Hi again, I’m Steve Makofsky and this is a semi-whenever list of interesting articles, podcasts and videos that I come across during the week. Hopfully you’ll enjoy it, have something new to think about, and share it with your friends. In case you forgot, this is in your inbox because you asked me to send it to you. You can easily unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of this email.

Picking an easy one to write about this week as we’re upon it’s 10 year anniversary of theatrical release: Inception.

Apparently taking over a decade to write, the film beautifully explores the nature of dreams and origin of ideas (even check out this infographic on how it all works). Roger Ebert described it best, “If you knew how it ended, that would tell you nothing unless you knew how it got there. And telling you how it got there would produce bafflement. The movie is all about process, about fighting our way through enveloping sheets of reality and dream, reality within dreams, dreams without reality.”

One of the more interesting aspects of the film is that it actually uses more practical effects rather than CGI to show it’s mind-warping reality. From its still-debated ending, the stunning cinematography, multiple story layers and the powerful score from Hans Zimmer, Inception easily ranks in my top 5 favorite movies.

And while Tenet may or may not be a secret sequel (there’s a lot of speculation around this); I can’t wait to see what the mind of Christopher Nolan brings to cinema later this year.

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This weeks "Deep Links"

It’s embarrassing that I learned about the Tulsa massacre of black Wall Street from watching HBO’s “The Watchmen” earlier this year. I never heard of this in school, but it’s an incredibly sad and horrible part of American History - More

Sure, I’ve done the 30 day minimalism challenge, but this article explores why getting rid of things is so difficult (guilty as charged). “Remember your stuff doesn’t hold your memories, your dreams, or your identity. When you let go, those precious parts of yourself stay with you.” - More

Personally, I really enjoyed having WWDC “virtual” this year; I hope this format remains in the future. If you missed all the latest with regards to what’s going on with iOS, macOS and Apple Silicon; here’s the overview for you - More

Want to better understand folks like Wim Hof who can withstand extreme cold? I found this read particularly fascinating as it dives into “the outer limits of breathing”, and why breathing through your nose is the key - More

I’ve personally found lists to be the best way to keep track of work, life, goals; my entire workflow revolves around them. Here’s a few interesting one’s I found this week around lists and workflow:

• Everything is a list - More
• How to never lose another memory again - More
• Forget Forgetting. Build a Zettelkasten. - More

Speaking of workflows, I now have a weekly review every Friday afternoon at 3pm. I like this focus “direct your life with intention” - More

I’m incredibly excited for this new feature in iOS 14 around what apps are “doing” under the covers. For example, it’s already revealed that apps like TikTok are spying on your clipboard. It’s not shocking, but the average consumer really has no idea how much they are being tracked; here’s Okta’s annual privacy report - More

Something that isn’t shocking given how 2020 is going - apparently “My Little Pony” has a Nazi Problem - More

My dad sent me this one, and wow - it’s nuts. Apparently someone “hacked” a joke that Pepsi made during a promotion, and they nearly had to buy a Harrier Jet for him (after 3 years of court cases). Apparently, it’s now a staple in law schools - More

It’s better to prepare to be surprised by life, instead of expecting the past to repeat itself - “Stop Preparing For The Last Disaster” - More

Let’s keep 2020 the craziest year ever - apparently massive dust plumes from the Sahara are heading to the US - More

Understanding some of the workplace trends that may not survive the pandemic - More

End Thoughts

What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient... highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks; right in there somewhere.