![atbge](/atbge.jpeg) # Town Hall #26: Rounding I am so relieved to be finished with microwave oven research for [NDC Porto](https://ndcporto.com/agenda/a-history-of-knobs-on-microwaves-08g4/0bc4laxs43b)! Here are some \[absurdly detailed\] notes, compiled for your entertainment: - [A History of Microwave Ovens](/history-of-microwave-ovens) I also wrote some technical stuff in preparation for [my upcoming talk at UNSOUND](https://2024.splashcon.org/home/unsound-2024): - [Irresponsible Servers: From Slop Talk to Shop Talk](/irresponsible-servers) - [the soundless interstitium](/soundless) In preparation for [LIVE 2024](https://liveprog.org), I've been making making lots of solid progress on [scrapscript](https://scrapscript.org): - [scrawl](https://github.com/surprisetalk/scrawl): spartan web editor - [elm-scrapscript](https://github.com/surprisetalk/elm-scrapscript): crappy parsing/eval library My series on [offensive horticulture](/oh) is finally complete: 1. **Theft:** [Proplifting, Plant Piracy, and Dumpster Chocolates](/oh-theft) 2. **Poaching:** [Profitable Plant Propagation Prevents Poaching](/oh-poaching) 3. **Infringement:** [Seizing the Means of Re-Production](/oh-infringement) 4. **Colonialism:** [Kimba Syndrome](/oh-colonialism) 5. **Possession:** [Legalize Life (and Living)](/oh-possession) 6. **Trespassing:** [A Georgist's Guerilla Gardening Guide](/oh-trespassing) 7. **Activism:** [Further Reading](/oh#activism) ## Questions & Answers Thanks to everybody who sent tips/advice about Seattle! We had a lovely trip; we'll hopefully be back again early 2025 (permanently, if work permits). - I'm in the early stages of writing a semi-non-fiction book entitled _Artificial Idiocy_. If you know any good agents/publishers, send 'em my way. - How often do you sharpen your kitchen knives? Do you specialized tools? Do you mail your knives to a sharpening service? - The [Arxiv RSS firehose](https://info.arxiv.org/help/rss.html) is fun and overwhelming. I'd love some more commentary/curation for cool new papers. Any suggestions for academic blogs or niche newsletters? - Any personal thoughts/experiences with [Dynamicland](https://dynamicland.org)? - Do you observe any strange/invented holidays? - What are your must-have nvim extensions? - Any cool [tindie](https://www.tindie.com) projects I should be aware of? - Do you know of any podcasts that are consistently funny? - Is preschool worth it? Is it worth looking into a Montessori program? - Are there any AI agents that actually work yet? - How do you balance main quests vs. side quests? _If you have questions or answers, email me at [hello@taylor.town](mailto:hello@taylor.town?subject=Hello)._ ## Books | | | | | ---: | ----------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ★★★★ | [review](/books#seeing-state) | _Seeing Like a State_ :: James C. Scott | | ★★★★ | [review](/books#new-machine) | _The Soul of a New Machine_ :: Tracy Kidder | | ★★★ | [review](/books#stay-true) | _Stay True_ :: Hua Hsu | | ★★ | [review](/books#the-friend) | _The Friend_ :: Signid Nunez | | | [review](/books#hateship) | _Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage_ :: Alice Munroe | ## Extras [^note]: Subscribe to these extras via [rss](/feed.xml), [x.com](https://x.com/surprisetalk), and [mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@surprisetalk). | | | | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 2024.10.11 | side-effects of smoking may include (but are not limited to) more smoking | | 2024.10.11 | containsn't 100% juice | | 2024.10.11 | [LoFi Robotaxi Hip Hop Radio 🚕 Waymo Depot Shenanigans To Relax/Study To](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZe5J8SVCYQ) | | 2024.10.07 | [:'(](https://www.reddit.com/r/youtube_funeral/comments/enrnm9/_/) | | 2024.10.07 | [La Leyenda Del Tiempo](https://music.apple.com/us/album/la-leyenda-del-tiempo-remastered-2018-feat-paco-de-luc%C3%ADa/1442730986) | | 2024.10.03 | [Current state of AI research](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y38nbJwzc1k) | | 2024.10.02 | [Susceptor - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susceptor) | | 2024.10.01 | [Mitchell & Webb Sound - Identity Theft](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9ptA3Ya9E) | | 2024.10.01 | [DOMi & JD Beck - The Flintstones Theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgmxftiC34Q) | | 2024.10.01 | just smart enough to be happy | | 2024.10.01 | [fight big pottery! reclaim your clay!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaX1iOyKsB0) | | 2024.10.01 | [Mom's HEARTBREAKING LSD CHOICE Sending Her Son to a Mental Hospital](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouQB3CSn2YI) | | 2024.10.01 | [Caroline Polachek: Tiny Desk Concert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmnZHQNN5cc) | | 2024.10.01 | [Boss Whom Is Girl: The Ballad of Shell Gasoline-Sandwich](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UGX3eyKudM) | | 2024.10.01 | [twenty-five flea-carrying rats on their way to Europe - 1347 (colorised)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j73O-txwTmo) | | 2024.10.01 | [you have no idea](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7avPoMhQxX8) | | 2024.09.30 | [maple sugar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPxlAsh6bCU) | | 2024.09.30 | [watch with subtitles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jWLioW7Zx0) | | 2024.09.26 | [atbge](/atbge.jpeg) | | 2024.09.26 | my grandma didn't walk on the moon for this | | 2024.09.26 | [Building a Boat out of my EX's stuff](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFiWIof7i0Q) | | 2024.09.24 | commit age fraud to live in a safe and affordable 55+ community | | 2024.09.20 | [my braincells rebelling at 2am](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZbfNtDCHdM) | | 2024.09.20 | 2 bedrooms, 11.5 bathrooms | | 2024.09.20 | [after all these years, it was finally beat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlbmRGvLExY) | | 2024.09.17 | [Energy economics and rocket science with Casey Handmer](https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/episodes/solar-economics/) | ## Music After months of listening to the same few DJ mixes on repeat, I started listening to new albums again! It feels good to be back, folks. | | | | ----: | :---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ★★★★★ | Camarón de la Isla :: _La Leyenda del Tiempo_ | | ★★★★ | Tigran Hamasyan :: _An Ancient Observer_ | | ★★★★ | PILAR ZETA & Jimmy Edgar :: _Moments of Reality_ | | ★★★★ | Mindspring Memories :: _The Binary Ocean_ | | ★★★★ | Jai Paul :: _Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)_ | | ★★★★ | Anna Meredith :: _Jet Black Raider - EP_ | | ★★★★ | Aaliyah :: _Aaliyah_ | | ★★★ | mudy on the sakuban :: _Mudy in Squall_ | | ★★★ | food house, Gupi & Fraxiom :: _Food House_ | | ★★★ | WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA :: _Galapagos_ | | ★★★ | The Mars Volta :: _Octahedron_ | | ★★★ | Slagsmålsklubben :: _Sagan Om Konungens Arsinkomst_ | | ★★★ | Polyphia :: _Remember That You Will Die_ | | ★★★ | PROTODOME :: _Super ChipFunk_ | | ★★★ | On the Might of Princes :: _Sirens_ | | ★★★ | Nedaj :: _Genesis_ | | ★★★ | Machinedrum :: _Vapor City_ | | ★★★ | Laurel Halo :: _Quarantine_ | | ★★★ | Hiromi :: _Silver Lining Suite_ | | ★★★ | Hiromi :: _Another Mind_ | | ★★★ | Han Hee Jung :: _NOTATE (Acoustic Ver.)_ | | ★★★ | Fulusu :: _The Voice Between Us_ | | ★★★ | Foxes In Fiction :: _Swung From the Branches_ | | ★★★ | Erkan Oğur & Derya Türkan & İlkin Deniz :: _Dokunmak_ | | ★★★ | Depressive Silence :: _Depressive Silence \[II\]_ | | ★★ | strxwberrymilk :: _The Escape from Blue Marble_ | | ★★ | jizue :: _Gallery_ | | ★★ | ThorHighHeels :: _Coconuts_ | | ★★ | This Will Destroy You :: _New Others Part Two_ | | ★★ | Spencer Brown :: _Illusion of Perfection_ | | ★★ | Savant :: _Orakel_ | | ★★ | Nuclear Power Trio :: _A Clear and Present Rager - EP_ | | ★★ | Moon Tooth :: _Crux_ | | ★★ | Meredith Monk :: _Monk: Our Lady of Late_ | | ★★ | Kinoko Teikoku :: _Long Goodbye - EP_ | | ★★ | Hole Dweller :: _Flies the Coop II_ | | ★★ | Heilung :: _Lifa_ | | ★★ | Eartheater :: _RIP Chrysalis_ | | ★★ | DROELOE :: _A Matter of Perspective_ | | ★★ | Casker :: _Your Songs_ | | ★★ | Aphex Twin :: _Classics_ | | ★★ | Anamanaguchi :: _\[USA\]_ | | ★ | Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes :: _Music for Saxofone & Bass Guitar_ | | ★ | Romare :: _Projections_ | | ★ | Rameses B :: _Timeless EP_ | | ★ | Rainbowdragoneyes :: _The Secret Mirror_ | | ★ | Hitsujibungaku :: _Dear Youths,_ | | ★ | Greeley Estates :: _Far From The Lies_ | | ★ | Diablo Swing Orchestra :: _Sing Along Songs for the Damned & Delerious_ | | ★ | DZA :: _Birdcatcher - EP_ | | ★ | Bossfight :: _Nice Catch Biggy!_ |