Link Log 24
2026-07-12
Pierre — Hey Ya! This was an exciting cover, and the energy of this show looks intoxicating. Shows like this still happen, no doubt, but the energy of a specific show can never be denied. Sadly, I haven't been to a live show in quite some time. Too loud, overstimulating. At least I have my headphones and a hard drive with 250 GB of storage.
Personal blog post on the importance of being demanding and supportive. A good leader can definitely be both of those things, and I unfortunately have difficulty with the former. I used to struggle a bit with having a rescuer complex, but these days I think I'm the one who needs most of the rescuing.
Samara Joy — You Stepped Out of a Dream I think this is probably the greatest female—no—the greatest jazz vocalist to ever have lived, and she's alive right now. The range, the precision, the absolute dynamic control—no wonder she won six Grammies. I'd probably have to disqualify her from getting any more, or else she'll just win all of them. And she is gorgeous, beyond stunning. A woman like that would make me shake in my boots, I tell ya what. Samara, if you ever read this and find yourself in need of a new muse, hit me up.
A deep cut from Hank Williams: The Angel of Death is probably my favorite song he ever did. I hope God saves Hank, man, even though he was a drunk and at times a bitter man. I hear the cries from beyond the grave, Lord. Save us, even if we're not worthy. Make all the harsh vibrations stop, even if just for a day. I'm so sorry we keep forgetting. Don't make me forget.
Article from The Creative Independent interviewing Andy Pizza. Even though I generally have a distaste for Cal Newport shilling and the Rick Rubin Kool-Aid that is meta-discussing creativity, it can be good to read through stuff like this sometimes. Not necessarily for any new insights, but just to connect along the lines of the creative process. To know that other people are out there managing their creativity and finding ways to not burn out is reassuring; it gives me a greater sense of purpose in my own creative pursuits, as meager as they might be. More than anything, it helps me remember to find nourishment in this process; even if it's work, it can be that eustress that Pizza discusses in the interview. Ideally, no stress ever would be awesome, but some self-imposed eustress is fine, I suppose.
Article from Noema on Pakistan's emergence as a "middle power." I've become extremely skeptical of this "multipolar" idea that these geopolitics nerds keep on spouting. This is mostly because I see an odd contradiction: how can wealth be consolidating further into a smaller set of hands while, at the same time, political power is now "multipolar?" That doesn't make sense to me, and I'm starting to think that word is some stupid think tank psyop. I didn't know Pakistan had nukes, though; that shit's crazy.
I have been bumping a.m. ambient for most of this week. Wonderful tracks, particularly because I basically need to have music on at all times, and having these soft and low-key tracks throughout the day really helps me get through in a peaceful way. Well, mostly peaceful anyway :P
Remember the flop that was AI 2027? Well, they've decided to come back with another even more delusional one: AI 2040. This is what happens when you give people who did well on their SATs laptops and a six-figure salary; they just spin their gears over and over again, flopping on the ground gasping for air like the fish they are. Sigh.
In other news, have you ever wanted to run ChromeOS in a web browser? Check out AnuraOS. More broadly, the Mercury Workshop seems to be doing some cool hacking with ChromeOS in general. I have an old Chromebook I was able to get EndeavourOS installed on with the help of Mr. Chromebox, and while I don't use it for literally anything, it was nice just to know that I have the power to do so.
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