CURRENTLY LISTENING Epik High's Strawberry EP (2023) reminds me of Sleepless In ______ (2019), which I think is a good thing~
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Imho, a literal personal archive is private, not on social media 😅
Spaced out for a moment and all of a sudden, Cibo Matto’s ‘Mind Wall’ played in my head hmm
A thought after doing Pilates in an actual studio today for the first time: It shouldn't get any less challenging, but it should get more comfortable/more familiar
Hashtag oh wow wizdom wow
I don't think tending to plants will ever be an overrated source of peace and calm.
FOLLOWING @jrduennweller
Found him through the NYTimes illustration year-ender list! Love his style~
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The Year In Illustration: The most memorable New York Times illustrations of 2022
CURRENTLY LISTENING Atlantis by SHINee (2021)
I forgot how much I love this album.
'Atlantis' sounds like a movie in song form.
'Heart Attack' is modern disco!
'Marry You' is just sweet-sexy, wispy in a R&B-pop kind of way~
...among other thoughts I have about this comeback. Teehee.
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“What is the measure of my days?”
Someone actually made a guide...? GQ: The Best Media Tote Bags, Ranked
"For people of a certain age demographic who happen to live in New York City, the media tote bag is something of a status symbol, sort of like a driving a Prius in Los Angeles or carrying a large baguette in Paris." 😅
Heard today: 'Instagram Reels are like a fart in the wind; you can't even search for them!'
TODAY I LEARNED The term 'content design' was first used by a lead writer in the UK GDS design team.
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I tried a thing: rep.ly/claudrod
You don't ask an alcoholic friend (who's trying to recover) out for a drink, ok!
"Where is Jesus?"
Considering to revise my self-introduction to 'a humble office worker', which is 100% true
This is the most successful I’ve ever been in my life with gifting. :)) Also lamps make the best gifts!!!!!!
Not sure if it’s just me but Proton Mail on mobile is such a delight to use. Love how they revisited the design of email client apps 🤔
Monsters University might just be one of my top favorite Pixar movies. Also, 🍵: Toy Story 4 was unnecessary.
^ random thoughts while washing the dishes after breakfast heh
CURRENTLY LISTENING Space 1.8 by Nala Sinephro (2021)
I post the huge album art because IT'S GORGEOUS WHO MADE THIS
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I have a running list of baby names in my head (even with the likelihood of me being a mom is low, afaik), which might be converted into pet names. I find that thought funny, though.
You know, you can enjoy something without (overtly) studying it.
While walking home, I suddenly had this thought in my head: "The quality of your plan of action depends on the reality you embrace."
Not sure from which self-help guru I picked that up from. Maybe from one of those weird video ads online?
Random thought: 'Open' refers to a current state, 'Closed' also refers to current state but past action. Hehe who cares
Today in thought stubs: Interesting conversations raised at work as the team explores different uses for ChatGPT. Makes me look at the work I do and its value; very existential shiz.
Ultimately in the whole AI discussion, weight is now given to the meaning or purpose of the process of creation. In most things we do, the ones that end up being most meaningful are things that change us. When this expectation is given to a process, then the task in itself is best given to a human to do. Is the process of turning off the lights transformative? Most of the time, it isn't. Etc, etc.
I remember a friend (who lives alone) shared that they tried to automate the process of watering and tending to their plants at home. A failure in plugging in values has led to the plants dying. I feel like that my friend has not taken advantage of what plants are for, in most cases. Taking time in caring for them is a HUGE aspect of plant care.
How much is lost (for you) when things are automated? This can be a truly personal topic because things that have meaning vary from person to person. For an artist, the process of creating means a lot, but for art marketplaces, only the output matters. Etc, etc.
Must've seen Knives Out at least 7 times...?
DONE READING Radically Content by Jamie Varon
He finally did it! everyday.photo
Me: shares lyrics of Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' to friend
Friend: It sounds like the theme of your thoughts.
🤔
Rewatching Quartet, the J-drama. The sort of breakup scene (how it seemed like a very level-headed conversation) reminded me of real life events, nothing overly dramatic. Which makes me think how great the show's writing truly is. This is rare for TV dramas, I am floored.
Discovered mellow.thoughts.page from the Thoughts webring today, and it's interesting to see how things are laid out sans date and time.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Analog Dance Music by Kommode (2017)
This album gives me joy~
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Was thinking about how a friend uses the word 'jump' differently when I found this link on my YouTube home: Jump while you can
FOLLOWING Paolo Lim's book design Instagram account, @_93millionmiles
His last update was posted March of last year, but here's to hoping he'd post some more! His work is absolutely incredible. Would keep saying he's one of the most Filipino underrated graphic designers I know.
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"I do my best, I let go of the rest" (I think I heard this said by a monk from a video)
CURRENTLY LISTENING Fuubutsushi by Fuubutsushi (2020)
Sun about to rise and this is playing in low volume.
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Dear website, please allow me to drag your scrollbar. Some people have a weird mouse scroll wheel and do not have access to a trackpad.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Future Listening! by Towa Tei (1994)
Surprised at how timeless this album sounds~
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LIFE TOOLKIT A just-in-case thing, which sounds like great advice because it's not a Band-Aid solution but an approach to generally dealing with negative sensations that trigger worry: A Guided Walkthrough to Stop a Panic Attack
--
Starting a new post chain, just because!
Bookmarks for work from Smashing Magazine:
A great reminder for those who have decided to nerd the heck out of the simplest things: 'Note-taking isn't rocket science'
Today in negotiations: Finish what you need to finish (a side project) and then go buy the domain you've been eyeing ok!
Updated my /now page nuninoo
Would like to support publications that have done a move to digital but the rich media placements on their websites make things v hard to read :(
FOLLOWING Checked out the Thoughts webring after a while, and found a few new pages! Some of them quite resonate with me:
thoughts.johnkarahalis.com - I enjoy reading his thoughts on the attention economy and 'slow web'.
thoughts.ericfrisch.com - A musician! Particularly love his musings on faith, like this one.
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Things that make me ok with living in a tiny studio apartment: Sunlight flushing through the whole spaceeeeeeee teeheeee
Do the work, speak of it later.
Bought grocery hydrangeas and forgot they need some special handling. Now I am a guardian over a droopy bouquet. Attempted this, though. Hoping it does something~
I hate waste so much. Getting frustrated with how waste is being managed in different places.
Sick days -- when you're not fully bogged down but not healthy enough to be out and about. Quarantine makes for cozy moments at home. Tea (or coffee, if you're stubborn like me), fruits, great music. Ah.
A year later and this still stings. Ugh.
A post from 2007, in case you ever wondered what subpixel rendering is, among other things~
2022: The year I ugly-cried before facilitating a workshop (snot under my mask, foggy and stained eyeglasses) because I'm a weirdo with very shallow tears 😅😅😅
Good times.
I quite miss this version of me. Hoping I feel this free to write whatever I think again.
Enjoying reading through blogs/class reflections posted online by teachers, specifically those who tackle media studies. One blog I stumbled upon today is Emily Contois' site.
In preparation for band rehearsal next Sunday, decided to listen to the only track we have that's officially released. Congrats to me for being able to finally listen to this track without cringing.
Spotify says we only have 4 monthly listeners. We're probably the only band with a release under Warner Music that has a uhh small listenership :)))) #whocares
CURRENTLY LISTENING Secret Rendezvous from the Netherlands! A New Year's find c/o my sister-in-law. Amazed at the neo-soul stuff coming from Europe!
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Please be reminded that Instagram is not a messaging app. It is, but it really isn't.
Happy new year! 🤣
I love Apple Music but it's odd how albums are categorized. What IA is this...
Can't believe how much of a mood high I've gotten out of this nippy weather. It's helped a lot with focusing, too.
Not considering how my eczema responds to dry air, but I do think my soul (oh wow) is really made for cooler weather.
Aaaaand another one! Can't believe I was in the same room as these talented folks that one night a few months ago. :)
Today in: 2022 favorites - Emily Elbert and Jacob Collier. I can't believe I actually saw these 2 perform live this year. :)
Everytime we do some ref Tetris with the stuff it contains = feeling of annoyance for this unintentional puzzle and overwhelming sense of gratitude for the amount of food we have
Back in the day, Mac Premo's editing style was quite unique to the internet that it was copied by some folks and at some point, made popular by Vox. Now everyone tries to do the same snappy editing style, accompanied with sound effects for every cut/onscreen graphic placement that nothing seems to rest anymore. Everything comes with a click and a clack and a swipe and a ding. Or in this Reels-y day and age, everything is set to a 30s music snippet or AI voice.
Everything is the same same same same same same same same
(Mentally jumps to McLuhan's the medium is the message~)
Ok, JHA's Times Now is one of my favorite fonts of late #no1curr
For someone who's supposed to be 'Slow Tech-aligned' (hah), here's how I take advantage of using a smartwatch without it getting in the way of life~
It's on Do Not Disturb by default, with notifications switched on only from family. I turn this off when I place a delivery and will need to be notified of its arrival. Because of this, I can keep its sound turned on and will not be bothered by seemingly random beeps.
The only app notifications allowed are related to reminders I have intentionally set. These include taking my vitamins/medications when needed, items on my calendar (this helps with my timeblocking practice and keeping myself in check), the Workout app (so that I get alerted about movement-related tasks).
Currently, an analog watch face is set by default. The Metropolitan watch face is my favorite now (sometimes I have the Minnie/Mickey one set when I want them reading the time to me with their kooky-sounding voices :)). This helps me slow down a little in reading the time for obvious reasons. Forced microbreaks!
Basically I've turned the device into a glorified digital watch with the very limited beep/alert triggers while still tracking stats like a fitness watch would, but also having very handy features like serving as a remote. All of these I have access to without having to hold my phone.
Also, one random thing: I got to download a guitar tuner on it and it's probably one of the exciting use cases I have for the watch, imho. :))
I would also like to inform myself from earlier this year that we have acquired an Apple Watch and it has been very helpful. Here's to hoping it can last us a looong timeeeee (until WatchOS is no longer updateable I guess?).
I would like to inform myself from one year ago that we have seen quite a number of live music shows this year and stood onstage again (twice?) and it felt great.
TODAY I LEARNED There's such a program created by an NGO (?) called Common Sense, based in the States, focusing on mindful use of tech specific to children. My mind is blown that their curriculum on Digital Citizenship has material for kindergarteners, tackling concepts like 'media balance' and taking a break from technology. (Kindergarteners. Let that sink in.)
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The Architecture of Liminal Space
Terms noted:
Uncanny valley
Non-place
Junk space
Supermodernism
CURRENTLY LISTENING Gen Hoshino's Inner Visions Hour radio show on Apple Music
For some reason, despite not fully understanding the in-between talks, I enjoy listening to them. Playing through all episodes because the music selection is topnotch.
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The struggle remains: How to make my quotation marks the curly version when using my desktop keyboard. These keyboard shortcuts are not intuitive.
FAVORITE IKEA THINGS The Lillabo wooden toys (city-building) set, designed by Henrik Johansson. I fell in love with this series and thought it would be a great gift to my godson.
Starting a new series on great IKEA finds (For design! For science!) because there is quite a selection worth keeping notes about.
TODAY I LEARNED Today in random searches: the meaning of the song 'Ponta de Areia', which I first got introduced to via Esperanza Spalding's version.
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As a sucky gift-giver, I find Van Niestat's list pretty informative. Love his 3 traits of what a gift should be and his note on 'expensive vs costly'. Only a thoughtful person who's had a lot of effective (and enjoyable, as a giver?) gift-giving experiences could put this list together.
"The point of gift-giving is to make people feel loved (even if you don't really love them)."
As a frequent searcher/lurker on Fragrantica, I would love to be part of their website team. I have so many thoughts~
MOVEMENT VALIDATES MY EXISTENCEEEEEEEE
Watching possibly my favorite J-drama by far called Quartet, an old one from 2017. One thing I take away from some of these conflicts: Meaning brings life to things, meaning can also be a destroyer of things.
TODAY I LEARNED There is such a protein in the human body (among other organisms) called Claudin~
Won't be ashamed to admit that one of the things I like about myself (there's not a lot so this means something HEHE) is my name. Thank you, mom and dad.
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What are other expressions of empathy to help a person feel that they are not alone (without us taking the spotlight away from them/the topic)?
Interesting that most people (including me, sometimes) would default to a 'me, too!' response when a person is sharing a personal story.
Most of the time, I think people just want a listening ear than a response that somehow distracts from the reason why the conversation started in the first place.
Today's a holiday and I plan to start and finish a book. Yay
Wasn't expecting Netflix's First Love to have The Postal Service, Unknown Moral Orchestra in the soundtrack! What a great show, overall.
CURRENTLY LISTENING The Best of Friends of Distinction by The Friends of Distinction (1996)
'Great Day' randomly played in my brain, so I thought of playing this album, which I remember listening to when I was a child.
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CURRENTLY LISTENING This Is What I Mean by Stormzy (2022)
About to finish reading a book with this album playing in the background. Happy Sunday!
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I might not have binge-watched a TV show this Saturday, but I did spend 2.5 hours listening through Wondery's Over My Dead Body. I am such a horrible binger.
The smell of soba in the morning triggers memories of Sendai breakfasts~
The version of myself that I hate the most is me as TV series binger 😂😔
“It's not just about getting out of an extremely depressive state, or getting over a divorce or a really bad breakup. It's like, how can therapy be a tool to get me to see life slightly differently, and make me slightly happier?” - Jordan Rakei on therapy
I love talk therapy. You don’t need to be clinically diagnosed with anything to find benefit from it. Always a great thing to speak with a professional thought untangler, imo.
Now there’s that question on access and affordability, though.
Why we’re awake at 4:30 AM - Remembered to check a Figma work file access, needed to make sure it was set to ‘Only those invited’ 😭😭
Hey, Siri. Play ‘Lovely Day’ by Bill Withers
Went to see PREP in 2018, saw a sea of phones shooting horizontal videos before me.
Went to see PREP yesterday, people mostly shot vertical vids!
Times have truly changed heh
Going to a concert is the best because you can dance all you want and not care if someone (who may not be the dance-y type) feels out of place. :))))
The gentrification of Manila! The streets are getting narrower, sidewalks smaller, blocks tighter. New buildings being built everywhere~ We mostly have concrete!
Ah, our markers of progress.
"You've turned into a pressure cooker."
HBO’s Barry might just be the best TV show I’ve seen this year. Bill Hader is quite the genius.
Only Apple Support provides good service. Authorized service providers pale in comparison, fo sho fo sho.
I go to Reddit even for practical concerns. Been finding communities with legit helpful responses and people feel truly sincere. Perhaps this has something to do with the moderation bots that other platforms may learn from?
I can’t believe it’s this helpful.
"An oxygenated schedule"
I wish Doh Kyungsoo stars in a Kogonada film.
Today in delaaaaaayed discoveries: the DXO One.
I just realized how much I hate editing photos :/
A comeback soon! givehelp.today
“Trivial many, vital few.”
Still amazed at this project: Noritaka Minami's 1972
Tsujiri's Yuzu-o-Matcha. That is the post.
If tech platforms made engagement cues/data private, only for the poster or creator to see, would that change the way we see the world/ourselves (considering how these platforms have already shaped behavior)? (re: thought on Spotify/Apple Music from last week)
As a frequent user of both Spotify and Apple Music (which likely will affect my end of year listening stats), I am seeing the product feature priorities of each platform. I love Spotify’s more well articulated IA, but for someone who likes a quieter online experience, I gravitate more to Apple Music.
I feel like Spotify’s visible stats make it more social, and fuels fandom energy. It’s like the perfect streaming platform for the passionate Twitter user (badly put, hah). This may be true for similar platforms like YouTube Music.
Hmmm.
Being nice ≠ being kind. No one wins with all the virtue signaling, yo.
Oddly enough, it already feels like Christmas.
Proud of myself for choosing to space out while waiting for my turn at the doctor's clinic today.
Takeshi Hosaka's Love2 House (and his wife's, actually) makes it to Never Too Small! This video has me smiling from beginning to end.
Spot Donald Fagen and Carole King somewhere in the video hihi
FOLLOWING @yoshihiroimai - Owner of known Kyoto restaurant/overall chill join, Monk. Been seeing Monk featured in different places and I just get a general sense of peace seeing every single aspect of the restaurant/brand/business. Also found out from one of his posts that he was featured in a Netflix episode of Chef's Table!
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When meditation is taught by way of acceptance criteria writing in Gherkin format
Truly, my mind is blown. Makes me want to rethink how I can write my life plans in this format as well.
“All creativity just looks like content.”
CURRENTLY LISTENING Are U Romantic? by UA (2022)
Glad I got introduced to UA by my language teacher a few years back. This album showcases a much groovier side of her, which is right up my alley. Album gem imho is 'Ocha'.
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'Paste to replace' on Figma is just the best~
FOLLOWING @casiopea_official1979 - It's nice to see their username having their founding year hihi
I love music so much~
Everyone’s created their own stage out of social media, and people want to be a guest on someone else’s.
Nowadays, headlines are the main thing and context is rarely asked for (presented?)
If you choose to be vegan as an act against how animals are treated for meat to be harvested, should the act stop in your food selection? Do you just stop eating meat altogether and...that's it? (Rhetorical question, tbh.)
Rilakkuma and Friends early this year and now, Kotaro Lives Alone. What's up with my taste in animated series? 🤔
Such a great ad featuring a capella superstars, Maytree
Also, 'Over the Horizon' remains to be such a great ringtone.
"...saying New York is the greatest city in the world is kind of like saying celebrities are the greatest people alive. Beneath the veneer awaits something far more regular than you might expect. To be widely beloved, to have global impact—it’s certainly exciting to be around. But the superlative is too shallow, too literal. Sure, New York conjures a specific, singular mood, but so do a lot of places." from Haley Nahman's Maybe Baby #107: Is New York overrated?
Loving this newsletter so much, particularly this release. I was just going through Kyoichi Tsuzuki's 1997 book Tokyo: A Certain Style early this morning and the theme of both pieces is revisiting a very much popular, romanticized view of a place/culture. Always worth the discussion.
Today, I found a new favorite piece of pastry: chocolate kouign amann whew
"It's not a treat if you have it everyday!"
Lord, thank You for the gift of dance and music~
To grow old is a beautiful thing.
The power of lighting in a small space! I love how just some lighting adjustments define zones, making a small space deliver more than just 1 chunk of... amorphous space, if that makes sense.
More than anything, my love for mint chocolate is probably driven by good memories. Maaaaybe that’s it.
James Hong, ladies and gentlemen. Probably the man I'd like to be.
Was asked over an icebreaker what my dream job was growing up. I realized my dream roles involved either music, the act of curating, or both combined. Heh.
Wondering if I'm the only person who is uhhh excited to sleep because of breakfast the next day 🤔
CURRENTLY LISTENING EP III by Yumi Zouma (2018)
Absolutely obsessed with this.
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It's that time of life when you retake the MBTI assessment thing that everyone swears by. 😂 Happy to report that...nothing has changed.
For posterity, as of January 2022, my Strengths Finder assessment top 5 results are the following:
Restorative
Adaptability (which I doubt a little bit specifically the temperament part, but I understand how I am generally flexible)
Connectedness
Intellection
Empathy (Really? But also I kinda get why, yet again.)
Ah.
Always grateful to have the resources to consult a dietician and have room to align my priorities in life. Never not grateful.
(This truly is a privilege. Hoping this can be made accessible to more people.)
CURRENTLY LISTENING Untourable Album by Men I Trust (2021)
I can't believe I am finding this as a new-ish release in 2022. Takes me back to early 2000's (imho heyday of triphop?), but still feels so, so fresh.
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Just dropping by to say that keto or a low carb diet does wonders. I should've started sooner.
As I wind down tonight, this will be played: Yumi Zouma - Live at Hackney Studios
Your Undivided Attention: How To Free Our Minds - with Cult Deprogramming Expert Dr. Steven Hassan
Exposing yourself to the suffering of others is not to compare life states (and in effect, making yourself feel better). It’s a simple exercise of placemaking: you are going through this not so great thing where you are, I am going through this meh thing where I am at. Both not stellar in their own different ways (and maybe, objectively, their own levels of intensity), but what is the overlap? In this way, we find a way to connect instead of a chance to compare for our own ego.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Yumi Zouma albums will get me through the week~
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Splitting the load between Notion and Obsidian. The lack of a mobile sync (since I host my files on a third-party cloud storage service) has made it difficult for maintenance. And splitting the load is ok! Whatever works, works.
FOLLOWING Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli aka @_ garbagequeen _ aka Waste Nerd. Found her through one of those Tech Support WIRED vids and I am hooked!
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CURRENTLY LISTENING Time to listen to some Snarky Puppy, The Bad Plus again. Brain, heart, ears need cleansing~
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“Reliable rhythms lead to predictable outcomes, and rhythm is an expression of moderation.” - Jack Cheng
Games I've been into so far:
Monument Valley
Viridi
Florence
Alto's Odyssey/Adventure
Pattern
He he 🤔
Officially archived my Notion and moving to Obsidian, hosting files on the cloud which provides files version history by default, without having to set up git. Yay~
TIL that the gamelan ≠ Balinese gamelan, thanks to the comments on this video, which I got quite a number of answers right /does fist pump into the air~
CURRENTLY LISTENING What a Wonderful World with Original Love? (2021)
Apparently this is a covers compilation album with a set of Japanese artists I admire adapting songs by Takao Tajima's band, Original Love. He actually appears in one track with Ovall called 'Kiss'.
Fun fact (which is news to me!): Takao Tajima was briefly Maki Nomiya's partner in P5, for the Bellissima! album.
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Sometimes I'm just grateful to have time to clean the bathroom.
Missing G and N, my random talk buddies, my confidants. Funny how I lost both of you almost at the same time.
THE SLOW WEB "We used to spend hours scanning bookshelves for hidden gems, flipping through crates of vinyl records to find that one perfect song or getting lost in carefully crafted photo albums. A slower pace and undivided attention gave us a sense of meaning and mystery in our everyday explorations.
But the new digital world has left us drifting. The technologies that were meant to empower us have made us passive. Machines have taken over the responsibility of serving our experiences, deciding what we should see, think, and feel."
--
Starting a new post chain for the topic.
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Updated my thought dump: Thoughts on the Slow Web
Took a series of vocal exercises (after years!!!) that resulted in me being...a mezzo. For real??
CURRENTLY LISTENING 海をみていたジョニー by Teru Sakamoto Trio (2007)
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I didn't think I would get a good life season reminder from K-pop, but I did (rough translation, though): 'When I stop dreaming, that means I'm no longer in my youth.' - Suho
This doesn't mean people of old age don't dream. What I take away from this is: not dreaming is like giving up life.
Subscribed to The Atlantic's One Story to Read Today newsletter. #no1curr
Why Is Brandy Called the 'Vocal Bible'?
I think there's potential to this that can definitely be expanded on further, focusing on technique and what her influence is to the mentioned younger artists, since it was one of their main points in the video. But I still appreciate this story, for sure.
Marshall Mcluhan Full lecture: The medium is the message - 1977 part 1 v 3
Amazed how this man's observations of the world transcend time. Can't help but be reminded of Mcluhan's main thesis when I think about social media.
The Penthouse band rabbit hole has led me down to Hayato Sumino's work.
Also known as Cateen, here he is playing a fundraising online gig to raise funds for Ukraine: Cateen's Piano Live at TOKYO TOWER🗼
CURRENTLY LISTENING Living Room EP by Penthouse (2021)
'Gorgeous' was the word that came to mind when I first listened to this album. Such lush simplicity!
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CURRENTLY LISTENING Over the Horizon 2016: Samsung Galaxy Brand Sound by Dirty Loops
First heard this when a coworker's Samsung phone rang while we were in a meeting, a few years ago. Wondered if it was stock ringtone because I badly wanted to listen to the full song and Shazam it. :)) After years, I finally found the track and also found future versions of it, one of them being Jacob Collier's, also an absolute banger.
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Gave my weekend braincells to a show on Netflix called Worst Roommate Ever, which The Guardian calls '[might officially be] the worst true crime show ever'. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
CURRENTLY LISTENING Sujinho by Jackson Conti (2008)
Ah, I love my random internet finds.
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If a dictator's son wins this year's elections, our country will be one of the saddest jokes in history, ever.
"It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at. I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into your room you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light: and, of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling."
(That's today in: taking C.S. Lewis out of context! Also, an analogy that made me laugh, but it is quite brilliant.)
Self-amusement is a superpower, methinks.
"According to Baudrillard, what the simulacrum copies either had no original or no longer has an original, since a simulacrum signifies something it is not, and therefore leaves the original unable to be located. Where Plato saw two types of representation—faithful and intentionally distorted (simulacrum)—Baudrillard sees four: (1) basic reflection of reality; (2) perversion of reality; (3) pretence of reality (where there is no model); and (4) simulacrum, which 'bears no relation to any reality whatsoever'." - aka Baudrillard on simulacrum, via Wikipedia
Jazz saves lives!
Grateful for friends and random opportunities in which the expression of true friendship can be made.
CURRENTLY LISTENING The past week in a nutshell!
This MIZ album and Eiko Ishibashi's movie music work kept me company all week.
Jon Foreman showed up in select mornings.
Am anticipating the major drop from YUNSEOKCHEOL TRIO tomorrow!
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Some days can feel like you're going insane. This is one of those days.
(Thankful to be sane enough to post this. He he.)
NOTE TO SELF It pays to recognize your need to grieve. You have to assess if you're unable to go through grief because of a distraction or potentially other reasons. If a distraction conveniently got in the way, remember that grief can make itself felt at a later time if not properly dealt with. (The question to ask now is: Is it better to grieve sooner or later? When is the best time to grieve? Not that you have to force it to happen, but maybe one has to be open to it/really make room for it. Etc, etc)
Saw Drive My Car and Spencer recently and all I can say to each is: it's hard and beautiful to be human. Will need to watch both again.
Inasmuch as I love the thought of smartwatches and how they work, I realized they're essentially more disposable than actual (real, not fashion) watches. Aka adding up to e-waste!
(This may be a thought brought about by my newfound obsession with CASIO digital and G-SHOCK watches. :/ Not that I've began collecting. I've just been watching a lot of watch teardown videos. #no1curr)
CURRENTLY LISTENING If I Didn't Love You by Ben Abraham (2022)
This single is a compilation of a new favorite and some of Ben's releases of late that I've had on loop last year. Excited for the new album.
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We know we have a good life when:
we're free to spend the last 30 minutes looking out the window (the second thing we do after waking), listening to the birds sing
we have enough oranges to juice and can spend maybe around 10 minutes squeezing the heck out of them
CURRENTLY LISTENING Love I Need by Moonchild (2022)
Had this on repeat recently at night, while work tapers off.
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'The kingdom of heaven is buried treasure. Would you sell yourself to buy the one you found?'
NOTE TO SELF The School of Life: Being A Good Listener
Key points:
They egg us on.
They urge clarification.
They don't moralise.
They separate disagreement from criticism.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Varis from Thailand is a new random playlist standout, thanks to his 2022 single 'can't let u go'. Now listening to his past releases. So many fresh, solid Asian acts, eh!
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CURRENTLY LISTENING Pilmography by WONPIL (2022)
🤗
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Heard some birds chirping outside my window and my impulse had me pressing on my keyboard's volume up button because I wanted to hear more of it.
What have we become~
CURRENTLY LISTENING Shonan Beach FM 78.9 via radio.garden
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FOLLOWING Not new, but worth the mention, since I just saw him do a livestream talk today--twice: Craig Mod. Constantly amazed by his work! He creates elegant content/story/design projects that are packaged beautifully and still feel very personal. Hoping to produce work similarly.
It's funny that my most recent impulse purchase is yet another domain name.
Made my own oat milk, have been stocking up and freezing spinach puree, etc etc. These things are actually easier than we originally think.
Absolutely grateful for everyday. Even when the mind (aka my occasional greatest enemy) gets in the way, heh.
CURRENTLY LISTENING HELP EVER HURT NEVER by Fujii Kaze (2020)
Obsessed with this and his covers album! This boy is quite the talent.
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CURRENTLY LISTENING Drive My Car Original Soundtrack by Eiko Ishibashi (2021)
Been seeing the record stores I follow stock up on this album. Got me intrigued and was not disappointed! Now I want to watch the film because the tracks definitely have a cinematic quality to them, as if playing out a narrative. Eiko Ishibashi seems to have thing going on in her work, which is great. What a nice accidental discovery~
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Minimalist.travel: Why Portuguese is the Best Language for Music
Someone actually wrote about it! Seems like I'm not alone in this observation. 🥰
CURRENTLY LISTENING Mais Que Um Momento by Emilio Santiago (1983)
There's really something about the Portuguese language when sung. It just flows nicely with music.
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I REMEMBER Not being able to work because the song that's playing is just making you pause for a head bob or a dance break. (Semi-related to this.)
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Dance whenever you can, ok
Is it weird to be living alone and watching a looooot of videos of peoples' solo living setups? 🤔
CURRENTLY LISTENING Walkin! by Otis Lim (2021)
A new K-indie discovery that I absolutely love. Can't wait to hear more from this guy.
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It’s weird when ‘see you in 2 weeks’ from your doctor doesn’t happen because now she’s gone.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Yakhal' Inkomo by Winston Mankunku Ngozi
Awake at 2:45 AM, no thanks to water drip sounds. Decided to read my devotional, listen to a jazz record, and work on a project. 🤷🏻♀️
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CURRENTLY LISTENING tellusboutyourself by Yerin Baek (2020)
I remember listening to this last year and it didn't appeal to me as a full album but it did have a few standout tracks. Listening to it now, it's such a strong album that's just generally a mood, but also I love the groovy/house-influenced tracks which I didn't expect. Five stars, yes.
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In relation to this uhh happening, I have tagged this set of posts separately, inelegantly called 'alt text fail'~
I always return to this: 🌱 My blog is a digital garden, not a blog
Have strong negative feelings* toward the performative nature of social media
*clearly avoiding the use of 'hate' 😅
'profoundly superficial' vs 'superficially profound'
I REMEMBER the satisfaction of cleaning a linty hairbrush.
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I REMEMBER good showers--hot water for the back and limbs, cold water for the face.
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Made a new folder in my new-ish (made in 2020) email inbox called 'My favorite emails'. This was the first one I saved.
You’ll be given love / You’ll be taken care of / You’ll be given love / You have to trust it
Maybe not from the sources / You have poured yours / Maybe not from the directions / You are staring at
Trust your head around / It’s all around you / All is full of love / All around you
(Thanks, Björk.)
CURRENTLY LISTENING Records played to start and end the day in 2022
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Ah, fandom bubbles (esp in Kpop) - the space to exercise ones confirmation bias.
I REMEMBER that time when chicken breast slices tasted like bread.
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CURRENTLY LISTENING BADモード by Utada Hikaru (2022)
Her vocals, always a win 💗
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I REMEMBER
Accidentally stumbled upon Joe Brainard's work through a Fleet Foxes Instagram story (wow, thanks, Instagram?), and I will now start a series inspired by it. The whole practice/idea of journaling in that manner is perfect for all of these memories I have floating in my head that get me feeling nostalgic, more often than not. This is my attempt to grab a hold of them when they appear in my mental foreground. Here we go!
CURRENTLY LISTENING MUTEMATH by MUTEMATH (2006)
Mutemath's 'Noticed' has to be one of my favorite songs, I just realized. I can't believe Darren King made me appreciate the role of the hi-hat in this song specifically. It adds so much character to the song in a way that I didn't expect.
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Why we're tired at work more than necessary: chat as a replacement for shoulder taps + quick conversations is not the same. You don't get the same assurance that the person is looking at you when you talk to them, the attention you get in response at the time you expect it is just! Not! The! Same!
Grateful for having last.fm in the background all these years. One piece of meaningful tech for me, imho.
Wondering how many GIFs all of these office communicator apps have served since the pandemic started. I resort to GIFs for some...human warmth during these times.
Last Friday, I discovered on Netflix one of the things that I would end up loving so, soooo much. I am quite close to writing an episode guide of sorts, because I don't doubt it'll be absolutely worth the time. 😅
Things that keep us apart even when we are physically together (a list-in-progress):
Our phones
COVID
: (
CURRENTLY LISTENING ECO PACK - 浮躁 - Faye Wong (1996)
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Most of the time, when you hold a thing and assess its beauty or value, you judge it for what it is, not because it's carrying with it an info card of stats on how many people like it.
How can we keep our discoveries more organic?
This year, may you always have the patience to wash your hands to Happy Birthday sung twice. Happy New Year!
Am I even asking the right questions?
Trying to seriously tackle what a slow, quieter web means to me. Pretty much setting the tone of 2022. More signal, less noise. But this only matters if what you (I, really) try to communicate is even meaningful. (What then makes a meaningful presence online?)
Ah, life.
And by this I meant me! I'm the one who's catching up with all the good music that's now available to listen to. 😅
Late is late but is catching up: 12 Must-Hear Albums from ECM, the Influential Jazz and Classical Label Finally Streaming
Got my Dave Brubeck Quartet record in the mail and I have spent the past 15 minutes just staring at my speakers. Why does it feel like such a brain cleansing exercise~
I don't ever want to get the feeling of being productive just because I "made content" out of my day (and cumulatively, my life).
TIL that Spotify streams Ogg Vorbis in 320kbps, and I have been streaming only on High setting all this time.
Not a fan of waking up in the middle of the night but sometimes it happens, and sometimes you post about it. 🤷🏻♀️
Tomorrow is another day for breakfast. Happy New Year!
I remembered this super cool project: Alt Text as Poetry
In my attempt to take advantage of Facebook's free resources and supposedly non-secure practices (because I am uhh antiestablishment like that), I tried to host my images for this page via Messenger. I know it's such a scrappy thing to do, but I've always thought their public URLs remained public. Apparently they expire! (Yay?)
So now my CURRENTLY LISTENING album covers don't load, and I am now exposed as a horrible alt text writer. In 2022, I will do better, I promise. For now, please scroll through my post chain and have a good laugh.
A Cal Newport snippet I am stealing from someone's highlights on Literal: "A better strategy for shifting others’ expectations about your work is to consistently deliver what you promise instead of consistently explaining how you’re working."
Kind of like an inside joke for me or something. :)) But this is a great reminder.
I saw this coming but it still hurts when you see an actual press release on it. 😅
Been on a standup comedy show binge of late. Would love to see Aziz Ansari perform live one of these days~
CURRENTLY LISTENING Next Episode by AKMU (2020)
Consistently a record I've played more often in the morning (as I prepare breakfast and do some vacuuming. :)) What a nice morning EP. Doesn't hurt that the disc is pretty!
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Wrote 2 user stories!!!1111
How the weekend is shaping up: yellow tint natural lighting (I wonder what this means, air pollution index-wise...?), some Phoebe Bridgers, The Holiday (I get it, Netflix, you're pulling it out come December 31st), some egg salad sandwich (a mean spread c/o my mother), and some plum wine. With vacuuming in spurts!
One of the best things I've done this year has to be softly quitting things. I say 'softly' because having a strict/cold turkey approach doesn't feel realistic. Managing things seems more effective to me.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Djesse Vol. 3 by Jacob Collier (2020)
Would love to see Jacob Collier's Djesse series performed live. What a talented human.
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If there's a game I can win in a sport called Home Management, it's probably fridge Tetris.
Routines are underrated.
Tea is the norm!
THINGS THAT MAKE ME BOOGIE Cool mornings and the sound of birds chirping
I am not a birdwatcher, but I notice the different chirping sounds, which means I'm actually in the company of different bird friends in my vicinity, hihi.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Am I Normal? with Mona Chalabi - a TED podcast
I love this podcast. Episode of note: 'When will I get over my breakup?' - Love the learnings on the topic at hand, and also on research and data gathering.
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Should be integrated to the social world again. It sometimes feels like I no longer know how to talk to people.
Me during a group intro: I listen to a lot of music. Music keeps me company since I live alone.
(Other people introduce themselves.)
Someone from the group who thinks they know me: Claud said earlier she listens to a lot of K-pop.
Ah.
My sense of humor has saved me.
FOLLOWING @bdenzer
Whew, the way Ben Denzer makes all of these miniatures out of paper is just 🤯🤯🤯 (Also of @ice_cream_books fame, in case that account’s familiar.)
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Tbh, I wouldn’t know where I’d be without music. I am gratefuuuuuuuul for it and for other forms of art that have served a positive impact on our mental well-being.
I still have thoughts about calling certain things ‘nonessential’. This is a developing story...
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different…”
(They say this is a C.S Lewis quote, but I'm not sure where it's from exactly.)
CURRENTLY LISTENING Belvedere by Beady Belle (2008)
As the kids would say, 'such a banger'. Feels like a warm hug, always.
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Today in: Food Saved Me!
A two-week old chocolate chip cookie (usually my favorites can last a bit long because of my awesome willpower--I am able to keep at least 1 piece in the freezer to consume in tiny bites) and an apple smoothie. What a mood lifter.
Stuck my head out the window earlier today and just listened to the birds chirp. The air smelled like sweet pine with a hint of fried breakfast food. 😂😂
“A non-traditional narcissist” 🤔
BOOKSHOP MAP Your Mind; Seoul, South Korea 🇰🇷
I can't remember how I found this bookshop, probably through Instagram. But I clearly remember seeing their website and I knew I already wanted to see their stuff in person. Someday, someday.
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BOOKSHOP MAP I'm starting this little chain for listing bookshops I'm fond of but I've never been to. Mostly independent bookshops, but may include non-indie ones, too; who knows? :)
Went e-book 'shopping' this morning, and I realized it's almost as bad as buying books from a bookstore because you can accumulate so many books and end up not reading any of them in full. :/
Aziz Ansari's Master of None has to be one of my absolute favorite shows ever (also one of the smartest-funniest). Wish I could write the way he does.
About to scan negatives from 2019. This is harder than I thought. 😅😅
Today in National Holidays:
Cleaned my tiny studio space. Always! Be! Vacuuming!
Received a package with new albums to listen to as a belated birthday gift.
Iced dirty matcha is always a good thing--if consumed early in the day, that is.
Finally some time to think about whether I should get a surgery for this knee or not.
Must we start on a new archiving project? 🤔
CURRENTLY LISTENING Discovery by Daft Punk (2001)
Probably the album that truly cemented my love for electronic dance music, which started in high school, I think.
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CURRENTLY LISTENING Jinah Restaurant Full Course by Lee Jin-ah (2018)
A true full-course! The diversity in this album while still having a coherent sound. Oh, the stuff Jinah gets to pull off. Also, I am still obsessed with that opening track. One of K-pop's best, surprising collabs, imho.
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Albums made out of the pandemic can either be really intense or just dull (like being meta type of dull).
CURRENTLY LISTENING What We Call Life by Jordan Rakei (2021)
This album makes me feel like I'm floating underwater, enveloped by stories and feelings...if that makes any sense. Sonically, the vocal arrangements give off this effect the mostest. 🤔 Gah.
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CURRENTLY LISTENING What Do I Call You by TAEYEON (2020)
Had this on loop all afternoon. What a great 2020 K-pop album, ugh.
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CURRENTLY LISTENING Lianne La Havas by Lianne La Havas (2020)
Such a greatttt Saturday morning album. That cover of 'Weird Fishes', eh?
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“A life in thankfulness releases the glory of God.”
Resignations are weird.
Of course, there are some things you spend time patiently waiting for that end up being underwhelming.
Grateful for every breath.
Joined friends in a Spotify group listening session and finally getting the hang of this feature (the first time we tried this more than a year ago, there were tech difficulties :))
Interesting how even a low-maintenance life can require a lot.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Anthropocene by Shuta Hasunuma Philharmonic Orchestra (2018)
This album is such a mood setter. ☺️
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CURRENTLY LISTENING Bitches Brew by Miles Davis (1970)
This record turned 50 last year!
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Here's to me hoping I get a copy of this album, puhlease. (Also, a Nate Chinen review!)
'External markers of adulthood ≠ maturity' - found in some video essay on adulting. Can stand by this, for sure.
CURRENTLY LISTENING Bossamanila by Sound (2003)
The great throwback. One of my favorite Filipino bands ever.
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CURRENTLY LISTENING From All Sides by Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete
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Bought a pair of cheap but hiiiiigh quality bookshelf speakers. Played Guaraldi's 'Ginza Samba' and was surprised at how much better the track can sound. Might've shed a tear. 😂
Found a link to this via Wesley's page, which is great because I have been thinking about looking for a physical copy of Alexander's book. It's nice to hear his voice!
CURRENTLY LISTENING Alas, I Cannot Swim by Laura Marling (2008)
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Did YouTube really make video autoplay the default again? 😔
CURRENTLY LISTENING スポーツ by Tokyo Jihen
I can't believe this album is 11 years old. I still feel like it's a recent release, for some reason. Still, hands down, my favorite album from them. 'Season Sayonara' still makes me cry a little.
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Not kidding, it's quite a great skill to be able to laugh at yourself.
THINGS THAT MAKE ME BOOGIE A pantry that's always full~
'The BuzzFeedication of Mental Health' by P.E. Moskowitz
Found via Dense Discovery
NEW THINGS Just installed a new browser plugin called Delay Distraction by a developer student named Frank Jia. You probably know what it's for. :))
DREAM LOG "She's probably cooped up in her box, praying for something (more) to happen, just like any other woman."
¯_(ツ)_/¯
Got a little bit obsessed with a coffee shop’s dirty matcha drink because it was soooo good (hullo, Dot Coffee) = couldn’t sleep without wondering if I was going insane
YouTube autoplay being funny:
Nights of Rizal - 'Little Ocean'
U2 - 'I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight'
The Boyz - 'Maverick'
Funny. (Ngl, that TBZ release is something. The Thrill-ing era was pretty short, though.)
Christmas music in 2 words? Vince Guaraldi.
Basically spent this weekend doing chores and watching movies. This was the line-up:
Heart (2019) - Jeong Gayoung (c/o Nate's MUBI subscription gift thing; thank you!)
Lucky Grandma (2019) - Sasie Sealy
Love Hard (2021) - Hernán Jiménez
Was going to call it an all-Asian mini movie marathon, but that won't be fully accurate, hah.
TBD, to close the day:
There are movies that amaze me or make me feel things (ie make me weep). Romcoms fall under the latter, hah
This is mostly a note to self, hah. Not that there's really a past to speak of.
When we say 'your past does not define you', people mostly refer to the bad stuff you've done. But thinking about it, your past accomplishments also don't really define who you are today. Not really ok basking in the glory of yesterday, and this can be seen in how you may feel good about yourself when you talk about what you've done in the past to other people. 🤔 Yikes.
The question should then be: What are you actually doing now?
When I do an alignment call with one designer coworker, it starts or ends with intense life talk (which feels like a funny-odd switch of sorts because things almost always 'escalate quickly' from hi-hello's to...parenting and challenging the dictates of society 😆).
The older you get, the heavier your years weigh.
Feels like years that pass become a multiplier of sorts.
Randomly remembered that I had Alicia Keys' Songs in A Minor in cassette form (in 2001, I only had a small tape deck in my room and while the shared PC at home had a disc drive, a CD was too expensive for my highschool budget).
Anyway, this is such a great debut album, ugh
The worrying never stops, eh?
Interesting how the pandemic has led me to be more aware of vocal fry in people's voices during work calls
It's not a hardworking Mac/Windows machine if you don't encounter a kernel panic episode/blue screen of death, heh
Pie crust is truly something else
Was pretty late to the Jon Klassen party around 11 years ago, and only found him through the music video of one of my favorite U2 songs ever (made me cry the first watched this video + listened to the song, for some reason).
He did the art for this music video! Directed by David O'Reilly.
"You find out a lot about yourself based on your font choices." (Roughly quoting Jon Klassen from his IG live when he talked about drawing letters for books. He encouraged people to try drawing type if stumped on where to start.)
Jon Klassen live on Instagram now, and he's explaining the logic on designing his characters in his and Mac Barnett's shapes book series. Basically the simplicity of his character design is so that you don't immediately know their personality--you can't tell whatever's going through their mind or if they're mean or kind, etc. You can't judge them, and you'll need to read the book to get to know them.
Visual formats usually do default to display cues of whether or not a character is sinister or whether they're the pro-/antagonist.
This is me having faith in sunblock doing whatever its meant to do while I'm indoors~ Hashtag: Aging Is Real
DREAM LOG Can't remember the whole story, but one scene sticks out: I remember seeing myself removing sub sandwich buns from an open shelf in my kitchen and when I held them in my hands, I saw that one had molds on the sides and the other without.
🤔
Realized earlier that sleep becomes exciting for me because I can’t wait to wake up and have breakfast the next day
I really love banana bread 🙊 oh naw
Art direction crush: Unlimited Edition from 🇰🇷
Personalization for trivial* online functions is extremely overrated.
Internet, give us back our brain cells. Let us decide for ourselves and make personalization an option, not a default.
"There’s nothing inherently wrong with gifts, but it’s irresponsible for us to believe that purchasing presents is a holiday requirement."
Today in life wins: Reheating fries in the microwave effectively restoring crisp~
Need to learn how to write better alt text
Twitter early in the morning does make me feel tired. Or Twitter at any time of the day
My song of the year remains to be Stella Jang's 'Some Days' from her Stairs EP. Watch and turn on ENG subs, plz
(I haven't totally given up on mainstream social media platforms because some of my favorite creatives are on them, specifically on Instagram. So instead, I'm choosing to be more mindful about following people. This FOLLOWING tag thing is how I make sense of my social media activity. Blah blah)
FOLLOWING @kakikata.space
Lovely illustrations, great bits of advice on mindful eating (and mindful living, actually)
Which reminds me: I did fall off a bike in the rain one time, while overseas. Was on the ground for a while, with people attempting to ask me if I was ok, in their local language. Probably one of my favorite moments in this life. That and other past bike-related uhh booboos might've caused this meniscus tear. Nuninooooo~
Oh, the joy of getting a medical report that tells you you only have a minor tear and nothing serious.
Current brain crush: Sho Shibuya's design work as seen in his NYTimes personal project and also his design studio, Placeholder 💕
Today in Web Design~ Mailchimp's By the Books
Apparently the earlier posted quote was misattributed to Maya Angelou? Getting a thrill out of these citation investigation things borne out of the internet (because these misattributions are also common thanks to the internet~)
"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song."
Interesting how the need for instant social media updates has affected behavior. The (social media) proof of being present at that moment reduces the experience of being truly in the moment.
Watching a music festival live stream online. I miss watching live music shows. :/
Biases aside, one of my favorite K-pop-related interviews ever. No shame in calling myself a P1ECE.
A friend gifted me this book for my birthday hihi there are (in K-pop terms) PULLS to be revealedddddd
Spotted on Instagram, supposedly a St. Augustine quote: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
