I’ve waited decades for a definitive look at Sly Stone, and this is as close as it will get. Part of the documentary felt flat at the end, because as a mirror to Sly’s life, it is flat. It’s disappointing feeling the waste of great potential, regardless of how understandable it may be. I feel like Sly’s subconscious knows it, too, even if he can’t publicly admit it.
After 15 years away, I’ve decided to start up this blogging thing again.
In the 2000s, I was never a heavy blogger, and while I used to sign up to every social media platform, I was usually just a lurker. By the early 2010s I became even more dormant and stopped posting. I just liked my life better without the extra work.
But an interesting thing happened over the last few years — the enshitification of social media made me reevaluate things. I’d browse Twitter through Tweetbot daily, but when Twitter killed off 3rd-party clients, I left Twitter. I was a huge fan of Apollo for Reddit, but Reddit pulled the same move and I left Reddit.
Watching what is happening across all corporate social media has made me realize that their incentives aren’t aligned with what I want out of social media. While the culture of any platform is crafted by the people who use it and the policies that guide them, it’s a balancing act that’ll eventually loose it’s balance.
People left after Twitter went to shit and landed on Threads. Then Threads drastically changed their policies and people landed on Bluesky. There is nothing I can see that implies that the same won’t eventually happen at Bluesky.
I don’t know if this blogging thing will stick for me, but I’m giving it another go. Feel free to follow me on Mastodon, Lemmy, and subscribe here. I appreciate that you’re even on this site.
Here’s to the next post not being 15 years from now.
I’m a superfan, so I’m excited to hear these stories — but it’s sad to me that you can still hear how much he lacks self reflection. It’s going to be interesting to hear how this compares to the documentary coming out about him this week (which I’ve heard he didn’t participate, so maybe there’s a more reliable narrator).
This is one of my favorite bands, but this is my least favorite of their four albums. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, but nothing’s grabbed me the way “Choose Your Weapon” did. Still good, but not spectacular.
The moment I found out about it I binged all of it. It’s an analysis of Steve Wonder’s run of albums from I’ve been listening to that 5 album run in the early 70s. 50 years later it’s still perfection.
Still good, but not as good as the first season — much slower. But according to folks who read the books, it’s supposed to pick up in the next 2 seasons, which Apple just green-lit. Steve Zahn is a national treasure.
They couldn’t have hired a better director for this. If you’re wondering if this documentary needed to be made, in the first 5 minutes you’d realize how misguided that would be. Loved it.
After 6 months of serious and strenuous evaluation, the BrumBrum Academy is proud to announce the Brummies for 2009. Previously: 1, 2
Music
Boom Shadow by Nino Moschella 2nd album from the guy who I anticipate new work from the most. It’s a near-guarantee that I’ll love every piece of music that he puts out.
Good City for Dreamers by General Elektriks It’s been a while since their last release, but he picks up right where he left off 6 years ago.
Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future by The Bird & the Bee Easily the closest I get to pop in my listening habits, but I think I’m a sucker for Greg Kurstin’s production
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli I remember the author from one of my favorite super-hero graphic novels back in ’88, but I’m glad to see that 20 years later he’s done his first self-written graphic novel.
Nothing I didn’t realize it until I started this list, but what the hell has happened to me?! I apparently stopped reading this year. Asterios Polyp is the only book that I can remember reading the whole thing. I mean, I read a few things that were published before 2009 which don’t count, but still…
Lots to take away from this. For me, most of all is that I’ve been in this employee’s shoes and this story reaffirms that I will make sure to never be wearing shoes like his in a company like that again. It sounds clear that AA is a seriously messed up company, and, as folks have said, the original critique is a little naive of the situation: A little screenshot does not a website make.