Jay Owens

More-than-human thinking isn’t just about recognising the near-to-human cleverness of certain animals, but recognising agency and interdependent relations across every kingdom of life, from the single-celled extremophiles known as archaeans, to fungi, animals and plants.

The article mentions several books that have been on my reading list for some time now. This needs to be the year I finally read them.

Green Man’s Grotto is showing signs of life! Phlox is blooming:

Yarrow is back and is spreading around the pond:

David Cain: “Most phone use is a tragic loss of life”

I wear a black graphic t-shirt every day of my life. Last week I realized I could design my own and have them printed at a local shop for half the cost. So here’s the first one:

Rachel pointed out that I didn’t make the shirt, only the content. To which I replied, “I know you are but what am I?”

Checking the PO box, saying hi to Joe Palooka.

On music discovery: if you are fortunate enough to have a good, local record store like Landlocked, you can always find new music there. They might even have a newsletter reviewing upcoming releases. It’s how I found out about The War and Treaty.

Happy vernal equinox! Here’s hoping for a shift toward more spring-like weather. Rachel and I have lots of outside work we’re impatiently waiting to start.

I’ve been grinding through some numbers over the last few days so I’ve been half-watching the four Christopher Reeve Superman movies as I work. Things I’ve noticed:

• They are way less serious than the modern MCU, much less the DC movies. They were clearly meant primarily for kids.
• Effects are, of course, ridiculous by today’s standards and so are the plots. But the music is fantastic.
• They were much less concerned with consistency. For example, the writers seem to get a bit confused about whether Superman is superhuman or simply magical.

And I find they are enjoyable in a simpler way than today’s MCU. Now, I’m not one of the MCU haters. I’ve watched and enjoyed nearly all of the movies. I’m probably what you’d call a casual fan. But, at this point, the MCU is starting to feel like too much work. Too complicated. Too many things you need to have already watched. My interest is waning fast.

Alan Jacobs:

The cultivation of taste, in morals as well as in art, is neither snobbish nor elitist; it is, rather, the key means by which we emancipate ourselves from the tyranny of passions that the people who make our smartphone apps would like to see dominate us.

The bookcase is finally completed and set in its corner of the dining room where I work. I’ve placed on it a mix of things I need every day and things I need to see every day. On the bottom shelf is a blanket made for me by Rachel. Also, my ten key that’s been my accounting companion for over twenty years.