# Town Hall #28: Noodle Hey! It's been a while. I'm alive. Life is good. [^note]: If you want more frequent updates, consider following me on [RSS](https://taylor.town/feed.xml), [X](https://x.com/surprisetalk), [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/taylor.town), and [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@surprisetalk). I moved to Seattle earlier this year! It's a wonderful (and severely underrated) city. So much moss! Great people, great vibes, great weather, great culture, great food, and great parks. Let me know if you're ever in the area. Let's hang! Anyway, I recently read [_Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective_](https://bookshop.org/p/books/why-greatness-cannot-be-planned-the-myth-of-the-objective-joel-lehman/349348ba97f93aa4?ean=9783319155234&next=t). It's a dull book that started a tiny circus in my skull. Its central argument is something like "objectives are counterproductive for solving many creative problems". Suddenly, so many of giant dreams/goals/plans seem silly. I've given myself permission to [noodle](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/noodle#american-noodle-3-verb-intransitive) again. Less pressure. It feels good. Let this be a little reminder that you may noodle too. ## Appearances | | | | -------------: | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Exp. History | [Blog Extravaganza '25](https://www.experimental-history.com/p/blog-extravaganza-2025-the-winners) | | Good Internet | [My website is ugly because I made it](https://goodinternetmagazine.com/my-website-is-ugly-because-i-made-it/) | | UNSOUND '24 | [Towards Rigorous Responsibility (in Distributed Systems)](https://youtu.be/EumJpiV7MLo?si=NBY3FL3a_ONsZtEm) | | LIVE '24 | [Scrapsheets: Async Programs in a Reactive 2D Environments](https://youtu.be/dkK8brBeTl8?si=efWeBj1IXjoYHU2S) | | DDD Europe '24 | [Timeless Way of Software](https://youtu.be/wTv5kvuP1hI?si=2N7yxu1ksnyNxaAn) | | Kodsnack | [Failure of ergonomics](https://kodsnack.se/international/658/) | ## Projects | | | | -------------------------------: | ------------------------------- | | [lede.me](https://lede.me) | minimal og:image titles | | [pic.fish](https://pic.fish) | og:image screenshots | | [diggit.dev](https://diggit.dev) | for architecture archaeologists | ## Writings - [A stern letter to the drawbridge operator](https://taylor.town/drawbridge) - [The Five-Week Solo Startup](https://taylor.town/5w) - ★ [God created men; Sam Altman made them equal.](https://taylor.town/made-them-equal) - [dreaming of smel shell](https://taylor.town/smel-000) - [Begrudgingly choosing CBOR over MessagePack](https://taylor.town/flat-scraps-001) - [Good Vibes: A Claude-Code Case-Study](https://taylor.town/diggit-000) - ★ [Life GPA](https://taylor.town/lgpa) - [A Conversation Algorithm I Cribbed From Clinical Psychologists](https://taylor.town/aimi) - ★ [You'll never be ready for anything that matters](https://taylor.town/ready-matters) - [Friends with GPS Benefits](https://taylor.town/find-my) - ["I'm the type of person who..."](https://taylor.town/type-of-person) - [SI Base Units & Constants](https://taylor.town/base-units) - ★ [100,000,000 CROWPOWER and no horses on the moon](https://taylor.town/crowpower) - [Data demand some damn respect.](https://taylor.town/flat-scraps-002) - [Textbook Humor](https://taylor.town/textbook-humor) - [ERP Therapy Sucks](https://taylor.town/try-erp) - [The Finger and the Moon](https://taylor.town/finger-moon) - [Limerick](https://taylor.town/drugs) - ★ [Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?](https://taylor.town/other-side) - [Alternatives to "sorry"](https://taylor.town/sorry-alts) - [Proposal for Emoji: Sad Money-Mouth Face](https://taylor.town/sad-money-mouth) - [Do Not Shred Your Fingers In An Actual Blender](https://taylor.town/bad-blender) - [My Website Is Ugly Because I Made It](https://taylor.town/website-ugly) - ★ [You'll never be ready for anything that matters](https://taylor.town/ready-matters) - [An Invitation To Shit On My Ideas](https://taylor.town/shit-invitation) - ★ [Do Metaprojects](https://taylor.town/wealth-001) - ★ [Be the node you want to see in the network](https://taylor.town/wealth-000) - [The Curious Case of Flunking My Anthropic Interview (Again)](https://taylor.town/flunking-anthropic) - [I am not offering mentoring](https://taylor.town/no-mentoring) - [Napkin Math Tool](https://taylor.town/napkin-math) - [Meetup.com in your calendar](https://taylor.town/meetup-ics) - ["Thanks. How do you want to help?"](https://taylor.town/how-do-you-want-to-help) ## Books | | | | ----: | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ★★★★★ | _The Road_ :: Cormac McCarthy | | ★★★★★ | _The Golden Compass_ :: Philip Pullman | | ★★★★★ | _Musashi_ :: Eiji Yoshikawa | | ★★★★★ | _Klara and the Sun_ :: Kazuo Ishiguro | | ★★★★★ | _Cadillac Desert_ :: Marc Reisner | | ★★★★★ | _A Naked Singularity_ :: Sergio de la Pava | | ★★★★ | _Wintersteel_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★★ | _Three Laws of Nature_ :: R. Stephen Berry | | ★★★★ | _Thinking with Type_ :: Ellen Lupton | | ★★★★ | _The Wisdom of Insecurity_ :: Alan Watts | | ★★★★ | _The Wager_ :: David Grann | | ★★★★ | _The Spider's War_ :: Daniel Abraham | | ★★★★ | _The King's Blood_ :: Daniel Abraham | | ★★★★ | _Steve Jobs_ :: Walter Isaacson | | ★★★★ | _Motivational Interviewing_ :: William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick | | ★★★★ | _How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk_ :: Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish | | ★★★★ | _How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia_ :: Mohsin Hamid | | ★★★★ | _Everything is Tuberculosis_ :: John Green | | ★★★★ | _Children of Time_ :: Adrian Tchaikovsky | | ★★★★ | _Characteristics of Games_ :: George Skaff Elias, Richard Garfield, and K. Robert Gutschera | | ★★★★ | _Bloodline_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★★ | _Black Rednecks and White Liberals_ :: Thomas Sowell | | ★★★★ | _Become What You Are_ :: Alan Watts | | ★★★★ | _A General Theory of Oblivion_ :: José Eduardo Agualusa | | ★★★ | _Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned_ :: Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel Lehman | | ★★★ | _What Makes Sammy Run?_ :: Buddy Schulberg | | ★★★ | _Welcome to the Hyanam-dong Bookshop_ :: Hwang Bo-Reum | | ★★★ | _Waybound_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★ | _Unsouled_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★ | _Underlord_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★ | _Uncrowned_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★ | _The Widow's House_ :: Daniel Abraham | | ★★★ | _The Wealth of Humans_ :: Ryan Avent | | ★★★ | _The Tyrant's Law_ :: Daniel Abraham | | ★★★ | _The Mom Test_ :: Rob Fitzpatrick | | ★★★ | _The Impossible Man_ :: Patchen Barss | | ★★★ | _The Grid_ :: Gretchen Bakke | | ★★★ | _The Case Against Education_ :: Bryan Caplan | | ★★★ | _Supercommunicators_ :: Charles Duhill | | ★★★ | _Soulsmith_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★ | _Sirens & Muses_ :: Antonia Angress | | ★★★ | _Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids_ :: Bryan Caplan | | ★★★ | _Radical Abundance_ :: K. Eric Drexler | | ★★★ | _Prisoners of Geography_ :: Tim Marshall | | ★★★ | _On Bullshit_ :: Harry G. Frankfurt | | ★★★ | _James Acaster's Guide to Quitting Social Media_ :: James Acaster | | ★★★ | _Good Inside_ :: Dr. Becky Kennedy | | ★★★ | _Gideon the Ninth_ :: Tamsyn Muir | | ★★★ | _Ghostwater_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★ | _Factfulness_ :: Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund | | ★★★ | _Fab_ :: Neil Gershenfeld | | ★★★ | _Dreadgod_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★ | _Devil Take the Hindmost_ :: Edward Chancellor | | ★★★ | _Creation Lake_ :: Rachel Kushner | | ★★★ | _Complexity: A Guided Tour_ :: Melanie Mitchell | | ★★★ | _Blackflame_ :: Will Wight | | ★★★ | _An Elegant Puzzle_ :: Will Larson | | ★★★ | _An Absolutely Remarkable Thing_ :: Hank Green | | ★★ | _Zen and the Art of Happiness_ :: Chris Prentiss | | ★★ | _The The Prime Number Conspiracy_ :: Thomas Lin | | ★★ | _The Curse of the Mogul_ :: Jonathan Knee, Bruce Greenwald, and Ava Seave | | ★★ | _Soulhome_ :: Sarah Lin | | ★★ | _Skysworn_ :: Will Wight | | ★★ | _Reaper_ :: Will Wight | | ★★ | _Ministry of Time_ :: Kaliane Bradley | | ★★ | _How Innovation Works_ :: Matt Ridley | | ★★ | _How Evil Are Politicians_ :: Bryan Caplan | | ★★ | _Good to Great_ :: Jim C. Collins | | ★★ | _Give and Take_ :: Adam Grant | | ★★ | _Can't Hurt Me_ :: David Goggins | ## Music | | | | ----: | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | ★★★★★ | Kendrick Lamar :: _good kid, m.A.A.d city_ | | ★★★★★ | João Gilberto & Stan Getz :: _Getz/Gilberto_ | | ★★★★★ | Bart Constant :: _Tell Yourself Whatever You Have To_ | | ★★★★ | Yoshihiro Kanno & アンサンブル・レニエ :: _aspirazione e Sogni Di Firenze / Yoshihiro Kanno_ | | ★★★★ | Yasuaki Shimizu :: _Music for Commercials_ | | ★★★★ | Windows 96 :: _Empty Hiding World_ | | ★★★★ | underscores :: _Skin Purifying Treatment_ | | ★★★★ | Two Door Cinema Club :: _Tourist History_ | | ★★★★ | The Evpatoria Report :: _Golevka_ | | ★★★★ | Tennyson :: _With You - Single_ | | ★★★★ | Tenebrae & Nigel Short :: _Music of the Spheres: Part Songs of the British Isles_ | | ★★★★ | Soul Glo :: _Diaspora Problems_ | | ★★★★ | Sally Shapiro :: _My Guilty Pleasure_ | | ★★★★ | ROSALÍA :: _MOTOMAMI_ | | ★★★★ | PM Today :: _In Media Res_ | | ★★★★ | Miranda Sex Garden :: _Madra_ | | ★★★★ | Metaroom :: _Oxidized Archive_ | | ★★★★ | Jyocho :: _The Beautiful Cycle of Terminal_ | | ★★★★ | Jerskin Fendrix :: _Winterreise_ | | ★★★★ | Hudson Mohawke :: _Cry Sugar_ | | ★★★★ | Dirty Projectors :: _Swing Lo Magellan_ | | ★★★★ | Deathbrain :: _A Slice of Life_ | | ★★★★ | Dash Berlin :: _The New Daylight_ | | ★★★★ | Clairo :: _Charm_ | | ★★★★ | Circa Survive :: _On Letting Go_ | | ★★★★ | Chuquimamani-Condori :: _DJ E_ | | ★★★★ | Between the Buried and Me :: _The Parallax II: Future Sequence_ | | ★★★ | Yung Bae :: _Bae2_ | | ★★★ | Windows 96 :: _Glass Prism_ | | ★★★ | WILLOW :: _\_ | | ★★★ | Tigran Hamasyan, Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang :: _Atmosphères_ | | ★★★ | The Fearless Flyers :: _The Fearless Flyers - EP_ | | ★★★ | The Contortionist :: _Clairvoyant_ | | ★★★ | Supernaive :: _Dazed & Confused_ | | ★★★ | STAYC :: _YOUNG_LUV.COM - EP_ | | ★★★ | Spangle Call Lilli Line :: _New Season_ | | ★★★ | she :: _Chroma_ | | ★★★ | saoirse dream :: _Everything✱_ | | ★★★ | R3LL :: _Fantasy - EP_ | | ★★★ | Polyphia :: _Renaissance_ | | ★★★ | My Epic :: _Broken Voice_ | | ★★★ | Moe Shop :: _Pure Pure - EP_ | | ★★★ | Metá Metá :: _MetaL MetaL_ | | ★★★ | Master Musicians of Bukkake :: _Totem One_ | | ★★★ | Malte Marten & Yatao :: _Meditation Compilation #1_ | | ★★★ | Macross 82-99 :: _Sailorwave_ | | ★★★ | Lennie Tristano & Warne Marsh :: _Intuition_ | | ★★★ | Kaskade :: _Dynasty_ | | ★★★ | Hole Dweller :: _Flies the Coop_ | | ★★★ | Hammock :: _Raising Your Voice...Trying to Stop an Echo_ | | ★★★ | FLOOR BABA :: _Bombs - Ball_ | | ★★★ | Eric Dolphy :: _Out to Lunch!_ | | ★★★ | English Teacher :: _This Could Be Texas_ | | ★★★ | Elephant Gym :: _Angle_ | | ★★★ | Eatmewhileimhot! :: _Mushroom_ | | ★★★ | Eartheater :: _Irisiri_ | | ★★★ | Duo 505 :: _Late_ | | ★★★ | Dorena :: _Holofon_ | | ★★★ | DJ Seinfeld :: _Mirrors_ | | ★★★ | Deb Talan :: _A Bird Flies Out_ | | ★★★ | Deas Vail :: _White Lights - EP_ | | ★★★ | Cryptic :: _Mono/Poly_ | | ★★★ | Chanco En Piedra :: _La Dieta del Lagarto_ | | ★★★ | Ben Rosett :: _Mellow Hype_ | | ★★★ | Ben Howard :: _Is It?_ | | ★★★ | ATTLAS :: _Out Here With You_ | | ★★ | Yellowcard :: _Ocean Avenue_ | | ★★ | Wolf & Bear :: _Everything is Going Grey_ | | ★★ | THE NOVEMBERS :: _Elegance - EP_ | | ★★ | The Daysleepers :: _Hide Your Eyes (EP)_ | | ★★ | Tenue :: _Arcos, bóvedas, pórticos_ | | ★★ | Tenebrae :: _Rachmaninoff Vespers: All-Night Vigil_ | | ★★ | strxwberrymilk :: _Eloise_ | | ★★ | Son Lux :: _Stranger Forms_ | | ★★ | Silverstein :: _I Am Alive In Everything I Touch_ | | ★★ | Samantha James :: _Rise_ | | ★★ | Real Estate :: _Real Estate_ | | ★★ | POLIÇA :: _Madness_ | | ★★ | Owls :: _Owls_ | | ★★ | Osamu Sato :: _Objectless_ | | ★★ | MSWHITE :: _Squares_ | | ★★ | Mrkryl & Sorsari :: _Story LP_ | | ★★ | MONO :: _My Story, The Buraku Story_ | | ★★ | Malfet :: _Alban Arthan_ | | ★★ | Laurel Halo :: _Atlas_ | | ★★ | Itoki Hana :: _Void_ | | ★★ | Intervals :: _A Voice Within_ | | ★★ | Hammock :: _Longest Year (2020)_ | | ★★ | Go Motion :: _Kill the Love_ | | ★★ | Frank Sinatra :: _Ring-A-Ding-Ding!_ | | ★★ | Fearofdark :: _Exit Plan_ | | ★★ | FaltyDL :: _Hardcourage_ | | ★★ | Ellen Allien & Apparat :: _Orchestra of Bubbles_ | | ★★ | e.s.t. :: _Seven Days of Falling_ | | ★★ | dungeontroll :: _Tales from the Northern Chamber - EP_ | | ★★ | DJ Kuroneko :: _Neko Garage 3_ | | ★★ | desert sand feels warm at night :: _သေမင်းတမန်_ | | ★★ | Danny Paul Grody :: _Sketch for Winter VI: Other States_ | | ★★ | Daniel Deluxe :: _Corruptor_ | | ★★ | Dance With the Dead :: _Send the Signal_ | | ★★ | Charles Mingus :: _Pithecanthropus Erectus_ | | ★★ | CHANCE デラソウル :: _Goodbye Future Funk_ | | ★★ | CHANCE デラソウル :: _All Together Now_ | | ★★ | Anaïs Mitchell :: _Xoa_ | | ★★ | Aminé :: _Good For You_ | | ★ | webcage :: _Heatwave_ | | ★ | Vieux Farka Touré & Khruangbin :: _Ali_ | | ★ | The Acid :: _Liminal_ | | ★ | Tanaka Yuri :: _City Lights 2nd Season_ | | ★ | Slikback :: _Tomo - EP_ | | ★ | Midbooze :: _Experience_ | | ★ | Kinoko Teikoku :: _Time Lapse_ | | ★ | Home Is Where :: _Our Mouths to Smile - EP_ | | ★ | Hannah Blaylock :: _Bandit Queen_ | | ★ | Frazey Ford :: _Indian Ocean_ | | ★ | Evil Needle :: _Cirrostratus_ | | ★ | DZA :: _Software_ | | ★ | Death In The Park :: _Death In The Park - EP_ | | ★ | Cyro y los Persas :: _27_ |