Robert Ashley
@robertashley.bsky.social
A Life Well Wasted, I Come to Shanghai, always in the kitchen. Music, books, and games. Lexington, VA. www.alifewellwasted.com
https://icometoshanghai.bandcamp.com/album/low-pressure
https://icometoshanghai.bandcamp.com/album/low-pressure
Pinned
A Life Well Wasted episode 9: Game Over is up now. Grab a timed-edition poster by Olly Moss anytime in the next 7 days to support the show. Thanks for sticking with me! alifewellwasted.com
Pretending to know about something you really don’t know about is the molten core of Gen-X culture.
As someone who is this guy's age I can tell you 100% that if you were into Pixies, Nirvana, 120 Minutes stuff, etc. but didn't like the Beatles you had to have worked hard to contort yourself into that special little box. Your enemy, if you absolutely needed one, was hair metal. GTFO here with this.
November 23, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Pretending to know about something you really don’t know about is the molten core of Gen-X culture.
The four songs already out from the new SML album are making me consider the drive to Philly to see them next month.
November 21, 2025 at 2:35 AM
The four songs already out from the new SML album are making me consider the drive to Philly to see them next month.
Coming to realize that I basically live in Stardew Valley now. Hard to shop for groceries without bumping into 10 people I know. Not a complaint.
November 20, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Coming to realize that I basically live in Stardew Valley now. Hard to shop for groceries without bumping into 10 people I know. Not a complaint.
I recently got my family into playing TowerFall (still incredible!), and the other day my 11-yo asked if the game’s developer had made anything else. We looked up Matt Makes Games and discovered that Matt was now Maddy (Celeste!), and my son accepted this fact like any other normal thing.
November 20, 2025 at 4:04 PM
I recently got my family into playing TowerFall (still incredible!), and the other day my 11-yo asked if the game’s developer had made anything else. We looked up Matt Makes Games and discovered that Matt was now Maddy (Celeste!), and my son accepted this fact like any other normal thing.
We’ve got a wiggler
November 19, 2025 at 5:18 PM
We’ve got a wiggler
This recipe has seen some use (Momofuku).
November 18, 2025 at 3:13 PM
This recipe has seen some use (Momofuku).
The New Yorker will travel unwrapped through the mail carrying its load of subscription cards, but the minute it enters your house the cards will fall out onto your floor.
November 17, 2025 at 9:44 PM
The New Yorker will travel unwrapped through the mail carrying its load of subscription cards, but the minute it enters your house the cards will fall out onto your floor.
Most pop music bounces right off of me, but everything Robyn does goes straight for my jugular. youtu.be/vitil9qMN6A?...
Robyn - Dopamine (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Robyn
youtu.be
November 17, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Most pop music bounces right off of me, but everything Robyn does goes straight for my jugular. youtu.be/vitil9qMN6A?...
Just went through the poster shipping file, and only 6 Canadians picked one up this time where I used to sell 80 or so. I don’t blame my Canadian friends at all. The trade situation is fucked and expensive to boot, but it’s a bummer. I hope things get better. 🇨🇦
November 17, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Just went through the poster shipping file, and only 6 Canadians picked one up this time where I used to sell 80 or so. I don’t blame my Canadian friends at all. The trade situation is fucked and expensive to boot, but it’s a bummer. I hope things get better. 🇨🇦
Olly signed the prints.
November 17, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Olly signed the prints.
Getting into Baby Steps, but why’d they give him so much ass? It’s kind of appalling watching those hams slide around in the mud.
November 16, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Getting into Baby Steps, but why’d they give him so much ass? It’s kind of appalling watching those hams slide around in the mud.
AI is incapable of writing something as completely juiceless as Nintendo marketing voice over. “Samus travels to hot volcanos and cold mountains in this mysterious adventure…” My bad for turning on the sound.
November 14, 2025 at 7:17 PM
AI is incapable of writing something as completely juiceless as Nintendo marketing voice over. “Samus travels to hot volcanos and cold mountains in this mysterious adventure…” My bad for turning on the sound.
👀
Sony’s Concord Is Playable Again Thanks To Fan-Made Custom Servers thegamepost.com/sony-concord...
November 14, 2025 at 6:56 PM
👀
Spotify is trying so hard to be the shittiest tech on earth.
It feels to me like letting a streaming platform summarize your book for readers using AI could be problematic
newsroom.spotify.com/2025-11-13/a...
newsroom.spotify.com/2025-11-13/a...
Introducing Audiobook Recaps, a New Way to Reengage With Your Favorite Stories — Spotify
Today, Spotify is beginning to roll out a powerful new feature designed to help listeners jump back into stories they’ve put down, whether it’s after a busy week or a doze during a bedtime story, or s...
newsroom.spotify.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Spotify is trying so hard to be the shittiest tech on earth.
I can perfectly imagine Paul Westerberg singing over this.
I made a joke in my main Discord server about DOOM E1M1 being in a major key and @abigbagofkeys.sickonedude.com actually made it. Jesus fucking Christ listen to this hahahaha
November 14, 2025 at 3:21 PM
I can perfectly imagine Paul Westerberg singing over this.
I’m too lazy to do it myself, but someone should remake Get Your War on with snippets from the Epstein emails.
November 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM
I’m too lazy to do it myself, but someone should remake Get Your War on with snippets from the Epstein emails.
Now that we’re getting a Valve GameCube, can a Bandcamp iPod be far behind?
November 13, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Now that we’re getting a Valve GameCube, can a Bandcamp iPod be far behind?
This song is such a bass line clinic, flipping back and forth between funky riffing and almost classical counterpoint to the vocal melody. youtu.be/ghoDVhq_ysM?...
Cate Le Bon - Moderation
YouTube video by David Dean Burkhart
youtu.be
November 13, 2025 at 1:35 PM
This song is such a bass line clinic, flipping back and forth between funky riffing and almost classical counterpoint to the vocal melody. youtu.be/ghoDVhq_ysM?...
I’ll probably buy a Steam machine cause my PC is 10 years old, and the PS4 is the newest console I own, but I’m PSYCHED about the existence of a new Steam controller. I was one of those perverts who loved the original.
November 13, 2025 at 3:27 AM
I’ll probably buy a Steam machine cause my PC is 10 years old, and the PS4 is the newest console I own, but I’m PSYCHED about the existence of a new Steam controller. I was one of those perverts who loved the original.
Ah man I forgot about this episode. It’s almost an A Life Well Wasted story. There’s a parallel universe where I made a show with Shawn, and it was all stupid shit like this. He was so good at bullshitting people.
Along that vein, I also recently listened to GFW #116 where you and Shawn played a beautifully produced “merchants of cool” segment, which included SFX and music from your band along with other aspects of things that ended up in A Life Well Wasted youtu.be/IDX2NaHcjGg?...
17 years ago! So cool.
17 years ago! So cool.
GFW Radio Episode 115 06-26-2008
YouTube video by 1uparchive
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Ah man I forgot about this episode. It’s almost an A Life Well Wasted story. There’s a parallel universe where I made a show with Shawn, and it was all stupid shit like this. He was so good at bullshitting people.
How nice to walk to my small town polling place in VA and see my neighbors all lined up, sheriff candidates chatting people up on the sidewalk, everyone ready to kick this administration in the dick.
November 4, 2025 at 3:21 PM
How nice to walk to my small town polling place in VA and see my neighbors all lined up, sheriff candidates chatting people up on the sidewalk, everyone ready to kick this administration in the dick.
Olly has the posters.
October 30, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Olly has the posters.
When COVID closed everything, I set my kindergartener loose in the world of Grand Theft Auto 5 with the non-violent “Family Friendly” mod. He’s 11 now and stayed up late last night reading The Outsiders.
I would love to see more rigorous, popular criticism of contemporary children’s media. Love this, on Miss Rachel, from Sophie Pinkham. thebaffler.com/salvos/speak...
Speak and Sell | Sophie Pinkham
The siren song of Ms. Rachel cannot be understood outside of America’s ongoing impoverishment of families.
thebaffler.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:23 PM
When COVID closed everything, I set my kindergartener loose in the world of Grand Theft Auto 5 with the non-violent “Family Friendly” mod. He’s 11 now and stayed up late last night reading The Outsiders.