My opinion pieces – it’s like having a fascinating debate where only I get to talk
Why do we only have a short-term relationship with certain artists? I’m not talking about one-hit wonders: those individuals who produced a memorable hit and whose follow-up single is only recalled by pop-culture trivia buffs. I mean those performers, many of whom – at least in the pre-streaming era – captured our attention and returned […]
Shakespears Sister, The Thrills and other musical flings Read More »
I received my final mixtape in 2005. In those days, receiving a cassette already felt slightly quaint, if not yet anachronistic or performative. Still, you could hand it over with some confidence that the recipient could find a way to play it, on a compact kitchen stereo or an exhumed walkman. This romantic mixtape was
A Mixtape and the Trough of Longing Read More »
Last year I started another strange collection. I began to look out for instances of what I thought of as ‘digital bathos’. That is: moments where a customer-facing digital display fails to have the desired effect, with mildly comic results. Misaligned and glitching messages on public transport always brought a weird satisfaction. Then I began
Digital Bathos: the petty joys of public glitches Read More »
Lofi study beats are my long-standing guilty pleasure. I know it’s wrong to enjoy these chill streams. So why can’t I stop listening to them? “Would you turn your fish-tank music down a bit?” my wife demanded, without turning to look at me. Up until that point we had both been very content, working away
Fish tank beats for chill/study: my guilty pleasure Read More »
A West Wing character taught me how to stay on top of the housework. But did this fictional political consultant also teach me how to be unhappy? “It may not be realistic, but it feels real, and it feels right. If this isn’t what the White House is like, it’s what it should be like.”
This sailboat metaphor made me tidy, but unhappy Read More »
All you need to get in great shape is a pedometer, an unforgiving inner monologue, and the wisdom of Spinal Tap. It worked for me! Obsessing over step counting is an idiotic waste of time. Sorry, I was just talking to myself. But you might as well hear it too, dear reader. At best, Fitbits
The Shadow Scorecard of the Fitbit Fanatic Read More »
Ignorance is bliss. So is caffeine. Here’s how my morning coffee was ruined by science… There are some facts that, once learned, you wish you could immediately scrub from your memory. A couple of years ago, I read that it’s best to abstain from coffee in the first hour after waking, because caffeine interferes with
What is there to look forward to, except coffee? Read More »
We all want clear lines of succession and shared rules for the peaceful transfer of power. But focusing on protocol can make us lose sight of the job at hand… Joe Biden’s inauguration as President of the United States took place under extraordinary circumstances. One of many idiosyncrasies that day: he took the oath of
Just who is in charge here? Read More »
