Austin Kleon:

The computer used to mean the world to me. The computer was a portal to the world I wished to be in. Times change, and I no longer wish to be in contact with much of the world that’s in my computer.

I feel this. The internet of 1995 to 2010 changed my life. It opened up the world to me in wonderful ways. I loved blogging. And even though Twitter killed blogs, early Twitter was a lot of fun. I made some good online friends and we had fantastic conversations. And while everything has changed, I’m thankful for my great little circle here on micro.blog.

To my surprise, it doesn’t look like I’ve ever urged you to listen to John Lithgow’s reading of The Monkey’s Paw. Allow me to urge you now.

Long live the weirdos.

“Way over yonder in the minor key” by Billy Bragg. Written by Woody Guthrie. 🎵

Dog vomit slime mold has appeared in our garden and, let me tell you, it is aptly named. I’ll spare you the picture.

This is awesome: “Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ at Sold-Out Virginia Tech Concert Sparks Seismic Activity” 🎵

We’re living in the age of Trickster—and The Emerald podcast has re-issued an episode on that subject that is worth your time. As discussed in the episode, when Trickster is not ritually recognized as a necessary renewing force, he shows up in more destructive ways. The repressed returns as symptom.

The meditation app Headspace has added an AI therapist to help you process your emotions. And, again, we see promoters of these services saying they should be used “with care”–as it rolls right along. My employer provides a subscription to Headspace and it’s a cheap way not to cover therapy.

Dismay at irrational human behavior is a mistake rooted in two false beliefs:

• That rational abstraction is or ought to be a normal mode of human thought, and
• That any of us ever engage in such a mode more than occasionally, for ends other than self-justification.

Thank you, lilacs, for a beautiful few weeks. See you next year.