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Manage that which is under your control: your effort, your nutrition (mind, body, soul), your choices.
Learn to relax about that which is not under your control. The universe has a bigger plan.
Become your own expert (on money, food…) by reading original sources. Read deep more by reading shallow less.
One day at a time. Be here now.
Spend much more time in nature walking and climbing; it offers huge stability, perspective and the longer view.
Walk tall. So much is better than it ever was. So much is really cool.
- Surf the craziness with the agility of someone who hates things being too dull.
The Beginning of the End of Free Podcasts
Alan Jacobs believes we are on the precipice of losing one of the coolest free entertainment values out there: podcasts.
For the last couple of years I have been hearing — from Marco Arment quite regularly — that podcasts are great because they’re the last refuge of the truly independent web. Looks like that’s changing. I can’t imagine that Spotify would make this investment without requiring you to sign up for a Spotify account in order to listen to Gimlet Media podcasts. And I’m sure other big media companies will follow suit, buying up popular podcasts and podcast networks. (What’s your price, Radiotopia?) And so back into the silos, and behind the paywalls, we go. There’s nothing about podcasts that makes them intrinsically independent.
I’m not convinced he’s right, but I understand where he’s coming from. It will be interesting to see where the money flows.
A Loose Manifesto on Building Websites
Patrick Rhone has written a “loose manifesto” on how he builds websites. In general, he likes “simple, clean, fast, purpose built websites.” I’m rather partial to this bullet:
Most businesses should hire a copywriter and editor long before hiring a web designer/builder. In fact, most should worry far less about the design of the website. People are coming for information, not how pretty it is. Focus on the words first.
Life Lessons
Here’s an Instagram post by ledbyheart that stuck with me –
1. Everything is temporary.
2. Life is not fair.
3. Others treat you the way you treat yourself.
4. Happiness is a choice and requires hard work.
5. Beneath anger is always fear.
6. Family are the people who truly love you.
7. Things don’t matter that much.
8. A lifetime is not very long.
9. You played it too safe. You should take more risks
I should probably keep this on my phone and reference it a lot.
Embrace the Silence
Julian Summerhayes writes we need more silence. The closest thing I have to this is walking the dog and I’ve been deliberate in doing so. Connecting to silence isn’t impossible, but boy is it hard to do.
Trail of Deceptions
Ian Parker, writing for The New Yorker, has a fascinating study of author Dan Mallory. Using the pseudonym A. J. Finn, he wrote the novel, The Woman in the Window and sold millions of copies. He made millions off of an upcoming film adaptation. He novel entered the Times best seller list at number one, which was the first time that has happened in over a decade.
It appears he has “a history of imposture, and of duping people with false stories about disease and death.” Charming, I’m sure.
It’s a glorious long read. I expect someone might try and turn it into its own movie.
Lessons From a Very, Very Bad Super Bowl
Will Leitch, writing for New York magazine, details the Super Bowl that was. The whole thing is a breezy read, but I liked his three takeaways at the end the most.
But if you’re desperate for something positive out of tonight, I give you only these three takeaways:
1. If you are the type of person who feels morally uncomfortable watching the NFL but haven’t been able to resist being sucked in by the incredible run of fantastic Super Bowls we’ve had in the past few years, the game offered solace and ethical relaxation: There will be no such moral quandaries tonight.
2. You probably got more sleep last night than you usually get on Sundays.
3. The Oscars will be worse.
St. Louis Rams Fans Are Pissed Off
Rodger Sherman, writing for The Ringer, outlines how many people in St. Louis are going to “watch” the Super Bowl.
Most folks in St. Louis will probably skip Sunday’s Super Bowl rather than watch two teams they hate. But if they must pick between the two, the answer is clear. “The Patriots were probably the city’s least favorite team,” a St. Louis lawyer told the Los Angeles Times. “The Rams are now the least favorite team.” There is a bar in St. Louis offering drink specials for every Patriots score—and, unbelievably, the opportunity to pee on pictures of Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who was responsible for moving the team.
He goes on to describe what happens when professional teams leave their current home for new pastures and previews the new teams getting ready to move on.
Cue Cards
I always knew Saturday Night Live used cue cards, but watching cue card supervisor, Wally Feresten, show the behind the scenes process and creation of the cards is really fun and interesting.
I love how they explained the font and spacing and I had no idea they were then used as paint catches for the following week.
The Next Indictment
Lucian K. Truscott IV, writing for Salon, believes after the Roger Stone indictment, the next indictment will finally tie the Trump campaign to WikiLeaks, Russia and the full conspiracy.
His analogy explaining the theory of conspiracy is ingenious.
A reasonable analogy to the underlying crimes committed during the 2016 election would be this: Suppose someone over in Russia sends an agent to the United States to steal a pistol to be used in the crime of robbing a bank. They hide the pistol somewhere in the U.S. and go back to Russia. Then they contact an intermediary in London and tell them where the pistol is hidden. The intermediary contacts an American citizen in the United States, tells them where the pistol is, and the American takes the pistol and uses it to rob a bank in the United States.
Voila! You have the heart of the Trump-Russia investigation. The Russians, from Moscow, electronically steal the Democrat’s emails by copying them. They transmit the address where the emails are hidden to WikiLeaks in London. WikiLeaks takes the address of the stolen emails and transmits it to American media outlets. The Trump campaign uses the stolen emails to rob the United States of America of a free and fair election.
I’m looking forward to his prediction for what might happen in the next few weeks.
The next arrest and indictment you’re going to see from Mueller will be his biggest yet. One morning in the not too distant future, he’s going to sweep up everyone remaining who was associated with using the Democratic Party emails stolen by the Russians. Julian Assange will be indicted. So will Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner. Roger Stone will probably face a superseding indictment along with the others for defrauding the United States by conspiring with WikiLeaks and the Russian intelligence service, the GRU, to steal Democratic Party campaign documents and use them to interfere with the American presidential election of 2016, the same charge he made against the Russians. Mueller will probably follow Justice Department guidelines and the example set by Special Prosecutor Leon Jaworski in Watergate. He will probably not indict the president, but he will name him as an unindicted co-conspirator, just as Richard Nixon was in Watergate.
It’s going to be a jaw-dropping arrest and indictment because it has to be. Mueller can no longer issue indictments piecemeal and get guilty pleas or convictions one by one. This time, he must lay out a case that Trump and his campaign officials committed crimes that are so egregious, it will be impossible for the congress to fail to protect him from being fired. If Mueller were to indict Kushner alone, or Trump Jr. alone, it would be too easy for Trump to feign outrage and fire him. That’s why Mueller’s next move will be his last, and it will be the big one, sweeping up everyone who is left at once.
I have no idea if everything will come crashing down, but I do know we need to remove Trump and his gang of criminals from the White House.
Middle School Students Surprise Their Chorus Teacher During His Wedding Rehearsal
A chorus teacher’s students coming to his wedding rehearsal and singing The Beatles “All You Need Is Love” is the heartwarming video/story we all need right now. The students practiced every Sunday for a month to get ready.
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Locking Up Paul Goldschmidt
Viva El Birdos has an article about how John Mozeliak might keep Paul Goldschmidt a St. Louis Cardinal. The bottom line imaginary offer is six years, $123 million including this upcoming season.
I’d like to get that done, but who knows.
Of course, I’d also like Moz to swoop in and sign Bryce Harper even though I know it isn’t going to happen.
The Last Gig
It was 50 years ago today, The Beatles played their last gig on the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters. They didn’t announce it or promote it in any way. Basically, friends, employees, and office workers from the surrounding areas witness history. People gathered on the street.
They weren’t rehearsed. They flub lines. John jokes. The harmonies are beautiful. Billy Preston is tucked away and playing his heart out.
Just watch the band perform “Get Back,“ and you’ll be instantly transported to a simpler time. I find it akin the magic.
They didn’t know it was goodbye, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered it they did. They were The Beatles, and their songs will live forever.
It’s So Cold Out! Where’s the Global Warming?!
Jason Kottke is really tired of nit-wit Republican climate change-deniers. Jimmy Kimmel invited some grade schoolers to help explain it to the ignorant masses. Maybe the people that make decisions about global warming and climate change will listen.
With the wind chill, it’s -40 outside. Stay warm.
Imagination
People talk about imagination as if it’s only the domain of “creative” people. No. Imagination is an essential human skill. It allows us to form images of things in our minds that aren’t in front of us. It allows us to plan and make good choices. It’s not an elective.
— Austin Kleon (@austinkleon) January 28, 2019
Biohacking
Rachel Monrow, in Men’s Health, details the process the Bulletproof Coffee founder has done to live to be 180. Here’s a taste –
Ten days before I met him at his home in British Columbia, Dave Asprey went to a clinic in Park City, Utah, where a surgeon harvested half a liter of bone marrow from his hips, filtered out the stem cells, and injected them into every joint in his body ’Hey, I’m unconscious, you’ve got extra stem cells—put ‘em everywhere!’ Everywhere meaning his scalp, to make his hair more abundant and lustrous; his face, to smooth out wrinkles; and his ‘male organs,’ for—well, I’ll leave that part up to your imagination.
If you’ve got the money…
Resilient
Warren Ellis on the new year -
It might be a long year. But I know you’re resilient - you’ve had to be, to live this long. Look after yourself first, do something good for yourself today, tell someone else you like them, put some music on and find some peace. You deserve it.
Living in Crazy Times
Nicholas Bate has more Basics 7. This time focused on handling these trying times.
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My weekend was spent with my daughter for her birthday, and it was wonderful.
I’m so proud of the young woman she has become and the life she has carved out for herself. She has developed independence and self-sufficiency I would never have believed a few years ago.
Spending a few moments with some of her friends and co-workers, I was struck by how they had nothing but glowing things to say about her. They were excited to meet me and tell me how great my kid is. There is no greater feeling than seeing your offspring succeed, and she has done so on her own terms.
She’s only a few years younger than I was when she came into my life. In many ways, though, she’s already surpassed me at that age. She’s going to do great things and make a difference in so many people’s lives.
Someone said, “It’s been such a pleasure getting to know your daughter.” I laughed and said, “It was fun for me too.”
Happy birthday.
You Can’t Get There From Here
David Roth is on fire. Writing for The Concourse, he eviscerates Donald Trump with such eloquent words I wanted to immediately read it again after finishing it. His last three paragraphs deliver the coup de grâce.
Trump is so relentlessly dishonest and so plainly diminished and so sorely overmatched that, at this point, he can only be taken at his word. This isn’t to say that you should believe what he’s saying, although you surely don’t need me to tell you that. It just means that what he does, from here until whenever his helicopter leaves the White House lawn for the last time, will never be anything but what it appears to be.
If he appears to be confronting an emerging truth that makes him look bad with a flailing childish insistence that Actually The Opposite Is True, it’s because he is. If it looks like he’s numbly ventriloquizing the rancid words of one of the aspiring genocidaires tasked with writing his more high-flown addresses, it’s because he is. If it appears that he is taking some cruel promise made idly at some point in the past and then spinning stupid stories to justify seeing that promise through, it’s because that is just what he’s doing. Trump repeats the same five or six phrases like a defective Teddy Ruxpin not because he’s trying to brainwash or brand but because he can only hold like 175 words in his head at one time and is just kind of mushing the button that seems most appropriate for the situation over and over again. There will be no new work done until he’s out of this job, not just because the venal and idiotic criminality that has defined his life belatedly appears to be catching up with him but because it simply isn’t in him to do new work, and because his current job transparently doesn’t matter to him at all. He’ll believe that he’s getting away with it-that he’s winning and commanding and leading-until the cuffs close or the lights go out, and he will always act that way. He will spend the rest of his life trying to demonstrate that he was right about whatever it was that he said or did before.
There is no reason to overthink any of this. Trump himself surely is not. He will not fix any of it, of course; that’s not what he does. Instead he will just say that it is not broken, or already fixed, or that it was always supposed to be that way, or that someone else did it. Nothing will ever matter more to him than that work, and yet he’ll never work any harder at it than he is right now. When the time comes to stand and deliver, he will extrude the first trembling clot to clear his platinum-plated cloaca, and then he’ll point at it. When something else lands on top, he will point at that.
That’s mine, he will say, I made that. And then, sometime later, he will say someone really made a mess.