Weekender #20

• Things remain the same for birb / Myna watch: Handsome continues to come by at the end of the day for some Pringles. Still no sign of a new mate for him.

• Speaking of birbs, this video showing how scientists created a Crow Vending Machine to study how the intelligence of crows evolve. I want a crow vending machine!

• Apple’s WWDC came and went… and all I got was some updates to iPadOS multitasking. This isn’t quite what I was hoping Apple would do, but it is what I expected Apple to do. In a nutshell: Apple kept iPad multitasking the same as it’s been forever and added some additions to improve discovery and usability. I’m not brave enough to install the iPadOS 15 beta, but this video shows how the iPadOS 15 multitasking works.

• It was impressive in regular speed, but unreal in slow motion. How in the world does she defy gravity? Watch: Simone Biles in Extreme Slow Motion.

• Summer is in full swing, and with it, Hawaii slowly re-opening. Lots of tourist and people are out and about. I was getting used to things being slow and parking lots empty. I guess all good things…

• I’ve been making progress on my guitar project, but I’m not ready to talk about it just yet. It’s been taking forever because I’ve messed up the finish twice and had to start over again. I’m trying to take my time and get it as good as I can (within reason). I’m not looking for perfection, just something I can be proud of.

• John Mayer teased his next single, Last Train Home on social media back in March. It was supposedly going to drop in April. Instead, it was released it last week, and I’m really loving it. His upcoming album, Sob Rock, features an 80’s influenced cover to match this 80’s sounding tune. The only thing I don’t enjoy is how short songs in general are getting. Listen: Apple Music

• Guitarist / YouTuber Mary Spender jumped on Mayer’s teaser from March and was somehow able to write the rest of the song and lyrics with just the 20-30 seconds of music available to her in a week. Take a look to see how close she actually got. Then watch her reaction video to the actual song.

• Also of note: Mayer’s marketing campaign for the single started at the end of May with targeted ads featuring just text set in Helvetica saying “Sob Rock is __ Rock.” Tapping on the link in the ad led to an online form. The form didn’t state what they wanted your personal information for, but I figured, “it’s John Mayer… why not?”

• Last week, just as the single was released, I was greeted with the Sob Rock Zine, Volume 1 June 2021 in my mailbox! Fashioned like a late 80’s zine fresh off the xerox machine, it had old school cool with an monotone cover of Mayer playing his PRS Silver Sky. Inside, a “faxed” message from John, the chords and lyrics to Last Train Home, an interview between John Mayer and Don Was, and photos from the making of the music video (these were high quality offset printed). Really love how Mayer will take an idea and go the distance to take it home.

• Most of the week was spent listening to Michelle Zauner’s new Japanese Breakfast release, Jubilee. Wanting to break out of the sadness of her last two albums, Zauner lands some upbeat tunes and some really catchy hooks on this one. It was worth the wait. Listen: Apple Music