This morning, it seemed that she was an hour ahead of our normal routine. As my wife and I were finishing breakfast, we noticed that our cat wasn't in her normal place (watching us eat). After some investigation we realized that she had already made her way back upstairs for her ahead-of-schedule mid-morning nap.
My Brilliant Life, by Ae-ran Kim - I really liked the main character, how he saw the world and how his dialog seemed poetic at times. The story itself was overall ok but, I didn’t like the way it ended, and the book didn’t sit well with me. The more I think about it, it’s perfectly fine and worth reading (I do recommend it). It just wasn’t the right story for me. I, at least I think, know the reasons for some of the choices the author made, and they do make sense. It’s difficult to explain here.
They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker - What an extraordinary life. While I (thought I) knew the general story about his family's internment, there was a lot more that I learned here.
To Funny to Fail (2017) - I have a feint memory of The Dana Carvey Show. I can't believe the talent that they had for it, and it's a shame it didn't quite work out.
North Korea: Inside the Mind of a Dictator (2021) - I suppose this was interesting in that it went into more detail on his ordered assassinations and how his sister is coming into power. but the rest of it just seemed... generic.
WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (2021) - the best line was “I mean for God’s sakes, they’re renting f*****g desks”. We really need to stop worshipping CEOs and find ways to decrease the emphasis and encouragement of tech bro culture.
Shrill - currently at s1 e2. I'm already impressed by how it started. I've heard good things and I like Aidy Bryant's work on SNL.
This week’s rotation included Japanese Breakfast, Caro Emerald, Buddy Holly, Crimson Apple,
[Single] “Teenage Blues” by Sho-ta with Tenpack riverside rock’n roll band - I was cleaning out my (digital) notes and came across a page with just “‘Teenage Blues’ by Sho-ta with Tenpack riverside rock’n roll band”. I popped it into DuckDuckGo and was instantly reminded of how fun this track is. It rocks. I first heard it during this Nintendo release announcement and must have wanted to buy it later (and so I did).
[Podcast] No podcast recommendation this week.
Northgard - One match for a trade victory, played as Board clan. One match for a Special Map victory, played as Lynx clan.
R-Type Final 2 - I'm a fan of this franchise and I'm having so much fun with this game.
The other day I found myself wondering whether I should start writing freehand (pen and paper), on the typewriter, or on the computer as the first part of my workflow. I started looking into others' processes before I finally had to stop myself and scream (internally) "It doesn't matter! Just write."
Related: sometimes, having too many choices can distract and paralyze progress.
Also related: I miss seeing cursive handwriting.
The Mermaid from Jeju, by Sumi Hahn - One of the best novels I have read this year. It has me looking for more historical fiction set in Korea, a genre that I've become a big fan of. This is a beautiful and emotional tale about love and loss, which sounds generic but, when set against late 1940s Korea, really hits me. Jeju is one of the most spiritual places I have been to, and this story centers on a lot of that. There's a scene in this that made me think of the No Gun Ri massacre, and I couldn't stop thinking about both (the scene and No Gun Ri) for days.
Breaking News in Yuba County (2021) - If anything, it’s worth watching for Alison Janney’s performance. It’s almost a given that she’s just so good in anything that she appears in. The movie itself was okay. I had a feeling, not too far in from the beginning, where things might be heading (and I was right) but, it didn’t take away from watching if not for entertainment value. Wanda Sykes had some great lines; I’d love to see her in more roles.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) - It ’s silly and that’s exactly what we needed when we pressed the “play” button for this one. I like the two main actors (Wiig and Mumolo) together; they’re really funny and their real-life friendship definitely plays into their onscreen chemistry. Their accents and dialect were really well done, especially when they had lines that overlapped and ran into each other. Like I said, the story was overall silly but we had a few laughs while watching and the movie itself did what we wanted it to do: entertained.
Falcon and The Winter Soldier - completed season 1. My personal irritation around comic book movies is all of the easter eggs and nods to characters, objects, and storylines of significance that are part of other comic book series, usually within the same universe. I get it, it's fan service and they can be really fun for those who are really into the entire diaspora (comic books, novels, tv series, etc.). It's just not that fun for casual fans. It almost feels like... gatekeeping? That said, I liked this series for its tone and messaging.
This week’s rotation included G.O.W.E., Lee Jung Hyun, Fin.K.L., The Notorious MSG, Ana Tijoux, and Rachael Yamagata.
[Single] “En Busca Del Agua” by Ley Line - I listened to this a few times, even having to resort to Google Translate when I got stuck (in my head) translating the lyrics. It’s really well-written.
[Podcast] Hidden Brain: Humor Us: From the episode description, "The average four-year-old child laughs 300 times a day. By contrast, it takes more than two months for the average 40-year-old adult to laugh that many times." There are far too many societal and cultural "systems" in place that actually work against allowing people to laugh freely.
Rainbirds, by Clarissa Goenawan - This was an overall sweet story about love, lust, and what ultimately drives us to do both good and bad things. The student-teacher storyline was a little uncomfortable for me. I don’t think the author intentionally made this so; it walked a very fine line between “appropriate and not” and my own psyche immediately categorized it as “not”, making me uncomfortable anytime it came up. I did appreciate the Miwako Sumida tie in, having just finished that book a few weeks ago.
Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro. Overall, I really liked this novel. Knowing it was written by Ishiguro set the bar high but I didn't go in with any specific expectations. Throughout reading, I found myself wanting to know more about the world outside of what we're presented through Klara, even getting a little annoyed about some of the lack of detail or context. Though the more I think about it, after finishing the book, the more I've come to appreciate how limiting the reader's view to Klara's view really enhanced the story.
Kid 90 (2021) - I didn't watch this for entertainment nor did I learn anything new from it. I think I watched it because someone had recommended it but, I watched really with mild interest. Soleil Moon Frye is intriguing but the overall arc of this documentary is pretty "standard" for a child actor. I will say, my interest in celebrities has been sharply declining over the past few years; I think I'm tired of the narcissism and what mostly comes across as cries for attention.
What We Left Behind (2019) - This fan-funded Star Trek: DS9 documentary was fascinating. I didn't pay much attention to the series when it first aired, only really knowing it from the recent rewatch that my wife and I did. It's too bad that it didn't get its due during its airing. I think it's one of the more well-done Star Trek series we have.
Brooklyn 99 - currently at s3 e9. At this point I'm only in it for Captain Holt (Andre Braugher).
Falcon and The Winter Soldier - currently at s1 e5. Definitely continues to be well done all around.
This week’s rotation included David Bowie, Japanese Breakfast, Rush, Megadeth, Social Distortion, and G.O.W.E..
[Single] “Good Time, Baby” by Strange Relations - it’s so simple but the baseline just hit me at the right time, right place, right mood.
[Podcast] ZigZag Podcast, episodes 1 & 2 - This "season" the podcast is releasing episodes as part of the "Zig Zag project", a series of episodes and exercises that are supposed to help you "align personal values with professional goals". Host Manoush Zomorodi is a good guide for doing thing like this, in my opinion from her previous podcasts and books. Episode 3 is coming this week.
Some things making me second guess doing anything with my Desktop PC, are articles like this. There are ongoing chip and gpu (graphics processing unit) shortages. And those that are available are marked up by resellers and product scalpers.
I'm posting this because, for me, this is something that serves as another reminder to take more things into account when setting out to accomplish, well... anything over the next few years. The pandemic has delayed many things, especially in supply chains, some of which we won't feel the effects of for a while still.
If anything, I'm learning patience (a much needed series of lessons). Not only in taking more time to think through planning and execution but, realizing and understanding that there is much more to take into account before even beginning the planning.
There isn't any lesson here, in this post. It's really me wondering "out loud" in a meandering way where you (as reader) might expect that I'm leading up to a big revelation but I (as writer) am really just another source of thought-chaos on the internet.
Thought Chaos should be the name of my band...
This is the mental "avoid list' that I keep in my head but I wanted to get it out of there so it no longer took up any of my "headspace bandwidth".
Listen, the platform has some seriously good creators making some educational and entertaining content. I rely on Youtube for learning a lot of things, especially "how to" content from everything from cooking, typewriter repair, home improvement projects, and coding.
But, I refuse to click on videos that (in no particular order):
It should go without saying but, I'm also quick to steer away from channels that use others' content without attribution (let alone compensation). There are a lot of copycat channels, and it's difficult to pinpoint the "original" but, there are plenty examples where they don't even try to hide the fact that they have stolen content and ideas.
The list can be (a lot) longer but these are the biggest ones for me.
My desktop PC was built by a (then) coworker's (then) teenage son, in 2015. I don't remember exactly how it came about other than he and I were talking about PC builds and that then led to me commissioning him to make me one.
My intention was to have a "light" gaming PC that I could use to revisit the occasional RTS (Real Time Strategy) games that I love. Games like Age of Empires (all three of them), Rise of Nations, and now Northgard.
I do occasionally use this for Windows-only applications on the (thankfully) rare occasions when I do need a Windows machine.
It still holds its own and really, there's no need to change anything about it. For a while, my wife was using it for remote work but, now that she has her own laptop, it sits on my desk, taking up space. I use it but, do I use it often enough to warrant a whole desktop tower taking up space on my desk? Or taking up any space at all?
I keep opening it up (the sides come off really easy for upgrades) and tinkering... usually just tightening screws and cables, or checking the motherboard for expandability and upgrade options. It doesn't need any upgrades but I feel like I should update it.
Sometimes I think about building a whole new PC from scratch, with a new enclosure and everything. Sometimes I think about opting just for a "gaming laptop" to use for an occasional session; something that I can hide away or take downstairs when I want to use it.
I'm just not sure yet... I don't want to make any drastic changes to my home setup until we're going back to the office regularly, just in case.
I do know that this weekend I'll be taking this completely apart so that I can give it a good cleaning, and maybe reroute the cables better (something I've been wanting to do since the beginning).
Though I didn't read a lot (recreationally) this week, I did revisit Kate Washington's Already Toast a few times. Chalk it up to aging (myself and those around me), the global pandemic, and even how we overall empathize and or care (or not care) for each other. It's disturbing. The author really points out some very alarming trends and real issues that I don't think get talked about enough; not nearly enough to properly prepare anyone, at least.
Brooklyn 99 - currently at s2 e21. In keeping up with the trend of just having something to play in the background, especially during those evenings where we just want to veg out and not think about anything serious happening in the world around us. Ridiculous escapism at its best.
Falcon and The Winter Soldier - currently at s1 e4. Yes, the serialized versions of superhero stories work far better than the movies. I really like everything from the tone, the pacing, and the... well, everything else. This is really well done.
This week’s rotation included Superorganism, Japanese Breakfast, Ranier Maria, David Bowie, Prince, Rachael Yamagata, and Fin.K.L..
[Single] "Lazarus" by David Bowie - I played this track a lot during the week; an indicator of the overall mood I was in.
[Podcast] Surprisingly, I don't have one to recommend this week. I didn't actually listen to any, which has added to my already growing backlog of shows/episodes to listen to.
Listening to the poet read her own work at the inauguration is something very special. This hits different, seeing it in print, and being able to read it line by line, repeatedly.
Chili egg puff is one of those dishes that I grew up with. It was a breakfast staple for different holidays and special occasions. There are a bunch of recipes online but, it's essentially green chilis, eggs, and cheese baked together resulting in a "puffy" casserole. It's so good.
I like baking it in our clear pie dish, not only because I cut the recipe in half (usually calls for a 9 X 13 pan) but because I get more browning on the top, which I'm a sucker for.
For dinner I wanted something easy. My wife and I agreed that while we like ham, we weren't feeling it this year. So we opted for one of our recent (easy) favorites: Chef John's "Salt and Pepper Ribs". We opted for baby backs and paired it with some mashed potatoes. Easy!
As you can see, we ate well without that much effort. Which followed the theme of the day: chill and easy.
Inspired after reading Rachel Miller's "58 Things to Do With the Rest of Quarantine That Aren't 'Get Hot' ", I'm launching a few projects under the umbrella project of "Welcome Back to Society", which (as you can guess) is all about getting prepared to be a part of society again, after this pandemic ends.
Some of the sub-projects include Project "Fit Into Work Pants Again", Project "Get Out of Bed an Hour Earlier", Project "Learn How to Talk to People In Person Again", Project "Figure Out a Response For When Business Colleagues Want to Shake Hands", and Project "Prepare for Crowds Everywhere".
Nomadland, by Jessica Bruder - A beautifully written book about people. I loved the movie but what I love most about this book is that there are so many more people that you learn about, their stories and what lead them to becoming “nomads”.
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, by Clarissa Goenawan - I had a feeling, from the beginning, that Miwako’s story was going to be dark. And it wasn’t because you learn (very early) about her suicide. This was well-written and made me want to learn more about how the other characters moved on beyond the part of their lives included in this book.
Already Toast, by Kate Washington - Extremely eye-opening and informative. How more than 53 million, here in the USA alone, are caretakers and how most are unpaid/uncompensated for what they do. How this is stress, responsibility, physical and emotional toll that wears us down in so many ways. Most of all, how a simple twist of fate can lead to a life change, role change, and the deterioration (if we don’t do something about it) of our selves.
Bored and Brilliant, by Manoush Zomorodi - I'm re-reading this (read near it's initial release) but this time, I'm taking the time to do the exercises and homework she suggests.
WandaVision - completed season 1. My love and appreciation for the talent that is Kathryn Hahn has grown, exponentially.
Bob’s Burgers - currently at s11 e16. Love having this run in the background as lighthearted and fun “noise”. Though the one-liners and the musical numbers are some of the best written/delivered.
The Great North - from the same people that brought you Bob’s Burgers, comes… It’s similar, but taking some time (for me) to gain some traction. My favorite parts are the self-deprecating one-liners from Alanis Morissette.
Falcon and The Winter Soldier - currently at s1 e2. I like the serialized format over a 3+ hour movie. I think this works especially better for comic book/super hero movies (as that's what comics are, right?).
This month’s rotation included Kimbra, Smokey Brights, Rilo Kiley, Sharon Van Etten, Cyndi Lauper, Def Leppard, The Coathangers, and The Notorious MSG.
[Single] “Creator” by Ora the Molecule - this track caught me off guard because I couldn’t get into the intro but, then I heard the lyrics. It warranted playing it on repeat a couple times. It’s very well written and composed.
[Single] “Warrior” by Kimbra - an older track that I found myself playing (amongst other 80’s-sounding tracks) a few times over the past few weeks. I think I’m in a retro phase of music listening. Ok, so it’s not a phase.
[Single] “Voodoo Ranger” by Annie and the Bang Bang - There's something about this track that calls me back to it. I can't quite identify it; I think it's the haunting tone but that's not the whole reason I keep playing it.
[Podcast] The Janchi Show - I've been catching up on their episodes. It's a show for those wanting to listen and learn about the Korean Adoptee experience. I have to listen carefully, slowly, deliberately... some of the stories are triggering for me but, overall the tone of the show is welcoming and fun
Note: I don't really like the monthly format for this so, I'll be going back to posting this weekly. I like a more frequent tracking of "Read, Watched, and Listened" for myself. I'll begin this on April 10.
Ritchie Roesch recently posted "My 'Ultimate' Fujifilm Travel Kit", where he describes a similar kit to what I'm working my way towards. I have the Fujifilm X100V and the X-E3, which will hold me steady for a while. I've been eyeing the X-E4 but there's not a huge incentive for me to make a change.
I have, and love, the original three primes (18mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4, and 60mm f/2.4), released with the X-Pro 1 (in 2011). I also have the 27mm f/2.8, the 35mm f/2, and the 16-80mm f/4. So for lenses, there's nothing else out there that calls to me... maybe the recently announced 70-300mm f/4? But I'm not sure I would use that all that often.
I also have the X-T1 sitting on the shelf that I'll use when I want that "different look" using its (older) sensor. But.... BUT, all this is to say that I have what I need, and happy with what I have.
In mid-February, I planted starts throughout the raised beds in my yard. Steady watering and care has given me a little bit of a routine during these past few weeks, giving me something both to care for and to learn from.
Growing things isn't new for me but, having this many things simultaneously is. This is my first time growing straw berries and my first "serious" attempt growing tomatoes.
The herbs are taking off, especially the parsley and the cilantro. I may have to dog around that bed to space out the rest of the plants a little more; the basil is getting "bullied" by the parsley (taking all of the sun and probably most of the water).
Each of the plants has (more or less) doubled in size from the time they were planted, which I'm taking as a good thing.
I have some shishito pepper and perilla seeds that I'll be planting soon, tempting fate by adding even more to look after.
I'm a little worried about the strawberries (planted a few weeks ago). They're growing but they're growing far slower than most of the other things that I planted (around the same time). I wonder if they're not getting enough sun. Perhaps they just grow at a much slower pace?
I spent a few hours, this week, setting up NetNewsWire as my default RSS reader. Like many, I have a routine set of websites and blogs that I like to keep up with but, no real central place to do so.
As the title of this post implies, this is something that I have been considering for a while now but, until recently, never took the time to follow through.
I'm glad that I did! It's cleaned up a lot of my "website reading/following" workflow, and gives me a single place to catch up when I need to. It's allowing me to unsubscribe to email updates (for sites and blogs), Twitter (and other social media feeds), and more.
I chose NetNewsWire for a few reasons but, one was that (then) upcoming release of version 6.0 which utilizes iCloud to sync feeds (and read status) between devices. It was released today, and so far I'm not having any issues.
Erin Casali's blog, Intense Minimalism, has become one of my favorites. She posts very well-researched and thought out articles on everything from product design to change management, and I've found her site to be a source of inspiration for some of the approaches that I take in my work.
She recently posted "How to reduce video call fatigue". While there are hundreds (?) of articles on this topic online, I found hers to be one of the most simple but effective breakdowns of cause and action. Why do we feel it and what are things we can try to mitigate it?
I shared it with my coworkers (in a Teams channel) and a lot of people have started to try some of the suggestions she has, which makes me happy to have shared it with others.
Like a lot of people, I haven't used any vacation days over the last year. It's bad; these are much needed and part of my pay (compensation) plan. It's really like leaving money on the table.
Hat tip to Emily Chapman (and her newsletter) for linking to the article "How to Use a Vacation Day Right Now" for some inspiration and some insight.
I needed another mechanical keyboard because I've become hooked on playing Northgard, and 1) my wife is using my normal gaming keyboard while she works from home, and 2) the bluetooth keyboard I was using for work wasn't able to keep up with me.
I opted for this in lieu of another gaming keyboard because I also wanted something with a lot less "flare" than the colorful backlighting most gaming keyboards have. Because, as I suspected, I'm in love with using this for work and almost everything else, too. The touch, the feel. The sound.
Seeing this on the desk makes me want to type. And play.
To the right of this frame is another desk, six feet long, holding a Windows PC tower, ultra wide monitor, Windows laptop, MacBook Air, peripherals (e.g. mouse, keyboard, etc.), a tablet, and two smartphones.
Most of which I use to get work done. All of which provide me with far more computing power, and capability, than I really need at any given time. But fun to use.
Not as fun to use as the things in this frame, though.
Yesterday was such a beautiful day out, with the sun shining and it neither being too hot or too cold. I spent part of the morning cleaning the grill, which I ended up using for both lunch (hot dogs) and dinner (halibut and asparagus).
This was my first time making cottage pie. I don't know why; it's so easy. Overall is was pretty good, though it didn't taste "meaty" like I was expecting (or wanted it to). There are some other recipes that I have bookmarked to try out sometime in the future.
It was a nice departure form the standard corned beef and cabbage dinners that I usually prepare for St. Patrick's Day. I'm considering making corned beef anyways (should be on sale now, after St. Patrick's Day) for sandwiches and hash.
Like most of my food photos, this was rushed because I was more hungry than interested in taking a picture. Looking at it now, there's quite a bit of (food styling) cleanup that should have been done here.
I caught the end of the sunset, yesterday. I would have missed it but, thankfully, a friend sent me a text telling me to "Get your camera!".
Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – Touching, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. The rules of the cafe and the time travel are perfect in making the moments even more meaningful, and I loved how the author made it so.
The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang - This series has been win my list since the release of this first novel. I don't always seek out a fantasy trilogy but, this one kept getting great reviews and I loved that there was a hint towards the 120th century history between China and Japan.
The Dragon Republic, by R.F. Kuang - The way that the first book ended had me going right into the second book. I wanted to see more of Venka and Kitty, and to see how their stories shaped up.
The Burning God, by R.F. Kuang - Like the first, upon finishing the second I had to go right into the third. I suppose that is the advantage of waiting until the full trilogy is released (so that you don't have to wait for each book). All in all a great series that I would love to see in an animated series someday.
WandaVision - currently at s1 e8. Kathryn Hahn. She elevates everything she is a part of. Loved her in Parks & Recreation, and loved her even more here. The show is an overall entertaining slow-build, with great homages to sitcoms throughout the different eras. Was a fun watch!
Bob’s Burgers - currently at s4 e10. Just something to have on in the background without needing to pay a whole lot of attention to the story. Though, I will say, there are some awesomely funny episodes and one-liners throughout this show. I always figured that it was good but never really dedicated any time to watching it. Worth the wait to be able to binge episodes.
Nomadland (2020) - I loved the way that this "blended" between a documentary and a fictional narrative. The cinematography is fantastic, as well as all of the stories shared by the real "van lifers".
This month’s rotation included Natalie Merchant, Dire Straits, Korn, Smashing Pumpkins, Smokey Brights, and David Bowie.
[Single] “Deliver Me From Wondering Why” by Nation of Language - a really well-written song reminiscent of the 80s.
[Single] “While We Wait” by Dominique Fils-Aime - Not sure how anyone who listens to it doesn’t immediately fall in love with it.
[Podcast] Criminal, “Episode 157: The Short Life of Qandeel Baloch” - shocking and well, disheartening. Honor killings are something that I will never understand.
[Podcast] Death, Sex and Money, “Getting Real About Getting Older, Live” - A lot of fascinating perspectives from the callers, especially those who were so honest about what they're feeling not only getting older but, being older during the pandemic.