Mapping the Zone podcast

Kate and I just finished recording for our first episode proper on Infinite Jest (pages 1-105) and had a blast. The episode will be out one week early for Apple Podcasts subscribers and for everyone else on 01 March 2026

Trans woman, wonderfully anti-establishment, great hip-hop lyricist. Tickets are like $20. Go see her if you can.

Death Benefit — Ghost Parachute The neighbor, Lyle, he was a plumber, and also an action junkie. He’d bet on anything. Eagle sightings. If any of the kids would get a skinned knee that day. Whether he could convince the teetotalers ...

Ghost Parachute always brings it, so I'm extra honored this piece will be in their forthcoming anthology!

ghostparachute.com/issue/august...

YouTube video by Dimension 20 Shorts Brennan's Most Important Monologue

youtube.com/shorts/1G-z3...

Due to an ID10T error, the intro episode for Infinite Jest was not made available on YouTube until now. Or soon-ish. I just uploaded it. Sorry!

“Proudly present” should never precede anything made by AI

@leafbyleaf.bsky.social we’d love to have you on the show to discuss Against the Day since we are coming up to the end of Part II. Let me know if you’re interested and available!

Aw, man

Stand With Minnesota Donation Directory Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.

If you are looking for ways to help out in Minnesota, this directory provides a list of organizations and causes, from protest support to legal aid to direct contributions to families. Please consider donating and do share widely.

www.standwithminnesota.com

Fuck those hired goons and the dipshits who support them. Keep fighting the good fight!

@razorcake.bsky.social has a really cool interview with Travis Millard, who details doing some work for PTA’s Inherent Vice

Was lucky enough to land tickets to see Taskmaster live in Philly

Basically, the whole thing is a send-up of the old kids shows with basketball instead of D&D.

I think it was a dream, but I really wish it existed and, if it does, I would be ever so appreciative if someone linked it

The doorbell rings and, before anyone can get to it, the door is kicked down revealing Matt Mercer and @brennanleemulligan.bsky.social in the clearing dust. They make a comment about the “nerds” at the table needing some “real talent” and a sports-type montage begins

It’s a filmed sketch (like SNL or MadTV) where a bunch of high-school aged people are playing D&D at somebody’s house. They’re having fun and engaging, but are clearly new to the game and still figuring it out.

I’ve spent a good chunk of my morning trying to find a video that I don’t think exists because I think I dreamed it (and if I did, I’m rather proud of it and hope it happens one day):

@desdemonas.bsky.social put in a fantastic show last night opening for Neko Case. I don’t know how else to describe it other than soul meets punk with a splash of Clash and Beach Boys

So nice to have a physical ticket in 2026

Did you make this? It’s lovely!

Yeah, I'm glad I got out of Texas, 'cause I see they're dealing with those hired goons more and more lately

…and we will see how this all goes. If we don’t like it, or if enough listeners don’t like it, we will reassess the situation.

Don’t worry, we aren’t going Spotify and running ads for ICE.

Fuck ICE and fuck Spotify

Just a heads up, we are testing having paid ads inserted into the show—with the extra workload Kate and I will have with IJ and the decline in donations to the show, we needed to have some way to create revenue to support what we’re doing. I cut out almost everything that we would morally oppose…

Our episode on Against the Day Chapter 26 is finished and will be out on the 16th. Clocked in at just over four hours.

This weekend, Kate and I will be recording the intro episode for our Infinite Jest series and all four of us will record our next AtD episode

Hope tomorrow is better

Neil Young - On the Beach Listen to On the Beach on TIDAL

Listen to On the Beach on your streaming service

tidal.com/album/764411...

I’m on day 5 of listening to pretty much nothing but Neil Young and this album has had the most plays. It’s been my favorite of his since I was in high school and remains one of my favorite albums by any artist

I read Tender Is the Flesh last year and was blown away

Current reads:

Dubliners - James Joyce
Everville - Clive Barker
The Black Dahlia - James Ellroy

We’d love to cover Joyce, and probably will at some point, but we are neck deep in Against the Day and about to start Infinite Jest

Finished my first reading of If On A Winter’s Night… and wondering how the hell I slept on that book for so long. Wonderful read!

Next up (for Cody): Dubliners by Joyce and Everville by Barker