Culture & Aesthetics
Curated Inputs. Music Stuff, Cinema, and Digital Anthropology.
Music Stuff
The Rotation
Focus & Flow
"I use Dub Techno for deep work because it is repetitive and instrumental. Suggest 3 completely different music genres (e.g., Math Rock, Ambient Jungle, or Classical) that provide a similar 'flow state' for focus, and list one starter album for each."
The Screen
Mickey 17
A masterclass in "Disposable Humanity." Bong Joon-ho uses the sci-fi clone trope to deconstruct gig-economy labor ethics. Visually stunning, structurally terrifying.
"I love the visual style and social commentary of Director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, Mickey 17). Suggest 3 other global directors who blend dark humor with class warfare themes, and recommend one starting film for each."
Predator: Badlands
A Yautja outcast and a damaged synthetic form the ultimate "odd couple" survival pack. Trachtenberg flips the hunter/prey dynamic on its head, using visual storytelling to humanize the most inhuman of protagonists.
"I enjoyed the unlikely alliance between the Yautja and the Android in 'Predator: Badlands'. Recommend 3 other sci-fi films where enemies or radically different species are forced to cooperate for survival."
Conventions & Tours
| Date | Event | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16 - 19 | MAGFest 2026 | Music & Gaming | National Harbor, MD |
| Mar 10 - 15 | SXSW 2026 | Tech & Film | Austin, TX |
| Apr 24 - 26 | Coachella (Weekend 2) | Music Festival | Indio, CA |
Digital Anthropology The Sociology of the Internet
The Return of "Forum Culture"
Why Gen Z is abandoning algorithmic feeds for Discord servers and closed communities.
"Explain the 'Dead Internet Theory' and why users are moving to closed communities like Discord. Use simple analogies."
"Brainrot" as a Dialect
Analyzing the linguistic drift of TikTok slang and hyper-irony.
"Explain the slang terms 'Rizz', 'Fanum Tax', and 'Skibidi' to a 40-year-old. Focus on how they are used in conversation."
The Frutiger Aero Revival
Why the glossy, optimistic UI design of the mid-2000s is making a comeback.
"Show me 3 visual examples of 'Frutiger Aero' design vs 'Corporate Memphis' design. Explain why the aesthetic is changing."