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Anglo-Saxon maxxing

Ever since visiting the British Museum in February I have been on an Anglo-Saxon history kick: reading books, watching videos, listening to podcasts… That was certainly not on my “Reading Goals for 2026” list, but it kind of took over my media diet for the first half of the year. Early British history is not something I have ever studied before; I am an Asian Studies scholar since Grade 10, and prior to that we only learned about Britain in the formation of the Canada.

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Today on my walk under the wild green trees and amber setting sun I started listening to The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman 📚

“effective extractivism” 🔥🔥🔥

Why this philosopher turned down Anthropic: The AI industry is courting the humanities — but it is asking the wrong questions

Woke up to the earthquake news in Kumamoto. I remember the last big one that hit the mainland in Kumamoto. 😬

Map of Kyushu showing a 7.1 earthquake centered on Kumamoto and spreading out with a Tsunami warning

Started CIRCE by Madeline Miller 📚

#AmReading

Been consuming The Odyssey meta all day: podcasts, interviews, behind the scenes, Emily Wilson’s reaction to the film. It is a very impressive feature, and totally worth watching on a big screen if you can. I have decided to move Circe by Madeline Miller up to my next book read!

I’ve been IMAX 70mm’d!

Wow… gonna have to sit with this achievement for a bit. It was a real… journey… or as one might say, an Odyssey

About to be Odysseyed! 🐴

There is a LOT of great material in here (read the extensive refs in the shownotes!) but I want to highlight an important piece of WISDOM from Erin:

“refusing contempt in favour of inquiry”

That’s a bar 🔥

Listen to the ep: atproto.com/off-proto…

For the latest Off Protocol conversation, @jimray.bsky.team had a delightfully wide-ranging talk with @kissane.myatproto.social about so many things and ultimately a desire to make better mistakes

After the Goodbot.ca summer BBQ took a selfie with the big World Cup Ball before they take it down. Lovely hot evening in Vancouver tonight.

Chad selfie painting at Science World decorated as a WC2026 football

On the weekend I drove to my hometown deep in the Rockies for a 30 years grad reunion. It has been 10 years since I have been back. Realized how I took these stupendous mountains for granted.

Massive moutain looming over a highwaySnow capped peaks over a highwaySnow covered mountains in the distancerocky mountaintop above a highway

I’m in my hometown in the Rockies for the first time in 10 years. We had our 30th High School Reunion. So good to catch up with old friends.

Chad selfie at a viewpoint over a small town with large mountains in the background (with visible snow)

Magnifica Humanitas Breakdown

Me yapping about the Pope’s encyclical on AI

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Lost Prophets Podcast

Taste-tested this new-to-me podcast with an excellent ep on Ivan Illich. Recommended! 🌟

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森林浴 Forest Bathing

This is in Redwood Park, near the Fairie Forest in South Surrey, just a few blocks from the US border.

Chad poses with an absolutely massive fir treeMound covered in small green plants that are not cloverRoot of A fallen tree looking like some artistic sculpture Lady Chad enjoys the forest vibes in a stand of ferns

silence is not the absence of sound, but the absence of self

#Buddhism

I mean, I have seen a ton of Cory Doctorow interviews over two decades + of following his work, but this one is particularly fun and a great one to share with folks that might not necessarily know who he is:

Read Play Unsafe How Improvisation Can Change the Way You Roleplay by Graham Walmsley 📚

A bunch of us DMs read this together for discussion. It’s nice a short and gives everyone solid situations to talk about, rather than dredging up and criticizing specific elements of one another’s game.

Walking through history in Heidelberg

Old friends and older castles

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Why am I up until 1:30am listening to Beck’s One Foot in the Grave? Nostalgia good sir. 🪵

We’ve been blessed by lovely weather yesterday and today. Third Beach at Stanley Park