Cloud Atlas

This is a semi-whenever list of interesting articles, podcasts and videos that I come across during the week. Hope you enjoy it, have something new to think about, and share it with your friends.

Cloud Atlas (based on the book by David Mitchell) is one of those films when you watch it (regardless of what the critics may have thought as it was somewhat panned), had an instant emotional connection with me. I’ve re-watched the 172-minute epic multiple times, and I always discover something new to think about or a quote that alters my perspective.

Tom Tykwer wrote and directed the film along with The Matrix filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski, as well as composed the incredible score (Listen). The movie takes place over 6 timelines over a period between 1849 - 2346, and stars the same actors playing multiple characters (even with different races and genders) through each narrative. The concept of how “moral choices effect your current and next life” weaves between each narrative that culminates in a masterpiece of filmmaking.

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This weeks "Deep Links"

Resilience is word that gets thrown around a lot these days; Giles Duley’s amazing talk made me rethink the very definition. If there’s one thing you watch this week, this is it - Watch

At the onset of staying at home, I purchased a pizza oven, an air fryer and now I’ve been learning to roast my own coffee beans. It’s given me something to think about other than what’s going on in the world; apparently the rest of the world agrees with record sales of flour - More

Edward Snowden’s book “Permanent Record” really was an eye-opener for me; while I dont agree with his methods, it certainly threw the curtain back on a world you can’t ignore once you know it’s there - More

From “tales of the ridiculous”, apparently a grandmother posting some Facebook photos of her grandchildren violated GDPR privacy laws and now is being fined - More

How change happens and that “what has been holding us back is fear of the unknown and attachment to the familiar” - More

Self publishing (and other forms of “blogging”) have been popular since the late 90’s (I’ve been maintaining Furrygoat in one form or another since 2004). It really drifted off course with the rise of social networks, but there’s been sense that we’ve lost something, and a call for them to return - More and More

Stoicism and approaching fear; powerful concepts in the age of anxiety - More

Carpe Diem No More; The concept of “seize the day” to deal with uncertainty in our current world isn’t always the best advice - sometimes mental time travel is the key to finding happiness - More

Understanding Hanlon’s razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which is adequately explained by opportunity cost - More

Not sure what to make of David Lynch’s video weather reports from his bunker outside of it’s so David Lynch, that I love it - More

Seeking out new challenges and new things to achieve the goal of “learning” something new; the science of intrinsic motivation - More

Why “why” may just be the wrong question to ask - More

The Atlantic (probably one of my favorite online news sources of the last few years), laid off 20% of their staff this week due to a decline in ads - More

Every year, the Verizon DBR (Data Breach Report) is a fantastic look at the basic problems that plague the security world; this quick read from Daniel Miessler hits the high (and low) notes of 2020 - More

A simple change of perspective can help you through tough mental struggles - More

End Thoughts

There is a natural order to this world, and those who try to upend it do not fare well. This movement will never survive; if you join them, you and your entire family will be shunned. At best, you will exist a pariah to be spat at and beaten-at worst, to be lynched or crucified. And for what? For what? No matter what you do it will never amount to anything more than a single drop in a limitless ocean.

What is an ocean but a multitude of drops?