Insano (Nitro Mega)
Insano (Nitro Mega)
I was surprised how much I loved MOTM 3 and Entergalatic. Kid Cudi was embracing change and loved the direction. But Insano was a huge disappointment for me. Not only that, but his interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Musicwas gross.
Kid Cudi I feel has lost his sense of perspective on what his music has inspired. I don’t blame him wanting to make more happy music, but Insano was a mess, and his cocky attitude in the interview really turned me off. I miss the humble and more introspective Cudi. Trying to be like “Kendrick Lamar” as he stated in his interview and his actual attempt in making Insano fell flat for me.
Insano (Nitro Mega) feels different though. Some old songs by Cudi are welcomed, but the songs feel more thoughtful. The production isn’t as all over the place, and it truly feels like the album we needed unlike Insano.
I hope Cudi continues in the direction of (Nitro Mega). It’ll be on repeat for me all weekend.
Vultures 1—>
Yes, I listened to the album a few times this weekend. And, yes, I feel indifferent about it.
I will say right off the bat, it is a much better album by Kanye West since Life Of Pablo. Donda had some really good songs, but the roll out of that album and Donda 2 were so messy and strange. Plus the songs never really felt finished. Though there are some problems, Vultures 1 sounds more complete.
The reason I feel indifferent is that I don’t like Kanye anymore. His behavior and remarks over the last couple years are reprehensible so enjoying art by him is strange.
If I can leave this on a slightly positive note, Burn is a song that feels like the old Kanye. The better Kanye. I hope we get that back one day.
Callsheet [App] Updates—>
Casey Liss (creator of Callsheet):
Now, there is. Simply swipe down to expose a standard, system search field..
Callsheet is in the running to be my favorite app in 2024. Though it came out in 2023, I haven’t really used it much until the last month or so. If you love movies, or love movie information Callsheet is perfect for you.
I really like supporting indie developers too, Casey Liss is not only a great developer but also is one of three hosts of my favorite tech podcasts ATP. If you a nerd like me and look at IMDB when watching a movie or tv show, you should really check out Callsheet.
I was right about Medium (unfortunately)—>
Mark Ellis:
Therein lies the rub. Without boosts, you will not enjoy writing on Medium - nor will you feel valued as a writer. During the months when I’m lucky enough for a human being to hit the boost button on a couple of my stories, everything changes - numbers shoot up in all directions. But I can’t live like that as a creator - I’m not here to play the lottery; I’m here to build an audience, help that audience consistently, and create a profitable business off the back of it. I can do that on my website and YouTube. Medium? I’ve given up, I’m afraid. Adopting the role of a Medium writer is incredibly bad for your inspiration, motivation, and mental health.
I have always looked up to Mark and his ability to continue to post so much each week. He was and is an inspiration to writing and blogging. The fact that he has been boosted, and still has struggled to keep his views and audience seeing his work is sad.
I have yet to be boosted, ever, since the new Partner Program was implemented. The revenue loss sucks and it sounds like Mark was making a lot more than me and seeing his losses is very disappointing. But the fact that he has double my followers (over 20,000+) but only got 900+ views on a post that should have been popular shows the downfall of Medium.
Building an audience and having that audience read your work is what made Medium so enticing. The extra cash was just a bonus. To see a more successful writer in Medium seeing the downfall clearly shows that what Medium doing is not it.
The only criticism in Marks post is that he did it in Substack:
Substack still excites me. I’m here for the long run. It doesn’t come close to Medium yet in terms of audience size or revenue, but I can see a future when it does. And, what’s more, I think about Substack a lot - which means something.
Come over to Ghost, Mark, it’s pretty great!
Don’t Speed Up Your Podcasts—>
Mike Rockwell:
My advice? Don’t do it. Keep playback speed locked at x1.
No thanks.
Dr. Julia Alvarez
UC Merced Graduate Commencement Ceremony
My wife received her Doctorate in Quantitative and Systems Biology yesterday and proud is not a strong enough word for how much I look up to her and her achievements. After sitting through her dissertation defense last week and seeing her walk across the stage this week, it is amazing to see her reach the goal she decided to go after over five years ago.
Not only am I honored to have her as a partner and coparent to be a role model for our son, and new son on the way, but she has always been someone I look up to as well. It was amazing to see her walk onto that stage and earn something that less than 2% of the United States has; a Doctorate Degree.