My favorite stuff

Updated

January 21st, 2019

Shows

• Make Happy — A truly original comedy special that doesn't forget to be funny
• True Detective (S1) — Atmospheric, intellectual, and exhilarating storytelling
• Rick and Morty — Inspired, inventive storytelling that pulls no punches
• Making a Murderer — Masterful affinity-building and long-term storytelling
• Altered Carbon — Not perfect, but wildly original and absorbing high sci-fi
• Jones vs. Gustafsson — Two of UFC's best fighters going toe-to-toe for 30 min
• Between Two Ferns — Wildly bold and inventive self-indulgent comedy
• Counterpart — Brilliant plotting, brilliant character study, and very slick
• Others — Sherlock, Westworld, Death Note, Daredevil, The Newsroom, The Office, Who Is America?, Patriot, Star Trek: Discovery

Podcasts

• Sam Harris — A masterful showcase of clear, articulate, and rational thinking
• Pod Save America — An informed and insightful (heavy) liberal skew of politics
• Joe Rogan — The best interviewer of all time: curious, patient, and sincere
• Y Combinator — An eclectic mix of interesting entrepreneurs and scientists

Films

• Searching for Sugarman — A triumph of documentary narrative storytelling
• The Matrix — Intellectual, philosophical, and visually dazzling storytelling
• The Prestige — A great example of stimulating plotting and character building
• Casino Royale — Ditto
• Whiplash — A great example of character-based, emotional arc storytelling
• Watchmen — The most intellectually stimulating superhero story ever told
• Free Solo — The filmmaking is fine, but it's Alex Honnold who's fascinating
• Into the Spider-Verse — A dazzling feast for the eyes, and original fun
• Others — Edge of Tomorrow, 500 Days of Summer, Man on Wire, Batman Begins, Man of Steel, Gladiator, Moon, Snowpiercer, Fight Club, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Collateral

Albums

• Two Dancers — Atmospheric, melodic, and original indie rock
• Transatlanticism — Ditto
• The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me — Inventive, moody alternative rock
• Continuum — Perfect contemporary blues rock with pop rock catchiness
• After the Gold Rush — The original folk rock album that others aspire to
• Ctrl — An inspired alternative R&B album with back-to-back earworms
• Every Kingdom — A melodic, emotive, and impassioned folk album
• Others — Carnavas, Better Nature, Channel Orange, Dawn, Emergence, For Emma Forever ago, The Garden, Simple Things, When It Falls, In Between Dreams, In Rainbows, OK Computer, The King of Limbs, Landmark, Miike Snow, The North Borders, Plans, A Rush of Blood to the Head, Scorpion, Starboy, Till the Sun Turns Black, Voodoo

People with consistently great output

• Hans Zimmer — Film composer
• John Mayer — Musician
• Christopher Nolan — Film director
• David Blaine — Entertainer
• Aaron Sorkin — Screenwriter
• Eric Weinstein (more) — Intellectual
• Neil deGrasse Tyson — Speaker
• Elon Musk — Engineer
• Paul Graham — Essayist
• James Mark Miller — Writer
• Kevin Simler — Essayist
• Benedict Evans — Analyst
• Jeff Bezos — Entrepreneur

How I consume media

• Twitter Moments is my primary news source. Anything critical happening in the world bubbles up there. 
• For analysis on anything that intrigues me from Moments, I pay for Washington Post.
• I don't otherwise pay attention to social media — except to post to Twitter.
• I pay for Spotify, YouTube Premium, Hulu, Netflix, HBO Go, and SiriusXM.
• I listen to podcasts through Spotify while getting exercise.
• I watch YouTube interviews on my iPad while winding down at night.
• I only watch Netflix and Hulu when something truly interesting pops up — not to kill time.
• HBO Go is for John Oliver and Bill Maher. SiriusXM is for long-form interviews.