Heavy Rotation
Sea Shanties
If you missed the hubbub of sea shanties that saturated the socials a few weeks ago, we'd like to help you catch up. You won't be able to get these out of your head, and you'll likely find yourself humming them as you perform menial tasks throughout the rest of your week. - C
First, a damn solid video from a guy who deserves more subs about the rise of TikTok Sea Shanties.
Business Time
I Tried to Get Rich off Dropshipping – Here's How It Went
What does it say about a thing when the only people making money off a thing are the people teaching people how to do it? -B
Whatever it's called, this is similar to what a ton of newsletters are doing as well. "Want to know how I make a living writing a newsletter? Subscribe to my newsletter to find out." Here at this newsletter, we make zero dollars sending you tons of content. I am pretty sure our value proposition is that we help you find something to read if you're not sure what you want to read. That's enough, I think. -C
TravelMASity
5 dumb things backpack designers need to stop doing
I love bags for some reason. If you don't have water bottle pockets I'm not buying your bag. -B
I think Brian may run this website under a pseudonym. Aside from that, I own Osprey luggage that I really love, but the writer is correct about unnecessarily round things and tiny pockets being a regular feature of this brand's designs. Just, make bigger pockets, even if there are less of them. More tiny useless pockets is not superior to larger useful pockets. -C
Sports (Disc Golf)
At One With the Disc: How the Pandemic Taught Me to Love (Real) Golf’s Casual Cousin
A zillion years ago I got hooked on disc golf. When my kids were born I got unhooked. After they grew up a little I got hooked again. And somewhere in there I dragged Calvin and some other of our friends into the addiction. We love disc golf. I at least daydream about it when I'm not playing it. I watch other people play it on Jomez Youtube on a regular basis. I own way too many frisbees. And need (errr want) more. And if you haven't played it yet hit one of us up. We'll get you setup with your first hit for free just to see if you like it. -B
Follytics
Tweet by Randall Munroe on Twitter
Randall Munroe is the eponymous XKCD guy. His take on an election map blows apart the red and blue monoliths that exist in our head, which I think is healthy.
There are more Trump voters in California than Texas, more Biden voters in Texas than NY, more Trump voters in NY than Ohio, more Biden voters in Ohio than Massachusetts, more Trump voters in Massachusetts than Mississippi, and more Biden voters in Mississippi than Vermont.
-B
Ok Boomer / OK Zoomer
Two links, one writer, highlighting the assumptions one generationally specific tribe makes about the other. - C
I love technology (and science)
6,000 years of arrows emerge from melting Norwegian ice patch
Someone hiking around this enormous ice patch a few years ago found a perfectly preserved, thousand-years old shoe. Since then arrows from previous generation's hunting activities are pouring out of the ice and there's some interesting insights into our ancient ancestors. -B
Further Reading
The New York Times
The original title when I sent this link in was "CALVIN YOU NEED TO READ THIS". It is one of the most passionate, well-written essays I've read in a long time. I think the NYT in this article is really a metonym. But what a moving look at the digital divide that deepens every day. -B
Still Alive - Astral Codex Ten
Slate Star Codex is back as, unshockingly, a Substack. Just what I needed in my life.... another Substack.
"We've lost a lot of that old Internet, sold our birthright to social media companies and content providers for a few spurts of dopamine"
-B
Is Substack the Media Future We Want
H/T Joe D. Great question. I like the counterweight to corporate media. I hate the paying $5 a month to a ton of different writers who I used to get for free. But I'm willing to do it to ensure independent thinking survives. -B
This is a fantastic exploration of email newsletters and their obvious beginnings as real newsletters (that you received, you know, in the mail). It made me think about why we like to write, which is also what the Rob Rhinehart essay above made me think about. -C