February 21, 2024

Big Table #4 - S T U F F

Me: "I think the theme of the next issue is going to be 'things'."

Martha: "Wasn't that the last theme?"

Me: "No, that was 'content'."

Martha: "That's the same thing!"

Me: "And the first one was 'times'."

Martha: "How is that different!"

Me: "It's entirely different!"

Martha: "It's all the same theme! It's always just stuff."

Me: "People like stuff!"

This Issue's theme: Stuff

(Next issue is "Things").

(Speaking of issues, since this one was a little late, the next one will be coming pretty soon after, and feature some documentation of the cool stuff we were doing that delayed this one. Also, I wanted to give a little space between mass emails after sending out Interdependence Day. LMK if you didn't get that mass email and you want to get it.)

Stuff you can buy that I like:

• Magic Masala Chips
• This loop toy for cats. It's so simple it's almost nothing. It cost like $2 and Frankie loves it, though it's not hardcore enough for Elvira.
• Schmidt fiber tip cartridges - I was on a hunt for some kind of more sustainable version of fude-style pens, which I love. They're somewhere between a brush pen and a felt tip, and they're tremendously expressive. These cartridges aren't necessarily less wasteful than those pens, but they last a pretty long time, and can be used in a number of all-metal pen bodies. It was remarkably hard to find a simple but quality option, but I eventually settled on this basic Faber Castell pen, and it's a good all-arounder. Portable, durable, somewhat expressive, and not overpriced. Upgrades I'd enjoy would be Grovemade (which I think would fit) or The Lumos which does felt brush tips!, but I've learned my lesson trying to use valuable pens as an every-day, throw-in-your-bag kind of thing.
• Stutterheim raincoats - My friend Stephanie always has excellent style, and I noticed how good her raincoat was last winter. Martha had recently gotten proper, stylish rain gear and I wanted to up my game too. Stephanie's was a Stutterheim. They're super high quality, with a price to match, but the kind of brand that you can find deeply discounted on eBay and that's what I did. I feel like a big kid in it, but also a sophisticated adult who prepares for the weather and knows about European clothing brands. The first time I wore it out with Martha a stranger told us we were cute. My one caveat is that since it's knee-length, my legs get wet, but that seems like something I could have forseen.
• The x220
• Dropped Pendant Light from CW&T - CW&T is a wonderful design team that makes a few, special things they've designed and manufactured mostly from scratch. I had seen some of their stuff around, but hadn't connected them as all being from the same place. So I was extra delighted when Martha found these lamps they make and realized that the people who made them also made the Pen Type A and Time Since Launch. The shade is one of 100 different variations which are 3D printed. They can print them to order, and give out the designs for free if you want to print your own. We got Version 97.
• Coffee
• A Quill pen - I've been doing a lot of pen and ink drawings lately, and in my material research I thought "maybe I should try a quill pen" and then thought "it can't be that different, don't be pretentious." Reader, it's quite different and I love it. I got mine from Dennis Ruud bookbinding. They sell ones already cut into pen form or DIY ones. I got both, but haven't tried to cut the raw one yet. Will update when I do.
• The Striso - My friend Mykle turned me on to The Striso. It's a small synth and controller with an isomorphic keyboard layout shake and tilt controls, and a wild sound. The intro video for it is really charming. I've really fallen in love with it and its quirks. It featured prominently in my first live performance ever!
• These earbuds -- they are $25 and incredibly good. Really.
• Swords and Sorcery -- you don't actually have to pay money for this, though it would be cool if you did! This is a super simple TTRPG system, possibly the simplest way to get a game going. We use this as a base for the campaign I'm currently running, and it's really great for collaborative storytelling. It's adapted from Lasers and Feelings, which is a Star Trek themed RPG, and what they use on the excellent podcast, Oh These Those Stars of Space.

Stuff you can't buy that I like

If I'm settling in for the evening, I might turn on some mood lighting with my remote and then pour some whisky into my Stirrup Cup which is very nice to set on my Side Table ¹ Or I could have some (a lot) of tea out of my Giant Strange Mug and get comfy under Delphine's Quilt ² all while wishing I could get some more sheets of St Armande Old Master drawing paper³ or one more bottle of Turd Lake Beer

And of course that situation would be improved by playing some

Records

Records are stuff. In making a list of music to share it's always so hard to narrow it down, but I realized three of my favorite albums I've encountered in the last year are all grey. So here is my playlist of

Records I bought in the last year which are grey and I play over and over

• Time Wharp
• TENGGER
• Nathan Micay

Bonus record that I bought years ago, which is not grey, but I play over and over.

A Guy Makes All the Stuff

Every now and then I check back in on the The Simplifier.

This guy made his own vacuum tubes, but of course he had to make a torch and an oven first. If you want to know how, maybe you can call him on his homemade telephone.

Thanks for reading! See you next time with Things