30-Minute Warning XLIV

I’ve been recovering from the emotionally heaviest week of 2026 by far, so I’ll refrain from pressuring myself to publish a lengthy post tonight. What I can do tonight is share today’s happenings in under 30 minutes.

Like I said, I had an emotionally heavy week, but last night, it ended with a warm, honest conversation and a gigantic mason jar filled with large ice cubes and a refreshing Coke Zero. That made me sleep heavenly (even if I drank something cold and caffeinated), and I feel refreshed when I woke up today.

As for work, today’s stress was tolerable. I wrote proposals like a machine, I politely responded to troubleshooting reports, and I dispatched technicians for the aforementioned troubleshooting. After that, and running an errand, the workday ended early, so I went to Oversight early to observe my Monday ritual.

Speaking of Monday rituals, last week was so awful that even two visits to Oversight didn’t do the trick. Sometimes, habits that protect and ground me don’t work at all if the darkness is overwhelming. But I’m glad my family and a friend helped me through that period, and now I’m back to my safe space feeling lighter.

And now, another light from last week. Last Friday, April 24, my favorite band in the whole world, Foo Fighters, released their twelfth studio album, Your Favorite Toy. If I could write a lengthy album review, I would. But tonight, I’d like to relax more with my favorite affogato. Yet, here’s my short review: I’m elated that the Foo Fighters are back to being loud with the residue of post-Wasting Light albums’ experimental styles. I will make an in-depth album review when I feel 141 2/3% better.

But honestly, if I were to reach Steiner Math levels of wellness again soon, the album review would not be the first long post I would work on. I will talk more about the album’s antepenultimate track, “Child Actor”. Honestly, I didn’t expect the song to be a reminder of many recently depressing things at once, and since I listened to it during an already-dark week, it reduced me to tears. It became the soundtrack of last weekend for me, and I still can’t get enough of hearing it on loop (even as I type this).

Won’t you turn the cameras off, turn the cameras off
Turn the cameras off, turn the cameras off
Turn the cameras off, turn the cameras off
Turn the cameras off

Foo Fighters’ “Child Actor”

And my 30 minutes are up. Thank you for reading. See you in the next post, and have a nice week!


Header image: Raul Ling of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Listen IV: Saya’s “Natsu Shigure”

On the afternoon of June 30, 2025, I ran a few errands in the nearest business district. And when I was about to finish the final errand, heavy rain poured. I brought my portable umbrella (I always do because I’m vigilant in a way), but still… damn.

I waited several minutes for the weather to calm down, but I also wanted to go to Oversight early. So, I switched on my wireless earphones, opened my umbrella, pressed the shuffle mode on “My Favorite Songs” playlist on Spotify, went outside the building, hit the play button, and started walking. During my first steps, the sun slightly appeared while it was still raining.

The first song that Spotify played was the perfect soundtrack during that sunny yet rainy walk to my favorite cafe. What’s the song? It’s “Natsu Shigure” (夏しぐれ), my favorite song from Saya (冴夜), my recent favorite singer-songwriter hailing from Japan. “Natsu Shigure” means “Summer Drizzle” or “Summer Shower” in Japanese.

Continue reading Listen IV: Saya’s “Natsu Shigure”

10-Minute Warning CLXXXIII

What can I tell here in under 10 minutes?

I have some good news: I can preserve my sole bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey for several weeks, and I can just buy my weekly Coke Zero (for my family, not for me). Why? Last Monday, my Mother, Father, and a cousin bought 2 4-packs of premixed Jack & Coke. That’s one Devil’s Cup per week in the next 2 months. Hell yes!

Yeah, they didn’t buy the right drink (Jack & Coke Zero), but come on… it’s still a Jack & Coke. And The Devil’s Cup will have more bite in the next several weeks. That’s still a win for me!

What else? Well, every year, I binge-watch my favorite series of all time, the sci-fi crime thriller/drama Person of Interest, and I have been on another POI marathon since July 12. Today I just finished an episode from Season 2, “C.O.D.”. I might watch another episode before I go out tonight.

And maybe I should start a new blog series where I discuss each Person of Interest episode?

Anyway, my 10 minutes are up. See you in the next post.

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