Links from 2023
Sun, Dec 10, 2023 at 10:30:38 PM
Joyce Carol Oates’s search for a selfThoroughly enjoyed this, all the way to its bones and its crunchy core. Felt for Joyce, and wondered about my own “self.” Permalink 🔗
Mon, Dec 04, 2023 at 10:26:58 PM
The line of succession""I’ve been watching The Crown S3 and got to thinking about the current state of the monarchy. What a tangle - how one gets to the top of the pile. Permalink 🔗
Tue, Oct 17, 2023 at 10:22:26 PM
Beginning to mourn BandcampCount me among those fearing for Bandcamp’s future. I consider it my main source for purchased music, and if it topples, I’m not sure what I’ll do. Return to the iTunes Store? Permalink 🔗
Fri, Oct 13, 2023 at 09:38:24 PM
Worker backs car into an ancient toiletI haven’t gotten over this story yet. I might’ve even shared it before, but it’s still in my head every day. Permalink 🔗
Sat, Oct 07, 2023 at 09:34:48 PM
Our country shouldn’t have political refugees""I can’t blame these folks in the piece for their decisions to relocate, but I also have to wonder whether in the end the old maxim will apply, “Wherever you go, there you are.” Permalink 🔗
Mon, Aug 28, 2023 at 11:06:24 AM
Stars of the Lid’s Brian McBride has diedStars of the Lid was and remains transformative music for me. Wiltzie and McBride crafted a new realm of sound that I could inhabit. Yes, they gave us hours and hours of music - but I wish it had been more and more and more. Permalink 🔗
Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 09:51:09 PM
Spotify IS essentially white noiseFile this in my “Problems with streaming music platforms” cabinet. Man I dislike them, and the ways they’re undermining and co-opting and dumbing down culture. Permalink 🔗
Sun, Aug 13, 2023 at 10:02:19 PM
How to talk to kidsPro tip from a seasoned father: don’t get caught that kids have nothing useful or unique or amazing to convey. Believe it - because they do. Figure out how to pay attention and go along for the ride. Don’t be weird and don’t force the issue. Don’t talk about yourself. Permalink 🔗
Thu, Aug 10, 2023 at 09:55:50 PM
Surprisingly Interesting Pence Profile""I feel genuinely bad for this man. I probably shouldn’t, but I can’t help but slightly admire his perseverance and willingness to ignore the odds and the obvious. Permalink 🔗
Tue, Jul 25, 2023 at 07:13:18 AM
Let Nu Metal die in shambles, I sayYes, I had the Korn tapes I snuck purchased at Disc Jockey. Yes, Limp Bizkit blasted in the varsity locker room before cross country practice. But the world moved on for good reasons: the inanity, the exclusion, the anger. Permalink 🔗
Fri, Jul 07, 2023 at 10:34:49 PM
Nice new album from my pal JimJim O’Rourke added to his Drag City catalog by roping in his recent strains of atmospheric ambience. Instantly hooked. Permalink 🔗
Fri, May 19, 2023 at 08:04:44 PM
NCAA Tennis is a mad world""This piece makes me want to get out and support my local college tennis teams. Permalink 🔗
Sat, Apr 29, 2023 at 09:31:30 PM
Taking the choice awayFiguring out what to watch next has become as difficult as picking out shampoo — there’s a wall of indistinguishable material, and in the end, one thing winds up being a lot like another. Despite what the marketing tells me. Even the idea of “what’s next” chafes my brain. I don’t want to figure it out. I just want to have my hand held. And not by the algorithms. Permalink 🔗
Thu, Apr 13, 2023 at 10:39:43 PM
Metallica still exists?I skipped out on seeing Metallica with friends in high school. I’ve never been big into their sound and schtick - but I somehow connect to their ongoing attempts to reclaim their thrash roots. Permalink 🔗