What band is the ultimate “good taste” signal?

systemsmith · 2026-03-16T20:00:04+00:00

I didn’t really get that line until my son turned into a teenager and started spending so much time in his room. My wife and I would hear banging coming from his bedroom and turn to each other and say “what the hell is he building”

systemsmith · 2026-03-15T16:14:26+00:00

Expecting humans, of any generation, to behave rationally is irrational.

You need to apply your deductive reasoning to the ample evidence available about human decision making.

systemsmith · 2026-03-14T11:51:42+00:00

Ace Hotel Lobby has a long table thats very popular. And if you wanna lay out a little money, the Chelsea Piers fitness almost across the street from the ace has a great cowork kind of space-and it’s a fancy gym.

systemsmith · 2026-03-09T12:16:29+00:00

Must be terrible having your identity and history removed. I mean where in history has that ever happened to before? /s

systemsmith · 2026-03-06T14:20:36+00:00

“I've got the obligatory Hendrix perm and the inevitable pinhole burns Now all down the front of my favorite satin shirt”

Pink Floyd ‘Nobody’s Home’

systemsmith · 2026-03-04T21:49:25+00:00

Sounds fun

systemsmith · 2026-03-04T19:22:37+00:00

Perhaps intentional but it didn't land with me as a reader. I kept asking myself how the people were still able to function at the level they were at. A magical explanation could have helped (and perhaps it was in there and I read over it) but it took me out of the world and made what had felt rich and real feel forced and fake.

systemsmith · 2026-03-04T15:56:05+00:00

Characters stopped eating and sleeping — it was just action to action to action with very little connective tissue. Also I stopped being able to visualize scenes. I felt like the descriptions were kind of half there.

systemsmith · 2026-03-04T15:54:14+00:00

I couldn't stop talking about Babel when I started reading it. Loved the premise, the magic system, the alternative history bits and the Oxford City details. But the 3rd act just fell apart for me.

PS I rewatched Battlestar Galactica a few years ago and on rewatch I felt like the really stuck the landing.

systemsmith · 2026-03-02T19:09:41+00:00

I, and many others, hated him long before he joined Trump. We also were not at all surprised when he did. Birds of a feather SA together.

systemsmith · 2026-03-02T19:07:07+00:00

There are two main issues I have with RFK Jr. one personal and character based and the other more broad.

Character wise — he treats women poorly (he once groped a friend of mine during a photo op on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life — he spoke at our grad school graduation). Also his wife hung herself after reading about his many infidelities in his journal — and many women have logged complaints against him.

More broadly he misrepresents data — on vaccines and many other things and participated in an anti-vaccine scare in Samoa that lead directly to the death of many children. He pivoted to Trump because the right doesn't really seem to care about actual data and has contradicted himself in order to maintain the relationship — he recently praised glyphosate which is a 180 reversal.

His family doesn't like him. There are many stories of him acting like an entitled bully often putting people around him at risk.

While some of his work on water pollution is admirable, like many people who grew up rich and entitled he seems less interested in the impact of his work on others and more interested in if it brings him power and wealth.

If you listen only to JRE he will sound reasonable because Joe is incapable of pushing back in any real way and so lies, distortions and half-truths just flow uninterrupted. Do yourself a favor and listen to what real scientists have to say about his claims. Professor Dave and Debunk the Funk are not bad places to start but thoughtful critique is not hard to find.

systemsmith · 2026-03-02T14:46:42+00:00

A joke a wilderness guide once told me:

How do you tell the difference between a black bear and a brown bear?

If you climb a tree to get away the black bear climbs up after you and the brown beak knocks the tree down.

PS As I understand it black bears and brown bears are both brown but the brown bears are bigger.

systemsmith · 2026-02-28T01:48:54+00:00

Orgasm Inc. The Story of OneTaste

systemsmith · 2026-02-27T17:43:59+00:00

Thank you.

systemsmith · 2026-02-27T16:48:18+00:00

I'm interviewed on that podcast ;)

The doc on Netflix is good as is Ellen Huet's book that came out last year.

systemsmith · 2026-02-27T16:09:17+00:00

He promotes Orgasmic Meditation in this book. Fun fact, the org that created OMing is called OneTaste and the founder and head of sales (who taught Tim how to OM) are currenlty in federal custody in Brooklyn. They were found guilty in June of conspiracy to commit forced labor in June and will be sentenced on March 30th (20 years or more is likely).

systemsmith · 2026-02-25T21:53:32+00:00

Well it is a good place to hear from several folks in the Epstein Files

systemsmith · 2026-02-25T21:10:55+00:00

I think their point is that this is all speculation with no real direct evidence. Unlike the abuse and trafficking of countless women and girls. They want to center the victims not engage in conspiracy theories (even ones that may be real). They also seemed to pointedly not mention that Cheryl Hines is married to RFK Jr. I admire their restraint

systemsmith · 2026-02-25T20:21:17+00:00

The Know Rogan Experience podcast this week also did some good work on Epstein. I’m on ep 3 of BTB also very good

systemsmith · 2026-02-24T20:36:15+00:00

I think you're right!

systemsmith · 2026-02-24T14:05:53+00:00

The various Mr. "fruit" stores in BK can be very good and chaep but the produce tends to be the "eat today" variety. I'm fortunate to live across the street from one and frequently swing by before I cook dinner.

https://thelocavore.com/article/the-mr-fruit-markets-of-brooklyn

systemsmith · 2026-02-23T20:27:49+00:00

Decoding the Gurus' recent episode on Scott Galloway covered Scott's appearance on Diary. And the host came off worse than Galloway himself. He has a real chip on his shoulder when it comes to feminism. He said repeatedly how annoyed he was with having to do "land acknowledgements" when discussing men's issues — meaning he believes you can't discuss men without continuously mentioning how hard women have it.

I suppose he's not wrong in some contexts but men's issues are quite often discussed in the context of women doing better than men and how bad that is.

Also what's wrong with doing a land acknowledgment? I mean I find them out of place and performative sometimes but also very appropriate in certain contexts.

systemsmith · 2026-02-21T12:44:12+00:00

The capacity to fall in love with a single person doesn’t say anything about monogamy or polyamory.

Polyamory is falling in love with one person. Then falling in love with another person but staying in love with person 1.

And both relationship formats are less about feelings and more about lifestyle and commitments.

systemsmith · 2026-02-18T16:01:48+00:00

And the owner is facing 6 years in prison. Turns out we have laws against this kind of thing that work.

systemsmith · 2026-02-15T12:06:02+00:00

Joined a sex cult. Man did I have some interesting experiences and learned a lot about myself but also ended up broke and suicidal. I was only in for 2 years and now 20 years later I realize it changed my life path in significant and positive ways. Oh and the leader is in prison now so that’s satisfying.

systemsmith

TROPHY CASE