I'm definitely on the same wavelength with these two guys

I've enjoyed listening to the archives of the Lost in Criterion podcast during my commute. And I had a laugh-out-loud moment when I heard the introduction to their 2015 episode about the documentary Salesman.

If you read this blog regularly or know me, you'll know exactly why I loved this exchange. Here's a rough transcript:

Adam Glass: I've annotated my copy of the Bible. Some of them don't make sense. Like after Genesis 5:6, I put a note to see the article on Benedict Cumberbatch.

Pat Dorgan: Just to confuse people...

Adam Glass: It's more of an art project for me. It's not for my own edification in personal use. It's for presenting to my guests or leaving it to my nephews when I die.

Pat Dorgan: That I think is a really valuable use of something like that. Leave your nephews something wholly baffling. Imagine it as a puzzle they'll spend the rest of their lives trying to unravel with no success.

Adam Glass: Basically what I want to do with my life is leave enough material that in 500 years something I produced will be the new Voynich manuscript.

Pat Dorgan: I think a lot of people have that dream. The real issue is that as we approach a more and more digital world, that's going to be harder and harder to do. You're gonna have to just actively print shit out and leave it around.

Happy New Year 2020: Peace on Earth stamp

Happy New Year! We made it 2020, perhaps just barely.

This marks the 11th different calendar year in which Papergreat has published a post. (It was launched in November 2010.) That's pretty trippy.

These "PEACE ON EARTH" Cinderella stamps were published in 1961 (I believe) by The Protestant Council of the City of New York. The council has a history dating back to the 19th century and is known today as the Council of Churches of the City of New York. It was The Protestant Council of the City of New York from 1943 to 1968.

Peace on Earth is always a nice sentiment. We have a lot of work to get there, of course. And we must be much, much better stewards of this planet, too, to help enable any movement toward overall peace.

Maybe it starts if we can get closer to having our own peace of mind. Here's an excerpt from the New Year's Day editorial published today in LNP|LancasterOnline:

"But here’s another thing about 2020:

"It’s going to be a long year.

"And not just because it’s a leap year, with a whole extra day to navigate.

"We all know what’s in the daily news. Impeachment. Gun violence. Democratic primaries. Property taxes. Religious intolerance. Climate crisis. Immigration. International tensions. November’s presidential election.

"These issues will easily overwhelm us, each waking hour — if we allow them to.

"So here’s another resolution: Slow down and take care of yourself.

"Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Find the pace that works for you, and don’t let others define that pace.

"Take time to breathe. To reflect. To savor the little things.

"Take walks.

"Read that book you’ve been putting off.

"Savor time with friends and family.

"Chat with your neighbors.

"Remember it’s OK to laugh.

"Write a letter — like, actually write a letter.

"We believe the time is there for these things. One way to find it: Many of us could certainly put down our smartphones and devices for an hour a day. And thus make time for all of the above.

"We wrote in September about the problems of living with our eyes glued to the screens of our devices. Our fingers endlessly swiping and typing. 'They’re perilously addictive for adults as well as teens. Our smartphones have taken over our lives. ... This rarely leads to contentment.'

"So maybe we could all look up from our screens more often and see what’s truly out there in the world."