Author: Johnny

#books and media

This page is a place to track my thoughts on books and media as featured in my Some Thoughts posts.

I thought it was bad when I put a hold on the ebook for Crook Manifesto and found myself 58th in line. Yesterday I put a hold on The Wager, and I’m currently 121st in line. [2023-08-15]

I’m reading Magpie Murders and decided to look up the author’s bio. Not only is Horowitz far more prolific than I realized, but he also wrote a few episodes of Poirot, one of my all-time favorite shows. [2023-08-15]

I read the first Peter Wimsey book and the guy is basically Batman. He is a rich playboy with a passion for stopping crime. He has all sorts of custom-made gizmos he carries around with him. He has a British manservant to aid his investigations and remind him of his high society obligations and manners. [2023-07-28]

Two books I’ve anticipated for some time are out now: Light Bringer by Pierce Brown and Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead. I put holds on both books at my local library. [2023-07-28]

Killers of the Flower Moon is a spectacular book and this is a spectacular trailer. [2023-05-23]

I really enjoyed the movie Bullet Train. It’s action-packed and completely ridiculous. A great way to pass a plane flight. [2023-05-06]

#sports

This page is a place to track my thoughts on sports as featured in my Some Thoughts posts.

The Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs immediately. Considering the roster, I think it’s fair to say the team overachieved during the regular season. Given that fact and the reported clubhouse troubles of rival teams (i.e. Giants and Padres), I think it’s time for Dodgers fans to show a little more respect towards Dave Roberts. [2023-10-24]

The Dodgers have about $100 million to spend for next season before they hit the luxury tax. Not acquiring at least one of Ohtani or Yamamoto would be a disappointment. [2023-10-24]

I’m glad to see the Rangers eliminate the Astros from championship contention. Congrats to Corey Seager on making it to another World Series. I’m rooting for the Phillies over the Diamondbacks tonight. [2023-10-24]

Mookie Betts is killing it this season. To my recollection, it’s the first time “best shape of his life” claims have translated to greater on-field results. [2023-09-05]

The number one amateur Korean prospect Hyun-Seok Jang decided to forgo the KBO draft to sign with the Dodgers. What a coup. Hopefully, the fireballer bypasses the complex league and begins his career in A-ball next season. [2023-08-15]

On the sports front, it’s one of my favorite times of the year: the baseball trade deadline. It’s a seller’s market. With three wild card spots in each league, more teams will try to stay competitive for a shot at the playoffs. There is also the factor of minor league roster size decreasing next season, which might encourage teams to move lesser prospects they won’t have room for in the future. [2023-07-28]

Mascots of the Pittsburgh Pirates include a parrot and five pierogies. That’s hard to beat. [2023-07-21]

#unsolicited advice

This page is a place to track the tips and advice featured in my Some Thoughts posts.

If you want to get a sense of a place’s culture, go to a local fair/festival. [2023-09-05]

Step 1) Start a blog. Step 2) Federate it. [2023-06-16]

Hiking and audiobooks make for a combo that is hard to beat. [2023-05-23]

If you’re feeling down, go to the gym and work out. Instant mood booster. [2023-05-06]

Kevin Kelly believes YouTube is an underrated educational resource, and I completely agree. You can get a sort of pseudo apprenticeship on any subject by watching master craftsmen do their work. [2023-05-06]

My biggest hurdle to posting regularly online is the idea that what I’m writing isn’t worth sharing. The default needs to be to post now, edit (or delete) later. [2023-04-28]

Be selective of the content you consume. Rage bait is everywhere. [2023-04-28]

Exercising and reading are both good for me and things I enjoy doing. I should better prioritize those activities. [2023-04-28]

#urbanism

This page is a place to track my thoughts on urbanism as featured in my Some Thoughts posts.

U.S. scientists have laid out a plan to transition the country away from fossil fuels. Unfortunately, it will not happen with the current generation of political leaders. [2023-10-24]

I think autonomous vehicles will almost entirely eliminate road fatalities in the future, but so can trains and bicycles, and we already have the technology for those. [2023-09-05]

Autonomous and electric vehicles are progressive evolutions away from human-operated, petrol vehicles. The issue I take is with corporations and their executives who advocate against public transit and urbanist policies to enlarge their markets. Elon Musk even admitted his Southern California Hyperloop tunnel was merely a stunt to get legislators to cancel plans for a high-speed rail. [2023-09-05]

Private beaches should not be a thing. Shoreline highways should not be a thing. Design cities so rivers and lakes can be enjoyed by everyone. [2023-09-05]

People underestimate how dope BRT is when done right. [2023-08-15]

Las Vegas has a real opportunity to improve its city by building a subway system but instead decided to drink the Kool-Aid of a billionaire egotist. [2023-07-28]

The July heat brings an annual reminder of the impact trees have on temperature control in neighborhoods. [2023-07-28]

Bicycles are hands down the most fun mode of transportation. Trains are second. [2023-07-21]

I want more American cities to shift away from car dependency. If that means more bicycles, then hell yeah. If that means more golf carts, then I’m for that too. [2023-06-16]

Sometimes I walk down a street at night that I’ve walked down a dozen times before but always during the day, and it seems like a completely different place. [2023-05-23]

Every city should have a food market like Philly’s Reading Terminal. [2023-05-06]

I spent a little over a year in Europe. The first thing that stuck out on my return to the States was the excess of billboards lining the freeways. Capitalism run amok. [2023-04-28]

#web and tech

This page is a place to track my thoughts on the internet and technology as featured in my Some Thoughts posts.

X will start charging some newcomers a small fee. Charging for social media usage is a surefire way to get people to stop using said service. Please do it so everyone can finally move to Mastodon. [2023-10-24]

How can anyone trust a man who is anti-Wikipedia? [2023-10-24]

POSSE via Activitypub is the future I want for the internet, and it’s gaining more traction. [2023-10-24]

I’ve installed the Friends plugin on my blog. It’s one step closer to turning this site into its own fully functioning Mastodon instance, but it’s not yet there. [2023-10-24]

I find the background sounds feature on iPhone immensely useful and something I wish I had known about sooner. [2023-08-15]

I hope Threads keeps to its promise of federation. I want Mastodon to succeed and the more Twitter clones joining the Fediverse, the better. [2023-07-21]

I think it’s a fair request that websites whose business models rely on user-generated content (like Reddit and Twitter) at least provide free API usage in return. [2023-06-16]

Reddit runs on hours upon hours of unpaid work by moderators, who have every right to burn it down if they choose. [2023-06-16]

Something I learned: Lemmy and Kbin are progressive web apps. Tap the share button in your mobile browser then tap “add to home screen.” [2023-06-16]

I’ve started using vertical tabs in my web browser (Brave), and so far I’m a big fan. [2023-06-16]

Somehow my blog got compromised by malware. It was automatically redirecting visitors to other websites, but would still allow me to use my site as normal. I deleted the plugin I think was behind the act. I also deleted all theme files and reinstalled them. I think the issue is handled now. [2023-05-23]

Overdrive/Libby are the coolest apps ever invented. [2023-05-23]

Kevin Kelly believes YouTube is an underrated educational resource, and I completely agree. You can get a sort of pseudo apprenticeship on any subject by watching master craftsmen do their work. [2023-05-06]