Erin and I decided to cancel Netflix the other week after subscribing for about eight years. I’d been infrequently toying with the idea for a few years, but while recording a recent episode of Comical Start Grant asked me something that solidified my reasoning.
Continue reading “Netflix and Value”A Little Rain Never Hurt Anyone – Joel Haver
I wrote about Joel Haver some time ago. He has a second channel, Joel Talks About Movies, which is focused on his ideas about movies and life rather than actual short films he produces for his main channel.
His most recent video on that second channel, a little rain never hurt anybody, was a lovely take on an idea I’ve tried to embody as I grow older. The thesis—which operates as both a direct idea and a metaphor—is to stop worrying about getting wet from the rain. If you get caught in some rain, the worst thing that happens is you get wet and you’ll be dry sometime later.
Why not have the same outlook on taking chances in life?
Joel has a particular style of rambling that I find engaging and endearing, so I recommend watching the video and seeing if it resonates. He exudes a calm demeanor and is always working towards enjoying life, whatever that life is. It’s fantastic.
Anthologies
I’ve been reading How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu. Unlike other apocalyptic fiction I’ve consumed over the years, this is written as an anthology of short stories giving snippets of life over the course of time without any stated connection between the characters beyond their shared experience of something rather awful going on. I’m always drawn to anthologies, whether they’re a book or TV show, because I get a wealth of “experience” in the world.
Part of my draw to them may be a simple change of pace: I like to toss in some non-fiction books among the majority fiction that I read, and filling in the gaps of powerful narrative stories with these world-building styles give me a fresh perspective on how to construct and present information in an interesting way. Even then, I’ve always admired short stories. I’ve seen comments by some writers who don’t appreciate the power of a concise story, and the care that goes into crafting them. They’re delicate and sharp, and a book made entirely of them to tell a broader story is a fascinating concept.