Intro / Preface / Extra Words
Consistency is key
Which is why my newsletter is so random. Consistency is also hard.
Also, cool new idea: I've decided to start taking on sponsors for my newsletter. I know you're delighted. Here's how it'll work: Sponsorships are free. To get one, you email me (you can just reply back to this newsletter and I'll get it) or you can do it the right way and go here. You'll tell me what you want the sponsorship to say, and give me a link. This can be a link to your company's website, to a cause you support, to your Instagram account, or to a completely random website that you just want everyone to know you're associated with. It'll be great.
Alrighty, to the good stuff.
Current Things
Transcript of AP interview with Trump
I'm sharing this because it made me so self-conscious about what would happen if someone were to record a conversation with me and then transcribe it. I think I would (and you would, probably) sound like an idiot. Now don't get me wrong, I think the way that President Trump speaks is unbearable aurally, but it's even worse written out verbatim. This is super long and mostly sounds like President Trump has Tourette's (has that been ruled out?) but worth a skim. h/t to Trey for this one.
Timeless Things
How to Be a Stoic
I'm not a stoic. I am interested in the philosophy though. I'll probably be sharing several links related to this over time, and I'm sure I'll eventually get around to reading the Enchiridion; but for now, I'll just share a couple of links that communicate the general idea. Some bold claims in this one. And the title is misleading (you should not think you're prepared to adopt this philosophy after reading a few paragraphs about it from a blogger).
The Only Thing You Need to Get Good At
Disagree with the title, otherwise good. References the article above, but thought I'd share it too in case the first one piqued your interest.
Random Things
Infinity Mirror Rooms – Yayoi Kusama
This artist places patterns inside rooms lined with mirrors. I'd love to experience one of these rooms in person (even Phalli's Field, a room full of um, let's call them "tubes"). But for now, the closest you can get will be to watch this NPR walk-through video.
Food
Everyday Pancakes Recipe - NYT Cooking
I don't make pancakes every day, but when I do, I prefer dos pancakes. I mean these pancakes.
Work / Productivity
This Is Why Your To-Do List Is Going Nowhere
It's not the app's fault, it's your fault #encouragement.
This article isn't actually about choosing the best app for your todo list. The author gives a few important tips about how to reevaluate your todos and make sure that you're maintaining a list of tasks that you can actually accomplish. He's got an interesting workflow that he uses in Trello too that might be worth trying.
Sports (Disc Golf)
Jesse Eisenberg writes about watching women's basketball
I'll admit, I'm guilty of the following sentiment stated in this article: "I harbored the kind of naive assumption that this game couldn’t possibly be played by anyone other than Lebron James and his 500 friends in the NBA." I really liked this article and hereby avow to give women's basketball a shot. Also, the video is real painful to watch so maybe skip that.
Further Reading
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
I read this book several years ago but just thought about it again this week, and thought it would be a good one to share with all of you fine folks. There's a 50/50 chance that this was given to me by either my sister or Stephani, because those are the two ladies in my life that frequently buy me books.
Anyway, this book is beautifully written and really enjoyable to read. It'll seem a little random at first as McCann introduces you to several different (as the Amazon write-up puts it, "seemingly disparate") lives that his characters are living in New York in the 1970s. I'm pretty sure I almost cried at the end (and I was not expecting to). Get you a copy.