Russell Davies

Socks: The Art of Care and Repair

Excellent segment on Woman's Hour yesterday about this show: Socks: The Art of Care and Repair by Celia Pym. Looks great. And talked about with such energy and, well, care.

Stealing unoffice hours

I've been meaning to steal this idea from Matt for years.

As he puts it: "You can book 30 minutes in my calendar. No agenda required, no need to mail first." We can do it via zoom, or whateverthegoogleonescallednow or the phone. Whatever works for you.

Matt's using it for people to chat about work, or ask for help, or just to catch up.

I can imagine all that. And if you'd like to talk at Interesting but aren't sure, we could discuss that. Or if you'd like help with a presentation. Or a brief. Or anything really...

This is the Calendly link

Would be lovely to say hello.

5 million steps

I'm still an old school Quantified Selfie in some ways. I count my steps (Big Up Pedometer) and keep a spreadsheet to see how I do every year.

Last year I noticed that I tend to hover around 4 and a half million steps a year:

2020 - 4,604,455

2021 - 4,256,739

2022 - 4,187,903

2023 - 4,690,677

So I thought, this year I'd try and do 5 million. That's an average of 13,661 a day.

And, yesterday I got there, which is pleasing. I'm going to just sit here for the rest of the year.

I wonder if 'Time To 5 Million' might be my Stupid Quantified Target next year.

 

Coffee Morning: the Next Generation

(This post has been updated to include new information and to be the post I can point people at)

Back in the times before The Breakfast Club was a multi-venue viral tourist sensation, we used to have these things called 'Coffee Morning'. Basically, me undertaking to sit in a cafe at a certain time and to chat with anyone who wanted to show up and hang out.

Eventually it became a bit of a thing, and then all got too much, but I'd like to try again.

So, 8am on Wednesdays I'll be at Caffe Tropea, which is in Russell Square, which is in Central London. If you fancy, come and say hello.

(Sorry about 8am and Central London, I know that's not convenient for many, but I have a job)

If, on some occasions I won't be able to make it I'll try and post that info on this blog and on socials)

I look, roughly, like this.

The loneliness of the long distance generative musician

I first came across Tim Exile at Music Tech Fest about ten years ago. He builds really interesting generative music tools and communities. There was a time where I regularly missed my tube stop playing Endlesss.

He launched a thing called Scapeshift at the end of November and, as soon as I started playing with it, I realised it might be perfect for a little advent project. So, since the 1st, I've been getting up early and wrestling with a bag of Scapeshift musical chaos. In my headphones, in my pyjamas, in the dark, while the family is asleep. It's really quite meditative, a form of Morning Pages.

And it's especially useful because, for running purposes, I've been looking for very long tracks at very specific BPMs and Scapeshift turns out to be a great way of making them. I can sit at my laptop for 15 minutes and create 15 minutes of perfectly functional techno. Nice and slow because all the runfluencers say I need to be training in Zone Two.

And, if you fancy, you can follow along on Bandcamp or Spotify. (You could be my first listener!)

More happy

Newness over at eggbaconchipsandbeans.

Wherever you get your podcasts

Matt's shared a collection of scraps from his notes file. One of which is:

"Cereal boxes no longer say contents may settle in transit.

It always used to be printed on the side.

I wonder when that phase was removed, and for what reason, and on whose say-so. And how many meetings it took."

It made me wonder about all the other ubiquitous but unnoticed phrases that will probably fade in time. I can only think of one right now - 'wherever you get your podcasts' - but I'm going to keep my eyes and ears open. They must be everywhere.

 

Mere wisps of liturgy

This bit of Ronald Blyth is very true:

"Fragments, mere wisps of liturgy, hang about in our hearts and cannot be excised by unbelief."

And, of course, it's not just liturgy. Five years of living in Oregon in the late 90s mean there's all sorts of phrases to do with salmon and the Lower Snake River tattooed on my brain. All reactivated by this splendid news.

 

The day time is the right time

Related things:

From SFJ: "There is a related case to be made that Tiny Desk has become so important not just because it renders the live experience for the digital viewer but because that alleged “at home YouTube and TikTok view” is much closer to what most people actually want from a live show: something that happens during daylight and is more interested in communication than overload and military bluster. I hate going to shows and avoid them when I can — this I would pay to see, often and without argument."

And:

@stevecardigan Morning cafe dj sets in los angeles ?? AM.RADIO, a monthly get together by putyouon. Get the invite in profile AM.RADIO 002 will include Babsy, SHIMA, and Vandelux #cafe #djset #boilerroom #lotradio #club ♬ original sound - Steve Cardigan

Docs are the new something

Video is the new thing. Every social network is retreating from words. No one reads. I get that.

But also, and, of course, words...

The most sought after travel guide is a google doc

The Ramen_Lord Book of Ramen

Mochary Method Curriculum

Justice in June

The Unexpected Power of Google-Doc Activism

A special message to the kids who gatekeep the Google Doc