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.
Don’t Expect Much from the End of the World: I can’t see any reason this movie should work. There’s no discernible plot. It’s nearly 2 hours and 45 minutes long. Plus it’s largely in Bulgarian and black-and-white. Alfred Hitchcock said movies are like life—but with the boring bits cut out. Except in this movie, they leave all the boring bits in. There are interminable shots of the main character simply driving around Bucharest. And yet, and yet… the film is awesome. The protagonist is a hilarious, foul-mouthed misanthrope—and the movie takes us deeply into her world.
Voices to help me get through the inauguration: Whether or not you feel like Trump’s inauguration is the end of the world (and to be clear: this is a Substack for everyone, no matter your politics), I thought now might be a good time to list the political voices that I personally follow during these turbulent times. As you will see, I try to consume news and analysis from across the spectrum: left, right—and a whole lot of center. Remember: the Buddha repeatedly warned against the dangers of clinging to views and opinions, describing himself as an analyst, not a dogmatist. Also, listening to people with whom you disagree may change your opinions, but it doesn’t require you to abandon your values.
On Substack:
Podcasts:
Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway
This is not an exhaustive list. I also read the Times and the Post. I follow newsletters such as Axios, Puck, Semafor, and 1440. Plus there are lots of TV analysts/reporters I also follow: George Stephanopoulos, Dana Bash, Jake Tapper, Abby Phillip, Kaitlynn Collins, Van Jones, Nicolle Wallace, Coleman Hughes, Jonathan Karl, to name a few.
Programming note: if you’re looking for a dose of sanity amidst the noise next week, I will be doing a series of live meditations + Q&As, starting Sunday at 3:00 PM ET and running through Wednesday. It’s a reconvening of the “renegade sangha.” And it features two of the above names: Sharon McMahon and Van Jones.
Now, I’ll finish with something much lighter…
Every time I watch this video, I find something new to savor.
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Dan have you read or listened to Heather cox richardson, the historian? So good.
The horns did their job and put a smile on my face! I used to be so engaged in political discourse, it was a passion. So was so curious and open. Over the last 12yrs I’ve participated in a slow death march to this point where I watch no news, read no newspapers, podcasts, no more social media. It all fucks with my mental health. Wish I knew how to protect my peace and stay engaged.