I can already tell that this new Radiohead record is going to stick after a few listens. But I feel that is how it should be. They don’t do “catchy” anymore.

Today I drank my coffee in front of the usual cafe and just stared across the street. I read the local paper, which is extremely thin and 95% pulled from various wires. They accidentally printed one story twice on the same page. Oops? maybe I should go work there so they don’t make that mistake again. After I finished skimming all 16 or so pages, the guy two tables away on the sidewalk made some small talk with me. Any good news today? he asked. I quoted one of the lamer paragraph-long pieces, which stated that a recent study showed that eating fewer calories would actually, get this, cause weight loss. Earth-shattering.

I walked home soon after.

People are friendly here. Like in Alaska! Like in any small town I suppose. I don’t know. This is only the second small town I’ve ever lived in. And I guess I wouldn’t really describe Olympia as “friendly.” But that was just the Scene, at the time. And yet — it was exactly like that. I would sit there outside the coffee shop and talk to whoever was out there with me and my friends. Trying to think if that happened in San Francisco. The answer is no.