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Wednesday 19Aug2009 17:14
It’s possible it’s some form of a tick, but whenever I go to a new website I need to see if I can find some sort of about-page or profile. At worst it’s very basic but when they’re good? I need to read most of the things the person has written afterwards. I think it’s the small useless “facts” that does it, or certain turns of phrase.
From all of the me-centered texts I’ve written myself, this is probably my favorite (from 2004 I think):
“I live in Uppsala, Sweden. It’s a smallish European country up north. We don’t use the prefix ‘Swedish’ with meatballs — in fact, we kind of think the whole notion is a bit silly. There’s no penguins on the streets, not since they were outlawed in 1924. I have no idea how vast the penguin smuggling trade is, but if you want to try it: go ahead.”
I think it was Kevin Fanning who in an earlier edition of his Why god why about listed his favourites from other people. Think I should to the same thing here and skip the GPOYW, this has far more to say than a lousy picture. Really. Read these, then go and do your own.
There are more than these of course, but you’ll have to find those on your own.
Once Brian Wood listed music and things on his but no more, so he’s not on the list. John Darnielle doesn’t have on on his Last Plane to Jakarta but that’s ok, the page about the printed issues will do just fine…
about non-gpoyw others treasure hunting
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Thursday 13Aug2009 20:27
This is the most useless outdoor thermometer ever. According to what it says, it should be able to tell the celsius degree from -40 to +50. And it did for a few years. Now though, it’s really broken but there’s hope. For a great while it was stuck on +25 no matter what the weather. Snow? +25. Windy? +25.
The hope is that last winter something happened, the arrow moved. I know: “Shock! Horror!” Now it’s on +15 which even seems accurate. However, when it gets cold, it stops at -2. I think it freezes. Maybe it’s fishing for a hat and better work hours and makes the point clear by me thinking it’s warmer in the winter than it really is. That bastard.
photography treasure hunting
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Sunday 09Aug2009 16:27
While I do prefer loose tea to the bags, I have to admit they’re quite handy in some ways. Easier to carry along and it also serves as a way to remove eventual discomfort of getting condoms. Look at the wrapper. It’s like getting the same thing and no sane person is ashamed of getting tea — except for that Lipton crap, yeach. The one who came up with this ought to get the Nobel prize in something.
It can’t be a coincidence that there are a lot of sex metaphors in tea. (Dunk the bag (which you shouldn’t do), fill the pot, burn the hand, steaming cup of the fine stuff, pull out the bamboo whisk and give it a good stir. Endless possibilities.)
tea rituals treasure hunting
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Tuesday 28Jul2009 14:10
While I might get a few to listen if I mention Joss Whedon sings a tune in this episode, act one and three is the real deal and things you should listen to.
The first is from Mike Birbiglia and how he was in a hit-and-run-accident with a drunk driver. It is really funny but ends with an awesome and beautiful realization from his part.
The third act is Dan Savage and how he struggles with faith. Which is not easy when you’re a lapsed Catholic. He’s drawn to it but don’t know why. It’s also the story of how his mother got sick and it is poignant and painful and you can hear him choke up at times.
I’d love to be able to write and tell stories like this. Of course, I’m not even close but dreams shouldn’t be in reach easily — you should grow into them and not out of them. The struggle makes it worthwhile — I think, I hope. Oh God, don’t let me be wrong about this. It’s hard to get people to listen to This American Life though, so I’ll make a deal. If you don’t listen I shall ignore you for a long time. Ok?
treasure hunting this american life
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Wednesday 22Jul2009 2:02
This is Gusto, without a doubt it is the best coffee place in the world. Perhaps it’s a hyperbole but a small one, it is my favorite in any case. Done with semantics now? Good.
I’d love to combine this with something like Papercut in Stockholm. Books and movies that I think are good as opposed to what is sold at every airport/train station.
A small place, with coffee and sandwiches and books and magazines and a nice atmosphere. Fuck, why not combine it with a copy store* as well? No point in dreaming if it’s not big.
*) Fanzine discount? You betcha.
photography treasure hunting
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Tuesday 14Jul2009 22:33
“You choose your friends, not your family.” This is crap. Both are things that just happen. At least to me, I’ve never heard of anyone say stuff like “I’m gonna be that persons friend.” Friendships grow from accidents, from chance or even carelessness about the self. That’s even more random than genes.
Family, if you don’t like them, is fairly easy to get away from. Stop talking to that third-cousin and they’ll leave you alone and never really dip into the same stratrosphere. Giving up friendship is harder, it requires a mutual intent or else it will mend itself as they won’t really let each other be. Of course, it can dwindle a bit when you move about and lose touch. But then, I’ve noticed that once you reach out it is easy to get things going again like nothing really happened.
I’ve not done as well to my firends as I should have, I think. I’ve let things go, at times never really made the effort I should have and this corrodes me. A chip here, a chip there, all while I’m locked in some introverted phase. I don’t want to. I don’t like it. But I know it’s me that’s faulty, and I’m slowly getting better I think. The thing is this: I didn’t choose my firends so I can’t afford to let it just slide like a power-animal anymore. I’m going to think about this a bit more and then I have to do something about it.
biographic treasure hunting
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Saturday 11Jul2009 14:30
If it’s cool or interesting, you won’t miss it. Even with fewer feeds.
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Brent Simmons argues for fewer feed subscriptions. And he writes a feed reader for a living. This should tell you something. (via marco)
I do not agree at all. If it’s a meme, sure. Or if it’s about computers, Internet or movies — then it will probably show up everywhere in due time. Other topics though, they hardly ever gets passed around like that. If it’s about music then it must be something with bizarre amount of cred or something thats popular right now. And in general, people who write like gods are largely ignored and never really get their worth of attention.
The latest boing-boing post, the latest stats on a new cellphone, a cover of MGMT or a picture of the word Helvetica — those things gets shared around like a joint. But a new part of Chokeville? Or Dan Hill talks about cities and buildings? Or photos that don’t try too hard to look like fashion shoots?
Fewer feeds is great in theory, but things that are good outside of the normative “Internet geek stuff” will not pop up. Sadly.
Fewer feeds might however make you be able to read more and not have as much unread. So that’s a good thing about it. Because cool stuff unread in the feedpile is still missed even if it sits there and waits. Anyway. Trim down so that you might read it all but “[i]f it’s cool or interesting, you won’t miss it” is not true at all for most things.
Reblogged
treasure hunting
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