RE: https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:reu7q3altx5gsonhu5nxcfp6/post/3mx55kvtr5c2t
Wow - this is really cool.
Remote
Michael B. Johnson
@Drwave@mastodon.social
mastodon 4.8.0-nightly.2026-10-06Yea, I'm the guy who used to work at Pixar and went to the MIT Media Lab. Still on the Board of the Cartoon Art Museum in SF.
2882 Followers
686 Following
50 Posts
Joined August 10, 2018
Gotta love a weekend day when you get up by 5AM and can start knocking out that long todo list you’ve been just adding to for weeks…
Just finished “The Astaires” by Kathleen Riley.
I picked it up because Tom Holland is doing a film version of Fred and his sister Adele, who I knew nothing about.
Kind of an odd book, as there is almost nothing we can look back to see their performances together (all live theater, not films). So it’s a lot of reportage of contemporary criticism (all pretty rapturous, especially of her).
Anyway, excited to go back and watch some Astaire films and hopefully see Tom Holland dance as him.
If you do nothing else in this world, be kind.
Then, ideally, be helpful.
But nail that first part.
I don't know if there's a god, but there *are* other people, and you help them by being kind.
That should be good enough reason to do it.
And to be clear - at least for me, being kind is not easy.
It’s a lot of work.
It means not judging people too quckly.
It means taking a pause in uncomfortable situatons.
It’s a big ask.
I work on it (w/limited success) every day.
But please do try.
This is what 26 years of being married looks like in our house:
It’s always a delightful privilege to visit my previous place of employment, whether it’s for work, personal, or some combo thereof.
Every time I visit, I’m greeted by the lovely sculpture that is the ode to the great short film, Luxo Jr.
Fun fact - this was a commissioned piece by a museum (in Australia?) for the traveling Pixar “art of animation” show, and then made its way to home base.
Anyway, I always say hi, and snap a pic.
This time I saw a reflection in the blue, and that is the pic:
Hey, are there are any serious sewers out there?
My wife has an old (but not *good* old) sewing machine, and I'd love to get her an upgrade, but I'm not sure where/how to look into this space.
I'm capable of using google and all the LLMs, so don't need generic pointers, but any personal recommendations appreciated.
“The lesson for the rest of us is clear: Don’t attempt to emulate Steve’s final form. Instead, embrace the work of personal transformation. Develop the intense curiosity to learn from mistakes and adjust course accordingly. Test your ideas against those of others. Be open to being proved wrong. Above all, when you fail, always be willing to begin again.”
Ed Catmull, delivering truth bombs at the end of the new Steve Jobs book.
Good night for a swim.
Got on my #southwest flight, in what in theory is my #favoriteseat (16A) but just like my flight last week, these have the new seats, so while it’s got “extra legroom”, it’s not like it was.
I guess this is the new normal. Bummer.
Today was a sad day for the Cartoon Art Museum, where I've been on the board for over 25 years.
Today was our last day at 781 Beach Street where we've been for the last decade.
Thanks to everyone who has supported the museum and its mission over the last 42 years.
https://www.cartoonart.org/press-releases/2026/7/31/cartoon-art-museum-update-closing-a-chapter
Support your local arts organizations - they all need our help.
If you care even just a little bit, don't assume others are supporting them.
Do *more* than your part.
Because that's what it takes.
A huge talent in political cartooning - Pat Oliphant - dead at 90.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/arts/pat-oliphant-dead.html
RE: @HailsandAles@metalhead.club
I endorse these opinions.
Well, not the Satan part.
I haven’t met him, so have no opinion there.
But the rest is solid. Would do as well.
Just 12 hours home, and back in the saddle again!
Well, at least I got my #favoriteseat again:
It’s nice to be home.
If anyone has any tourist-y suggestions for someone (me) visiting Stuttgart Germany, I’d appreciate it.
Weather-wise, I’ll be visiting next month.
I heard the Mercedes museum was worth seeing, and that there were some good mineral baths there, but I don't have any specific recommendations.
Replying to
@marcoarment Hey now - no need to bring my beloved laserdiscs into the negative connotation conversation. Pretty sure they're the same size as those old vinyl round things - pick on them, please…
I’m always amazed that easy access to ice in a commercial eating/drinking setting seems to be very much an American construct.
Elsewhere, it’s either nonexistent, grudging, or prone to making the visitor ill.
Why are we the wackos here?
Do others not see the value?
Every trip I go on, I make a different set of mistakes re: what I forget.
Sigh.
Been a while since I was jumping between Obj-C++ and Swift.
My brain is smart, but not quick.
Thank goodness for helpful IDEs…
Aw, damn - Dean Tavoularis died the other day:
What a huge talent. I never met him, but his work was amazing. I didn't know that he started his career as a Disney storyboard artist, but it makes sense.
He started his production designer career on Arthur Penn's “Bonnie and Clyde” (which I recently rewatched - surreal and amazing).
He did a ton of work with FF Coppola - The Conversation, the Godfather movies, Apocalypse Now, One from the Heart, so much great work.
A longer flight than my normal one, but at least I got the closest thing to my #favoriteseat
Just noticed on a website I go to a fair amount (etrade.com) that they invite me to “log on”, not "log in”, and once I'm in, I see a button to “log off" not “log out”.
Has this always been the case, or did they change their prompt?
Not sure why it's hitting me - I think of both as fine, but somehow this seems new there.
Finding the car rental drop off at LAX at o-dark-thirty is surprisingly hard and stressful. So much construction and bad signage.
The most comb over of hairstyles.
My good buddy (and fellow MIT alum) Peggy Weil has a new piece at the NY MOMA, right on the first floor - if you're in the area, check it out!
RE: https://mastodon.social/@sundogplanets/116882174630299627
Fuck SpaceX.
Quoting
HAHAHA FUCK SpaceX just launched a nuclear powered satellite.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-just-launched-the-1st-ever-nuclear-powered-commercial-satellite
Sounds like this particular satellite is tiny and doesn't have a lot of tritium on board but HOLY SHIT this is a bad precedent.
Open quoted postThanks, LA, you were swell.
Well, other than terrible signage around the LAX rental car drop off…
Anyway, excited to get home for more than 12 hours, traveling there in my #favoriteseat
I miss Melt Comics in LA.
It was always such a fun place to visit.
Replying to
@Eggfreckles@mastodon.mit.edu unclear why you rate more than "terrifying new captor" to this poor bastard…
And then transitioning quickly to hopefully just “a momentary bit of awful in an otherwise chill day…”
Replying to
@CliffsEsport@mastodon.social my problem is I travel a lot for different reasons. Local (in state) vs out of state vs international.
Replying to
@Trenton_Hoshiko Ah, the web app looks entirely reasonable. Should have thought of this myself - thanks for the kick!
Replying to
@gavgraham@mastodon.social yea, the only reason I have some cash is for tips. Other than that, no matter where I’ve flown in the last few years, Apple Pay has done everything.
Always enjoy my time in LA.
Such a sprawling place.
Replying to
@w00tdude@mastodon.social yea, probably. I rarely rent a car, and in this case I was trying to find it before sunrise, so it compounded the issues.
Replying to
@yiningkarlli@mastodon.gamedev.place You would have loved PARIS on the Connection Machine, then…
We had long names. Very long. Longer than Mathematica. I actually expect Wolfram was inspired by the PARIS instructions…