Bagaag2026-08-22T00:31:52Zhttps://www.bagaag.com/feed/atom/WordPresshttps://www.bagaag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cropped-bagaag-favicon-32x32.pngmatthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[A new project]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=8462026-08-22T00:31:52Z2026-08-23T00:31:05ZIt’s been pretty quiet around here lately, hasn’t it? I’ve been spending all my free time on a new project involving… stationery! Check out the website and Instagram for more info.
]]>0matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[Crush is out today]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=8422026-08-22T00:20:25Z2026-08-22T00:19:15ZMy daughter released an EP today titled Crush. It’s available on all major streaming platforms and it’s pretty great. Check it out!
]]>0matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[Google Maps, Internet and Population Density]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=8282026-06-06T04:30:51Z2026-06-06T04:22:06ZJoin me on a random Internet rabbit hole. While relaxing on my porch during sunset, I wondered: Does Google Maps do collective routing?
I’ve always wondered this. Turns out, no. Google Maps optimizes for the current user only. It blends real time data collected from other users with historical data. But doing this for each individual at scale can help to balance traffic as a by-product.
Returning to my DuckDuckGo search results, I saw this image of global tweet density in a heat map. This is Twitter only, so not terribly useful — China is completely dark. But it reminds you how connected we all are, and reveals in which countries Twitter is popular.
That image gave me a hankering for a proper global Internet heat map, and this one does the job. It was built by pinging every possible IP address and then geopositioning any hits. This somehow only took 5 hours to run.
Seeing this made me wonder how it would compare to a population density heat map. World Population Density is OK, but it’s too light to really see. Google’s Global Population Explorer has better contrast, but the country outlines make it hard to look at zoomed out.
Africa is the outlier when comparing population density with Internet density. It has pretty substantial population density over large areas that show relatively little Internet activity on the heat map.
This map is interesting to zoom in on. For example, I never realized how many people live in northern India, just below the Himalayas. And Russia’s population is a huge hub and spoke centered on Moscow.
]]>0matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[I feel it in my fingers…]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=8142026-03-29T03:59:50Z2026-03-29T03:54:20ZOur washing machine is broken and waiting on parts for a repair, so I found myself in a laundromat today for the first time in 20 years. For some reason, this laundromat chose to play — quite loudly — a UK streaming station called Smooth Relax. I noticed it because of the woman’s voice with a British accent reminding me that weekends are for relaxing, followed by ads for UK stuff like lottery tickets that made no sense to play in the US. It was a weird mix of sappy songs, many of which I’d never heard.
While I was folding, a song came on that I immediately recognized from the movie Love Actually. Though I don’t remember, it’s also in Four Weddings and a Funeral, which was written and directed by the same guy. I always assumed it was a made-up song. It turns out Love Is All Around was a top 10 hit by The Troggs in 1967 that was written in 10 minutes.
]]>0matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[Random Web Surfing]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=8082026-01-05T02:01:16Z2026-01-05T02:01:15Zurl.town is an indie web home grown URL directory of fun, interesting or useful websites. Spamming the random link link is a wonderful way to wile away a few hours and learn something along the way. I also enjoy Wikipedia’s random link and Indiewebring’s random link.
]]>0matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[Yard Stick]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=7972025-12-27T17:53:13Z2025-12-27T17:53:12ZWe used this yard stick (actually it’s 2 yards) to measure my daughter’s height from 1 week to 18 years old. I like to photograph important objects in case they are lost. This was a bit of a challenge, given the dimensions. I took 8 photos and then combined them in Gimp, using layer masks and gradients to blend them together, and some brightness/contrast adjustment for consistency.
]]>0matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[Stoicism and the Art of Happiness]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=7842025-12-22T02:34:55Z2025-12-22T02:34:27ZI recently finished Stoicism and the Art of Happiness by Donald Robertson, a Scottish-born CBT practitioner and student of both Stoicism and Buddhism. I came to this book having read enough about CBT to be familiar with its main concepts, and many, many books on Buddhism. On Stoicism, I’d only read Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. While I’m sure that book is excellent source material, it is a poor introduction to Stoicism.
So I picked up Stoicism and the Art of Happiness in hopes of finding a more thorough and structured rendering of this topic. Robertson certainly delivers there. The book is structured like a text book with well-organized chapters that build on each other. Important points are highlighted and summarized throughout.
On top of being a solid general introduction, the book draws connections between Stoicism, modern psychotherapy (particularly CBT), and religion (particularly Buddhism). As someone who hasn’t studied philosophy academically, it was interesting to learn that ancient philosophy was used much more as a pragmatic approach to the “art of living” than it is today. It was the self-help and psychology of its time. Modern philosophy feels more like an academic exercise than a handbook for living the good life. Meanwhile, religion and psychotherapy have tried to fill the role of helping guide people towards happiness and fulfillment.
Robertson draws parallels between the concepts of mindfulness in Buddhism and the cardinal virtue of wisdom in Stoicism. Both encourage the act of catching emotions as they arise before they take control and paying close attention to the space between an event and our reaction. The event is not within our control, only our reaction is.
Connections are also made between the Buddhist practice of loving-kindness and the cardinal virtue of justice, specifically Stoic cosmopolitanism and Hierocles’s concentric circles. Without overtly making it his goal, Robertson presents Stoicism as a comprehensive and completely rational replacement for religion. It’s not a big part of the book, but I found that angle helped pull Stoicism into a more modern and relatable context.
While Buddhism and Stoicism seem to have developed independently, they are remarkably similar in both goals and practice. Conversely, CBT is very much directly inspired by Stoic teachings and happens to be the gold standard for modern evidence-based psychotherapy.
I enjoyed learning a lot more about Stoicism and appreciated this book’s pragmatic “handbook” style. It’s the kind of book I can see myself referring back to frequently in the future.
]]>1matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[Music Finds, November 2025]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=7682025-12-23T00:34:11Z2025-12-21T04:08:09ZHere is my belated list of music finds from last month, November 2025. So much good stuff, coming in at a whopping 19 tracks. This is a playlist I can just listen to on repeat lately.
If you want to skip the blah-biddy-blah, here is the Spotify playlist.
Au Pays du Cocaine, Geese
It’s great to see a band like this really blowing up. A Redditor described them as sounding like the instruments are fighting each other. Their unique sound is anchored by Cameron Winter’s drone-like vocals, burning with intensity despite not giving any fucks at all.
Button, Peaer
A weird and wonderful song. Reminds me of Lomelda’s writing style. Love it. Hats off to Pitchfork for this recommendation.
Ultraviolence, Lifeguard
Another Pitchfork recommendation, this was a new band to my ears. What a find. I absolutely love these guys. They remind me of a male Horsegirl, and it turns out the two bands are both from Chicago and know each other. Also check out “It Will Get Worse” and “Under Your Reach” from their debut album Ripped and Torn. “Ultraviolence” is a wonderfully raw, rapturous thrash and the first single released for a presumably forthcoming second album.
Kurayami, Mei Semones
Mei Semones beautifully blends indie vibes, jazz and Japanese math rock. Her guitar is recorded completely dry, offering no cover for inaccuracy as she rips through blazing fast runs. Despite the song’s complexity, it manages to be quite catchy.
Taka, Pino Palladino (bass), Blake Mills (guitar), feat. Chris Dave (perc)
This highly rhythmic jazz tune has such a killer main riff. Pino leads with a bass line that sets the melody, highlighted with flourishes of guitar processed to sound like a magic flute.
Unoriginal, Magdalena Bay
Magdalena Bay completely blew me away on their Mecurial World tour back in 2022. Since then, their sound has shifted slightly away from the electronic vibe of their previous two albums. The singles they’ve released this year have a considerably more organic feel. “Unoriginal” is a beautiful little indie pop song. The B‑side on this single, “Black-Eyed Susan Climb” is also well worth a listen.
Running Errands (Yesterday), U.S. Girls
This two track single released in October comes just 6 months after Scratch It, a full album released in June. The song features some deft sampling, beautifully layered vocals and an irresistible groove.
Ghosts of Tennessee, Beatrix
This beautiful and melancholy melody reminds me of something Sufjan Stevens could have released twenty years ago. The transition around 2:10 kills me.
Guardians, Midlake feat. Madison Cunningham
Midlake is a band I’ve enjoyed since their fantastic 2006 album, Trials of Van Occupanther. This is one of those bands with albums you can safely just put on and let it run. Madison Cunningham, the indie collab queen of late, lends her creamy vocals. Everything she touches turns to gold. What a blend and what a cool song.
T Shirt, David Byrne
David Byrne is killing it lately with some really solid solo releases and having recently done his debut Tiny Desk — a must watch if you’re Talking Heads fan. Here’s another classic pop tune tilted with his trademark quirkiness and humorous social commentary.
Dusty, Hannah Cohen
A breezy 70s feel gets me every time. And then flutes? Stop it. What a chill and pretty tune. I’d never heard of this artist, but it turns out we share the same birthday! This is from her fourth album, Earthstar Mountain.
Only Girl, Man/Woman/Chainsaw
A Spotify new music recommendation, this oddly named act has yet to release a full album. “Only Girl” is a really strong single with a strongly individual sound, so I look forward to see what else they are doing.
Stevie, Warpaint
I forget how this song came to me — it’s a track off Warpaint’s 2022 album Radiate Like This. An infectious and interesting melody, buttery vocals and super chill production. New to me and on heavy rotation lately.
That’s My DJ, Esther Rose
I don’t know this artist well, but this was a Spotify recommendation and I love it. Her most popular songs on Spotify are lowfi classic country. Not really my thing, but this tune is a definite keeper.
Admit It, yeemz
Super chill tune, beautifully performed and produced. I haven’t been able to find out much about this artist. Her first album was released in July of this year.
Night or Day, Chris Cohen
Reminiscent of early 2000s indie music with a slight prog twist. Great harmony, interesting melody. Love it.
Magic, Sorry
I’d never heard of this band before, but they’ve been putting out music since 2016 and are from London. This super cool tune is off their album Cosplay, released on November 7th.
JUNKIE GARDEN, PINKLIDS
PINKLIDS is yet another case of the opening band at a show absolutely crushing it and stealing the show. To be fair, I wasn’t really there to see the main act, more to see an old friend. But PINKLIDS, a still relatively local band, had mountains of energy on stage and played a ferocious string of prog-punk tunes that left me wanting to see them again soon. It makes my heart swell to see a fledgling local band just crushing it with interesting, beautiful music and energy to spare.
PEPPA POT, Major Lazer
I’ve been a longtime Major Lazer and Diplo fan. This is my favorite track from their album GYALGEBRA, released November 21. An outrageous song, to be sure. So much fun, though.
]]>0matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[A Leaf from the Tree of Songs]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=7602025-11-29T20:27:30Z2025-11-29T20:27:29Z“A Leaf from the Tree of Songs” is a poem by Adam Christianson. I put the words to song years ago but never recorded more than a rough demo of it. The melody always stuck with me, so I finally got around to reproducing it as electronic music in Bitwig.
Here is the poem — the words align with the verse melody; everything else is instrumental.
When harpers once in wooden hall A shining chord would strike Their songs like arrows pierced the soul Of great and low alike
Aglow by hearth and candleflame From burning branch of ember The mist of all their music sang As if to ask in wonder
Is there a moment quite as keen Or memory as bright As light and fire and music (sweet) To warm the winter’s night? — Adam Christianson
And here’s the Bitwig audio.
]]>0matthttps://www.bagaag.com<![CDATA[Before That]]>https://www.bagaag.com/?p=7532025-11-27T17:08:21Z2025-11-27T16:59:41ZThis is my entry for November’s IndieWeb Carnival, hosted by Alex Siraç on the topic of cycles and fluctuations. It’s also my second attempt at flash fiction, coming in at 819 words.
~
Before That
The alarm goes off at 6, playing “We Built This City” by Starship — a song he hates so much that he selected it for this purpose. The dog comes in and sits at the side of the bed, waiting impatiently to be let out and fed. It’s still dark. He lies there for several minutes, willing his eyes open and staring at the ceiling. Counting his obligations for the day, Jonathon Tuttle gradually wakes up.
After taking care of the dog, Jon’s morning routine includes an hour of exercise — it’s weights day. Then coffee, breakfast, shower and the 38-minute commute to work. Habitually late, Jon is often rushed and a little grouchy in the morning. His snapping at Lilly replays on his drive in. He’ll text her an apology and heart emoji once he parks.
Jon spends most of his time working as an accountant. He has been at this job 18 months and has received one verbal and one written warning. It is still in the bin by his desk. On the wall, a Kaizen Continuous Improvement poster helps keep him motivated. It was a company gift during his first real job as a bank teller. Work is time exchanged for money that allows him to live the remaining hours of his day. It is the time outside of work that is Jon’s to shape.
When he arrives home, Lilly has made supper. They eat meatloaf and sip wine spritzers at the kitchen table, chuckling at the day’s news. After dinner, they watch Twin Peaks. Halfway through the second season, Leland has just died.
The day’s obligations met, Jon enjoys an hour or two before bed doing whatever he wants. There are several activities available during this time. Jon considers himself lucky to hold many diverse interests.
Lately it’s been shooting hoops in the driveway. The goal is to make a basket whenever prompted. Jon has never been prompted to make a basket, but scenes frequently run through his mind where he’ll need to perform this task in front of lots of people. Maybe at a Celtics game during halftime, or a company event.
After an hour of practice, he sits on the front steps with a beer, wiping his head with a hand towel. His mind repeats a clip of him just missing the free throw to a smattering of consolation applause. One in four through the hoop? Not good enough. Anyway, it’s getting colder and darker in the evenings, and he hasn’t gotten around to fixing the outdoor light.
Maybe he should spend his free time practicing the saxophone instead. He played in the high school band, sitting next to the beautiful Wendy Higgins. He’s kept it up over the years, playing now and then. There must be bands with grownups he could join. It’s decided.
The next day, they have burgers and home fries for dinner. On Twin Peaks, Nadine gets admitted as a student. Jon and Lilly discuss 14-year-old Nathan’s grades. He needs a pep talk and maybe some help with math. Jon will have a talk with him. He still doesn’t mention the warnings at work.
Afterward, Jon goes downstairs to the den and digs through the closet to find his saxophone case. Opening it releases a familiar smell of polish and mold. On top of the instrument, he finds a note written hastily on a torn electric bill. “Don’t bother.” Jon holds the note in his hand for a moment, staring. He doesn’t remember it, but that’s his handwriting.
How long has it been since he played? Two years? Three? Undeterred, he removes the instrument and attaches the neck strap. Attempting to play a scale, he can’t remember the fingering. He has trouble making any sound at all. He wonders if there’s something wrong with it — could probably use a good cleaning.
The instrument finds its way back into the case and the case back into the closet. The note is still sitting on the table. Jon is sitting on the couch, staring at it, wondering if anyone heard him playing. Before shooting hoops he tried his hand at watercolors. A passable rendering of their house leans against the wall. Before that? He was training for the New York marathon, but couldn’t find the time to rack up enough miles. Before that, he’s not sure.
He can hear Lilly upstairs getting ready for bed. The dog hears it too, gets up off the floor and stands by the door, waiting. He grabs the note on the table, crushes it into a ball and tosses it into the bin. Nothing but net. He thinks about the talk he has to have with Nathan and considers brushing up on his high school math. Maybe he could be a math tutor, pivot into a teaching career. Climbing the stairs to let the dog out, Jon browses used math textbooks on his phone.
