1. Here’s the other problem with Facebook and Twitter and even The New York Times. When you expose yourself to those things, especially in the constant way that people do now—older people as well as younger people—you are continuously bombarding yourself with a stream of other people’s thoughts. You are marinating yourself in the conventional wisdom. In other people’s reality: for others, not for yourself. You are creating a cacophony in which it is impossible to hear your own voice, whether it’s yourself you’re thinking about or anything else.

    — William Deresiewicz, in a lecture titled “Solitude and Leadership” that was delivered to the plebe class at the United States Military Academy at West Point in October 2009. Truly moving, but also heavily guilt-inducing, I implore you to devote 30 minutes to reading it in full.

  2. @Methodologie Make Shit Day, in action. (Taken with instagram)

    @Methodologie Make Shit Day, in action. (Taken with instagram)

  3. newsweek: floralavenger: Interviewer: You’ve long argued for the decriminalization of marijuana. Do you smoke weed? Barney Frank: No. Interviewer: Why not? Barney Frank: Why do you ask a question, then act surprised when I give an answer? Do you think I lie to people? Interviewer: I thought you might explain why you support decriminalizing it but don’t smoke it. Barney Frank: Do you think I’ve ever had an abortion? via Awesome.

    newsweek:

    floralavenger:

    Interviewer: You’ve long argued for the decriminalization of marijuana. Do you smoke weed?

    Barney Frank: No.

    Interviewer: Why not?

    Barney Frank: Why do you ask a question, then act surprised when I give an answer? Do you think I lie to people?

    Interviewer: I thought you might explain why you support decriminalizing it but don’t smoke it.

    Barney Frank: Do you think I’ve ever had an abortion?

    via

    Awesome.

    (via tiffehr)

  4. Notice anything different about me? 2012 is going to a be a year of big change for me, starting with the theme on this blog. I’ve purchased a pretty cool theme called “Notes” by Mikedidthis. It’s new as of January 14 of this year, and even though I found the theme last night, I’ve already had a great back and forth with Mike on how I’m using it and what his plans are for it in the future. Technology! I gave the Bacon Review a thorough overhaul last year, but I went ahead and tweaked the colors over there as well. Minor differences, barely noticeable. This is just the beginning. I hope to repurpose Bacon Tumblr to be more than just a random collection of stuff, trying to target it to what I’m most interested now (outside of music) and where I’m headed. So, stay tuned for that. In the mean time, I hope you like what I’ve done with the place.

    Notice anything different about me? 2012 is going to a be a year of big change for me, starting with the theme on this blog. I’ve purchased a pretty cool theme called “Notes” by Mikedidthis. It’s new as of January 14 of this year, and even though I found the theme last night, I’ve already had a great back and forth with Mike on how I’m using it and what his plans are for it in the future. Technology!

    I gave the Bacon Review a thorough overhaul last year, but I went ahead and tweaked the colors over there as well. Minor differences, barely noticeable.

    This is just the beginning. I hope to repurpose Bacon Tumblr to be more than just a random collection of stuff, trying to target it to what I’m most interested now (outside of music) and where I’m headed. So, stay tuned for that. In the mean time, I hope you like what I’ve done with the place.

  5. Nice write-up from my friend hellbox about Seattlites in the snow: Ah, the dulcet tones of everybody in the country mocking Seattle when we get snow. Including not-from-Seattle people who live in Seattle and, despite moving here, still need find reason to crow about the superiority of the hometown they fled. But, I mean — come on, Seattle — One or two inches and the city shuts down? That place I’m from gets much more than that and remains functional, and doesn’t whine about it! Amiright? Before you go blame horrible Seattle drivers (they are, mostly, but err on the side of politeness, if you can believe it), or allege that we are less than resilient, keep in mind these complicating factors: We only get a snow event once a year, and a major one only once every five or so. The city can’t pay for the infrastructure to support massive snow equipment because it rarely needs it. They tend to sand only the big hills and major roads. The snow melts when it hits the ground, since it rarely goes much below freezing here. That means the new snow falls on top of the melted snow and the water turns to ice. Very slippery, for humans and for cars. Seattle is full of hills. Even downtown, which appears flat from that aerial shot they love on television shows set here, has a grade. If you were to head down 1st from Denny you’d be going uphill until you reach Virginia, at which point you’d be going downhill until you reach Pioneer Square. In fact, the city is so hilly that the rich people used to live on top of First Hill, and used a series of sluices to move their waste down to the waterfront. When the tide would come in, their toilets would back up. Living in the lap of luxury! The plumbing has improved in the last 100 years. The snow tends to last only a day or two before it is a wet dirty mess, and another few before it’s gone altogether and we’re back to our normal winter temperature of somewhere in the 40s. Or 50s, as of late. The most prudent course (which appeals to our Scandehoovian roots) is to wait it out and take care of some indoor chores in the meantime. The barista in the coffee shop I’m writing from drove her car from North Seattle, wrecked it (totaled, she says) near the flagship REI store at 4:30 am this morning and still managed to make it in to work without wheels, two miles away, in time to open. She didn’t even mention it until I specifically asked how her morning was. That may not pass as a Jack London story, but in the city, I think it shows a certain spirit that I found pretty common in these parts. But, if this logic leaves you skeptical of our non-gender-specific manhood, then go ahead and believe what you want. We here in Seattle offer our explanation, but if you went to dinner with us you’d know that we always split what’s left on the serving dish so as not to be the asshole who takes the last bite. We’d rather be courteous to you and your beliefs (even if they disparage us), then go into our basements and write more songs and software and make more food and coffee that you can’t seem to get enough of. That’s the voice we have that speaks the loudest. That’s the one we’d rather be concentrating on while you’re busy talking smack about the weather.

    Nice write-up from my friend hellbox about Seattlites in the snow:

    Ah, the dulcet tones of everybody in the country mocking Seattle when we get snow. Including not-from-Seattle people who live in Seattle and, despite moving here, still need find reason to crow about the superiority of the hometown they fled.

    But, I mean — come on, Seattle — One or two inches and the city shuts down? That place I’m from gets much more than that and remains functional, and doesn’t whine about it! Amiright?

    Before you go blame horrible Seattle drivers (they are, mostly, but err on the side of politeness, if you can believe it), or allege that we are less than resilient, keep in mind these complicating factors:

    • We only get a snow event once a year, and a major one only once every five or so. The city can’t pay for the infrastructure to support massive snow equipment because it rarely needs it. They tend to sand only the big hills and major roads.
    • The snow melts when it hits the ground, since it rarely goes much below freezing here. That means the new snow falls on top of the melted snow and the water turns to ice. Very slippery, for humans and for cars.
    • Seattle is full of hills. Even downtown, which appears flat from that aerial shot they love on television shows set here, has a grade. If you were to head down 1st from Denny you’d be going uphill until you reach Virginia, at which point you’d be going downhill until you reach Pioneer Square. In fact, the city is so hilly that the rich people used to live on top of First Hill, and used a series of sluices to move their waste down to the waterfront. When the tide would come in, their toilets would back up. Living in the lap of luxury! The plumbing has improved in the last 100 years.
    • The snow tends to last only a day or two before it is a wet dirty mess, and another few before it’s gone altogether and we’re back to our normal winter temperature of somewhere in the 40s. Or 50s, as of late. The most prudent course (which appeals to our Scandehoovian roots) is to wait it out and take care of some indoor chores in the meantime.
    • The barista in the coffee shop I’m writing from drove her car from North Seattle, wrecked it (totaled, she says) near the flagship REI store at 4:30 am this morning and still managed to make it in to work without wheels, two miles away, in time to open. She didn’t even mention it until I specifically asked how her morning was. That may not pass as a Jack London story, but in the city, I think it shows a certain spirit that I found pretty common in these parts.

    But, if this logic leaves you skeptical of our non-gender-specific manhood, then go ahead and believe what you want. We here in Seattle offer our explanation, but if you went to dinner with us you’d know that we always split what’s left on the serving dish so as not to be the asshole who takes the last bite. We’d rather be courteous to you and your beliefs (even if they disparage us), then go into our basements and write more songs and software and make more food and coffee that you can’t seem to get enough of. That’s the voice we have that speaks the loudest. That’s the one we’d rather be concentrating on while you’re busy talking smack about the weather.

  6. Snowmingos (Taken with Instagram at Woodland Park Zoo)

    Snowmingos (Taken with Instagram at Woodland Park Zoo)

  7. How do you have so much time to discover 31 albums, let alone listen extensively to with enjoyment, over the span of the past year?

    — Me, over on my music blog The Bacon Review, where I’m currently counting down my Top 31 albums of 2011, in case you’re interested. You should be. http://baconreview.com

  8. Arrange to be carried around by ankles.

    — Tim Carvell’s Easy Halloween Costume Ideas from McSweeney’s is laugh-out-loud funny.

  9. Brilliant video describing the new thinking around the differences between our left and right brains. I’m going to have to watch this 2 or 3 times to really get it, but the first time through I was glued to it.

    Renowned psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist explains how our ‘divided brain’ has profoundly altered human behavior, culture and society. Taken from a lecture given by Iain McGilchrist as part of the RSA’s free public events program. To hear the full lecture, go to youtube.com/user/theRSAorg#p/u/2/SbUHxC4wiWk.

    /via TED.

  10. http://blog.frankchimero.com/post/11620616234

    Frank Chimero, designer extraordinaire, gave an amazing talk at an AIGA conference recently. Enjoy.

  11. 99 percent is a very large percentage.

    — Lemony Snicket, aka the brilliant Daniel Handler, from his piece, “Thirteen Observations made by Lemony Snicket while watching Occupy Wall Street from a Discreet Distance. Be sure to read it as you’re donning your protest clothes; it will give you a boost.

Theme: Notes by mikedidthis