Ostensibly a book for piano instructors, Music Creativity Joy might have seemed an odd choice for me, a dude whose commitment to the instrument never got him much further than the opening bars of Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. The book was a gift from an old friend, who (unlike me whenever seated behind 88 keys) knew what he was doing. Music Creativity Joy aspires to be much more than a collection of keyboard teaching tips.

It can feel pretty isolating to reject generative AI in 2026, but author Cory Doctorow’s intent is more fundamental than that. “If you want to get the good without the bad,” he writes in the book’s first section, “you need to switch from fighting technologies to fighting bosses.” This is far from a fringe sentiment, but for writers interested in actually convincing rather than choir-preaching, politically-charged writing needs to be not just rational but relatable.

For Westerners, it may be tempting to read stories from China about forced labor or gaming restrictions and simply respond, “I would never.” It’s understandable, if not forgivable, since our media pushes that take so hard (and don’t get me started on the absolute clown car that is the US federal government). That’s where Yi-Ling Liu comes in. Recognizing her role as a sort of traveler between segregated Eastern and Western audiences, she relishes exploring the nuance behind life in China1.

Hey guess what? My employer of 15 years (and my company of 18 months) is joining forces with the worker-owned cooperative, Igalia! To be honest, I’m going to miss working at and on Bocoup. There are very few1 institutions to which I’ve belonged for so long. This one’s given me many unforgettable memories, and while most are positive, they’re all important to me. For better and for worse, Bocoup has been a part of who I am for all these years.

Of course I was enchanted. Maybe that was unavoidable given the way I came to know the story: listening to the musical from the back seat during so many family road trips. Still, I had my doubts. Victor Hugo’s 1862 classic is long and foreign and old and infamously riddled with digressions. I knew I would finish Les Misérables, but I was honestly afraid the venture would become one of attrition.

After what must have been a particularly-neurotic diatribe of mine, a good friend pressed Four Thousand Weeks into my hands. She didn’t have to explain her logic: I’ve been struggling to balance work and life as the distinction blurs, and author Oliver Burkeman reflects on spending our limited time on Earth more intentionally. Although an overdeveloped sense of individualism generally dampens my interest in self-help books1, my friend’s recommendation trumped my ego.

Books Albums NPR’s Tiny Desk Videos Articles General Generative AI Politics Books I read zero books published in 2025 this year. For shame! Albums Image: The Armed Highlight: THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED by The Armed An absolute assault. I defy you to listen without gritting your teeth. The Armed met the present moment with rage. I wish it wasn’t so relatable, but we were all along for that ride this year.

This is not the book I thought I was buying, and I’m glad for that. Democracy for Busy People jumped to the top of my reading list due both to my renewed civic engagement and a positive comment from an esteemed “lawyer and community guy”. I’ll admit that the arrogant yuppie in me expected a collection of “democracy hacks.” Of course, the idea that privileged knowledge could grant more political power is perverse, but I wasn’t thinking straight.

Sayonara Wild Hearts wastes no time earning its reputation as “a pop album video game.” From the title screen on, the score is up-beat and catchy1, the visuals are vibrant and evocative, and the setting is mysterious but familiar. Also just like my favorite pop albums, this game won me over before I could articulate what makes it special. Although it may initially seem like a typical rhythm game, it actually offers tons of variety in gameplay–including sequences of drift racing, rail shooting, and even shmup.

My coworkers and I bought our company today. You can read about why we did that in the post I wrote for Bocoup’s blog if you like. I’ve set aside a URL on this domain to reflect on an aspect that might be less relevant to the industry but is no less important to me. Bocoup has been paying my bills since 2011, heady days when I apparently enjoyed referring to it as a “web development house”.