Category: Words


  • Murder by Death with J. Roddy Walston

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    Thoughts and such from the June 7th, 2024 show at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC. What does it take for a musician to make a decent living in this always-streaming, algorithm sucking, Ticketmaster-gutting world we live in? For one, they ask for money. “I don’t have any merch,” Walston says. He’s on stage, alone,…


  • The Silly Simplicity of Tenkara fishing.

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    “Heaven knows we fly fishers are suckers for every new gizmo we think will give us a leg up on catching fish,” writes Yvon Chouinard in Simple Fly Fishing (a book I’ve had on my shelf for a long while now, only today realizing I have a signed copy). He paints us a picture of…


  • Arbitrary Authority

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    An idea I’m working a lot with lately: nothing is real, there is no control. An extension of “only worry about the things you can control” mixed with “well, I ain’t dead.” Because when you step back and really think about all of it, nothing really matters. Everything that makes us anxious and in a…


  • The West Was Always Queer

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    I’ll be straight with you, it was a lively scene. For those of you who may not yet know, Orville Peck is a bit of a hero in the LGBTQ community. He plays country western music, takes the stage in leather pants, an undershirt, and his trademark mask under a cowboy hat. The rest of…


  • Ink Is A Forgiving Medium

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    I’m still on a quest to figure out why drawing ended up being the answer, but I’m still at it and improving, I think. Whatever the case, my workspace is a perpetual mess of papers and inks and stubs of pencils. More brushes keep surfacing. Maybe, through it all, I just wanted to sit across…


  • It’s a Wet Heat

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    We’re hitting the first hot and wet days here in Asheville. And as uncomfortable as it is, I tell myself that it could be worse. I know the Piedmont and coastal regions are easily 10 degrees warmer and 40 percent more humid just by being. I’ll never forget our late-July trip to Wilmington for a…


  • Spending 2024 with Infinite Jest – Notes on the first readthrough.

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    Four months, one reading. And I’m not finished yet! Time to flip this over and see what else it can tell me.


  • Create More Than You Consume. Much More. Exponentially More.

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    “It actually makes me feel better knowing you’re not doing so great.” This line comes from one of my friends, but there’s no reason to take offense. As it goes, misery loves company. This has sat in drafts for a while. I wasn’t sure how to approach the idea of “everyone’s having a tough go,…


  • I Am Bad at Sharing Ideas

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    I came across On Idea Hoarding. Damnit, it’s me. Stop hoarding your best ideas. Just put them out there, immediately. This isn’t a new problem, I just have horrible ways of coping with it. Early on, I had a notebook that I would keep in addition to all of the other notebooks to jot down…

  • On: Scotch Whisky and Head Colds

    On: Scotch Whisky and Head Colds

    • Method: Blind Brainstorming

      Brainstorming could use an overhaul. The idea of brainstorming was invented by an advertising exec in the 1950s. “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” – Alex Osborn Any participant of a brainstorming session typically falls into one of two camps: This is amazing, this is…

    • Post It Note Productivity

      Every day there is a new productivity tool or method. A new youtube video about how some joblo organizes their day. Look at this new notes app, it screams at you when you don’t update it enough. If your day is larger than a post it note, you are attempting to do too much with…

    • maybe Not Free Will

      Free will – the capacity to choose between different courses of action. Your choice in this moment, right now, can change your outcome. There is no prophecy, your life is not guided. You get to pick. I wanted this node in here because it comes up a lot in the studies of Benjamin Libet –…

    • The Brain Reclaim Project

      The theory: a lot of us are some degree of miserable because we have no control over our brains/ minds/ conscious experience. If our bodies are the “meatsuit” of our brains, which experiences consciousness, then what about our bodily experience is reducing our control over brain stuff? Things That Need Looking Into: The goal, maybe:…

    • Idleism

      Not to be confused with idealism. Then again, maybe idleism is the ideal? A working philosophy, a working definition: Anxiety happens against a scale of productivity. The more productive you think you need to be, and how productive you are, determine your anxiety. Idleism is about resetting the bandwidth of productivity. Your productivity should primarily…

    • Notes on: Figuring by Maria Popova

      “So much of the beauty, so much of what propels our pursuit of truth, stems from the invisible connections.” And just like that, with the thesis set, Maria Popova takes us through over five hundred pages of invisible connections between Johanns Kepler in 1617 to the launch of the Voyager space probe in 1977. Between…

    • Recently Read – August 2024

      Two major novels of note: Heretics – Leonardo Padura Translated by Anna Kushner The back of the book alluded to Padura being “Cuba’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez” – which is quite the statement. Heretic’s is a novel of Jewish diaspora masquerading as a crime novel set across a vast span of time and locations. 17th century…

    Yes, I wanted to go. I had the genetic right to see what this land was all about! I wanted my own pictures of copper stills and peat fields! I wanted to nurse my own hangovers and wash the taste of smoky, peated belches from my mouth with imported Italian espresso and a quick bite…