I don’t read McSweeney’s much anymore. And yesterday I realized that it’s a little like the relationships with people in your life you don’t appreciate enough. They continue to be incredible and interesting and you forget about them because their greatness starts to seem normal and everyday.

Anyhow, this is being passed around a bit, but considering this space is supposed to be about sound, this account of a seeing a film for the first time in 1896 seems worth noting here. Particularly because his account is so concerned with the technology that’s not there. Sound and color.

“Last night I was in the Kingdom of Shadows.

If you only knew how strange it is to be there. It is a world without sound, without colour. Every thing there—the earth, the trees, the people, the water and the air—is dipped in monotonous grey. Grey rays of the sun across the grey sky, grey eyes in grey faces, and the leaves of the trees are ashen grey. It is not life but its shadow, It is not motion but its soundless spectre.”

Delivered via Walter Murch who’s relevance to radio has been noted before.

And as a reminder that no technology is ever obsolete, this morning, a friend called rather than emailed before forwarding this incredible video. I think just because his elation would never be properly conveyed in letters and punctuation.

Big Ideas (Don’t get any) from 1030 on Vimeo.

Also, I was in Chicago recently and saw the audio installation at Steppenwolf I mentioned here before that my wife produced in conjunction with the play Dead Man’s Cell Phone. The best fact is that it’s available via an actual phone number. Dial 847.280.1283 to hear it.