"stand and perform the thousands of little gestures which constitute life on Earth"

"What did that word mean to me? Earth? I thought of the great bustling cities where I would wander and lose myself, and I thought of them as I had thought of the ocean on the second or third night, when I had wanted to throw myself upon the dark waves. I shall immerse myself among men. I shall be silent and attentive, an appreciative companion. There will be many acquaintances, friends, women -- and perhaps even a wife. For a while, I shall have to make a conscious effort to smile, nod, stand and perform the thousands of little gestures which constitute life on Earth, and then those gestures will become reflexes again. I shall find new interests and occupations; and I shall not give myself completely to them, as I shall never again give myself completely to anything or anybody. Perhaps at night I shall stare up at the dark nebula that cuts off the light of the twin suns, and remember everything, even what I am thinking now. With a condescending, slightly rueful smile I shall remember my follies and my hopes. And this future Kelvin will be no less worthy a man than the Kelvin of the past, who was prepared for anything in the name of an ambitious enterprise called Contact. Nor will any man have the right to judge me."

-- Stanislaw Lem, Solaris

"The rose petals / Presenting a truth of a different order"

Stereolab, "Flashes From Everywhere"

What does a band owe us after making incredible music for over 30 years?  The new Stereolab album is really pleasant, and tighter than the last few albums in terms of songcraft.  Are any big chances taken?  Not really!  But it's pretty lovely in its own right.

So It Begins

Two Democratic state legislators were shot in Minnesota, one fatally and one critically.

Cue the New York Times telling us both sides are responsible.

Double Loss

We lost Sly Stone and Brian Wilson in the same week, two musical geniuses who brought a lot to American pop music.

Me And My EV

I'm loving my new Kona EV.  Predictably, since my work commute is less than ten miles, it's perfect for my needs.  Eventually I need to upgrade to a Level Two charger but I'm making my way just fine with a Level One.  I find that on the weekend I can get extra charge into it to carry me through the week with no problems.

Again, maybe not for everybody depending on distance needs, but I love the thing.  Beautiful smooth, quiet ride as well.

Slava Ukraini

Ukraine destroyed a significant number of Russian bombers with drones and the equivalent of rented U-hauls.

There are a lot of things to be upset about right now as an American, but the fact we aren't giving full support to Ukraine as they fight Russian occupation is up towards the top for me.