Things I Liked in 2023
Tracking the things I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to this year.
One of my traditions is keeping a running list of all the cool things I find on and offline, including videos, podcasts, blogs, books, news sites, apps, tourist spots, and local gems. To celebrate the year’s end, I wanted to share some highlights from 2023 with you.
I know I’m late to the party on some of these clips/links. I just found them over the last 12 months. Old news revisited.
My regularly scheduled essays will return in January. Happy New Year, ya’ll! ✨
My Favorite Things in 2023
Great Southern Gothic in West Jefferson, NC: Homemade goods, jewelry, and decor with a gothic aesthetic. Highly recommend it.
Bill McBride’s CalculatedRisk newsletter: As a perpetual doomer, I like keeping tabs on key housing market metrics. Here’s my go-to source.
Footage of a kayaker’s 32-foot drop down a waterfall: I respect the adrenaline junkie condition, even though I can’t personally relate. My idea of danger is public speaking.
Cyberpunk themes, fashion, and aesthetics: Always a fun break from the monotony.
Close encounters with sharks: A freaky reminder that monsters lurk among us. Here’s one in Australia:
Atlas Coffee Club: A monthly subscription for heavenly ground coffee.
A classic rural SC/NC personality on display in this semi-viral news clip from September. I send a North Carolina salute to this man:
Tom Snyder’s “Datafication Nation” column on WRAL TechWire: Worth a read for unique tech insights/commentary.
British Parliament chaos: I like checking in on U.K. Parliament sessions from time to time. It’s all so perfectly British!: The roaring, the yelling, the lack of control in the room, the aggressive AYEs and NAYs. It’s a rich scene:
Unicorn Riot: An independent news publication covering everyday police abuses.
Old-school digital cameras.
Combat boots: Trusty and stylish companions on cold days.
Interesting footage of a bank robbery: In an ongoing liquidity crisis, Lebanese banks have started restricting depositors’ ability to withdraw their own savings. A revolt is unfolding:
Crisis in the Red Zone: Terrifying reports from the frontlines of the deadliest Ebola outbreak in 2013-2014.
Sword and Scale: A true crime podcast about murderers getting caught.
Visual Capitalist: A great collection of charts and other data visuals on the economy, finance, and banking.
Meat Canyon: Grotesque animations recreating our favorite childhood characters, like Andy (Toy Story), Pinocchio, and Garfield.
Countere: An edgy online magazine that reminds me of the old Vice days (RIP).
I love Substack. <3
BUG-A-SALT: A fun way to deal with house flies and cockroaches.
Alpha Wolf cringe: Another strange, gawk-worthy subculture has formed online.
The Epic AI yearbook app: This is the second time I’ve used one of these AI avatar apps this year, only to have it spit out mixed results with an inconsistent likeness of me. Once again I’m not convinced AI is as hype-worthy as people want it to be. Still, it was fun to try:
VOID by SXMPRA and other trap works. I’m going through a phonk phase. \m/
American politics without context: Archival footage of our elected representatives being total goofballs/weirdos.
VH1’s I Love the 90s series (circa 2004): Commentary on the 1990s culture, entertainment, and music. A must-watch for all of you nostalgia heads out there. :P
1984 by George Orwell: Never ceases to be pertinent.
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