Friday Fixations

What I'm into right now

Happy Friday, my fellow suffering beings. Each week, I share two things I’m digging right now (books, TV shows, movies, music, and the like) plus one online video of nearly zero cultural merit.

• Car Seat Headrest, The Scholars: There are six songs on this record that absolutely crush. Primo, transcendent, hook-y rock. There are also a few rock opera-style joints, one of which runs 18 minutes, that I can’t get down with. (Although I do respect the ambition.) Overall, though, I recommend.

• The Thunderbolts: I’m not a huge Marvel head, but I think this movie, which I saw with my son, might represent the best version of the superhero genre. Decent plot, cheeky dialogue, and impressively prominent mental health themes—specifically the notion that the antidote to depression is connection. (The bad news is that my son is now obsessed with Marvel, and I’m being forced to rewatch pretty much every movie in the canon. Pray for me.)

• The chihuahua whisperer.

• One last thing: Join me May 19th-23rd for The Buddhist Antidote to Anxiety: A Live Meditation Miniseries, designed to help you navigate the various dumpster fires of life with greater balance and sanity. Monday is open to everyone, and the following four days are for paid subscribers only. Hope to see you there.

Agree or disagree with these recommendations? Subscribers can comment on this and all other posts. You can also chat with me, my staff, pod guests, and one another. And there’s lots more: ad-free versions of my podcast; cheatsheets for every episode (which include time-stamped highlights and full transcripts); and twice-monthly live video sessions where I guide meditations and take questions. Join the party.