Humans are more interesting than algorithms – Newsletter #001
Newsletter #001
This blog was adapted from my first monthly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.
Hi, buddies. Thanks for subscribing! Each month, I intend to share some interesting thoughts, quotes, articles, etc. Nothing fancy, but I believe in today’s algo world there is value in human curation.
I stole this “10 things” format from Austin Kleon, who is a personal hero. Austin is a “writer who draws” – his books are optimistic and inspiring, and I don’t think he would be offended to know there are people borrowing his ideas.
Anyways, here’s 10 things worth sharing this month:
Speaking of human curation, here are some of my favorite newsletters that you should also check out: Austin Kleon’s 10 Things Worth Sharing. Money With Katie. James Clear’s 3-2-1. Seth Godin’s daily musings.
Parents: You’ve probably seen Dr. Becky in your instagram feed giving tidbits of parenting advice. She recently joined Simon Sinek’s podcast to share advice on parenting and leadership. It was so good that I listened twice. One quote is still bouncing around my brain weeks later: “Anger is our best emotion… because it tells us what we want – and we’re not getting.”
I am one of those people who love new year’s resolutions. I have lots of goals this year: for my business, for my health, for my family. Kacey Musgrave’s song, “Deeper Well”, has become a sort of anthem for me this year… I think it’s worth listening to. “So I'm gettin' rid of the habits that I feel / Are real good at wastin' my time / No regrets, baby, I just think that maybe / It's natural when things lose their shine / So other things can grow”
Also inspired by Austin Kleon, we’ve started Friday night movie nights as a family. We order Domino’s (they’re the only ones who still have their own delivery drivers) and watch a movie together. I found this book of family movie recs, and we’ve been revisiting movies from my childhood: Richie Rich. Mighty Ducks. Mighty Ducks: D2. Mighty Ducks: D3. The Thirteenth Year. It’s been really fun.
One of my favorite podcasters is Derek Thompson from Plain English. He is so thoughtful and, while most media feels focused on inciting rage, he seems genuinely curious about the topics on the show. I have been thinking a lot about his article and podcast about The Anti-Social Century: how we spend more time alone than we ever have… even though we have more free time than ever. It feels like there is something stirring – we all feel that something is off and everyone is working in their own way to figure out how to re-adjust. Personally, I am just happy to hear so many people having the conversation about re-igniting community.
Everyone is just so serious all the time… which is why I think I’m obsessed with Liz Cook’s weird food blog, Haterade. She’s an accomplished food critic, so she is serious about food – but she writes about lighthearted and hilarious topics, most recently: Shaq Gummies.
You may know that my wife owns an independent bookstore, which means that I am always around mopping floors, making t-shirts, and taking photos. We’re celebrating the store’s first anniversary next week, and I put together some of my favorite photos of the past year.
I just finished reading Slow Productivity by Cal Newport, who has a really interesting theory about why we (knowledge workers, at least) feel so burnt out all the time and how we can’t get anything done even though we’re always busy. He calls this “pseudo productivity” and prescribes different ways to get things done, including working at a more natural pace. My favorite quote was actually from a story about Jewel, who once said, “Hard wood grows slowly” after turning down a million-dollar record deal.
If you’re on instagram, follow Subway Takes. It’s just a guy who asks people, “So, what’s your take?” and they’re always hilarious, but also interesting conversations. I have a list of takes ready in case he asks me, even though I ride the subway once every 25 years… My latest: The shittier the napkins, the better the restaurant. Some of my absolute favorite places have napkins that are thinner than tissue paper. Tell me what you think.
I love stationery and notebooks (bordering on hoarder status). A few months ago, my buddy Pete said we should start our own paper goods company and I shrugged it off and then spent hours and hours thinking about it. Well, we’re doing it: it’s called Dugout Paper Co., and we have our first product out there, a pack of loose leaf thank you cards.
That’s all for now. Take care of yourselves, go for a walk, say hi to your neighbor, and if you have a crazy idea – go try it.
