#82 Genius goofballs
Issue #82 Genius goofballs
4th October 2023
Hello, fabulists.
Greetings from the wasteland of books, clothes, comics, USB cables, cardboard boxes and hand-written letters that my house has become. The noble task of decluttering has reached a point where everything is out and nothing is put back away again.
Is clutter as psychologically stressful for other people as it is for me? I can't summon the energy to tidy because the place is such a mess. But the place is such a mess because the sheer volume of stuff has sapped my energy to tidy.
Very annoying.
Let's distract ourselves by looking at shiny things.
Rule of three
[Design] Teenage Engineering
Last week, I finally got my Playdate after over a year on pre-order. It's a tiny portable games machine with a e-ink screen and a hand crank. Included in the price of purchase is a season full of games that are delivered two at a time by Wi-Fi every week. VERY cute and whimsical. The Playdate is the brainchild of Panic of Untitled Goose Game fame but the design of the device itself is by Swedish genius goofballs Teenage Engineering. This week, I have been mostly lost in their back catalog of crazy-beautiful synthesizers, samplers, drum machines and speakers. Also check out these IKEA hacks they created with their own collection.
[Food] Bank & Spitalfields market
Many of you joined this newsletter after attending classes with me at Hoopla. I've now spent a huge amount of time in and around Bank & Spitalfield market whilst I wait for classes to begin. So here are my local food recommendations based on extensive research (putting things in my face).
Trade - try the banana, peanut butter & bacon toasted sandwich
Flatiron - one cut of steak offered and perfected, with crispy bone marrow mash
Smokoloko - BBQ meats cooked in a smoker that looks like a steam engine
Crosstown - the cinnamon sourdough scroll is the best doughnut I have ever tasted
Humble Crumble - elevated apple dessert with shortbread crumble
Buns from Home - hand rolled croissant buns
Jenki - matcha latte with cacao and shroom mix
[Game] Connections + creator
A couple of weeks ago, I told you about my new obsession with the quiz show Only Connect. Subsequently, several of you got in touch to let me know there's a daily puzzle inspired by/ stolen from the Connecting Wall round in The New York Times called Connections.
AND THEN I stumbled on this creator app. So obviously I had to make an improv-themed one for you all.
Spotlight
Improv Cinema Club was featured in STATUS magazine this month. They said we could do it in any style, so we wrote about the history of the project as a screenplay. You can buy the latest issue here and read it for yourself (why not consider a subscription?).
PLUS it's just a few weeks until Improv Cinema Club rides again. We start a new run of movie-inspired improv and discussions on 1st November. We'd love for you to join us.
Longform thoughts
Unlike photographers, we don’t have the option to take a thousand photos (none of which we’ll ever show to a solitary soul) in order to learn about proper exposure. Sure, rehearsals are great to a point, but then we have to step on stage.
This week, I answer a reader's question like an Improv Agony Aunt in Unconscious competence.
Radio contact
Easy Listening Radio.