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.

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…

• a Wild Wild West reminiscence
• Black couples in ads
• Black “final girls”
• Masculinitity and vulnerability
• The Shield vs. The Wire
• Black villains

…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.

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…

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.

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.

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.

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?)

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.

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.

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.”

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..

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.”

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.”

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!

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.

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.

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.”

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…

• Bicycle Racing is Fun
• Goblins and Ghosts Ride Again
• Sponge Painting of Me
• Spring in the Busy City

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.

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.

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.