I had hoped to read a bit more in 2022, but c’est la vie. That said, I did happen to hit my reading goal of reading more about biology and natural sciences (thanks, Bill Bryson), and I finally tackled The Black Swan. I also read a number of seriously terrific books — notable mentions include … Continue reading 2022 Reading Roundup
I’ve been listening to the Beatles a lot lately (which is saying something; I was more or less born listening to Sgt Pepper), and I’m struck by how often I’ll suddenly realize the cleverness of a lyric or the tightness of rhyme scheme — even after having heard the song one hundred times over the … Continue reading A random Beatles appreciation post: Two songs that have been sticking with me, lately
A couple of weeks ago, I got into a freak gasoline fight accident. Okay, well, not really. What actually happened was much less interesting. I went to fill up my car at a local gas station. My car’s fuel tank is on the left-hand side, but all the left-side pumps were taken, so I pulled … Continue reading A New Interpretive Community or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Memification of Everything
There’s a scene in Season 2 of Mad Men, when Don Draper visits Peggy Olson in the hospital. She’s recovering from having given birth to a married man’s child, and is understandably worried about balancing her ascendant career with the responsibilities of parenthood, compounded by the complexity of the baby’s paternity. Don, her only visitor, … Continue reading It Will Shock You
Spotify recently released a dedicated screen for your car that essentially mirrors your phone, but with the added bonus of a volume/navigation knob. Best as I can tell, it’s for people who have a phone (and a car), but who don’t have CarPlay or Android Auto. The name? Car Thing. I’m not sure if the … Continue reading Music for the Road
When I think back to the early-00s, I think of a lot of chunky, single-purpose, monochrome screen devices: a Franklin PDA, a Memorex MP3 player, a Sony DSLR. Now, obviously, things are different. When I survey the devices on my desk now, I’ve got an iPad Pro and an iPhone 12 — both of which … Continue reading Focus Mode
A week or two ago, on a sunny afternoon, a small business owner set up a folding table in a park near my house. He was selling various small Judaica items, and he parked himself on a bench for a few hours, equipped with his phone and a portable credit card reader. My wife found … Continue reading “I don’t know which half is wasted”
A few days ago, my wife and I re-watched The Office episode, “St. Patrick’s Day.” Toward the end of the episode, Michael Scott joins his employees at the bar, and collegially offers to buy drinks for a group of about nine coworkers. It’s a sweet moment, and a coda to an excellent episode. What stuck … Continue reading “Drinks are on Me!”
After a full year, I finally finished reading Robert Caro’s The Power Broker. It’s a seriously incredible exploration of the life, achievements, and controversies of Robert Moses – New York City’s “Master Builder” – who singlehandedly reshaped the face of New York City, and the lives of its millions of inhabitants, for generations. The scope … Continue reading On Finishing the Power Broker
In general, I’m a fan of the Netherland’s flagship airline, KLM. I’ve flown them multiple times and had pleasant flights. And online, they have an aggressive, inventive Facebook presence, and generally have good marketing campaigns. But a recent email they sent caught my eye. You’ll notice a few minor — but still obvious — errors … Continue reading A Difference Between Fluent and Mother-Tongue Level Writing
Silicon Spatula 