Nostr notes by Dave Mandl

I didn't run in whatever race is happening here in Brooklyn ...

2026-04-26T16:35:03Z

I didn't run in whatever race is happening here in Brooklyn today, but I'd still like to wrap myself in one of those big aluminum foil blankets.

Till recently, camera viewfinders didn't have gridlines in ...

2026-04-16T15:07:42Z

Till recently, camera viewfinders didn't have gridlines in them—it was on you to hold the camera straight, which was not a big problem. Now most viewfinders have gridlines, and I've gotten so used them that I seem to have lost the ability to hold the camera straight when the gridlines aren't there.

It's always been clear to me that he could be another Hitler. ...

2026-04-07T17:36:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…zklx
_________________________

It's always been clear to me that he could be another Hitler. He's flowing the playbook almost exactly, maybe a little faster than the original. The real genocide didn't start till the early '40s.

No argument there. But knowing as much as I do about human nature ...

2026-03-17T15:48:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…a8cu
_________________________

No argument there. But knowing as much as I do about human nature at my advanced age, I figure people would find some other dumb thing to justify bad behavior.

Anyway, this will bring segments of the left even closer to the ...

2026-03-17T15:03:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…ze05
_________________________

Anyway, this will bring segments of the left even closer to the far right, and it's gonna be bad, mostly (but not exclusively) for Jews.

Maybe, but Trump wouldn't do it if he didn't want to. Why ...

2026-03-17T14:56:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…ysyg
_________________________

Maybe, but Trump wouldn't do it if he didn't want to. Why does he obey Israel but not his NATO allies? And what role does Jared play in this?

Most of these headlines don't mention the crucial fact that ...

2026-03-17T14:49:09Z

Most of these headlines don't mention the crucial fact that this guy is a conspiracy nut and Trump devotee using the standard far-right antisemitic tropes for opposing the war. This will end in more red-brown ugliness. (I 100% oppose the war, but not because the Jews tricked Trump into it.) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/world/middleeast/joe-kent-counterterrorism-resigns-iran-war.html

The WFMU Marathon phone room, Saturday 6:02 a.m. ...

2026-03-14T15:36:01Z

The WFMU Marathon phone room, Saturday 6:02 a.m.

What kind of lunacy is this? No one in the US hyphenates phone ...

2026-03-08T17:08:19Z

What kind of lunacy is this? No one in the US hyphenates phone numbers this way.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@fesshole/116131234178154635 This is ...

2026-02-25T12:29:27Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@fesshole/116131234178154635

This is an interesting kind of situation that I imagine novels have been written about. This person is never truly free. Spend the money and it's possible they'll discover the error three years from now and come after you then.
nostr:note1ak5jdzq66ak5myreu0cf6s4d35gf3auzhjqwhtdcd3gv3v4vdkcs4xh46w

My friend Amir reports that "the drone is back" at the ...

2026-02-23T15:32:38Z

My friend Amir reports that "the drone is back" at the Chamber St. station. His explanation: "I investigated once and it comes out of some machinery behind a metal door. The metal might set up reverb. Quite beautiful on a day like this when station is empty." Here's his video.

Acronym of the year, from the New Jersey Legislature. ...

2026-02-21T21:37:53Z

Acronym of the year, from the New Jersey Legislature.

Principles GI Coffee, on 9th St. Me: "'Gratuity-free' ...

2026-02-07T17:10:14Z

Principles GI Coffee, on 9th St.

Me: "'Gratuity-free' means...?"
Barista: "We're paid a fair wage."

👏

P. J. O'Rourke has a lot to answer for. Besides wrecking ...

2026-02-05T13:30:56Z

P. J. O'Rourke has a lot to answer for. Besides wrecking National Lampoon (the magazine) he almost single-handedly perpetuated the myth that Republicans are wildass freedom-lovers. In fact they're still the old biddie looking into your bedroom window with a pair of binoculars while calling the cops.

And cold. Like the surface of Mars.

2026-01-30T23:23:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…70rx
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And cold. Like the surface of Mars.

Bush Terminal, 13° F. ...

2026-01-30T20:10:40Z

Bush Terminal, 13° F.

Essex Market after dark. ...

2026-01-28T02:43:08Z

Essex Market after dark.

I don't know why calendar sellers don't actively hoard ...

2025-12-31T12:49:50Z

I don't know why calendar sellers don't actively hoard wall calendars to sell in future years where the days match, or why nobody reuses old calendars. For example, a 1970 calendar works for 2026, and I'd gladly use one if I had one. https://whencanireusethiscalendar.com/

Empire Blvd. #photography ...

2025-12-11T13:24:04Z

Empire Blvd. #photography

Love Love Love, Sheepshead Bay. ...

2025-11-07T13:01:07Z

Love Love Love, Sheepshead Bay.

Seen in the wild (Gerritsen Beach): 1964 Thunderbird. ...

2025-11-06T20:50:59Z

Seen in the wild (Gerritsen Beach): 1964 Thunderbird.

New from me in the Los Angeles Review of Books: a review of tech ...

2025-11-05T16:26:05Z

New from me in the Los Angeles Review of Books: a review of tech critic Cory Doctorow's latest book, "Enshittification," an essential roadmap to why the internet continues to get worse. (Free to read, no paywall.) https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/giant-platforms-of-shit

I hope you're right but I have no confidence in anything at ...

2025-10-23T00:08:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…jpqw
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I hope you're right but I have no confidence in anything at this point. Look at the list of things he's done (though I agree that in many ways this is the worst, as far as "optics" go).

"The Sicilian pizza is 'upside-down.' Is that ...

2025-10-12T23:46:27Z

"The Sicilian pizza is 'upside-down.' Is that OK?"

"What do you mean?"

"First the cheese, and then the sauce on top of that."

"Sure."

Real estate person showing apartments in my building: "And up ...

2025-09-23T15:05:32Z

Real estate person showing apartments in my building:

"And up there we've got a guy who can sing the harmony vocals in every Beatles song perfectly."

Mini-trend I've noticed in the last few years: pedestrians ...

2025-09-07T14:57:01Z

Mini-trend I've noticed in the last few years: pedestrians casually strolling across a street against the light and with steady car traffic. That is, sauntering at the most leisurely pace, making random cars stop or swerve out of the way, never even pausing. These aren't young crazy kids. Why?

I don't know what I'd do with it, but I want a freezer ...

2025-08-29T16:35:13Z

I don't know what I'd do with it, but I want a freezer truck.

"New lease of life" is primarily UK, "new lease on ...

2025-08-25T10:06:48Z

"New lease of life" is primarily UK, "new lease on life" primarily US. "New lease of life" will never sound right to me.

#NowPlaying Ravel, "The Complete Solo Piano Works," ...

2025-08-22T00:29:16Z

#NowPlaying Ravel, "The Complete Solo Piano Works," performed by Seong-Jin Cho. I picked this up immediately after seeing him perform these earlier this year, a transcendent concert.

Ridgewood garage. #photography ...

2025-08-14T18:06:39Z

Ridgewood garage. #photography

Some signs and storefronts I like in South Williamsburg. ...

2025-08-06T18:14:22Z

Some signs and storefronts I like in South Williamsburg.

The Polhemvs Memorial Clinic, Cobble Hill, 8/1/25. #photography ...

2025-08-02T13:34:40Z

The Polhemvs Memorial Clinic, Cobble Hill, 8/1/25. #photography

Also, to reiterate: We're appearing at TV Eye in Ridgewood ...

2025-08-01T13:00:57Z

Also, to reiterate: We're appearing at TV Eye in Ridgewood this Tuesday. Come see us.
https://mastodon.social/@dmandl/114953590938895633

Three months ago: Congestion Pricing will change everything. ...

2025-07-31T15:04:27Z

Three months ago: Congestion Pricing will change everything. Billions of dollars for the subway system. A new day.

Today: No trains at Broadway/Lafayette (three subway lines), no information about what's going on, no details on how long the wait might be. "Announcement" a bunch of electronic noise.

What is "fish & amp chips"? It looks like someone ...

2025-07-29T18:11:08Z

What is "fish & amp chips"? It looks like someone screwed up somewhere in the signmaking process and included the HTML code for ampersand: "fish & chips"

That's right. A very long time now. It's just a symbol of ...

2025-07-12T13:06:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…yh5h
_________________________

That's right. A very long time now. It's just a symbol of the neighborhood (that can't ever be torn down).

I'm never in Coney Island at night so I had no idea ...

2025-07-12T02:30:32Z

I'm never in Coney Island at night so I had no idea they'd been lighting up the Parachute Jump like this.

This poor guy is so afraid his Cybertruck is going to be ...

2025-06-22T19:27:27Z

This poor guy is so afraid his Cybertruck is going to be vandalized that he's tried to disguise it as a Toyota. Leave his car alone, OK?

I don't exactly get the point of these emoji suggestions. If ...

2025-06-19T21:38:27Z

I don't exactly get the point of these emoji suggestions. If I type "cat" and an emoji of a cat is suggested, am I supposed to replace the word in my message w/the emoji? Should I use the word *and* the emoji? Is Apple just showing off that they recognize the word and can associate it with an emoji?

Insane flash storm in Brooklyn. I'd just gone out on my bike ...

2025-06-19T21:04:55Z

Insane flash storm in Brooklyn. I'd just gone out on my bike and was maybe a mile away when I saw those clouds and turned around. Good thing. Winds were like 40 mph. I took out my phone to get a photo of the sky and nearly got blown down the street. People were having trouble walking upright.

"No matter what flavor candles I buy, my apartment ends up ...

2025-06-16T16:56:03Z

"No matter what flavor candles I buy, my apartment ends up smelling like smoke."

I'm not going to make a blanket statement that I would never ...

2025-06-14T15:00:12Z

I'm not going to make a blanket statement that I would never accept *any* king, just not *that* dumb motherfucker.

What is this guy smoking? ...

2025-06-03T21:37:33Z

What is this guy smoking?

...Picking a random word that happens to be in the Pledge of ...

2025-05-25T17:53:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…nwud
_________________________

...Picking a random word that happens to be in the Pledge of Allegiance?

Strange name for a gas station. A poorly articulated attempt to ...

2025-05-25T17:52:20Z

Strange name for a gas station. A poorly articulated attempt to be pro-American?

Every generation does this. "If Beethoven were alive today, ...

2025-05-25T12:26:15Z

Every generation does this. "If Beethoven were alive today, he'd be totally into heavy metal," or hip-hop, or whatever. It's weirdly narcissistic.

I wouldn't use any at all in that sentence. It's a pretty ...

2025-05-19T17:30:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…dqpk
_________________________

I wouldn't use any at all in that sentence. It's a pretty simple sentence.

Very proud of my college-graduate daughter (as of this morning), ...

2025-05-19T17:29:23Z

Very proud of my college-graduate daughter (as of this morning), but I'm not a big fan of graduation ceremonies. I didn't go to my own, many years ago, though of course I went to my hers. I'm not a total jerk.

People tend to under-use semicolons (because they're not sure ...

2025-05-19T16:32:40Z

People tend to under-use semicolons (because they're not sure where to use them, or they think using them makes them look like pedants), but this use is totally unnecessary and IMO wrong. #Copyediting

My middle name, in fact.

2025-05-17T15:53:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…unj4
_________________________

My middle name, in fact.

Gong out on the bike despite a rain forecast for the third time ...

2025-05-17T14:22:57Z

Gong out on the bike despite a rain forecast for the third time this week, because I've gotta ride and because the photography light is so good. I got soaked the other two times, but no regrets.

...The inevitable question: What would you ask Hitler, smiling ...

2025-05-17T13:25:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…xyq6
_________________________

...The inevitable question: What would you ask Hitler, smiling and charming in a suit, sipping bottled water, and splitting hairs over the finer points of German law, at one of these conferences?

...The things you should be saying to him, the questions you ...

2025-05-17T13:22:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…83rc
_________________________

...The things you should be saying to him, the questions you should be asking him, are the kinds of things that would be considered out of bounds or rude at these conferences.

Edward Luce's column is one of the best things in the FT, but ...

2025-05-17T13:20:27Z

Edward Luce's column is one of the best things in the FT, but I just saw a video of him interviewing Steve Bannon at a conference, and boy was that a mistake. The format does not work with these people. A fascist politely sipping bottled water pretending to be a Republican.

I'm going to buy the internet and then destroy it. ...

2025-05-15T16:24:05Z

I'm going to buy the internet and then destroy it.

Wow. A real pro. A lot of singers (or radio DJs) don't get ...

2025-05-06T17:01:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…nznf
_________________________

Wow. A real pro. A lot of singers (or radio DJs) don't get those nuances.

She's probably never heard of him! Her dad isn't really a ...

2025-05-06T14:54:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…2gj9
_________________________

She's probably never heard of him! Her dad isn't really a fan.

Last night's radio show featured music by Art Moulu Tréfin, ...

2025-05-06T11:35:43Z

Last night's radio show featured music by Art Moulu Tréfin, Eberhard Schoener (with Sting and Andy Summers), the Fibonaccis, Maxophone, and more. You deserve it. Playlist and archive here: https://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/151794 WFMU (npub1dl0…t6l4)

In the unhinged letter to Harvard from the "education ...

2025-05-06T01:26:25Z

In the unhinged letter to Harvard from the "education secretary" this sentence stands out. The commas change the meaning drastically, into something blatantly racist (restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clause). Hard to tell if it's intentional, because these dopes wouldn't get this grammatical nuance.

So I've heard. He and Mel Blanc were good friends, and Blanc ...

2025-05-03T18:16:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…x90x
_________________________

So I've heard. He and Mel Blanc were good friends, and Blanc praises him to the skies in his memoir.

Wow, that's quite a claim. Lucky you.

2025-05-03T15:51:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…3x9m
_________________________

Wow, that's quite a claim. Lucky you.

There's a big difference between frugality and stinginess. I ...

2025-05-03T14:23:07Z

There's a big difference between frugality and stinginess. I consider frugality one of the most commendable qualities to have. Stinginess is one of the worst.

I never get tired of watching that.

2025-04-21T00:05:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…dfs8
_________________________

I never get tired of watching that.

Well, the graffiti's gone.

2025-04-20T22:25:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…ssda
_________________________

Well, the graffiti's gone.

If there's a subway line in Brooklyn running normally this ...

2025-04-20T22:20:58Z

If there's a subway line in Brooklyn running normally this weekend I'd love to know what it is.

I was not expecting an appearance by Edith Head (as herself) on ...

2025-04-06T23:01:31Z

I was not expecting an appearance by Edith Head (as herself) on an early episode of "Columbo."

1972 Dodge Dart "Swinger." This model was introduced ...

2025-04-04T15:16:03Z

1972 Dodge Dart "Swinger." This model was introduced (1969?) to cash in on flower power, when that had become relatively safe. The name "Swinger" was dotted with a daisy.

Nostr event nevent1qqs2xu8mhuu9pnt0guc2rej4kxuqffp29f4kkhcpev3yadqv3c6558qzyrvd4ene2h3y3y6x03mg6jdwlqm97zcglyzhlauvpny3txqjerweuquhfa6

2025-03-12T00:02:47Z

[Cracking open a fortune cookie]: "C'mon, baby!"

Also, the majority of the cast was gay.

2025-02-24T16:44:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…5w49
_________________________

Also, the majority of the cast was gay.

Finally got a response to a post of mine from one of those ...

2025-02-23T15:24:39Z

Finally got a response to a post of mine from one of those "disagree bots," which post very reasonable-sounding, AI-driven counterpoint arguments. My immediate reaction was how much they sound like certain real humans I've encountered, who repeatedly "Yes, but" you to sap all your energy.

I had a dog bite or scratch my leg (I wasn't sure) the other ...

2025-02-22T13:37:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…x0wa
_________________________

I had a dog bite or scratch my leg (I wasn't sure) the other day while I was innocently walking down the street. I hadn't even looked at it. But all my life I've seen dog-owners desperately tugging at leashes to prevent their dogs from going after people. Nothing against the dogs, I just think it's an odd way to live.

I have nothing against dogs (though I'm definitely a cat ...

2025-02-20T17:53:00Z

I have nothing against dogs (though I'm definitely a cat person) but I've never understood the appeal of owning an animal that you, the owner, have to constantly fight with to prevent it from biting or killing random people on the street. Yes, I know, #NotAllDogs.

Show this to a typographer you want to hurt. ...

2025-01-01T18:02:40Z

Show this to a typographer you want to hurt.

Spotted in the wild: late-'50s Chevy. ...

2024-12-24T17:17:49Z

Spotted in the wild: late-'50s Chevy.

First photo of my new bass, made by guitarmaker Creston Lea. I ...

2024-12-03T19:20:34Z

First photo of my new bass, made by guitarmaker Creston Lea. I guess I'll have it in my hands in a week or two.

Watched The Godfather for the first time in ages yesterday, and ...

2024-11-30T01:12:17Z

Watched The Godfather for the first time in ages yesterday, and I'd forgotten how often the word "guinea" was used. It's a terrible anti-Italian slur, roughly equivalent to the n-word. Naturally my daughter had never heard it. I heard it a lot growing up.

I'm planning on finally getting a monitor for my laptop (a ...

2024-11-28T16:41:59Z

I'm planning on finally getting a monitor for my laptop (a MacBook). Is an Apple monitor ($1600) really that much better than a Dell or whatever ($200 tops)?

Yesterday I said about someone that “he's got a kats in ...

2024-11-26T20:36:39Z

Yesterday I said about someone that “he's got a kats in kop” ([kɑts ɪn kʌp]), probably the first time I’ve ever used that Yiddish expression, which I got from my parents. Literal translation is, “he has a cat in his head,” meaning roughly “he’s nuts” or “he has a screw loose.” #Yiddish

I think the recent raging success of Bluesky points to a failure ...

2024-11-26T11:36:56Z

I think the recent raging success of Bluesky points to a failure in Mastodon/Fediverse. IMO people touting Bsky as a permanent democratic replacement for Twitter are living in a fool's paradise: Bsky is owned by the same sorts of people Twitter was and will likely end up, five years from now, in the same place that Twitter did. If the vast majority of online civilians feel that Mastodon is "hard to use" that means it *is* hard to use (not purely a perception problem). I wish that could be fixed.

There was a time long ago when late-night DJs would put on a very ...

2024-11-23T13:05:16Z

There was a time long ago when late-night DJs would put on a very long track so they could "ball" in the studio. Doesn't sound very fun. Radio studios are uncomfortable.

Good point. But what pushes me to the app usually is the fact ...

2024-11-18T12:18:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…tsy5
_________________________

Good point. But what pushes me to the app usually is the fact that the interface of the website is terrible in comparison.

R.I.P. poet/lyricist Pete Sinfield, a hugely important figure in ...

2024-11-15T15:47:34Z

R.I.P. poet/lyricist Pete Sinfield, a hugely important figure in early prog-rock, when it was still a bunch of hippies. https://dgmlive.com/news/peter-sinfield-has-died

Looks like the entire borough of Brooklyn is being rebuilt. So ...

2024-11-13T16:38:02Z

Looks like the entire borough of Brooklyn is being rebuilt. So many streets are being repaved that if you're on your bike it's actually hard to find one that hasn't been chopped up like this (not good for your tires).

A friend just returned this bass amp that he borrowed from me in ...

2024-11-13T13:34:29Z

A friend just returned this bass amp that he borrowed from me in 1991 (not a typo). It was a fantastic-sounding piece of gear, and I hope it still works. Has a lifetime warranty, but the company (Sunn) went out of business years ago.

Matt Gagnon at Winston Wächter gallery in Chelsea. Those are ...

2024-11-10T00:37:17Z

Matt Gagnon at Winston Wächter gallery in Chelsea. Those are lights.

...Swear to God, what this looks like to me is Apple showing off ...

2024-11-08T13:17:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…v99u
_________________________

...Swear to God, what this looks like to me is Apple showing off that their software can figure this out. I've never once found these AI suggestions useful.

"AI" features like this are not only useless to me, but ...

2024-11-08T13:14:50Z

"AI" features like this are not only useless to me, but are a tremendous annoyance. Apps are constantly constructing intrusive (usually faulty) reminders that they think I need from my emails and texts.

Fascinating to see these heavily marked-up historic photos from ...

2024-11-07T13:03:28Z

Fascinating to see these heavily marked-up historic photos from Magnum on Instagram, showing among other things how much they were tweaked (and how much skill that required) even in the days of analog film and darkrooms.

It's a 45 rpm record changer. ...

2024-11-02T17:39:34Z

It's a 45 rpm record changer.
https://mastodon.social/@dmandl/113414514652486164

A literal inside look at the bass that Creston Lea is making for ...

2024-10-19T15:58:04Z

A literal inside look at the bass that Creston Lea is making for me. It will be "chambered," meaning that some of the wood on the inside is dug out. This decreases the weight of the instrument to make things easier on my poor shoulder.

Yes! Also, that scene was shot down the block from my house (86th ...

2024-10-18T20:20:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…4g9h
_________________________

Yes! Also, that scene was shot down the block from my house (86th St., Bensonhurst).

Funny: Streets with elevated tracks above them (Myrtle Ave. here) ...

2024-10-18T20:03:54Z

Funny: Streets with elevated tracks above them (Myrtle Ave. here) always seem more tight and crowded to me, which makes no sense since the support poles are on the sidewalk, not in the street. Maybe it's an illusion, or maybe these streets just tend to have more chaotic activity.

Been concerned that my sneakers aren't advanced enough. ...

2024-10-05T13:25:46Z

Been concerned that my sneakers aren't advanced enough.

I tell people that my regular bike/photo rides are my form of ...

2024-09-27T14:10:25Z

I tell people that my regular bike/photo rides are my form of meditation, my Zen, but the thing is I spend half that time spewing obscenities at drivers.

This week's installment of "It's Complicated" (an ...

2024-09-23T22:27:31Z

This week's installment of "It's Complicated" (an hour of prog and prog-adjacent music) worms its way into your ears this evening at 7:00 Eastern Time. Listen at https://wfmu.org or via the wondrous WFMU (npub1dl0…t6l4) app.

Oh no. I have a strict policy of keeping bacteria out of the ...

2024-09-22T13:54:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…592h
_________________________

Oh no. I have a strict policy of keeping bacteria out of the house.

The bit of magic I'm most fascinated by right now: I use this ...

2024-09-22T12:48:07Z

The bit of magic I'm most fascinated by right now: I use this putty for a minor hand injury. No matter what kind of mutated shape it's in when I put it back in its container it's a completely smooth pancake again in the morning. Gravity? Fairy godmother?

The word to measure distances in NYC was always "blocks" ...

2024-09-08T13:27:18Z

The word to measure distances in NYC was always "blocks" ("She lives two blocks from here"). In the UK they use "streets" because "blocks" means something else. But I've been seeing "streets" used in some US papers and magazines (NYT, NY'er) recently. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/12/realestate/pink-building-brooklyn-fort-greene.html #copyediting

It happens to me too: I just ran into the other room at the sound ...

2024-09-06T16:02:25Z

It happens to me too: I just ran into the other room at the sound of some household appliance malfunctioning, but no, it was just WFMU (npub1dl0…t6l4).

"The most Radical Left duo in American history." What an ...

2024-08-06T19:58:21Z

"The most Radical Left duo in American history." What an absolute fucking idiot.