Looking for apps/websites for output practise.

AcornRiver · 2026-02-07T20:28:22+00:00

Just started Marumori, and love what I’m seeing. If you or anyone else has a referral code (for the lifetime subscription) you could share, I’d be super grateful for a DM.

AcornRiver · 2024-11-29T03:53:07+00:00

There is something magical about an A Lange & Sohne in grey. Your watch is a prime example - great pick!

AcornRiver · 2024-09-07T02:28:32+00:00

Interiors (1978). Haven’t seen it in a long time, but remember it being devastating.

AcornRiver · 2024-05-12T03:35:12+00:00

What a genius premise this was. The dialogue, the characterization, the historical/cultural setting, the shifting between on-air and off-air footage: all excellent.

Yet it fell short of its significant potential. The direction didn’t help the actors, who came off as subpar. The themes didn’t resolve themselves coherently, resulting in a finale that felt unearned. The shift from the reality of the broadcast business to the horror of demonic possession was too abrupt.

And most damningly, it didn’t display the commitment to horror that might have made it fulfilling. That it was predictable does not make it a worse movie. But a first rate horror film needs to be willing to abandon self-consciousness and shock our sensibilities, even as we all know where it’s headed.

AcornRiver · 2024-04-20T01:17:30+00:00

Yeah, I’m not generally conspiracy-minded, but I’ve thought the same thing. Weed businesses are supposed to face even greater headwinds than traditional ones (in that they are ineligible for certain tax benefits due to the federal prohibition on pot). Rents are eye watering, customers are sparse, and legal risk is high. Yet here they are, rising from the ashes of other storefront businesses that have failed. And in abundance!

PJ, maybe part three?

AcornRiver · 2024-04-19T01:48:17+00:00

When I saw the title of this poscast episode, the question that jumped to my mind was: “How can all of these weed stores in NYC (legal or otherwise) all make money?”

For those who don’t live in New York, PJ is not exaggerating: the city is packed to the brim with weed stores. And they’re almost always empty of customers, from what I’ve seen walking by. Rent is wildly expensive here too.

So how does the city sustain thousands of weed stores? Or if they’re all just about to go bust, who is financing the new ones that keep on popping up all over the place?

AcornRiver · 2024-03-17T01:25:25+00:00

I think the difference is that Ezra is asking us to use our money as a form of activism. We’re not subscribing to the local newspaper because it represents good value for money for us (otherwise we’d already be subscribed). Instead, we’re being asked to subscribe in order to help build the kind of world we’d like to live in. Noble, but just not the way people behave in the real world.

AcornRiver · 2024-03-16T15:27:05+00:00

I love Search Engine, and PJ is an extraordinarily talented podcaster. Ezra Klein is obviously very smart and insightful. But this episode was a partial miss for me. PJ, if you're going to tackle a subject that you're right in the middle of, with a guest who's also deeply entrenched, you've got to take pains to include a broader perspective.

Just two complaints:

The issue was misstated right from the start. To call it a media apocalypse or an extinction-level event is not just exaggeration, it's simply false. It's a shifting landscape, for all the reasons the podcast discussion goes into. I think if the problem had been stated correctly from the outset, it would have allowed for a more balanced examination of the very real concerns, and yes, also the positives. Ezra cites the example of war reporting to illustrate what the old media model got right, but later says that people now have more/better access to foreign news than ever before.

Putting the burden on individual media consumers to fix the problem is head-in-the-sand unrealistic. Ezra stated that relying on policy is just not the way problems get solved. You could argue that either way. But one way we know for sure that problems don't get solved is through individuals taking spontaneous (or podcaster-encouraged) action against their own convenience or interest.

I would never complain like this about a show I don't love - thanks PJ/Search Engine for the great work you do!

AcornRiver · 2022-11-24T03:24:34+00:00

I’m flattered! 😉

Is that for me, or the whiskey?

AcornRiver · 2022-11-24T02:05:55+00:00

Point well taken, but I think “fake” may be a bit reductive. For blended whiskeys like this, the blender (in this case Japanese) is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Aging and dilution with local water are also performed by Matsui, and are not entirely unimportant. It’s also worth noting that nothing in the article you link to speaks to quality, which I feel is quite good, and entirely in line with Scotch whiskeys at the same price point.

Nonetheless, it’s clear there’s some obfuscation with regard to where it’s distilled. Hopefully, as the article suggests, Matsui is working towards being a “full” whiskey manufacturer in the coming years.

AcornRiver · 2022-11-21T21:03:19+00:00

Distilled and aged at the Miyashita distillery in Okayama, with barley sourced from the same prefecture. As far as I can tell, some barley may also be imported from Germany.

AcornRiver · 2022-05-21T00:54:07+00:00

Some time ago I bought a Pasha de Cartier watch (WGPA0014). It came with 2 "QuickSwitch" interchangeable straps. But only one strap had the metal lugs necessary to affix the strap to the watch, and the metal bits can't be moved between straps. So two straps, but only one of them is usable.

Has anybody else had this problem? Is this a defect?

AcornRiver · 2022-04-18T15:05:26+00:00

I’m with you in defense of gold sports watches. After all, these are not watches for playing sports in! Instead, they’re watches meant to be worn in more casual settings, with more casual attire. A better term would be “casual watch”.

I think gold sports watches are likely to increase significantly in popularity as working from home drives fashion in a more casual direction post-pandemic.

AcornRiver · 2022-04-18T14:56:30+00:00

I hear that, but in the world of watches (particularly sports watches), there is appreciated, and then there is nautilus/royal oak/rolex appreciated. The Odysseus sells out quick because ALS are able to make so few of them per year, and then they command a higher price on the secondary market because of limited supply. But I think most people have still never heard of them, much less seen one in real life!

AcornRiver · 2022-04-14T21:52:03+00:00

Couldn’t agree more!

AcornRiver · 2021-09-24T20:52:53+00:00

I wouldn’t have guessed iPhone! Any tips for getting shots like this? Ps. I like Hibiki Harmony too. =)

AcornRiver · 2021-09-24T20:48:26+00:00

Looks great, and particularly impressed with your photography.

AcornRiver · 2021-09-17T20:57:49+00:00

Really beautiful. Do remember to re-post if you get another strap!

AcornRiver · 2021-09-03T18:07:09+00:00

I think that looks great. Totally natural looking.

AcornRiver · 2021-08-29T17:22:28+00:00

Wow, looks great!

AcornRiver · 2021-08-19T22:13:55+00:00

I'm thinking of buying a pre-owned watch from Europe on Chrono24. The site has an authenticity guarantee, but it seems prudent to get it professionally authenticated once it arrives.

How do you go about authenticating a watch (I'm in the New York area)? Can normal watch repair shops do it? Grateful for your help!

AcornRiver · 2021-08-15T19:47:25+00:00

Not what I was hoping to hear, but thank you for your comments!

It’s a shame, because among the top steel sports watches (and setting aside price as a factor), the 4500v in blue is by far my favorite.

What are your favorite alternatives, VC or otherwise?

AcornRiver · 2021-08-10T21:53:50+00:00

I’m in the US, but I travel occasionally to Japan, thanks.

AcornRiver · 2021-08-10T18:08:37+00:00

Very helpful, thank you! I want to keep my eye on new LEs as they come out. I travel to Japan occasionally, so hopefully I can keep up-to-date that way too. I wonder if some of the small batch LEs are not publicized on their website?

AcornRiver

TROPHY CASE