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.”

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 Limitedrewatch. 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.

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.”

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…

• Infant Eyes
• Spirit of the New Land
• Revelation
• Doug Carn JID005

…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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.