I don’t have a deep relationship with Glacier National Park like my friend Mike Foote does (except for the fact that my first backpacking trip ever was there back in 2002), but I get his complicated feelings about the park and how it’s changing because of a warming climate. So this was probably a tough film to make, but I think he and Ethan Newberry and the team did a great job of capturing the beauty of Glacier and what it’s like to love it, while knowing it’s changing forever. (video)
If you’ve been reading my MAKE IT creativity newsletter for the past couple weeks and you’ve noticed that the book is out in paperback and ebook formats, here’s a cheat code: If you’re a Patreon supporter of Semi-Rad, you get a MAKE IT ebook for FREE. There’s a code in my last Patreon update if you’re interested—more info here.
Jason Chatfield wrote this diary piece back in late 2020, and now it’s on his Substack with illustrations. It’s ostensibly about one of the oldest comedy clubs in the world closing after the pandemic. But it’s also a memoir of Jason’s pursuit of a stand-up comedy career in New York after performing onstage for seven years in Australia, which I find incredibly interesting, because it’s about the journey of making a real living making art, even if you don’t have a Netflix special. (Yet! I mean “you don’t have a Netflix special yet,” Jason!)
I am not trying to tell anyone what to do with their lives, but I will say that I clicked over to buy this book about hot dogs when I was only about halfway through this insane piece of writing about Joey Chestnut winning the 2021 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, which is an excerpt from the book. I don’t want to gush, but there are so many good lines in this piece, that if you don’t read it, a little part of me is going to be very sad for you.
My friends Stephen and Joni Casimiro (who you might know as the founders of Adventure Journal) just started a coffee company called Long Weekend Coffee because they, like me, enjoy good coffee, and believe more of it should be out in the world. I have only tried one of the roasts so far, but am happy to report that it is good coffee, and if you like good coffee, you might enjoy it. If you enjoy saving money too, here’s a code that will get you 10% off your entire coffee order: SEMI10 Here’s a link to check it out.
You ever worry about kids, and what their future will look like, because your head is spinning with all the news about AI, and TikTok, and the surgeon general’s warning that social media might not be good for kids, and everything else? Here, read what this kid has to say. (Dammit I love Humans of New York, just still cranking out the good stuff after all these years)
Thanks to my friend Mike Sowden, I am now writing about this same event again this week. If you missed it last week, basically: A Twitter user with the username “Bigolas Dickolas” wrote a very strongly worded tweet recommending a book, it went viral, and shot up the book’s sales. Here’s a post written by one of the book’s co-authors, trying to wrap her head around the events. I think the “As Recommended By Bigolas Dickolas” badge from Waterstones is my favorite part of this whole thing.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Should I try to get this library book banned?” this might be helpful. If you haven’t, it’s still helpful, but in a different way. (via Kottke.org)