yet again my brain is overwhelmed with delight - in particular the Smithsonian collection of images - i am at my daily pod job (law office) and it is all i can do not to run around yelling "would you look at this! and this! and this! (and how can i get as many of these printed at work without people noticing) this is comparable to my sheer exhilaration when visiting a polish grocery store and seeing all the products and packaging - my daughter had to remind me to breath - thank you austin, truly
1) Al Jaffee—grew up on MAD (more of a boomer/elder Gen X thing I suppose) and there were a bunch of old copies and paperbacks of MAD (don’t sleep on Al’s Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions!) in our parents’ attic a few years back. I left them for my younger brother since they were more his but he had no interest in picking them up. Oh well, I should dig out that CD-ROM omnibus from decades ago...and hope that I’ve got a CD drive somewhere :)
2) One of my big musical misses/mistakes, maybe the biggest, was passing on going to see Murmur era REM for FIVE DOLLARS in college. It was on a different campus, I’d have to bus it there, money was tight, I wasn’t the hugest fan...whatever. It all feels very silly now ::hangs head in shame::
Thanks for this. I've been wanting to get into collages for a while, and the Smithsonian collection seems like a pretty good place to start with. There's probably an infinite amount of other places which could have been a starting point, but the sheer amount of stuff to work with there is pretty exciting.
When you go to Japan, be sure to go to Tokyo swallows, baseball game ( go to the swallow not Giants) it’s an incredible experience and so much fun and I’m someone that really doesn’t even like baseball! I would literally suggest arranging your trip so that you’re in Tokyo while they’re playing in town. My kids loved Japan. It will be an amazing trip for you.
After reading your newsletter this morning, I saw this video of a young boy reading Owl Babies to three baby owls. (And many thanks for the heads up about the Smithsonian Open Access Library!) https://fb.watch/jVeQk0blXk/
Owl babies--wow! But, honestly, what I really want to know is whether I could purchase a print or postcard of your music notes graphic. My daughter would love that.
Not sure how your owl box is mounted but consider predator guards (can be made from various materials) to prevent raccoons, snakes and other predators from accessing the box.
Nothing gets me more fired up than controversial ideas, and boy does Nassim Nicholas Taleb's work fit that bill! Humanity has conquered the material world, and now we must conquer the unseen! Could someone be more anthropocentric and less spiritual?! Anyway, thanks for always providing plenty of food for thought. I love getting all steamed up over my morning tea!
If I’m still around in forty years, I hope my journals stick with me too. I’m fascinated looking back at entries that are just three years old. I can’t imagine how that effect compounds with a distance of forty.
yet again my brain is overwhelmed with delight - in particular the Smithsonian collection of images - i am at my daily pod job (law office) and it is all i can do not to run around yelling "would you look at this! and this! and this! (and how can i get as many of these printed at work without people noticing) this is comparable to my sheer exhilaration when visiting a polish grocery store and seeing all the products and packaging - my daughter had to remind me to breath - thank you austin, truly
Two comments and the theme is regrets—
1) Al Jaffee—grew up on MAD (more of a boomer/elder Gen X thing I suppose) and there were a bunch of old copies and paperbacks of MAD (don’t sleep on Al’s Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions!) in our parents’ attic a few years back. I left them for my younger brother since they were more his but he had no interest in picking them up. Oh well, I should dig out that CD-ROM omnibus from decades ago...and hope that I’ve got a CD drive somewhere :)
2) One of my big musical misses/mistakes, maybe the biggest, was passing on going to see Murmur era REM for FIVE DOLLARS in college. It was on a different campus, I’d have to bus it there, money was tight, I wasn’t the hugest fan...whatever. It all feels very silly now ::hangs head in shame::
There is an entire episode of the brilliant 20,000 Hertz podcast about the Wilhelm Scream. Link is here:
https://www.20k.org/episodes/wilhelmscream?rq=scream
Thanks for this. I've been wanting to get into collages for a while, and the Smithsonian collection seems like a pretty good place to start with. There's probably an infinite amount of other places which could have been a starting point, but the sheer amount of stuff to work with there is pretty exciting.
When you go to Japan, be sure to go to Tokyo swallows, baseball game ( go to the swallow not Giants) it’s an incredible experience and so much fun and I’m someone that really doesn’t even like baseball! I would literally suggest arranging your trip so that you’re in Tokyo while they’re playing in town. My kids loved Japan. It will be an amazing trip for you.
Baby Owls! So coool!
One of my dreams is to go to Japan someday. Carson Ellis's were delightful! Thanks for sharing!
After reading your newsletter this morning, I saw this video of a young boy reading Owl Babies to three baby owls. (And many thanks for the heads up about the Smithsonian Open Access Library!) https://fb.watch/jVeQk0blXk/
Owl babies--wow! But, honestly, what I really want to know is whether I could purchase a print or postcard of your music notes graphic. My daughter would love that.
Not sure how your owl box is mounted but consider predator guards (can be made from various materials) to prevent raccoons, snakes and other predators from accessing the box.
An REM album is that old? Oh boy. Now I’m feeling fragile---as in the “someday soon I’ll need a hip replacement” kind of fragile.
Nothing gets me more fired up than controversial ideas, and boy does Nassim Nicholas Taleb's work fit that bill! Humanity has conquered the material world, and now we must conquer the unseen! Could someone be more anthropocentric and less spiritual?! Anyway, thanks for always providing plenty of food for thought. I love getting all steamed up over my morning tea!
Owl babies!!! Wow 🤩
OBSESSED with Janet Malcolm’s bookmarks. Gonna do that myself.
If I’m still around in forty years, I hope my journals stick with me too. I’m fascinated looking back at entries that are just three years old. I can’t imagine how that effect compounds with a distance of forty.
R.E.M.’s “Murmur” is a time travel machine for me.