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​Friday Inspiration 454​

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I don’t know how to explain this video, but I saw a few people sharing it on social media last week and it is one hell of a story about a mural a guy saw in an old McDonald’s restaurant. Also his energy is amazing. (video)

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I HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK: If you read my book Ultra-Something, would you be so kind as to write a quick review (or even just rate the book) on Amazon? You don’t have to write a positive review, or a long review, just a review. It would help me out a ton. AND: If you do write a review, I will mail you a couple of these stickers (which are not publicly available), if you’d like. Just send me your mailing address at brendan@semi-rad.com and I’ll drop them in the mail:

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I can’t even remember how I discovered Niko Stratis’s writing, but I really enjoyed this piece about not getting Oasis tickets and quitting smoking. A snippet:

"I think about smoking when I think about Oasis too. Because when (What’s the Story) Morning Glory came out in 1995 it felt like it changed everything, made it all feel new. I remember sitting in class, near the window and close to the back of the room, and seeing circles of popular girls sitting outside trading stolen cigarettes between each others fingers singing their best recollection of the lyrics to ‘Wonderwall’ together and it felt like seeing magic, real honest magic, alive in the world. I think about wanting to be someone else, and dreaming of possibility."

As a kid who built a solid collection of hip-hop compilation cassette tapes because KMart decided to stock them in small-town stores in the rural Midwest in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I have to say, I have some nostalgia for KMart, even though I may not have set foot in one for a decade or more. This New York Times piece isn’t necessarily groundbreaking or some sort of must-read, but I think it’s nice (and maybe important?) that someone felt the need to chronicle it when the last of an institution closes its doors forever. (gift link)

Two things I loved that Sabrina Little pointed out in this piece about Appalachian Trail fastest known time record-holder Tara Dower: She refers to “we” instead of “me,” and the section about “Love Is a Better Motivator Than Duty.”

As someone who thinks of Mitch Hedberg’s comedy every time I buy a donut, or ride an escalator, or do a bunch of other things, I really appreciate this, and also appreciate my friend Peter for sending it to me.

I thought it would be interesting to read this “The Best Candy to Hand Out to Trick-or-Treaters, According to Kids” article, and look, they didn’t talk to that many kids, so it’s really not that useful (in my opinion), but at the risk of sounding like an old guy, holy shit, these kids are getting full-size (and king size!) candy bars when they go trick-or-treating? Good for them. That's called progress, I think.

Am I more inspired that this light bulb is still working after 123 years, or that someone has a webcam feed on it so we can all check on it from time to time?

Lastly, if you are a reader of OutsideOnline or other Outside publications, you can add my articles to your feed here (I think that’s how this works?): https://www.outsideonline.com/profile/c0a76d8d-4de6-415c-a119-0cb0d6898e7f​

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