Matthew Dessem
@matthewdessem.bsky.social
I’m the enchanting wizard of rhythm. I came here to tell you about the rhythms of the universe.
CDs should have remained popular in the mp3 era when they were clearly a higher quality product, but I don’t see the point of digital physical media once lossless streaming arrives. (See also: the VHS revival.)
November 10, 2025 at 9:43 PM
CDs should have remained popular in the mp3 era when they were clearly a higher quality product, but I don’t see the point of digital physical media once lossless streaming arrives. (See also: the VHS revival.)
Although it spent subsequent decades as the rottenest of rotten boroughs, there was a brief moment when the people in Vernon actually wanted people to move to Vernon.
November 10, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Although it spent subsequent decades as the rottenest of rotten boroughs, there was a brief moment when the people in Vernon actually wanted people to move to Vernon.
Learning enough about mixing audio to appreciate it when it’s well done, nowhere near enough to do it well myself. That “Salieri of all trades, Mozart of none” file keeps getting bigger and bigger.
November 10, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Learning enough about mixing audio to appreciate it when it’s well done, nowhere near enough to do it well myself. That “Salieri of all trades, Mozart of none” file keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Humanities classes won’t make your STEM work any more ethical but they might discourage you from picking a fight with Joyce Carol Oates, and that is also important.
November 10, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Humanities classes won’t make your STEM work any more ethical but they might discourage you from picking a fight with Joyce Carol Oates, and that is also important.
Screenwriters: The *most* three dimensional version of an ICE character you are allowed to write is Yosemite Sam, and they get flatter from there. Hollywood hasn’t struck such a rich vein of villains and henchmen whose gruesome deaths the audience will cheer for since the Nazis. Don’t screw it up!
If they're still making movies in 15-20 years there will be multiple Oscar noms for playing "remorseful / reflective former ICE agent who knows how Complicated history is"
November 10, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Screenwriters: The *most* three dimensional version of an ICE character you are allowed to write is Yosemite Sam, and they get flatter from there. Hollywood hasn’t struck such a rich vein of villains and henchmen whose gruesome deaths the audience will cheer for since the Nazis. Don’t screw it up!
TFW you are a librarian who must reluctantly concede that “Jazz” music was more than just a fad.
November 9, 2025 at 8:31 PM
TFW you are a librarian who must reluctantly concede that “Jazz” music was more than just a fad.
I don’t want to crush anybody’s dreams, but you’re gonna have to play that there guitar for a pretty long time before you become a star on Broadway. They usually want singers and dancers!
November 8, 2025 at 10:37 PM
I don’t want to crush anybody’s dreams, but you’re gonna have to play that there guitar for a pretty long time before you become a star on Broadway. They usually want singers and dancers!
Reposted by Matthew Dessem
COL. KURTZ: fetch me my tape recorder... i must inform those bureaucrats at headquarters of my snail dream
October 9, 2025 at 12:28 PM
COL. KURTZ: fetch me my tape recorder... i must inform those bureaucrats at headquarters of my snail dream
Buy a VCR even if you don’t have a television. You will either set the clock or live with the blinking 12, and then you’ll know everything worth knowing about yourself. This is why there’s a gap in the self-help fossil record between Est and Jordan Peterson.
November 8, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Buy a VCR even if you don’t have a television. You will either set the clock or live with the blinking 12, and then you’ll know everything worth knowing about yourself. This is why there’s a gap in the self-help fossil record between Est and Jordan Peterson.
Reposted by Matthew Dessem
SOCRATES: No god is a philosopher or seeker after wisdom, for he is wise already; nor does any man who is wise seek after wisdom.
PLATO: Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom.
DARRYL, SOCRATES AND PLATO’S FRIEND: well well well if it isn’t the blowjob brothers
PLATO: Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom.
DARRYL, SOCRATES AND PLATO’S FRIEND: well well well if it isn’t the blowjob brothers
November 8, 2025 at 1:45 AM
SOCRATES: No god is a philosopher or seeker after wisdom, for he is wise already; nor does any man who is wise seek after wisdom.
PLATO: Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom.
DARRYL, SOCRATES AND PLATO’S FRIEND: well well well if it isn’t the blowjob brothers
PLATO: Neither do the ignorant seek after wisdom.
DARRYL, SOCRATES AND PLATO’S FRIEND: well well well if it isn’t the blowjob brothers
The solo on the Steve Albini mix of “Heart Shaped Box” is way better and it would still have been a hit. Maybe that’s where this timeline went off the rails.
November 8, 2025 at 1:17 AM
The solo on the Steve Albini mix of “Heart Shaped Box” is way better and it would still have been a hit. Maybe that’s where this timeline went off the rails.
Reposted by Matthew Dessem
I'm kind of calling it "Log Profile" - where it seems a lot of Log Profiles are becoming the default shooting state and then the colorists aren't really doing much to actually change the image in post beyond a generalized filter (in this case, blue)
November 8, 2025 at 12:09 AM
I'm kind of calling it "Log Profile" - where it seems a lot of Log Profiles are becoming the default shooting state and then the colorists aren't really doing much to actually change the image in post beyond a generalized filter (in this case, blue)
Is there a name for that digital version of day for night where it looks like they just turned down the brightness during the color grade? S2 of Silo uses it, S1 did not, Weapons is festooned with it, it looks bad.
November 7, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Is there a name for that digital version of day for night where it looks like they just turned down the brightness during the color grade? S2 of Silo uses it, S1 did not, Weapons is festooned with it, it looks bad.
“Land of Sunshine,” a magazine dedicated to California boosterism, once ran a contest for selling subscriptions in which the grand prize was a 10 acre fig orchard. Bring back fig orchard contests, bring back journalism, simple as.
November 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
“Land of Sunshine,” a magazine dedicated to California boosterism, once ran a contest for selling subscriptions in which the grand prize was a 10 acre fig orchard. Bring back fig orchard contests, bring back journalism, simple as.
Watched The Umbrellas of Cherbourg last night. Impressive. Very nice. Now let’s see what those wallpapers look like when you take the Klieg lights out of the room.
November 7, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Watched The Umbrellas of Cherbourg last night. Impressive. Very nice. Now let’s see what those wallpapers look like when you take the Klieg lights out of the room.
Here’s a perfect song for your Thursday. Best to my friends, death to my enemies, I don’t mind!
Railway Spine by The Mayflies USA on Apple Music
Song · 2025 · Duration 3:09
music.apple.com
November 6, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Here’s a perfect song for your Thursday. Best to my friends, death to my enemies, I don’t mind!
Reposted by Matthew Dessem
Wow. In another huge upset, Mesmero, the Master of Mentalism, has been elected mayor of Chicago. Political pundits are shocked - he’s a first-time candidate who barely spent anything on advertising, and there wasn’t even an election scheduled for today
November 5, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Wow. In another huge upset, Mesmero, the Master of Mentalism, has been elected mayor of Chicago. Political pundits are shocked - he’s a first-time candidate who barely spent anything on advertising, and there wasn’t even an election scheduled for today
Judging by how long it takes to heat up a leftover piece in the oven, lasagna has a higher specific heat than cast iron. It is time for me to invent the Pan of the Future.
November 4, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Judging by how long it takes to heat up a leftover piece in the oven, lasagna has a higher specific heat than cast iron. It is time for me to invent the Pan of the Future.
Diane Ladd did all kinds of amazing work over the course of her career, but if you haven’t seen her in “Enlightened,” I think you should.
November 3, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Diane Ladd did all kinds of amazing work over the course of her career, but if you haven’t seen her in “Enlightened,” I think you should.
In retrospect, R.E.M. and KRS-One’s concern that children would “grow up prisoners / all their lives, radio listeners!” was unfounded.
November 3, 2025 at 8:28 PM
In retrospect, R.E.M. and KRS-One’s concern that children would “grow up prisoners / all their lives, radio listeners!” was unfounded.
Why is “cookie-cutter” a pejorative? Cookies are delicious, and uniformity of shape is not a big concern one way or the other, unless they vary so widely in size that they bake at different speeds.
November 3, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Why is “cookie-cutter” a pejorative? Cookies are delicious, and uniformity of shape is not a big concern one way or the other, unless they vary so widely in size that they bake at different speeds.
I am reading “Introduction to the Library and Information Professions” for class and apparently there’s a whole alternate career track called “Information Entrepreneurs,” which pretty clearly includes blackmailers.
November 3, 2025 at 7:20 PM
I am reading “Introduction to the Library and Information Professions” for class and apparently there’s a whole alternate career track called “Information Entrepreneurs,” which pretty clearly includes blackmailers.
Criterion has been releasing some movies with stereo mixes where it’s unclear why it wouldn’t be 2.0 Surround. E.G., Drugstore Cowboy was released in Ultra Stereo (compatible with Dolby decoders), Criterion’s 4K says the audio came off the original magnetic tape, but it’s a stereo mix.
November 3, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Criterion has been releasing some movies with stereo mixes where it’s unclear why it wouldn’t be 2.0 Surround. E.G., Drugstore Cowboy was released in Ultra Stereo (compatible with Dolby decoders), Criterion’s 4K says the audio came off the original magnetic tape, but it’s a stereo mix.
It must suck to tie the score with a home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series and have all the color commentators be like, “Him?!?!?”
November 2, 2025 at 3:22 AM
It must suck to tie the score with a home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series and have all the color commentators be like, “Him?!?!?”