ThinkingShort notes and media—photos, video, voice memos, Spotify tracks, YouTube finds—posted often and without essay polish, browsable as a list or grid and filterable by type. Lately: ranking my favorite noirs (The Hustler and Sweet Smell of Success on top), falling for Under the Volcano from page one, an all-time Kendrick track, block party sounds from my street, and chilled gamay with a hot dog at a Brooklyn bar. There's also a farewell to Tad's Steaks, a theory about mobility and self-segregation, furniture salvaged from a downed Prospect Park tree, shrugs at The Odyssey and the new Strokes record, a caffeine deep-dive, the 20K-step days that shrank my belt size—and a note appreciating these very tooltips. Loose, opinionated, always in the moment.
Oh man, I love the tooltips that Claude generates on rommy.blog headers every time I add a Thinking, Writing, Reading, or Sharing post.
Sounds of the summer block party on my block.
Chilled gamay and a hot dog at Wallace #prospectheights #brooklyn #wine
When people ask what I do at bars alone… #brooklyn #thirdspaces #books #reading
All-time. #rap #hiphop #kendricklamar
Holy shit this passage from Malcolm Lowry’s Under the Volcano. #literature #books
Increased mobility has enabled humans to self-segregate which helps to further class disparity, racial tension, and political/ideological extremism. Coupled with an oligarchy that controls the flow of propaganda through algorithms and internet traffic control, this creates the perfect storm.
How many 48 year olds do you know who dress like they’re 12 years old in 1986? #fitcheck
Reading Malcolm Lowry’s Under the Volcano for the first time and I already know I’m going to love it from page one. #books #literature
My biggest beef with #TheOdyssey is that it took from the story but omitted the poetic spirit of the epic. It reduced the gravity of the epic to a pirate movie. In contrast, The Green Knight brilliantly stayed true to the poetic gravity of its source material.
#TheOdyssey was just fine.
Am I the only one who thinks that #thestrokes new album #realityawaits is just really boring? “Weird” or “experimental” were never the words that made it into my thoughts.
I walked. I deserve it.
Fascinating episode of Science Vs. #caffeine
Someone took the pieces from a downed tree in #prospectpark and made furniture lol.
I walked over 20K steps per day (10-11 miles per day) in May and June. Lost a belt size. July was a step down (pun intended) due to holiday but I expect an August rebound.
Spicy take: #athleticwear isn’t #fashion. Wearing sweatpants, yoga pants, and running shoes when you walk out the door give off lazy, basic, and uninteresting vibes. Also those clothes are 90% plastic.
As far as menswear goes, #toddsnyder is wildly over-rated and overpriced in terms of build quality and materials. There, I said it.
Gosh I love her.
Sugar is the most beautifully-made series #streaming right now, #appletv
Wow. This #documentary looks really great.
Charles Bukowski #poetry
End laptops at bars.
I’ve never owned a pair of #crocs. Sell me on them.
Beauty from Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits. I can’t put this book down. It is breaking me. #literature #books
It’s nice to have my attention span and focus back for a bit. Not sure how long it will last, but I will cherish it for now.
Jet lag absolutely blows.
Spoken like a true #newyorker
Oh yeah…OH YEAH
When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.
Pre-sunrise walk in #prospectpark, #brooklyn
Yup I think I’m ready to be back in Greece.
Beautiful doggo
Listened to this outstanding album top to bottom on my morning walk. Can’t wait for the film. #jazz #billevans
🌪️ 👀 in #nyc
Throwing back…
Not sure what happened while I was gone but Prospect Park has a lot of fallen trees. Looks like a war zone.
Coffee shops and bars aren’t social hangouts for me. They’re places I go to be around people but where I can be alone with my thoughts to ease into my day or decompress from it. I also consider them as #thirdspaces where I engage in intimate discussions but they need to be organic evolutions.
Back on my early morning walks through Prospect Park. #brooklyn
I can’t wait for this film. Anders Danielsen Lie was a phenomenal casting choice.
#Athens airport queuing is wow. At least three different queues like this. First to scan the boarding pass, second to go through passport control/customs (to leave Greece?), third for security. Glad I arrived four hours early.
Couples getting mad because they aren’t seated together on a ten-hour flight. God forbid you spend time alone, reflecting, relaxing, or reading. If I were with someone, this would be a goddamn dream.
Influencers are total sociopaths. Change my mind.
“Vegan” brands making their overpriced, cheap products with unrecyclable plastic is a travesty. This is pure marketing over real sustainability and environmental considerations.
Monastiraki, Athens at 8:45am
Low-fat yogurt is a crime. I will never do less than 10% fat whole milk Greek yogurt for as long as I live.
The ferry back to Athens. Yes I upgraded my seat.
I would never tire of this.
My little buddy came to say goodbye to me last night. I may have teared up.
My last few hours on Sifnos. So long, you wonderful island.
Fuck the #oligarchy. Eat the rich.
A beautiful passage from Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits that gives a scrap of humanity to a detestable character.
In the US’s current state, a revolutionary outcome in the US of the fascists (MAGA and adjacent) vs. the leftists (socialists) would sadly look like Francoist Spain. Far too much wealth, power, influence, military, courts, legislature, and resources sit behind the former.
Pretty sure that’s an operational issue.
We need strong, foundational #leftist national leaders in the US. Not lawmakers, not institutional politicians. We need leaders with track records of implementing socio-economic change at the local and regional level, leaders who understand that a robust and politically powerful middle class needs to exist, that anti-fascist safeguards exist to ensure the survival of the democracy, that healthcare, education, and prisoner rehabilitation are unalienable human rights, that political correctness is a distraction to real socio-economic reform and fuel for the fascist propaganda machine, that economic strength comes from self-sufficiency and sustainability and renewable energy, that diplomacy not war is how we strengthen the world for the future, that commercial globalization is secondary to a strong domestic foundation, that propaganda and rhetoric need to be swapped out for facts and science that benefit humankind not exploit it, that the exploitative rich not the poor or the immigrant are the enemy of the state and a threat to human survival, that the oligarchy is further empowered and enabled by the corrupt fascist politicians, protected by the courts and the militarized police, and ever-increasing wealth concentration.
Lol you can now toggle my #colophon to be either "plain" or "in the style of Walt Whitman" https://rommy.blog/colophon/
Thinking of adding a bunch of other known voices (Hemingway, Plath, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Didion, Borges, Neruda, Lorca, Allende)
My little buddy swung by at the first sound of me making coffee this morning. #cats #straycats
Man Europeans love jorts. And not the hip cutoffs, the big half-length baggy ones.
A light snack at O Felos
A great few hours in Kastro.
The greatest tote bag ever made (by a mass producer) is undoubtedly LL Bean’s Boat and Tote. But a small internal pocket would make it perfect.
What a beauty
Argentina are unstoppable. Looking forward to the final.
Started my seventh #book of this holiday. Everything has been a total banger so far. I’ve added 5 of the first 6 I read to my list of Books Everyone Should Read. Which is an insane success rate. I usually only add one or two books a year if I’m lucky.
In between sunbathing, reading brilliant fiction, swimming, and people watching, I’m vibecoding blog updates and bug fixes in Cursor’s mobile app and I don’t know how I feel about this.
Cormorant on Fassolou Beach this morning.
Oh nbd, just a German shepherd riding a scooter yesterday.
Mirrors : vanity
Selfie cameras : narcissism.
“After all, there are books about murderers with tender souls.”
Margarita Liberaki, Three Summers
#literature #books #greekliterature
Hit a rock with my tire —> free tow truck ride
Three Summers by Margarita Liberaki has so many beautiful passages. Here’s one.
Ah yes. The brookie.
Ah yes. The NY cookie.
A French film producer needs to adapt Jean Giono’s Hill in the same way Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources were adapted from Marcel Pagnol. Shocked it hasn’t happened. Berri’s films were masterpieces and done right, this would be no exception. #film #frenchfilm
This cat with the 👀
It’s been an excellent holiday so far.
I read Giono’s Hill in a day. What a read. Added it to my list of Books Everyone Should Read, along with every other book I’ve read this holiday. A six book streak of brilliant reads.
“In a single leap the sun clears the crest of the horizon. It enters the sky like a wrestler, atop its undulating arms of fire.”
Jean Giono, Hill
The sound of the Aegean touching the Sifnian shore.
The first page of Jean Giono’s Hill is beautiful. I can’t wait to devour this. #literature #books #frenchlit #frenchliterature
More brilliance from Stratis Haviaras. #honeymoon #literature #greekliterature #books
I hope we all understand why globalization exists. It’s because the rich wanted to exploit natural resources, cheaper labor, and consumers.
Charles Bukowski #poetry
One more beautiful passage from When the Tree Sings by Stratis Haviaras. #greekliterature #literature #books
Stratis Haviaras needs more recognition among modern American audiences.
Sounds from a church on #sifnos this morning.
The capitalist system is so beyond fucked, it actually has people believing that powerless immigrants and the poor are to blame for our geopolitical and socioeconomic woes. Always look at the ones in power and follow the money.
Breaking: Fascist influences criminal organization.
You know what’s not great? Sheep souvlaki. You know what is? Biscoff ice cream.
Just ordered sheep souvlaki. #greece
Long overdue.
So much beautiful writing in Alexandros Papadiamantis’s The Murderess.
Incredible meal at NŌS Restaurant on Sifnos last night. But I am a broken man this morning. Food hangover like no other.
From The Murderess by Alexandros Papadiamantis. #books #literature
Sifnos-bound.
Mercé Rodoreda’s writing is 🫠
It’s not entirely clear to me what happened in Athens in the 1970s, but the men from that generation are still clearly living that lifestyle today and I am totally here for it.
Officially kicking off my summer holiday to Greece. Three weeks, two lovers, one island, and endless sunshine. Just need to get through this 9.5 hour flight.
I have *five* of these in my mouth and am getting two more before the end of the year. 🫠
The entire insurance industry should be a not for profit, public utility. For profit insurance is an organized crime syndicate by which you “pay for protection” but don’t actually get any. Insurance execs deserve to spend every waking moment looking over their shoulders. Criminals in suits.
It’s fair to say that Germany deserved to lose more than Paraguay deserved to win. But Paraguay did crush it on defense against a very mediocre German offense.
“I am my own cook, slave, and master,” couldn’t better describe the life I’ve chosen.
LinkedIn designer #1: Let’s make it as hard as possible for folks to be able to scan each other’s QR codes to add each other.
LinkedIn designer #2: Yes! Let’s make adoption as low as possible. Let’s hide QR codes it in the search bar instead of on the LI home screen! Common sense is for chumps!
Excellent lyric: Money talks but it don’t sing and dance and it don’t walk.
Was recently reminded of Goofus and Gallant and realized that Americans have become Goofus.
In the canon of great summer albums
Taking all my willpower to not go to a bar for the Colombia v. Portugal match #wc26
England is not a contender.
Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Yeah!
Coffee shops are not playgrounds. If your kid can’t sit still, stay home.
I’m walking one million steps every six weeks.
I remember when “running” used to be called jogging. Let’s all calm down. Most of you are jogging.
Il est cinq heures, New York s’eveille
Meanwhile fuck this noise https://gothamist.com/news/jacob-riis-bathhouse-on-track-to-reopen-as-private-club-by-end-of-july
Huge wins last night! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽 https://gothamist.com/news/nyc-primary-results-2026
I’m in an uber with a driver who slows down for a green and if the light turns yellow, he stops. I’m too tired for this shit.
God the #enshittification of the Cannes Film Festival in recent years has been terrible to watch. A trade show for tech companies rather than a festival to celebrate art and subversive filmmaking.
Definitely should not have turned off Egypt v New Zealand at the half. #wc26
“Boring damned people. All over the earth. Propagating more boring damned people. What a horror show. The earth swarmed with them.“
Charles Bukowski
EVERYONE needs to stop self-diagnosing ffs.
I walked 21 miles yesterday…
Ivory Coast showing up in a big way. Germany definitely looking like chumps so far. #worldcup2026
A fascist police state is an NYPD more heavily-funded than it’s ever been and less effective and more mired in corruption than it’s ever been.
The US needs more holidays to shame white oppressors, enslavers, imperialists, and criminal capitalists. But there aren’t enough days in the year.
The book on American narcissism would fill volumes.
Banger.
I would like to give my appreciation to all streamers for having no good content anymore thus requiring me to return to reading.
“I lurk around the mystery murmuring maledictions on the feebleness of my words.”
Leonora Carrington, The Stone Door
Love Oura Ring’s software, but holy shit their hardware is garbage. I hope Brian Lynch fixes it
Honestly, I like almond butter, but holy shit there’s something about peanut butter that’s irreplaceable. And it’s not just nostalgia. It’s the taste and texture.
Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, and Belgium all drawing in their first World Cup matches against their respective teams (Cabo Verde, Congo, Japan, and Egypt) is completely bananas.
When the US gets on its high horse about China’s civil rights violations without recognizing the laundry list of its own.
The NYC mayor needs to see to it that retractable ballasts are implemented at all Prospect Park entrances to ensure cars can't drive in it. Illegal driving in the park is getting out of control, the NYPD is proving itself useless once more, and someone is going to get killed.
Hey NYC pedestrians, stop giving cars the right of way when you are the one with the right of way. Your “politeness” is reinforcing drivers’ entitlement and perpetuating an eternal problem.
The spectacles of modern-day gender reveals, showers, engagements, and even birthdays and weddings are beyond comprehension for me. They celebrate nothing more than one’s self-importance and privilege. (Also def never ever been to a gender reveal.)
Does anyone know the Fort Greene cross streets for Spike Lee’s block party? I’m too hungover to wander around looking for it in this heat.
Lol. I’d love to understand how they determine this.
I know many anti-immigrant immigrants. This country breeds the idea that once you’re lucky enough make it in, it’s your right and privilege to keep others out.
A photo I took at David Hockney's Lincoln Center talk in late 2017.
So long, old chum.
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/david-hockney-obituary-2675195
No one ever told me that old age would include sock lines.
It was an emotional night. Greatest game in NBA history.
Have a tough time getting excited for game 4 after the shameful NYC mob behavior that surfaced following game 3. What kind of humans behave that way around a fucking basketball game?
Regulate or eliminate insurance companies.
From Leonora Carrington’s The Stone Door.
The 🐐
LFG, Knicks!
When did red lights in Brooklyn become optional for drivers?
More from Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human.
The Hacks finale was terrible. I was expecting Hacks to go out on a limb to preach normalizing the right to die. Ava would absolutely have supported it. And the agency takeover via blackmail was so eyerolly. That said, the last two seasons were significantly worse than the first three, so I wasn’t expecting much. So maybe my disappointment was tempered knowing that.
If I have to leave my bicycle outside, you should have to leave your stroller outside.
More from Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human.
Wallace, a wonderful new bar on Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights.
Eat the fucking rich.
Contemporary American literature is bland and formulaic. Let’s stop signing book deals with MFAs and start signing book deals with punks, rebels, leftists, artists, and philosophers, regardless of education, status, or privilege.
I thought we agreed to stop calling things “deconstructed” years ago. Your deconstructed sneakers don’t make any sense. They’re completely constructed.
From Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human
Let’s normalize saying cow milk. Whole milk and oat milk are causing mass confusion.
Prospect Park loop @ 5:45am
The first real art piece I purchased. An original painting by Andy Dixon (andydixon.net) back in 2011. It kicked off a series of art purchases by great artists I admire, most from Vancouver where I lived for a few years.
Currently reading: No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai 📚
If anyone wants the rommy.blog theme, have at it: github.com/fingergun…
Test #2. Sorry for the spam. At least they’re cute photos tho, right?
Testing photo uploads from rommy.blog
Just migrated from Github Pages to Cloudflare Pages. It was an adventure. Thanks Cursor.
It’s summer, baby.
August 2026
July 2026
June 2026
Have a tough time getting excited for game 4 after the shameful NYC mob behavior that surfaced following game 3. What kind of humans behave that way around a fucking basketball game?
Regulate or eliminate insurance companies.
LFG, Knicks!
When did red lights in Brooklyn become optional for drivers?
The Hacks finale was terrible. I was expecting Hacks to go out on a limb to preach normalizing the right to die. Ava would absolutely have supported it. And the agency takeover via blackmail was so eyerolly. That said, the last two seasons were significantly worse than the first…
If I have to leave my bicycle outside, you should have to leave your stroller outside.
Contemporary American literature is bland and formulaic. Let’s stop signing book deals with MFAs and start signing book deals with punks, rebels, leftists, artists, and philosophers, regardless of education, status, or privilege.
I thought we agreed to stop calling things “deconstructed” years ago. Your deconstructed sneakers don’t make any sense. They’re completely constructed.
Let’s normalize saying cow milk. Whole milk and oat milk are causing mass confusion.
If anyone wants the rommy.blog theme, have at it: github.com/fingergun…
Just migrated from Github Pages to Cloudflare Pages. It was an adventure. Thanks Cursor.