changes

Update: my wife referred to this as my “moveable grotto,” which is ridiculous, but probably better. Definitely better.

Original: a view from my backyard “desk” just as I was creating the home page for my new “digital” garden.

It started raining a minute or two after this, so I put away my laptop and waited it out because I didn’t want to go back in. It stopped, and now I’m posting this.

Standalone post link: My Backyard Desk

Evening sun breaking through the clouds to some of the upper bows of the Siberian Elms after the rainstorm.

Standalone post link: sun in the elms after the rainstorm

Standalone post link: morning backyard through bedroom window

Terms, conditions, and disclaimers to your reading of the content of this web site and all content I may create or share on twitter or any social network.

1. (Retweets = Endorsement) If I retweet you it means I completely approve of and unabashedly endorse not only that tweet, but everything you have ever said and done, as well as everything you will ever do going forward. You have my complete trust and faith in all things at all times. I love you.

2. Know that I interpret and receive your favorites, retweets, and replies in a like manner, regardless of any protestations you may make to the contrary. Thank you for your endless support.

3. All thoughts are not my own. I am influenced and manipulated by everything around me. I digest, regurgitate, commodify, and plagiarize nearly everything I find. I am likely an unwitting mouthpiece for various corporate and political interests. I’m not sure if I even have my own thoughts.

Revision: February 6, 2019.

Standalone post link: Addenda to My Twitter Bio

Last night I posted a grumpy response tweet about my wild hope that Facebook and Instagram would just stay broken forever.

Then I thought that maybe that was a little too mean, and I deleted it.

But I'm semi-convinced now that Facebook saw it and took extra-algorithmic measures to try to win me back this morning.

— Joshua Whiting (@jdwhiting) March 14, 2019

As far as I know, other than publishing books, Kate DiCamillo only posts on Facebook, and her posts are always a refreshing highlight on the platform.

I saw that my newsfeed had been front-loaded with posts from friends and people that I could ONLY find on Facebook.

— Joshua Whiting (@jdwhiting) March 14, 2019

They have me.

Their algorithm is becoming omniscient.

(Or maybe the disruption and my lack of visiting in a while just meant it actually had a few realish and interesting things to share with me.)

— Joshua Whiting (@jdwhiting) March 14, 2019

Last night I posted a grumpy response tweet about my wild hope that Facebook and Instagram would just stay broken forever.

Then I thought that maybe that was a little too mean, and I deleted it.

But I’m semi-convinced now that Facebook saw it and took extra-algorithmic measures to try to win me back this morning.

Early today, out of pity or some strange curiosity, I opened Facebook on my phone. (I don’t have the app, I just pull it up in the phone browser.)

There, right at the top of the feed, was one of Kate DiCamillo’s wonderful, rambling posts.

As far as I know, other than publishing books, Kate DiCamillo only posts on Facebook, and her posts are always a refreshing highlight on the platform.

I saw that my newsfeed had been front-loaded with posts from friends and people that I could ONLY find on Facebook.

They have me.

Their algorithm is becoming omniscient.

(Or maybe the disruption and my lack of visiting in a while just meant it actually had a few realish and interesting things to share with me.)

Standalone post link: Iheartfacebook

I’ve now watched every single item in this collection of films by Apichatpong Weerasethakul at least once, and I’m getting pretty obsessed.

Currently scouring the internet to find what of his short films and installations are available on YouTube or other more obscure spots. I had hoped to find a playlist or a simple filmography web page somewhere curating video links, or if not, create one myself and share it.

Not having a lot of luck, though. His website is nice and detailed, just doesn’t have means provided to actually watch many of the short films described.

So far I did find these little digital video experiments on a youtube account associated with his website, both partly involving dogs. 2019: (sound is important on this one, so turn it up.)

2017:

I might write something more real or complete about Weerasethakul at some point, but for now, just needed to share this. I think for the first time since I’ve gone down the path of trying to watch and learn more about films I’ve found someone who I might be able to call my favorite filmmaker, at least provisionally.

Standalone post link: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

“House” by KAINA. Beautiful, timely song opening a killer new album.

Learned about KAINA from Jamila Wood’s twitter feed. Jamila Woods released this incredible album a month or so ago:

Standalone post link: KAINA - 'House'


I’m reading Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi and Corinna Luyken to my kids right now, and so far it feels kind of like if Kate Dicamillo had collaborated with Stephen Spielberg on one of his 80s Amblin projects. In other words, I’m enjoying it. And my kids like it, too.



(Disclosure 1: I did creepily take these pictures in the lamp light of my kids' bedroom after they fell asleep tonight.)

(Disclosure 2: The publisher did provide my school district with this copy of Weird Little Robots for review purposes, and it will end up in a school library or be given away to a student after I’ve reviewed it.)

Standalone post link: While Reading: Weird Little Robots

2.

I’ve decided that I’m just going to start sharing more of my demos, drafts, fragments, and improvisations, so they are out in the world before they become irrelevant, instead of languishing half-finished in my notebooks as I wait for some mythical moment when I will have endless time and energy to create the thorough, perfect thing.

1.

I have a problem finishing things, especially things I want or need to write, and so I tried an experiment on myself and it kind of worked. I tricked myself into, instead of writing the actual thing, writing a casual, conversational synopsis or summary of the thing I was hoping to write about. Now, instead of some vague hope of a detailed line-by-line explication of an obscure bedroom pop record (which wouldn’t have helped anyone anyway), I have an actual completed and posted 2-3 paragraph writing about that record that touches on at least 35-50% of the thoughts I had about the record. It now can be shared throughout social media land (if I get the guts to share it) and will hopefully promote the artist’s work or at least let him know that someone is listening to his music.

3.

Already I feel the pull again. After formulating the thoughts above I started looking through my notebooks for some other previous notes that tangentially relate to this thought, and I started daydreaming about how I should pull them all together into this big, perfect piece that artfully explores every element of every thought I have about writing and sharing things on the internet. No. I should just start writing and sharing more things on the internet instead of exploring philosophical quandaries about how/when/why/what to share. It will be fragments in near real time now, later connected by tags or expanded upon and republished if I can’t resist.

Standalone post link: Demos, Drafts, Fragments, and Improvisations


If I had a ‘Favorite Albums of 2019’ list I’d be adding Big Thief’s new album Two Hands to that list.

I can’t think of a band that seems more devoted to the work right now than Big Thief. This is their second release this year, and it seems they’ve been touring and recording almost nonstop for several years now.

*Of course I have a ‘Favorite Albums of 2019’ list. It is sitting partway created in a post draft, and it will be absolutely epic, just like every other unfinished thing in my life. The intended epic-ness is of course a big part of why these things never get finished. I’m over that now, though; I’m just sharing stuff in quasi-realtime now.

Standalone post link: Two Hands