Steve P Brady

Quiet early afternoon at the library. Reading about the history of the northern European Renaissance in art, science, and philosophy, which, according the author, often rivaled its Italian counterpart.


New find: Ayron Jones. He self describes his style “like if Michael Jackson played guitar like Jimi Hendrix in Kurt Cobain’s band” and that’s pretty spot on. After a couple listens I still can’t pick out the best song on this album. Every time I have a new favorite.


School Daze Endingz

For the past 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of guiding my own educational journey as an 8th-grade English teacher. Throughout this time, I’ve delved into the works of literary giants such as Shakespeare, Vonnegut, Bradbury, and Hawthorne, explored timeless classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, 12 Angry Men, and The Count of Monte Cristo.

In my classroom, discussions transcend mere plot analysis; we dive into the depths of justice, the pursuit of happiness, and the very fabric of reality itself. I’ve witnessed students crafting novellas, engaging in spirited debates, and producing insightful 20-page research papers. Their curiosity and intellect have pushed me to grow just as much as I’ve challenged them.

It’s been an amazing ride.

But now, as the specter of AI writing, lesson planning, and grading looms over education, my school is moving towards a pre-packaged, standardized curriculum for the next year. This shift feels like the end of an era, a departure from the creativity and autonomy that have defined my teaching career. It’s a sentiment that Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar captures perfectly.

I saw the days of the year stretching ahead like a series of bright white boxes and separating one box from another was sleep like a black shade. Only for me, the long perspective of shades that set off one box from the next day had suddenly snapped up. And I could see day after day after day glaring ahead of me like a white, broad, infinitely desolate avenue.


18+ mins of shoegaze/screamo blend high on experimental dissonance and dynamics. Yes, more please. A+


AI and Education

I just spent the day in a professional development session diving into AI and how it’s shaping the future of education. It’s got me thinking—I might be shifting gears from teaching traditional writing to focusing more on guiding prompts for writing.

Part of me wants to hit the brakes and shout, “Kids, grab your trusty pen and paper!” But then, there’s this other part of me that’s buzzing with excitement. We’re standing at the edge of this massive shift in how we approach, well, pretty much everything. And you know what? That’s actually kind of thrilling.

So here I am, caught between a sense of dread and a rush of enthusiasm.


Final college visit and….we have a winner!


First signs of spring.


There is something inherently creepy about empty hospital hallways. 😬


“Lantern” by Ethereal Shroud. Progressive Black Metal.
Atmospheric. Operatic. Beautiful.
4/5 stars


Like our stomachs, our minds are hurt more often by overeating than by hunger. – Petrarch

In the spirit of this quote I am opting to block out all news and news adjacent accounts whether social media, websites or newsletters. Instead I subscribed to a single weekly newsmagazine*. With the upcoming political year I feel like the less I’m plugged in to it all the better. I did this full well knowing that no single magazine is going to be completely unbiased, but a guy does what he can do, ya know?

*The Economist


Facebook became unusable a while back, being more of and ad platform than anything else. However, I still had friends and interesting accounts I could follow on Instagram. Alas no more. For a week now I have had nothing but Reels from accounts I do not follow in my feed. Looks like Micro Blog is the last man standing when it comes to feeds I can actually scroll for fun.


🤧 Down with a cold this weekend and doing a deep dive into Dr Peter Attia’s YouTube channel. I shall never be sick again! 🤣


Just declared Spotify bankruptcy and deleted almost all my playlists. Time for a fresh start.


“I only regret that I did not plant more flowers.” ~ Japanese death poem.

Kind of a lot to ponder in that short sentence.


Local coffee shop going full Hogwarts.


Why words matter:

A Man may make a Remark
In itself – a quiet thing
That may furnish the Fuse unto a Spark
In dormant nature – lain –
Let us divide – with skill –
Let us discourse – with care –
Powder exists in Charcoal –
Before it exists in Fire –

A Quiet Thing, Emily Dickinson


How to Quit Capitalism

“Once we chip away at capitalist assumptions constraining imagination, radically different social forms emerge where equity and sustainability reign. Relationship anarchy supplants hierarchy. Identity is rooted in purpose, not profession. Technology aligns with ecology. Innovation seeks social gain, not market share. Production localises. Possession communalises. Value redistributes. Labour diminishes. Resources do not infinitely grow, but capabilities and connections do.”

My son’s socialistic tendencies are starting to rub off on me and I find articles like this strangely hopeful.


Boleskine House

Boleskine House was a place I had heard of but never really knew too much about. It’s a historic manor located on the southeastern shore of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. The main reason I had heard of it was due to its association with Aleister Crowley, who owned the property from 1899 to 1913. When I thought of the house at all I thought of stories of occultism, dark rituals, and paranormal activity, partly due to Crowley’s own controversial reputation and the mystical nature of his practices.

However, I just learned via a recent episode of Essoterica that this historic property is on it’s way to a rebirth of sorts. After a couple of fires that destroyed much save the stone shell of the building, it is now in the hands of a charitable restoration group. Their plans for the property are pretty big and include a completely restored Victorian Manor house where they can host academic conferences, art festivals and dining opportunities.

As described by The Boleskine House Foundation:

Nestled along the ancient Farigaig forest along the banks of Loch Ness lies a remarkable eighteenth–century manor house that is the home of “a thousand legends.” Nearly lost to history after two devastating fires, Boleskine House and its estate is now owned and safeguarded by The Boleskine House Foundation, a registered Scottish charity.

Makes me wish I lived in Scotland.


Shoegaze, sometimes compared to “dream pop”, is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by an ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume. It’s been a favorite genre of mine for the past few years.

Bristol-based shoegaze ensemble, The Fauns, are back with their first new music in ten years. Wish I’d been listening ten years ago.


Language shapes the way we think

This is fascinating.

“In the local language of the Kuuk Thaayorre, a group of Indigenous Australians, there is no left or right. Instead, they use cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) to describe almost anything: ‘The dog bit my eastern leg’, or ‘The boy standing south of Mary is my brother.’ Not only does this require them to always stay oriented, but interestingly, when they use their hands to gesture to the past or future, they do so depending on which direction they are facing, showing that the way we conceptualise time in language affects how we think about space.”

~ From the recent Dense Discovery Newsletter


A different kind of true.


Library haul for a snowy weekend.


Supposed to turn to rain soon, but the school’s courtyard looks pretty now.



New-to-me bookstore knows where it’s at.