. You can go back. Sometimes that’s progress.

Frank Chimero – This One's for Me

March 12, 2014

2014-03-12T02:44:13.000Z

heidisaman:

“I get that same queasy, nervous, thrilling feeling every time I go to work. That’s never worn off since I was 12 years-old with my dad’s 8-millimeter movie camera. The thrill hasn’t changed at all. In fact, as I’ve gotten older, it’s actually increased, because now I appreciate the collaboration. When I was a kid, there was no collaboration, it’s you with a camera bossing your friends around. But as an adult, filmmaking is all about appreciating the talents of the people you surround yourself with and knowing you could never have made any of these films by yourself. My job was constantly to keep a movie family going.”

— Steven Spielberg

NBA Rebuilding the Highlight Factory - ESPN

2014-03-12T02:36:23.000Z

Atlanta is a sports town, just not one that resembles other major league cities. To understand Atlanta’s relationship with the Hawks, it’s necessary to understand that the common cultural heritage of the metropolitan area tends toward living in the suburbs and the tribalism of college football. To believe Atlanta is not a good sports town, it’s necessary to believe college football is not a sport.

NBA Rebuilding the Highlight Factory - ESPN

Ran

2014-03-12T02:34:53.000Z

Ran. Very satisfying. I still have a lot of Kurosawa left to see. Previously: Throne of Blood; Rashomon.

March 11, 2014

2014-03-11T03:17:58.000Z

gotemcoach:

Timmy with a major league slurve.

I’ve watched this loop at least 60-70 times.

March 11, 2014

2014-03-11T03:17:52.000Z

Concealing what is shameful to you will never lead to anything of value.

Karl Ove Knausgård. Oh, Karl Ove. He would say that. (My Struggle is good. Book 2 is still a few months away.)

Whole Foods: America’s Temple of Pseudoscience

2014-03-11T03:17:44.000Z

We often have it stuck in our heads that science communicators have only failed to speak to the religious right. But while issues of science-and-society are always tied up, in some ways, with politics, they’re not bound to any particular part of the spectrum.

Whole Foods: America’s Temple of Pseudoscience

March 11, 2014

2014-03-11T03:17:18.000Z

Million Dollar Baby. I’ve had this near the top of my Eastwood rankings for a while, but I started to wonder if I was due for a reevaluation. It’s good, but I think memory rounded off some of the rough edges. Rankings are getting a bit absurd, but I think you can safely say that numbers 1-4 are in the must-see tier, 5-8 are worthwhile, 9-11 you can safely skip, while only 12 is what I’d call straight-up bad.

February 28, 2014

2014-02-28T00:53:36.000Z

Why Hollywood Will Never Look the Same Again on Film: LEDs Hit the Streets of LA & NY « No Film School.

In a sense, every night exterior LA-shot film previous to this change is rendered a sort of anthropological artifact, an historical document of obsolete urban infrastructure.

Now I want to give Collateral another shot.

The Lego Movie

2014-02-24T14:14:03.000Z

The Lego Movie. I had heard that this was better than you’d think, but it was still so wildly beyond my expectations. (My first reaction might still hold. I’ll need to mull it over a it more.) The story is pretty straightforward, but they build in a lot of good meta-movie/genre tropes and the sense of humor was right up my alley (both the wit and the dumb gags). And it’s gorgeous. The verrrrry very end doesn’t quite work for me, but geez. What a treat.

February 23, 2014

2014-02-23T15:53:55.000Z

Life is a game. This is your strategy guide.

February 23, 2014

2014-02-23T15:53:49.000Z

The Risks Worth Taking - Austin Kleon.

Believe me, when I quit my day job almost two years ago, it was not an act of bravery, and if it was a risk, it was an extremely calculated one.

Skyfall

2014-02-23T15:53:43.000Z

Skyfall. Uhhh… I fell asleep. There’s some good location porn though. Word on the street is Quantum of Solace is the worst one? Haven’t seen it, but I’m skeptical. I guess Bond in general just isn’t my thing. Casino Royale was pretty good, though.

The Bling Ring

2014-02-23T15:53:37.000Z

The Bling Ring. It’s not amazing (characterization is pretty weak (but it doesn’t seem to be trying (but maybe it would help?))), but it does have an addictive energy to it. There’s one burglary that’s caught in a one-take long shot that’s just perfect. I need to catch up on Sofia Coppola’s other stuff. The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation are pretty brilliant.

February 22, 2014

2014-02-22T15:52:15.000Z

2013 Double Feature: Her / Don Jon / The Dissolve.

Samantha and Barbara are idealized, objectified versions of women based on the main characters’ tastes. In Don Jon, Gordon-Levitt’s Jon repeatedly calls Barbara the most perfect thing—note the “thing”—he’s ever seen, an evaluation based primarily on her physical resemblance to the women in the pornography he spends hours watching each day. In Her, Samantha is literally the ideal woman for Joaquin Phoenix’s sad-sack Theodore Twombly, an intuitive piece of technology that adapts to him, without him even realizing she’s doing it. She’s everything he wants, without him having to say, or even understand, what he wants.

Armageddon

2014-02-22T15:51:56.000Z

Armageddon. Ebert summarized it correctly (“Here it is at last, the first 150-minute trailer.”), but I enjoyed it more than he did. Some terrible writing and comedy hasn’t aged well, but the melodrama and spectacle holds up. I’d totally forgotten about the hyper-idealized middle-America nostalgia in there.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: The End of Quitting

2014-02-22T14:43:03.000Z

He knew the habit wasn’t worth it. The inevitable consequences had long resonated, I’m sure. But the culture that says that such remembering, taken one day at a time, is the key to recovery is the culture that drives so many — even those who have sought help in the past — to die in the shadows. It’s just too embarrassing to admit you did it anyway. Again.

There are limits to empathy. Every addict lives in fear of reaching them.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: The End of Quitting

Angry Robot: Not about online photo storage really

2014-02-22T14:41:37.000Z

As Ramanan said, “some proper-ass blogging right here”.

Angry Robot: Not about online photo storage really

Возвращение (The Return)

2014-01-28T03:32:31.000Z

Возвращение (The Return). First of all: just a ridiculously gorgeous and beautifully shot movie. I dig the desaturated blue-grey metallic finish to the whole thing. You can take the story as presented and see a good, moody, thoughtful mystery unfold… or you can put on your analytical hat and pull out plenty of theological/mythical/psychological/allegorical stuff. Either way, you win. Really enjoyed seeing a few scenes/shots mirrored at later points (a moment in bed is reprised in the rowboat; compare a shot of the brothers on the boat trip out with the one on the way back; etc.) If you’re looking for another amazing movie that revolves around two boys, mysterious boats, and a mysterious man, you have to see Mud.

Cameras as a Means to Create Long-form Photography

2014-01-26T17:19:25.000Z

In the same way that mobile has enabled us to share our thoughts quickly in short-form, the smartphone camera has made it easy to quickly share a short-form image.

Clunkiness of the phrase aside, I like what he’s getting at here.

Cameras as a Means to Create Long-form Photography

Stanford Man: Richard Sherman and the Thug Athlete Narrative «

2014-01-26T17:18:31.000Z

And while the intentions were good, and helped shift some of the conversation about him back in his favor, it shouldn’t be a primary argument when given the all-too-common task of proving someone isn’t a thug. If anything, it’s harmful logic. Because the next Richard Sherman may not have attended Stanford. So what then?

Stanford Man: Richard Sherman and the Thug Athlete Narrative «

The Hunter

2014-01-22T03:05:09.000Z

The Hunter. Dang, I love this movie. (Previously.)

Her

2014-01-22T02:38:47.000Z

Her. I still like it! (Previously.)

January 21, 2014

2014-01-21T13:48:05.000Z

Never try to look cool and learn something at the same time. You must have an awkward phase.

Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Kanye West

2014-01-21T04:51:19.000Z

I was a music producer, and everyone was telling me that I had no business becoming a rapper, so it gave me the opportunity to tell everyone, “Hey, I need some time to recover.” But during that recovery period, I just spent all my time honing my craft and making The College Dropout. Without that period, there would have been so many phone calls and so many people putting pressure on me from every direction—so many people I somehow owed something to—and I would have never had the time to do what I wanted to.

Kanye West

Jack Reacher

2014-01-20T01:59:22.000Z

Jack Reacher. Pulpy, ridiculous, and just barely passable thriller. Tom Cruise, though. I love how pretty much every female in the movie starts drooling whenever he passes by. He’s a pretty remorseless “hero”, but interesting to see him enact a very personal brand/blend of justice and opportunism.

Learning to Measure Time in Love and Loss

2014-01-20T01:46:52.000Z

Learning to Measure Time in Love and Loss

Her

2014-01-14T03:20:00.000Z

Her. I expected to love it, I did, and I still was pleasantly surprised with some of the mordant humans-are-screwed humor and the science-fiction-y, speculative thoughtfulness. It’s pretty wonderful. Shout-out to movies that rely on conversation and subtle music. Also neat to see a movie set in the comfortable future - nothing crazy here, just a few plausible tweaks that have had some time to settle in. Some of the writing and face-acting didn’t work for me, but for ideas and smarts, I will forgive many things. Also, seeing Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams on screen together again made me want to re-watch The Master.

The Wolf of Wall Street

2014-01-14T03:10:01.000Z

The Wolf of Wall Street. If Scorsese has any one gift, it is making a scene longer than it needs to be, and somehow not ruining it. If he has a second gift, it’s all the filmic energy that he gets out of moving a camera. Repulsive behavior has rarely been so much fun. Much better than Wall Street. Spring Breakers is another good debauched horror story.

American Hustle

2014-01-14T03:00:04.000Z

American Hustle. Disappointed with the ending, but that’s heist movies for ya. I should note that most of my disappointment was because most of the movie has such an enjoyable, playful ambiguity to it. You spend so much time on your toes, wondering what these folks are really up to, because there’s no real obvious villain or goal, and then it all wraps up too neatly for my taste. But Amy Adams is so good, the sets and stuff are a trip, and there’s some fun visual gags in there. I’d also recommend David O. Russell’s Three Kings, which has a lot of the same energy and restlessness.

Arbitrage

2014-01-14T02:53:00.000Z

Arbitrage. Throws you in the middle and lets you figure out the details, as you watch a dude try to keep his composure while bullshitting his way through a very bad week. If you like this, you may also like Michael Clayton (I do), which is similar in its cool, polished tone - dig the soundtrack.

Miami Vice

2014-01-14T02:47:00.000Z

Miami Vice. This second time around, I was more struck with 1) the noir-iness of the whole thing, and 2) the emphasis on non-verbal communication (gesture, expression, eye contact exchanges, posture, observation & reaction) instead of dialogue. It’s pretty compact storytelling. My first review - I might bump it to number 4 or 5 in my Michael Mann rankings now. Roderick Heath’s review is a must-read.

I Started a Joke: "PBR&B" and What Genres Mean Now | Pitchfork

2014-01-07T03:56:28.000Z

This is what genres do really well, for good and for ill: They make large amounts of music easier to talk about (and, by extension, sell). Most often, genres do not stand up to scrutiny, yet they’re a fundamental part not only of music discussions online and off, but of any conversations we have about culture more generally. Particularly with the infinite online options for music access and conversation, pithy and memorable genre names can make it easier (if not necessarily accurate) to classify, discuss, and compare music. Genres arise out of tastes, and are often institutionalized (I wrote about one such example here), though online there’s infinitely more space to create, market, sort and search by micro-genres. (Remember “witch house”?) People have lengthy, years-long arguments using genres as combatants. If nothing else, genres make music easier to fight about.

I Started a Joke: "PBR&B" and What Genres Mean Now | Pitchfork

What I Discovered on My Flash Drive

2014-01-07T03:53:57.000Z

I really like the whole mood and vibe of this review. A smart writer who’s not super-invested in the industry or the product in general, but still curious and open-minded, talking about a new-to-them thing.

I pulled the car — it resembles a growling alien insect — into her high school’s parking lot, and I half-accidentally revved the engine as I came into view. The resulting snort of sound made six dozen pairs of eyeballs swivel in our direction. The only way I can describe this blast is to borrow a phrase from the rock critic Lester Bangs: “imperative groin thunder.” I felt like an idiot. But I went with it.

What I Discovered on My Flash Drive

Metropolitan, or How I Learned to Stop Kvetching and Love Christmas by Ben Mauk

2014-01-07T03:00:22.000Z

The other first thing you notice is the vibe of Peanuts Take Manhattan. Metropolitan exists in a world populated solely by children and, moreover, by children who act comically adult-like. Parents are rarely mentioned, and even more rarely in-scene. (“I don’t think I’ve met anyone’s parents,” Tom notes.)

Good appreciation here. I need to watch Metropolitan again. I’ve liked all of the Whit Stillman movies I’ve seen. Metropolitan, or How I Learned to Stop Kvetching and Love Christmas by Ben Mauk

Jerry Seinfeld on how to be funny without sex and swearing

2014-01-05T20:21:00.000Z

“Comedians are known for having long marriages,” he says. Why? “I have to apologise for the self-serving answer I’m going to give you, but: we’re smart. If you’re smart, you stay married if you can. Marriage is hard for everyone – that’s a basic fact – but it’s a better life if you can do it. Very nice. Very relaxing. Very enjoyable.”

And:

To this day, Seinfeld still marks crosses on a calendar, keeping regular hours (albeit relaxed ones: most days, he says, he’ll meet a friend for a two-hour breakfast) and spending 20 minutes a day doing Transcendental Meditation, which is the only topic to jolt him from his default nonchalance into real enthusiasm: “I could do the whole interview about TM, to be honest, but we’d just lose everybody. I’ll describe it very simply: it’s like you have a phone, and somebody gives you a charger for it. And so now you can recover from this exhausting experience of being a human, twice a day. It’s deep rest. Now that’s something that can help people. As opposed to this idiotic calendar thing.”

Jerry Seinfeld on how to be funny without sex and swearing

January 2, 2014

2014-01-02T00:29:45.000Z

[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/127343178" params="visual=true&liking=false&sharing=false&auto_play=false&show_comments=false&continuous_play=false&origin=tumblr" width="100%" height="540" iframe="true" /]

markrichardson:

matthewmcvickar:

2013: Roundup • Albums • Songs • Writing • Sounds

This is the third annual installment of my favorite sounds and moments from music this year. All sounds have been extracted from their songs and smashed together in the SoundCloud player above; the list is below so you can follow along.

(I first did this in 2011 and again in 2012.)

For three years now I’ve enjoyed Matthew’s collage of his favorite sounds of the year; you might enjoy it too.

This is pretty wonderful.

The Year Music Failed to Blockbust

2013-12-23T15:51:04.000Z

Music fans tend to regard the implosion of the record industry like most Americans think about overseas wars — we know it’s out there, and it’s very likely bad, but we quickly grow tired of hearing about it because it doesn’t appear to affect us directly.

See my Steven Hyden tag for a couple other of his music articles I’ve liked. The Year Music Failed to Blockbust

Njál's Saga (review)

2013-12-23T15:36:46.000Z

With law our land shall rise, but it will perish with lawlessness.

Poor Njál. He's caught in the middle of a bunch of hotheads, and his own sons are among the worst of the lot. ("I'm not in on their planning, but I was seldom left out when their plans were good.") Njál's Saga is a tale of a multi-decade blood feud in Iceland, and it was one of the most fun, bizarrely addictive books I read this year. Fun, because it's full of dudes swinging axes at each other, and various neighborhood troublemakers that keep spurring them on. There was one battle that had me leaping out of my chair, where Njál's sons get in a fight on a frozen river. Dudes are jumping and slashing and sliding across the ice like something out of a movie. It's fantastic. It's not all action-hero bravado, though. ("Only speak out if you are pushed hard and intend to act.") What made the page-turning feel so strange is that, for all the action there is, it's balanced out by a lot of legal wrangling and arbitration. It helps that this story is so deeply rooted in real events, and real people (lots of folks can trace their heritage back to specific characters), and real places (many of which I traveled through a few years ago). It's not quite strict history, but you can think of it as highly dramatized truth. And part of the messy truth of real life involves a lot of repetitive conversations and agreements and bargains and compromises. You have this society, one of the earliest democracies we know about. They're making a go at having laws, contracts, and legal procedures, and sticking to them. They're eking by at the environmental and social fringe. It's all so fragile. Heartbreaking.

You're not letting another man's woe be your warning, as the saying goes.

I have to mention another part of what made this book work for me: I read the introductory material. That extra bit of context helps it all come alive. I don't think I'd still be chipping away at The Histories for 17 months and counting if I hadn't read the opening essays. I used to always, always skip that stuff for... no good reason, really. Now I always, always read it. You never know what you'll sell yourself on.

Taken

2013-12-16T13:49:37.000Z

Taken. Preposterous fantasy fulfillment popcorn flick that has everything you need, if that’s all you seek. Tough guy does cool shit! Gérard Watkins was perfect in his brief appearance. Liam Neeson also has a great badass role in The Grey. If you’re looking for another good abduction/chase movie set in Paris, you need to watch À bout portant (Point Blank).

December 16, 2013

2013-12-16T13:48:50.000Z

He who travels to be amused, or to get somewhat which he does not carry, travels away from himself, and grows old even in youth among old things. In Thebes, in Palmyra, his will and mind have become old and dilapidated as they. He carries ruins to ruins.

Ralph Waldo Emerson in Self Reliance. Pretty clear echoes of Seneca:

They undertake one journey after another and change spectacle for spectacle. As Lucretius says: “Thus ever from himself doth each man flee.” But what does he gain if he does not escape from himself? He ever follows himself and weighs upon himself as his own most burdensome companion.

Anorexia, the Impossible Subject

2013-12-16T13:48:11.000Z

If you want to be a beautiful writer, not wanting to connect your illness to your brilliance is nearly impossible.

Anorexia, the Impossible Subject

My Struggle (review)

2013-12-16T00:08:58.000Z

It wasn't a question of keeping away from something, it was a question of something not existing; nothing about him touched me. That was how it had been, but then I had sat down to write, and the tears poured forth.

It's been a while since I finished My Struggle - mid-September, I think - but it has stuck with me. When I finished it, I wasn't sure if I'd read Knausgård's second volume, to say nothing of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth. I pre-ordered the second last week. Reading this book is a strange experience. It's rarely fun. The book opens with a reflection on death, closes with death, and in between are all manner of musings and journalings about muddling through life and fatherhood. But it's a great exercise in being aware, a wake-up call. Despite relying on some pretty intense memory-dredging, it doesn't quite feel sentimental ("Nostalgia is not only shameless, it is also treacherous."). The challenge seems to be to examine the past so closely that you can let it go - the contrast with what's actually here and now becomes too stark to ignore. And there's a weird addictive quality to it, despite how dark it is sometimes. The writing is mostly functional, rather than poetic or luminous or whatever. And the boldness of his oversharing helps. But it's the occasional big, beautiful payoff that makes the slogging really worthwhile. (And some of it is indeed pure slog - the 100-page story of a New Year's Eve beer run is… something else.) There are delights like this description, taken from a section about his college days, when he discovered Theodor Adorno's writing:

This heavy, intricate, detailed, precise language whose aim was to elevate thought ever higher, and where every period was set like a mountaineer's cleat.

Such a great image! Or this, trying to capture the feeling of falling in love with a painting:

Yes, yes yes. That's where it is. That's where I have to go.

Been there, for sure. I suppose when you write so much without filtering or apparent embarrassment (on life as a teen: "I have never been in any doubt that this is what girls I have tried my luck with have seen in my eyes. Too much desire, too little hope."), there's bound to be some memorable parts. Let it all pour out, and see what works. Like this passage early on, when he, a middle-aged guy, is thinking back to what it felt like to be a kid around his father, and using his now-adult perspective to reflect on what it was like to be his father, now that time has made him his father's peer, in a way:

While my days were jampacked with meaning, when each step opened a new opportunity, and when every opportunity filled me to the brim, in a way which now is actually incomprehensible, the meaning of his days was not concentrated in individual events but spread over such large areas that it was not possible to comprehend them in anything other than abstract terms. "Family" was one such term, "career" another.

Speaking of being a father, here he is on the birth of first child:

There has never been so much future in my life as at that time, never so much joy.

So beautiful. But as Knausgård doesn't seem to have much of a filter, nothing remains quite that simple or tidy:

Nothing I had previously experienced warned me about the invasion into your life that having children entails. [...] Your own worst sides are no longer something you can keep to yourself.

He's not afraid to acknowledge ambivalence. (That bit, by the way, reminded me of Carolyn Hax talking about introverts having children.) Along with the mundane details - like the dozens of scenes where's he's hanging out with someone and making coffee, tea, etc. - there are some more philosophical asides. In a passage that mirrors the opening and the closing of the book, he talks about death and and how our language mirrors the way we don't quite accept it:

While the person is alive the name refers to the body, to where it resides, to what it does; the name becomes detached from the body when it dies and remains with the living, who, when they use the name always mean the person he was, never the person he is now, a body which lies rotting somewhere. [...] Death might be beyond the term and beyond life, but it is not beyond the world.

These little excerpts don't quite capture it, though. It really is a book better experienced in huge chunks. Recommended. Filed under: books I’ve reviewed. I also enjoyed this LARB review and this Bookforum interview.

Joe Jonas: My Life As a Jonas Brother

2013-12-11T03:15:07.000Z

Being a part of the Disney thing for so long will make you not want to be this perfect little puppet forever. Eventually, I hit a limit and thought, Screw all this, I’m just going to show people who I am. I think that happened to a lot of us. Disney kids are spunky in some way, and I think that’s why Disney hires them. “Look, he jumped up on the table!” Five, six, ten years later, they’re like, “Oh! What do we do?” Come on, guys. You did this to yourselves.

Who knows how much of this is just really good, massaged PR messaging, but still. An interesting look from the inside out.

Joe Jonas: My Life As a Jonas Brother

Kyle Korver's Big Night, and the Day on the Ocean That Made It Possible

2013-12-11T03:14:57.000Z

The point is, as we’re paddleboarding [25 miles] … there wasn’t a tree, there wasn’t a corner, there weren’t mile markers. You had to break it down even smaller. Into the stroke. So I sat there and tried to perfect my stroke each time I pull. The angles of how I’m pulling the paddle back and going forward. How long I’m going. How I’m using my wrist. All these things. You try to make the stroke perfect.

Filed under: practice. Kyle Korver's Big Night, and the Day on the Ocean That Made It Possible

Dallas Buyers Club

2013-12-11T03:11:18.000Z

Dallas Buyers Club. It’s not great, but never really goes wrong, and I like the moment-to-moment push and urgency of the thing. Great to see a likable hero who never remotely approaches perfection. Matthew McConaughey is something special.

Critical thinking #4: Daniel Mendelsohn

2013-12-06T14:46:21.000Z

I always tease them at the beginning of the semester about their writing—I say, “Whenever you write me at 11 o’clock on a Thursday night begging me for an extension on the paper, the prose is always so beautiful and the email is so wonderfully structured.” It’s a joke, but it’s also not a joke—in that situation they understand the rhetoric of the form to which they’re committing themselves: They understand who they are as a writer and a beseecher, they understand who I am as the person in charge, they understand what evidence to adduce in their favour—their dog died, their computer broke or whatever. Which is why the email begging for the paper extension is always a well-written piece. But whenever they have to write three paragraphs about women in Genesis or whatever—when they have to make an argument—it’s basically “word salad,” because they’ve never read anything that presents a text, wrestles with it and comes up with some conclusions. For that reason, I think it’s better that they should be reading Pauline Kael reviews in the New Yorker than Derrida.

Filed under: Daniel Mendelsohn. Critical thinking #4: Daniel Mendelsohn

December 2, 2013

2013-12-02T18:01:21.000Z

Quick shout-out: The Cutting Class is one of my favorite tumblrs. It is a true joy to stumble on writing like this, where someone smart points out things that you’d never notice and makes you aware of a whole other world of smarts that you’d otherwise never know about.

December 1, 2013

2013-12-01T21:46:48.000Z

Be gentle especially when you’re right.

Carolyn Hax.

December 1, 2013

2013-12-01T21:46:18.000Z

nerdology:

azertip:

Bruce Timm

Best intro in television history.

What an opening! Batman: The Animated Series is still one of my favorite shows.

November 30, 2013

2013-11-30T03:04:17.000Z

markrichardson:

I feel like this song was, for many American children, an introduction to Deep Thinking. Even at age 8 or 9 you heard this and thought something like, “There is some essential yearning and sadness and an essential sense of loss in life that we can’t escape, though many things are also beautiful and happy and the power of love and human connection is very real,” even if your mind didn’t yet have all these words in that order.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

November 30, 2013

2013-11-30T02:52:11.000Z

Dad Magazine: Thanksgiving Edition. “The Value of a Dollar: Dads Weigh In”. Check out the archives.

Oblivion

2013-11-30T02:52:00.000Z

Oblivion. If you have seen and enjoyed a science fiction movie, you will probably find something to like here, where they’re all mixed and mashed into a movie that’s far from perfect, but more than good enough. Easy to find plotlines and moods from movies like Moon, Solaris, the new Solaris, 2001, The Matrix, WALL·E, Star Wars, Star Trek. (I particularly like the space-captain-retiring-to-California parallels with Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Generations). I would have been okay with more time exploring the love/memory/identity stuff and less generic action, but no biggie. Outside of the plot, a few areas I was impressed by: camerawork with a smart sense of space and geography; world/technology design and general gorgeousness; and a good soundtrack by M83, et al.

12 Years a Slave

2013-11-26T03:21:32.000Z

12 Years a Slave. Not sure how to talk about this one. Hard to watch. At times it is very, very on-the-nose. If you’ve seen Steve McQueen’s Shame and Hunger, this will be no surprise. But it’s strange that it doesn’t feel… dramatic. It is focused. It is facts. It also makes you feel some of the same unease (the score is a huge contributor here). The movie is all in the protagonist’s perspective, which unfortunately means everyone else can seem a little flat (despite the cast being awesome), or merely functional. But it also puts you in the center, witnessing the moral bargains and compromises, comparing and contrasting how each person manages an impossible situation, and perhaps suggesting the futility of passing judgment on how each copes. A couple more things to note. I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but you don’t get the sense of time passing, though it’s ostensibly twelve years we see. Could definitely be by design - the monotony and sameness by design - I’m just not sure. And I gotta say, I’m not thrilled with Brad Pitt’s late appearance. He’s got too much star power to show up so late, in such a role, for so short a period. I couldn’t quite get used to him. It’s not his fault, though. Anyway, good movie. The contrast with Django Unchained could not be more stark.

Professor Sees Parallels Between Things, Other Things

2013-11-26T03:06:17.000Z

Professor Sees Parallels Between Things, Other Things

Enough Said

2013-11-25T00:22:57.000Z

Enough Said. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, as they say. Louis-Dreyfus is a genius. Gandolfini is instantly lovable. Keener plays a perfect flaky narcissist. Such a good heart to this movie.

In the Mood for Love

2013-11-25T00:22:30.000Z

In the Mood for Love. Gorgeous, seductive movie. One of the dilemmas here is, (how) can you get what you want if you don’t want to be the kind of person that would do what it takes to get it? When you’re watching it, it’s easy to sympathize with the protagonists, but afterward… don’t they seem a little, um, weird? I love the parallels in setting and architecture. They’re so hemmed in, so much kept inside. Thematically, it pairs well with David Lean’s Brief Encounter.

November 21, 2013

2013-11-21T01:58:11.000Z

http://media.mtvnservices.com/embed/mgid:uma:video:vh1.com:479509/cp~vid%3D479509%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Avh1.com%3A479509

TV Shows - Full Episode Video - Reality TV Shows

1-on-1 Basketball Game: Don Cornelius vs Marvin Gaye. Ref'ed by Smokey Robinson. If ever there were a video at the center of an important-to-me Venn diagram, it’s this one.

(Source: http://media.mtvnservices.com/)

Man vs. Corpse

2013-11-18T22:06:07.000Z

The postapocalyptic scenario—the future in which everyone’s a corpse (except you)—must be, at this point, one of the most thoroughly imagined fictions of the age.

Man vs. Corpse

How we're dying

2013-11-18T15:05:42.000Z

Catching up on my RSS, seeing these two from Marginal Revolution in close succession caught my attention. I had no idea:

Suicides outnumber homicides in the United States by 3:1.

Prescription painkillers now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined, according to the CDC.

:( Take care.

An Interview With Steve Reich, Who Rewrote Radiohead

2013-11-18T01:38:00.000Z

Steve Reich can talk a mile. The most amusing, Reich-splaining part of this interview is him talking about how, exactly, he was influenced by jazz.:

Yeah, sure, all jazz is improvisation. What I’m saying is what jazz is for me is yes, improvisation is a big part of it, I understand that and I’m just not a very good improviser and I’m not interested in improvisation at all, but I understand that it’s a very, very important part of music. What interests me in jazz is the feel of jazz, the tones of jazz, the gestures of jazz, the way John Coltrane sounds as opposed to some classical saxophone is like two different universes. I’ve had a tremendous influence where, when I was a kid I took piano lessons, but it wasn’t until the age of 14—when I was a kid before the age of 14 I never heard a note of music before 1750, I never heard a note of music after Wagner, and I never heard any real jazz, I heard you know, pop music and all kinds of Broadway shows and that kind of stuff. But at the age of 14 for the first time I heard the The Rite of Spring, the 5th Brandenburg Concerto, and Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and the drummer Kenny Clarke and I decided I want to be Kenny Clarke and I started studying percussion at the age of 14. I studied with Roland Kohloff, who was the local great drummer and later became the timpanist with the New York Philharmonic, and I remained a drummer ever since. And so hence all the percussion in my group. And I went down to hear Miles Davis and Kenny Clarke and Thelonious Monk and Horace Silver and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and all those groups started when I was 14 years old, on through high school, on through college when I got to Juilliard and continued doing it, and I started listening particularly to John Coltrane. I got out to the West Coast and I was studying with Luciano Berio during the day, and every time he was in town I would go to hear John Coltrane at night. Now what was it I learned, improvisation? No, forget about it. What I learned was this: John Coltrane could play for half an hour on one harmony. Think of the album, or if you don’t think of it, go out and buy it or steal it whatever, called “Africa Brass”. Do you know it? “Africa Brass” is 17 minutes and it’s all on the low E of the double bass. So if you go to a jazz musician and say ‘hey man, what are the harmonic changes of “Africa Brass” - “This is E” “well what changes?”.”E for 17 minutes!” “Well that sounds strange, how are you going to play one harmony for 17 minutes?” Well I’ll tell you how: you have incredible melodic invention from Coltrane himself, who’s either playing gorgeous melodies or screaming noise through his horn, you have incredible timbral variety because he was working with another great jazz musician Eric Dolphy, who arranged all the brass in the “Africa Brass” and part of it was french horn, which sounded like elephants coming through the jungle. He also was working with Elvin Jones, who as you may know, is a drummer who sounds like he’s two or three or four drummers all at once. If you have rhythmic complexity, timbral variety and melodic invention, then you can stay put on a single harmony for half an hour, and it’s fascinating, it’s fantastic, it gives it more intensity because you’re focused on these other things. And in a funny way my piece “Drumming” doesn’t sound like “Africa Brass”. I didn’t even think about “Africa Brass”, but really it syncs the exact same way. There’s one slight change of key in the glock section, but basically it’s in six sharps for an hour. It doesn’t change. Because of the rhythmic complexity in the drums, the complete change of timbre into marimbas, and the rhythmic complexity and the melodic invention of the women’s voices and then the complete change of timbre into glockenspiel and the melodies in the flutes and piccolo and whistling, and then the complete change of timbre to all those instruments playing together you can listen to one key for an hour and enjoy it. So my interest in jazz is in gestures, the way Kenny Clarke could make an entire band sort of float in a magical way I never heard in any classical music, and the gesture of tones, the style of playing, THAT’S what I loved about jazz.

He also closes talking about his Radiohead piece and a great rant about artists getting expensed out of NYC. Filed under: Steve Reich. An Interview With Steve Reich, Who Rewrote Radiohead

Mud

2013-11-17T23:32:32.000Z

Mud. Best summarized in this review I stumbled upon where I lifted the still above: “Mud reminds us that the most special effect is compelling characters caught in a vexing situation.” Check and check. I loved this movie. Jeff Nichols is on a roll right now, after directing Shotgun Stories, and then Take Shelter, and then this. I’m excited for whatever is next.

November 17, 2013

2013-11-17T23:24:04.000Z

Atlanta to Atlantis: An OutKast Retrospective | Pitchfork. Essential reading.

The poet and the player was the tagline; the truth is that you never knew who was who.

Richie Incognito, Jonathan Martin, and the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal - Grantland

2013-11-17T22:35:42.000Z

No one thought Joe Theismann was soft for leaving the game when his leg was hanging sideways. Sometimes the brain goes sideways, and when that happens, “brave” or “cowardly” shouldn’t even come into it. Seeking help is just the practical thing to do.

Richie Incognito, Jonathan Martin, and the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal - Grantland

A MARTA story in tweets from @lainshakespeare

2013-11-17T22:35:00.000Z

So jealous of Lain Shakespeare’s Atlanta moment:

Dude on MARTA dances alone in the center of the car. He’s good! An onlooker criticizes, says he’s not dancing “ATL enough” & challenges him.

— Lain Shakespeare (@lainshakespeare) November 16, 2013

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The onlooker gets up and dances to show how it’s done. He’s good too! They dance battle. Everyone else is half-delighted, half-uneasy.

— Lain Shakespeare (@lainshakespeare) November 16, 2013

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We pull into a station, they stop. Meanwhile, a woman gets caught moving between cars. The door jams! Moment of panic, then she tumbles out.

— Lain Shakespeare (@lainshakespeare) November 16, 2013

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She nearly falls over, regains footing by momentum-dancing up the aisle. She’s embarrassed but rolling with it, right toward battle dudes.

— Lain Shakespeare (@lainshakespeare) November 16, 2013

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Battle dudes recognize her embarrassment & dance-beckon. They all dance together until the next stop. Everyone is delighted! Cheers erupt.

— Lain Shakespeare (@lainshakespeare) November 16, 2013

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We arrive at the next stop. Everyone sits, the crowd elated. The moment passes with delighted hush. As if on beat, the second dancer says:

— Lain Shakespeare (@lainshakespeare) November 16, 2013

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“Yo, who wants to buy some liquor?!” He opens a backpack revealing like twenty mini vodka bottles. And right then, the door opened: my stop.

— Lain Shakespeare (@lainshakespeare) November 16, 2013

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November 15, 2013

2013-11-15T15:32:41.000Z

How a Densely Populated Neighborhood Became Turner Field: A Map Essay | Georgia State University Library Blog.

November 15, 2013

2013-11-15T15:31:56.000Z

Saying Good-bye As the Braves Leave Atlanta for ‘Atlanta’ - Grantland.

Nothing in this message is a lie, or even exaggerated, once you realize who the audience is. This message isn’t directed toward the Atlanta city-dweller. The “you, our fans” is not targeted at a person who lives in the city of Atlanta. It’s targeted at everyone in that dark-red blot that lives in the city’s northern suburbs. If you’re a fan who lives in these suburban areas, today is a great day. It has long been a hassle to get to Turner Field — because it involves going all the way to Atlanta to see the Atlanta Braves.

Schulz on the Terrors, Pleasures of Robert Frost -- Vulture

2013-11-15T15:24:19.000Z

He doesn’t say one thing while meaning something else: He says one thing, wholly means it—and also means something else.

Schulz on the Terrors, Pleasures of Robert Frost -- Vulture

November 15, 2013

2013-11-15T15:24:11.000Z

ecantwell:

I have become a big fan of sunrises lately. Sunsets get all the credit, all the social media likes, all the romance. Sure, okay, more people are awake when the sun sets (especially these post-daylight-savings days), but I think there is also something lingering about a sunset that allows it to be mused over and loved and savored by its admirers. Sunrises, as I have come to observe, are often over very fast. The gorgeous part doesn’t hang around. It is there and then it is not.

It is there and then it is not and then it’s time to eat breakfast, to answer emails, to fight traffic, to stare at the clock, to spend money, to feel tired, to wish you were somewhere else. You can’t settle into a sunrise with a glass of wine and a nice book. You can’t use it as a chance to reflect on things.

Sunrises are capricious and selfish. They are not interested in rewarding you. They are the kind of lover who leaves when the act is over. This is brave of them. They don’t want to cater to your needs. They don’t want to perform for you on cue. They take care of themselves, they are gorgeous when they want to be, they are not ashamed to become mundane again very quickly.

And yet how can you wake up to this and not feel somehow more whole, more alive, more determined? Walk into it, walk through it. It will be gone too soon not to dive in like some holy Olympian. Take it by its stupid reins and ride it into the ground. You’re only awake like this for a minute.

Don’t waste it.

Bobulate: A short history of my long workout

2013-11-15T15:22:45.000Z

bobulate:

Analytics recently captured:

Miles scrolled on my work mouse: 542

Miles scrolled on my home mouse: 1,213

Miles scrolled on the Apple Mighty Mouse: 1,401

Miles scrolled on the Apple Magic Mouse: 354

Miles scrolled on the Apple Magic Trackpad: n/a

Miles scrolled on the iPod Classic: 2,384

…

Bobulate: A short history of my long workout

November 5, 2013

2013-11-05T22:43:36.000Z

gotemcoach:

LOOK AWAY: Steph Curry had a 3-on-1 break against the Clippers, so naturally he pulled up and shot a 3-pointer (and got fouled = 4-point play). That’s not why I posted this GIF though. Just look at the faces of the crushed Clippers fans in the stands who can do nothing but look away. My Power Rankings:

Brunette lady in blue Clippers jersey

Guy who exhales, grabs Dodgers cap

Older white guy shaking his head

#GotEmCoach

November 3, 2013

2013-11-03T21:13:45.000Z

Alright, gotta get this out of my system. I took this photo a few weeks ago when I went back up to Dahlonega, the small town in north Georgia where I was born and spent the first half of my life. This is the first house we lived in. And, take my word for it, this is a flattering photo. The place has… seen better days. I keep pulling up this picture so I can hate-look at it. I hope that one day, if I ever buy a house, I will remember that it might have been where someone else grew up. My memories are still in pristine condition, so no harm there. And I have no idea of the circumstances of the people who live there now. But part of me is like… come on. Ah well. Gotta let it go.

The Logic of Stupid Poor People

2013-11-03T21:03:39.000Z

One person’s illogical belief is another person’s survival skill.

This essay is so damn good.

The Logic of Stupid Poor People

Frieze Magazine | Conservative Party

2013-11-03T20:55:13.000Z

There are days when postwar art history starts to sound like a Classic Rock radio station.

Frieze Magazine | Conservative Party

The New Canon - The LARB Blog

2013-11-03T20:51:00.000Z

Through this reliance on Netflix, I’ve seen a new television pantheon begin to take form: there’s what’s streaming on Netflix, and then there’s everything else.

When I ask a student what they’re watching, the answers are varied: Friday Night Lights, Scandal, It’s Always Sunny, The League, Breaking Bad, Luther, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Arrested Development, The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, Weeds, Freaks & Geeks, The L Word, Twin Peaks, Archer, Louie, Portlandia. What all these shows have in common, however, is that they’re all available, in full, on Netflix.

Things that they haven’t watched? The Wire. Deadwood. Veronica Mars, Rome, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos. Even Sex in the City.

It’s not that they don’t want to watch these shows — it’s that with so much out there, including so much so-called “quality” programs, such as Twin Peaks and Freaks & Geeks, to catch up on, why watch something that’s not on Netflix? Why work that hard when there’s something this easy — and arguably just as good or important — right in front of you?

Markets influence taste.

The New Canon - The LARB Blog

November 3, 2013

2013-11-03T15:15:00.000Z

I force myself toward pleasure,
and I love this November life
where I run like a train
deeper and deeper
into the land of my enemies.

Tony Hoagland, “Reasons to Survive November“. (via austinkleon)

Ninja

2013-10-29T03:19:33.000Z

Ninja. I overreacted, but that doesn’t mean my opinion was wrong. I was inspired to watch this after the AV Club article on direct-to-video action movies. You will find nothing surprising in plot or writing, and now that I think about it, a lot of the actual ass-kicking isn’t that amazing. But - huge but - this movie is pure gold when it comes to the art of moving cameras around moving bodies doing cool things. Really dynamic fight scenes that are still completely comprehensible in time and geography? Sold. E.g., the subway scene. Ultimately, it gets down to a one-on-one battle like you’d expect, which isn’t as cinematically fun. Plenty of good stuff, though.

Captain Phillips

2013-10-29T03:19:27.000Z

Captain Phillips. I really dug it. Hanks is great, so is Abdi. And what makes this worthwhile is that both of them get fair treatment in how the story is structured (despite the one-sided title). Pretty strong similarities to Zero Dark Thirty in tone and tension, and how they’re not quite really about the obvious thematic baggage they might have easily tended toward. The scale of the stuff - real gigantic boats and aircraft - made me think of 80s/90s action movies. Very refreshing. Also, having captain on the bridge talking to engineering down with the engines reminded me of Star Trek. I really liked Noah Millman’s write-up.

The Arts - Agents of Change and Source of Enchantment | Catholic World Report

2013-10-28T03:49:42.000Z

Dana Gioia:

The modern assumption that writers and artists are dreamy, impractical people is both odd and quite insulting to creative people. Sophocles was a general, Goethe a scientist and statesman. Shakespeare was the most successful entertainment entrepreneur of Renaissance England. I had no particular interest in business, but I had to make a living, and I realized that I had a talent for managing enterprises such as literary magazines and films series. So I took the plunge and went to business school. I found the business world very demanding but also a good place for hard-working and talented people—better, I think, than the university. I let absolutely no one at General Foods know that I was a poet. I kept my two lives entirely separate. It wasn’t until years later when Esquire featured me in a special issue of “Men and Women Under Forty Who Are Changing America” that my secret life was revealed to my colleagues. I didn’t enjoy the sudden celebrity. It only complicated my life. Never underestimate the advantages of anonymity.

Dana’s brother Ted Gioia:

If you asked me to sum up my view of music in one sentence, I could do it: music is a change agent and a source of enchantment. When people start understanding the arts in those terms, you don’t need to sell them on culture. They come out of curiosity, desire, and self-interest. Teachers can help spur this process, but it’s a different kind of teaching than you find in most classrooms

The Arts - Agents of Change and Source of Enchantment | Catholic World Report

October 28, 2013

2013-10-28T03:41:02.000Z

Cartography: The true true size of Africa | The Economist. Speaking of Africa, the place is huge.

Africa's Trauma Epidemic

2013-10-28T03:34:57.000Z

Billions of dollars have poured into the continent to fight killer diseases. But the most basic killer, injury, is neglected.

I have never once thought about this before.

Africa's Trauma Epidemic

October 19, 2013

2013-10-19T15:07:35.000Z

ecantwell:

Things That Wake Up My Baby:

the sound of me pouring milk on my cereal

sneezing

the door closing

the dog barking at invisible squirrels

a spoon stirring cream into coffee

his own arms moving involuntarily

Things That Do Not Wake Up My Baby:

the microwave

the screams of people getting brutally murdered on television

books falling on the floor

the dog barking at actual men outside our house

loud laughter

power drills being used in the next room

October 18, 2013

2013-10-18T11:56:05.000Z

October 16, 2013

2013-10-16T04:22:44.000Z

Any time you’re trying to explain something based on what broad categories of people do, it’s time to stop, back up, stick to the facts at hand, and ask yourself why you’re reaching so far to get a more appealing answer.

Carolyn Hax. My Hax tag is the best.

Film by Any Other Name - NYTimes.com

2013-10-16T04:22:40.000Z

The movies will only get bigger, shinier and more thoroughly standardized, like airports and hotels in big, business-hub capitals. But this is only half the story. […] Both the metastasis of the blockbuster and the viral replication of the small-scale art movie are digital phenomena.

Film by Any Other Name - NYTimes.com

Outrage | The Point Magazine

2013-10-16T04:22:24.000Z

An addiction to outrage seems to afflict writers across the political spectrum. Opponents are castigated for being insufficiently scandalized by the atrocity of the hour, and authors of offending posts are roundly demonized and ridiculed. Silver linings are rarely sought in bad news, common ground with adversaries seldom found.

Delighted to see discussion of Zero Dark Thirty in this essay. I was so bummed out by the conversation around the movie last winter.

Outrage | The Point Magazine

Star Trek Into Darkness

2013-10-15T02:20:40.000Z

Star Trek Into Darkness. This one does not compare well to the other Star Trek movies. Fun, maybe, kinda, but there’s all kinds of narrative whiplash, and the non-Kirk, non-Spock characters aren’t quite there for me. Slapdash effort. Oh, well. I’ve still got my top 5 or 6 in the series to fall back on:

World War Z

2013-10-15T01:58:05.000Z

World War Z. Pretty stock adventure for most of its runtime, but the last act has some nice tension. I’d still take I Am Legend or 28 Days Later or Night of the Living Dead over this one any day.

Networking into the Abyss | Jacob Silverman | The Baffler

2013-10-15T01:37:00.000Z

SXSW, where only 15 percent of attendees make less than $50,000 per year.

I did not know that.

Networking into the Abyss | Jacob Silverman | The Baffler

October 14, 2013

2013-10-14T01:37:20.000Z

Wait, he was… and but… he just….

Gravity

2013-10-10T04:09:01.000Z

Gravity. It’s definitely worth seeing. Very stressful in an entertaining way. Gotta respect a movie with moments where just grabbing a rail feels like the most important thing in the universe. It’s a steady sequence of disasters and new problems. The special effects are just tremendous. I love the way Cuarón plays with the sound, changing with the environment or how the camera or the viewpoint would experience it. The score is omnipresent, for better or worse, depending on how you feel about that sort of thing, but I liked its spacy abstraction. The writing is a real weakness I was willing to ignore in the moment, but made me sour a little bit when thinking back. The plotsplaining was a bit tedious at times (“But now we have to do X, but we have to look out for Y.”, or “It’s getting really hot in here!”), and there’s some backstory and associated melodrama that probably could have been excised, but it’s a popcorn genre film, sooooo whatever. Deal.

In Conversation: Antonin Scalia

2013-10-10T03:51:54.000Z

What I do wish is that we were in agreement on the basic question of what we think we’re doing when we interpret the Constitution. I mean, that’s sort of rudimentary. It’s sort of an embarrassment, really, that we’re not. But some people think our job is to keep it up to date, give new meaning to whatever phrases it has. And others think it’s to give it the meaning the people ratified when they adopted it. Those are quite different views.

Really enjoyed this interview. I need to keep an eye out for this Jennifer Senior character, as I just remembered her really good article on high school.

In Conversation: Antonin Scalia

October 5, 2013

2013-10-05T22:11:00.000Z

Beatlemania: ‘the screamers’ and other tales of fandom.

If anyone is likely to look kindly on the excesses of new generations of fans, it’s a former Beatlemaniac. “I understand when I see the One Direction kids going mad,” says Bridget Kelly. “People think they’re silly but they’re not. It’s the togetherness. We had this big communal thing that we all knew and loved and understood — something that was yours and nothing to do with your mum and dad. We were all in it together. It was lovely.”

Remember this old photo? Filed under: fandom.

October 5, 2013

2013-10-05T22:10:20.000Z

janehu:

gregorypecks-deactivated2014032:

Cary Grant is a gossipy teenage girl.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Lost to the Ages: Looking back on the game 'Myst' on its 20th anniversary

2013-10-05T22:08:47.000Z

Ah, remember that old argument to get your parents to buy you a Nintendo? “It’ll improve my hand-eye coordination, Mom!”

Lost to the Ages: Looking back on the game 'Myst' on its 20th anniversary

Robin Sloan's Book Bag: Five Science Fiction Books That Matter

2013-10-01T03:25:14.000Z

And just like that, four new books on my list.

Robin Sloan's Book Bag: Five Science Fiction Books That Matter

Poison Tree: A letter to Niko Bellic about Grand Theft Auto V

2013-10-01T03:22:40.000Z

GTA is basically the most elaborate asshole simulation system ever devised

Poison Tree: A letter to Niko Bellic about Grand Theft Auto V

A Perfect World

2013-10-01T03:18:52.000Z

A Perfect World. I didn’t realize it had been a year since my last Eastwood movie. Not many directors exploring violence so thoroughly and thoughtfully. The thematic priorities are pretty clear when you consider what is depicted and what takes place off-screen. Ties into the father-son/parent stuff. The kid’s personality is not the most interesting but neither are real kids, so fine. It actually helps the bond with Costner, as you really don’t know where these two are headed. A bigger weakness is that Eastwood and the other cops feel a bit superfluous. It’s not much of a manhunt/chase movie. There’s some story details that come out via the police, and they bring a variation in tone, but the heart is with Costner and the kid. I’ve got so many Eastwood movie rankings that specific placement is getting silly, but not like it’s gonna stop me…

October 1, 2013

2013-10-01T02:41:55.000Z

gotemcoach:

THE BEST: Nothing is more Larry Bird than this play

This is, by far, my favorite Larry Bird moment, and a Top 10 NBA Moment Ever in my opinion. The first time I saw this highlight, I gasped.

It’s one thing to know your shot is short. It’s another to know where the rebound’s headed. It’s a third to instinctually and immediately go for the ball, and just patently absurd to switch hands to get the shot off, and make it.

There are a lot of great plays in the NBA, but you will not find ten better than this. It really is breathtaking.

#GotEmCoach

September 25, 2013

2013-09-25T02:34:20.000Z

Percussive Maintenance.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

2013-09-25T02:34:15.000Z

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. It’s an odd one, and that is enough sometimes. Unexpectedly dark/funny. No one measures up to Cage, so if you can ride along with his zaniness, you’ll probably like it.

In a World...

2013-09-25T02:15:26.000Z

In a World…. Loved it. The power of voice! And such a great a set of characters. No one is perfect; no one is irredeemable. I couldn’t help but think of Frances Ha, but this one, like its protagonist, is far more polished. A really fine piece of work. Also was reminded of writer/director/producer/star Lake Bell on screenwriting:

It’s so intimate, and it’s one of your best friends, this stupid script that you end up living with for seventeen drafts or twenty drafts. […] You’re like, ‘You’re still here?? Can you clean up your shit? You leave it everywhere!

In the Dark: Looking back at The X-Files on its 20th anniversary

2013-09-22T22:34:43.000Z

The show out-noired noir by recognizing that the most extreme context for modern alienation was not the mean streets of the detective story but a white-collar bureaucracy that extended infinitely above the main protagonists — literally into space — and that threatened to control them without their knowing how or why.

In the Dark: Looking back at The X-Files on its 20th anniversary

September 19, 2013

2013-09-19T04:37:23.000Z

Kanye West Loft, NYC 2007 - Claudio Silvestrin. Cf. Rick Rubin:

We talked a lot about minimalism. My house is basically an empty white box. When [Kanye] walked in, he was like, “My house is an empty white box, too!”

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2013-09-18T02:31:36.000Z

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Had a few nice moments, but really not for me. Didn’t click. I think I disliked the book, too, but I can’t remember it at all. Shrug.

Barcelona

2013-09-18T02:12:00.000Z

Barcelona. I think it’s the weakest of the three loosely-related movies (Metropolitan is great; The Last Days of Disco is really enjoyable, too.), but there’s plenty to like. I appreciate the layers of themes. You’ve got two cousins working out how to be family. They each are figuring out their careers and romantic relationships. And they as Americans are navigating what it means to be a foreigner. Along with other less character-specific stuff like ‘80s self-help/management trends. Whit Stillman is a good writer. Ebert says.

September 18, 2013

2013-09-18T01:55:44.000Z

All Not Lost: Great Old Buildings & Historic Districts of Downtown Atlanta | Georgia Globe Design News.

September 18, 2013

2013-09-18T01:45:55.000Z

rachael-maddux:

jasontravisphoto:

Drinking Hanson’s beer, Mmmhops, with Hanson

Austin Ray totally nailed this article for Creative Loafing. I took some photos. We drank beer with Hanson. It was a lot of fun.

I mentioned this on Twitter already—I’m not sure what would have seem crazier to 11-year-old Me: That one day she’d have a dude pal (that would be Austin, mentioned above) who “got” Hanson, or that Hanson would make a beer. But now that I think about it, actually, the beer maybe would have seemed more likely.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to write about this for a while and haven’t quite cracked it, but in short: back when I was someone who would have identified in any real capacity as “a Hanson fan,” people in general and boys in particular were, to put it quite elegantly, basically like total megadicks to me about it! Liking this band was probably the thing I got teased about the most in middle school. It probably wasn’t that much, actually, just amplified times a million by the general OMG OMG UGHHHH EVERYTHING IS AWFULNESS of being an adolescent human/female, but it still hurt and made me feel weird and bad about myself in a way nothing else quite could. This was true even on into high school, when Hanson was quickly becoming more of a personal relic than an active~*~*~love~*~*~; I think I was a sophomore when a friend of mine, a senior, in a very convoluted and roundabout and deeply personally stabby way, mocked me for it in front of our entire creative writing class.

MEANWHILE, one of the greatest things ever, when I was a wee fan and an even wee-er Person Thinking About Becoming A Writer One Day, was when people wrote things that seemed to really “get” the band, which is actually not super hard to do but does requires a certain amount of taking-them-seriously, which is a tough prospect when the subjects are widely beloved by teenaged girls. Two pieces I remember in particular: This Rob Sheffield review, and this Spin feature (well, except that subhed, but eh). They took the band seriously, and by extension I felt like I was being taken seriously, and that was huge.

Anyway, can’t wait to drink some of this stuff. I will probably giggle a lot.

September 17, 2013

2013-09-17T04:03:00.000Z

3D Sound - Headphone test.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

September 17, 2013

2013-09-17T01:46:43.000Z

austinkleon:

Lynda Barry: The 20 stages of reading

Filed under: Lynda Barry, reading

The Cosmology of Serialized Television

2013-09-16T04:11:11.000Z

How serialized storytelling has evolved on television, and how prestigious shows habitually promise viewers more than they can possibly deliver.

The Cosmology of Serialized Television

Russell Brand and the GQ awards: 'It's amazing how absurd it seems'

2013-09-16T03:30:00.000Z

The glamour and the glitz isn’t real, the party isn’t real, you have a much better time mucking around trying to make your mates laugh.

Russell Brand and the GQ awards: 'It's amazing how absurd it seems'

September 16, 2013

2013-09-16T03:29:51.000Z

heidisaman:

“Shooting a movie is the worst milieu for creative work ever devised by man. It is a noisy, physical apparatus; it is difficult to concentrate—and you have to do it from eight-thirty to six-thirty, five days a week. It’s not an environment an artist would ever choose to work in. The only advantage it has is that you must do it, and you can’t procrastinate…”

— Stanley Kubrick on making films

Photo of Kubrick on the set of Barry Lyndon via a certain cinema

September 12, 2013

2013-09-12T03:04:20.000Z

Kanakaweb: Sargent: All Ava Maria. So awesome. (via)

Below the original is my attempt to copy Sargent’s painting. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how people learn to paint. I’m starting to think that maybe copying paintings you like is a good way to study other people’s paintings technique while forcing yourself to learn some basic skills along the way. I gather that this is how students learned to paint back in the day, so it seems like a good thing to try in my spare time. The painting took about an hour to complete, but I feel like I learned a lot in that time. Here are my random notes in case you are interested…

This entire thing is fantastic.

September 12, 2013

2013-09-12T03:04:14.000Z

heidisaman:

Mise-en-scene #5

A still from Pretty in Pink (1986, dir. Howard Deutch).

I particularly like how the image on the wall to the left contrasts with Ringwald’s position in the frame.

Mise-en-scene #1-4.

Follow me on Twitter

Donald Trump Licked My Flesh, Part 3

2013-09-09T03:49:10.000Z

Legacy is a marketing tool; it exists for the convenience of people who want to sell you something. It has nothing to do with the athlete, whose accomplishments aren’t going to change if he plays past his prime, literally aren’t going to change at all, because Skip Bayless doesn’t own a time machine. Legacy is a post-Jordan, made-up idea that glorifies “going out on top” as part of a corporate strategy, presuming that fans don’t have memories and can’t cope with the complexity of a human life. Legacy belongs in the same pile of bogus thought-propaganda as “controlling the narrative” and “personal brand.”

Donald Trump Licked My Flesh, Part 3

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

2013-09-09T03:49:06.000Z

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. Really enjoyed this one. Love the soundtrack, trimmed down to strings and clapping. There’s some DNA of tense Texas slow-pursuit films like No Country for Old Men, crossed with strains of outlaw lover flicks like Badlands and parts of Days of Heaven.

September 9, 2013

2013-09-09T03:48:11.000Z

Any gifts and time you give to family members are investments in them as people, vs. investments in your relationship with them. It’s “I want the best for you” vs. “I want the best out of you” — a fine distinction, but an important one.

Hax!

I Am Legend

2013-09-03T02:45:12.000Z

I Am Legend. Ah, dude. This could have been so amazing. The early scene in the dark building has to be one of the most intense film moments ever, because Smith is not a commando and he is scared as shit. It’s also filmed just about perfectly. I love the early gut-clenching mood anxiety, and the exploration of the toll of solitude (see also: Moon, Alien, Solaris). The movie goes off the rails by the end. The CGI-fest is jarring enough, but the shift in tone is really disappointing. But man, 90% is incredible. David Bax puts it well:

There’s more to a movie than how it ends. Take, for example, Francis Lawrence’s I Am Legend, which spent an hour building one of the most daring and intense genre blockbusters in years before the third act from some other, dumber movie swooped in and delivered the automatic weaponry and explosions no one was asking for at that point. It’s a shame but it doesn’t obliterate the experience of what came before it.

September 2, 2013

2013-09-02T20:31:37.000Z

94-year-old’s business card. Related.

Two (Sucked) Thumbs Up - NYTimes.com

2013-09-01T23:53:30.000Z

How much can I trust the critical faculties in which I once had so much faith? Now that I see so few movies, every single one is an ecstatic experience. They all become impossibly brilliant and entertaining.

Two (Sucked) Thumbs Up - NYTimes.com

Who Will Prosper in the New World - NYTimes.com

2013-09-01T17:28:02.000Z

A lot of jobs will consist of making people feel either very good or very bad about themselves.

Who Will Prosper in the New World - NYTimes.com

Emmys: Jerry Seinfeld on Why He May Never Go Back to TV (Q&A) - The Hollywood Reporter

2013-09-01T15:12:52.000Z

I made Comedians in Cars out of that show [The Marriage Ref]. If you look at it, you’ll see what I was going for on that show. I think it’s interesting to hear people talk about something that’s powerful and interesting to them out of the box. But I couldn’t make it happen. One of the big things I realized was that the audience is stopping these people from talking. The other thing I realized is that I was much more interested in comedians than I was in a lot of other people whom I thought I was interested in. So, in some ways, I took that pot, smashed it on the ground, took four or five pieces and re-glued them into another thing.

Emmys: Jerry Seinfeld on Why He May Never Go Back to TV (Q&A) - The Hollywood Reporter

September 1, 2013

2013-09-01T15:12:21.000Z

Winners of Chimpanzee Art Contest Announced - The Humane Society of the United States. Art is subjective and all, but this one is definitely the best. Also, I’m feeling a lot of mixed emotions about many aspects of this.

An Impossible Number of Books: Matthew L. Jockers's "Macroanalysis" -

2013-08-30T02:05:16.000Z

Changing the canon — or even a proliferation of canons, as literary studies has fractured into a collection of increasingly well-defined subfields — takes us only so far. Readers are finite creatures, capable of making their way through only a tiny fraction of the millions of books published over the centuries. The problem, at this sort of scale, has less to do with canonical selection bias than it does with our inevitable ignorance of nearly everything that has ever been written. It’s one thing to claim that a particular book was influential in its day (though influence is a tricky matter, more sociological and economic than literary) or that a text has been treated as important in subsequent scholarship. It’s something else entirely to argue that the same book is “representative” of a genre’s or an era’s output, especially when even the best-informed critics have read almost none of the material in question.

An Impossible Number of Books: Matthew L. Jockers's "Macroanalysis" -

Sleepless in Seattle

2013-08-29T02:56:39.000Z

Sleepless in Seattle. ‘93 Meg Ryan, you guys. It’s uneven, but I love how the first hour or so everybody has to wrestle with dreamy wistfulness/“something’s missing” kind of feelings vs. carpe diem/“go get'em” bootstrapping.

August 28, 2013

2013-08-28T01:41:51.000Z

Never attribute to something other than fear that which can be attributed to fear.

Marshall’s Razor, coined by Colin Marshall. Filed under: fear.

August 28, 2013

2013-08-28T01:39:56.000Z

Bill Murray has a good face for this kind of thing.

Tarantino and Spielberg: Two Visions of America - Bright Lights Film Journal

2013-08-28T01:36:32.000Z

The villain is the slaveholder Calvin Candy. He is evil, and as loquacious as anyone in Spielberg’s film; he is suave, and he dispatches his slaves casually and horrifically. At the center point of the movie, he delivers a long, intimidating speech on phrenology. The difference between the races, he explains, is physiological: the construction of the African American skull reveals the construction of their brains, and it is this construction that makes them inferior. […] Here, we are at the epicenter of Tarantino’s vision: the villain is exactly as cool and violent as the hero. Given this tenuous balance, morality becomes a matter of keeping, and defending, a code. This is American history as a story in which the qualities of greatness are also the qualities of terror; it is a vision that understands the double-edged nature of our proclivity for violence and our existential belief in the individual.

Tarantino and Spielberg: Two Visions of America - Bright Lights Film Journal

The Act of Killing

2013-08-20T03:56:00.000Z

The Act of Killing. It follows a few semi-retired Indonesian gangsters/mass-murderers as they make an increasingly bizarre movie about their youth. Probably the most intense documentary I’ve seen. And not at all because it’s graphic (It’s not - the most wrenching scene for me, spoiler, was when you see these guys go on a neighborhood shakedown for cash. It is completely heartbreaking.). It’s just morally rich and a really interesting text, excuse the academic-ese. All about storytelling, memory, forgetting; the influence of movies; youth vs. age. Totally worth it.

The Strange Ascent of ‘Strained Pulp’ - NYTimes.com

2013-08-20T03:26:53.000Z

There was a time when just about anything — dumb commercial entertainment, ugly clothes, the weird dishes your grandmother used to serve — could be appreciated and appropriated in quotation marks. Strained pulp is not quite that — its celebration of the formerly marginal and disreputable is serious and sincere. The condescension is not overt but is latent in the desire to correct and improve the recipes retrieved from the past, to finish vernacular artifacts with a highbrow glaze. We’re going to make ’em — movies, cocktails, regional dishes, zombie novels, garage-rock anthems — just the way they used to, but a little bit better. This strikes me as a form of snobbery. But then again, maybe I’m the snob.

The Strange Ascent of ‘Strained Pulp’ - NYTimes.com

August 20, 2013

2013-08-20T02:51:00.000Z

There has never been so much future in my life as at that time.

Karl Ove Knausgaard, on the early days with his firstborn. Cf. Lev Grossman.

The Serengeti Lion

2013-08-19T16:51:55.000Z

I’m trying to imagine how my 8-year-old self would have reacted to this. Pretty nifty.

The Serengeti Lion

The Case Against Eating Lunch Outside

2013-08-18T00:35:51.000Z

Only on special “it’s such a nice day!” kind of days do people want to go outside. But what’s a nice day? Well, it’s a day when the temperature outside approximates the results of indoor climate control technology.

The Case Against Eating Lunch Outside

August 18, 2013

2013-08-18T00:35:23.000Z

Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.

William Munny, life coach (via austinkleon)

Not New York: Building Book Culture in Dallas, TX | Publishing Trendsetter

2013-08-18T00:35:00.000Z

On the other side of the equation, I can’t bear the thought that people think they have to move to New York to work in publishing, especially when the future of this country, and the publishing industry, is going to be found outside of New York.

My buddy @WillEvans is the coolest.

Not New York: Building Book Culture in Dallas, TX | Publishing Trendsetter

August 13, 2013

2013-08-13T01:55:07.000Z

Pickling Basics: Easiest Refrigerator Pickles | The Kitchn. This might have changed my life. Early exit polls are promising.

Themes and analysis of No Country for Old Men (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2013-08-13T01:49:23.000Z

Well this is… thorough.

Themes and analysis of No Country for Old Men (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

No Country for Old Men

2013-08-13T01:49:03.000Z

No Country for Old Men. Still one of the best I’ve ever seen. I love this movie.

Weekend

2013-08-10T22:29:10.000Z

Weekend. I’ve seen unorthodox movies, before (like other Godard films) but… dang. Absurdist dystopia at its peak. Pleasantly surprised at the effectiveness of the soundtrack, and the traffic jam scene is a delight.

Cormac McCarthy's Vocabulary Is Better Than Yours: Blood Meridian {spoilers!}

2013-08-10T22:23:16.000Z

sprent
anchorite
tailorwise
carbolic
chancel
halms
scantlin(g)
vernier
hasping
jacal
purlieus
bistre
sotol
kerfs
scoria
ratchel
porphyry
mare imbrium
apishamore
marl
ignis fatuus
cibolero
enfilade
acequias
spanceled
azoteas
debouched
topers
chert
eskers
escopeta
shakos
caparisoned
serried
devonian
charivari
catafalque
ciborium
guttapercha
shacto
vedette
suzerain
almagre
roweled
withy
criada
sutlers
billets
spalls
whinstones
scrog
chorines
alameda
vigas
guisado
sclera
baldric
lemniscate
tiswin
demiculverin
revetment
holothurians
morral
alcalde
skelps
baize
cabildo
lazarous
scow
thaumaturge
atavistic
scapular
fard
sprues
alparejas
mansuete
replevined
pampooties
skifts
burins
dosshouse
pitero
matracas
nickered
bagnios
scapegrace
peignoirs

Battleship Potemkin

2013-08-08T00:32:04.000Z

Battleship Potemkin. This is an Important Movie, I hear. I didn’t find myself completely edge-of-my-seat captivated from moment-to-moment, but it holds up pretty well and it’s still interesting for a number of historical reasons. That scene at the Odessa staircase is legit.

Only God Forgives

2013-08-08T00:29:42.000Z

Only God Forgives. Almost fell asleep. Veeerrry nice to look at, here and there, but it’s kinda boring. Even setting aside plot and taking everything as symbol or allegory or myth or archetype, the tension didn’t hold for me. None of the energy or electricity you see in Drive. Not quite as starkly focused as Valhalla Rising. No knockout performance like in Bronson. All that said, I did dig the ongoing hands/power/potency theme, and the use of an international setting without a ton of dumb exoticizing.

Is Amazon Art a doomed venture? Let’s hope so

2013-08-08T00:29:30.000Z

One enduring feature of the art world is that a given piece will sell for much more in one context rather than another. The same painting that might sell for 5k from a lower tier dealer won’t command more than 2k on eBay, if that. Yet it could sell for 10k, as a bargain item, relatively speaking, if it ended up in the right NYC gallery (which it probably wouldn’t). Where does Amazon stand in this hierarchy? It doesn’t look promising.

Is Amazon Art a doomed venture? Let’s hope so

Upstream Color

2013-08-05T03:39:07.000Z

Upstream Color. This is a special piece of moviemaking. I definitely dig it more than the first time I saw it, and I liked it a lot then. The sound really stood out this time. So much attention to detail. I knew I was going to watch it again, but the urgency increased after Mills wrote about it and then wrote a little more.

Sullivan's Travels

2013-08-05T03:39:00.000Z

Sullivan’s Travels. A good light comedy aimed at deflating Hollywood pretension and moral bluster. It took a minute in the first act to catch up with that rapid-fire dialogue. So good. And there’s an insane chase scene with delightfully escalating slapstick. The third act shift to high drama caught me off-guard, but it works. Bonus trivia: this film is the first appearance of the fake novel O Brother, Where Art Thou? This was another edition in an irregular series of road movies, loosely defined. I think Weekend is next.

Two New Books About Jorge Luis Borges : The New Yorker

2013-08-02T23:22:53.000Z

Borges’s fictional universe is relentlessly, oppressively male. He wrote very few female characters, and there is a vision of masculinity—violent, fearless, austere—that exists in his work as a counterpoint to its obsessive bookishness, and neither ideal has much room for the presence of women, writers or otherwise. His abstraction meant, among other things, a removal from the heat and chaos of human relationships. There is very little love in his work, very little emotional intensity; its richness and complexity is that of philosophical problems, of theology and ontology, not of human relationships.

Two New Books About Jorge Luis Borges : The New Yorker

August 2, 2013

2013-08-02T01:55:49.000Z

Each of us is born with a series of built-in confusions that are probably somehow Darwinian. These are: (1) we’re central to the universe (that is, our personal story is the main and most interesting story, the only story, really); (2) we’re separate from the universe (there’s US and then, out there, all that other junk – dogs and swing-sets, and the State of Nebraska and low-hanging clouds and, you know, other people), and (3) we’re permanent (death is real, o.k., sure – for you, but not for me).

George Saunders.

Doubles

2013-08-02T01:10:30.000Z

mashatupitsyn:

The Passenger, 1975

The Master, 2012

August 2, 2013

2013-08-02T01:07:43.000Z

austinkleon:

Roz Chast, Man reads the obituaries, 1993

Via @BruceTracy. Filed under: obituaries

Borges and the Sharknado Problem

2013-07-29T02:44:07.000Z

Borges:

The composition of vast books is a laborious and impoverishing extravagance. To go on for five hundred pages developing an idea whose perfect oral exposition is possible in a few minutes! A better course of procedure is to pretend that these books already exist, and then to offer a resume, a commentary … More reasonable, more inept, more indolent, I have preferred to write notes upon imaginary books.

Some books better left unwritten! Oh, but here again I will recommend Imaginary Magnitude, which I shortlisted last year:

A collection of introductions to fictional books covering, among other things, x-ray pornograms, computer-generated literature, and a biography of a sentient, moody super-computer. If you like the Borges above [Dreamtigers], or Borges in general, or strange science fiction, or strange conceptual writing in general, this is absolutely a book for you.

Borges and the Sharknado Problem

ATL Urbanist: Friendship Baptist and the Atlanta Falcons

2013-07-29T02:36:56.000Z

atlurbanist:

A very clever person named Kyle Kessler put together this chart, helpfully comparing Friendship Baptist Church and the Atlanta Falcons.

One of two possible sites for the construction of the new Atlanta Falcons stadium would require the purchase and demolition of this 1873 church building.

ATL Urbanist: Friendship Baptist and the Atlanta Falcons

Emily Nussbaum: How “Sex and the City” Lost its Good Name : The New Yorker

2013-07-23T15:16:01.000Z

High-feminine instead of fetishistically masculine, glittery rather than gritty, and daring in its conception of character, “Sex and the City” was a brilliant and, in certain ways, radical show. It also originated the unacknowledged first female anti-hero on television: ladies and gentlemen, Carrie Bradshaw.

Also:

Why is the show so often portrayed as a set of empty, static cartoons, an embarrassment to womankind? It’s a classic misunderstanding, I think, stemming from an unexamined hierarchy: the assumption that anything stylized (or formulaic, or pleasurable, or funny, or feminine, or explicit about sex rather than about violence, or made collaboratively) must be inferior.

Emily Nussbaum: How “Sex and the City” Lost its Good Name : The New Yorker

July 23, 2013

2013-07-23T15:14:12.000Z

In Climbing Income Ladder, Location Matters - NYTimes.com.

All else being equal, upward mobility tended to be higher in metropolitan areas where poor families were more dispersed among mixed-income neighborhoods. Income mobility was also higher in areas with more two-parent households, better elementary schools and high schools, and more civic engagement, including membership in religious and community groups.

Hey wait that cuts across party lines what should I believe?! Cf. The Geography of Stuck.

Mills Baker's review of Upstream Color (2013 movie) - Quora

2013-07-23T03:28:06.000Z

Read it! Watch it! I have to get this in the re-watch queue. It lingers.

Mills Baker's review of Upstream Color (2013 movie) - Quora

July 22, 2013

2013-07-22T03:11:39.000Z

Heroism is often some seriously boring stuff.

Carolyn Hax.

July 22, 2013

2013-07-22T01:51:11.000Z

Around Alone - Laphams’ Quarterly.

July 22, 2013

2013-07-22T01:51:07.000Z

Drift Compatible - Geek Empire. In which L. Rhodes uses Pacific Rim as a pivot to talk about kaiju films as manifestations of urban anxiety, and issues that come out of genre and fandom in general. Good reminder that I can learn from bad movies, too.

When a fanboy defends Pacific Rim to those audience members by saying, “What did you expect?” the underlying issue is genre. An astute viewer will learn to expect certain things from movies that fall into certain genres. A clever filmmaker will learn how to use those expectations to advantage. A fair-minded critic will keep those expectations in mind when judging a genre film. Things are rarely so simple. For one thing, genres carry their own history implicitly, and that often makes it difficult to understand just what’s at stake…

A Synopsis of Tim Burton's Batman Based Only on the Prince Soundtrack

2013-07-16T03:20:24.000Z

The 1989 Batman is the first time I remember hearing Prince’s music. So many good things in this movie. “Gentlemen! Let’s broaden our minds!”

A Synopsis of Tim Burton's Batman Based Only on the Prince Soundtrack

Pacific Rim

2013-07-15T00:14:00.000Z

Pacific Rim. It’s a pretty mediocre-to-bad movie that I had a lot of fun watching. The dialogue is merely serviceable when it isn’t just blatant crib notes for the audience. It borrows from many good sources (Japanese montster/mecha/anime traditions, Top Gun, Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers, Aliens, and more…), but doesn’t rise to their level. It trades in some really terrible international typing. The comic-relief duo is cringe-worthy. It also got caught in a weird zone where it was too long, they edited it down so there are strange gaps and emotional undertones that aren’t prepared well. And it’s still too long. And yet… I had fun. Guess I lucked out with good company and a good attitude that afternoon. The fights are good corny spectacles that activated my brain’s primitive comic fanboy region. It’s not good, but you might have a good time.

jomc.links: This mesmerizing image contains all of LeBron James’ scores in Game 7...

2013-07-14T23:46:25.000Z

jomc:

This mesmerizing image contains all of LeBron James’ scores in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. It lasts only four seconds, but one could gaze at it for quite some time. It almost seems to contain the entire history of the game, evoking a sense of data, like a visual stats card. It has information inside of it, but we can only understand the data by repetition. By definition, you have to watch The Loop again and again to understand its depth.

Loops are not short films. Loops are more like spreadsheets: data, but with a fourth dimension, time. Without the repetition, you would not see the data.

http://tribecafilm.com/future-of-film/trapped-in-the-loop-edward-snowden-gifs-vine-instagram

jomc.links: This mesmerizing image contains all of LeBron James’ scores in Game 7...

July 10, 2013

2013-07-10T00:22:00.000Z

Dance floor at Burt’s Place, a short-lived ATL restaurant/nightclub.

Study Hacks » The Need for a Deeper Vocabulary of Career Aspiration

2013-07-08T16:07:33.000Z

Students tend to place too much importance on the specifics of a job, as if there was a specific knowledge work pursuit hardwired in their genes.

Study Hacks » The Need for a Deeper Vocabulary of Career Aspiration

bookforum talks with karl ove knausgaard - bookforum.com / interviews

2013-07-08T16:07:21.000Z

Good interview. My Struggle sounds so strange. Here’s Knausgaard talking about the magic that happened when he stopped filtering and perfecting his writing, and just started going for sheer volume:

When I was nineteen, I went to a yearlong course in creative writing. There, some simple rules dominated, and the most important one dealt with quality: if a sentence was bad, you removed it. If a scene was bad, you removed it. The critical reading of the texts always resulted in parts being deleted. So that was what I did. My writing became more and more minimalist. In the end, I couldn’t write at all. For seven or eight years, I hardly wrote. But then I had a revelation. What if I did the opposite? What if, when a sentence or a scene was bad, I expanded it, and poured in more and more? After I started to do that, I became free in my writing. Fuck quality, fuck perfection, fuck minimalism. My world isn’t minimalist; my world isn’t perfect, so why on earth should my writing be? I then did the same thing with every other rule. Show, don’t tell? What happens if you do tell, really try to tell EVERYTHING, and don’t give a damn about subtext? Something else happens, something you can’t control. No matter how explicitly you describe a person or a scene, there is always a shadow in the text, a kind of tone or sound, and that tone or sound is the important thing. When I freed myself from these restrictions and started to insist on quantity instead of quality, my texts started to get long. Not necessarily good, but long!

Reminds me of Borges on the baroque style: “The Baroque is that style which deliberately exhausts (or tries to exhaust) its possibilities and borders on its own caricature.” In a similar section of the interview I liked, he talks about the balance of family and ambition, and how he started being easier on himself, in a way:

Karen Blixen, the Danish writer, said something like “you can’t go hunting the Grail with a pram.” And she’s right. When I started to write this book, I was deeply frustrated and alienated. We had three kids in four years, and the dominant feeling for both my wife and me was that of living on the edge of chaos. There was a lot of quarreling going on, and at the same time, I was not able to write anything. So at one point I decided to let go of all ambition whatsoever and just write about that: The domestic world, the banality and tristesse of everyday life. I really hated the idea, because I didn’t want trivialities, I wanted the Grail, and when I started to do this, I was ashamed of my writing. The struggle was really to overcome the shame. But taking care of kids and writing do not exclude each other—I would start to write at 4am, then either my wife or I would take them to Kindergarten at 8, and then I would write until 3 pm and spend the rest of the day with them. It’s not Hemingway’s way—as I understand, he wrote from 6 till 12, then started to drink—but it is a way, if not to reach the Grail, then at least to finish some pages every day.

bookforum talks with karl ove knausgaard - bookforum.com / interviews

July 3, 2013

2013-07-03T02:53:42.000Z

One of the things I love about sports is that they let you spend time communing with trepidation and panic without making you face any consequences.

Brian Phillips.

July 3, 2013

2013-07-03T02:53:27.000Z

austinkleon:

An interview with Rick Rubin

On not-knowing:

I never decide if an idea is good or bad until I try it. So much of what gets in the way of things being good is thinking that we know. And the more that we can remove any baggage we’re carrying with us, and just be in the moment, use our ears, and pay attention to what’s happening, and just listen to the inner voice that directs us, the better. But it’s not the voice in your head. It’s a different voice. It’s not intellect. It’s not a brain function. It’s a body function, like running from a tiger.

On producing:

So how would you describe your role as a producer, in general?

Just as fan. Making music that I want to hear. You’re so close to something when you write it that it’s hard to have any perspective on how it hits someone else. My job is to be a professional version of the outside world—a listener who is not attached to any of it, who doesn’t know the story of how it was written, who doesn’t know how it works, who doesn’t know why this is important to you.

On stripping things down:

There’s a tremendous power in using the least amount of information to get a point across.

Wonderful interview.

So great. That part about being a “professional version of the outside world” reminded me of Jeremy Denk’s New Yorker essay about recording, and how hard it is to get perspective. A favorite quote:

In the moment of playing, the logistics of just hitting the notes distract you somewhat from the continuous choices you are making. In the edit you have nothing but choice. And yet you feel helpless, since everything has already been played.

And since he talked about Kanye, remember the rules: No hipster hats. No acoustic guitar in the studio.

Side Effects

2013-07-03T02:47:01.000Z

Side Effects. I made this a Soderbergh-takes-on-controlled-substances double-feature with Traffic. Hitchcockian psycho-thriller here. It gets too clever in the final act, but I like that you see new facets of these characters all the way up to the end. I think his understated style helps manage those swings. Soderbergh can be pretty overt with his themes, especially with some side characters that are basically there for social commentary. The leads are strong, though. I totally forgot about the intro and did the jaw-drop forehead-slap thing with the kitchen scene. Good soundtrack tends to linger and push things along, like in Contagion. And now to catch up on rankings for all the Soderbergh movies I’ve seen:

Haywire
Out of Sight
Magic Mike
The Girlfriend Experience
Solaris
Contagion
The Informant!
Ocean’s Eleven
Traffic
Side Effects
Ocean’s Twelve
Ocean’s Thirteen

Seriously, what a great director. I don’t think you can credibly use the word “mediocre” or even “average” about any of those movies until you get down to number 10 or 11 maybe.

Traffic

2013-07-01T21:14:04.000Z

Traffic. It took a good hour before I realized I’d seen it before. It took a good two seconds before I remembered that I have a huge man-crush on Benicio del Toro. He’s so good. Don Cheadle, too. The movie as a whole is pretty straightforward, docudrama-ish style, not played up for emotions like Babel or other multi-storyline, “highbrow globalist tearjerkers”. A few interesting things… the cool blue tint for U.S. interiors vs. the overexposed yellows in Mexico; the tension between identity and professional image; and the anecdote about Khrushchev and the two letters:

You know, when they forced Khrushchev out, he sat down and wrote two letters to his successor. He said, “When you get yourself into a situation you can’t get out of, open the first letter, and you’ll be safe. When you get yourself into another situation you can’t get out of, open the second letter”. Well, soon enough, this guy found himself into a tight place, so he opened the first letter. Which said, “Blame everything on me”. So he blames the old man, it worked like a charm. He got himself into a second situation he couldn’t get out of, he opened the second letter. It said, “Sit down, and write two letters”.

Hilary Mantel reviews ‘Tormented Hope’ by Brian Dillon · LRB 5 November 2009

2013-07-01T18:01:54.000Z

Anxiety about a specific symptom is more bearable and easier to rationalise than the diffuse ontological malaise that used to be known as spiritual despair. It is easier to say ‘my knee is killing me,’ because we know it isn’t, than to dwell in the belief that the clock is ticking and that the journey from birth to death is a journey to extinction; it is better to have a symptom than to have a void inside.

Hilary Mantel reviews ‘Tormented Hope’ by Brian Dillon · LRB 5 November 2009

The French Connection

2013-07-01T01:56:03.000Z

The French Connection. It’s a great “mean cop” flick. Gene Hackman’s “Popeye” Doyle is pretty unlikeable, but you still find yourself on his side despite all the recklessness and disregard for, y'know, the law. I love the attention to detective details here, the surveillance stuff with all the stake-outs, and the car tails, and the cat-and-mouse following on foot with a switching team. Also: that final chase is legit.

June 30, 2013

2013-06-30T22:56:04.000Z

The best Pixar movies as chosen by children - Slate Magazine. Know your audience. On a related note, the last Pixar movie I saw was WALL·E; the last Pixar movie I saw in a theater… Toy Story. No real reason. Just a slacker with no children to drag me there.

June 30, 2013

2013-06-30T22:50:39.000Z

Frank Chimero × Blog × Web Tableaus

The past week has provided a few notable redesigns of popular web services, including Squarespace and MailChimp. It’s interesting to note the visual similarities in how they have chosen to present themselves: photographed tableaus with props around laptops, tablets, and phones.

See also Matt Thomas’s great post on depicting knowledge work in film, and Felix Salmon’s recent tumble on marketing for mobile banking apps.

Both feature a cup of artisanal coffee on a dark wood counter, next to an iPhone 4 displaying the app in question. How to choose between them?

Surface Tension

2013-06-30T22:50:16.000Z

How big a role has court technology played in tennis’s current golden age?

As the different court surfaces are modified to play more similarly, players whose game is well-suited to those physics will dominate more and more. I’d never thought about this before.

Maybe relevant here: The same four players have won every major and Olympic gold medal except one in the past eight years. That’s 34 big titles for Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Andy Murray, and one for every other tennis player on earth.

Surface Tension

THE MINUTE I GET HOME FROM WORK

2013-06-28T14:37:00.000Z

hollywoodassistants:

Ah, summertime commuting in the South.

The Conversation

2013-06-28T14:26:13.000Z

The Conversation. Great, great flick. The scale is so small and focused, and the protagonist is a perfect tragic character, in turns expert and inept. Themes: Surveillance and paranoia. Temptation vs. dull professionalism. Signal, noise, interpretation, expertise. I love how the movie’s opening and closing mirror each other, or maybe I should say echo each other. Gene Hackman is fantastic. Harrison Ford has one of the best scowls in the game. Fun fact: Coppola released both this and The Godfather Part II in 1974. That’s a good year, huh?

Sinking Into the World of 'Upstream Color' With Director Shane Carruth - Movies - BlackBook

2013-06-28T14:25:54.000Z

I love narrative and how it exists and why it exists and how it’s meant to be used. You can come up with a paragraph full of some truth, something that’s universal, some exploration, and it can be really informative, but it’s likely to not be that interesting. But you can spin a story, you can tell a narrative, and you can infuse it with this stuff, and if you’ve done your job right, you haven’t just captured somebody’s attention long enough to take them on this journey, you’ve also figured out something about the exploration through the act of the story.

Says the guy who made one of the most interesting movies I’ve seen this year.

Sinking Into the World of 'Upstream Color' With Director Shane Carruth - Movies - BlackBook

Kanye West and White Women | The Awl

2013-06-28T14:25:50.000Z

I haven’t heard the album yet.

Kanye West and White Women | The Awl

June 26, 2013

2013-06-26T02:16:03.000Z

The Cookbook Theory of Economics - By Tyler Cowen | Foreign Policy. Cookbooks as a proxy for economic development…

Soon it will be possible to cook the dishes of the entire world, but only those, alas, that survive the process of commercialization and standardization.

June 26, 2013

2013-06-26T02:14:57.000Z

If Saturn were as close as the moon. Sign me up.

Man of Steel

2013-06-23T23:53:19.000Z

Man of Steel. The best part of this movie was seeing Michael Shannon in Kansas, which reminded me I need to watch Take Shelter again. Otherwise, very disappointing and a waste of a good cast. Snyder bit off more themes than he could chew, even with 2.5 hours to work with. All dull rush and no impact. Then it devolves into heartless, comprehensive destruction. This is not a Superman that speaks to me. Oh, well. I’ll always have the teaser.

Ambivalence Is Awesome - Slate Magazine

2013-06-23T23:52:55.000Z

Echoes of The Antidote and that recent Carolyn Hax quote. Life is messy. Ambivalence Is Awesome - Slate Magazine

Before Midnight

2013-06-23T23:47:05.000Z

Before Midnight. I’d call it a must-see if you’ve seen and liked the previous two movies. It’s been a real treat to see these fictional people grow and change. There’s a couple moments in there (a dinner table monologue, a sunset countdown) that are so perfectly heartstring-tugging and bittersweet. I also liked the expanded cast with some couples older and younger to add some ground or contrast, and the timely nods to new technology and ways we connect. Somewhat in the same vein, I have to recommend Certified Copy, a brilliant walk-and-talk Mediterranean maybe-romance.

Choice And The Moral Universe Of 'Man Of Steel' [Opinion] - ComicsAlliance

2013-06-23T23:46:02.000Z

Different heroes have different values, different roles, and they tell different stories. For much of the audience, Superman is the virtuous hero, and a story that doesn’t explore this is not a Superman story. And really, the makers of Man of Steel did not seem overly interested in telling a Superman story.

Ditto everything in this essay.

Choice And The Moral Universe Of 'Man Of Steel' [Opinion] - ComicsAlliance

The Cabin in the Woods

2013-06-23T15:39:23.000Z

The Cabin in the Woods. A delight through and through. The framing plot that keeps things a little sluggish early also pushes it towards some glorious, satisfying excess before the ending. Great script. I’m no connoisseur of the genre, but Tucker & Dale vs Evil is another really great horror-satire I’d recommend.

Bronson

2013-06-23T15:26:28.000Z

Bronson. It’s an oddball comedy-horror character portrait, goofier and more stylized than I expected, e.g. the frequent juxtaposed opera in the soundtrack. My respect for Tom Hardy keeps growing. Refn really has a thing for these violent loner types. Hunger is a very, very different look at a UK prison experience that’s worth seeing.

The Mega-Death of Summer Movies - Richard Lawson - The Atlantic Wire

2013-06-23T14:31:50.000Z

I know it would be a bummer to show 10,000 funerals in a summertime movie, but then maybe don’t kill 10,000 people while people are trying to have a good time?

The Mega-Death of Summer Movies - Richard Lawson - The Atlantic Wire

June 23, 2013

2013-06-23T14:31:40.000Z

Girls on Film: Before Midnight and the evolution of one of cinema’s most dynamic women.

Yes, they are some of the most critically acclaimed cinematic romances in decades. Yes, they represent the “little engine that could” in a creative system in which only big-budget popcorn flicks tend to get multiple sequels. Yes, they are an enjoyable departure from the current standard of overly frenetic, quick-cut filmmaking. But they are also the only films that strive — and succeed — to create a detailed and ongoing look at the female experience.

June 23, 2013

2013-06-23T14:31:17.000Z

I love the fact that I’m bad at [things], you know what I’m saying? I’m forever the 35-year-old 5-year-old. I’m forever the 5-year-old of something.

Kanye West.

June 21, 2013

2013-06-21T04:59:58.000Z

There’s no need for you to “decide” on one feeling. If we don’t allow ourselves multiple, confusing, even conflicting feelings, then how else do we learn to deal with people when the going gets gray?

Carolyn Hax.

June 21, 2013

2013-06-21T04:51:13.000Z

themartachronicles:

MARTA could reduce average wait times and improve customer satisfaction by extending the Blue Line Train’s final eastbound destination from Candler Park to Indian Creek during rush hour.

As a frequent rider on the eastbound Blue Line train, I often wonder why MARTA runs a short train that terminates service at Candler Park instead of continuing on to East Lake, Decatur, Avondale, Kensington, and Indian Creek stations. This odd routing decision adds up to 7 minutes—not an insignificant amount of waiting time—to each one-way trip for riders traveling eastbound from Five Points to stations beyond Candler Park.

I’m often struck by how few people get on the “mini” train, but I figured I was missing something because surely MARTA would only do this extra level of service to customers headed to heavily used stations.

However, I took a look at the station ridership data…

Yep, the short route is kinda ridiculously empty in the mornings.

Charlie Munger's 18 Biases That Cause You to Fool Yourself and Make Bad Decisions

2013-06-21T04:48:52.000Z

Munger! Charlie Munger's 18 Biases That Cause You to Fool Yourself and Make Bad Decisions

June 21, 2013

2013-06-21T04:48:48.000Z

The consumer fallacy the tech-sector surrounds us with is that the progress we need comes in upgrades.

Scott Berkun.

Fast & Furious 6

2013-06-21T04:47:42.000Z

Fast & Furious 6. The best yet, no doubt. Two things help. One, it gets back to the roots a little bit (good drivers in fast cars going fast, car porn, bounteous stylishness). And two, it’s much, much better at what Fast Five tried to do (go bigger and more outrageous). I think I have to call it my favorite. Rankings:

Adam Yauch’s Top 10 - The Criterion Collection

2013-06-14T13:56:49.000Z

3. Nights of Cabiria. I don’t know what to write. I just love this movie.
4. Yojimbo. I guess you have figured out by now that I am really not going to review any of the films that I picked.

Adam Yauch’s Top 10 - The Criterion Collection

June 14, 2013

2013-06-14T13:56:45.000Z

proustitute:

Jorge Luis Borges takes a leak (via biblioklept)

They’re just like us! Background on the photo. Filed under: Borges.

June 8, 2013

2013-06-08T00:40:52.000Z

vruba:

Here is something I sometimes watch when there’s stressful news.

If you live near a coast of the US, you’ve probably seen many MH/HH-60/65 search and rescue helicopters in Coast Guard orange and white. They are nicknamed Tupperwolves by some crews: Tupper from Tupperware®, because they are more plastic than most aircraft, and wolf from the show Airwolf, which starred a heroic helicopter. These craft appeared in my childhood as fire trucks might have appeared in others’. YouTube provides us with many videos of them at work. They are full of danger but end happily through careful, altruistic collaboration.

The Coast Guard’s air-sea rescues are by teams of three: a pilot (including a basically inert co-pilot), who flies the helicopter, a flight mechanic/hoist operator, who raises and lowers the basket, and a rescue swimmer, who gets survivors into the basket. From this you can guess that the pilot must be a virtuoso, and the swimmer clearly a great athlete, but you might suppose that the hoist operator could be anyone who can push a lever. Not so. Watch a minute or two of the typical video above (you may skip at random; I particularly enjoy the part starting at about 2:10).

The hoist operator is the one doing almost all the talking, and she’s doing it because she’s the nexus of the whole operation. The pilot is indeed an expert, a real world-class hoverer, but he’s in a machine with a floor, and so, because he’s trying to stay over something drifting below him in heavy seas – instead of an abstract, GPS-defined point – he’s blind. He can act as a lookout for dangerous waves, and he can tell the hoist operator if she asks for something impossible, but basically the helicopter moves at her direction.

Meanwhile, the swimmer is generally off-radio because speakers and microphones don’t enjoy swimming without a facemask (and he would be inaudible in the spray and downwash anyway); he communicates with the hoist operator mostly by gesture. So running the hoist itself is really the least of her duties – probably the pilot could have the lever and she could give him directions. Her actual job is to have situational awareness of the entire rescue. She’s the one who integrates a picture of the whole operation (wave timings, the helicopter’s flight charactersitics, the swimmer’s actions, …) and makes the decisions about what’s going to happen next. She’s constantly handling ambiguity, making small plans, and ensuring that her partners have the information they need when they need it.

For example, one thing you start to notice as you watch these is that the hoist operators do a lot of subtle preventative work to avoid pendulum motions building up in the basket in the combination of wind and downwash. A swinging basket could destabilize the helicopter or slam the survivor against it when they came alongside, but the hoist operator’s only tools are the timing of their directions to the pilot and direct manipulation of the cable. This is enough: you never see out-of-control swinging.

This one has some after-the-fact remarks from the pilot (NVG means night-vision goggles).

I wasn’t being snide when I called the pilots world-class hoverers.

This one illustrates that a person standing among redwoods is still referred to as a swimmer on a deck, and that hoist operators often work lying prone.

At about 2:42 here, the pilot asks whether the swimmer is traversing, and from then on the hoist operator gives him updates on that. (Many survivors will be in shock or hypothermic, and thus behaving erratically while still looking and superficially sounding healthy.) Later, the hoist operator is concerned about cleanly breaking contact with the cliff – lifting too much from the inshore side would pull the swimmer and survivor along the rocks, but too much from the offshore side would cause a pendulum; as a complicating factor, downwash does strange things along irregular slopes.

Here we have the interesting twist of talking to the survivor on the phone.

Although it’s likely that this crew is merely operating briskly because of the good weather conditions, compared to the deliberateness of the other rescues it seems almost as if they’re in a hurry to get this rescue over with so they can run other minor errands in this one.

These help me when I’m feeling complicated about human nature, ethical intervention, the potential for good of various kinds of personal and organizational power, etc. I hope they might do the same for you.

Everyone now and then the internet gives you something you didn’t know you’d find fascinating. This is the best.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

June 8, 2013

2013-06-08T00:40:48.000Z

These Aren’t the PRISMs You’re Looking For - Waxy.org.

I’m a little obsessed with the story that broke yesterday about PRISM, the NSA/FBI project to gather information from popular Internet services, including Facebook, Google, and Apple.

So, naturally, I’ve been doing a lot of digging about the story on *.gov websites. In the process, I realized that the U.S. government loves the “PRISM” acronym. There are literally dozens of projects and applications named PRISM at the state and federal level, many with delightfully goofy logos. Here are some of my favorites.

Frances Ha

2013-06-06T20:20:04.000Z

Frances Ha. I loved it. We’re all incomplete; this is about filling in the gaps. The way it treats deep friendship is so rare in movies. There’s a great California interlude with family that underscores the theme. Home can be so comfortable, but we leave it and we have to figure out how to find that support elsewhere. Other things I liked: Gerwig has a delightfully expressive face, and great timing. I thought the script was funny and loose – it didn’t feel have the volleyball bump-set-smash rhythm to the jokes, just kept rolling along through the bad ones and the good ones. And a good bit of the humor is cinematic, based on a cut/juxtaposition, or underscored with music and a lingering camera. The black-and-white photography and marvelous bursts of music throughout bring to mind Woody Allen + French New Wave. It doesn’t feel like an homage, but it’s similarly joyful. Good flick.

June 6, 2013

2013-06-06T20:19:59.000Z

t3chn0ir:

Heat (1995)

Heat!

Bright Wall/Dark Room.: Seinfeld (1990-1998)

2013-06-06T20:19:50.000Z

brightwalldarkroom:

NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT**.**

by Elizabeth Cantwell

I love that [Elaine] eats on screen—a lot—and it’s so normal that she doesn’t even have to say a bunch of jokey punchlines about it. Liz Lemon is perhaps a good counterexample here—she’s also often portrayed eating, but whether it’s a donut or a pizza or a piece of cheese, the food is always the punchline to a joke. Because watching a cute woman eat a lot is just HILARIOUS to us, right? But Elaine, she just walks into Jerry’s kitchen and starts eating cereal—or ice cream, or muffins—while talking about the weather or about how she hates her roommate or about toupees. Not one word about the food. It’s almost as though she’s just eating because she’s hungry or even—gasp!—because she simply wants to. This is maybe the healthiest portrayal of a woman’s appetite I’ve ever seen on screen.

Man, I had the biggest crush on Elaine.

Okay, I’m not fooling anyone with the past tense there.

Bright Wall/Dark Room.: Seinfeld (1990-1998)

June 6, 2013

2013-06-06T20:17:07.000Z

The full story is never as tidy as the one that starts with “Obviously . . .”

Carolyn Hax.

Valhalla Rising

2013-06-04T20:59:02.000Z

Valhalla Rising. I wonder if, seen in a different state of mind, I would call this brooding rather than plodding. So much slow motion and silence, which is punctuated by some astounding brutality. There are hints at good things, but just didn’t do it for me. I’m trying to catch up on the Refn filmography before Only God Forgives, and I definitely have to recommend Drive over this one.

Fast Five

2013-06-04T20:34:10.000Z

Fast Five. My, my. This franchise has gone a long way from where it started. I’m struggling to keep up. More is more, but also more is not more. The movie warms up with bus-jacking followed by a high-speed train robbery. Street races feels so quaint in comparison. But it also means this movie doesn’t feel as idiosyncratic as the earlier ones in the series, and there’s more standard-fare crude language, violence, vulgarity. Exploding toilets? Come on, guys. Although, there was one scene where Walker had this goofy, exhilarated smile and just seemed so happy to be at the heart of all the destruction, and I’m like, yeah, I get that. The final tow-chase was legit. This one also has the undeniable joy of a cast reunion and team chemistry. It’s heist time! (Downside: Sorkin-style teamsplaining the plot, and the inevitable camera that rotates around the planning table at HQ.) And alas, I couldn’t help but let out a resigned sigh when I saw the team’s bundle of new gadgets and spy-tech. Vin Diesel seems to have acquired superhuman strength, and a new rival in the no-nonsense fast-talking Dwayne Johnson (hints of TLJ in The Fugitive), and they get in a fight that’s not very interesting. The family/togetherness theme was more upfront in this one than the others. “Money will come and go. We know that. But the most important thing in life will always be the people in this room.” And earlier, “Promise me we stick together.” It made me remember back to Tokyo Drift: “I have money. It’s trust and character I need around me. You know, who you choose to be around you lets you know who you are.” With that in mind, I think that’s why some of the best tension of the franchise isn’t in this film: for the most part, they’ve staked out their loyalties and they don’t have to wrestle with them very much. Two last notes: One, I was disappointed to hear a greater reliance on fairly standard orchestral scores; I remember the earlier movies having more song-based soundtracks that were connected with locale. And two, I love how they did the subtitles, floating and fading out on the screen instead of hugging the bottom edge. Small touch, but it’s cool that they took the time to make it cool.

June 3, 2013

2013-06-03T19:12:37.000Z

New York’s Hometown Paper Doesn’t Get How New York City Streets Work | Streetsblog New York City.

Spatial footprint of bikes, cars, and buses: In a city where street space is limited, you need to prioritize the most spatially efficient modes of travel, or else streets don’t work well for anyone.

Disclaimer: I don’t own a bike.

June 3, 2013

2013-06-03T19:12:00.000Z

Stravinsky in a Conversation. This totally made my day. Stravinsky drinking Scotch with Nicolas Nabokov, talking about paparazzi, consulting his Russian-English dictionary (“diligent”), getting the camera crew to drink up, learning bad news about Cocteau. (via)

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Man On Cusp Of Having Fun Suddenly Remembers Every Single One Of His Responsibilities | The Onion

2013-06-03T14:53:55.000Z

Man On Cusp Of Having Fun Suddenly Remembers Every Single One Of His Responsibilities | The Onion

June 3, 2013

2013-06-03T14:53:38.000Z

Memento mori - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Timepieces were formerly an apt reminder that your time on Earth grows shorter with each passing minute. Public clocks would be decorated with mottos such as ultima forsan (“perhaps the last” [hour]) or vulnerant omnes, ultima necat (“they all wound, and the last kills”).

The Jefferson Bible - The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth by Thomas Jefferson

2013-06-02T13:35:53.000Z

I figured I should read this eventually. I mean look at this thing. It cuts off the miraculous bookends of Jesus’ life and focuses on the Enlightenment-friendly moralizing. There was nothing in here I hadn’t heard before, but reading it in all in one go made me remember how many common phrases come out of the Bible. A quick run-through, just from the Sermon on the Mount:

blessed are the…
salt of the earth
light of the world
town upon a hill
turn the other cheek
left hand knowing what the right hand is doing
serving two masters
can’t serve God and mammon
lilies of the field
ye of little faith
tomorrow will worry about itself
just not, lest you be judged
cast pearls before swine
seek and you will find
do to others what you would have them do to you
wolf in sheep’s clothing
by their fruit you will recognize them
bearing bad fruit

And that section is only, what, 2500 words? That’s some influential shit.

The Jefferson Bible - The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth by Thomas Jefferson

June 2, 2013

2013-06-02T13:35:44.000Z

My first upholstery project. I made this.

The Antidote (review)

2013-06-01T23:47:28.000Z

As the Buddha said two and a half thousand years ago, we're all out of our fucking minds! That's just the way we are. - Albert Ellis

What a fine book. If, like me, you have ongoing interest in stoicism, happiness, mindfulness meditation, thinking about death and failure, and tend to be a skeptical of your Rhonda Byrne/Tony Robbins types (but are at the same time, kind of amused by them), you'll probably like Oliver Burkeman's The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking. In every chapter, there's some kind of personal connection--an interview, an experiment, field research--but it doesn't turn preachy or antagonistic. He's not much for dishy takedowns or "turns out" revelations. He examines a few traditions or lines of thinking, and connects them with an experience. I think he strikes a good balance between his first-person narrative and his research and exploration. Early on, Burkeman suggests that one weakness in happy thinking is what you might call a reductionist problem: life is messier than that. Most things aren't binary. Life is full of uncertainty, there are constant threats to our precarious hold on whatever we've got going for us, and, to top it all off, there's a shitty, guaranteed end result:

No matter how much success you may experience in life, your eventual story will be one of failure. Your bodily organs will fail, and you will die.

You have to make peace with that. And blinding, sunny optimism doesn't always afford the opportunity. Burkeman finds a practical objection to positive thinking that I hadn't considered: Kind of like the challenge "do not think of a pink elephant", when you try to live the admonition to "think positive", you end up with this constant meta-cognitive scanning. Am I thinking happy? Is this a negative thought? Am I successfully not thinking about bad things X, Y, and Z? You naturally think of negative things while policing yourself for negative thoughts. How can you change this? One alternative is a more stoic approach. Avoid or minimize the labeling in the first place, or confront it honestly and let it go. After all,

Nothing outside your own mind can properly be described as negative or positive at all.

It's a more global perspective. Outside events run through a filter (our beliefs) and then generate some interior reaction. If you really embrace this, you get more power over how you (choose to) feel. And how bad can it be, really? That's another more stoic/realist tactic: face the disaster head-on. Imagine, in detail, how bad it could be. One advantage of this worst-case scenario approach: it "turns infinite fears into finite ones". I love that. Another practical barrier to positive thinking I thought was interesting was about affirmations: we simply don't internalize them very well. And when things like "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough..." just don't ring true with how we already conceive of ourselves, thinking them is only going to make us more anxious. Even positive visualization can make you relax instead of pumping you up. And I love this line about advice and motivation:

Motivational advice risks making things worse by surreptitiously strengthening your belief that you need to feel motivated before you can act. By encouraging an attachment to a particular emotional state, it actually inserts an additional hurdle between you and your goal.

So, the stoic approach is valuable: it's gonna suck, you don't feel like it, and you won't anytime soon, it might be a disaster, but do it anyway. Whatever "it" is. In the chapter on Buddhism, non-attachment, and meditation, he brings up Albert Ellis' idea of "musturbation". We become obsessed with things we want. We become absolutist about the results we need. There's a related idea here: "goalodicy" (coined by Christopher Kayes), where we hang on to and internally defend faulty goals as a way of preserving our identity, because we've already invested so much of ourselves in a particular happy outcome. Build things up too much, and you get burned. So meditation is both practice in giving up control, and a way to honestly confront what life brings you. Burkeman quotes a great, great line from Barry Magid:

Meditation is a way to stop running away from things.

A related idea: considering any problems you face, how many of those problems are problems right now? As in, now now. Probably none or few--most problems we have (and our compulsively recycled thoughts about them) are about the past or about the future. Meditation brings you back to this moment, when you can actually do something. Another way to think about the problem of optimism is that it can turn into a way of chasing security, and fleeing vulnerability. The problem, as Alan Watts says, is that

If I want to be secure, that is, protected from the flux of life, I am wanting to be separate from life.

I loved the final sections about death, too. Burkeman talks about memento mori, and mono no aware, and more broadly the idea of failure and "letting death seep back into life". Carol Dweck comes up in a short discussion of talent and success, specifically her idea that the mindset we have about success tends to be either "fixed" or "incremental". That is, we see success in terms of innate talent/ability vs. growth/learning, and thus tend to see failure in terms of dread/threat/identity crisis vs. improvement/opportunity/adaptation. (Let's make better mistakes tomorrow!) So in the midst of a failure-shy, success-worshipping culture, we get a better sense of community and empathy when we acknowledge mess-ups as an expected, normal, more-than-likely-than-not occurrence. And more practically:

Failure is a relief. At last you can say what you think.

his book would pair well with Marcus Aurelius' Meditations or Alain de Botton's Religion for Atheists--I detect similar attitudes in each. For good books on happiness, I recommend Jonathan Haidt's The Happiness Hypothesis, and Mark Kingwell's In Pursuit of Happiness.

My first upholstery project

2013-06-01T23:04:08.000Z

It had been a while since my last significant hands-on project, when I refinished a table I inherited from my grandpa. I figured I could use a padded bench/ottoman kind of thing. And I dove right in. This was my first attempt at any kind of upholstery. I got the original bench on the cheap from an antiques store. It was hideous, but I saw potential:

Floral stripes + gold tassel fringe really ain't my thing. First step, strip all of that junk off of the frame. The previous owner/builder really half-assed the internal seat support, and the frame itself:

After I added a few metal brackets to reinforce the frame, I installed new jute webbing with some 5/8" upholstery tacks. The webbing with the red stripe is stronger than the black-striped rolls, FYI, and hence better for areas that bear weight. I also made some rookie mistakes at one ends by not weaving first. Whoops:

After that, I covered it with some burlap to help reduce wear and tear, and stapled it down:

I added some dense, firm foam as the bottom layer for the seat, and reused the previous main cushion, which was still in decent shape (which also saved me another $50-70, give or take). Both of those pads were attached to the base and to each other with some spray adhesive:

For a little extra give, the bench gets swaddled in a few strategically-placed layers soft batting (focusing on the top of the seat and the corners of the frame), also affixed with some spray adhesive:

I completely forgot to take pictures of the final fabric-covering stage, but basically it's more staples and more tacks, with a little tugging and tucking here and there to make sure the fabric is lined up correctly. Like military bed-making, but permanent. Finished it off with a dust cover underneath...

...et voilà!:

This simple project didn't offer any special technical challenges, but it did provide some insight into how much of a pain in the ass it is to do a great job. So much of the material and so much of the effort is hidden when you're all done. Shout-out to my mom, who I've seen refurbish and reupholster about a million pieces of furniture, and who gave me a great guidebook and some specialty tools that probably saved me 300-400 hours of tears and frustration. I want to do this again.

June 1, 2013

2013-06-01T13:40:29.000Z

Local People With Their Arms Crossed.

June 1, 2013

2013-06-01T12:57:58.000Z

carpentrix:

Over the fireplace in the first house my parents owned together, the house I was brought back to when I was born, the words BOIS TORTU FAIT FEU DROIT were painted on the brick in Gothic script. Crooked logs make straight fires.

The way I choose to make its meaning: out of something gnarled, tough, flawed comes something with use and power.

Or, even busted shit can work if put to use in the right way.

Or, twisted bizarro brains shine bright too.

Crooked wood, straight fires! It was a cold house, and I don’t remember it. I’ve heard many times from my parents about glasses of water that froze solid on bedside tables over night.

May 31, 2013

2013-05-31T20:30:58.000Z

Can authenticity be aware of itself as such and still be authentic?

Michael Pollan, talking about the way we talk about food, specifically, the bullshitting/storytelling endemic to Southern barbecue culture (which is part of its charm, right?).

Fast & Furious

2013-05-31T15:24:04.000Z

Fast & Furious. Decent. Most franchises don’t stay strong after three movies. It’s definitely grown up: multi-national settings, gratuitous helicopter flyover shots, fancier locations, and pretty fireball explosions among the big-budget must-haves. The obvious CGI in the tunnel scenes was a bit of a letdown. The races more frenetic and choppy; the crashes were definitely more… comprehensive. I was also thinking this is first in the series that’s felt wholly like a work of the 2000s. Even has teal and orange in full force, along with some shaky-cam here and there. Good to see Vin Diesel back in a bigger role here, though sometimes it seems like he’s following instructions or something. Gotta like him, though. I also really, really enjoy John Ortiz as a villain. So good. He has a knack for balancing the malice and the charm without turning into a sideshow (see also his role in Miami Vice). I don’t think the music is as strong as in the previous three. Also, border crossings and expendable, replaceable labor force? Where have I heard that before? Final thought: I’d love to know how many times in movie history there’s been a woman/man/couple carrying groceries into a house, unloading in the kitchen, and then devolving into an argument/outburst/tears/etc. It’s movie boilerplate. I’m now four deep into the F&F franchise. My top and my bottom picks are pretty secure, but for the middle ones, right now I think I’d rank them like…

May 31, 2013

2013-05-31T15:06:13.000Z

Concrete Jungle » Food Map.

An ongoing project to document food sources in the Atlanta area. It is very incomplete and constantly changing, so if you know about a great fruit tree or other food source that you think should be on the map, please add it to the map!

Currently in season: blackberry, mulberry, plum, and serviceberry. Gotta get my harvest on.

Intelligent Artifice - The three most common techniques for telling stories in games

2013-05-31T15:06:01.000Z

Mainstream games, or at least a significant subset that I’m too lazy to define here, make use of three big techniques to tell stories:

Cut-scenes.

Invisible boxes.

Environmental storytelling.

I think both game developers and players understand these techniques by now, and in fact I think players are getting tired of them. I know I am.

Intelligent Artifice - The three most common techniques for telling stories in games

Alex Payne — Letter To A Young Programmer Considering A Startup

2013-05-31T15:06:00.000Z

Here are some things to consider that, in my experience, you’re less likely to hear about working in startups.

Good essay. I’ve been thinking this for a while:

Startups are portrayed as an exciting, risky, even subversive alternative to traditional corporate work. Startups are thought of as more free, more open and flexible. Some companies surely begin that way, but a few interviews at later-stage startups will make clear just how quickly they ossify into structures that look very much like the organizations that came before them.

As there was in the first dot com bubble, there is a current proliferation of startups, incubators, accelerators, angel/seed funding, and so forth. In order for the “startup community” to replicate itself, nanobot-like, the mechanics of “doing a startup” have been reduced to an easily transmitted sequence of actions accompanied by a shared set of values, norms, and language.

Alex Payne — Letter To A Young Programmer Considering A Startup

May 29, 2013

2013-05-29T18:21:32.000Z

Cinema du WTF – UPSTREAM COLOR (Shane Carruth 2013) – Bright Lights After Dark.

Even at its most obscure, Upstream Color keeps the viewer involved thanks to the aforesaid music score and the flow of its nature-derived imagery – sunlight, water, animals, insects, and birds (see still at top of page) and the archetypal blue flower motif. The consistent beauty of the imagery gives the movie the feel of poetry:

O Rose thou art sick.
The invisible worm,
That flies in the night
In the howling storm: Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.

(“The Sick Rose” by William Blake.)

I can’t seem to stop reading about this movie since I watched it a few weeks ago. That blue flower connection is a good find.

Does reading have a future? A noted Canadian philosopher gazes into the future

2013-05-29T18:07:00.000Z

Via Alan Jacobs, who rightly encourages you to read the whole thing.

It’s not technophobic or Luddite to recognize that the techie questions are largely beside the point. The scope of their effects lies on a time scale that none of us can foresee, thus creating not genuine questions but opportunities for self-serving predictions.

Ha! Also:

The specific concern for the future of the bound-page book should be seen for what it is: a form of fond special pleading whereby a particular (how I like to read) masquerades as a universal (reading!).

His essay is more thoughtful and substantial than those quotes, by the way. I just thought they were funny.

Does reading have a future? A noted Canadian philosopher gazes into the future

May 29, 2013

2013-05-29T15:56:04.000Z

These are some of the best athletes on the planet.

May 27, 2013

2013-05-27T14:24:43.000Z

Part of my drinking was so much about trying not to feel things, to not feel how I actually felt, and the terrible thing about being so hidden is if people tell you they love you… it kinda doesn’t sink in. You always think, if you’re hiding things, How could you know who I am? You don’t know who I am, so how could you love me? Saying who I am, and trying to be as candid as possible as part of practicing the principles, has permitted me to actually connect with people for the first time in my life.

Mary Karr.

May 26, 2013

2013-05-26T20:14:22.000Z

Tim Duncan Encourages Teammates To Be Fathers First, Basketball Players Second | The Onion.

“What you do on this court is nothing compared to what you do at home for your children,” said Duncan, adding that what this country lacks most is not basketball players but mature men. “The playoffs end in June, but the responsibilities of fatherhood? Those are year-round. Guys, it doesn’t matter if you score 10,000 points or win three NBA championships—spending time with your kids: that’s the championship.”

The Onion and Tim Duncan go way back.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

2013-05-26T16:28:00.000Z

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Now we’re getting somewhere! Better than the first, way better than the second. I like how the physical/technical strain of the driving is more evident. Definitely a contrast with the delinquent joyride thrills of the second movie. And the change to mostly night-time, dense, urban driving makes for all kinds of crazy lighting and colors that gives the restless camera more to ogle. The two opposing father-son stories work. One son rebellious, one obedient. A possibly inadvertent dramatic bonus: what with the setting not being conducive to reckless gun-play in the streets, the few times when a gun is drawn are a bit more potent. Great job on audio across the board. Also, the scene with Neela driving is reminiscent of Toretto’s “10 seconds” monologue, but it also instantly made me think of the balcony scene in Heat.

2 Fast 2 Furious

2013-05-24T16:58:41.000Z

2 Fast 2 Furious. Not as good as the first one, bro. Seemed more exploitative, more dopey, more juvenile. Tyrese is funny and charismatic, whereas Paul Walker’s performance reaches new levels of… subtlety (Ebert perfectly describes him as Don Johnson lite). BUT, those chases are fun. Nice to see them driving in legitimate traffic this time around. Also: Luda + Eva Mendes. Out of Sight and Miami Vice are far better Miami movies. I still haven’t seen either of the Bad Boys films, unfortunately.

Key Change Blog

2013-05-24T16:03:59.000Z

“A blog that appreciates the art of the key change.” A blog after my own heart.

Key Change Blog

Small Talk | The Point Magazine

2013-05-24T16:03:54.000Z

Exchanging small talk with people we’ve just met may be an unfortunate necessity, but with people we already know, it seems to suggest that they’re people to whom we have nothing to say. And yet if small talk is just talk that’s idle, insignificant and without stated purpose, then surely a substantial portion of the chatter that goes on between couples, friends and (or especially) families must count as small. Banality, however, need not always be insignificant. There’s nothing earth-shattering, usually, about missing the bus, what you ate for lunch or the new dress you just bought, but these are just the mundane tidbits that make up so much of the talk between intimates. In fact, such conversations about trivialities can arguably happen only with those close to us—only the members of our inner circle do we presume to burden with the minutiae of our lives.

Small Talk | The Point Magazine

May 23, 2013

2013-05-23T15:36:06.000Z

Vatican Holds Seminar to Mark Anniversary of 1972 Attack on Michelangelo’s Pieta | ARTINFO.com. News to me.

May 22, 2013

2013-05-22T22:21:36.000Z

I’m an ambivert—more introverted than extroverted but with some extraordinarily well-developed faking skills.

Daniel Pink. This. This is me. Filed under: introverts. (via @austinkleon)

May 22, 2013

2013-05-22T22:21:01.000Z

Nique-Bird: An Oral History. Never forget! Bird turning the corner at 7:50 is a heart-breaker.

May 22, 2013

2013-05-22T22:20:55.000Z

Wherever a process of life communicates an eagerness to him who lives it, there the life becomes genuinely significant. Sometimes the eagerness is more knit up with the motor activities, sometimes with the perceptions, sometimes with the imagination, sometimes with reflective thought. But, wherever it is found, there is the zest, the tingle, the excitement of reality; and there is ‘importance’ in the only real and positive sense in which importance ever anywhere can be.

William James.

The Fast and the Furious

2013-05-21T17:16:00.000Z

The Fast and the Furious. Almost exactly what I was expecting. One surprise, though: I figured there would be some fun, gratuitous style flourishes, but didn’t think it would be so cinematically interesting. The way they edited the racing scenes, the warps and perspective shifts, reminded me of the welding scene in Thief. It goes from a more neutral third-person observer perspective into this subjective-experience interpretive moment. Nicely done. It’s not high drama, but credit for making some gestures towards character-building, even though that’s not the point. And there’s a fun soundtrack. Two-Lane Blacktop is another good movie with itchy street racers.

May 21, 2013

2013-05-21T15:57:49.000Z

Jealousy lives upon doubt; and comes to an end or becomes a fury as soon as it passes from doubt to certainty.

François de La Rochefoucauld.

May 20, 2013

2013-05-20T20:49:15.000Z

Queue Up: 20 Essential Music Documentaries | Pitchfork.

Classic or seldom-seen music films available to stream for free online.

May 19, 2013

2013-05-19T21:42:33.000Z

Yesssss!

May 19, 2013

2013-05-19T21:42:28.000Z

A knot is the basal portion of a branch whose structure becomes surrounded by the enlarging stem. Since branches begin with lateral buds, knots can always be traced back to the pith of the main stem.

Ah, this makes so much sense now. Excerpt from Understanding Wood at Cool Tools.

Why are we not much, much, much better at parenting? | Practical Ethics

2013-05-17T16:45:28.000Z

Economics!

Humans are quite bad at estimating the results of different interventions, if the feedback only comes years later. One needs only to see the plethora of different parenting guides and opposed schools of upbringing thought. Such variety couldn’t maintain itself if it were easy for parents to see which methods worked and which didn’t. Thus parents are poor at knowing what they need, and hence make ineffective consumers from the economic perspective.

Also, “a lot of parenting techniques are procedural, rather than declarative.”

Why are we not much, much, much better at parenting? | Practical Ethics

May 17, 2013

2013-05-17T15:54:20.000Z

The Rembrandt of Basketball.

Bret Dunlap Discovered Running and It Changed His Life | Runner's World

2013-05-17T15:54:16.000Z

Keep your tissues handy.

Bret Dunlap Discovered Running and It Changed His Life | Runner's World

Nuptial Matters by Ruth Graham

2013-05-16T15:58:42.000Z

How did reading poetry become an essential part of so many American wedding ceremonies—and why is it still so hard to choose a wedding poem of one’s own? […] It was around the early 1960s that some Protestant denominations began loosening the strictures of approved readings and music, according to Paula Treckel, a historian at Allegheny College who has written about the history of American weddings. The usual suspects were first to acquiesce: Unitarians, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians, responding to counterculture couples who wanted to make their wedding ceremonies their own. Suddenly, weddings were taking place in parks, and couples were writing their own vows. As the journalist Rebecca Mead writes in her 2007 book about contemporary weddings, One True Day, the modern idea is that “a wedding ceremony, like a wedding reception, ought to be an expression of the character of the couple who are getting married, rather than an expression of the character of the institution marrying them.”

Fascinating.

Despite our best attempts at uniqueness, we have generated a canon (as people do). And so what if the canon shifts over time (as canons do)? If, in 30 or 40 years, Cummings brands an early-21st-century wedding as indelibly as Gibran brands a 1970s wedding, well, so be it. Marriage means stepping into an ancient institution marked by hundreds of temporal particulars—everything from the cut of the bride’s dress to who is legally allowed to marry. We hope the marriage lasts forever, but we have to expect the wedding itself will age. Maybe we’ll all look back on our wedding poetry the same way we’ll look back on our wedding photos: with a fondness for those young, goofy people who had no idea how their tastes would change, or what was to happen to them.

Nuptial Matters by Ruth Graham

A Scientific Search for the Most Remote Places in the United States - The Atlantic Cities

2013-05-16T15:14:50.000Z

Pretty cool. Cf. the Arctic 1000 traverse from a few years back, which crossed through the most remote part of Alaska. Also reminds me of some of the issues and ironies that William Cronon brings up in The Trouble with Wilderness.

A Scientific Search for the Most Remote Places in the United States - The Atlantic Cities

May 16, 2013

2013-05-16T14:57:15.000Z

natgeofound:

Buckets of iron ore are transported to a major steelworks in Hunedoara, Romania, November 1975.
Photograph by Winfield Parks, National Geographic

The mood here made me think of Tarkovky’s Polaroids. Winfield Parks also took that great photo of the Turkish steambath.

The Thoreau Poison: Shane Carruth's 'Upstream Color' : The New Yorker

2013-05-16T14:56:44.000Z

This movie has prompted some really good writing.

The Thoreau Poison: Shane Carruth's 'Upstream Color' : The New Yorker

May 14, 2013

2013-05-14T02:11:01.000Z

It is not the young man who is most happy, but the old man who has lived beautifully; for despite being at his very peak the young man stumbles around as if he were of many minds, whereas the old man has settled into old age as if in a harbor, secure in his gratitude for the good things he was once unsure of.

Epicurus. So yeah, I accidentally started a retirement tag today.

Iron Man 3

2013-05-14T02:10:57.000Z

Iron Man 3. I liked it more than Iron Man 2, maybe not as much as the original Iron Man, though I don’t remember it well at this point. This was definitely funnier than the first sequel, with some Kiss Kiss Bang Bang-ish genre awareness and biting humor. The villains, though, were a letdown, and the silly action spectaculars were kind of a mess. And yeah, it is kind of a feature-length damnation of wearable computing.

Girl Rising

2013-05-14T02:10:51.000Z

Girl Rising. Got suckered into seeing this two-hour commercial. Some vignettes are better than others (depending on the spunk of the girls and the writers’ adaptation), but some seemed a dangerous mix of exploitative and/or pandering. And the didactic interludes just grate after a while. Like, say, a Michael Moore film, I’m not sure that anyone who agrees really needs to see it, no one who disagrees (and who might that be?) will be persuaded.

May 13, 2013

2013-05-13T17:07:49.000Z

sarahlcomics:

Save on.

May 13, 2013

2013-05-13T13:59:24.000Z

Retired man enjoys easy life at home | Mississippi’s Best Community Newspaper. Not The Onion. Something to shoot for! (via)

City Meditations: 7 | The American Conservative

2013-05-13T13:59:19.000Z

In the country you have to drive when you want to go anywhere; in a big, dense city people get around on foot and via public transport. Suburbs are in this respect in-between. And in other respects too. Which is why, I suppose, suburbs are never perceived as either divine or demonic. “Nothing too much,” the suburb seems to say, which means that, though its human dramas exist, and are as meaningful as they are anywhere else in the cosmos, they remain largely inaccessible to our myths.

City Meditations: 7 | The American Conservative

Every Every Every Generation Has Been the Me Me Me Generation - The Atlantic Wire

2013-05-13T00:24:29.000Z

Basically, it’s not that people born after 1980 are narcissists, it’s that young people are narcissists, and they get over themselves as they get older. It’s like doing a study of toddlers and declaring those born since 2010 are Generation Sociopath: Kids These Days Will Pull Your Hair, Pee On Walls, Throw Full Bowls of Cereal Without Even Thinking of the Consequences.

Every Every Every Generation Has Been the Me Me Me Generation - The Atlantic Wire

This Is Running for Your Life (review)

2013-05-12T23:26:07.000Z

Often I went to the movies to mess with time, to get it off my back or keep it from staring glumly at me from across the room.

This Is Running for Your Life is a pretty great collection of essays, with a mix that includes some more personal, memoir-ish stuff and some that are a bit more historically-minded, on-the-ground reportage. I don't think surgical focus is Michelle Orange's strong suit here, nor her aim, really. The joy is in the wandering. As she says late in the book,

Perhaps all I can offer is the setting down of a space, one whose highest aim is that you might roam, however elusively, within its borders.

Topics aside, what I really, really appreciated were the regular, like, slap-your-forehead/I-wish-I'd-written-that/I-need-to-read-that-again delights on the level of sentence and word and image, little pivots and reveals from behind the cape. If you're jazzed by turns of phrase, you'll find a lot to love here. A fun example:

Ryder's shivering sad girl underwent a kind of ritual sacrifice in 1999, when newcomer Angelina Jolie devoured her in every frame of Girl, Interrupted and licked the screen. But Jolie was quickly isolated and quarantined as an anomaly; she eventually shed the force of her personality and slipped behind the imperial mask of her beauty.

That's great stuff. That bit comes from what I think is my favorite essay in the book, "The Dream (Girl) Is Over", which is about movie stars and bodies and mythologizing and evolving silver screen ideals. (Film is a recurring topic in the book. I can relate.)

Movie is the shorthand that preceded talkie. But it's the latter term that faded away. It's the movement that sets the form apart (Action!), and the beauty of bright, moving bodies that transfixes.

The essay, among other things, touches on the ideals we've offered ourselves on the screen, from the impossibly dreamy Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, to later muscular heroines like Sigourney Weaver, Linda Hamilton, Madonna. And, yes, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. (Oh, also there's this great aside on how actresses disrobing becomes an important part of the meta-story, "explicit love scenes invariably described as 'raw,' 'real,' and 'brave.'"--cf. Girls?). Another smart observation on how we talk about bodies:

Men queue up to log specious, self-congratulatory elegies, ascribing vague laments for an earlier era's voluptuousness to the bodies of the women who inhabited it. Women, meanwhile, get lost in arguments about the scourge of vanity sizing. But the body's centrality is what sets it beside the point: Marilyn Monroe's measurements were handed out by the same press agents hawking Theda Bara's false passports; I knew Elizabeth Taylor's eighteen-inch waist size before it matched my age. Because they look to our hourglass-starved eyes like more generous, "normal" shapes doesn't make it so, nor does it retro-exempt former standards from their status as standards.

Some other favorite lines? In one essay that talks about brain scans and movie market-testing:

It's no wonder we have started pair-bonding with our iPhones. In device attachment resides the old struggle between the possessor and the possessed, the shifting sands of desire and consent. What we respond to is not the gadget itself but its promise of some personal and highly specific gratification.

And a related earlier quote, one hazard of our awesome gadgets and the not-quite-hereness they can engender:

Modern cultural memory is afflicted by a kind of dementia, its fragments ever floating around us.

And a related problem:

What we call nostalgia today is too much remembering of too little.

On email's subtle, sneaky draw:

Email opened up a kind of perpetually empty stage, an endless call for encores.

A bit from an essay on compulsive running and loneliness:

As a way of escape, distance running is the sensory negative of sexual oblivion.

From a chapter on photography:

Especially when they are held out blindly in big crowds, the screens that have replaced the traditional viewfinder appear to function as a kind of second subjectivity, a third eye to cope with a world that is less often collected with any kind of discretion than amassed in daily reality dumps. So that to raise a camera is mostly to remind yourself: Right now I’m here; I’m here right now.

Reminds me of Field Notes: "I’m not writing it down to remember it later, I’m writing it down to remember it now." A related aside:

I always laughed when a Dutch friend of mine referred to “making” a photo—a translation glitch he couldn’t keep straight. I just thought it sounded funny, but there is something strange about the one art form we talk about in terms of taking, not making.

In her essay reporting on the development of the DSM-5, which also touches on war and addiction, and growing up:

We reach maturity any number of times—biologically, religiously, legally, academically, socially—before the age of twenty-one, but the imputation rarely sticks. The world will not be informed of your various arrivals, the world informs you. [...] Slowly, sometimes moment by moment, small choices about whom and how to be beget bigger ones--shading in the background, scaling out the continuum; striking out villains, fleshing in the overlooked--until the story begins to tell itself, with a fully-fledged hero at its center.

Another good line from that essay, one of my favorite observations in the book:

Treating apparently "new" emotional and behavioral disturbances like biological events would seem to be another evasion of a problem the 12-step program makes plain. It feels significant that the first thing someone seeking that program's help does is walk into a room filled with other people.

So good. There's much more range here than what my quotes might indicate. You're likely to find something that works for you, too. Worth a read.

Cool Tools – How to Be Invisible

2013-05-12T04:13:58.000Z

Suppose you wish to send $25,000 from Vancouver, British Columbia, to a friend in Helsinki, Finland. You would hand $25,000 cash to a Vancouver money changer (Hawaladar) in Vancouver, and receive code words (or an agreed signal such as a secret handshake) and a contact address in Helsinki. No actual cash moves out of Canada. Instead, when your friend gives the code to the correspondent hawaladar in helsinki, he will receive the equivalent in euros (less a commission) from money that is already there. To review: -There are no written documents. The exchanges are based on mutual trust (perhaps for that reason unpopular in the United States?). -Only local currencies are used. Thus, if you are sending money from the UK to Mexico, you pay in pounds and the receiver in Mexico collects in pesos. -This exchange cannot be traced because no money crosses a border.

Has this been done in a movie yet?

Cool Tools – How to Be Invisible

May 12, 2013

2013-05-12T04:11:54.000Z

Marlboro Southern Cut Cigarette Review. Incredible. Package analysis, unlit dry puff, regular drag, deep inhalation, nostril exhale, body, flavor, taste, aroma. You can find geeky unboxings and video reviews for anything. This is a genre. (via)

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

May 10, 2013

2013-05-10T15:27:09.000Z

Hyperbole and a Half: Depression Part Two.

May 7, 2013

2013-05-07T16:32:25.000Z

Motivational advice risks making things worse, by surreptitiously strengthening your belief that you need to feel motivated before you can act. By encouraging an attachment to a particular emotional state, it actually inserts an additional hurdle between you and your goal.

Oliver Burkeman in The Antidote, the first 1/3 of which I can confirm is good. After the intro, he talks about Stoicism and the dangers of optimism; this came from a chapter on Buddhism, non-attachment, and mindfulness meditation.

May 7, 2013

2013-05-07T16:32:19.000Z

{rickrossgrunt}. See the Days of Heaven Screencaps Gallery for more.

May 6, 2013

2013-05-06T18:58:00.000Z

No Country for Old Men (2007) - “I feel overmatched.”.

All the time you spend tryin’ to get back what’s been took from you, more’s goin’ out the door.

I need to watch this movie again. Cf. F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

May 6, 2013

2013-05-06T17:58:51.000Z

What we respond to is not the gadget itself but its promise of some personal and highly specific gratification.

Michelle Orange.

The Economics of Social Status

2013-05-06T17:51:51.000Z

Status as currency. The whole thing is worth a read. I liked this aside on public speaking, which also connects with live music and standup comedy and other types of performance, and why they’re scary:

“Bidding for status” is another activity with economic characteristics. The nature of a bid is that it sets a particular ‘price’ that can be accepted or rejected. Robin Hanson suspects that speaking in public is a way of bidding for status. The very act of standing in front of a group and speaking authoritatively represents a claim to relatively high status. If you speak on behalf of the group – i.e., making statements that summarize the group’s position or commit the group to a course of action — then you’re claiming even higher status. These bids can either be accepted by the group (if they show approval or rapt attention, and let you continue to speak) or rejected (if they show disapproval, interrupt you, ignore you, or boo you off stage).

The dance floor never lies.

The Economics of Social Status

Days of Heaven

2013-05-05T17:09:41.000Z

Days of Heaven. Third viewing (first, second). I don’t typically use words like “rapturous” or “transfixed”, but I feel like I need to here. I just sit there slack-jawed for 90 minutes. I don’t know how you can make a biblical, romantic prairie drama have such momentum. This is the first Terrence Malick movie I ever saw, and I still think it’s his best. I have to keep it in my top three, up there with Out of the Past and Heat.

May 5, 2013

2013-05-05T17:09:34.000Z

Savvy advertising is always trying to tell you something about yourself.

Michelle Orange, who continues:

It traffics only in different, better, more fulfilled versions of you. That’s why it’s so miserably effective: an ad can adopt the stance of leading you toward your own best interests. But a brand-centric movie is stuck pretending its purpose is to entertain, even if its job was done the moment it got you through the door, $13.50 lighter.

Upstream Color

2013-05-05T16:50:00.000Z

Upstream Color. The speculative hook is a strange cycle of events driven by some sort of parasite, I guess. A microbe that seems to enhance empathy or connection in all of its hosts. And you can interpret the rest in about seven million ways. I’m thinking: identity and self-construction. The first half-hour or so, with the thief, is just perfectly tense. Interesting that the personal resolution at the end of the story is misplaced justice. We don’t always know better. Oh, and there’s one scene, when the heroine is waking up, where the image and sound are so well-executed you kinda want to yawn and stretch, too. I didn’t like this one as much as Primer, but I will continue to support and hold out hope for more good, weird movies. Shane Carruth knows his stuff.

So Jerry Seinfeld Called Us To Talk About Coffee : The Salt : NPR

2013-05-04T16:04:46.000Z

I got married and I had a family and my entire day was not free for social interaction. And eating is annoying and difficult to arrange, [and it’s] hard to choose places. And meeting someone for coffee suddenly seemed like a wonderful, compact, accessible and portable social interaction. You don’t even really need a place. But you feel like you’re doing something. That is what coffee is. And that is one of the geniuses of the new coffee culture.

Shortly before reading this, I invited a friend to meet for coffee and not talking:

ELAINE: Come on, let’s go do something. I don’t want to just sit around here.

JERRY: Okay.

ELAINE: Want to go get something to eat?

JERRY: Where do you want to go?

ELAINE: I don’t care, I’m not hungry.

JERRY: We could go to one of those cappuccino places. They let you just sit there.

ELAINE: What are we gonna do there? Talk?

JERRY: We can talk.

ELAINE: I’ll go if I don’t have to talk.

So Jerry Seinfeld Called Us To Talk About Coffee : The Salt : NPR

May 2, 2013

2013-05-02T02:41:00.000Z

It’s basically recursion. You start with a problem that spits out an answer. You feed the answer back into the problem and get another answer, which you put right back into the problem.

Shane Carruth talking about nonlinear dynamics and maybe the creative process? And though he said this 9 years ago, this is also relevant to Upstream Color.

May 2, 2013

2013-05-02T01:22:00.000Z

Life Lessons with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 20 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Was 30 - Esquire.

Career is never as important as family. The better you are at your job, the more you’re rewarded, financially and spiritually, by doing it. You know how to solve problems for which you receive praise and money. Home life is more chaotic. Solving problems is less prescriptive and no one’s applauding or throwing money if you do it right. That’s why so many young professionals spend more time at work with the excuse, “I’m sacrificing for my family.” Bullshit. Learn to embrace the chaos of family life and enjoy the small victories.

May 2, 2013

2013-05-02T01:17:43.000Z

I called around and managed to get a lot of expired stock donated. I also used tungsten-based 35mm slide film to storyboard the movie - this really helped me show the various labs what the final film would look like and thus negotiate prices with them. They are much more likely to give you a discount when they think you’re someone that might be back one day with a bigger budget.

Shane Carruth. Clever! Prepare like a professional, get professional treatment.

May 1, 2013

2013-05-01T01:53:20.000Z

IllumiRoom: Peripheral Projected Illusions for Interactive Experiences. We are closer and closer to Infinite Jest. I haven’t read the book, so I’m not totally sure what that means. But this looks cool.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Tim Brando, Chris Broussard, and giving credit where credit is due - SBNation.com

2013-05-01T01:53:15.000Z

Debate whether [Jason Collins] is a hero or not in your world, but he’s leading by example for a small subset of people who need examples, and doing so positively: with love, and work, and still more work. The two are ultimately indistinguishable when done right, and what they leave behind is the capacity to pass that work forward.

Tim Brando, Chris Broussard, and giving credit where credit is due - SBNation.com

April 30, 2013

2013-04-30T17:09:12.000Z

It really got to me when someone asks what I did for a living and I realized I didn’t have a good answer. And it was just, I don’t know, it was like I’m in my apartment alone all day editing this thing that I’m calling a film but it wasn’t actually a film yet. So yeah, there’s a couple of times where I just gave up and decided I was going to go back and get a job and actually have a good answer to what I did for a living. That was going to be that.

Shane Carruth.

The Taxman Cometh - The Daily Beast

2013-04-30T17:04:24.000Z

There’s this dispute in Minnesota where an artist couple has been claiming tax deductions to keep doing their various art things. Trouble is, in the eye of the law, you can’t claim deductions unless you’re (on the way to) running a business that makes profit. Years and years of losses or minimal profit are just asking for an audit. Hilarity ensues.

The Taxman Cometh - The Daily Beast

April 30, 2013

2013-04-30T15:25:19.000Z

It’s so hard with a word processor to know what a revision is.

Shane Carruth.

Primer

2013-04-30T15:10:05.000Z

Primer. It was early on in the film when I stopped trying to understand the technical details. Just let it ride for now and watch it again soon. Very cool movie. There’s a fine line in (many genres but especially in) science fiction where budgets force decisions about how you show crazy things. I love seeing the conservative work-arounds. You reduce the spectacle so you can preserve the speculative heart of the thing. This not all science fiction, though. There’s a good human core about invention, entrepreneurship, risk, paranoia, trust, etc. Looking forward to seeing Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color this week.

April 30, 2013

2013-04-30T15:09:43.000Z

In a tone that grew more defiantly nonchalant with every update, the pilot advised us that some of our bags would arrive on a future flight. Even with routine debacles such as this it’s rare to be promised future bullshit while the current bullshit is still very much in progress. Sorry ‘bout that, folks.

Michelle Orange, on the joys of airline travel.

The Goonies

2013-04-29T16:01:34.000Z

The Goonies. A friend had never seen it, so we had to correct that. I remember a period of my life where I watched this every afternoon for a couple weeks straight, and knew that, any day now, I’d have an adventure, too. It still holds up. I certainly miss the days before VFX when moviemakers would build ridiculous sets. A huge sailing ship, in a large pool of water, in a vaulted cave? That’s still amazing.

The Problem With Public Shaming | The Nation

2013-04-29T16:01:27.000Z

Vigilante justice is a tricky thing.

The Problem With Public Shaming | The Nation

April 29, 2013

2013-04-29T15:49:16.000Z

Out in the Great Alone. Brian Phillips (@runofplay) makes feature writing look easy, somehow. Good stuff. Previously, at Wimbledon.

To the Wonder

2013-04-29T15:49:12.000Z

To the Wonder. This is probably a Malick-fans-only affair, given that he’s brought all his Malickisms to expected highs/belabored lows. So I liked it, naturally. It’s very chopped and fragmented, both within scenes and through time, but there is a clear arc here. Yet maybe it’s understated enough that you get as much drama out of it as you put in. The thing starts with Kurylenko’s narration, her camera, her self-documentation, so there’s an interpretation that most of it is her record. Regardless, just that little bit of self-shot camerawork helps to set up the interiority of the rest. Affleck is given almost nothing to say, and he’s muted repeatedly even when it looks like he’s saying something. And the voices we can hear from other characters, it’s often just barely. The dance analogy I’ve heard fits well. Where words are absent, gesture and music have to carry it. It’s also like, y'know… silent film. Great score, though you too may chuckle if you’re familiar with some of the music selected (e.g. Górecki, Rachmaninov, Wagner). Ridiculous desktop wallpaper camera porn abounds. Malick needs to sell his b-roll for the TVs in waiting rooms and airports. I love the transition from the water shot of coastal France to the tall grass in the States. And another transition from the sunlit exteriors of the U.S. to the damp claustrophobic fluorescence of Paris at night. And that final shot. Man. That made it all worth it for me. Themes. Taking it back to the early sequence at Mont Saint-Michel shows the two becoming one, a little island drawing off from the rest. And the first early versions of how the camera is drawn, again and again, to light, tracking toward windows and doors, trying to get up and out. So that’s love as a combinatory force, bringing two into one, making the inside the outside, drawing you out of yourself (note the barely furnished home). So there’s love as awesome, and there’s love as absent. Bardem carries this part. Note how he’s sequestered himself inside too much. By the end, maybe he’s trying a little harder. Or praying at least, girding himself to get out there again, narrating a common excerpt from St. Patrick’s Breastplate:

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

I liked Pico Iyer’s review. Ebert’s take will continue to be good for extra-filmic reasons. And the Terrence Malick community blog has a nice blow-by-blow. My Terrence Malick rankings and reviews:

Nitsuh Abebe on the Punk Movement -- New York Magazine

2013-04-26T16:48:18.000Z

By the time punk swept the U.K., the sound had cut itself back to the sinew and muscle of early rock and roll, yes, but it had also excised one of the key things that made early rock and roll captivating to young people, which was some sense of sexual urgency—swing, groove, sly vocal implication. All were traded for happy hectoring and desiccated angularity. The guitars may have a kinship with Chuck Berry, but the barking does not.

Ergo, punk never had much appeal for me.

Nitsuh Abebe on the Punk Movement -- New York Magazine

Green Screen: The Lack of Female Road Narratives and Why it Matters

2013-04-24T19:41:11.000Z

To offer some context for my perspective, the year I was fifteen I hitchhiked 15,000 miles alone, mostly through truck stops. By the time I was nineteen I had hitchhiked another 5,000 miles through Turkey, Greece, and pre-war Yugoslavia, also alone. Those years were a time of misery and terror, but they were also transformative. Every day I bounced wildly between danger, high comedy, and extreme loneliness—which is to say that it was also an adventure, and that inside all the high stakes turmoil was a nascent self that was trying to become, to change, to step out into the world as an adult.

But there is no female counterpart in our culture to Ishmael or Huck Finn. There is no Dean Moriarty, Sal, or even a Fuckhead. It sounds like a doctoral crisis, but it’s not. As a fifteen-year-old hitchhiker, my survival depended upon other people’s ability to envision a possible future for me. Without a Melvillean or Kerouacian framework, or at least some kind of narrative to spell out a potential beyond death, none of my resourcefulness or curiosity was recognizable, and therefore I was unrecognizable.

Green Screen: The Lack of Female Road Narratives and Why it Matters

April 24, 2013

2013-04-24T19:41:05.000Z

State your needs, don’t test people on them.

Carolyn Hax. Dreamgirl.

Quaker Mode - The Pastry Box Project | 22 April 2013, baked by Mike Monteiro

2013-04-23T18:08:08.000Z

The incredibly great thing about Quaker meetings is that everyone just sits there. Silently. And they talk only if the spirit moves them to talk. They only open their mouths if it improves on the silence. I’m gonna repeat that phrase because I love it so fucking much: “if it improves on the silence.”

When we were staying over at grandma’s house, when me and my brother and sister were getting annoying, we knew fun time was over when Grandma would say firmly, “Okay. Let’s play Quaker.” The three of us then groan and sigh and collapse on the floor, mortally wounded, sulky, resentful. Quiet time had begun. I hated that “game” so much. Mike Monteiro’s idea sounds good, though.

Quaker Mode - The Pastry Box Project | 22 April 2013, baked by Mike Monteiro

Bringing Up Baby

2013-04-23T18:08:00.000Z

Bringing Up Baby. Too much of a muchness w/r/t silly characters and storytelling contortions to keep the laughs coming. Of all the Cary Grant I’ve seen, this is the first straight-up goofy comedy role (sillier than in The Philadelphia Story). He’s got a knack for it, apparently. I love seeing a new side of an actor I know mostly for being dashing. Favorite Howard Hawks movies? Gotta take Scarface over The Big Sleep, and then this one after Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

The Place Beyond the Pines

2013-04-23T17:49:59.000Z

The Place Beyond the Pines. It’s a bummer that the wind goes out of the sails when Gosling leaves the screen, but that’s still to his and the director’s credit for those parts of the movie. And Mendes was fantastic. What a talent. I just wish the third act hadn’t run out of gas. But, then again, I think that’s partly me being snob-weary-dreary-bonehead, “Oh, another fathers and sons tale” and not wanting to give in to it. It’s good, though. Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine is pretty sharp, too.

April 22, 2013

2013-04-22T15:06:25.000Z

I think we have to be frugal with our photo-viewing. I love it when you find a photo from a time you’ve forgotten about – one that, maybe, someone else had possession of. It makes you realise how linear and reductive memory is.

George Saunders.

Why it’s ok to buy books and not read them

2013-04-19T19:33:59.000Z

I used to feel guilty about books I own but haven’t read. They’d sit in piles making me feel unworthy as a writer, and reader. And no matter how many books I’d read in a year, I’d always find myself buying more. I couldn’t win. It was a destructive cycle and it drove me mad. One day I realized there was another way to frame my behavior. The goal should not be efficiency because efficiency makes you conservative. As a writer I need an ambitious curiosity, not a safe one. It’s good to take bets on books at the limits of my comfort zone.

Why it’s ok to buy books and not read them

April 17, 2013

2013-04-17T16:03:24.000Z

I am not a scholar and the majority of my references have been culled from my personal library, allowing me to check them without difficulty. But I read in zigzags, I travel from one book to the next, and this is not without risks. It is quite possible that here and there, certain interpretations or comparisons are stretched or simply gratuitous. However, this book is a journey—and travelers should be aware that paths leading nowhere are also part of the trip.

Raul Ruiz, from the introduction to Poetics of Cinema. I read in zigzags, too. Michelle Orange mentioned this excerpt in an interview with the Paris Review. Her book This Is Running for Your Life is pretty awesome.

April 17, 2013

2013-04-17T16:01:49.000Z

Doug Bowman: “The Wired office when I joined, in 1996”

George Saunders on inspiration and his Texas dance hall days | The Dallas Morning News

2013-04-15T16:26:21.000Z

I still play. I just got a little home studio on my Mac, Logic Express, and I just keep going through that same process, working really hard and then recording something and then going, “Yeah, the world doesn’t really need this.”

George Saunders on inspiration and his Texas dance hall days | The Dallas Morning News

April 15, 2013

2013-04-15T03:58:32.000Z

Up in these mountains, they grow so slowly sometimes they stop growing altogether. They just gather strength.

Stradivarius trees: Searching for perfect musical wood - BBC News. I feel like I’ve read variations on Stradivarius features about 600 times, but I love this image.

April 14, 2013

2013-04-14T02:18:00.000Z

What’s done is done. Reality not maybe is zen.

Phil Jackson, philosopher emeritus of the NBA.

April 12, 2013

2013-04-12T16:35:13.000Z

Ricky Rubio’s Advice To Alexey Shved. “Change this face!”

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Change This Face: Towards Being A Better Fan | The Classical

2013-04-12T16:34:25.000Z

Music writing, like sportswriting, is inherently ancillary, and people who only ever seem to want to talk about who gets it right, who gets it wrong, and who gets it stupid are not just drags but point-missing drags. They’re the Tom Townsends of the world, drowning in counterpunching Jeezy crit when they could be listening to The Recession.

Change This Face: Towards Being A Better Fan | The Classical

April 12, 2013

2013-04-12T16:33:03.000Z

Issues - SCROLL. Via The Bygone Bureau, this videogame history magazine seems pretty rad.

The disruptive potential of native advertising | Felix Salmon

2013-04-12T16:31:29.000Z

In that sense, TV ads are truly native; the way you consume a TV ad is the same as the way you consume a TV show. Similarly, long copy print ads are native, for the same reason. And the ultimate native ads are the glossy fashion ads in Vogue: in most cases, they’re better than the editorial, and as a result, readers spend as much time with the ads — if not more — as they do with the edit.

Fashion magazines are such a good racket. Love that junk.

The disruptive potential of native advertising | Felix Salmon

Q & A with artist Ashley Anderson | CommonCreativ ATL

2013-04-11T13:49:58.000Z

I moved to Atlanta in 2007, which was pre-WonderRoot, pre-Dashboard, pre-Living Walls, pre-Glo, pre-Flux and plenty of other stuff. And then WHAM, everyone’s doing stuff. That’s in a period of five-and-a-half years. That’s insane—good insane. And we’re all still very much learning what each of us does, galleries are closing, capital is moving around, new artists are constantly showing up, communities are reacting—there’s whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on. Beats the hell out of how it was when I moved here and it’s a light years better than what little was going on in the last city I lived in. Keep going everyone, and bless the haters as you climb over them.

Q & A with artist Ashley Anderson | CommonCreativ ATL

Mean Professor Tells Student to “get your sh*t together” | Things Doanie Likes

2013-04-10T15:09:00.000Z

One of the perks of the job.

xxxx, get your shit together. Getting a good job, working long hours, keeping your skills relevant, navigating the politics of an organization, finding a live/work balance…these are all really hard, xxxx. In contrast, respecting institutions, having manners, demonstrating a level of humility…these are all (relatively) easy. Get the easy stuff right xxxx. In and of themselves they will not make you successful. However, not possessing them will hold you back and you will not achieve your potential.

This is straight out of the Marcus Aurelius playbook. One of my favorite passages from Meditations comes in Book 5:

Display those virtues which are wholly in your own power–integrity, dignity, hard work, self-denial, contentment, frugality, kindness, independence, simplicity, discretion, magnanimity. Do you not see how many virtues you can already display without any excuse of lack of talent or aptitude? And yet you are still content to lag behind.

Mean Professor Tells Student to “get your sh*t together” | Things Doanie Likes

Why techies don’t buy contemporary art | Felix Salmon

2013-04-09T16:32:00.000Z

This, for me, is the real reason that tech types don’t buy art: they’re busy investing in each other’s startups instead. Being an early-stage investor is in many ways just like being a contemporary art collector: you’re very unlikely to make money at it, even though the potential and anecdotal returns can be enormous; and it’s used in large part as a way of supporting your friends and being seen as being important within a very small world.

Why techies don’t buy contemporary art | Felix Salmon

billa: Philip Roth on the beauty of naps SIMON: Is there something you’re...

2013-04-08T18:36:29.000Z

billa:

Philip Roth on the beauty of naps

SIMON: Is there something you’re taking more time for now that…

ROTH: Yeah, naps. Let me tell you about the nap. It’s absolutely fantastic. When I was a kid, my father was always trying to tell me how to be a man. And he said - I was maybe nine - he said, Philip, whenever you take a nap, take your clothes off and put a blanket over you and you’re going to sleep better. Well, as with everything, he was right. And so I now do that and I come back from the swimming pool I go to and I have my lunch and I read the paper and I take this glorious thing called a nap. And then the best part of it is that when you wake up, for the first 15 seconds you have no idea where you are. You’re just alive. That’s all you know and it’s bliss. It’s absolute bliss. So, I suggest - you’re still working but your time will come.

SIMON: That sounds like great advice.

ROTH: And take your clothes off.

billa: Philip Roth on the beauty of naps SIMON: Is there something you’re...

How Code-Switching Explains The World : Code Switch : NPR

2013-04-08T18:34:24.000Z

You rush your mom or whomever off the phone in some less formal syntax (“Yo, I'mma holler at you later,”), hang up and get back to work. Then you look up and you see your co-workers looking at you and wondering who the hell you’d morphed into for the last few minutes. That right there? That’s what it means to code-switch.

My dad and my sister are experts at (subconsciously) stepping up the Southern accent ever so slightly when the situation calls for it. I’m pretty sure I do it, too, but it’s quite possible everyone sees right through me.

How Code-Switching Explains The World : Code Switch : NPR

April 7, 2013

2013-04-07T15:49:41.000Z

Take the hard feelings away, and this is the right thing to do. Put the feelings back and it hurts like hell, but the right thing to do hasn’t changed.

Carolyn Hax.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

2013-04-07T15:49:33.000Z

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I didn’t know anything about wuxia when this came out; fun to remember my first moments seeing the wirework and acrobatics, I could feel the neurons lighting up and stretching out. There are movies that, although perhaps not Great Films, you remember because they open up a new world for you. Respect for an interesting balance here. It gave some philosophical weight to ass-kicking, and gave some visual fireworks to solemn melodrama. And what melodrama it is, so drawn out. Our two heroes’ relationship is traced in three conversations spaced out over two hours, and doesn’t culminate until the last breaths. Even the fighting deaths are delayed. And the flashback? Dang, a full half-hour? I still think Jen is an asshole.

College vs. Pros: madness vs. superiority - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN

2013-04-07T15:49:27.000Z

It’s become a cliché to announce a preference for NBA basketball because the level of play is superior. Every reasonable person knows that games are played better in the pros, so college fans tout the “exciting” aspects of upsets. Yes, the tourney is exciting. Yes, it’s fun to follow your bracket through a maze of unpredictability. But what makes the NBA a superior product, from my perspective, isn’t just that its play is superior – it’s that its system rewards superiority. In the NBA, great basketball is ultimately validated – not conspired against. Because of this, the results matter in a deeper way.

College vs. Pros: madness vs. superiority - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN

April 7, 2013

2013-04-07T15:09:42.000Z

Been too long since my last Buster Keaton gif.

April 5, 2013

2013-04-05T18:27:00.000Z

Lit Hum: Jorie Graham on Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus. Gonna go right ahead and do a mega-quote here:

I often teach a painting of Caravaggio’s, Supper at Emmaus. Christ is sitting before us in an alcove against the “back wall” of the painting. We face into a dinner table covered with things for the meal. We are quite sure that the edge of this table is identical with the absolute front of the canvas. But then one undergoes a troubling sensation. The basket of fruit, the edge of the wicker basket, sticks out into our “actual” space, our here and now. The host suddenly recognizes the stranger at his table as Christ and throws open his arms, like this. [Gestures.] His left hand comes out, beyond the border—further than the sacramental grapes in their wicker—out here into the same air that you (and I) are breathing in the National Gallery. At the same time, his right hand penetrates the crucial illusionistic space, the alcove in which Christ sits. What he does, by going like this, is enact what it is to be “taken” by surprise, to be, suddenly, in that spiritual place where the otherness of the world, of possibility, “turns” one’s soul—taking one off the path of mere “ongoingness” onto the other path of “journey.” At any rate, the host’s gesture connects that immortal-because-imaginary space Christ occupies, with the mortal one of the gallery in which I am standing breathing my minutes—and you suddenly realize Caravaggio has activated what I call the “sensation of real time”: the time of the painting’s represented action has crossed over into the time in which my only days are taking place. So you cannot read the painting without being inside the terms of the painting, which are these graduating degrees of temporality: mortal time, immortal time, represented time, actual time, the “time” of process. The activity of the painting is to do that. The host is crucified in this position—a position the artist is also in—saying, You reader and you subject (God, Christ), I have put you two together. It’s my job. That’s what the meal is. That’s what we eat.

Boom. Art, man.

April 5, 2013

2013-04-05T18:24:58.000Z

Car salesman Leroy Carpenter demonstrating trunk capacity of new Dodge by Michael Mauney. Atlanta, 1971. Thank heavens for better search for Google’s Life photo archive.

The Language of Addiction Takes Over » Helen Rittelmeyer | A First Things Blog

2013-04-05T18:24:00.000Z

A man who drops his old good-time buddies when he finds God is sanctimonious; a man who drops them when he joins AA is just doing what it takes to stay sober.

The Language of Addiction Takes Over » Helen Rittelmeyer | A First Things Blog

April 5, 2013

2013-04-05T18:18:26.000Z

Haywire’s Body Talk | cléo.

From 2009 to 2012 Soderbergh directed seven films, three of which may be called his unofficial trilogy of “body films”: The Girlfriend Experience (2009), Haywire (2011), and Magic Mike (2012). While star-studded, arguably even stunt, casting has always been important to his work—from Jennifer Lopez in Out Of Sight (1998) to the comically high-caliber cast of the Oceans franchise (2001, 2004, 2007)—in these three films, the bodies of the stars were integral to what each film explored. Moreover, each stars’ bodies represented a Hollywood outsider crossing over into the mainstream.

Soderbergh! Out of all his movies I’ve seen, the body trilogy and Out of Sight hold the top four spots.

The Ecology of Obesity | Newgeography.com

2013-04-05T18:13:12.000Z

Part of what makes obesity a wicked problem is how existing solutions — farmers markets, anti-corporate marketing — led advocates to frame the problem in particular ways. “The picture painted by advocates of grocery stores and gardens in the inner city was compelling to so many in no small part because it combined an established way of thinking about poor neighborhoods as materially deprived along with rising cultural support from middle-class Americans for eating healthier, locally grown foods,” Lee writes.

So we’re debunking “food deserts” now. More from Jacob Geller, I thought this was a useful way to think about it:

What I think is going on in America is that if someone really does want to eat healthy — and they know how to — then they will eat healthy, but huge numbers of Americans “choose” not to. The cost and the distance don’t much matter. And I put “choose” in air quotes, because people are not “choosing” per se, rather they are hooked. They buy sugar instead of broccoli, because sugar tastes awesome and goes with everything, whereas broccoli is gross. The deck is physiologically stacked in favor of sugar. The cost and the distance are virtual non-factors for most Americans, outliers notwithstanding, and obesity really does need to be tackled aggressively on the demand side, if at all possible, precisely because distance and cost are virtual non-factors.

The economist’s way of saying the same thing is that unhealthy foods (like sugar) tend to be sort of addictive, or habit-forming, or are at least advantaged by our physiology or biology, so our demand for that food tends to be pretty insensitive to price (or “inelastic”). And because our demand is insensitive to price, shifting the supply curve one way or the other isn’t going to change the quantity consumed all that much. You can fiddle with the supply curve all you like, but the problem is ultimately that this inelastic demand curve is keeping quantity consumed stuck more or less in the same place. So from a public policy and public health standpoint, it’s better to just tackle the demand curve, by shifting it leftward or making it less inelastic, through solid health education curricula or forming good eating habits during childhood, or whatever, if possible.

The Ecology of Obesity | Newgeography.com

Who Needs a Loser to Win? :: Boxcar Grocer

2013-04-05T14:56:08.000Z

If there is one thing history has consistently taught us it is that pitting groups against each other makes for great news and lousy cities.

Who Needs a Loser to Win? :: Boxcar Grocer

On the Waterfront

2013-04-05T02:07:00.000Z

On the Waterfront. Second viewing, this time on the big screen. Knowing the right thing isn’t always enough. Like Edie says, “Was there ever a saint who hid in the Church?” Can’t have it both ways. But sometimes it takes some hectoring and cajoling to get your courage up. Finally Terry gets on the good side, and switches his wardrobe along with it. He moves from the (conflicted) buffalo plaid jacket to the dark solid jacket formerly owned by Joey (Edie’s universally beloved, upstanding brother). Terry rejects his genetic brother in favor of the broader brotherhood of his community. And you gotta love that Bernstein soundtrack. It’s not just supportive, it barges in and demands your attention every now and then.

April 5, 2013

2013-04-05T01:45:15.000Z

A complex mix of losing and winning may help you more with choking than simply lots of winning.

Tyler Cowen on sports psychology. Cf. antifragile?

Out of the Past

2013-04-05T01:40:27.000Z

Out of the Past. OUT OF THE PAST! Virginia Huston has a small role, lines-wise, but it’s our identification with her that’s the heart, the emotional pivot for the whole thing. Sigh. Why can’t we be better?

Roger Ebert dies at 70 after battle with cancer - Chicago Sun-Times

2013-04-04T19:44:00.000Z

So bummed about this news; so grateful for his life and work.

Roger Ebert dies at 70 after battle with cancer - Chicago Sun-Times

I married young. What are the rest of you waiting for? - Slate Magazine

2013-04-02T16:55:16.000Z

Marriage these days signals that you’ve figured out how to be a grown up. You’ve played the field, backpacked Europe, and held a bartending gig to supplement an unpaid internship. You’ve “arrived,” having finished school, settled into a career path, bought a condo, figured out who you are, and found your soul mate. The fairytale wedding is your gateway into adult life. But in my experience, this idea about marriage as the end of the road is pretty misguided and means couples are missing out on a lot of the fun.

I married young. What are the rest of you waiting for? - Slate Magazine

April 2, 2013

2013-04-02T16:51:21.000Z

The NBA’s Most Stylish Players: GQ.

Even Westbrook has his limits, of course—Kanye’s infamous leather kilt, for instance. Though in his next breath Russ allows that he’d “be open to it if it were a slimmer fit.”

The NBA has had fashion moments before—Clyde Frazier wearing his wide-brimmed Borsalino on the cover of Esquire, the introduction of the Air Jordan in the mid-‘80s, Allen Iverson bringing cornrows, baggy jeans, and garish jewelry from the hood to the hardwood in the late '90s—but the sine waves of high fashion and locker-room style have never synced up quite like they do right now.

A History of Like – The New Inquiry

2013-04-02T16:45:45.000Z

Liking in marketing was always meant to be a metonym for many other complex processes — persuasion, affect, cognition, recall — but it wasn’t meant to be exposed to the public as such. In Facebook, however, the “Like” button further reduces this reduction and makes it visible, making the whole process somewhat cartoonish and tiresome.

A History of Like – The New Inquiry

A Point of View: Chess and 18th Century artificial intelligence - BBC News

2013-04-02T16:45:33.000Z

The inventor’s real genius was not to build a chess-playing machine. It was to be the first to notice that, in the modern world, there is more mastery available than you might think; that exceptional talent is usually available, and will often work cheap.

And there lies what I think of now as the asymmetry of mastery - the mystery of mastery, a truth that is for some reason extremely hard for us to grasp. We over-rate masters and under-rate mastery. That simplest solution was the hardest, partly because they underestimated the space inside the cabinet, but also because they overestimated just how good the chess player had to be.

A Point of View: Chess and 18th Century artificial intelligence - BBC News

Tyler, the Creator Talks Directing Movies, Being Rejected by Justin Bieber | Billboard

2013-04-01T17:33:33.000Z

Tyler and the Clancys’ 4 Strike management group recently started a new creative agency called Camp Flog Gnaw, which aims to lend Tyler’s brain to companies that want to engage the youth demographic. The first fruit of the new enterprise is a partnership with Mountain Dew, for whom Tyler has directed four left-of-center TV commercials starring a talking goat named Felicia. “The agency is a way to stay true to Tyler and not do endorsements, but to allow companies to use his creative energy,” Clancy says. “There’s a demographic out there that corporate America has lost, but Tyler has managed to build a brand around it.”

This strikes me as a bit more savvy and way more interesting than becoming creative director of Blackberry or Intel or something…

Tyler, the Creator Talks Directing Movies, Being Rejected by Justin Bieber | Billboard

April 1, 2013

2013-04-01T17:33:00.000Z

If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.

E.B. White. (via)

April 1, 2013

2013-04-01T17:32:42.000Z

Ghostbusters Recut Trailer, in a more contemporary style. (via)

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Priceonomics Blog: If Sitting Is The New Smoking, Then Why Do We Make Kids Do It?

2013-04-01T17:32:37.000Z

priceonomics:

Stuck in their habits, most adults shrug off standing desks despite the dire health warnings. Children, on the other hand, never wanted to be sitting in the first place.

Priceonomics Blog: If Sitting Is The New Smoking, Then Why Do We Make Kids Do It?

March 29, 2013

2013-03-29T18:09:17.000Z

libraryjournal:

jerumebrunneng:

An image of a page from The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, describing The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, on an e-reader that resembles The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.

This is the future, guys.

Human Intervention as a Competitive Advantage | Derek Sivers

2013-03-28T17:04:55.000Z

When everyone else is trying to automate everything, using a little human intervention can be a competitive advantage. The problem is when business owners see it as a cost, instead of an opportunity. Trying to minimize costs, instead of maximize income, quality, loyalty, happiness, connection, and all those other wonderful things that come from real human attention.

Human Intervention as a Competitive Advantage | Derek Sivers

Stoker

2013-03-28T16:53:00.000Z

Stoker. When it comes to character and plot stuff, this didn’t seem very good. I got over the (I’m assuming intentionally) stilted dialogue. The problem for me was that I didn’t care what the truth was. I don’t need to like any characters, but I need to have a reaction to whatever the story reveals and develops. It kinda lands with a thud. I wonder again how I would have liked the movie if the story were told linearly, instead of turning to distant flashbacks that cut into the movie after 80 minutes. There’s a distinct fun to the style of suspense where instead of feeling in the dark and curious, you’re in the loop, but powerless. It’s “Uh oh! I don’t know what’s going to happen!” vs. “I have a pretty idea what’s about to happen, but alas I am powerless to help anyone involved! Don’t go down that hallway! No seriously don’t open that door!”. It’s the shouting-at-the-screen instinct. When they withhold explanations for a long time and keep you out of the loop until the flashbacks, you end up as more of a spectator, less complicit. So I have those complaints. But–and this is a big but if you like moving pictures for other more mechanical reasons–this movie was pretty engaging for its photography and editing and sound. I love how Park moves the camera around, all the blocking and pivots. Such a clever momentum with the timing. There’s a delightful climactic scene with parallel cuts between three locations. I had more or less the same reaction to Park’s movie Oldboy.

A Disclosure: Rands In Repose

2013-03-28T16:52:57.000Z

Management is a total career restart.

A Disclosure: Rands In Repose

March 28, 2013

2013-03-28T16:52:51.000Z

Who needs a plain old crime now? Crimes need endorsement, distribution, crowds.

Masha Tupitsyn on Steubenville | berfrois. Reminds me of William Gibson on terrorism:

You’re a small group with no reputation, and you start covertly blowing up or murdering the people of a big group, like a government or a nation-state or a whole race. And you can’t just do it and then go and do the next one. You have to do it, and then go and do your PR. “We just bombed your mall. It was us.”

March 26, 2013

2013-03-26T18:39:13.000Z

Hurdle race on snowshoes, Montreal, QC, 1892. This seems a little cruel. I’d love to try it. (via)

Magic Mike

2013-03-26T18:39:00.000Z

Magic Mike. Soderbergh! Best movie ever about the economy and strippers. I’d rank this one behind only Haywire and Out of Sight. You’ve got Tatum’s stripper-slash-roofer-slash-artisan muddling through, but it’s hard to change course when he’s great at something he doesn’t love that’s still addicting in its own way. You’ve got Pettyfer’s teenage socially-tone-deaf bro drifter who’s having a great time being showered with money and attention–at long last! You’ve got McConaughey’s (too?) serious entrepreneur-impresario-emperor. There’s the promise of Miami as the great mythical somewhere else where things are different, some future day. Just a few more nights and then…? Contrast these three with Horn, who takes a more cautious, realist, rooted approach to every day’s compromise. She’s awake in daylight, she works and reads and goes out to dinner and enjoys a glass of wine at home. Hard and boring is okay. Pairs well with Spring Breakers.

Spring Breakers

2013-03-26T18:38:00.000Z

Spring Breakers. Great movie. Surface appeal is dangerous, no? It feels a little exploitative sometimes, but then again our protagonists have such undeniable agency that you wonder whose fantasy(-ies) you’re watching. So now what creeps you out? The movie repeats itself over and over. It’s the promise of spring break and sunshine and fun and release and anything but this, but looping to exhaustion. Interesting also that the movie borrows a contemporary sun-drenched/lens flare/desaturated/neon/present-tense-nostalgia fun aesthetic to undermine itself. Some dialogue I didn’t love, but maybe it was better for efficiency’s sake. Franco’s Alien and Gomez’s Faith are great. I watched this as a belated double feature with Magic Mike. Florida: Where the American Dream Confronts Itself!

The Barbed Gift of Leisure - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

2013-03-26T16:15:00.000Z

We have always sensed that free time, time not dedicated to a specific purpose, is dangerous because it implicitly raises the question of what to do with it, and that in turn opens the door to the greatest of life mysteries: why we do anything at all. Thorstein Veblen was right to see, in The Theory of the Leisure Class, not only that leisure time offered the perfect status demonstration of not having to work, that ultimate nonmaterial luxury good in a world filled with things, but also that, in thus joining leisure to conspicuous consumption of other luxuries, a person with free time and money could endlessly trapeze above the yawning abyss of existential reflection. With the alchemy of competitive social position governing one’s leisure, there is no need ever to look beyond the art collection, the fashion parade, the ostentatious sitting about in luxe cafes and restaurants, no need to confront one’s mortality or the fleeting banality of one’s experience thereof. Even if many of us today would cry foul at being considered a leisure class in Veblen’s sense, there is still a pervasive energy of avoidance in our so-called leisure activities.

Also:

Work hones skills, challenges cognition, and, at its best, serves noble ends. It also makes the experience of genuine idling, in contrast to frenzied leisure time, even more valuable. Here, with only our own ends and desires to contemplate—what shall we do with this free time?—we come face to face with life’s ultimate question. To ask what is worth doing when nobody is telling us what to do, to wonder about how to spend our time, is to ask why are we here in the first place.

Previously in Mark Kingwell tumbles.

The Barbed Gift of Leisure - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

notes on "when i quit smoking"

2013-03-25T20:21:20.000Z

In the end it’s just fun to break shit every once in a while and see what happens. Cutting Twitter out for an extended period is definitely going to break some shit. I can’t wait to see what happens.

notes on "when i quit smoking"

March 22, 2013

2013-03-22T20:32:08.000Z

dailymeh:

Visual framing in Tarkovsky’s Stalker (1979).

March 21, 2013

2013-03-21T16:08:40.000Z

ransomcenter:

“There’s a reason so many of Newman’s portraits have become the iconic images of artists such as Stravinsky and Picasso. Entering their space, Newman managed to capture something of these artists’ inner lives.”

Read the Austin American-Statesman’s review of “Arnold Newman: Masterclass.”

Caption: Arnold Newman, Igor Stravinsky, 1945. Contact sheet of four negatives with Newman’s marks and cropping lines.

March 21, 2013

2013-03-21T16:08:00.000Z

Master the best that other people have ever figured out. Don’t just try to dream it all up yourself. Nobody’s that smart.

Charlie Munger. I’ve got more Munger wisdom on file.

March 21, 2013

2013-03-21T02:24:41.000Z

TFS Essentials: Dirty Dancing, feminism and the female gaze - Toronto Film Scene.

It’s no wonder that Dirty Dancing inspires near-mythic allegiance among women of a certain age. It may be the only film we’ve ever seen in which the male love interest is the one placed squarely in the centre of the frame to be admired for his physical prowess. Ostensibly, films in the romance genre are always “for women” but it’s rare that the male lead is objectified in the way Swayze is here. […] Baby has a great experience with a caring lover, and then at the end of the summer she goes on with her awesomely ambitious life. She doesn’t change her plans to be with her man or cry bitter tears at having to leave him. It’s impossible to overstate how rare a role model like Baby is in films aimed at teenage girls and young women.

March 21, 2013

2013-03-21T02:24:37.000Z

austinkleon:

The Onion | Find The Thing You’re Most Passionate About, Then Do It On Nights And Weekends For The Rest Of Your Life

This killed me, for obvious reasons.

Creative People Say No — Thoughts on creativity — Medium

2013-03-21T02:24:32.000Z

There are few overnight successes and many up-all-night successes.

Creative People Say No — Thoughts on creativity — Medium

March 21, 2013

2013-03-21T02:24:28.000Z

Wear it all over yourself. Quote from @kellyoxford’s new book.

March 21, 2013

2013-03-21T02:24:01.000Z

Do yourself proud, in whatever shape that takes.

Carolyn Hax.

March 19, 2013

2013-03-19T17:23:43.000Z

Essay Daily: Take One Daily and Call Me Every Morning: “Two Clowns on Tarkovsky”: Mark Ehling. This is awesome. Filed under: Tarkovsky.

March 19, 2013

2013-03-19T17:23:39.000Z

The Story of Christoph Niemann’s Petting Zoo App : The New Yorker.

March 19, 2013

2013-03-19T16:24:20.000Z

beforevfx:

Captain America: The First Avenger

March 19, 2013

2013-03-19T01:18:22.000Z

Camera Obscura - The new album, Desire Lines, out on June 3rd (4th USA) on 4AD. *FISTPUMP* Last.fm tells me that among bands, I’ve only listened to Radiohead, Beach House, and Led Zeppelin more over the past 6-7 years. My sad hunch was that they were just going to quietly retire. Anyway, Atlanta: July 13 at Variety Playhouse!

March 18, 2013

2013-03-18T15:54:25.000Z

atlurbanist:

Waiting for a MARTA bus in 1974

Cool dude waiting for a MARTA bus in Atlanta, 1974. This photo comes from Wiki Commons, with a note that there was a spike in ridership at this time because the fare was reduced from 40 cents to 15 cents. Also, new routes and buses had been recently added.

Current MARTA fare for buses and trains is $2.50, with an increase possible later this year if budgeting measures (and proposed privatization) are unsuccessful at alleviating financial woes at the agency.

I really like these old bus stop obelisks.

Changing your operating system | Derek Sivers

2013-03-18T15:54:16.000Z

Once somebody pays me the first dollar, I’m on the hook to deliver. And wait a second: I don’t know if I want that yet.

Changing your operating system | Derek Sivers

March 14, 2013

2013-03-14T19:25:01.000Z

Secret of Momma – The Bygone Bureau.

How to read a book

2013-03-14T15:52:35.000Z

I think people who want to read more but don’t, or people who don’t like to read, are sometimes just putting too much pressure on themselves. And perhaps not being smart or creative enough about it. Here are ways around reading a book that are still kinda reading a book:

Don’t read the book, read the author’s flurry of blog posts and essays on sites everywhere that appeared around the time of the book’s launch.
Don’t read the book, read a bunch of smart book reviews.
Read the introduction and/or conclusion. I used to skip intros all the time when I was in high school because I was cool, but when I started Histories, I realized that smart context can be among the best parts. And the intros are also good for selling you the ideas in the rest of the book…
Read the index and look for entries with lots of sub-entries. No seriously, read like every line. It’s just a way to get yourself oriented, and more importantly, maybe you’ll catch a name or phrase that gets you curious, which leads me to…
Start wherever you feel like it. Page 53 is fine if it’s interesting. This is another good way to sell yourself the book. All you need is a foothold. Pages 1-52 will always be there later.
Skim it. For things that interest you. Gloss over numbers or the anecdotes if they bore you. When I read The Information and The Signal and the Noise recently I semi-skimmed, with dramatic impatient sighs, the sections about medicine, health, environment. These have long been areas of maximal boredom for me and I’m happy to acknowledge that and move on to something cooler.
Take notes, which is to say, use the book as a way to make your own writing.
Read your notes.
Reread your older notes.
Stop reading. As in, no sentences at all from anywhere. You’ll be back. Mark my words.

And as I finish this brain dump I remember that Ryan Holiday has said many of the same things already.

March 14, 2013

2013-03-14T15:49:02.000Z

Gibson-Faulkner space = “The future is already here—it’s just not very evenly distributed.” × “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Robin Sloan.

The Ikea Effect – The New Inquiry

2013-03-14T15:48:58.000Z

The self-care of beauty work is part of how we physically enact our self-assigned value. There’s a reason one sign of depression and some other mental illnesses is neglected grooming: When your brain decides that you’re not as valuable as you once believed, you’re less likely to keep doing the labor that represents that value.

The Ikea Effect – The New Inquiry

March 14, 2013

2013-03-14T15:48:48.000Z

The Descent of Cribs | Quiet Babylon.

All these people, telling stories about the stories that their things tell about them.

Warrior

2013-03-13T19:12:21.000Z

Warrior. I’ve raved about this movie before. A few things I appreciate on third viewing… 1. The efficiency of the startup. A few bits of dialogue, usually barbs hinting at old wounds. Some are too vague to be effective (“That shit you pulled”), but some are so wincingly perfect for character and delivery (“Must be tough to find a girl who could take a punch nowadays.”) 2. Shot, reverse-shot. Sports movies have to deliver on dialogue when you’re not at the relevant events. This is why you care about Rocky or Rudy. Style-wise, these shots reminds me of Michael Mann, peering over the shoulder. 3. Obstructing the shots. I’m thinking of the husband-wife conversation in the bathroom and the father-son scene in the hotel room. Doorways and bodies block the view, so you instinctively want to tilt your head a bit. It also works in the fight scenes cage, where you’re trying to peek through the fence to get closer to the action. In a way, those shots feel more like you’re “there” in the arena than when you get the clean close-ups. 4. This movie is now 3-for-3.

March 13, 2013

2013-03-13T17:24:04.000Z

austinkleon:

“It’s more complicated than that.”

Edward Tufte, Complicated: yellow, print on canvas, 29 ½” x 29 ½”, edition of 3

Life is messy.

How Facebook could get you arrested | Technology | The Observer

2013-03-13T17:23:57.000Z

Big Data + law enforcement = …?

How Facebook could get you arrested | Technology | The Observer

March 13, 2013

2013-03-13T17:23:52.000Z

Fear and defensiveness, the architects of so many of our lowest moments.

Carolyn Hax.

The Net Is a Waste of Time - New York Times

2013-03-12T19:03:15.000Z

I stay in. Hooked. Is this leisure – this browsing, randomly linking my way through these small patches of virtual real-estate – or do I somehow imagine that I am performing some more dynamic function? The content of the Web aspires to absolute variety. One might find anything there. It is like rummaging in the forefront of the collective global mind. Somewhere, surely, there is a site that contains … everything we have lost?

Oldie but a goodie. William Gibson in 1996.

Today, in its clumsy, larval, curiously innocent way, it offers us the opportunity to waste time, to wander aimlessly, to daydream about the countless other lives, the other people, on the far sides of however many monitors in that postgeographical meta-country we increasingly call home. It will probably evolve into something considerably less random, and less fun — we seem to have a knack for that — but in the meantime, in its gloriously unsorted Global Ham Television Postcard Universes phase, surfing the Web is a procrastinator’s dream. And people who see you doing it might even imagine you’re working.

The Net Is a Waste of Time - New York Times

Borg Complex: A Primer | The Frailest Thing

2013-03-06T01:17:33.000Z

A Borg Complex is exhibited by writers and pundits who explicitly assert or implicitly assume that resistance to technology is futile.

Borg Complex: A Primer | The Frailest Thing

Looper

2013-03-06T01:17:00.000Z

Looper. Solid scifi. Just take a nugget of a concept and let it spool out around a handful of people. It makes movie sense in the moment even if it doesn’t later. I love this vision of a possible future. Dystopic, but not totally dire. Just worn out. Good job with the makeup, and especially how Gordon-Levitt takes on some Willis mannerisms. I love Jeff Daniels’ character. There is some violence that a certain demographics won’t take to very well, but I appreciate that he did it anyway, it fit the story, and that it wasn’t over-the-top exploitative. It was sad. I also liked some of the audio editing and they he played with the sound stage. There’s too much leeenns flaaare. But good movie! Rian Johnson knows his craft. Makes me want to watch Brick again.

Killer's Kiss

2013-03-05T03:53:40.000Z

Killer’s Kiss. Pretty conventional noir with beautiful photography. The ax stuff at the end make me think of The Shining and the mannequins, A Clockwork Orange. I think I’d rank it #5 of the Kubrick films I’ve seen so far. Short and to the point.

The Acting Personality: Just How "Authentic" Is Jennifer Lawrence? | Press Play

2013-03-04T17:21:10.000Z

Fame is high-risk and fundamentally incompatible with artlessness.

This is so good. By Masha Tupitsyn.

The Acting Personality: Just How "Authentic" Is Jennifer Lawrence? | Press Play

March 2, 2013

2013-03-02T21:45:06.000Z

“People who don’t live in the area drive by, see people hanging out in the park or on the street talking, and assume everyone’s dealing drugs or up to something. Most of them are just living their lives.” [Police Lieutenant Douglas E. Little, speaking about Bedford Pine in Atlanta]

Building Boulevard: following last year’s Year of Boulevard initiative, what’s next? | Rebecca Burns, Atlanta Magazine (via atlurbanist)

March 2, 2013

2013-03-02T21:45:00.000Z

Martha Stewart!!!

February 28, 2013

2013-02-28T18:00:00.000Z

Our unlived lives–the lives we live in fantasy, the wished-for lives–are often more important to us than our so-called lived lives; we can’t (in both senses) imagine ourselves without them.

Adam Phillips in his new book Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life. Gotta track this one down. I liked Going Sane and On Kindness. (via)

46 Reasons My Three Year Old Might be Freaking Out

2013-02-27T22:23:19.000Z

[…]
He’s hungry, but can’t remember the word “hungry.”
Someone touched his knee.
He’s not allowed in the oven.
I picked out the wrong pants.
[…]

46 Reasons My Three Year Old Might be Freaking Out

The Master

2013-02-26T21:19:24.000Z

The Master. Phoenix was robbed, right? Where DDL takes an amazing script written for a national hero we love to love and embodies it just like we imagined, Phoenix plays a dummy the likes of which we’ve never seen. Maybe the awards don’t capital-m Matter, but man, I can see how it would sting. But the movie: I liked it, but I didn’t really feel it. I felt the same with There Will Be Blood. Like, I didn’t want to blink for 3 hours but I haven’t wanted to see it again, either. Impressed, hell yes. But maybe this is exactly the kind of movie I should be re-watching though. Who knows. Greenwood’s score is fantastic. Hoffman is good at smug and speeches and he does the smile-with-closed-lips-audibly-breathing-out-of-the-nose thing. And his group is like a peripatetic band of gypsies, eking by at the fringe. They get an introduction to NYC high society, but that goes sour. They later run the business out of a patron’s house in Philadelphia. Their big annual conference is rather sad, and I don’t think that’s just my post-TED/Apple keynote perspective talking. Why did the whole gang pick up and leave SF, in the first place? And why is Dodd totally okay with a self-destructive stowaway? Take what you can get, I suppose.

Waiting for Pappy: one man's search of Nashville for America's hottest bourbon | Nashville City Paper

2013-02-26T20:22:57.000Z

This is partly our fault. We, the bourbon drinking collective, have been doing it for years now — haughtily referencing some tiny boutique bourbon we’ve recently tried. They snobbed up the beer and we said nothing. They snobbed up pub food and we said nothing. This was inevitable, and we ushered it in.

10 years ago: “Oh you like Jim Beam? You should try Maker’s Mark.”

Five years ago: “Maker’s, huh? Check out Bulleit next time.”

Two years ago: “Bulleit’s a solid starter bourbon, but next time try for a Jefferson’s Reserve. I had it at a tasting recently. You’ll hear about it soon.”

And so on. Before I knew the impact of my own pretentiousness, I’d contributed to the mania.

Waiting for Pappy: one man's search of Nashville for America's hottest bourbon | Nashville City Paper

Noahpinion: Django Unchained: A white revenge fantasy

2013-02-26T20:22:53.000Z

With a bit of cartoonish violence, Quentin Tarantino was able to do what a thousand reasonable op-eds and preachy biopics have been unable to do: reverse white people’s affinity for the South. I see Django as a white revenge fantasy - whites, whose ancestors (like Tarantino’s) had no part in the institution of slavery, saying “No. The South does not get to represent my racial group. If I was alive in the 1800s, I would have shot those assholes right in the head!”

Noahpinion: Django Unchained: A white revenge fantasy

Why You Never Truly Leave High School -- New York Magazine

2013-02-26T20:22:46.000Z

It was a really small study. I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into it. But its results sum up the entire high-school experience, in my view: mistaking people’s fear for something else.

Reminds me of Mark Oppenheimer on running:

Like adolescents, distance runners have rivalries only with themselves.

I got through high school relatively unscathed, I think, but I think it was probably dumb luck.

Why You Never Truly Leave High School -- New York Magazine

Nieman Reports | ‘Writing is all about rewriting, which means you’ve got to get something down.’

2013-02-26T20:22:38.000Z

Steps for Managing Your Stories

Lower your standards.

Get something down.

Swallow the bile that rises in your throat when you write a first draft.

Print out early.

Read aloud.

Apply very critical standards.

Nieman Reports | ‘Writing is all about rewriting, which means you’ve got to get something down.’

Making culture for the internets—all of them — The Sea of Fog — Medium

2013-02-26T02:29:58.000Z

People ridiculed George W. Bush when he called them “the internets” but he had it right. Technically, the internet is one huge interconnected network. Linguistically and socially, it is many networks, and they are very distinct. For example: There are 40 million Brazilians on Twitter. Do you follow any Brazilians?* This is a significant fraction of a service that many of us consider our internet front porch—and yet, unless you speak Portuguese, it’s invisible. It might as well be a different service entirely.

Making culture for the internets—all of them — The Sea of Fog — Medium

February 25, 2013

2013-02-25T04:10:59.000Z

a-bittersweet-life:

When Film Imitates Art

Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks and Herbert Ross’ Pennies from Heaven

Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Robert Altman’s MASH

Edgar Degas’ Dancers Lace Their Shoes and George Cukor’s A Star is Born

Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

Henry Fuseli’s The Nightmare and Ken Russell’s Gothic

February 25, 2013

2013-02-25T01:08:14.000Z

filmprojections:

Daniel Day Lewis, getting ice cream with his father, poet Cecil Day Lewis.

On disclosures, Instagram photos of your kids, and the “artist as genius” myth

2013-02-25T01:00:00.000Z

austinkleon:

“That’s all any of us are: amateurs. We don’t live long enough to be anything else.”
—Charlie Chaplin, Limelight

My wife and I have been talking so much lately about “authenticity” and “honesty” online — this insane idea that you can really tell who or what someone is and how they are doing just by what they show you of themselves on the internet. That social media is somehow a more “authentic,” or more “human” way of presenting yourself, warts and all, to the world. (As if it weren’t, in fact, making it easier to invent more perfect, alter egos — as if we aren’t all carefully selecting and choosing the bits and pieces of our life to show each other — and as if, “IRL,” we didn’t already choose what bits and pieces to show our friends when they came over to dinner [“Sweep that mess into the closet! Do the dishes! Put away the embarrassing records!”]) And how, inevitably, you start measuring your own life against what you see of the lives of others. (cf. “Keeping Up With The Joneses” and “The Referendum” and my friend Paige’s “Why Facebook Makes Us Miserable.”)

This used to happen to me with other artist friends of mine who I follow online, but actually, it was a positive thing. I would see that so-and-so had been on a drawing tear, posting tons of really interesting drawings, and some of them would be really good, and it would get me wanting to draw. Only later, when talking to them in person, would it turn out that they were just as lazy and uninspired sometimes as I was. The myth contained in the images, in a way, did me good, because it made me push myself. But I wondered, for other aspiring artists who aren’t as driven or delusional as me, if the opposite wouldn’t be true, and they would feel discouraged.

This quandery got ratcheted up a bit more after our son was born. I started thinking about how fundamentally unprepared I was for the experience of caring for a newborn. It was simultaneously the best and worst thing that ever happened to me. (As I like to say, even the best baby in the world can still be a complete fucking monster.) I remembered how people told me it was tough, but nobody told me how fucking distressed and insane sleep deprivation would make me, how absolutely full of despair I would feel for that first month, how it would dredge up feelings I hadn’t felt in years, etc.

And yet, there I was, feeling pretty fucking dark, Instagramming perfect photos of my cute kid sleeping, my wife looking like an angel, etc. And there were my friends doing the same, even though I knew, after a drink at the bar, their struggles were mostly the same as mine.

I was talking about this with my friend Steven, and I suggested that there should be a kind of “shadow gallery” on Instagram — a place where you post pictures of your kid at his worst. He said I absolutely had to do this. (He had a friend whose first move after giving birth was to call all of her girlfriends who were moms and swear them out for not being honest with her.)

And then, of course, I thought of a “shadow gallery” for artists — places where they post their work at their worst, where they acknowledge, that they are, in fact, not natural-born geniuses. A blank Microsoft Word screen. A terrible, sloppy drawing. Their Google search histories…

(You’d think someplace like Dribbble would accomplish this — but every work-in-progress I’ve ever seen a designer post there has been borderline perfect. Things organized neatly…)

Then last night my wife sent me this post my a mommyblogger, acknowledging that the reason she seemed so productive is that she has a nanny.

Why are we, as women, so reluctant to talk about the people we hire to help us so that we can do what we do? What are we afraid of? People thinking we CAN’T do it all?

Well, duh.

We fucking can’t.

So what’s this big secret we’re trying to keep and who do we think we’re fooling?

And what is it doing to people who read our blogs and books and pin our how-tos and think that all of these projects are being finished while children sit quietly on the sidelines with their hands in their laps.

What is it doing to you?

We write disclosure copy on posts that are sponsored, giveaways that are donated. We are contractually obligated to label and link but where is the disclosure copy stating how we work from home with small children? How we shoot videos and meet deadlines and go to meetings and travel around the country attending conventions and conferences.

We have help, that’s how!

People have asked me, over the years, how I’m able to do so much. (My first thought is always, “So much? Boy, do I have you fooled.”) Now, I’m thinking of this idea of an Artist’s Disclosure. (Brian Eno had one in his Diary: “one of the reasons I am capable of running three careers in parallel is because I married my manager.”) I’m thinking about what my disclosure might look like, and whether I have the guts to share it, and whether it’d really do anyone any good, including me.

Reminds me: one hiker I met on the Appalachian Trail made sure to take pictures of himself during the worst days on the trail. Tired, cold, rain-soaked, heat exhaustion, dehydrated, muddy, cranky, whatever. It’s a way to remind yourself of the price of admission, and a reminder that you did, in fact, keep doing this cool thing despite the occasional suckiness.

On disclosures, Instagram photos of your kids, and the “artist as genius” myth

The Fountain

2013-02-25T00:51:40.000Z

The Fountain. The score is such a big part of the emotional impact here that it almost hurts the movie’s case. In other words, I found it distracting. Absolutely beautiful to look at, though. I like Aronofsky’s restrained sepia/golden/silver palettes, and smart use of the macro lenses. I wonder how it would have turned out if the first, fully-budgeted version had gone to completion. I liked Black Swan just a bit more. Pi and Requiem for a Dream are also good, but The Wrestler is the best. I think it’s fair to say I respect his work more than I enjoy it. But he makes movies you should watch. Can’t say that about many.

The Queen of Versailles

2013-02-21T19:29:21.000Z

The Queen of Versailles. Change is hard. I was ready to settle in for some good, smug hate-watching, but this family won me over, all of them. Yeah, they’re ridiculous, but still. They couldn’t have cast it better with auditions.

Resonant Frequency: "Happy Birthday, Kurt" | Features | Pitchfork

2013-02-21T19:29:06.000Z

We think he was a good guy but we really have no idea; we know he was a drug addict and that he abandoned his family, but many of us overlook that because we think we understand his pain, and who are we to judge. But of course, we can’t do the same for people in our own lives. Forgiveness in real life is much harder and more complicated, which is another alluring thing about interfacing to an iconic image: We get to practice feelings when the stakes are low.

@_markrichardson also has a great tumblr you should be following.

Resonant Frequency: "Happy Birthday, Kurt" | Features | Pitchfork

The Talented Mr. Ripley

2013-02-21T19:17:00.000Z

The Talented Mr. Ripley. I had to re-watch after reading the appreciation in Bright Lights. Like Drive, this is one of those movies where I go in thinking, “I’ll just watch the opening 20 minutes or so, then skip around a bit”, and then an hour later I haven’t moved… Tom is even more pitiful than I remembered. Dickie is even more of an asshole. I can’t help but find Marge adorable–such a sunny, blank foil to the other two. Freddie is one of those characters you root for and also find kind of insufferable (Hoffman!). I still think Plein Soleil is a bit better.

February 20, 2013

2013-02-20T19:42:00.000Z

Healing hoops: Sea otter plays basketball to ease arthritis - Animal Tracks. He should do a summer session with Hakeem.

February 20, 2013

2013-02-20T16:36:08.000Z

Aggregating! (via @gwynnstu).

February 20, 2013

2013-02-20T16:14:55.000Z

aeonmagazine:

Before having children, and provided we’ve moved on a little from the maelstrom of adolescence, it is possible to think of ourselves as good people: patient, kind, loving, tolerant. A few years of parenthood strips us of these illusions and we see ourselves in the raw: capable of fury, rage, pettiness, jealousy — you name it. For children confront us with the infantile aspects of our own personalities, the parts of ourselves we’d most like to deny, and we can hate them for it. Worse still, they can thwart our wish, even our need, to feel loving and effective.

That’s Edward Marriott on ambivalent parenting. Cf. Megan McArdle:

I wonder if we ought to re-examine our commitment to happiness. It seems to me that there’s possibly some merit – if we persevere and have the sense to learn from it – in the other-orientation that is (good) parenting. It’s fine to go through life happy, in other words, but I suspect we also want to go through life without becoming big fat self-absorbed jackasses. Children really help in that regard.

To be sure, there are too many parents who, despite their children, remain narcissistic nimrods. But the nature of parenting is to beat that out of you. There’s just no time to spend on ourselves, at least not like we would if we didn’t have babies to wash and toys to clean up, usually in the middle of the night, after impaling our feet on them.

People are inherently self-centered, and especially in a peaceful, prosperous society, this easily leads to self-indulgence that in turn can make us weak and ignoble. There’s something to be said for ordeals – like parenting, or marriage, or tending the weak and broken – which push us into an other-orientation. When we have to care for someone, we get better at, well, caring for people. It actually takes practice, after all.

Star Trek: Nemesis

2013-02-19T04:28:00.000Z

Star Trek: Nemesis. I can see why they put the brakes on the movies for a while. This one might be too blockbuster for it’s own good. It lost some Trekkiness. A very safe film. Definitely better than Insurrection, though, and I think the better production values are a big part of it. As you might suspect from the title, there’s some identity issues explored here. The Picard/Shinzon relationship feels a bit portentous (although one of the saving graces is that young Tom Hardy shows he’s had that incredible screen presence all along, even though his villain is one we’ve seen before: smart, pale, bald, leather.); it’s the relationship between Data and B4 that’s really cool. It’s sort of a Ship of Theseus problem–if you give a physically identical android the same memories, is it the same android? Brent Spiner is a life-saver for all the TNG movies, which seem like they give their supporting cast a lot more screen time. I admit that I enjoyed the dune buggies. And that’s that. I’ve seen every Star Trek film. Here’s how I rank them:

Understanding a fan's relationship with management in sports - Grantland

2013-02-18T17:50:18.000Z

You hit 30, 35, 40, and the life of a professional athlete seems more and more remote. It’s one of a million pasts that never happened rather than a future you can dream about. And the experience of the coach is simply much more accessible to almost every grown-up fan than the experience of any high-level player. And not just because so many fans go on to coach their kid’s T-ball team or whatever; think of it as a lifestyle question. The coach doesn’t have to be able to score from an overhead kick or throw a football 80 yards; he has to run meetings, make plans, juggle lists, and justify himself, same as anybody. He does paperwork. Maybe hops on the treadmill when he can. He’s still connected to the magic of sports, but with him it takes the form of inspired halftime speeches and brilliant late-game stratagems — basically work e-mail lifted to a spiritual plane. More than anything, he has to watch a ton of games: obsess about what’s not working, get mad at players who screw up, praise players who do well.

Understanding a fan's relationship with management in sports - Grantland

February 18, 2013

2013-02-18T06:06:55.000Z

Conspiracy is a nearly irresistible labor-saving device in the face of recalcitrant complexity.

Henry Louis Gates, quoted in The Signal and the Noise. Cf. William Gibson:

Conspiracy theories and the occult comfort us because they present models of the world that more easily make sense than the world itself, and, regardless of how dark or threatening, are inherently less frightening.

February 18, 2013

2013-02-18T05:56:00.000Z

Captain Picard loves him some tablets.

Star Trek: Insurrection

2013-02-18T02:28:00.000Z

Star Trek: Insurrection. There are a couple of main themes here that I really like. One, aging and youth. And two, the forced relocation/Lebensraum/irredentist refugee thing, with the Federation getting involved in some less obviously noble politics. But these themes come up in a pretty ho-hum story that never breaks the TV feel like First Contact does. Even the opening titles are kind of cheap. Add in some truly stupid moments (the beaded headdress; the Gilbert & Sullivan; the life raft), and some good drama that starts and ends too abruptly (Geordi and the sunrise; the slow-time moments). Missed opportunity. Riker kicks ass on the bridge, though. One more to go!

February 17, 2013

2013-02-17T17:25:51.000Z

Zoe’s Desk | Submitted For Your Perusal.

It’s a neat trick on Fincher’s part. It’s difficult to render knowledge work cinematically (quick, what’s the last great movie about writing you remember seeing?), as opposed to physical work which more readily lends itself to Rocky-style montages, but Fincher has figured out a way to short circuit the process. Like all good filmmakers, he knows that if he gives us the signs, we will fill in the rest.

Star Trek: First Contact

2013-02-17T17:25:46.000Z

Star Trek: First Contact. I hear this is the best of the TNG cast, and it is good, but doesn’t measure up to the best of the original cast. Definitely darker. Some of that innocence and optimism is gone (which makes some of the humor and goofiness just… awkward), though thankfully the special effects are finally worthy of the setting. Highlights? I loved the editing and cuts between the scenes on Earth and the various ship scenes–so fluid. Patrick Stewart breaks out of Shatner’s shadow at last. The scenes with Data and the Borg are really good. The spacewalk scene is one of the most typically movie-theater-type fun set pieces in the whole series. There’s also a thematically appropriate opera reference in the solid soundtrack. I liked it.

Bright Lights Film Journal :: The Complex Art of Murder: On The Talented Mr. Ripley

2013-02-17T17:25:36.000Z

Great appreciation for a great film. The Talented Mr. Ripley was kind of a wake-up call for me. I think I saw Magnolia around the same time. I was 17. Like there was something different about the way these movies were good and strange that I hadn’t seen before and didn’t really have a reference for.

Bright Lights Film Journal :: The Complex Art of Murder: On The Talented Mr. Ripley

Aziz Ansari gets candid about love: “elusive and sadly ephemeral”

2013-02-17T17:25:00.000Z

With my stand-up now, I’ve realized there are two types of jokes. One type is me talking about miscellaneous topics and getting laughs. That would be how I feel my first two stand-up specials come off. The second type is, you get a laugh, but you also get the feeling that the audience is saying, “Thank you for saying that!” I find the second type way more satisfying.

Aziz Ansari gets candid about love: “elusive and sadly ephemeral”

My Perfect Adventure: Frugal Traveler Columnist Seth Kugel | My Perfect Adventure | OutsideOnline.com

2013-02-13T16:57:27.000Z

Wow. Seth Kugel is delightfully self-aware.

Q: What motivates you to keep writing?
A: Not to be facile, but if I don’t write, I don’t get to do the things I later write about. An editor once asked me whether I was one of those writers who liked writing or who hated writing. The implication—that there are journalists who struggle with writing and that that’s completely normal—was a huge relief.

Also this:

Q: Name three things you still want to cross off your bucket list.
A: Get married. Have kids. Write a great book. Disappointed?

My Perfect Adventure: Frugal Traveler Columnist Seth Kugel | My Perfect Adventure | OutsideOnline.com

February 13, 2013

2013-02-13T16:57:23.000Z

Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Chrono Trigger – The Bygone Bureau.

Definitely Just a Cold - Television Tropes & Idioms

2013-02-13T16:37:43.000Z

Actually, the more obvious it’s not a normal illness, the less likely they’ll mention it. Even if your cast includes some of the most helpful doctors or mind readers, the character won’t bring it up for quite a few episodes in a row, constantly making the excuse they’re just a bit under the weather.

Definitely Just a Cold - Television Tropes & Idioms

Enthusiasms: Epictetus Discovers the Internet

2013-02-13T16:37:39.000Z

dailymeh:

On trolls: Remember that foul words or blows in themselves are no outrage, but your judgement that they’re so. So when anyone makes you angry, know that it’s your own thought that has angered you. Therefore make it your first endeavour not to let your impressions carry you away…

Love me some Epictetus.

Enthusiasms: Epictetus Discovers the Internet

Star Trek: Generations

2013-02-11T18:19:52.000Z

Star Trek: Generations. It is simply not as good as the others, and Shatner’s exit is woefullly mishandled. What a shame. Three more to go. Rankings so far:

February 11, 2013

2013-02-11T18:19:48.000Z

The Age of Reason. There are a couple scary things here. (via)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

2013-02-11T02:21:49.000Z

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. This one is intense! Such a good way to close out with the original stars. It seems to have the most traditional blockbuster feel: political intrigue, betrayal, blatant emotionalism, heroes in peril, a mad dash to prevent calamity, last-minute rescues, one-liners and philosophical banter. I think this one also built up the biggest sense of dread and risk out of the series. Also a nice thematic change, rather than exploring the frontiers of space and encounters with strange beings or energy forms or whatever, they’re easing into universal civics, basically, and trying not to let their baggage screw it all up. Same director as the excellent Star Trek II… and I think this one gives it strong competition.

'Ocean's Twelve' Is a Great Sequel About How Hard It Is to Make a Great Sequel | Criticwire

2013-02-11T02:21:15.000Z

The film tricks you into thinking it’s one thing and then repeatedly reveals itself as another. With enough viewings and distance, you begin to see that the film is entirely about the act of its own creation.

'Ocean's Twelve' Is a Great Sequel About How Hard It Is to Make a Great Sequel | Criticwire

Repo Man

2013-02-09T17:40:00.000Z

Repo Man. So lively and fun, and it gets more demented the further you go. I loved this one, especially all the side laughs they threw in – just little gems of gesture (e.g., the wrapped gift) or background noise (the TV in the hospital) or the way a scene closes (behind the counter after buying drink at the convenience store) or a character detail (the cop knitting; the kindling for the kooky fireside conversation). A solid cast across the board, with lovely typecasting. One character is an obvious ancestor of Napoleon Dynamite.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

2013-02-08T04:19:10.000Z

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The star trio is reunited! Kirk is also more bad-ass than usual. Director’s privilege? A good bit of the humor attempts fall flat, but I think the story is decent overall. The camera in this one is definitely more fluid than the previous entries in the series. Lots more long, arcing movements and mobile in-your-face stuff. I think the soundtrack was influenced by Scheherazade. If I had to describe the Star Trek films in one word, it would be idiosyncratic. The changes in tone, the weird plotlines, the ambivalence toward traditional villains… there’s a lot you don’t see in other movies. Star Trek rankings so far? Tough call, but maybe:

B Michael Tumblr: Just Free Stuff

2013-02-08T04:18:11.000Z

bmichael:

Rappers are very much analogous to bloggers in that both groups sort of do what they do because they want to do it, but they also know there’s not really any worth to what they’re doing - except sometimes one of their cohort gets scooped up by some faceless place with money, so there’s always a little halo of maybe-money attached to what they do. Maybe that halo’s worth more than actually making a piddly amount of money.

B Michael Tumblr: Just Free Stuff

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

2013-02-08T04:16:19.000Z

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Yeah, the one with the whales. The plot is loony, funny, and it’s a great change of pace from the previous three. The fish-out-of-water scenes are a nice chance for the lead actors to separate and shine a little bit. This film also has some of the most trippy visuals out of the Star Treks I’ve seen so far. Highly recommended.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

2013-02-07T19:19:18.000Z

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The team goes rogue! But there is a pervasive sadness here. Even the end of the mission is bittersweet. I enjoy more and more how much conversation there is in Star Trek, even when it’s super-explanatory. Christopher Lloyd as a dramatic Klingon is awesome.

How The South Will Rise To Power Again | Newgeography.com

2013-02-04T18:08:19.000Z

In the 1950s, the South, the Northeast and the Midwest each had about the same number of people. Today the region is almost as populous as the Northeast and the Midwest combined.

I did not know that, along with a lot of the other family and economic trends mentioned in the article. Filed under: the South.

How The South Will Rise To Power Again | Newgeography.com

Internet Users Demand Less Interactivity | The Onion

2013-02-04T17:42:34.000Z

“All I want is to go to a website, enjoy it for the time I’ve decided to spend there, and then move on with my life,” he continued. “Is that so much to ask?”

Internet Users Demand Less Interactivity | The Onion

Rebecca Solnit · Diary: Google Invades · LRB 7 February 2013

2013-02-04T17:42:31.000Z

I loved this essay on San Francisco and boomtowns. Nicely done.

Rebecca Solnit · Diary: Google Invades · LRB 7 February 2013

Entrance

2013-02-02T16:28:25.000Z

Entrance. I was with it until the last half hour. Good slice of Los Angeles, though, and a good creepy final moment.

Commando

2013-02-02T16:28:03.000Z

Commando. Classic. ¿Como esta?

February 1, 2013

2013-02-01T18:50:23.000Z

A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

Alexander Pope.

January 31, 2013

2013-01-31T17:43:26.000Z

See the big picture of how suburban developments are changing the country’s landscape, with aerial photos and ideas for the future. A typology of suburbs. The variety is kind of cool.

Meet the Flannery O’Connor of the Internet age - Salon.com

2013-01-31T17:42:00.000Z

Focusing all experiences through the lens of the Internet is an example of not being able to see history through the eyes of others, to be so enamored of one’s present time that one cannot see that the world was once elsewise and was not about you.

Meet the Flannery O’Connor of the Internet age - Salon.com

January 28, 2013

2013-01-28T22:11:11.000Z

It’s so intimate, and it’s one of your best friends, this stupid script that you end up living with for seventeen drafts or twenty drafts. […] You’re like, ‘You’re still here?? Can you clean up your shit? You leave it everywhere!’

Lake Bell.

A Wealth of Words by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., City Journal WInter 2013

2013-01-28T16:12:13.000Z

There’s a positive correlation between a student’s vocabulary size in grade 12, the likelihood that she will graduate from college, and her future level of income. The reason is clear: vocabulary size is a convenient proxy for a whole range of educational attainments and abilities—not just skill in reading, writing, listening, and speaking but also general knowledge of science, history, and the arts. If we want to reduce economic inequality in America, a good place to start is the language-arts classroom.

A Wealth of Words by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., City Journal WInter 2013

In Conversation: Steven Soderbergh -- Vulture

2013-01-28T15:11:24.000Z

I loved this long interview.

On the few occasions where I’ve talked to film students, one of the things I stress, in addition to learning your craft, is how you behave as a person. For the most part, our lives are about telling stories. So I ask them, “What are the stories you want people to tell about you?” Because at a certain point, your ability to get a job could turn on the stories people tell about you.

Also:

I was watching one of those iconoclast shows on the Sundance Channel. Jamie Oliver said Paul Smith had told him something he hadn’t understood until very recently: “I’d rather be No. 2 forever than No. 1 for a while.” Just make stuff and don’t agonize over it. Stop worrying about being No. 1. I see a lot of people getting paralyzed by the response to their work, the imagined result. It’s like playing a Jedi mind trick on yourself, and Smith is right. That’s the way I’ve always approached films, the way I approach everything. Just make ’em.

He’s become one of my favorite directors.

In Conversation: Steven Soderbergh -- Vulture

January 25, 2013

2013-01-25T19:18:50.000Z

A still from Holy Motors.

Holy Motors

2013-01-25T19:16:43.000Z

Holy Motors. Incredible. Amazing, amazing performance from Denis Lavant. There’s no traditional plot, but the structure involves Lavant’s character being driven around Paris in a limousine to a series of appointments, each one requiring a different costume, makeup, identity, and performance. The logic is bent and ambiguous. A couple hours of mad and weird invention, wholly invigorating. Here’s Richard Brody. Ebert. Another good critical reading.

Audience as affordance: Twitter versus Facebook — Remains of the Day

2013-01-25T19:10:42.000Z

In reference to Matt Haughey’s essay:

What could I possibly write as a status update that would be interesting to my father, one of my coworkers from my first job out of college, the friend of a friend who met me at a pub crawl and friended me, and someone who followed me because of a blog post I wrote about technology? This odd assortment of people all friended me on Facebook because they know me, and that doesn’t feel like a natural audience for any content except random life updates, like relationship status changes, the birth of children, job changes, the occasional photo so people know what you look like now. So unlike Haughey, what I struggle with about Facebook is not the constraint to be consistent with a single conception of myself, it’s the struggle to target content to match multiple versions of myself.

Audience as affordance: Twitter versus Facebook — Remains of the Day

Full Metal Jacket

2013-01-25T19:10:30.000Z

Full Metal Jacket. Good stuff. I love how the first and second half have storytelling parallels, but with very different cinematographic styles. Tighter, controlled, fortifying training scenes vs. the looser, edgier feel in Vietnam. Apocalypse Now is definitely the better Vietnam film, though. It’s been quite a while since I last saw Platoon or The Deer Hunter. Vincent D'Onofrio was also awesome in Mystic Pizza. My updated Kubrick leaderboard:

2001: A Space Odyssey
The Killing
Full Metal Jacket
Eyes Wide Shut
The Shining
A Clockwork Orange

Pina

2013-01-25T19:10:00.000Z

Pina. Visually very cool, and the talent on display is great to watch. A few troubles I had with it: it’s frustrating to see only excerpts from longer dance performances, and even those fragments are interrupted. Also, like Jiro Dreams of Sushi, there’s a ton of talking-head praise for the title heroine, but it seems you learn even less about her. It’s possible I’m missing the point, though. Great dancing, and it takes a quite a mind to dream of such spectacles and bring them to life.ume

Alain de Botton - By the Book - NYTimes.com

2013-01-24T18:03:40.000Z

It’s a mistaken prejudice of our times to think that the only way to cheer someone up is to tell them something cheerful. Exaggerated tragic pronouncements work far better.

Cf. Carolyn Hax, “A willingness to hear unwelcome truths is the unhappy person’s best friend.”

Alain de Botton - By the Book - NYTimes.com

Feeling-Making Machine: An Interview with Mary Karr - R A I N T A X I o n l i n e Spring 2010

2013-01-24T01:40:19.000Z

This interview is such a gold mine.

I differ from the most diseased part of myself, and I think that an irony of spiritual practice is that when you get out of yourself you kind of more become yourself. When I was a little kid I was bouncy and I made a lot noise and I broke shit. I ran around, I was very enthusiastic. In all the pictures of me I’m smiling. Now, I’m pretty happy. I laugh a lot. I have joy on a given day. I’m not a blithering idiot, and I suffer when it’s hot out or it’s raining and I can’t get a cab. I worry about my kid or my friend getting chemo or whatever. I suffer. But I’m pretty happy. And it’s almost like, I remember my mother saying when I was getting sober, “you’re going to come back to that [childhood happiness].” And I said, “Mother, I don’t even fucking remember that.” I just don’t remember feeling that way. But I really think that voice—not the one that says, fuck you, you stupid bitch, you’re a whore, but the one that says, you can do better than this, honey—that voice is God. And that’s actually who you really are. The other stuff that’s telling you what an asshole you are all the time is fucking noise, your ego or your head or whatever. The Buddhists would call it your ego. Pentecostals would call it Satan. It doesn’t matter what you call it. It’s my fucking head talking.

Feeling-Making Machine: An Interview with Mary Karr - R A I N T A X I o n l i n e Spring 2010

Advice for Boys – The Bygone Bureau

2013-01-24T01:40:14.000Z

My readers taught me as much about listening and taking people’s problems seriously as anything I have ever done. They taught me the value of what kindness and generosity can do, not only for the person receiving it but for you who give. Of what happens when you give people the space to talk about themselves, and of how much guys will start to talk about their feelings if we give them space to do so.

Advice for Boys – The Bygone Bureau

January 24, 2013

2013-01-24T01:40:08.000Z

Cool Tools - Nail Puller. What a beautiful thing.

January 23, 2013

2013-01-23T18:00:00.000Z

Literature is Eucharistic. You take somebody else’s suffering into your body and you’re changed by it, you’re made larger by their pain.

Mary Karr.

The Deadliest Jobs In America, In One Graphic : Planet Money : NPR

2013-01-23T16:06:00.000Z

I like how they just casually mention loggers “killed by an out of control machine”. We know how this ends. Also, firefighters?

Over a third of firefighter deaths from 2011 were due to fires or explosions, but another quarter were because of transportation accidents.

“Cosmo’s got the caboose!”

The Deadliest Jobs In America, In One Graphic : Planet Money : NPR

Art & Film: Rembrandt/Tarkovsky

2013-01-23T16:00:31.000Z

kino-obscura:

From the canvas to the cinema.

David Liu | 21 January 2013

The Return of the Prodigal Son (Rembrandt, 1669; oil on canvas)

Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972)

In the end: a dog, a father and a son. Like the works of Rembrandt, Tarkovsky’s adaptation of Stanislaw Lem’s 1961 science fiction novel reveals a consummate humanist at work — an artist for whom the individual search for redemption transcends the realms of faith and waking consciousness.

January 23, 2013

2013-01-23T15:46:26.000Z

Everybody talks about the writer’s feeling and the writer’s expression and the writer’s experience, and, you know, I don’t give a fuck how the writer feels. I want a fucking book that I can be in love with. I want a book that I’ll reread seventeen times. That’s what I want.

Mary Karr. I usually finish reading before I tumble, but I couldn’t help it this time. (via)

Eyes Wide Shut

2013-01-22T01:53:54.000Z

Eyes Wide Shut. I didn’t love it, but I’ll put it in the plus column for Stanley Kubrick. The cult scene had some wonderful tension. I also respect his willingness to let scenes slow down to a near stand-still, like during Kidman’s monologues. And he’s got a great way with music and musical commentary (the Shostakovich waltz; “When I Fall In Love”; “Stranger in the Night”). My Kubrick rankings (there’s considerable distance between #3 and #4):

2001: A Space Odyssey
The Killing
Eyes Wide Shut
The Shining
A Clockwork Orange

A Brief Remark on Zero Dark Thirty « The Pinocchio Theory

2013-01-22T01:37:04.000Z

Zero Dark Thirty is the ne plus ultra of proceduralism, its ultimate expansion and reductio ad absurdum. It’s all about the well-nigh interminable process of searching for, and then eliminating, Osama Bin Laden. The premise and initial impetus of this process is of course the mythological demonization of Bin Laden, as the ultimate culprit responsible for Nine Eleven. But in the relentless proceduralism that the film presents to us, this goal or rationale is abraded away. The torture which the film has become controversial for depicting is of course part of this. But so is the process of painstakingly correlating irrelevant information, the accidental discovery of leads in years-old records, the repetitive tracking of the vehicle of the suspected courier, the endless bureaucratic meetings at which officials seek to decide if the information is valid and what should be done about it, and above all the military operation in the last thirty minutes of the film (has military action ever been depicted in the movies with such relentless a focus on operational techniques, in a manner that is utterly devoid alike of the horror of war and of the glory and heroism that are so often invoked to justify it?). The goal has been so absorbed into procedural routine that the ostensible climax of the film, the actual killing of Bin Laden, occurs offscreen; and we barely even get a glimpse of the corpse, zipped as it is into a body bag, which is to say treated entirely (and literally) according to Standard Operating Procedure.

A Brief Remark on Zero Dark Thirty « The Pinocchio Theory

January 22, 2013

2013-01-22T01:37:00.000Z

Relationships are complicated, but happiness in a relationship isn’t: It’s just wanting exactly what you have. Wanting something else is dispiriting.

Carolyn Hax.

Zero Dark Thirty

2013-01-22T01:36:59.000Z

Zero Dark Thirty. I can’t think of many movies with such a steady build-up. Really well done. Setting aside any moral/political/veracity issues you may like to bring up, what I really loved was the simplicity of the plotline. Like Steven Shaviro wisely points out (must read, I say), it’s a procedural film. There are people who want to locate a man. It’s really difficult. They spend a decade working on it. Although we have a single protagonist, there’s no love interest. There are only hints at a personal life, mostly so the possibility can be downplayed. (I actually thought some of the weakest, most embarrassing moments were when Chastain was showed some ‘tude, like in the hallway confrontation and the writing on the office window. The script just wasn’t built for it.) There’s no sabotage, no competitors, just work. Oh, and chronic failure. And somehow it didn’t feel like 2.5 hours! All the plot resistance comes from the difficulty of the task itself and bosses who like good work, sure, but demand incredibly great work. In the end, after all the collaboration, the actual fulfillment of the mission is completely out of our heroine’s hands. She just watches and listens, like us. And what’s interesting from a filmmaking standpoint, is that climax is pretty dry, detailed, by-the-book. There’s no personal bloodlust, just well-rehearsed and well-executed teamwork. The movie progress from the horrific, emotional opening, through a couple hours of procedural drudgery, to an incredibly competent raid. By the time we get to the end of the movie (sort of like how we might have felt by the end of the manhunt in real life), the ending lacks much triumph or satisfaction. Everything zipped up. On to the next. Like the heroine, I just felt drained. While we’re on the topic, I remember the song I was listening to when I heard that Bin Laden had been killed: Marvin Gaye’s If I Should Die Tonight. It was a strange night, wasn’t it?

January 22, 2013

2013-01-22T01:36:18.000Z

Hidetaka Fukaya, Il Micio - Permanent Style. These are awesome.

Erik Davis - Trickster and tricked

2013-01-19T17:15:34.000Z

All gurus try to undermine their followers’ egos and expectations, so does it matter if the teacher is a real fraud?

Kumaré sounds interesting.
Erik Davis - Trickster and tricked

Fish Monkey's Writing Stuff: On Shoes

2013-01-19T17:15:21.000Z

Shopping for shoes is largely free of body anxiety associated with clothes shopping.

Never thought of that. I remember asking a woman I used to work with about the allure of shoes. Her response, “It’s like a little sculpture. You can put it in your hand and look at it and it’s just perfect.” She’s an artist, so that might be a natural response, but I still think about it years later.

Fish Monkey's Writing Stuff: On Shoes

January 19, 2013

2013-01-19T16:35:03.000Z

Whenever we invent something new, our neuroses rush over there and get writ large.

George Saunders. And further in his LARB interview:

A definition of parenting: “That state in which, because of the existence of great love, an individual feels that he or she has failed, or is failing, or will soon fail.”

A Clockwork Orange

2013-01-19T02:18:55.000Z

A Clockwork Orange. I get it, but I don’t get it. This was exhausting.

Malick’s Music of the Spheres: The Tree of Life

2013-01-17T16:54:21.000Z

Plenty of academic jargon, but I liked this look at the scoring for Terrence Malick’s movies over his career. And the idea that parts of The Tree of Life harken back to silent film mechanics (dominant score; voiceover ≈ dialogue intertitles) was interesting.

Malick’s Music of the Spheres: The Tree of Life

Paris Review – CivilWarLand in Bad Decline: Preface, George Saunders

2013-01-17T16:54:17.000Z

When I was in my twenties I had this plan to go to El Salvador and write about the experience. I had no money, didn’t speak Spanish, but this was “my dream.” I stopped by one day to see a friend of mine but found only his father home. I’d never spoken to this man before, not really. He was a truck driver, a father of eight, always went around in a white T-shirt and a pair of Buddy Holly glasses. But this day, we talked. I told him about my El Salvador plan, expecting him to find it indulgent. But instead he said, “You know what? You have to do it.”

“Yes,” I said, with the force of revelation. “I do. I really do.”

“And you know why?” he said. “Because you know who you’re going to blame if you don’t?”

I did know.

“Myself,” I said with a knowing smile.

“Bullshit,” he said. “You’ll blame your wife and kids.”

I often thought of this conversation when I was stealing time from Radian to write this book. If I didn’t, I told myself, I was going to become a bitter old-fart version of myself, blaming Paula and the girls.

So I stole like a mother. I wrote in the bathroom, I printed using the company printer, I turned away from my Kodak report to jot things down, I edited while waiting for an offsite groundwater remediation system to purge, I sometimes blew off a full afternoon when I was feeling ripe, although usually, when that happened, I’d take work home, just to be fair.

(Cf. Amy Poehler.)

It’s been a few years since I’ve read any Saunders, but I’m really excited about his new book.

Paris Review – CivilWarLand in Bad Decline: Preface, George Saunders

Jacob Silverman: Some Notes on a Book

2013-01-15T21:18:19.000Z

jacobsilverman:

Last month, I sold a proposal to HarperCollins for a book about social media and its role in online identity, privacy, self-expression, and Internet culture. All this began with my “Against Enthusiasm” essay in Slate, but I’m now looking more broadly at the attention and sharing economies; how (for some people) life becomes reconstituted around the ways in which we can broadcast it online; how the wall between online and “real” life has largely collapsed; the values engineered into social networks (which include incessant liking and favoriting); and so forth.

If you’re interested in talking to me about the book, want to send me something to read, or you think there’s someone I should be talking to, please feel free to get in touch. I’ll still be doing some freelancing and book reviewing, though I’ll be focusing more on social media and the culture of technology. But for now, it’s time to get to work. The book will be out sometime in 2014 (release date TK). Thanks for reading.

I like and reblog this without reservation.

Jacob Silverman: Some Notes on a Book

January 15, 2013

2013-01-15T21:15:31.000Z

I’m 59 years old. I don’t care about these technology pets they have.

If you lose your cellphone, don’t blame Wayne Dobson - ReviewJournal.com. I’d never thought about this:

In 1997, cellphone users were roughly one in three callers to 911 dispatchers. And dispatchers didn’t know what to do in situations where the person couldn’t, or didn’t, provide their location. For land lines, dispatchers automatically knew where they were. If you were in Chicago calling from a cellphone with a 702 area code, for example, Chicago dispatchers would forward the call to Las Vegas police.

What is art in the internet age? | Yale Insights

2013-01-15T00:04:47.000Z

Q: What are the incentives you think artists are responding to?

Money and fame and sex—the same as always—but now there’s a difference. You can’t perfect your masterwork for 20 years. There’s a bit of a hurry. There’s a sense that things are changing. You can end up obsolete.

Q: How about from the audience perspective? How different is consuming art versus other consumption?

I think it’s changed enormously in the last 10 years. You see it in movie theaters, but it’s everywhere: people text or tweet and don’t pay full attention. They’re in some ways quite fussy. The attitude is, I’m already in control of my own informational life and entertainment. What else can you bring to the table? Not in a hostile way, but in an entirely legitimate “what have you got for me?” way. A lot of creators aren’t really up to it.

What is art in the internet age? | Yale Insights

The Grey

2013-01-14T21:40:54.000Z

The Grey. It’s great. Watch it. There are (spoiler) wolves that (spoiler) eat people! Cinematically! The occasional narration and flashbacks in the story didn’t entirely sit well with me right away, but the strength of the rest of the acting, set pieces, sound work, and general grim relentlessness were spot-on. I think maybe you can even argue in favor of the bluntness of the voiceover writing. We’re so used to heroes being accomplished, superlative, clever, admirable. This is kind of a regular guy, down and out and swallowed in his own drama. How many people have written a good diary entry, literariness-wise? Who, in those circumstances, would be self-conscious enough to turn out new insights and artisan memories? No, you get by on what you have with you. I didn’t think about that stuff much when I was watching the movie, though. I was already having too much fun. Other movies I’ve seen recently that involve the protagonist in a man vs. canine situation: The Hunter, White Dog, The Bourne Legacy. Man vs. cat? Life of Pi.

January 14, 2013

2013-01-14T18:56:09.000Z

Ray Lewis visits Elon Football Team. Inspirational Speech. The thunder is a nice touch.

When you wake up in the mornings, don’t let your alarm clock be the only thing that wakes you up.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Noted - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

2013-01-14T18:13:32.000Z

In his 1689 De arte Excerpendi, the Hamburg rhetorician Vincent Placcius described a scrinium literatum, or literary cabinet, whose multiple doors held 3,000 hooks on which loose slips could be organized under various headings and transposed as necessary. Two of the cabinets were eventually built, one for Placcius’s own use and one acquired by Leibniz. It was an early manifestation of the principle that still governs our response to the knowledge explosion: The remedy for the problems created by information technology is more information technology.

Noted - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Bourne Legacy

2013-01-14T18:13:28.000Z

The Bourne Legacy. If you tend to like the Bourne movies, you’ll like this Bourne movie. Favorite moments: the wolf rivalry, the climb from basement to upstairs window and the con to enter the factory. We even got a little fruit cart cameo. I’d love to see more more movies that show how insane and terrifying drones are.

January 13, 2013

2013-01-13T15:44:34.000Z

I think every kid wants to rebel against their parents and my parents are cool, artistic, creative people. So my way to rebel was to take the academic route. I always wanted to go to college and go to law school.

Rashida Jones.

January 12, 2013

2013-01-12T19:31:15.000Z

How Motion Pictures Became the Movies 1908-1920. Homework! References and filmography.

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

January 11, 2013

2013-01-11T20:34:14.000Z

Onion Talks. Yes!

I’m an idea man. I link up with implementers, and then we share the money.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

January 11, 2013

2013-01-11T18:44:22.000Z

I had never written a movie before and Dan gave me this huge list of movies and took me to Whole Foods with his laptop. We sat and watched every movie on the list frame-by-frame and talked through it. That was my film school, meeting with Dan at Whole Foods.

Lucy Alibar, on adapting “Juicy and Delicious” into Beasts of the Southern Wild. Easy as that.

America’s favorite joke is anything but funny - Salon.com

2013-01-11T18:44:17.000Z

Without the foil, we would have to face our own poverties, our own barbarism, our own shelteredness, our own actual lack of sophistication.

Also:

The problem with a stereotype is usually not that it is completely inaccurate, but that it identifies a feature as relevant or important for irrelevant reasons and, in so doing, makes it difficult for the person or entity to break out of the stereotype and beyond it in observers’ eyes, which makes an authentic relationship with the stereotyped person or entity impossible.

Filed under: rednecks, stereotypes

America’s favorite joke is anything but funny - Salon.com

Film Crit Hulk Smash: HULK VS. TOM HOOPER AND ART OF CINEMATIC AFFECTATION | Badass Digest

2013-01-11T17:38:09.000Z

IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT THAT THEY CALL THE FILM CAMERA “GOD’S EYE” BECAUSE IT’S OUR GATEWAY TO OMNISCIENT EXPERIENCE. AND IT ALL ADDS UP TO ONE VERY SIMPLE NOTION CINEMATOGRAPHY MATTERS.

Film Crit Hulk Smash: HULK VS. TOM HOOPER AND ART OF CINEMATIC AFFECTATION | Badass Digest

Interview: Big Boi « The FADER

2013-01-09T22:22:00.000Z

I discovered Phantogram’s music by chance, on a popup ad on the computer. I’m closing out of a ‘You have just won a prize’ screen and “Mouth Full of Diamonds” came on and I Shazamed it, bought the song, then invited them to Stankonia.

Easy as that.

Interview: Big Boi « The FADER

Don't Go to Business School! - The Daily Beast

2013-01-09T17:57:57.000Z

Teaching yourself to go after what you want, and accept the inevitable rejection that comes with that, will add more to your earning power than anything that you could possibly learn in class.

Megan McArdle is my new Carolyn Hax.

Don't Go to Business School! - The Daily Beast

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol

2013-01-09T17:05:36.000Z

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. Forget the skyscraper scene, that dust storm chase was dope. Pretty stock otherwise, but with smartphones! I’m glad I saw it (it’s the second-best of the modern MI series, after the first one), despite all the times it made me groan. Oh, and Patton’s Jane Carter has nothing, nothing on Carano’s Mallory Kane.

Julian Baggini – The art of coffee

2013-01-09T16:43:53.000Z

The logical consequence of molecular gastronomy is haute-mechanisation. If the best way to cook meat, for example, really is to vacuum-seal it with some herbs and spices and cook in water at 55 °C (131 °F) for 48 hours, then as soon as a suitable, cheap sous-vide cooker is available, there is no reason why a novice chef in a local pub, or anyone else for that matter, couldn’t collect it from the butcher and do as good a job as anyone else.

Julian Baggini – The art of coffee

Favorite improvements of 2012

2013-01-08T02:58:32.000Z

In addition to my previous posts on movies, books, and music, I’ll mention some things that made my life better last year, in some way or another. I’m dividing it here into two parts: things I bought, and decisions I made.

Products

Amazon Prime. Wonderful. Love it. I get another source for movies, and I get stuff I don’t always need, more quickly. This is why we made civilization.
A grapefruit spoon. Great example of having the right tool for the job. When you need both cutting and scooping power. An incredibly thoughtful gift from a friend who listens well.
A drain snake. There is no reason, in this day and age, in a nation of great prosperity, to suffer through domestic life with a slow or clogged drain. (I think I have a thing about drains. The sink strainers I bought a couple years ago still deliver me daily joy.)
A shoehorn. I hate when my shoes get the crumpled heel counter. And it feels nice. Hard to explain, it just feels proper and kinda smug, which is great way to start the day.
Better sound. The small, relatively inexpensive upgrades for my amplifier, headphones, and earbuds have made all the difference. Louder sound, cleaner sound, less background noise. And I don’t even think I’m much of an audiophile (……….yet?).
Ghostery is a great way to fight the Man, and an easy, at-a-glance way to roughly gauge which sites are more bullshitty than others.
Embracing a uniform, sorta. My favorite thing to wear is a grey t-shirt and jeans. Or grey t-shirts and pants. Or a grey sweatshirt. Or a blue or white button-up. Or some combination of the above. Boring. Predictable. Stockpile the good stuff and phase out the rest!
Art. I ripped a bunch of things out of art books to frame, but I also bought a kick-ass print to hang by my desk and had a friend make me a painting that sits in the bedroom.

Decisions

I resigned from my job at HowStuffWorks. I had a good run, but it was probably past time. (4.5 years! Dang, y'all.)
I started a new job at SimplePart. Awesome startup I was super-stoked to join.
I resigned from that new job at SimplePart. Awesome company, but the wrong fit, it turns out. No hard feelings on either side. They’re gonna make piles of money.
Taking my time to figure it out. I’m lucky I’ve been a disciplined miser since college, which gives me the chance to leap into the great unemployed unknown every now and then (and go hiking). This whole discernment process has been exhausting/exciting/stressful/fun, depending on the day/week/minute. Who knows what’s next?
I started going to therapy. There is nothing quite like it. Everyone I’ve mentioned it to has been supportive and/or jealous. Not to claim that I’ve made huge strides as a human being, but I can’t think of anyone who would not benefit from setting aside some time (and money, yeah) for thoughtful conversation focused on yourself.
I called my family more often. This isn’t saying much, but it’s a step in the right direction for sure.

Here’s to another year of small improvements and big ones.

Favorite movies of 2012

2013-01-08T02:40:00.000Z

I watched more movies in 2012 than any other year of my life, by far (132). I should have taken up cinephilia years and years ago. Although, um, I maybe should tone it down a bit?

Some of the high points this year came from diving deep into Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh, and yeah, Ben Affleck, along with re-watching a good collection of old favorites. Below are some new-to-me movies that I loved in 2012. I looked at my diary on Letterboxd, and listed the movies that I gave either 4.5 or 5 stars. All the links go to my own reviews:

Heat (watched 3x!) “Yeah, this is definitely going on my list of movies that are 1) more than 2.5 hours long, and 2) worth watching 3x or more.”
Lawrence of Arabia. “David Lean? This, Doctor Zhivago, and Brief Encounter? There’s a resume for you.”
Beasts of the Southern Wild. “Best soundtrack of the year so far? I might have cried twice.”
The New World. “You’re forced to set aside Disney memories and whatever historical précis you’ve got leftover from school.”
The Iron Giant. “The greatest anti-war film ever made.”
Certified Copy. “The surprises depend on you coming to a conclusion, one way or another, and the way the movie unfolds, you have to question what you come up with.”
Take Shelter. “Often when I see extreme psychological issues on screen it feels like an excuse for spectacle, it’s motive, it’s entertainment. Michael Shannon’s paranoia just breaks him.”
Warrior (2x!) “Some plot points are about subtle as a kick to the head, but the power is there, too.”
Midnight in Paris. “I love our hero’s giddy, can’t-believe-his-luck enthusiasm. This might be my favorite Owen Wilson performance ever.”
The Night of the Hunter. “Some things aren’t right in this neighborhood. Perfect horror.”
Thief. “I also like that this thief isn’t an MI-style sneaky ninja techno-athlete or some kind of capoeira breakdancer. He’s an old man. He’s got a limp. He wants to have a wife and kid.”

And what the hell, here are the 4-star movies from 2012. It’s a thin line:

Favorite books of 2012

2013-01-08T02:39:00.000Z

Like my year in music, my reading was also a little down this year, especially over late summer and fall. I think I did pretty well on fiction this time around, though. I’ll stick to a couple picks for each month:

January
Extra Lives. Why video games are awesome and why they make you feel guilty and ashamed. And more! (reviewed)

Runner-up: The Art of Fielding. A tale of baseball and friendship that’s much, much better than it sounds. (reviewed)

February
Steal Like an Artist. Obviously. But you don’t have to take my word for it.

Runner-up: Hark! A Vagrant. I wish this was my high school history textbook.

March
Distrust That Particular Flavor. Twenty years of work from a great mind. I tumbled a bunch of quotes.

Runner-up: Dreamtigers. Only giving this one second place because I’ve read some of the stories before. Borges is still a champ.

April
The Gift of Fear. A fascinating look at the psychology of trust. (reviewed)

Runner-up: Philosophy Bites, for thoughtful variety that, like the podcast of the same name, doesn’t waste your time.

May
Religion for Atheists, for its thoughtful, inquisitive look at something many of us are already decided about. One of my favorites this year. (reviewed)

Runner-up: Macbeth, for being short and sweeping and brilliant. (tumbled)

Second runner-up: Mindless Eating, for its friendly, simple, super-practical approach to habits you might want to change. (reviewed)

June
{sound of crickets}

July
An Economist Gets Lunch, for Tyler Cowen’s typically counter-intuitive, omnivorous openness to experience. I’m a huge fan.

Runner-up: Imaginary Magnitude. A collection of introductions to fictional books covering, among other things, x-ray pornograms, computer-generated literature, and a biography of a sentient, moody super-computer. If you like the Borges above, or Borges in general, or strange science fiction, or strange conceptual writing in general, this is absolutely a book for you.

August, September, October
{embarrassed silence}

November
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. This is tied with The Art of Fielding for the “How did he make that book so page-turnable?” award. A light, bright, fun adventure. Robin Sloan is next-level.

December
A Visit from the Goon Squad. Growing up in a music-heavy world. I like that every chapter has a different voice, perspective, and structure.

Runner-up: The First Four Notes, for its wide-ranging history of philosophy and aesthetics that uses Beethoven’s music as the pivot point.

January 7, 2013

2013-01-07T19:13:15.000Z

Motivation & Behavior Change - BJ Fogg.

George Saunders Has Written the Best Book You’ll Read This Year - NYTimes.com

2013-01-07T16:06:54.000Z

Filed under: George Saunders.

George Saunders Has Written the Best Book You’ll Read This Year - NYTimes.com

January 6, 2013

2013-01-06T18:43:55.000Z

Trombone Silliness. Yes! (via)

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

The Millions : My New Year’s Resolution: Read Fewer Books

2013-01-05T01:59:03.000Z

In an odd way, the fact that no one else knows has made me more competitive, not less. I’m sure serious runners are familiar with this seeming paradox. Maybe nobody else knows that you shaved 1.2 seconds off your personal best time for the mile, but you know — and that knowledge, plus the fact that your achievement has brought you no external reward, gives you a perverse sense of satisfaction. Or no, let’s be honest about this: it gives you a perverse sense of superiority.

The Millions : My New Year’s Resolution: Read Fewer Books

Django Unchained

2013-01-04T19:50:00.000Z

Django Unchained. The best way to summarize my experience is that this movie made me excited about what movies can do. And like Compliance, a huge part of the experience is how you share it with a theater full of other viewers. Powerful, thoughtful entertainment that makes you think about why you’re entertained.

Django, the N-Word, and How We Talk About Race in 2013 - Grantland

2013-01-04T17:42:20.000Z

While not the same, because it’s much more complex, this “Django Moment” is an evolutionary advancement to my own personal “Jay-Z Moment,” in which the decision has to be made, going into one of his shows, of how to attack the N-word. While most certainly not just tied to Mr. Carter, the overall sentiment of “I’m not black, but I want to say the N-word at this concert, because the rapper onstage is practically begging me to say it along with him” has long been something to note among his ever growing, ever more mainstream fan base. What’s happening in Django is simply taking that premise to the next, more intense level.

Really good stuff from Rembert Browne (@rembert).

Django, the N-Word, and How We Talk About Race in 2013 - Grantland

January 4, 2013

2013-01-04T17:31:57.000Z

This is what RSS is for, these days: you set a snare, leave it, and trap for yourself the words you want to read most.

Robin Sloan.

What's Better: Cell Phones or Indoor Toilets? - The Daily Beast

2013-01-04T17:31:52.000Z

I’m not sure how revealing it is that people in rural China and Africa have chosen something that is relatively inexpensive and available, over something that is fairly expensive, and isn’t. Saying “Well, they didn’t install this totally inadequate substitute” doesn’t really persuade me.

Megan McArdle FTW.
What's Better: Cell Phones or Indoor Toilets? - The Daily Beast

Un flic (A Cop/Dirty Money)

2013-01-01T23:11:56.000Z

Un flic (A Cop/Dirty Money). I love seeing older movies like this and realize I’m seeing some of the early DNA for later films. Like the camera that circles the group as they plan/explain the upcoming heist. The helicopter+locomotive scene was surely an inspiration for Mission Impossible. And the ending, where the camera holds on Delon’s face as he drives? You see the same thing echoed at the close of Michael Clayton. You’re invited to linger on the protagonist and speculate about how they feel about the whole ordeal. Oh, and I love Delon’s (anti-)hero here. He’s not traditionally noble. Like how he handles the love triangle. Or the part where, instead of trying to prevent a suicide and collar a live suspect, he closes the door? Woah! And about those criminals: like I mentioned when I watched Thief, there’s something about seeing middle-aged guys doing heists that’s kind of refreshing. And the one guy hiding the moonlighting from his wife! He’s like, “The job interview went okay. Long day!” Ha! This movie also has: 1. Catherine Deneuve (not enough, but hey). 2. A character nicknamed Matthew Suitcase. 3. A transvestite informer (/love interest?). Looks great, sounds great. Great movie. Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï is also very good. I also love Alain Delon in Plein Soleil/Purple Noon.

Badlands: An Oral History: Movies TV: GQ

2013-01-01T18:04:24.000Z

Martin Sheen:

Terry called one night and said, “I want you to play the part.” I had to get up very early the next morning to go to work, and I was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in a little Mazda. I was listening to a Dylan album I was fond of, and the song “Desolation Row” was playing, and the sun was rising, and it hit me that I was going to play the role of my life. I had been a professional actor since I was eighteen. I was thirty-one, I had four children, I was struggling, doing a lot of television—a lot of bad, silly work just to make ends meet—and I wasn’t having any luck in features to speak of, and here was the part of my life. And I was overwhelmed, and I pulled off to the side of the road, and I wept uncontrollably.

Also, from assistant director Bill Scott:

We were so green. A couple years ago, Terry told me that on that first morning of filming, after he got his big wide shot, the cameraman turned to him and said, “Should we go in for coverage now, Terry?” And Terry said, “No, let’s do an over-the-shoulder shot’"—which is coverage. And I remember when someone asked me if I had ordered the honeywagon, I said, "Yeah, the catering’s all lined up.” The honeywagon’s the toilet truck.

I gotta watch Badlands again.

Badlands: An Oral History: Movies TV: GQ

White Dog

2012-12-31T03:11:00.000Z

White Dog. Incredibly blunt B-level message movie with terrible dialogue, but it works in a Night of the Living Dead kind of way. Ennio Morricone soundtrack helps for sure.

December 30, 2012

2012-12-30T01:04:08.000Z

What I Read, 2007-2012. Amazing how it all adds up. Six years, 400-something books and counting. (Sometimes I write about them.)

As with any long-term journaling, what’s especially fun is the bigger picture you get from looking back. I see the individual books, yes, and my passing topical interests and ongoing obsessions, but I also see who I was hanging out with, who I was influenced by, and an incidental history of where I was living.

The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death | OutsideOnline.com

2012-12-29T23:15:06.000Z

No one can yet predict exactly how quickly and in whom hypothermia will strike–and whether it will kill when it does. The cold remains a mystery, more prone to fell men than women, more lethal to the thin and well muscled than to those with avoirdupois, and least forgiving to the arrogant and the unaware.

In other words, I’m doomed. I remember reading Jack London’s To Build a Fire and watching the short film adaptation in middle school. Love it. Keep your gloves on, folks.

The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death | OutsideOnline.com

December 29, 2012

2012-12-29T23:15:01.000Z

Maps are not only about space, they’re also about time: maps are frozen journeys.

Margaret Atwood.

Finding the Words (or Not) to Say Goodbye - NYTimes.com

2012-12-29T02:51:06.000Z

After working with terminal patients for over 30 years, Dr. Byock recommends four simple expressions. “Please forgive me.” “I forgive you.” “Thank you.” “I love you.”

Filed under: death.

Finding the Words (or Not) to Say Goodbye - NYTimes.com

December 28, 2012

2012-12-28T20:11:00.000Z

strangewood:

Storyboards for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

This reminds me of Betty Draper vs. the pigeons.

Fame

2012-12-28T19:55:10.000Z

Fame. Like I said after I watched Mystic Pizza, the bildungsroman reached a huge peak in the ‘80s. I was totally sold on a few really awesome musical numbers in there, none of them feeling too super-campy-fabulous, but the real payoff is actually the stories in between. The few main chapters (auditions, freshman year, sophomore year, etc.) each present a few vignettes revolving around a collection of teen hopefuls. Success, stress, trauma, persistence. Great movie. I have no interest in the remake. Another wonderful, episodic film about New York teens (from a different demographic) wrestling with their fears and expectations is Metropolitan.

Tweetage Wasteland : Get Off My Stoop

2012-12-28T19:55:02.000Z

The standards once applied to reporting are now often reserved for correction writing. […] If you tell me that a lunatic killed twenty kids in an elementary school, that gives me enough to process for a while. I can wait a few minutes or a few hours (or even a few days) to learn about the details about the shooter’s psyche or his relationship with his deceased mother. But these days, it seems, no one producing news can wait. But someone has to wait. Little value for journalists or their readership is created in the race to be first. We need a media that races to be right.

Tweetage Wasteland : Get Off My Stoop

When Bram Met Walt | Humanities

2012-12-28T19:54:57.000Z

When he was twenty-two, Bram Stoker read and fell in love with Walt Whitman’s poetry, finding solace and joy between the covers of Leaves of Grass. And, like many fans, he wanted the connection that he felt to Whitman to be real. Late one night, cloaked in the comfort of darkness, Stoker poured his soul out to Whitman in a shockingly honest letter that described himself and his disposition. That letter, when Stoker finally mustered the courage to mail it, would begin an unexpected literary friendship that lasted until Whitman’s death.

When Bram Met Walt | Humanities

The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film

2012-12-27T20:25:00.000Z

After watching THX 1138, I started reading about co-writer Walter Murch. I love how he separates his film editing from his film writing:

When I write a script, I lie down–because that’s the opposite of standing up. I stand up to edit, so I lie down to write. I take a little tape recorder and, without being aware of it, go into a light hypnotic trance. I pretend the film is finished and I’m simply describing what was happening. I start out chronologically but then skip around. Anything that occurs to me, I say into the recorder. Because I’m lying down, because my eyes are closed, because I’m not looking at anything, and the ideas are being captured only by this silent scribe–the tape recorder–there’s nothing for me to criticize. It’s just coming out.

That is my way of disarming the editorial side. Putting myself in a situation that is opposite as possible to how I edit–both physically and mentally. To encourage those ideas to come out of the woods like little animals and drink at the pool safely, without feeling that the falcon is going to come down and tear them apart.

So simple, so obvious: if you want to get some ideas out without reflexive self-editing, choose your medium and environment so it’s hard to edit. Use a tape recorder, separate digital vs. analog desks, Sharpies, index cards…

The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film

Secret Reading Lives, Revealed - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

2012-12-27T20:04:31.000Z

Going back to the 19th century makes you realize that a phenomenon we tend to blame on digitization actually happened a century earlier. Once you can throw it away, the value of books comes to reside in the words they contain rather than their potential for reuse.

Secret Reading Lives, Revealed - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education

THX 1138

2012-12-27T20:04:26.000Z

THX 1138. Part of me wishes that George Lucas had continued to make weird films. But then we wouldn’t have The Empire Strikes Back, so… I don’t think the characters are great–you root for them more as symbols–but the mechanics are fun. I love the claustrophobic close-ups, the dead interiors. The chase was surprisingly good for a debut, in this era. And those confessional booths! This one is certainly better than other flight-from-dystopia films like Logan’s Run, but not quite up there with Brazil.

Pilgrim’s Progress by Pete Beatty - An Excerpt From “Rust Belt Chic” | Vol. 1 Brooklyn

2012-12-27T19:42:10.000Z

The Rust Belt is at once very real and something of a mirage. It took a miracle to make the factories and foundries and neighborhoods of Cleveland burst into flower, to make vibrant and meaningful cultures to spring up here, in Pittsburgh, in Buffalo, in the Mahoning Valley, in Detroit and Chicago. It took the exact opposite of that miracle to empty out those jobs and homes, to send us scurrying to the suburban desert, to very nearly forsake the idea of community. A community—what New York City can’t be—is the closest thing we have to heaven. Middleburg Heights probably can’t host the community I want either, although the only way to prove that would be to try to build one. Cleveland, as a place that needs and wants people, is a fallow field, desperate to be the host to a living community again. It will soon be played out once more if we treat it like we have in the past. Those are the terms of use.

I always enjoy Pete Beatty’s (@nocoastoffense) writing.

Pilgrim’s Progress by Pete Beatty - An Excerpt From “Rust Belt Chic” | Vol. 1 Brooklyn

Gannet & The Grand: A Wyoming Whirlwind Tour | The Ultimate Direction Buzz

2012-12-27T19:42:06.000Z

On speed in the outdoors (after summiting Gannett Peak in 9 hours):

I used to be of the opinion that speed isn’t important. And, in an absolute sense, I don’t think it is. In a relative sense, however, I think that one’s speed does matter. This is because–relative to one’s innate ability–striving to operate as close to that ability as possible requires a level of commitment to the craft and presence in the moment that I have yet to achieve by other means. For instance, because I wanted to move quickly when climbing Gannet (or any mountain), I made a point to study the map carefully, read other trip reports, solicit advice from friends who had already made the outing. Not to mention spending countless hours in the mountains building skill and fitness (and having fun!). Without the impetus of speed I would’ve undoubtedly taken a more lackadaisical approach that likely would’ve left me irresponsibly underprepared, with less respect for the mountain, and, ultimately, less connected to both the landscape and the community of enthusiasts who venture into this gem of a mountain range. Going fast requires–above all else–paying attention, and achieving that fleeting measure of grace where my effort and abilities are meshed perfectly with the challenge is a huge motivating factor in what I do. I find that this practice of paying attention is one of the more instructive and valuable takeaways that a trip to the mountains offers me. Plus, I’m just really inspired by wild landscapes.

Gannet & The Grand: A Wyoming Whirlwind Tour | The Ultimate Direction Buzz

The Hunter

2012-12-27T00:41:10.000Z

The Hunter. Great movie! Dafoe is awesome per usual. I was also pleasantly surprised to not just tolerate, but really enjoy the child actors. It’s nice to watch Dafoe doing the day-to-day tasks of setting traps, navigating, recording the day’s work. I don’t love the opening and closing plot elements, but you have to have something to get the rest rolling. I love the environmental sounds in this one: water drips, crickets, bird calls and such. And there’s a wonderful Springsteen moment that you shouldn’t watch unless you’re sure you want it spoiled. El Aura is another great, gently-paced work of suspense that takes place during a hunting trip. The Naked Prey is much more frantic.

The Hundred Best Lists of All Time : The New Yorker

2012-12-27T00:34:28.000Z

73. American Film Institute’s “100 Years, 100 Movies”

72. The Economist’s “Big Mac Index”

71. Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40”

70. William the Conqueror’s “The Domesday Book”

The Hundred Best Lists of All Time : The New Yorker

Longform Articles Tagged 'making of movies'

2012-12-26T21:59:53.000Z

Longform Articles Tagged 'making of movies'

A Nightmare on Elm Street

2012-12-26T21:59:49.000Z

A Nightmare on Elm Street. They don’t end them like this anymore. Johnny Depp’s debut!

Thor

2012-12-26T21:55:00.000Z

Thor. Funny to compare this to my experience watching The Dark Knight Rises. While just as gee-whiz/fun/bad, this one was much less ambitious and much less exasperating. A lesson in expectations. I expect Captain America to remain my favorite of the Marvel series, followed by the first Iron Man, then Thor, then Iron Man II. I guess that leaves The Incredible Hulk and The Avengers on my to-watch list.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ review by Ryan • Letterboxd

2012-12-26T21:03:36.000Z

Pro tip: when you turn your brain off to enjoy a stupid movie, be sure to turn it back on before critiquing the film.

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ review by Ryan • Letterboxd

Favorite albums of 2012

2012-12-23T21:27:00.000Z

My music listening was way down this year. I blame it on all the movies and starting a new job. The end result is that my best picks here probably aren’t quite as strong as they were in 2008, 2009, 2010, or 2011. But still, some good stuff. As in previous years, the vast majority of this came before 2012, but this was the year I paid attention.

January

Greatest Hits - Mariah Carey. This album saw me through the end of a hard winter. So much goodness. I don’t know if I’ll ever dive into one of her full albums… but some of these peaks are so high I may reconsider. Emotions!

Return to the Winners Circle - Curren$y. If I needed to, I could rank this solely on the strength of Moon & Stars Remix. Rare that the headliner and two guest rappers all just destroy their verses. And I love that backbeat.

The Soul Tape - Fabolous. I like Pain (“An old head told me, let nothing disturb your business / Beef is only good when you in the burger business”) and In the Morning.

February

Da Chip Vol. 1 & 2 was a fun listen, but probably works best if you’re already familiar with Daft Punk, right?

March

Sometimes you don’t realize it, but what your life is missing is an awesome collection of Kraftwerk tunes covered with a Latin/lounge feel. Thankfully my buddy John knew what I needed to hear: El Baile Alemán from Señor Coconut y Su Conjunto. For all the campiness, there’s some smart, creative arrangements here. Neon Lights and Showroom Dummies are good examples.

Fuck a Mixtape - T.I.. I don’t loooove the whole album, but worthy of mention: No Competition is my JAM.

Big Bach Set. It’s a great bargain. The Mass in B minor is a big draw, but besides that, the Adagio from the Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1060 really stood out. Pizzicato in stereo is so wonderful on headphones.

April

My best music month overall.

Come Shop Wit Me - Young Jeezy. I’m 9 years late, but it’s album of the year for me. My faves from Jeezy’s second are: Let Me Hit Dat (love those reverb guitars and the overactive bass; Fi Chief & Big Dank kill it), Take It to the Floor (pump-up/act-like-I’m-someone-I’m-not song), Come Shop Wit Me (fun storytelling, and the overdriven bass line reminds me of a late ‘80s video game), Thug Ya (steel drums!), and Bananas (fat, dopey bass, and something about his voice in the verses here: looser, goofier, unhinged).

Way Down Low from my friend Kat Edmonson. Listen to “Hopelessly Blue”. I mean, geez. Incredible voice.

Blue Afternoon. You’d figure I’d catch on to Tim Buckley sooner, having spent college obsessing over his son’s music. You’d figure wrong. Listen to Happy Time and Blue Melody. He’s got a wonderful back-up band. The whole gang is so loose. And look at that album cover!

And I can’t forget Françoise Hardy’s Soleil. I don’t understand any of it, but the mood is right. My favorite track is Je fais des puzzles.

May

Bloom - Beach House. It’s a lot like the previous three, which is totally fine by me. (I think only Bach and Camera Obscura beat them in my music archive for comfy, catchy, beloved predictability.) Myth is an obvious stand-out, but I think the verses on New Year are kinda genius. Same for Wild.

Shortly after that album came out, I caught Beach House on tour again. On the drive back from Athens, a friend introduced me to Bad Vibes by Shlohmo. Drippy, druggy lullabies. Places and Seriously are favorites.

June
I got nothin’.

July

Loveless - My Bloody Valentine. Woah. Slept on this one but the Grantland article woke me up. I was so proud of myself when I recognized the Loomer/Optimistic resemblance.

August

A great month for radio in the car!

Kaleidoscope Dream - Miguel. Adorn has gotten crazy playtime in Atlanta. That bass is perfect for your car. And I love how the harmony is a little suppressed, so that voice and the bass do all the driving.

Trilla - Rick Ross. My friend Katie and I were driving to one of my favorite places to eat too much, if I recall correctly. I heard the opening sample from my favorite Stevie Wonder album in Here I Am and I was sold. I made her Shazam it for future reference.

To round out the group: Channel Orange - Frank Ocean. WRAS 88.5 FM played Pyramids while I was driving over to another friend named John’s house and I lost it. I *had* to call in and find out what it was. You can’t beat that feeling.

I didn’t hear it on the radio, but I can’t forget the Thief soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. Probably best if you’ve seen the awesome movie, but it’s great for working on secret projects.

September
{crickets}

October
I didn’t bother with the whole album, but Clique from Cruel Summer is dope. Perfect beat, but the song doesn’t really take flight until Jay-Z gets on the mic (that jet engine glissando helps). Kanye takes lovable insufferability to a new level.

November

Asterism/Requiem/Green/The Dorian Horizon - Toru Takemitsu. I really like it, but only recommended if you’ve got ears for late 20th-century orchestral music…

December
It’s not too late for your suggestions!

Favorite albums of 2012

December 23, 2012

2012-12-23T20:55:16.000Z

Astronaut selfies.

December 23, 2012

2012-12-23T18:41:42.000Z

The one time I got a bunch of prizes, I just assumed I’d win them all. […] I really saw something in myself and I thought, ‘Oh, my God. I really did want that thing!’ Some part of me was disappointed that I got tricked into thinking it was important. I told myself, if that happens again, I don’t want to do that. I’ve since realized that it was good I didn’t win, because I wasn’t ready.

Bill Murray on the zen of not winning the Academy Award for his role in Lost in Translation.

Favorite albums of 2012

2012-12-23T17:06:10.000Z

My music listening was way down this year. I blame it on all the movies and starting a new job. The end result is that my best picks here probably aren't quite as strong as they were in 2008, 2009, 2010, or 2011. But still, some good stuff. As in previous years, the vast majority of this came before 2012, but this was the year I paid attention. January

Greatest Hits - Mariah Carey. This album saw me through the end of a hard winter. So much goodness. I don't know if I'll ever dive into one of her full albums... but some of these peaks are so high I may reconsider. Emotions!

The Soul Tape - Fabolous. I like Pain ("An old head told me, let nothing disturb your business / Beef is only good when you in the burger business") and In the Morning.

February

Da Chip Vol. 1 & 2 was a fun listen, but probably works best if you're already familiar with Daft Punk, right?

March

Sometimes you don't realize it, but what your life is missing is an awesome collection of Kraftwerk tunes covered with a Latin/lounge feel. Thankfully my buddy John knew what I needed to hear: El Baile Alemán from Señor Coconut y Su Conjunto. For all the campiness, there's some smart, creative arrangements here. Neon Lights and Showroom Dummies are good examples.

Fuck a Mixtape - T.I.. I don't loooove the whole album, but worthy of mention: No Competition is my JAM.

Big Bach Set. It's a great bargain. The Mass in B minor is a big draw, but besides that, the Adagio from the Concerto for Two Harpsichords in C minor, BWV 1060 really stood out. Pizzicato in stereo is so wonderful on headphones.

April

My best music month overall.

Come Shop Wit Me - Young Jeezy. I'm 9 years late, but it's album of the year for me. My faves from Jeezy's second are: Let Me Hit Dat (love those reverb guitars and the overactive bass; Fi Chief & Big Dank kill it), Take It to the Floor (pump-up/act like I'm someone I'm not song), Come Shop Wit Me (fun storytelling, and the overdriven bass line reminds me of a late '80s video game), Thug Ya (steel drums!), and Bananas (fat, dopey bass, and something about his voice in the verses here: looser, goofier, unhinged).

Way Down Low from my friend Kat Edmonson. Listen to "Hopelessly Blue". I mean, geez. Incredible voice.

Blue Afternoon. You'd figure I'd catch on to Tim Buckley sooner, having spent college obsessing over his son's music. You'd figure wrong. Listen to Happy Time and Blue Melody. He's got a wonderful back-up band. The whole gang is so loose. And look at that album cover!

And I can't forget Françoise Hardy's Soleil. I don't understand any of it, but the mood is right. My favorite track is Je fais des puzzles.

May

Bloom - Beach House. It's a lot like the previous three, which is totally fine by me. (I think only Bach and Camera Obscura beats them in my music archive for comfy, catchy, beloved predictability.) Myth is an obvious stand-out, but I think the verses on New Year are kinda genius. Same for Wild.

June I got nothin'.

July

Loveless - My Bloody Valentine. Woah. Slept on this one but the Grantland article woke me up. I was so proud of myself when I recognized the Loomer/Optimistic resemblance.

August

A great month for radio in the car!

To round out the group: Channel Orange - Frank Ocean. WRAS 88.5 FM played Pyramids while I was driving over to another friend named John's house and I lost it. I *had* to call in and find out what it was. You can't beat that feeling.

I didn't hear it on the radio, but I can't forget the Thief soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. Probably best if you've seen the awesome movie, but it's great for working on secret projects.

September {crickets}

October I didn't bother with the whole album, but Clique from Cruel Summer is dope. Perfect beat, but the song doesn't really take flight until Jay-Z gets on the mic (that jet engine glissando helps). Kanye takes lovable insufferability to a new level.

November

Asterism/Requiem/Green/The Dorian Horizon - Toru Takemitsu. I really like it, but only recommended if you've got ears for late 20th-century orchestral music...

December It's not too late for your suggestions!

The Art of Fielding

2012-12-23T17:04:20.000Z

I have the hardest time finding good fiction. One working theory to explain that is that I usually don't try very hard to find good fiction. I'll own up to it. But sometimes my laziness (i.e., willingness to let trusted internet sources filter culture for me) works to perfection. This one got recommended by Austin Kleon, Maris Kreiszman, and Ben Casnocha, so I thought I'd better pick it up.

Ignore for a moment the fact that they mentioned it about a year ago and I read it this summer and I didn't write about it until now. It's a novel of baseball and college and friendship and family, and it is delightful to read at all times, from the off-hand asides...

This was a real college, an enlightened place--you could get in trouble for hating people here.

...to the self-aware observations:

Literature could turn you into an asshole; he'd learned that teaching grad-school seminars. It could teach you to treat real people the way you did characters, as instruments of your own intellectual pleasure, cadavers on which to practice your critical faculties.

And there's the realist/critical eye toward modern business life:

Management consulting terms like *industry ante* and *decision factor* were the glue of their relationship--Affenlight tried to learn as many of them as possible, and to intuit or invent the ones he hadn't learned.

Another good example, observing baseball scouts:

Smooth-featured and polite, business-casual in dress, with slender laptops in their laps and BlackBerries laid beside them on the bleachers, they looked like oversize consultants or CIA agents playing a very reserved sort of hooky.

Austin already pulled one of the best excerpts in there:

He already knew he could coach. All you had to do was look at each of your players and ask yourself: What story does this guy wish someone would tell him about himself? And then you told the guy that story. You told it with a hint of doom. You included his flaws. You emphasized the obstacles that could prevent him from succeeding. That was what made the story epic: the player, the hero, had to suffer mightily en route to his final triumph. Schwartz knew that people loved to suffer, as long as the suffering made sense. Everybody suffered. The key was to choose the form of your suffering. Most people couldn’t do this alone; they needed a coach. A good coach made you suffer in a way that suited you.

I also loved this section on the ontology of sport:

For Schwartz this formed the paradox at the heart of baseball, or football, or any other sport. You loved it because you considered it an art: an apparently pointless affair, undertaken by people with a special aptitude, which sidestepped attempts to paraphrase its value yet somehow seemed to communicate something true or even crucial about The Human Condition. The Human Condition being, basically, that we're alive and have access to beauty, can even erratically create it, but will someday be dead and will not. Baseball was an art, but to excel at it you had to become a machine. It didn't matter how beautifully you performed *sometimes*, what you did on your best day, how many spectacular plays you made. You weren't a painter or a writer--you didn't work in private and discard your mistakes, and it wasn't just your masterpieces that counted. What mattered, as for any machine, was repeatability. Moments of inspiration were nothing compared to elimination of error.

And one character's thoughts on self-definition:

Don't be dour about it. Straight gay black white young old--it's not going to kill you or let you live.

This line reminded me of John Cage:

That was the idiot hopefulness of humans, always to love what was unformed.

Lastly, on men:

Men were such odd creatures. They didn't duel anymore, even fistfights had come to seem barbaric, the old casual violence all channeled through institutions now, but they still loved to uphold their ancient codes. And what they loved even more was to forgive each other.

December 22, 2012

2012-12-22T02:28:37.000Z

I have this old ’57 Porsche Speedster, and the way the door closes, I’ll just sit there and listen to the sound of the latch going, cluh-CLICK-click. That door! I live for that door. Whatever the opposite of planned obsolescence is, that’s what I’m into.

Jerry Seinfeld.

The Dark Knight Rises

2012-12-19T19:24:25.000Z

The Dark Knight Rises. Don’t get me started. Updated Christopher Nolan rankings:

Memento (12 years and still going strong…)
Batman Begins (It’s been a while, though. I may need to review this ranking.)
The Prestige
Following
The Dark Knight
Insomnia
The Dark Knight Rises
Inception

December 19, 2012

2012-12-19T18:59:00.000Z

Both male and female INTPs may end up feeling guilty for having forsaken their social duty in favor of their own Introverted needs, perhaps not having satisfied either. While feeling true to themselves, they may be thinking, ‘I’ve screwed up again.’

Ha! Man oh man. Took the words right out of my mouth. I found this when I was reading Type Talk at Work yesterday. Definitely worth flipping through.

There's Little We Can Do to Prevent Another Massacre - The Daily Beast

2012-12-19T02:03:55.000Z

I’m not about to get all gun talk here. Mostly tumbling so I can mention that Megan McArdle is a great, thoughtful writer.

There's Little We Can Do to Prevent Another Massacre - The Daily Beast

Argo

2012-12-19T02:03:00.000Z

Argo. I liked this one. The tension isn’t the violent suspense of The Town or the queasy terror of Gone Baby Gone. It’s just a precarious scheme, one chance, and there’s no shooting their way out. Very polished. And Ben Affleck has the best poker face in the game right now.

December 17, 2012

2012-12-17T04:07:20.000Z

In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Warrior

2012-12-15T18:12:00.000Z

Warrior. So good, you guys. I love this movie so much. (My first review.) It does nothing you don’t expect but it does it all so well. Like Umberto Eco says:

When all the archetypes burst in shamelessly, we reach Homeric depths. Two cliches make us laugh. A hundred cliches move us.

Heat

2012-12-14T03:54:00.000Z

Heat. My third viewing (first, second). This is officially my second favorite movie after Out of the Past. It seems like (Pacino’s) Hanna has more fun than (De Niro’s) McCauley does. Maybe I’m projecting, and he’s just more fun to watch because he’s more exasperated and has the power to say whatever he wants. He definitely smiles more. His stakes are lower in a way. He’s got a day job, a sense of purpose, even if home life is a wreck. Note the close of the hospital scene, when he’s paged back into action, he gives his wife a smile before an almost gleeful run down the stairs, back to the chase. Compare to the ending, where there’s no triumph on his face. More like disappointment. McCauley is always more restrained, as he always has less room for error. (Hanna asks him, “What are you, some kind of monk?”). After two really upsetting phone calls (one with adversary Van Zandt, one with his partner Trejo at the breakfast joint), he doesn’t slam the phone or toss it, but seems to pause, gather himself, and return the phone to rest. At the diner with Hanna, McCauley mentions that recurring dream of running out of time. Note how, towards the end, when he’s looking to find Waingro, Eady and Nate mention/ask him about the time he has left before he catches his flight out of the country. A guy who does things like to wrap his glasses in paper napkins loses his usual discipline, and things go haywire. One last thing: I love how the music is so supportive. It’s there in subtle ways like in the drive-in money exchange, where much of the tension rides on the music, but it’s not until the fade-out that you realize the music is even there. It’s present in more obvious ways like in the nighttime balcony romance, with that noodly jazz guitar playing behind soft, gauzy synth curtains. Lord, I love that. Other movies I re-watched this year include Winter’s Bone, Melancholia, Mission Impossible, Days of Heaven, Blade Runner, Bloodsport, The Last of the Mohicans, The Godfather, Drive, Mean Girls, The Shawshank Redemption, Raging Bull, and Aliens. I’ve really been itching for another viewing of Warrior. Update: done.

One is the Loneliest Number - NYTimes.com

2012-12-14T03:53:57.000Z

I’d never considered this side of having children later in life. From Julie Shulevitz’s essay excerpted in the link above:

What haunts me about my children, though, is […] the actuarial risk I run of dying before they’re ready to face the world.

Older parents die earlier in their children’s lives. […] A mother who is 35 when her child is born is more likely than not to have died by the time that child is 46. The one who is 45 may have bowed out of her child’s life when he’s 37. The odds are slightly worse for fathers: The 35-year-old new father can hope to live to see his child turn 42. The 45-year-old one has until the child is 33.

One is the Loneliest Number - NYTimes.com

The Web We Lost - Anil Dash

2012-12-14T03:53:51.000Z

I always love reading Anil’s perspective.

The Web We Lost - Anil Dash

Profiles: Dave Brubeck : The New Yorker

2012-12-12T04:33:43.000Z

Brubeck liked to save money, didn’t smoke, and limited himself to one martini before dinner. (Paul Desmond, the quartet’s sax player, explained Brubeck’s experiments in hedonism this way: “Every five years or so, Dave makes a major breakthrough, like discovering room service.”)

Profiles: Dave Brubeck : The New Yorker

Life of Pi

2012-12-12T04:33:29.000Z

Life of Pi. Awesome special effects and photography, almost worth watching simply for the spectacle. (Reminds me of The Fall in that way). I’d like it sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more overall without the (blunt, preachy) narrative wrapper. I DNFed on the book several years ago. Not sure how it compares.

John Carter

2012-12-12T04:33:18.000Z

John Carter. Easily the most teal-and-orange movie I’ve ever seen. I feel like there’s a good movie hiding in here somewhere. Overhaul the terrible dialogue, trim judiciously. It has some decent-enough swashbuckling action (and one really effective battle), and thankfully doesn’t rely on dumb one-liners or dopey comic relief characters or modern-day allegory. It’s really straightforward, for all its excess in other ways (effects, cast, milieu) Andrew Stanton directed a dud here, but at least he’s still got Finding Nemo and Wall-E on his resume…

December 12, 2012

2012-12-12T04:33:00.000Z

I don’t remember exactly when this dawned me — far too late, definitely — but I started enjoying sad/sappy movies a lot more when I let myself cry when the movie seemed to expect it of me instead thinking I was somehow beating the system or proving my superiority by resisting it.

Rob Horning.

December 6, 2012

2012-12-06T03:16:51.000Z

Dave Brubeck’s set list, October 5, 2002. When I was in college, I played percussion about 5 feet behind and to Dave’s left in this concert. He left his notes sitting on the piano after the show. So I took it. What a guy.

Remains of the Day - Washingtonian

2012-12-05T04:24:40.000Z

A wedding photographer sets out to learn what happened to the couples who hired him for their big day.

This is so great. (via)

Remains of the Day - Washingtonian

December 4, 2012

2012-12-04T17:40:34.000Z

Humor is almost always anger with its makeup on.

A line from Stephen King’s Bag of Bones (via), which continues…

but in little towns the makeup tends to be thin.

Filed under: anger

Bach’s Music, Back Then and Right Now

2012-12-04T16:37:00.000Z

Beethoven specialists are known as great musicians, great interpreters, whereas Bach specialists tend to be viewed vatically, as mediums. I found myself connecting Casals’s moaning and Gould’s humming—for a composer who is supposed to be pure, we sure enjoy a lot of extraneous noise!—the musical equivalent of speaking in tongues, channeling, a kind of cultish signal, a sonic signature of being on the right occult frequency to communicate with the master.

This essay reminded me of this excerpt from Steppenwolf that I’ve tumbled before

It was at a concert of lovely old music. After two or three notes of the piano the door was opened of a sudden to the other world. I sped through heaven and saw God at work. I suffered holy pains. I dropped all my defenses and was afraid of nothing in the world. I accepted all things and to all things I gave up my heart. It did not last very long, a quarter of an hour perhaps; but it returned to me in a dream at night, and since, through all the barren days, I caught a glimpse of it now and then.

Bach’s Music, Back Then and Right Now

December 4, 2012

2012-12-04T16:06:25.000Z

The Joy of the Single. A documentary about 7-inch 45s. Mostly nostalgic talking heads, but they cover some good stuff. Cf. The King of 78s. (via)

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

The Killing

2012-12-03T17:12:00.000Z

The Killing. I’ve seen 2001: A Space Odyssey four or five times at least, and it’s fantastic, but watching The Shining a few years ago really killed my interest in Stanley Kubrick’s work. This one resurrects it. Awesome camera and soundtrack and a great set of characters. Multiple perspectives and time cuts. Also touches on some of the practical aspects of dealing with piles and piles of money.

Detour

2012-12-03T17:11:55.000Z

Detour. Spoiler: This guy is so screwed (see: film noir). This movie also features one of the most intimidating wrecking balls of a femme fatale you’ll find.

Serpico

2012-12-03T15:29:16.000Z

Serpico. I like how Pacino embodies the role here, and how you can pick up on the passage of time from the way his look and behavior changes. Also, 1970s hospitals are TERRIFYING.

Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook — I.M.H.O. — Medium

2012-12-03T15:29:11.000Z

Why I love Twitter and barely tolerate Facebook — I.M.H.O. — Medium

Melancholia

2012-12-03T14:53:29.000Z

Melancholia. I like it even more on second viewing (the first), especially after reading Steven Shaviro’s essay.

The Myth of American Meritocracy | The American Conservative

2012-11-29T02:46:19.000Z

How corrupt are Ivy League admissions?

It’s really long and really, really awesome. Definitely worth the time.

The Myth of American Meritocracy | The American Conservative

November 27, 2012

2012-11-27T17:45:45.000Z

Supply of Per Capita Football Talent.

This chart comes from a paper presented by Theodore Goudge, an associate professor in the department of geography at Northwest Missouri State University, at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. It pretty clearly shows what Goudge referred to as the “pigskin cult” of the south.

The paper in question is “The Geography of College Football Player Origins & Success: Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)”, here’s an abstract. Featured in On Urban Meyer’s Ohio State, Wisconsin, and the Big Ten expanding to include Maryland and Rutgers - Grantland.

Why We Shouldn’t Treat Rap As Poetry | The Awl

2012-11-27T17:45:41.000Z

Consider this proposition in reverse to see how absurd it is: For my graduate thesis, I am going to give Calvin Trillin a bunch of half-assed instrumentals and have DJ Drama help him put together a Gangta Grillz mixtape, and then we’ll evaluate him alongside Gucci Mane and Cam’ron, and other rappers who have made Gangsta Grillz mixtapes. That would be awesome, but it would not provide any more insight into the how and why Calvin Trillin does what he does. It would simply provide me the opportunity to take someone else’s work, put it in a different context, and call it something different.

Why We Shouldn’t Treat Rap As Poetry | The Awl

November 27, 2012

2012-11-27T17:45:36.000Z

My Review of Tony Robbins Unleash the Power Within Seminar.

What was very interesting is that the words Tony writes are 90% illegible. He is expressing ideas and scribbling with the marker but does not have time for accuracy. For example, on one slide that I remembered, I saw that the word FINANCE was not even slightly legible, SUCCESS looked like a jumbled signature, then there were lots of swirly lines and arrows. Without the context of Tony, it would have made no sense. But the ideas were conveyed better with the aid of these notes.

November 27, 2012

2012-11-27T17:45:00.000Z

I finally, finally, finally realized what the Thief poster reminds me of. Thanks, Austin!

Subcompact Publishing — by Craig Mod

2012-11-27T01:18:22.000Z

Business skeuomorphism happens when we take business decisions explicitly tied to one medium, and bring them to another medium — no questions asked. Business skeuomorphism is rampant in the publishing industry. The simplest example is with magazines.

Subcompact Publishing — by Craig Mod

30 Things We Learned from the ‘Thief’ Commentary | Film School Rejects

2012-11-26T22:03:00.000Z

Caan comments on Frank’s manner of speaking and how he never uses contractions. He and Mann determined Frank was a man who was trying to make up for lost time, and his way of speaking slowly, methodically, and clear makes it such that he never has to repeat himself. […] “You knew he didn’t say anything he didn’t mean”.

Awesome.

30 Things We Learned from the ‘Thief’ Commentary | Film School Rejects