Satellite Haiku

MiLo shares an update on his grandbabies and uses that to riff on the constant versus the variant (nature versus nurture). We linger on parenthood for a bit, and then we talk about approaches to human learning, analogous approaches to training AI, Waldorf education, screen use and attention span, ADHD, the purpose of school and different college majors, STEM versus the humanities, the idea of the “collective” (i.e. society) and its obstacles, globalization, “fraternity” versus selfishness, whether selfishness is endemic (constant) or learned (variant), proxy debates in politics, Steven Pinker’s view of human progress, the need for certainty and cognitive closure, religious belief. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about audiophiles, stereos of our youth, early portable music devices, white gentrification, artistic idiosyncrasies, writing, the pap smear test, videoconferencing apps, libertarians, Andreessen, Musk, Zuckerberg and the end of the Metaverse, the stupidity of supposedly smart people, the daily barrage of crime and scandal, fears about the midterms and 2028 elections.Mentioned in this episodeDr. Georgios Papanikolaou, Greek physician and pathologist who developed the “Pap Smear” screening method in the 1920s to detect cancerous cells in the cervixEx Machina (2014 film) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about the challenge of focusing on normal life, Trump’s fundamental laziness and capriciousness, art after tragedies like 9/11, the diminishing returns of escapism, dystopia-induced anxiety vs depression, eschatological beliefs, children as an investment with delayed returns, society vs selfishness, the hierarchy of self-identification, what capitalism can and can’t solve, America as non-dualist, alternative energy opportunities and challenges.Mentioned in this episodeSpun (2002 film starring Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy)Ill Fares the Land - book by historian Tony JudtSold a Story - podcast series about reading instruction in American schools (“whole language” vs phonics and the science of reading) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about daylight savings, the war with Iran, ancient civilizations in North America, Lucy (aka “the missing link”), Charles Darwin’s bone collection, the brontosaurus, Amerigo Vespucci, John Hancock, chagas disease, science, freedom vs. security, Orwell, the S.A.V.E. Act, the Dunning-Kruger effect, the need for certainty and cognitive closure, James Talarico, consequentialism, secular morality, WWJD, loving your enemy, altruism, tragedies of the commons, Jeselnik’s rule of offensive jokes, the cultural equation for canceling someone (Elvis vs Jerry Lee Lewis; Michael Jackson vs R. Kelly). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about MiLo’s new grandson, parenting, germaphobia, catastrophizing, panic attacks, our love language, learning the hard way, idiosyncrasies of houses, intuitive design and its opposite, the AI future as Terminator versus R2D2, the emerging techno-status gap, Luddites, AI use cases, Shawn’s journey down an Epstein Files rabbit hole, syndicates of capital, the Iran war, taxing the rich, and Obama in retrospect. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Shawn gets a little salty about Trump’s SOTU address (which he avoided), while MiLo compares Trump to Liberace. After indulging that digression for a bit, we talk about the closeted 1980s. We come back to the state of US politics, then we talk about cults, theocracy, the ability to recognize truth, tolerating uncertainty, the Tucson rodeo, deconstruction (from the church), embracing mystery, the Golden Rule, the nature of faith and belief, Pascal’s wager, the impotence of prayers, charity and its motivations, indigenous justice systems.Mentioned in this episodeCovered with Night, A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America, by Nicole Eustace (awarded the Pulitzer Prize for history in 2022) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Happy birthday to MiLo! Shawn is recovering from a cold, so we talk about that and about losing your voice, then about (the royal formerly known as) Prince Andrew, political accountability (former President of S. Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, former Philippine President Duterte and his successor), whether the Epstein “dominoes” are really starting to fall, Anarcho-Capitalism, breakfast sandwiches, the “cold start” sourdough technique, home renovations, designs that have single point of failure, getting an electrical shock, robot plumbers, doomsday prepping, Outward Bound, consciousness theory, the multiverse, the “Quantum Suicide Thought Experiment,” teleportation.Mentioned in this episodeCy Canterel, who has an excellent Substack and TikTok and appears regularly on Virginia Heffernan’s podcast, What Rough BeastLarken Rose, anarchist we know who has a YouTube channel and appeared in the HBO documentary, The AnarchistsInvestigative journalist Carol Cadwalldr and her excellent Substack, How to Survive the BroligarchyCormac McCarthy’s The Road (and the film adaptation)Hanna (tv series) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

MiLo (“Abu”) welcomes a new grandson, and we talk about pregnancy and birth. Then we talk about discrimination and personal blind spots, “cooperative interruption,” daydreaming, optimizing yourself to perform better, lifehacks, material wealth and happiness, striving versus self-acceptance, envy, commute time as a predictor of school success, the power of intention, classical yoga versus kashmir shaivism on transcending versus ‘being’ the pile of dung, and gratitude as a practice. At the end we wonder about the optimal form of government and what that means for whom.Mentioned in this episodeBrené Brown and Tim Ferris on the tension between striving and self-acceptanceDr. Gül Dölen on “critical periods” of brain development and the effects of psychedelicsHayek’s B******s (book) by Quinn Slobodian — “How neoliberals turned to nature to defend inequality after the end of the Cold War” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We have thoughts about sleep. Then we talk about movies and entertainment—Quentin Tarantino’s films, Elmore Leonard adaptations, The Matrix, F1 (movie), Justin Timberlake, K-Pop Demon Hunters, the preteen years, Brian Eno’s definition of charisma, The Talking Heads, being different to be cool, Star Wars, Mon Rovîa, Mazes & Monsters (1982 Tom Hanks film), the Renaissance of female acting roles in the streaming era, THX 1138, The Life of Chuck. We discuss the the kidnapping of Nancy Guthrie and Elizabeth Smart, the general question of stranger danger, and free-range parenting in the 1980s vs today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about what’s happening in Minneapolis and debate whether the Trump administration is pursuing a strategy or just sort of chaotically pushing against civil norms and legal boundaries. Shawn sees a method in the madness and points to the existence of Project 2025 as evidence of coordination and a commitment to establish something durable. Milo plays devil’s advocate, dubious that this collection of MAGA clowns could coordinate breakfast, let alone a political strategy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about helping elderly parents with tech support, situations when AI unhelpfully offers help, the unnatural mix of high and low quality in AI output, machines vs the human experience of creating art, the engineer/STEM perspective on art and creativity, the real revenge of the nerds, dad jokes, living in the lie; living in the truth.Mentioned in this episodeTed Chiang: Why A.I. Isn’t Going To Make ArtJohn & Paul: A Love Story in Songs (book by Ian Leslie)Miracle & Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon (Malcolm Gladwell)Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion film “Pinocchio” (Netflix) and Shawn’s piece, In Praise of Slow ArtThe Last of Us (HBO series)The Power of the Powerless by Vaclav Havel This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about works we created long ago, old tech, operant conditioning oneself, checklists, the memory palace, MiLo’s dad’s collections of stamps and old baseball cards, Warren Buffet’s stock market advice, the scammer mindset as a strange superpower, Elizabeth Holmes and Bernie Madoff, trying to learn options trading, trying to time the market, sneakerheads, Yeezeys, Minneapolis and its precedents (like Kent State), social movements, the Trump administration response to the killing of Renee Good, the NRx movement (Curtis Yarvin, Peter Thiel, J.D. Vance), and the billionaire bubble. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about being creatures of habit, aging parents, purpose and meaning in the context of work and AI, and what it feels like to live in this age of rapid and accelerating change. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about family gatherings and family estrangement, the horseshoe effect in political ideology, the nazi problem on the right, incels, women in politics, misogyny, super-wealthy welfare queens, the rise of leftist economic populism, right-wing populism, wearing shoes in the house, Filipino family parties, gravy, family estrangement (redux), confirmation bias, scientific consensus as a heuristic, making quality arguments, and how these days it feels like corporations resent that they have to go through us to get to our money. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about conflicting nutrition advice, confirmation bias, Jedi mind tricks as a parenting technique, our visceral aversion to blaming and shaming, consequentialism in parenting, older/younger sibling dynamics, being triggered by criticism and corrections, back seat driving, thinking out loud versus in your head, chemistry in relationships, psychopathology versus polygraph tests, the persistence of history, and MAGA Jesus.Mentioned in this episodeBrené Brown’s work regarding vulnerability and shame, and in particular a story she tells in her Netflix special, The Call to Courage, about a time she and her husband both experienced shame, for very different reasons, during a swim on a lake. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about creating, procrastinating, collaborating, seeing our own past work with fresh eyes, discipline and the lack thereof, arts & craft fairs, art criticism, having your beliefs challenged, alternative energy, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and leaving work unfinished because you are finished with it.Mentioned in this episodeDon’t Look Up (2021 Netflix film)Landman (Paramount+ series)Elizabeth Kolbert reviews Ed Conway’s book, Material World: The Six Raw Materials that Shape Modern CivilizationBreakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about atmospheric rivers, The Doobie Brothers, suburban myths and life before the internet, Rush Limbaugh, the American Revolution, Simón Bolivar, the Haudenosaunee confederacy, the decline of language, and MiLo’s voiceover career that could have been.Mentioned in this episodeL.A. Story (1991 film written by and starring Steve Martin)Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary The American Revolution (new Ken Burns documentary series) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We meander for an hour and talk about internet memes, mullets, old time hockey, creative careers, various songs and artists, New York City, roommates, and natural comedic talent.Mentioned in this episodeSong Exploder episode episode 70 (Weezer) and episode 233 (Rick Astley) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We share some nuggets of wisdom we have gathered during our fiftysomething years on this bluegreen rock, and we try to fashion it into advice….* Use “I” statements* Don’t take things personally; own your own experience* “Expand your threshold before your recoil” (respond instead of reacting, and be aware of the “unseen possibility”)* Don’t shun the shadow side of yourself; integrate it* Recognize emotions as a somatic experience, versus stories we attach to them* Be here now; fully see and accept the present momentThen we talk for a while about how some of this wisdom has helped us navigate parenting, marriage, and divorce. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about last week’s election results (mini blue wave), what natural political talent looks like (Mamdani, AOC), factions in the Democratic party, theories about what voters actually want, what MTG is doing, MiLo’s “high dopamine dynamic range,” Shawn’s opinion on term limits, gerrymandering, our top potential election reforms, people’s reasons for not voting, Trump’s unlikely coalition, the Puerto Rico statehood debate, expanding SCOTUS, the mid-decade redistricting gambit, how everything is now seen through a partisan lens, how Putin punches above his weight, the universal healthcare debate, and snappy comebacks (including Churchill to Nancy Astor).Mentioned in this episodeGerrymandering explainer from the Washington Post“The Lowest Bar” - Shawn’s quick take on last week’s election This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Shawn has more to say about social sharing on the internet. Then we talk about therapy, the paradox of wisdom, the creative process, qualifications for becoming POTUS, codes of ethics, the complete capitulation of SCOTUS and the GOP Congress, the two-party system, the optics of action, ignoring the fine print, MFAs, MBAs, choosing a college major, Bisbee Arizona, the rightward shift of Silicon Valley, AI versus the demand for authenticity and sincerity, UBI, Andrew Yang, what Marx might think about A.I., the oil industry as a way to think about A.I., the success of Mamdani, the deep unpopularity of the Trump Admin and why that’s not actually comforting.Mentioned in this episodeUtne ReaderWhy A.I. Isn’t Going to Make Art - Sci Fi author Ted Chiang in The New Yorker This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about the term “Gerry-rigged,” something called semantic bleaching, the “6-7” meme and other Gen Z slang, the f-word, hot sauce as a metaphor for cussing, Eddie Murphy, South Park, the court jester, dominatrixes, “John Barron,” immunity to shame as a superpower, Maoist China, Peter Thiel, psychopaths, the devolution of language in Mike Judge’s film “Idiocracy,” Trump’s limited vocabulary, measuring language, Isak Dinesen, learning versus mastering English, translation as an art, Robert Bly, Yoko Tawada, screen adaptations that are better than the books (John Irving, Stephen King, Station Eleven), Game of Thrones, Black Rabbit (Netflix).Mentioned in this episode:The World According to Garp (1982 Robin Williams film, adapted from the novel by John Irving, directed by George Roy Hill)The Number 23 (2007 Jim Carrey film, directed by Joel Schumacher)South Park s09e09 “Marjorine” where Butters fakes his own death to infiltrate the girls and steal their fortune-telling device.Foxcatcher (2014 film starring Steve Carrell as John DuPont and Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo as the champion wrestler Schultz brothers)Black Rabbit (Netflix)Dr. Taylor Jones (PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania) analyzes the 6-7 meme: https://youtu.be/laZpTO7IFtA This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about life with extended family, vacation homes, generational entropy, the evolution of sunscreen, Bob Marley, “Modern Jackass” magazine, pancakes, Maui, long swims, calf cramps, the Toyota ‘stuck accelerator’ incidents, memories that still make you cringe, G.I. Joe grip, catching arrows, skateboarding, ‘No Kings’ protests, scaling up ICE operations in SF, Mayor Lurie, USB cables, getting scammed.Mentioned in this EpisodeMalcom Gladwell’s “Revisionist History” episode about the famous Toyota crash supposedly involving a stuck accelerator, one of many such stories that prompted a massive recall of vehicles between 2009-2011. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Please pardon some audio issues with this episodeWe talk about sourdough bread-making techniques, types of knowledge, short order cooks, adopting and abandoning hobbies, revenge of the incels, audience capture, sensemaking, the COVID lab leak theory, participating in online discourse, Angry Birds, self-promotion & attention seeking, Tony Gilroy, empathy as an artist’s currency, the original Apple logo:Mentioned in this episodeCarl Sandberg - Lincoln biographer who talked about his experience as a restaurant cookA Complete Unknown (Bob Dylan biopic)Intelligence Without Wisdom - recent essay by Shawn on AGITony Gilroy, writer and director (Michael Clayton, Andor) guest appearance on Ross Douthat, on Marc MaronHow to Save the American Experiment by John Fabian Witt (NY Times article, gift link) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about MacOS names, the right preposition to use for islands, expired cream, mold species, rebooting leftovers, rotisserie chickens, food safety, diabetes, fiber supplements, poop, engaging with the world vs escaping, the Hegseth-Trump meeting with the generals in Quantico, loyalty tests, what MAGA see when they look at Trump, regretting one’s vote, psychological defenses against truth, Moral Foundations Theory, immunity to shame, another mindset shifting trick, becoming awake, Jung and the “dark night of the soul,” walking away from the climate crisis.Mentioned in this episodeApparently it’s possible to lower the glucose level of rice by cooking it with a little fat and then refrigerating it for at least 12 hours (source).Moral Foundations Theory (Shawn mistakenly referred to it as Moral Framework Theory)Play of Consciousness book by Muktananda This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Milo talks about meeting his dad’s long-secret half-sister, which leads into the topic of nature and nurture and also Canadian parking ticket bureaucracy. Shawn reveals his weird superpower. We talk about how approaches to public works and urban planning differ in California versus New York and other places. We return to the question of how to unstick your life and spend quite a bit of time on that. Mentioned in this episodeTouching the void (2003) film about a pair of climbers, a fateful decision, and the aftermathInto Thin Air book by Jon Krakauer about an ill-fated expedition to climb EverestThe Only Constant is Change (text animation by MiLo) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We’re back after a couple weeks of travel, work, and schedule challenges. Shawn reports that he’s feeling a bit stuck and lost in his life at the moment. Milo pitches “Designing Your Life.” We talk about job hunting—networking, soul-killing jobs, being like a shark. We question the saying, “an unexamined life is not worth living,” because the flip side, examining your life all the time, makes you miserable. Then we talk about cringey comedy and empathy, a hack for posting questions on forums, “films” versus “movies,” the internet as “Gutenberg on steroids,” robot plumbers, harbor pilots, and tech bros inventing things that already exist.Also, f**k ICEMentioned in this episodeDesigning Your Life (book by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans)Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont HighPenny for your Thoughts (episode of This American Life that touches on the inner monologue we all hear, except people who don’t!), as well as other studies of the “inner voice” as a phenomenon, mentioned here and here for example.The origin of the Odon Device, which is used during difficult births to pull the baby through the birth canal.The “Up” film seriesRobot Plumbers and the Limits of Extrapolation (Shawn’s recent piece about the future of AI) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We talk about being late, airports, slow walkers, networking in Latin American lobbies, trains, standardized time, life and death by bureaucracy, Chiune Sugihara (Japan’s Oscar Schindler), the Japan-Germany alliance during WWII, frenemies, a story of escape, the fall of the USSR, motifs and gimmicks in art and literature (Haruki Murakami, Ridley Scott, Wong Kar Wai, Peter Greenaway, Wes Anderson), BTS, evading the algorithms, Phoenix vs Tucson philosophies of lawns, and Asimov’s rules of robotics.Mentioned in this episodeJenny Odell's books How to Do Nothing and Saving TimeThe Man in the High Castle television seriesKleo television seriesThe Windup Bird Chronicle by Haruki MurakamiThe Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover (Peter Greenaway film)Stinkweeds Record StoreFoundation television series adapted from AsimovThe Bear television series This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Shawn has returned from Japan, and so of course we talk about Japanese toilets. Also trains, synesthesia, fighting with our dads, “happy-clappy” church, gratitude, the caterpillar-to-butterfly phase change, Trump-Epstein, “stupid Hitler,” and Shari Redstone’s swan song. Mentioned in this episodeTeamLab immersive art installationsLights On podcast (Annaka Harris)yer going to die (YG2D) podcast and Instagram accountTufts biology professor Michael Levin and his pioneering work on biolectricity.Author Stephen Dobyns (The Wrestler’s Cruel Study)“The Big Kahuna” play / filmSouth Park S27e01 (Sermon on the Mount and pro-Trump PSA), and the show’s take on Japanese toilets: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Shawn is bound for Japan for a few weeks, so we’ll reconvene in August.We talk about the state of Apple design under Jony Ive versus Steve Jobs. Then we discuss the recent Grok AI meltdown where it called itself MechaHitler and hinted at a second holocaust. We talk about the schadenfreude we feel watching MAGA melt down over the administration’s Epstein flipflop, and our reactions to “FAFO” stories about normal Trump voters. We end with some thoughts on Mamdani and Democratic Socialism, frustrated by the response from mainstream Democrats. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

From Shawn: Pardon the background noise under my audio. I’m traveling and had to improvise a recording setup at my location.Shawn is in the mountains this week and shares some fishing stories. That leads to some talk about the weird subculture of people who don’t bathe (and we each try to remember our longest stretch without a shower). MiLo provides an update about the toaster he’s been nursing along. We’ll continue to keep you posted as the story develops. We riff about how remarkable it is that wheelie luggage wasn’t a thing until the 1980s, and four-wheel ‘spinner’ luggage didn’t really emerge until about a decade later. Finally and as usual we can’t refrain from touching on the latest destructive and depressing shenanigans of the Trump administration (will we actually have midterms in 2026, or a presidential election in 2028?).Mentioned in this episodeReality Has a Surprising Amount of Detail — Shawn mentions this essay once again, a favorite of his.“Welcome to Costco. I love you.” and Costco Law School. (Idiocracy)Catching bullets on That’s Incredible: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

TW: Mention of suicide. Dial 988 if you need help.MiLo is toughing out a premature Tucson heat wave, so we start with some commiseration about Arizona summers. Then we talk about immigration and gun control and how small, highly-energized minorities prevent progress on these issues. Finally, we discuss the problem of motivated reasoning and then reasoning in general as it relates to both humans and AI.Mentioned in this episodeMinistry for the Future by Kim Stanley RobinsonA wild saga of getting hired at Walmart and then trying (unsuccessfully) to quit, by Magena Heart Crazy moment where a guest accidentally shoots himself in the leg on Mike D’s podcast: Rhodes & Rose - One Job:High Conflict by Amanda Ripley Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (film by Alejandro G. Iñárritu)Rebel Wisdom “Sensemaking” series with Daniel Schmachtenberger and othersWhite Paper on the reasoning ability of leading AI platforms This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We are constantly exposed awful things happening in faraway places, which we compartmentalize in order to function. It can’t be good for the psyche, right? From that question, we move on to a Gen X parenting conundrum: How did so many proud latchkey kids turn into neurotic helicopter parents? Finally, we muse on big questions around crime and punishment.Mentioned in this episode:Liam Neeson attempts improv comedy: Jimmy Kimmel excerpt: past U.S. Presidents' statements celebrating the power of immigrants (starts at 9:51.)Muscle-strengthening activities and cancer incidence and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8164763/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We listen to “Shuffling Feet,” a song we wrote together back in 1990, and talk about how it came to be:SoundCloud linkI’m riding the magnet train with the magic wheels turningRound and round…I slide along a dotted lineWrinkled maps and mountainsPockets full of coins with different queens don’t slow me downMy feet been shuffling for a while nowI think they’re trying to take me homeBut I don’t know, I don’t know if I want to goI can see the ends of the line shaking handsWrinkled maps, lonely naps, sleeping on the trainDreams soak in through my skinThe window and the wall withinWrap around my dreams of other shoresMy feet been shuffling for a while nowI think they’re trying to take me homeBut I don’t know, I don’t know if I want to goI can see the ends of the line shaking hands8:30 and the sun is setting now, but my seat cuts off my viewOf the waves and the sun and the sky and the seaMy letter from my city friend falls from sleepy fingersRests alone on the dirty floorAnd I see myself upon that shore, upon that shoreMy feet been shuffling for a while nowI think they’re trying to take me homeBut I don’t know, I don’t know if I want to goI can see the ends of the line shaking handsAnd I long to feel the wind that moves itto feel the sun that keeps it warmto walk the sand beside itto breathe the air around it, to breathe the air around it…Mentioned in this episodeDaniel Coyle’s book The Talent Code and Malcolm Gladwell’s OutliersShamsi Ruhe’s music (Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We remember starving artist days and grinding at various day jobs. We talk about feeling blocked, getting unblocked and moments of effortless flow. We consider the usefulness of catalysts and forcing functions. All of this connects to where we are now, starting the next act. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We discuss how weird it is that authoritarians choose to operate under a veneer of legality instead of just abandoning laws. We talk about Skynet and our future robot overlords (will the Waymos rise up?). We wrap up by sharing some things that give us pleasure these days—MiLo makes vegetable soup and is learning how to sew; Shawn likes listening to fiction, especially when it’s read by the author.Mentioned in this episodeThe Code of Capital: How the Law Creates Wealth and Inequality (book) by Katharina PistorAn Artist Used 99 Phones to Fake a Google Maps Traffic JamE.O. Wilson’s observation about how contemporary civilization is so precarious because “we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.”The Streisand Effect — an unintended consequence where attempts to hide, remove, or censor information instead increases public awareness of the information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

It’s wild how sometimes it just takes a single person to screw things up for all of us—like the shoe bomber 24 years ago whose singular act is the reason we all have to bare our feet when we go through airport security, or a certain president whose tariff madness has rocked the global economy. On that note, we couldn’t refrain from discussing the week’s political happenings for a bit. Finally, we revisit chemtrails and other conspiracy theories to share some additional thoughts.TW: brief mention of suicideMentioned in this episodeThe ‘Groundhog Day’ bill introduced by the GOP House to stop the calendarRupert Sheldrake and his work to study a phenomenon he calls morphic resonance, among other phenomena that are often dismissed as paranormal or pseudoscientific.Have we been on the weasel timeline since 2016? Or did time travelers from the future sabotage CERN in 2009?The Quantum Suicide Thought Experiment This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

What’s the deal with chemtrails? Flat earth? Where did Q go? Does Q-Anon still exist? We eventually get to these questions, but first we spend some time on this week’s political self-own (tariffs).Mentioned in this episodeSelected further reading…Neal Stephenson (sci-fi author) offers some thoughts on geoengineering as a case study in what he calls “fallibilism” and being wrong about stuff.The Volkswagen emissions scandal (2015) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Shawn vents about his attempts to listen to Trump voters during a week when ICE started snatching people off the street for thought crimes. Then we move on to “signalgate” which is somehow a lighter note? We dig into questions of right vs left populism and wonder about potential common ground for dissent. Finally, is there such a thing as comedy anymore?Mentioned in this episodeA More Perfect Union — (progressive worker-rights organization doing good work to engage working class conservatives)Moral Foundations Theory — Jonathan Haidt’s framework for thinking about how people make moral decisions, which suggests some interesting differences between leftists and conservatives.The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu, and the “dark forest hypothesis” it introduces as an answer to the Fermi Paradox. Maybe all intelligent life in the universe is hiding for the sake of its own survival.SETI@HomeThe “AFL-CIA” dark chapter of the AFL-CIO, mentioned in Whit Stilman’s film Barcelona This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We wonder, is there a formula for deciding whether a famous person should be canceled? Shawn posits there is, sort of. Collectively we seem to weigh a subject’s bad behavior against their talent and cultural contribution. With that settled, we remember our experiences with scouting, and then somehow wind up talking about apocalypse and the collapse of America once again.Mentioned in this episodeApocalypto—2006 film written and directed by Mel GibsonAn ancient Aztec tower of skullsHitler’s Willing Executioners, by Daniel GoldhagenWebelos = WE BE LOyal ScoutsThree Days of the Condor—1975 Sidney Pollack political thriller starring Robert Redford and Faye DunawayA correctionEnnis Cosby, son of Bill Cosby, was murdered in Los Angeles in an apparent robbery attempt while stopped on the side of a freeway to change a flat tire. In a similar tragedy we mention in this episode, it was Michael Jordan’s father, James Jordan, not his son, who was murdered while sleeping in his car. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We wander through various questions: Can psychedelics change us to change the world, or do they just ‘intensify’ our fundamental character? How do set, setting, and intentions factor in? With a government that’s being run “like a business,” should we think of ourselves as shareholders or as customers? Are the bad guys winning? Mentioned in this episodeHeaven Help Us (1985 film) and the ‘confession’ scene where Kevin Dillon’s character helps his classmates renegotiate their sin lists:Rebecca Solnit, A Paradise Built in Hell, The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We ponder the virtues of EVs and the weird, seemingly coordinated, right-wing backlash. Then octopuses for some reason (octopi?), which are from outer space maybe. Finally, what’s up with the Bernie Bro to right-wing pipeline?Mentioned in this episodeMy Octopus Teacher (Netflix)Mystery of the missing sharks — Several sharks go missing at an aquarium. How is that even possible?The strange and unique octopus brain, and the evolution of the octopus (very much independently from vertebrates like ourselves)David Blain’s world record breath hold on the Oprah Winfrey show, and how he did it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

What’s up with the reactionary moment we’re in? Is it reasonable to talk about “blue-on-blue” conflict or sectarian violence, or is that catastrophizing?Mentioned in this episodeElectric Dreams: short films adapted from Philip K. Dick stories (streaming on Amazon Prime Video), including Autofac, a film about a factory that continues to produce goods according to the principles of consumer culture, even though there are few humans left on earth to consume what it produces.Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): “…a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that matches or surpasses human cognitive capabilities across a wide range of cognitive tasks.”The singularity: “a hypothetical point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable consequences for human civilization.”Severance (TV Series) — What are the elevator tones telling us?Blade Runner Voight-Kampf test — Deckard/Rachael, Leon/Tyrell CorpA mother of a trans girl testifies in front of the GA State Senate, noting that the trans issue was, conceived, message-tested, and intentionally designed to mobilize voters.Dark Winds (TV show) - A Navajo police proceduralJake Auchincloss on the Ezra Klein ShowTristan Harris and Daniel Schmachtenberger on Joe RoganThe Age of Anger by Pankaj Mishra, a book that provides historical context and parallels for the current reactionary movement and widespread ressentimentJohn Ganz on reactionary modernism and the tech bro fascist turnThree Days of the Condor (1975) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

Recorded on MiLo’s birthday, we talk about what has changed over the decades and what, perhaps oddly, has not.Mentioned in this episode1969, the year MiLo was born. Also the Apollo 11 moon landing, and subject of the Bryan Adams hit song (though not the actual “Summer of Love,” which was 1967)Also 1968. There are many major events we associate with 1968, but the 1968 Submarine disappearances comprise a strange and lesser-known series of happenings from that year.Tilt-shift: “the use of camera movements that change the orientation or position of the lens with respect to the film or image sensor on cameras”Ken Burns: Vietnam: Ten-part series covering the early days of US involvement through the fall of Saigon.Kali Yuga: “…in Hinduism, is the fourth, shortest, and worst of the four yugas (world ages) in a Yuga cycle... It is believed to be the present age, which is full of conflict and sin.” (Wikipedia)Event horizon: “In astrophysics, an event horizon is a boundary beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer… Any object approaching the horizon from the observer's side appears to slow down, never quite crossing the horizon.”Moore’s Law: “…the observation that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years.”Wake Up! (album by John Legend and The Roots) vs the films Don’t Look Up and Idiocracy as examples of art with a message.Voyager space probe containing a golden record with contents selected by Carl Sagan, and other Knowledge Ark projects designed to preserve knowledge for future generations.Dear America: You are waking up, as Germany once did, to the awareness that 1/3 of your people would kill another 1/3, while 1/3 watches. — viral quote wrongly attributed to German film director Werner Herzog.Being There and its protagonist Chance the gardener (Chauncey Gardiner) as a parallel to Trump.Louis C.K. “Everything’s amazing and nobody is happy.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

A decade of Trump has had us parsing the difference between shock and surprise (as in, we’re constantly shocked, but never surprised). We talk about the ‘move fast and break things’ model of Elon Musk and the tech bros who are tearing through the federal administrative state. We consider different ways it could go—what it means to have a nonfunctioning government, what causes things to slide towards true catastrophe (like civil war or sectarian violence), and what stops from going that far.Note to listeners: At one point in this episode, we talk about Caitlyn Jenner and remember the iconic Wheaties box of our childhood, and we accidentally misgender her. Apologies!Mentioned in this episodeEzra Klein and his eponymous ShowJohn Ganz / Unpopular FrontSecondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich — An oral history of the end of the soviet era, a collection of transcribed interviews.Marc Andreessen on Making Sense with Sam Harris, and on Matter of Opinion with Ross Douthat This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We remember our dogs and their eating habits, like the time Shawn’s dog Larry wolfed down a family-size box of Frosted Flakes. We reflect on what it means to live intentionally at midlife, how to balance striving and ambition with acceptance and surrender. We share a few thoughts about the first days of Trump2 and particularly what’s going on with the billionaire oligarch set.Mentioned in this episodeJohn Ganz—public intellectual (not sure how else to refer to him) who writes in a clear-eyed way about politics and society, illuminating current events through historical and philosophical context. Shawn highly recommends three excellent pieces he put out this week: Mob Rule, Welcome to Vichy America, and Returning to Origins (revisiting the seminal work by Hannah Arendt). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com

We reunite for our first episode of 2025 and remember our first cars, cars we drove too hard and too recklessly. Kids, please don’t drive like we did!Then we reflect back on our upbringing in a strange and little-known church that was founded on the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, an eighteenth-century scientist, philosopher, and mystic. There is so much more we could mine here, and I’m sure we’ll return to this in future episodes. Finally, we brainstorm possible skills we might develop for a post-apocalyptic world—not survival skills in the typical sense, but skills we could offer roving bands of marauders in return for their protection. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit satellitehaiku.substack.com