Just the right amount of unpleasant

There's a pattern of things I predictably like—which I shall now call "just the right amount of unpleasant". Some examples to follow. <!--more--> Food and Beverage * Fermented, funky stuff—kimchi, kombucha, certain cheeses and curd have just the right amount of "spoilt&…

Good art is compression

Is art paintings, sculpture, architecture, theatre, dance, film, poetry, literature, craft and criticism? It's hard to describe it in concretions. Sometimes concretions aren't enough. Let me try something more abstract—to me, good art is powerful compression. The human condition is vast and complex, the only…

Games I used to play in my head, by myself

This is lifted from my old blog that's not around anymore (with some light edits). My default mental state is no longer weirdly existential. Although it's been a while since I've played some games in my head. It's the weekend. I sit…

A low-hanging fruit to pluck

Friends know me for having a broad and discerning palate. In recent years, I have realised that this quality of mine has been an endless stream of joy and that has enriched my day-to-day. I have also felt that many people don't draw from this stream enough. <…

You should read I am a strange loop

I am a strange loop is perhaps the best book I’ve ever read; a masterpiece and a flagship example of what the written word is capable of achieving. <!--more--> I felt like there was a me before I read this book and a me after I read…

A Software Analogy

What contributes to a stable, high-quality software product? I shall categorise it this way: * The mapping of abstractions and patterns to the problem. * Choice of tools and technologies. Software discourse tends to be disproportionately focused on the latter. I find myself contributing to this skew as well. Perhaps it'…

The Polymath and the Monomath

Two archetypes of people capture my imagination. They could be placed on two ends of a spectrum. The first is the polymath—a person who has done a whole bunch of things to remarkable effect. By the standards of modernity, they have lived many lives. To throw out a bunch…