2022.December.Albums

Here are my full-album listens in December of 2022. Many, if not most of these albums came from replies to this excellent tweet. It was fun trying out some music I never would've found on my own.

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Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
True Stories – Talking Heads (iPhone & HomePod)
Naked – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Little Creatures – Talking Heads (iPhone)
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart (iPhone)
Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi – Camera Obscura (iPhone)
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart (iPhone)
Little Creatures – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters (iPhone)
The Colour and the Shape – Foo Fighters (iPhone)
Little Creatures – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Little Creatures – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Resistance Radio, The Man in the High Castle Album – Various (iPhone)
Music Has The Right To Children – Boards of Canada (iPhone)
Open Sesame – Freddie Hubbard (iPhone)
[lust] – Rei Harakami (iPhone)
Life Without Buildings – Any Other City (iPhone)
Purple Mountains – Purple Mountains (iPhone)
Pink Flag – Wire (iPhone)
Beams – Matthew Dear (iPhone)
I – Mikrovolt (iPhone)
Get Hurt – The Gaslight Anthem (iPhone)
Heaven Or Las Vegas – Cocteau Twins (iPhone)
Small Mercies – Pixx (iPhone)
Brazilian Octopus – Brazilian Octopus (iPhone)
Script of the Bridge – The Chameleons (iPhone)
Everybody Works – Jay Som (iPhone)
Christmas Hidden Gems, Vol 4 – Various (iPhone & HomePod)
Christmas Hidden Gems, Vol 3 – Various (iPhone)

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29 titles in 31 days. Many of the titles came from replies to this excellent tweet. I enjoyed the introduction; a couple of this will stick around a while.

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2022.December.Watchlist

Continuing my catch-up/wrap-up posts. Here's what I watched in December.

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Jazz-Clippers (MacBook)
Celtics-Heat (MacBook)
1899 (S01E01) (MacBook)
Lakers-Bucks (MacBook)
Warriors-Bulls (MacBook)
The Italian Job (TV)
Warriors-Rockets (MacBook)
Celtics-Nets (MacBook)
Clippers-Hornets (MacBook)
Pacers-Warriors (MacBook)
The White Lotus (S02E01-06) (MacBook)
Magic-Clippers (MacBook)
Celtics-Suns (MacBook)
Heat-Clippers (MacBook)
Elf (TV)
Warriors-Celtics (MacBook)
The White Lotus (S02E07) (MacBook)
Clippers-Celtics (MacBook)
Counterpart (S01E01-02) (MacBook)
Clippers-Timberwolves (MacBook)
Counterpart (S01E03-05) (MacBook)
Sixers-Warriors (MacBook)
Clippers-Wizards (MacBook)
Warriors-Raptors (MacBook)
Bucks-Pelicans (MacBook)
Knicks-Warriors (MacBook)
Counterpart (S01E06) (MacBook)
Clippers-Hornets (MacBook)
Cavs-Bucks (Macbook)
Counterpart (S01E07) (MacBook)
Sixers-Clippers (MacBook)
Nets-Bucks (MacBook)
Celtics-Bucks (MacBook)
Warriors-Grizzlies (MacBook)
Clippers-Pistons (MacBook)
Clippers-Raptors (MacBook)
Mavs-Knicks (MacBook)
Warriors-Jazz (MacBook)
Celtics-Clippers (MacBook)
Meet Cute (TV)

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That's 48 titles in 31 days – 1.54/d.

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2022.December.Sneezes

In December, I sneezed 69 times for an average of 2.26 times per day, which, again, feels about right.

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2022.November.Albums

More full-album-listens, this time for November:

Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Remain in Light – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Rumours – Fleetwood Mac (HomePod)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
More Songs About Buildings and Food – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Fear of Music – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Speaking in Tongues – Talking Heads (iPhone & HomePod)
Little Creatures – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Little Creatures – Talking Heads (HomePod)　　

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"Asphalt Meadows" and "Little Creatures" continue to impress. My two favorite albums of the year (not that "LC" is from 2022...).

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2022.November.Watched

Here is the list of stuff I watched in November, interesting only to me....

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Pistons-Warriors (MacBook)
Clippers-Rockets (MacBook)
Heat-Warriors (MacBook)
Jazz-Clippers (MacBook)
Warriors-Kings (MacBook)
Tehran (S02E04-08) (MacBook)
Clippers-Lakers (MacBook)
Mythic Quest (S02E06-09) (MacBook)
School of Rock (TV)
Warriors-Cavs (MacBook)
Nets-Clippers (MacBook)
Mavericks-Blazers (MacBook)
76ers-Hawks (MacBook)
Kings-Warriors (MacBook)
76ers-Jazz (MacBook)
Clippers-Rockets (MacBook)
Warriors-Spurs (MacBook)
Bucks-Cavs (MacBook)
Clippers-Pistons (MacBook)
Warriors–Rockets (MacBook)
Clippers-Spurs (MacBook)
Clippers-Jazz (MacBook)
JFK’s Commencement Address at American University (MacBook)
JFK’s Address at Rice University on the Nation’s Space Effort (MacBook)
Warriors-Clippers (MacBook)
Bulls-Bucks (MacBook)
Nuggets-Clippers (MacBook)
Clippers-Pacers (MacBook)
Warriors-Timberwolves (MacBook)
Mavericks-Warriors (MacBook)
Clippers-Blazers (MacBook)

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That's 38 titles in 30 days: 1.2666 per day.

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2022.November.Sneezes

Late to a few updates, probably because they're so stupid....

In November of, now, last year, I sneezed 71 times. That's 2.36 sneezes per day for the month.

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Photo Walk With Me

I was watching a YouTube video the other day wherein a street photographer ^* used "photo walk" ^† – a phrase ^‡ I'd long forgotten existed.

A couple days later (now a couple days ago), I had to wait for someone to do a thing, so I decided to take an hour-or-so walk to pass the time. While walking, I decided to take some photos.

I may make posts like this an occasional thing. That might go some way to keeping me taking pictures, which is something I love to do but do too little of.

Here are some shots. I can do better. I can also do substantially worse.

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Couple Christmasy shots at the end. It's not even Thanksgiving....

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^* I don't recall the particular video, but it was by sarifoto.

^† I'd forgotten it exists is because it sounds pretentious to me. However, it lets me use this entry's title, and that's okay with me....

^‡ I was not at all sure if this should be a word or a phrase. I wrote it as a word in the body of this post and Autocorrect found no fault with it. Then I checked Google's Ngram Viewer and, well, democracy wins – and consistency, too, I guess, since I needed separate words for the reference in the title to work.

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The Ultra-Strap... Band. The Ultra-Band Updates

Followup to this post.

update: I didn't mention that the lugs aren't very well-machined. They don't quite fit perfectly, which makes them an absolute asshole to slide in or out of the watch's grooves. If I had a micrometer, I could identify the problem, but they seem to be (very) slighly conical where a cylinder (if you get my meaning) is required. So pushing or pulling makes them bind. Or perhaps they're just too small. Again: no micrometer.

update ii: I reverted to wearing my regular sports band – the floroelastomer one (a dull gray, because they didn:t have the one I actually wanted in stock the few times I tried buying it). It's just easier. It's a perfect band (aside from the color) and I just prefer it to all the other types. The Uber-strap was annoying to take off before each shower and to keep dry. Never did cycle with it – altho I'll probably put it back on when I do cycle next – once, just to try it the way I intended to.

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Unsure if this needed its own post. Still figuring out the formatting I prefer (yes, it's been years – shhh).

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2022.October.Listens

Okay, look – I fucking love Death Cab.

I realized like half-a-month late that their new album ("Asphalt Meadows") was available. (Seemed like it was ages away when I first learned of it, and listened to "Roman Candles" a couple/few times.) I was cycling allatime and really digging the album, so, yeah, I listened to it a bunch: 10 times all the way thru, and many more times in parts.

I get that this is not exciting. It goes against the whole point of listening to full albums this year (to learn more about and discover music I've missed to this point in my life, and which I really drifted away from over the Summer), but the album is really good and – y'know what? – I'ma listen to it again. Judge me all you want, but you can't stop me, nobody can stop me, not even the law can stop me!

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Asphalt Meadows – according to DiffusionBee

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The King is Dead – The Decemberists (iPhone & HomePod)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (HomePod & iPhone)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Pitch Perfect OST – Various (iPhone)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Psycho Killer '77 – Talking Heads (iPhone)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (HomePod)
Asphalt Meadows – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)

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Not included in any of these lists, is the many times I've listened to playlists I've created of songs I wanna hear more of. "Don't Worry About the Government" from "Psycho Killer '77", for example, is a delight and took up many, many minues of my month.

Rest easy.

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2022.October.Sneezes

93. In 31 days. I nearly died. Out my own nose.

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2022.October.Watched

October 2022 Watched

Exhausted – John C Holmes, The Real Story (MacBook)
Creed II (TV)
Pitch Perfect (MacBook)
Pitch Perfect 2 (MacBook)
Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (S01E01)
Harper (MacBook)
Glengarry Glen Ross (MacBook)
Pitch Perfect 3 (MacBook)
Bullet Train (TV)
Tehran (S02E03-4) (TV)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (MacBook)
Celtics-Sixers (opening night) (MacBook)
Warriors-Lakers (opening night) (MacBook)
Pelicans-Nets (opening night) (MacBook)
Blazers-Kings (opening night) (MacBook)
Clippers-Lakers (opening night) (MacBook)
Nuggets-Warriors (MacBook)
Nets-Raptors (MacBook)
Suns-Clippers (MacBook)
Warriors-Kings (MacBook)
Thunder-Clippers (MacBook)
Suns-Warriors (MacBook)
Warriors-Heat (MacBook)
Thunder-Clippers (MacBook)
Cavs-Celtics (MacBook)
Bucks-Hawks (MacBook)

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There was a time (when we heed a certain call) when I was counting these and keeping stats. I should probably keep doing that. Holy hell am I lazy.

...

27 titles. In 31 days. The way things are going these days.

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The Ultra-Strap... Band. The Ultra-Band

I bought a knock-off version of the orange ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ Ultra band – the Alpine Loop. I like the look of it in ads (and so on) so much that I wanted to try it. I use the smaller watch, but, alas, no version of the legit band is made to fit the smaller model (tho it will fit the larger model of the regular watch). So, rather than buy a whole new watch to try a single band, I bought a knock-off for cheap on Amazon just to see how I liked its design in real life.

I did this because I really like the design but also because I've always wanted an official orange strap, but there will probably never be an official orange-orange strap because of Apple's Hermès deal. And there is no way in all hell that I'm buying an Hermès ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ.^†

[Intermission]

As for the band itself, its plusses: I quite like the mechanism, it’s clever and holds reliably firmly (I’ll wear it while cycling); having a soft strap is lovely (it lays kindly on my forearm’s massive ulnar head); finally an actual orange strap.

However, it definitely has drawbacks.

Putting/taking it on/off is a pain (the original sport-whatever strap remains the best strap in world hx); adjusting it one or two loops is a slippery disaster (a third hand is needed – or a clamp); charging the ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ is a bit irritating with it on (and I own those super-cute tiny Apple II-looking chargers which are extremely easy to... load/unload?); it’s cheap (minor surface rust on the hook FTW!); the hook (clasp? 6? G?) scratches whatever it hits so you gotta be careful where you put your wrist (it at least makes a sound; I’m terrified to check for actual scratches); I assume cleaning it is difficult(?); the lugs don’t match whatever-space-gray version my watch is; the top of the strap looks cool, with the looping fabric attached to the other, thicker fabric, but where it flips over on itself doesn’t look very good at all.

All told, I like it, but the drawbacks are plentiful and I assume most apply to the actual  strap – minus the surface rust…. In the main, its design is pleasing, and I'm fine with having spent a couple thousand yen on it.

I do love the orange, tho. Orange all day. Orange for the real win.

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^† I don't like the stainless steel ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ model at all, really, and fuck the Hermès one is pricey. I will acknowledge, tho, that the original Hermès watch face is the only truly beautiful face Apple has released. If they released it on any of the other models, I would've been using it from Day One – and I'm neither a watch person, nor an analog-clock person. Fucking thing is that gorgeous; they aced its design.

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note: i posted some updates here.

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76er

Today is my father's 76th birthday – or it would be had he not died 3 years ago.

I'm not sure what to do in his honor, or in his absence, but I'll take a bike ride and try to figure something out.

I miss that dude. I wish he were still here to call and chat with, joke with, laugh with.

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Later:

I did take a cold bike ride this morning. After the soaking rain of the last two days everything was wet, and so was the too-humid air. Later, the sun came out and the day was beautiful. But during my ride the going was slow and hard and not-at-all fun. And, nearing home, a cabbie tried to kill me. (Well, he cut me off for no discernible reason. My back is locked up, my neck hurts, and I have a headache.)

But I spent the day otherwise, afterward, having fun. And my dad would've been pleased with that.

I'd call him if I could. It's morning now in America, the sun rising on his 76th birthday. I hope he's somewhere comfortable and cosy with books and all eternity to enjoy them.

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I'ma.Live.Wire

For reasons unexplained by science, I recently started watching a ton of YouTube videos. Often, it's post-bike-ride viewing that is fairly mindless (yet interesting and well-made; shade unintended) as I lie there exhausted, but not always.

In August or September, I found a new account that I've been speeding my way through – Techmoan, which is a delightful romp thru old technologies, many of which I've never heard of. As a lover of history and technology, dude's videos often seem tailor-made for me.

One of the videos was about the wire recorder – a '40s-era Dictaphone-like machine that recorded on – dig this – fine stainless-steel wire ^† .

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In the video, Techmoan-さん mentions that there is at least one modern link to the wire recorder: a CD was released containing the only fully-recorded concert by Woody Guthrie ^‡ : "The Live Wire – Woody Guthrie In Performance 1949". In my September-listens post, you can see that I listened to it (promptly) after learning it exists.

It's incredible, and if you're looking for something to listen to, do check it out. Guthrie remains a national treasure, and the technicians who worked on the CD were able to pull decent sound from it – which I imagine is remarkable, based on the snippets of (otherwise-unrelated) audio included in Techmoan's video.

Hear hear to old tech, new videos, and rediscovered treasures.

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^† I didn't even know stainless-steel wire was a thing, but of course it is.

^‡ I think this is true, but it could be overstated.

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When September Ends

You can see among these lists, my go-to, want-to-listen-to-music-now-but-don't-want-to-search-for-something-new artists and albums. Often, when I'm cycling, I just say an album name into my ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜ, and, being not-at-all creative (especially during exercise), I default to selecting from a limited number of choices. Case in point: September, where I start and stop with the same album – which I also listened to once in the middle.

What can I say, it's fucking great.

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Narrow Stairs – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Plans – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone & HomePod)
Kintsugi – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Sweet and Lowdown OST – Various Artists (HomePod)
Singles OST – Various (iPhone)
Narrow Stairs – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)
Dirt – Alice In Chains (iPhone)
Badmotorfinger – Soundgarden (iPhone)
Ten – Pearl Jam (iPhone)
Superunknown – Soundgarden (iPhone)
The Live Wire – Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949 – Woody Guthrie (iPhone)
Picaresque – The Decemberists (iPhone)
I’ll Be Your Girl – The Decemberists (iPhone)
Thriller – Michael Jackson (HomePod & iPhone)
Bad – Michael Jackson (iPhone)
Narrow Stairs – Death Cab for Cutie (iPhone)

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2022.September.Watchlist

As I never posted this when I should have, I'm updating it way late. This was my 2022 month with the fewest titles: 9.

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Good Will Hunting (TV) Top Gun (TV) Singles (MacBook) Kingpin (MacBook) Top Gun Maverick (TV) SpaceCamp (TV) Margin Call (MacBook) It Came from Outer Space (MacBook) Targets (MacBook)

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Again, that's 9 titles. In 30 days. Post-Tour(s) and pre-basketball, I took it easy (and cycled).

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