Sunsets don’t wait [486]

Greetings from Rome...

Aug 16, 2024

I’m somewhere in the building pictured above. I wish I could share you something more artistic but I’ve only just landed. No doubt there will be some slightly more interesting images in the next post. If you are new here I’m Christian Payne. In this weekly dispatch I seek out novelty, explore how we share, what we share and consume, plus where we might be going. Thanks for joining in.

#TheAction

I’ve mostly been playing catch up since I returned from my mountain adventure. With email, with work and of course with writing up my journal from the trip.

Here are all the posts where I retraced my steps from 25 years ago back to the mountain hut in Switzerland and what happened when I got there.

Preparation: Towards Knowing and Being [477]

Day one: The Obstacle Is The Path [478]

Day Two: Pilgrim Soul [479]

Day Three: The Expectation Gap [480]

Day Four: Waldenponding [481]

Day Five: Genius Loci [482]

Day Six: Saudade [483]

Day Seven: Escape From The Snow [484]

Day Eight/Nine The Journey Within [485]

#ThePictures

If you check out the hashtag #PhotoMo on Mastodon you will see a bunch of us posting a photo a day during august. There are also some people on Bluesky.

Here are some spoiler free reviews of films I have watched recently:

Godzilla Minus One - High-quality snap happy face laser action. Recommended viewing.

Inside Out 2 - S’ok. The kids enjoyed it. I was reminded how good the first was and wondered if Pixar had outsourced this one.

Deadpool & Wolverine - It was fun. It made me laugh a few times. But that's about it. I felt it was a cobbled together bingo card of comic book meta memes. Then after the fourth-wall was broken ad-infinitum, Ryan mentions real life family. Is that the fifth wall?.. Anyway, lots of people loved it and it will make a shit ton of money. So job done I guess.

Dick Johnson is Dead - If you are going to die, or know someone who is going to die, then this film is for you. I was invested throughout. Playful, profound and inventive. empathic, funny and unafraid to explore life's inevitable end and the love that surrounds it.

Twisters - Meteorology is never been so sexy. I watched this because there was nothing else on. The thought that it might be a sequel to Twister did cross my mind but I couldn't remember Twister. It turns out it didn't matter either way. Having no expectations had me enjoy the ride. With the world as it is right now, if i'd watched the film as a kid, I’d be chasing storms and launching probes in no time. But as it's getting close to too late for me to have a change of career, I'll just focus on digging a basement.

I also just got through the first series of The Expanse. I quite enjoyed it and hear it gets better from here.

#TheWords

Why the McDonalds Monopoly game was a fraud.

After reading all that this link might appease your curiosity/frustration.

My Mastodon instance (server) will be closing on its 8th anniversary. I have been on it from the start and after 8 years the place has evolved quite a bit. It’s still my favourite social space (after this dispatch) and I’m pondering where to go next. I’m thinking I might create my own server but have no idea how complicated that might be. If you are well versed in these things please let me know your thoughts.

If just joining up to an already established instance is the way to go, I’m also willing to do that.

Have you been paying into your Purpose Pension? I know I have. It’s the only one I’ve got.

#TheSound

I have shared this before but after seeing it pop up in my feeds I’ve taken to listening to the Dawn Chorus in the countries I happen to be traveling in.

I picked up The Oh Sees, Smote Reverser on vinyl this week.

#TheConsumed

The greenhouse is providing a bounty of fruit and veg with a selection of some things below. The bottom two photos show my first attempt as cucumber kimchi. It’s way better than anything I’ve bought from a shop. Much cheaper as well.

But my favourite thing in the garden (or at least on a par with the tomatoes) are our tiny uncultivated (wild) strawberries. They pack an amazing amount of flavour into a tiny package. This one below is sat on a mound of ice cream and pineapple and was easily the best bit.

It’s Pizza on the menu in a moment but there is so much to explore in the culinary haven.

#TheThings

After reading James Whatley’s ‘Five Good Things’ newsletter I picked up an Ambernic RG35XX H retro gaming handheld. He can be persuasive like that.

I’ve had a few earlier models of these handheld retro game emulators but these devices have really come into their own.

I’ve spent way more time than I’d like to admit playing some classic PSP, Play Station, Nintendo and Arcade games that I’ve not enjoyed for decades.

#TheThanks

Thank you so much to the paying subscribers that pay $5/month (€4.6 or £3.87) to get all the content I share into this feed. It was great having you along on my recent adventure and than you for your comments here and in the supporters Discord.

For those yet to get involved, please consider upgrading to support my work here. Also, thank you for reading, sharing and liking.

#TheWeb

Your photos aren’t real.
According to the Documentally community map I’m not too far away from Gavin. Hi!
Fascinating article on GLP-1 drugs and their benefits/effects
Nothing dystopian about the latest plans from UK police and their ‘eyes in the sky.’
Some of my other places include Letterboxd, Discogs, GoodReads, Flickr, Strava, my audio RSS feed, LinkedIn, YouTube, Mastodon, a ham radio newsletter or search ‘Documentally’ on Wire, Birdsite or Bluesky.
Time’s Kid Of The Year.
Should you find yourself in Rome here are some cool things to check out.

#TheEnd

Hope all is well where you are. It is quite hot here in Rome. Looking forward to heading into Tuscany on Sunday and further North after that. Right now I’m near the location Punk.Slices.Voucher.

All the spelling mistakes in this post are intentional or the result of me rushing in order to go eat Italian things.

Just cracked a cold beer and raising it towards the screen. Salute!