Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Søren Kierkegaard by Clare Carlisle. If you’ve been following the site long enough, you’ll know that Kierkegaard is one of my favorite philosophers. Based on reading his texts, I deduced that Kierkegaard was an odd duck. Reading Clare Carlisle’s biography of Kierkegaard only cemented that impression. Kierkegaard was an anxious and self-conscious guy who couldn’t commit to his fiancée. Why couldn’t he? I still don’t understand after reading excerpts from his diary. Yet there’s something relatable about this weird, neurotic guy wrestling with life’s big questions; while he wasn’t winning any personality contests, his struggles with faith, authenticity, and anxiety feel startlingly modern. A fascinating portrait that makes you realize that even those who have a strong bead on what life’s all about can still be messy humans.
A Eulogy to Blogging. Ribbonfarm, a blog authored by Venkat Rao that I’ve followed for nearly 15 years and has been around for 17, was retired recently. Rao’s farewell post is both eulogy and analysis of the blog era (2000-2020). He argues that economic macro factors during that time, particularly low interest rates, created an economic environment that allowed for a vibrant open web. The post-COVID economy and digital marketplace have created what he calls the “cozyweb.” Instead of a public square, the internet is becoming small nodes of Discords and paywalled sites. It’s a meditation on the death of the blogosphere.
Roka glasses. Lately, my contacts have been bugging me. I’ve been wearing them less and less while wearing my glasses more and more. One thing that kept me from wearing my glasses all the time was my workout; they’d slip off my face as I started to sweat. So I went looking for glasses you can work out in and came across Roka. Their glasses are lightweight and stay put on your face even when you’re sweating buckets. While they’re pricey, they’re a game-changer for active folks who need their glasses to work as hard as they do. Plus, unlike typical performance eyewear, they actually look good enough for the office. They’ve got different styles. I went with the Falcon aviator frame as a 1980s homage to mustached bodybuilder Mike Mentzer. My kids say the glasses give them Jeffery Dahmer vibes. Nothing like a couple of adolescents to keep you humble.
Stagecoach. This 1939 masterpiece isn’t just the film that launched John Wayne to stardom — it’s the Western that redefined what Westerns could be. In director John Ford’s hands, Monument Valley serves as not only a stunning backdrop, but the perfect stage for nine strangers confronting their demons while outrunning Apaches in a rickety stagecoach. Far from a simple shoot-’em-up, it’s a character study disguised as an action film, with each passenger’s redemption arc as rocky as the terrain. Keep an eye out for Yakima Canutt’s legendary stunt work in the chase sequence — it’s still jaw-dropping 80+ years later. A genuine milestone in American cinema that hasn’t lost an ounce of power.
Quote of the Week
It has been well said that no man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear.
—George MacDonald
