What I've Been Into of Late
A Friday melange of things I think you too might enjoy.
As per usual, the Friday post is not a single thread but a collection of random thoughts and musings. As I’ve done before, this one is more focused on things I’ve watched, read or listened to of late that I think you also might be into.
I’ve read a few very good books of late. One that’s worth sharing is Will Leitch’s latest, The Time Has Come. (And if you’re close to my age, a Midnight Oil song just popped into your head.) The below is the majority of my review on Goodreads:
…it's hard NOT to like this one because as you read each characters story, realizing that at some point they are all going to converge ... and then realizing WHERE and WHEN that's going to happen, again I felt so much dread. Then, I remembered that Will Leitch isn't really THAT GUY. Which gave me hope. Hope that was in fact rewarded. To state this more clearly, the opening chapter is from the perspective of a woman who is talking about her plan to get to the bottom of something, and bringing her guns. It's not a stretch to say that whenever any American starts this book, it will be far too close to a mass shooting to feel comfortable. And that is almost assuredly part of the point.
He also does something I hope more books coming out will do, which is to talk about the last few years with some truth - he talks about low information voters who whine about the economy while spending every last dime on MAGA gear. One main character gets obsessed with a conspiracy she's sure of, which isn't QAnon but might as well be. We see COVID mentioned in very real ways - how it isolated people, scared folks and masks are required in the hospital as a matter of course. So much entertainment has gone out of its way to avoid even showing folks in masks, to talk about the most rabid Trump voters as if they are acting rationally and in good faith, and so forth. Leitch isn't here to write about politics, but if you are writing a novel that takes place in Georgia in 2022, it's part of the fabric and he does a great job at telling that story. Sadly, I think this would make a great TV series or movie, but doubt folks will be brave enough to do it.
Recommended.
Apologies as I rarely if ever bring politics into the fray here, but I thought the way Leitch did it in his novel really was an intelligent, interesting way to echo the last few years while telling a completely separate story. Also, subscribe to his substack here:
This one is for football fans.
There was a Reddit question the other day about what the coolest band/concert t-shirt you ever had was. Not necessarily the coolest band per se, but the shirt itself. Mine came to mind right away, and it turns out … some folks are still making it. Let the record show I absolutely cannot wear this anymore, but it made me happy. Any other good contenders?
This is for the band Madness and my PE coach did NOT approve of me wearing this for gym class. Here are two things that I don’t think necessarily constitute high art (so, no need to dance) but I find very compelling, soothing and relaxing. Maybe you will too!
The first was a recommendation from my friend Heath, and it’s an Instagram account called polinsatelier, run by Jason Polins. The vast, vast majority of posts are him taking three tubes of paint, then mixing in other colors to show how differently they react. I know that doesn’t really make sense, so here’s one example:
The other is a YouTube account - actually two different ones, both ran by the same guy. I first found him on Instagram where he was sharing a video of him mowing a strangers lawn (and then some). It’s something he does for free, which gives him publicity for his landscaping business. That account is called SB Mowing, and I honestly can’t tell you why this is so fun to zone out and watch but it is. In fact, I told my brother it reminded me of r/powerwashingporn, a subreddit where folks just show them powerwashing stuff. Here’s a lawn mow video:
And it turns out he ALSO has a pressure washing account! Who knew? That’s here and here’s an example. You may find both of these very, very weird but I’m telling you there’s something here. Plus, the more subscribers he gets helps get him sponsors, which helps him do this for free for folks who truly need it. So, that’s nice.
It seems like a lot of folks have some sort of specific thing they’ll watch on YouTube, and I’d bet a lot of them are things that many others don’t even know exists. Feel free to share them in the comments below!
Love Will Leitch’s latest. I left a comment months back he needs a Netflix series for it.
And the mower guy is strangely nonstop compelling. Similar to the Japanese woman who does 45 min videos of her tending the farm. Something about it is relaxing. Like visual ASMR.