2021.06.DisappearingMoment
Yo!
Welcome to June’s 2021’s Disappearing Moment, an inventory of opinions and experiences. I hope you enjoy it.
Podcasts
- Good One (I Liked It): Comedians detail their process for developing a favorite bit. Think: Song Exploder for jokes. Start with the Maria Bamford, Tig Notaro, and Patton Oswalt’s episodes.
- Operation Midnight Climax (I Liked It): A history of MKUltra that shouldn’t have eschewed podcast’s affordances (e.g., interviews, archival audio). Good pacing and an unforgettable protagonist redeem this audiobook.
- The Real Sarah Miller (I Liked It): Her “very specific interviews” are succinct, so-uncool-they’re-cool celebrations. She loves her topics and her guests, and all the rest is good natured impudence.
- The Untold Story: Policing (I Loved It): Actor Jay Ellis is a talented, charming expository journalist. He finds the right experts, asks them good questions, and keeps things focused and moving.
Nerdy Software
Photopea lets me do almost everything I do with Photoshop. For free. In a browser. One the most impressive web applications I use daily.
Bougie Products
Pour popcorn kernels into a Silicone Popcorn Popper and heat it in your microwave for a few minutes. Quick, healthy, inexpensive, and easy to clean.
Personal Finance and Investing
I Bonds are my favorite way to plan for potential expenses that are at least five years away. I also use them for emergency savings.
Reading
- René Herse Cycle’s “Myths in Cycling” series (I Liked It): Nerding out on evidence-based cycling without getting vituperative. The writing is as smooth as the rides they favor.
- Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird (1995) (I Loved It): When everyone knows the facts, the best you can do is make them interesting. Few books on writing are better at inspiring me to write.
Yin Running
I admire Paul Grilley’s Yin Yoga, which generally consists of long held “floor poses.” You allow yourself to “melt” into them with no muscular effort or emphasis on proper form. Even without effort, holding the poses for 2-5 minutes is often uncomfortable. If that sensation becomes pain, you’ve gone too far or held the pose too long.
Yin Running is my homage and interpretation of Yin Yoga. I like to try a Yin Run once per week to complement my other work outs.
Your safety and health supersede everything below. If something would put you at risk, don’t do it. I trust you to adapt or ignore anything that doesn’t suit your needs.
- Run outside on streets or trails.
- Wear comfortable clothing that’s suitable for running and the weather conditions.
- Run barefoot or in running sandals, Crocs, or minimal shoes that have thin, flexible soles and no cushioning, arch support, or heel elevation.
- Run at conversation pace, whether you are running on your own or with other people. If it’s difficult to hold a conversation, you’re running too fast.
- Don’t listen to music or bring a device capable of playing video, music, or communicating with others. Don’t bring food or water; if you get hungry or thirsty, you’re going too far or too fast.
- It’s all right to wear a watch as long as you use it to make sure you’re not going too far or too fast.
- Acknowledge others by waving, nodding, smiling, or wishing them a good morning, afternoon, or evening. Drivers, too, and even the homes you pass during your run: wish everyone well. Don’t engage further.
- End the run where you started it, and, if you’re tracking your distance, make sure it’s non-meaningful, such as 2.17 miles or 5.52 kilometers.
- If you don’t feel better at the end of the run than you did before you started, and also the next day, you went too far or too fast.
- If you like warming up or cooling down or stretching before or after, that’s up to you. I’ve never found it necessary as long as I limit my speed and distance.
Thanks for spending a few moments with me. I look forward to corresponding again next month.
Brett
No large language models were used in the production of the Disappearing Moment newsletter or website (inspired by RFC 9518 Appendix A ¶ 4 and Tantek Çelik).