Satellite Haiku

Shawn gets a little salty about Trump’s SOTU address (which he avoided), while MiLo compares Trump to Liberace. After indulging that digression for a bit, we talk about the closeted 1980s. We come back to the state of US politics, then we talk about cults, theocracy, the ability to recognize truth, tolerating uncertainty, the Tucson rodeo, deconstruction (from the church), embracing mystery, the Golden Rule, the nature of faith and belief, Pascal’s wager, the impotence of prayers, charity and its motivations, indigenous justice systems.Mentioned in this episodeCovered with Night, A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America, by Nicole Eustace (awarded the Pulitzer Prize for history in 2022) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Happy birthday to MiLo! Shawn is recovering from a cold, so we talk about that and about losing your voice, then about (the royal formerly known as) Prince Andrew, political accountability (former President of S. Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, former Philippine President Duterte and his successor), whether the Epstein “dominoes” are really starting to fall, Anarcho-Capitalism, breakfast sandwiches, the “cold start” sourdough technique, home renovations, designs that have single point of failure, getting an electrical shock, robot plumbers, doomsday prepping, Outward Bound, consciousness theory, the multiverse, the “Quantum Suicide Thought Experiment,” teleportation.Mentioned in this episodeCy Canterel, who has an excellent Substack and TikTok and appears regularly on Virginia Heffernan’s podcast, What Rough BeastLarken Rose, anarchist we know who has a YouTube channel and appeared in the HBO documentary, The AnarchistsInvestigative journalist Carol Cadwalldr and her excellent Substack, How to Survive the BroligarchyCormac McCarthy’s The Road (and the film adaptation)Hanna (tv series) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

MiLo (“Abu”) welcomes a new grandson, and we talk about pregnancy and birth. Then we talk about discrimination and personal blind spots, “cooperative interruption,” daydreaming, optimizing yourself to perform better, lifehacks, material wealth and happiness, striving versus self-acceptance, envy, commute time as a predictor of school success, the power of intention, classical yoga versus kashmir shaivism on transcending versus ‘being’ the pile of dung, and gratitude as a practice. At the end we wonder about the optimal form of government and what that means for whom.Mentioned in this episodeBrené Brown and Tim Ferris on the tension between striving and self-acceptanceDr. Gül Dölen on “critical periods” of brain development and the effects of psychedelicsHayek’s B******s (book) by Quinn Slobodian — “How neoliberals turned to nature to defend inequality after the end of the Cold War” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We have thoughts about sleep. Then we talk about movies and entertainment—Quentin Tarantino’s films, Elmore Leonard adaptations, The Matrix, F1 (movie), Justin Timberlake, K-Pop Demon Hunters, the preteen years, Brian Eno’s definition of charisma, The Talking Heads, being different to be cool, Star Wars, Mon Rovîa, Mazes & Monsters (1982 Tom Hanks film), the Renaissance of female acting roles in the streaming era, THX 1138, The Life of Chuck. We discuss the the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie and Elizabeth Smart, the general question of stranger danger, and free-range parenting in the 1980s vs today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about what’s happening in Minneapolis and debate whether the Trump administration is pursuing a strategy or just sort of chaotically pushing against civil norms and legal boundaries. Shawn sees a method in the madness and points to the existence of Project 2025 as evidence of coordination and a commitment to establish something durable. Milo plays devil’s advocate, dubious that this collection of MAGA clowns could coordinate breakfast, let alone a political strategy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about helping elderly parents with tech support, situations when AI unhelpfully offers help, the unnatural mix of high and low quality in AI output, machines vs the human experience of creating art, the engineer/STEM perspective on art and creativity, the real revenge of the nerds, dad jokes, living in the lie; living in the truth.Mentioned in this episodeTed Chiang: Why A.I. Isn’t Going To Make ArtJohn & Paul: A Love Story in Songs (book by Ian Leslie)Miracle & Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon (Malcolm Gladwell)Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion film “Pinocchio” (Netflix) and Shawn’s piece, In Praise of Slow ArtThe Last of Us (HBO series)The Power of the Powerless by Vaclav Havel This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about works we created long ago, old tech, operant conditioning oneself, checklists, the memory palace, MiLo’s dad’s collections of stamps and old baseball cards, Warren Buffet’s stock market advice, the scammer mindset as a strange superpower, Elizabeth Holmes and Bernie Madoff, trying to learn options trading, trying to time the market, sneakerheads, Yeezeys, Minneapolis and its precedents (like Kent State), social movements, the Trump administration response to the killing of Renee Good, the NRx movement (Curtis Yarvin, Peter Thiel, J.D. Vance), and the billionaire bubble. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about being creatures of habit, aging parents, purpose and meaning in the context of work and AI, and what it feels like to live in this age of rapid and accelerating change. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about family gatherings and family estrangement, the horseshoe effect in political ideology, the nazi problem on the right, incels, women in politics, misogyny, super-wealthy welfare queens, the rise of leftist economic populism, right-wing populism, wearing shoes in the house, Filipino family parties, gravy, family estrangement (redux), confirmation bias, scientific consensus as a heuristic, making quality arguments, and how these days it feels like corporations resent that they have to go through us to get to our money. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about conflicting nutrition advice, confirmation bias, Jedi mind tricks as a parenting technique, our visceral aversion to blaming and shaming, consequentialism in parenting, older/younger sibling dynamics, being triggered by criticism and corrections, back seat driving, thinking out loud versus in your head, chemistry in relationships, psychopathology versus polygraph tests, the persistence of history, and MAGA Jesus.Mentioned in this episodeBrené Brown’s work regarding vulnerability and shame, and in particular a story she tells in her Netflix special, The Call to Courage, about a time she and her husband both experienced shame, for very different reasons, during a swim on a lake. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about creating, procrastinating, collaborating, seeing our own past work with fresh eyes, discipline and the lack thereof, arts & craft fairs, art criticism, having your beliefs challenged, alternative energy, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and leaving work unfinished because you are finished with it.Mentioned in this episodeDon’t Look Up (2021 Netflix film)Landman (Paramount+ series)Elizabeth Kolbert reviews Ed Conway’s book, Material World: The Six Raw Materials that Shape Modern CivilizationBreakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about atmospheric rivers, The Doobie Brothers, suburban myths and life before the internet, Rush Limbaugh, the American Revolution, Simón Bolivar, the Haudenosaunee confederacy, the decline of language, and MiLo’s voiceover career that could have been.Mentioned in this episodeL.A. Story (1991 film written by and starring Steve Martin)Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary The American Revolution (new Ken Burns documentary series) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We meander for an hour and talk about internet memes, mullets, old time hockey, creative careers, various songs and artists, New York City, roommates, and natural comedic talent.Mentioned in this episodeSong Exploder episode episode 70 (Weezer) and episode 233 (Rick Astley) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We share some nuggets of wisdom we have gathered during our fiftysomething years on this bluegreen rock, and we try to fashion it into advice….* Use “I” statements* Don’t take things personally; own your own experience* “Expand your threshold before your recoil” (respond instead of reacting, and be aware of the “unseen possibility”)* Don’t shun the shadow side of yourself; integrate it* Recognize emotions as a somatic experience, versus stories we attach to them* Be here now; fully see and accept the present momentThen we talk for a while about how some of this wisdom has helped us navigate parenting, marriage, and divorce. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about last week’s election results (mini blue wave), what natural political talent looks like (Mamdani, AOC), factions in the Democratic party, theories about what voters actually want, what MTG is doing, MiLo’s “high dopamine dynamic range,” Shawn’s opinion on term limits, gerrymandering, our top potential election reforms, people’s reasons for not voting, Trump’s unlikely coalition, the Puerto Rico statehood debate, expanding SCOTUS, the mid-decade redistricting gambit, how everything is now seen through a partisan lens, how Putin punches above his weight, the universal healthcare debate, and snappy comebacks (including Churchill to Nancy Astor).Mentioned in this episodeGerrymandering explainer from the Washington Post“The Lowest Bar” - Shawn’s quick take on last week’s election This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Shawn has more to say about social sharing on the internet. Then we talk about therapy, the paradox of wisdom, the creative process, qualifications for becoming POTUS, codes of ethics, the complete capitulation of SCOTUS and the GOP Congress, the two-party system, the optics of action, ignoring the fine print, MFAs, MBAs, choosing a college major, Bisbee Arizona, the rightward shift of Silicon Valley, AI versus the demand for authenticity and sincerity, UBI, Andrew Yang, what Marx might think about A.I., the oil industry as a way to think about A.I., the success of Mamdani, the deep unpopularity of the Trump Admin and why that’s not actually comforting.Mentioned in this episodeUtne ReaderWhy A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art - Sci Fi author Ted Chiang in The New Yorker This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about the term “Gerry-rigged,” something called semantic bleaching, the “6-7” meme and other Gen Z slang, the f-word, hot sauce as a metaphor for cussing, Eddie Murphy, South Park, the court jester, dominatrixes, “John Barron,” immunity to shame as a superpower, Maoist China, Peter Thiel, psychopaths, the devolution of language in Mike Judge’s film “Idiocracy,” Trump’s limited vocabulary, measuring language, Isak Dinesen, learning versus mastering English, translation as an art, Robert Bly, Yoko Tawada, screen adaptations that are better than the books (John Irving, Stephen King, Station Eleven), Game of Thrones, Black Rabbit (Netflix).Mentioned in this episode:The World According to Garp (1982 Robin Williams film, adapted from the novel by John Irving, directed by George Roy Hill)The Number 23 (2007 Jim Carrey film, directed by Joel Schumacher)South Park s09e09 “Marjorine” where Butters fakes his own death to infiltrate the girls and steal their fortune-telling device.Foxcatcher (2014 film starring Steve Carrell as John DuPont and Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo as the champion wrestler Schultz brothers)Black Rabbit (Netflix)Dr. Taylor Jones (PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania) analyzes the 6-7 meme: https://youtu.be/laZpTO7IFtA This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about life with extended family, vacation homes, generational entropy, the evolution of sunscreen, Bob Marley, “Modern Jackass” magazine, pancakes, Maui, long swims, calf cramps, the Toyota ‘stuck accelerator’ incidents, memories that still make you cringe, G.I. Joe grip, catching arrows, skateboarding, ‘No Kings’ protests, scaling up ICE operations in SF, Mayor Lurie, USB cables, getting scammed.Mentioned in this EpisodeMalcom Gladwell’s “Revisionist History” episode about the famous Toyota crash supposedly involving a stuck accelerator, one of many such stories that prompted a massive recall of vehicles between 2009-2011. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Please pardon some audio issues with this episodeWe talk about sourdough bread-making techniques, types of knowledge, short order cooks, adopting and abandoning hobbies, revenge of the incels, audience capture, sensemaking, the COVID lab leak theory, participating in online discourse, Angry Birds, self-promotion & attention seeking, Tony Gilroy, empathy as an artist’s currency, the original Apple logo:Mentioned in this episodeCarl Sandberg - Lincoln biographer who talked about his experience as a restaurant cookA Complete Unknown (Bob Dylan biopic)Intelligence Without Wisdom - recent essay by Shawn on AGITony Gilroy, writer and director (Michael Clayton, Andor) guest appearance on Ross Douthat, on Marc MaronHow to Save the American Experiment by John Fabian Witt (NY Times article, gift link) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about MacOS names, the right preposition to use for islands, expired cream, mold species, rebooting leftovers, rotisserie chickens, food safety, diabetes, fiber supplements, poop, engaging with the world vs escaping, the Hegseth-Trump meeting with the generals in Quantico, loyalty tests, what MAGA see when they look at Trump, regretting one’s vote, psychological defenses against truth, Moral Foundations Theory, immunity to shame, another mindset shifting trick, becoming awake, Jung and the “dark night of the soul,” walking away from the climate crisis.Mentioned in this episodeApparently it’s possible to lower the glucose level of rice by cooking it with a little fat and then refrigerating it for at least 12 hours (source).Moral Foundations Theory (Shawn mistakenly referred to it as Moral Framework Theory)Play of Consciousness book by Muktananda This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com