Two albums a day, an experiment in focus, and music. The past few years have seen a change in my appreciation of music. In my youth, I would immerse myself in a song, but now, the deluge of streaming music has led to consumption, not appreciation. I find myself thinking of the next song before the current one is finished. A terrible way to experience music.
And so, two albums a day.
Not every album warrants my full attention, but the ones that do are listened to with care, track by track. I’ve managed to restore some measure of appreciation of music.
I still read books, but not like in the old days. Nowadays, I devour books like a man scrolling through social media, hopping from one thing to the next without fully immersing himself in any of it. I’m juggling eight books at the moment, and it takes all the willpower I’ve got to resist the temptation of the ones waiting in line.
I’m not boasting. This isn’t anything to be proud of. I can’t seem to concentrate on one book at a time. I read ten pages here, a chapter there, and then on to the next book. And even when I settle for these meager portions, a nagging sense of FOMO distracts me - the fear that I might miss the book I ought to be reading next. It’s like no book can hold my attention for long.
Out of all of these, Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox is the one that demands and deserves my full attention, and Poems That Make Grown Men Cry delivers on its promise of tears.
I was having a hard time figuring out how to wrap this up, but then I realized that I read books like I read everything else - on all kinds of devices, from books to phones to eReaders. It’s both good and bad. On the one hand, I’ve got all the options in the world to read whatever I want. On the other hand, my attention span is shot to hell.
I’m enjoying After the Ice, but “fast-paced” it is not.
Every morning I listen to two albums. Today I listened to Finally, New by They Hate Change and Optical Delusion by Orbital.🎵
I can’t wait to watch Keanu Reeves kill a bunch of people in John Wick: Chapter 4. There were so many unanswered questions of who Keanu was going to kill in Wicks 1-3.
Every morning I listen to two albums. Today I listened to Human Coward Coyote by Nag and Koala and other metamorphoses by Trespassers W.🎵
I check Muskker a few times a week for DMs, and that’s about it. My posts on Muskker are archived so all that’s left is to off any functionality that re-posts to Muskker and I’m done.
Never gets old.
I was alarmed at the severity of lesions on the back of the gentleman’s neck sitting in front of me. It took me a moment to realize it was a tattoo.
Equus.
Airmail app on my iPhone is unusable this morning. Anyone else experiencing this?
Commute.
Every morning I listen to two albums. Today I listened to Silky by Andre Williams and RITUAL by SA BRUXA.🎵
Corporal Samuel Horowitz and Private Joe Besser walk on either side of you as they make their way through the corridors of the spaceship. The hum of the engines and the bustle of crew members engaged in various tasks fill the air. Some of the Marines are working on the weapons mount, and a few more are running simulations on their tablets.
As they walk, Corporal Horowitz turns to you and smiles. “Ya know, me faddah was also a medical doctah. He worked in Mars. Me? I always wanted to explore space, see the stars up close. That’s why I joined the military. Why’d you become a doctor, uh, doc?”
Doctor Dudley answers.
You arrive at the Combat Information Center (CIC), which you last saw seven years ago. For you, that was yesterday.
Horowitz touches his ear piece. “Sir, we have Doctor Dudley.”
Horowitz tilts his head, listens for a moment, and the door opens.
Zarkov meets Foster in the CIC. Foster gives Zarkov a status update: quarantine message, blueprints of space lab and bunker.
Quarantine Warning
Woman’s Voice: “Attention all approaching spacecraft, a highly contagious and deadly virus has contaminated Yatima. Landing on or approaching the planet is strictly prohibited. Any ship attempting to land risks contamination and will be turned away. All communication with the planet is also suspended until further notice. We advise all ships to set a course away from Yatima. Our priority is the safety of both the inhabitants of Yatima and any potential visitors.”
You wake to the sound of screams coming from the next cryogenic chamber. You groggily open your eyes and sees two unfamiliar faces staring back at you.
Corporal Samuel Horowitz: “Private Samuel Horowitz, sir,” says one of the Marines, and offers you a water flask. “This is Private Joe Besser”
Private Besser: “We’re part of the Marines brought aboard the ship while you were out cold. Captain Foster asked us to take good care of ya.” He drapes a blanket over your shoulders, and you find you are shivering.
“Hey Doc, up and at ‘em. Private Besser and me will escort ya to your quarters.”
As you walk, you take in your surroundings, slowly remembering the mission and your destination.
Finally, you arrive at your quarters. You enter, and to your surprise, you find a thermos waiting for you on a table.
Horowitz says, “Hey Doc, you rest. We’ll be right outside if you need anything.” They leave and close the door behind them.
