Monthly Archives: January 2025

Moviewatch: January 2025

Posted on January 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

JANUARY: Supermarket Woman, 1996. Japanese comedy about a man with a struggling supermarket who runs into an old high school flame and, upon realizing she has Housewife insight into supermarket operations, hires her. Fascinating to see 1990s fashion in Japan. … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Light Eaters

Posted on January 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

Since at least the time of Aristotle, the western mind has regarded plants as passive background scenery; useful to eat, nice for decor, but not all that interesting. Think of how we use the word ‘vegetable’ to refer to someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

January 2025 in Review

Posted on January 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

Welcome to the first 2025 monthly recap! The year is off to a good start, as I was able to hit most of my usual genres — only science fiction was neglected. I’ve already completed a quarter of the science … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged | 7 Comments

WWW Wednesday + Thoughtful Quotes

Posted on January 29, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt from Long and Short Reviews is “Quotations That Make You Think”. But first, WWW Wednesday! WHAT have you finished reading recently? Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear. WHAT are you reading now? Multiple things, but I’m focusing … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Top Ten New to Me Authors from 2024

Posted on January 28, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT celebrates authors we discovered in 2024. But first, teases! Fifteen miles in from Guadalcanal’s north coast, up a mountain trail that teases the climber with an apparently endless succession of hillocks, there stands a ridge that offers a … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Nerve

Posted on January 27, 2025 by smellincoffee

Nerve is an odd little title, a memoir of a woman trying to overcome some specific fears — falling from heights, and driving — occasionally interspersed dips into psychology and neurology. Eva Holland’s fear of heights is enough that she … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Goodbye, Darkness

Posted on January 24, 2025 by smellincoffee

Haunted by disturbing dreams that evoke the bloody days of his youth, William Manchester decided to confront his memories directly. Retracing his steps in the Pacific War, returning again to the jungle-covered rocks wherin he suffered, and where so many … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Unsettling of America, audio edition

Posted on January 23, 2025 by smellincoffee

It was twelve years ago that I met a man named Jayber Crow, and met too, his author — Wendell Berry. Berry is one of my very favorite living authors, and would probably still make the list of favorite authors … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Society and Culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Strong Towns: the Book

Posted on January 22, 2025 by smellincoffee

Years ago I heard an engineer being interviewed on a podcast about urbanism, castigating his fellow planners and engineers for supporting an approach to urbanism that was dishonest and financially ruinous. This engineer, Chuck Marohn, had recently started a blog … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

WWW Wednesday, TT, Tech Problems, and Fake News

Posted on January 22, 2025 by smellincoffee

I woke up Wednesday morning and my brand-new superduper gaming rig with nine colorful fans and a hum like a small airplane was unresponsive. No idea why, as it was working fine the night before — and into Wednesday, since … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , | 11 Comments