feet in the sand and
head in the clouds, i dream in
silent miles and salt

we sit in the eye
with storms swarming around us.
the rain never comes.

big horizon vibes.
the sun falls on the water.
we get the green flash.

from above the clouds
the coastline comes into view.
we are only ants.

the bullpen is trash
but the dingers keep coming.
raise it. hoist the cone.

a sentient tire
rolls around exploding heads
for no good reason

young bucks in velvet
watch with curiosity
i am in their world

motivation wanes.
stillness. lethargy calling.
i take the first step.

a new day rises
a new year, like breath, inhale
whatever comes next

Terry Godier:

Some things need to become enormous to survive. Other things survive because they never needed to become enormous.

A must-read for anyone interested in the health of the open web.

Watched: Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie 🍿

Finally got a chance to watch this and OMG it is so good. There were nods to nostalgia, but this film also delivers something completely fresh and new. Loved it.

We’re planning a family trip to Chicago. When we visit new cities, we like to explore on foot and taste our way through town. Tell me your favorite places for food in the Windy City.

Watched: Backrooms 🍿

What if David Lynch made the Blair Witch Project? It may be a generational thing, but I wasn’t that into it.

Rage against the machine learning.

In case you’re wondering if and when the AI sector will become profitable, there’s now a website that tracks the spend and revenue of frontier AI companies. Spoiler Alert: They’re not – with one glaring exception, the company selling them all chips.

I just signed on to pace a good friend during his 100K next weekend. I’ve never paced before, but have appreciated having good pacers in my ultrarunning past. I’m planning to bring an approach that I would want in a pacer, but any advice from seasoned pacers for a first timer?

A must-read mic drop piece from Marisa Kabas: Hating AI is good, actually

When I’m 66 years old, I hope I’m rocking and smiling as hard as Pat Smear is rocking and smiling in this Tiny Desk concert: youtu.be/wxaXWSVhR…

Accidentally swallowed my first “natural GU” of the Spring 2026 Western Pennsylvania trail running season. Bigger than a gnat, smaller than a horsefly. A good reminder to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Stoked to be heading out to Bottlerocket Social Club tonight to see Saintseneca. Their 2025 release Highwalllow & Supermoon Songs was one of my favorites from last year. I’ve been looking forward to hearing these songs performed live for a while now.

“If you live at the intersection of being shit at something and holding an active disdain for craftsmanship, Fraude Design can keep you oblivious to your own shortcomings!”

I am a notoriously slow reader. Putting my e-reader in airplane mode so I can keep the library loan past its 3 week return date is the life hack I never knew I needed.

An amazing piece of writing from Steven Langbroek:

AI didn’t take our jobs. Greed did. Same greed that moved factories to Bangladesh and keeps slaves in cobalt mines in the Congo, wearing a new mask.

Substitute ‘programming’ with any other lane of knowledge work and you have your manifesto.

I really like this concept of a work/leadership diary from Seth Godin, and think I may give this a go. I’ve worked some things on this list into my daily practice (gratitude, empathy), but admittedly I could be more consistent in others (leadership generosity, new skills). This seems like a low-friction way to make progress.

Watched: Hulk Hogan: Real American Season 1 🍿

Listen up, brother. This was cool. Made me want to train hard, say my prayers and eat my vitamins. I had no idea about Hulk Hogan’s backstory. The vintage Wrestlemania footage brought me right back to being nine years old with wide eyes watching him body slam Andre the Giant.

I’ve never run a race with chest congestion and a head cold, but there’s a first time for everything. Still planning to send it. YOLO.

There are not many things in this world that I am truly good at, but I will put my grilled cheese up against anyone’s.

Watched: Big Mistakes 🍿

This was fantastic. Dan Levy and Taylor Ortega were great as dysfunctional but loving siblings caught up in a Russian crime ring. No spoilers, but it was left on a cliffhanger so hopefully a 2nd season is in the works.

I got my last tempo run in this morning before the Pittsburgh Half Marathon on Sunday. Seven miles at 7:20 average pace. Training has been on point this cycle and I’m feeling strong. Really looking forward to seeing what I can do this weekend. As they say, the hay is in the barn. Let’s go!

This story of the provenance surrounding the bat Roberto Clemente used to get his 3000th hit is absolutely incredible.

I was offered free tickets for tonight’s MNF game between the Steelers and Dolphins. The temperature at kickoff is forecasted to be 15ºF (-10ºC) with wind gusts of up to 20mph. This may be soft, but I politely declined. I’m too old to suffer like that and will watch in comfort on my couch. 🏈

babe, wake up. a new twisted teens joint just dropped.

There’s something extremely rich about Time Magazine drawing the visual parity between ’the architects of AI’ and the hero laborers who risked life and limb in unsafe working conditions building this country’s infrastructure.

There are two types of people in this world. Those who return their shopping carts to the designated storage places and those who leave them strewn about the parking lot.

Yes, I’ve reached that point in life where I’m drinking a cup of coffee while watching Steelers football.

Happy ’loosen the straps on your Birks to allow for the wearing of thick winter socks’ Day to all who celebrate!

Just signed up for the Nittany Valley Half Marathon, taking place December 7th on the campus of Penn State University where Elliott is a student. It’s been over a year since I’ve raced and I’m looking forward to getting back out there. Will be cool to have Elliott there to cheer me on too!

Brian Phillips writes a love letter to the em dash & laments the AI-shaming that’s grown online related to its use. I, too, love the em dash – and have used it in my writing for years – but I consciously started editing them out for fear of perceived AI use. No more! Em dash loud & proud!

Jumped into a Lyft today & the driver was jamming to Thursday’s Understanding in a Car Crash. I complimented his taste & he was surprised I knew it. Then for the duration of the ride we played Name That Tune with his early aughts emo playlist.

Five stars trip. Max tip.

I’m jamming hard to the new-ish Hayley Williams record, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. Williams initially released the 18 songs separately as singles, but recently packaged them up into her preferred playlist. These songs are so good. It’s currently a front-runner for my record of the year.

I’ve been playing Fantasy Football in the same league, with the same folx, since 2012. The highest I’ve placed is 3rd. We had our draft last night and this is the first time in 13 seasons I’ve gotten an A+ grade. We’ll see how expectations and injuries pan out, but this could be my year. 🏈

Pour one out for dial-up internet from AOL, which will be officially discontinued on September 30th. Many of us cut our adolescent internet teeth back in the day to those omnipresent CD-ROMs and that glorious sound of the dial-up modem handshake. A small part of me is sad about this.

We saw a matinee of Its Never Over, Jeff Buckley this afternoon at the Harris Theater. I thought it was extremely well done and showcased how complicated, dynamic and talented Jeff was. Tears were shed. He is a legend. 🍿

Just saw Weapons. Solid story and excellent cinematography. Very intense. Loved it! 🍿

WalkUpDB is a database and website that tracks the walk-up songs for every MLB player. The internet was made for beautiful, weird things like this.

100% humidity this morning. Felt like running through soup. 🏃🏻‍♂️

The April Pink Moon will be in full effect tonight. Get your Nick Drake records ready.

Life is moving fast. Big change at work that’s consuming the majority of my capacity and lots going on personally. Dipping in here quickly to say I miss you, open web. I hope to be back soon.

War Plans is a p good band name tbh

I don’t follow college basketball and know almost nothing about March Madness, but I filled out a bracket this year. First time doing it. I’m dropping it here for posterity. Let’s see how long we remain unbusted.

Happy Pi Day to all that celebrate. In honor of the occasion, here are my top 5 pies stack-ranked in order of subjective deliciousness:

1. Key Lime Pie
2. Blackberry Pie
3. Coconut Cream Pie
4. Pecan Pie
5. Dutch Apple Pie

Related: Has anyone tried Huckleberry Pie?

The Steelers did Justin Fields dirty. Benched after a 4-2 start and handled it like a champ. Dude deserves to get paid and play for a coach that trusts/believes in him. Now, who’s going to be leading the offense next fall. Options are getting thin.

I’m stoked about the Steelers acquiring DK. He and Pickens have potential to destroy most secondaries. But I’m nervous about the news they’re meeting with Aaron Rodgers today. All-time great for sure, however his off-field stuff gives me pause. Sign Fields already and be done with it.

Why did I come all the way to LA for it to be rainy and 50°? Very Pittsburgh of you, SoCal.

We finally had the chance last night to check out Novo Asian Food Hall in the Strip District. Very cool spot. Since it was our first time, we grabbed several dishes and shared. Solid Banh Mi, delish dumplings, amazing sushi, exquisite ramen and a great bar with local spirits. Highly recommended.

This has been an insane week at work & I feel like I’ve been neglecting you, Fediverse. Next week is shaping up to be equally crazy (traveling), but I am looking forward to dipping my toes in the Pacific Ocean (Do we still call it that?) for the first time & eating some solid tacos in SoCal.

New tunes from Great Grandpa! And a forthcoming full-length due next month! Love this band. Thought they were over. Thankful they’re not!

Holy crap, I slept so hard on this new(ish) Merce Lemon record Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild. It would have easily made my top records of ‘24 had I jumped on it sooner.

I’m trying really hard to claw my way back to a consistent running regimen. It’s been tough sledding, with lingering injuries being the story of the past year. I got 5 miles in this morning, but I feel like I’m back at square one after so much time away. The journey begins anew I suppose.

I’ve started importing some very old posts from my previous blogs into the current iteration of Static Made, because historic preservation, ya dig? Revisiting some of these, I’m struck with how much photo quality has progressed in 20 years. This post & photo are from Halloween 2004. Wild.

I want less real-time, more real time.

Pittsburgh dark-pop outfit Animal Scream released their new EP, Otherworldly Pictures, last week and it’s very good. Featuring x-members of The Juliana Theory and The Takeover UK, the new songs are layered, dense and carry some really great melodies. Worth checking out if you dig this vibe.

I must admit, the new Light Phone III has peaked my interest. Have any of you used Light Phone? Thoughts? I currently have my iPhone 12 Mini configured similarly to the Light Phone, but it is starting to die on me and any of these new iPhones with AI slop all up in ’em turn me off.

Achievement unlocked. I handed down a domain I bought decades ago to my son today and he will be using it for his portfolio site. Super cool to see the next generation of the surname URL taking shape! Will drop a link when it’s published.

It’s 3pm on a Friday headed into a long holiday weekend. Why not rip some Neutral Bling Hotel? Finish strong.

How long until login.gov is deprecated in favor of authentication via X?

Less than stellar bouldering session tonight. No flow. Not feeling it. Rather than pushing for more and frustrating myself further, I called it quits early. Sometimes letting go, acknowledging it wasn’t your time and saving yourself for a new day is the best move.

Destroying or creating access barriers to data that was once freely and publicly accessible is the modern equivalent of book burning. History will hold these people to account.

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council will begin serving AI slop to their patrons via a customer service chatbot and auto-generated events calendar. This is a bad look for an organization whose mission is to grow “a more resourced, connected, and informed arts sector, empowering artists and arts organizations throughout Southwestern PA.”

Back in 2010, Robin Sloan wrote about the concepts of “stock and flow” as they relate to digital media. This economic metaphor draws lines between the ephemeral stream of updates (flow) and the durable lasting content (stock) that builds value over time.

I think this piece is more important now than ever and – 15 years later – I wrote about how the modern open web can power media that endures.

Huge shout out to the folx at Masto.host for the amazing support delivered during my migration to a self-hosted instance. I am not super technical & they made the transition easy. They replied to support emails within minutes. Recommended for anyone considering self-hosting a Mastodon server.

GREASE THE LIGHT POLES

Kendrick Lamar is an American hero.

Rolling up to the party with some Philly Cheesesteak Sliders. Go Birds!

Come work with me at REI! If you are passionate about the outdoors & product strategy, our Customer Experience team is hiring a Principal Product Manager who will set the course for key customer journeys, including our foundational offering Co-Op Membership. LMK if you have questions!

I got chased by — not one — but two different dogs on this morning’s run. Both left their yards, ran into the street & followed me until I turned around & returned them to their owners. Luckily they were both friendly & there were no passing cars. People, please keep your dogs (& runners) safe!

Super cool! Counterforce has published a punk rock guide to Mastodon & the Fediverse. IMO the Fedi is so tightly aligned to the punk / hardcore / underground ethos and I’m surprised there isn’t more of a punk community established. Maybe this is a start.

Wish Defense, the new release from Chicago-based FACS, is out today. These guys have been in my heavy rotation the past few years and I’m stoked on this new record. Recommended if you like angular, minimal, slightly weird, art rock.

I added a cool little micro-post callout on my site’s home page that displays my most recent status with a link over to Mastodon. Really like the way it turned out!

I’ve been on a Deftones bender the past few days. Turns out I may be seeing them 2x next month (on each coast…just how work travel pans out) and I’ve been revisiting their complete discography. Underrated in the annals of rock music!

You can’t post your way out of fascism, writes Janus Rose over at 404 Media:

We don’t need any more irony-poisoned hot takes or cathartic, irreverent snark. We need to collectively decide what kind of world we actually do want, and what we’re willing to do to achieve it.

This is easier said than done. But it’s the blunt truth, and it needs to be shouted, shared and lived.

Walmart buys Pittsburgh-area mall for $34M | Retail Dive

This is an interesting move for the U.S. based mega-retailer. The Monroeville Mall has been struggling for years, but Walmart as a buyer is a surprise. It will be interesting to see how redevelopment shakes out.

Personally, I have many memories cruising this mall back in the day, but haven’t been inside in decades.

Test post from staticmade.com to see how it flows through the new self-hosted Masto instance.

The drums on Scentless Apprentice get me. Every. Single. Time.

I’ve been offline today for obvious reasons – and I’m about to board a 5 hr flight – so just sliding in here to say keep your heads up, kids. It’s going to be tough sledding, but if we stick together and keep each others’ backs, we’ll be OK.

What if millions of Americans today realize they don’t need TikTok?

Good morning. It’s a great day to touch grass.

Radiohead was wrong. The computer is not OK.

Today I learned that Sheetz sells sushi. Say that five times fast.

No, I did not purchase the gas station fish.

my general rule of thumb is to avoid use of any social platform that’s run by an oligarch resembling either 1) a fraggle, or 2) a toad

This record just came on my shuffle and I totally forgot:

1. It was in my collection, and
2. What a freakin’ banger it is

Flickerstick might be the best band to come out of a reality/game show. Bonus points for music nerds: Without Googling, what was the name of the TV show that was their ‘big break’?

Just a little bit chilly out here.

I’ve got a Bandcamp gift card burning a hole in my pocket. What record have you absolutely loved this year?

Waxahatchee playing the Tiny Desk? Yes please.

I haven’t missed much about my decision to stop measuring health and activity metrics, except for the fact that I now have no idea what time it is without looking at my phone. So now I’m on the hunt for a reasonably priced analog watch I can use as an everyday wear. Have any recommendations?

I’ve been using Reeder to listen to podcasts the past few weeks (via RSS) and I really like it. It’s minimal, but it’s also nice to have a unified feed of audio, site subscriptions and saved links. It’s become my one-stop shop for incoming media.

If you would have told me in August that Ben Skowronek and Mycole Pruitt would be making plays for the #Steelers in week 16 against the Ravens for the division title, I’d have called you crazy.

It’s pretty freaking cool that Barack Obama even knows who Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman are, let alone put them on his favorite music list for 2024.

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing an entire society that the “For You” feed was actually for them.

The son and I are roadtripping to #Indianapolis today for the BIG10 championship game between Penn State & Oregon. Looking for a good spot for a pre-game dinner. I hear pork chops may be a thing in Indy? Recommendations welcome! #WeAre

#Whamageddon 2024-12-03 @ 6:39PM EST

Your Bluesky Posts Are Probably In A Bunch of Datasets Now (via 404 Media)

Jilly and I have a tradition of taking off the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and grabbing a boozey brunch at our local watering hole (that flips their decor to full-on Xmas overnight), before heading home and preparing the house for hosting 20 guests for Turkey day. Cheers!

Product management is largely about communicating and selling what you aren’t going to do vs. what you are going to do. This can be effective – if accomplished – but it is often the much harder sell.

I got some amazing news yesterday. It’s not my news to share, so I can’t post details here, but it is a great reminder that sometimes the universe smiles on you. It’s hard to see sometimes, but there is still good in this world. Positivity never goes out of style. Actively choose to radiate it!

Anyone else reppin’ hard on work calls today? #HereWeGo

John Gruber piling on the anti-Substack thread by focusing on the platform’s homogeneity & lock-in:

I really don’t get why any writer trying to establish themselves independently would farm out their own brand this way. It’s the illusion of independence.

Perplexity is entering the ecommerce space and offering merchant tools:

Merchants will have access to Perplexity’s API to refine how their products appear in search results and use a custom dashboard to offer insights into search and shopping trends.

This is interesting; I’ll be following.

Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) covered Elliott Smith’s Pitseleh at his NYC show last weekend and it is awesome. One of my favorite Elliott songs and he does it justice.

Quantified self is a myth. Aspire to be equal parts science and soul. Thanks for attending my TED Talk.

Solid bouldering session tonight. Topped a V3 problem I’ve been struggling with the past couple of sessions. That felt good.

The gym was so crowded tho. I need to get back to early morning sessions when it’s just me, my thermos of coffee and the wall.

BIG Steelers win over the Ravens today! Brings the record to 8-2 with a 1.5 game lead in the division. Let’s go!

I took the last couple of weeks off from running to rest some overuse niggles that were just getting worse. First run back today…an easy pace 10k. This was the first time I can remember in quite some time that my body felt better after a run than before. Great to be back.

Manuel Moreale thinks we should celebrate smallness. I agree.

You’ve heard of bikepacking, but have you heard of skatepacking?

Target debuts ‘weirdly hot’ Santa named Kris in new holiday campaign:

The modern-day take on Santa Claus is introduced in a 30-second commercial, “Born to Be Kris,” where he rides out to a Target in a red Ford Bronco truck (with license plate “Sleigh”).

C’mon Target, is nothing sacred?

Mike Thurk is a photographer and outdoor adventurer who is gaining notoriety for his high-contrast, black and white photos. I like his take on the similarities between athletics and art:

I feel the creative process for athletes and artists runs parallel. It’s often I hear athletes discuss the need to find inspiration for certain efforts, and it’s not unlike an artist waiting for a similar moment. They also both reward those that plan, and practice.

Tal Raviv believes the role of product manager is an unfair one, therefore we should work unfairly. I respect Tal greatly and admire his approach, but in my opinion these aren’t unfair tactics. They’re mostly common sense, efficiency-driven and modern PM workflows.

Pittsburgh City Paper makes the case for a national park in Western Pennsylvania. It really is a travesty we are without one considering the natural beauty of this area. My vote would go to shifting Ohiopyle State Park to the Federal level.

Trail runner and endurance coach David Roche is having one heckuva year. I’ll be curious to see if his streak continues and he can achieve his goal of a sub-14 win at Western States next year.

An insightful post-mortem from Taylor Lorenz on the media ecosystem built and funded by the GOP to propel the ‘Bro Vote,’ which ultimately won them the presidency. This piece shines an important light on why the left always seems to be trailing in messaging and media strategy.