machines, mountains, and massacres
november '23
There was a moment, a few weekends ago, that stunned me for quite some time. It was Sunday, October 15, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. I mean at least I hope there weren’t any mice stirring. What would they even be stirring? Sorry… back to the point.
This particular Sunday was just like any other Sunday - a “reset” day. I had 2 loads of laundry to do, a sink full of dishes to clear and lots of reorganizing to get through before the week’s tasks rolled in. I’ve heard a lot about the Sunday Scaries but I feel that sometimes I have a Saturday version of it because of how much resetting I feel the need to do on Sunday. By some miracle, I got all my shit done on this Sunday. I cleaned my room, cleaned the dishes, loaded my laundry and sent off some petty weekend emails. And just as I sat down on the couch to catch a break, my overly sensitive Desperaux-type ears caught a unique rhythm - the sound of the laundry machine, dryer, dishwasher, vacuum, and A/C all at the same time (plus lawnmowers outside). It was eerie and poetic at the same time, cacaphonous yet harmonious. It’s beauty might not translate in my writing, but just know that I felt something. I felt that it symbolized a consistent rhythm of mundane life. It symbolized the constant and indomitable movement of time through the most boring machines known to human. And they were working so hard to make life a little easier, although we work hard to give them life.
I took a few minutes to listen carefully, stunned that I’d never heard this “phenomenon” in my three years of being at this apartment.
Anyways, onwards we go.
i’m feeling lucky
Fall is here and this playlist makes that extravagantly clear. Soft tunes, mellow chords and backseat rhythms come together in this month’s 40 picks. Dive in if you’re in the mood for some Charlotte Day Wilson, Hiatus Kaiyote, Palace and James Blake - plus lots of new names! Let me know what you’re vibing with.
[Archive playlist can be found here, and in my spotify bio]
climbing mountains at 70
I recently read (watched a reel) on the importance of keeping your fitness up to par as you age. This article (reel), spoke about the VO2 max charts and how they can be an indication of how fitness declines with age, and how we can retroactively use that as progressional level to keep up with. I’ve got thoughts on it, but let’s start with what the VO2 max is and what it means.
As per this Forbes article:
A person’s maximal oxygen consumption, also known as VO2 max—a measurement of how well the body takes in and uses oxygen while exercising at a high intensity—is a useful statistic to gauge fitness and cardiovascular health. […] Several factors can impact a person’s VO2 max score—and VO2 max alone does not determine someone’s athletic potential. Still, knowing a person’s VO2 max score can help determine a person’s fitness level while giving a baseline upon which to improve.
That last paragraph is important - while VO2 max isn’t an end-all-be-all measure of someone’s fitness, it is a great indicator of ability without having to do a holistic test. Moreover, it allows scientists and researches to use some metric to monitor fitness over a human lifespan. It would be tough and inefficient to monitor athletic ability by measuring someone’s grip strength or someone’s bicep curl over the span of 60 years. Using the VO2 max calculation, we’re able to draw up a chart that shows fitness decline over time and how that corresponds to certain physical activities.
Keeping in mind that these are averages and also somewhat hypothetical, it is interesting to see how if you’re able to walk 3mph up a steep hill at 25, you might only be able to walk at that same speed on flat ground when you’re 75. But if you’re able to run faster than 10mph at 25, then you’re more likely to be able to briskly climb stairs when you’re 75. Interesting, innit? The study only seems to show only cardio-type activities but I’m sure a similar study could be done on someone who keeps a balanced fitness regimen (strength training, flexibility, aerobics, etc) Regardless, it’s been proven that VO2 max can be a key predictor in longetivity.
I bring this up because I’ve been thinking a lot about my own fitness. All the lines on the graph start at Age 25, and that’s where I’m at, as of 2 weeks ago. I feel privileged to be in a very healthy body (and mind, but that’s a convo for another time) and I feel lucky to be able to move in the ways that I do. I owe a good portion of my current fitness to soccer, playing a combination of club, school, and rec for the last 2 decades. And I still play soccer at least once every week, keeping up a sport that I’ve been in love with for as long as I can remember. I still pride myself on the ability to run as fast as anyone else on the pitch and body the tallest strikers. I climb regularly and on a consistent weekly cadence, improving immensly over the last year. I love staying active through random rec sports, be it volleyball, frisbee, cycling and more. It’s not that I want to brag about my fitness habits, but rather emphasis how much of a priority it is for me at the moment.
A few months ago, my friend and I found ourselves on a 25 mile trek in the PNW and on the way up, we ran into a man who looked no younger than 70 years old. We were about 9 miles in and pretty gassed. He was on his way down and not even out of breath. Further up the mountain, we ran into an older woman who was also on a mission to do the whole thing before sunset. She said she’d done it 4-5 times before too! I want to be like them. I want to be able to hike a random mountain at 70. I want to be able to climb a V4 when I’m 70. I want to be able to run around with the locals playing pickup soccer and walk through a foreign city all day and run after my hypothetical dogs. I’m sure life will throw all kinds of curveballs at me and force me to reprioritize, but I feel that this foresight is so important to the way I treat and train my body going forward.
ceasefire
It’s a cop out statement to say that your digital feeds are oversaturated with information, imagery and news about genocide, ethnic cleansing, massacres and war. We live in a world where a few hundred points on a stock market rise can call for a full-blown war and trade deals that result in millions of lives. It’s sad. But it all comes down to morals. Sometimes our leaders choose to fund their economy and greed instead of allowing the human race to prosper. Or maybe they think that boosting the stocks of Boeing IS allowing the human race to prosper. While I disagree, there is little wiggle room in changing a distant leaders’ morals. Sometimes I feel that moral nihilism rather than this moral relativism bullshit that leads us to disagreement. I digress.
It should be easy to distinguish binaries in this world of bloodshed. Are you in favor of killing people for land? Are you in favor of murdering millions for ethnic prosperity and pure colonialism? These aren’t complicated pull-the-train-lever questions… These are clear binaries that prove proper morals.
palestine
What is happening in Gaza/Palestine is genocide by Israel. Blood is on the hands of anyone that fuels the acts of Israel upon the Palestinian people and refuses to condemn the war crimes committed in Palestine.
to follow: @motaz_azaiza, @sbeih.jpg, @byplestia, @mohammedelkurd, @eye.on.palestine
congo
What is happening in Congo is genocide. The natural resource reserves in Congo are driving ridiculous violence and displacement among millions.
to follow: @red_maat, @theslowfactory
sudan
What is happening in Sudan is genocide. Millions are displaced, forced to flee to Chad and millions more in desperate need of aid and assistance.
to follow: @yassmin_a, @bsonblast
yemen
What is happening in Yemen is a humanitarian catastrophe. Nearly 2/3rds of the population is in need of aid and protection from the war that was declared a week ago.
to follow: @yemenialliancecommittee, @save_yemen, @thefightforyemen, @yemeniliberationmovement
armenia
What is happening in Armenia is an ethnic cleansing and mindless land battle. Dozens of thousands have been displaced with a constant threat of invasion from Azerbaijan.
to follow: @zartonkmedia, @armenianstudents
While I might not have covered it all, this is a decent starting point to educate yourself and stay informed on current happenings. It’s a shit world we live in and it’s tough to carry on everyday knowing that millions are dying elsewhere. But please have grace with your privileges and know that your vocal support is appreciated. Do your part to educate yourself and others so that when we are put in positions of moral relativism, we are more united than we are relative. Feel, cry, create, laugh, move your body, and hold on to possible gratitude for life and the value of yours at this time.
through my eyes
This one comes from the beaches of Santa Barbara! I was lucky enough to join Anya on a quick work trip at the start of the month where we got to eat some delicious food, drive along the PCH and let the cameras play in the sand. I particularly loved the framing and light in this one, shooting through her silhouette. Any thoughts?
an update on cuties
Last month I wrote a cryptic and metaphoric piece on tangerines. I complained that each bag was unpredictable and I had to roll with the variables. The moral of the story was as such;
Oranges come and go. Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, some are juicy, others crisp. It’s just a matter of time and cycle before we get what we want.
Well - I have new information, which will lead to a new moral of the story.
While sprinting through HEB a few weeks ago, I paused to pick out a bag of mandarins, keeping in mind that the fruits may not be up to my perfect juicy standards. I stared at my options for a second before noticing where it all went wrong last time around. You see, HEB offers 3 packs of mandarins - a 2lb bag, a 4lb bag and a 5lb bag. But here’s the catch: the 5lb bag is the Cuties brand and the 4lb, and 2lb bags are the HEB brand “imported Murcott variety”. They all come in orange nets with blue packaging and orange text. Such a small variance in detail made a huge difference in taste and fulfillment!
I realized that this little difference could exist in multiple scenarios around the store. If I accidentally bought 2% milk as opposed to 1% milk, it would make a huge difference. Same thing with fat-free vs lowfat or whole wheat vs white or imported vs organic. Rather than the devil, it’s the deliciousness in the details. But really, it’s about knowing what details to look for and knowing how to look for them. All the mandarins come in similar packaging but without a second look, I may not have caught the “imported” word at the very bottom. So here’s my revised takeaway:
Oranges come and go. Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, some are juicy, others crisp. If it’s a specific taste we desire, we must seek it. With attention to detail and appreciation of nuance, we can find true sweetness.
link dump
absolutely gorgeous performance by jacob collier and his fans
honest opinions on modern day traditions of tipping
article about how ai will never replace creativity
apple tv+ series you should absolutely watch (it has idris elba!)
I’ve been using a lot more AI in my workflow, sometimes for pure productivity and other times to make creativity more efficient. It’s been interesting to learn about the different strings of AI we’re breaking off into - from conversationalist platforms to visual generators to motion-tracked deepfakes. The ML is much quicker than I expected, especially when you can tell ChatGPT to “do it better” and it understands your urgency and frustration. Aside from GPT and Bard, I’ve come across a couple interesting AI companions - check them out:
Dot - “an intelligent guide designed to help you remember, organize, and navigate your life”
Pi - “a new type of computer program designed to be kind and helpful.”
Any new AI engines or softwares you’ve been using? I’d love to know more. I’d also love to know what you thought about this month’s newsletter. Don’t be a stranger - drop me a DM on social media or respond below with your thoughts! As always, thank you for reading and being a supporter of my mindchatter. Here’s to more warmth and love along with this changing of the seasons.
Was not expecting to click a link to something I wrote. Funny surprise! Cheers.