Pretend this is still March
My wedding anniversary, St. Patrick's Day, the arrival of Spring, and Women's History Month
Hello everyone.
One quarter of 2022 is almost complete and I hope it’s been a good one for you. 2022 has thrown some Phil Niekro knuckleballs, but I am feeling grateful for my station in life; my family, my friends, my job, my home and so much more. Practicing gratitude and being of service to others is my way of staying balanced. And I could do so much more. Here’s to growth. 🥂 (these glasses are filled with Smeraldina sparkling water).
Let’s jump right in to the next issue.
Surrealism
Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision. - Salvador Dali.
In the world of Surrealism, I recently discovered the Rene Magritte Bearbrick and now I need to throw a garage sale (it’s not cheap). Details to follow.
And this article is superb: Magritte’s Prophetic Surrealism - “No other artist more perfectly anticipated the banal strangeness of life in the twenty-first century.”
Digital Transformation to Analog Transformation
My goal for retirement is to become a farmer, chef, mentor, creative, advisor and pseudo-hermit. In the past year the digital noise has taken its toll. I deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021. And recently I deleted my Twitter account. It’s improved my mental health and allowed me to live with more presence.
I recently read this article on iPod modding - yes, remember the iPod Classic, before the iPhone came out? It got me thinking about my love of music and in my current setup, how it is tied specifically to my phone with all the apps, notifications and need for wifi. I just want to listen to my hip hop without distraction. So of course, I reached out to a good gadget friend of mine to see if he had one. And of course he did.
I’m now rolling with an iPod Classic Generation 5, 60GB (selling for as much as $249.99) - which came out in 2005-6. And I’m currently working on some modifications, such as a bluetooth solution for my headphones. There are so many hacks out there and I especially appreciate the Elite Obsolete Electronics website. If you are similarly inspired, I am happy to share my research with you, including how to grab music off an iPod.
My Analog Transformation journey has begun. Next step is to retire and shift from my iPhone to a Punkt. phone.
Behind the Lens
I logged into Flickr (remember that site?) to find a good image for this issue and decided to look at my stats. Turns out my photos have eclipsed a million views! Not bad, huh? With the IndyCar season starting earlier this month (and F1), I wanted to share one from my past career.
2011 was Danica Patrick's (and IndyCar's) last visit to the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, where she had previously won in 2008 on the oval. The oval track was damaged during the 2011 earthquakes so this event took place on their road course. It was touch and go whether the event would even happen, but eventually it was approved. Thousands of Japanese came out to see this event and they were kind, enthusiastic and welcoming.
I love this image for its composition, but mainly, because I was lucky enough to make this trip. Japan is one of my favorite countries, so any opportunity to go is a gift.
I’m also including a time lapse video of the bus we took each day to the track.
Consumption
All the stuff entering my brain.
Books:
Fake History: Ten Great Lies and How They Shaped the World
Articles:
The Rebirth of Marina Abramović
Plane Windows Never Line Up Perfectly With Your Seat: Here’s Why
BMW x Jeff Koons Limited Edition 8 Series Gran Coupe
Natalie Portman wanted to shift football culture. So she founded Angel City FC
A Visual Essay about the (Mis)Representation of Women in the News
Video Games:
Gran Turismo 7. So beautiful.
Movies:
Author: The JT LeRoy Story - OMG, go watch this.
The French Dispatch - the most Wes Anderson, Wes Anderson movie of all time, and it’s beautifully shot.
The Adam Project - as a Dad, this tugged at my heart strings. And Ryan Reynolds is still funny.
Tommy Boy | Happy Gilmore | Kung Fu Hustle | Shaolin Soccer | Journey to the West | I’m slowly introducing my 12-year old to some classics, as well as some Stephen Chow movies.
And I am currently trying to finish off jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy.
Happy Spring everyone! Apologies for cutting some corners this issue. Until next time, take care.
Daniel