Espresso Shots 1-11-26

It's that time again for my weekly update, which includes a short collection of noteworthy finds, posts that inspire, as well as a few reflections from the past week or two. I'll aim to land these in your inbox by the weekend, in time to pair with your morning coffee (or your preferred cup of inspiration).

The Latest Drippings ☕️

• Sleepy Subversion. There's been a massive retreat from 2021's general thinking around remote work is the future. As someone who is fully remote and runs a remote team, the walk back from this opportunity to redefine work has been fascinating to watch. One of the more interesting views on how to flip the office came across my reading list this week. In it, Harold asserts that 'Instead of going to work, we should be going to socialize, converse, and collaborate. Productive solo time is not for the office. Knowledge workers can be productive anywhere but at the office.'
• The Unbearable Joy of Sitting Alone in A Café. 'I didn't take any device that could connect me to the Internet or to other people. I was nervous. But all the anxiety evaporated after 30 minutes. I felt free, so to speak. It wasn't that nobody could reach out to me that felt like an escape; it was that I couldn't reach out to anyone or anything that caused the turmoil. I had no possibility to text anyone. No possibility to watch or read. No chance to look up anything to fulfill my curiosity. My mind was alone after a long time.' There's a lot to be said for being entirely disconnected; side note: I picked up a nano e-ink reader (thanks to Hiro for the link) so I could just be alone with a book and my thoughts.
• 10 Ways the Gray Areas Are Safe Zones. Ah, the gray area. I was recently having a conversation with a group of interns who were struggling with landing on a specific problem. I suggested that there wasn't an answer - that the 'magic happens in the gray areas'. I really enjoyed this post that counters the all-or-nothing patterns and shows that the answer often lies in the middle.
• Discipline is Overrated: The Devotion–Friction Matrix. 'People don't fail because they don't try hard enough. They fail because the system they're operating in makes sustained effort too costly.' It's impressive (and reassuring) how many problems exist in areas that have over-complicated unnecessary friction. 'If you want to show up reliably, don't ask how to force yourself to work harder. Ask what you're devoted to and what unnecessary friction is standing in the way. This way, consistency becomes a property of the system itself.'
• Rule #20: Let Go of Your Past. I know that I've linked to Scott Berkun's writing-in-public of his new book project, Rules to Live By previously, but I'm really looking forward to seeing the end product (he just completed the first draft). 'Letting go of the past does not mean forgetting it. On the contrary, I think the greatest way to honor your past is to learn from it, to study it emotionally and objectively, and then use it to live your best life now.' Or, as he quoted Alan Watts's concept of reinvention on demand: 'You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.'
• Reclaiming My Identity In The Online World. 'The rewilding of our digital presence and a return to a simpler approach to an interconnected community.' As a long-time blogger (25 years this year!), I am really excited to see so many talking about retreating from the algorithm and returning to owning our own online digital presence.
• After BowieNet, David Bowie Goes Dark and Shuns Social Media. This past week, I learned about BowieNet - an Internet service provider launched by singer-songwriter David Bowie in 1998 and active until 2006. BowieNet members received an @davidbowie.com email address and had access to audio recordings, music videos, and chat rooms (which Bowie participated in himself). The post goes into several shifts David Bowie made with the site after its demise, but more interesting is his utter refusal to join any social media. In 1999, what he said about the Internet was prophetic: 'I think we're actually on the cusp of something exhilarating and terrifying.' I often quip that the universe broke when he passed in 2016.
• Atmospheric Computing. For the technical readers, 'atmospheric computing is a paradigm of connected clouds.' I've been digging into more around the AT Protocol, and been incredibly curious in some of the work Steve Simkins has been up to in leveraging Personal Data Servers (PDS). Geeky, I know - but really interesting.
• It's Time for a Different Future. A good one to think about: 'The thing about works of fiction like Mad Max and Blade Runner is that, while they may be set in the future, they are commentaries upon and reflections of the present, or of the present when they were made, which for both of these films is now more than forty years old. Great movies though they may be, it is well past time to come up with some different visions and stop accepting that the future these works depict is the only choice we have.'
• The Moylan Arrow Is One of Ford's Best Contributions to Car Design. On the Dithering Podcast this week, I learned about the Moylan Arrow. You know the little arrow on your gas gauge that tells you what side of the car your gas tank is - that's the Moylan Arrow. The inventor, James Moylan, passed away this week. Apparently, he came up with the idea after getting soaked in the rain because he parked on the wrong side at a gas station. Little inspirations can be found everywhere.
• How to send an 'Email'. OK, this video cracked me up from Thames TV's computer program 'Database' in 1984. Enjoy the retro.
• MTV is finally shutting down. Speaking of retro, sad days. Paramount has closed not only the international MTV music channels, including MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live, but also said that MTV in the US will no longer play music videos. But, here comes the Internet to the rescue with I Want My MTV Rewind. 'No ads. No algorithm. No login. Just pure random discovery.' Remember, the Internet never forgets. :)
• Winston Churchill Gets a Doctor's Note to Drink Unlimited Alcohol While Visiting the U.S. During Prohibition (1932). Another random fun fact I came across this week - in 1932, Winston Churchill got a doctor's note to be able to drink unlimited alcohol during a visit to the US during prohibition in 1932.

Amor Fati ✌🏻