More meanderings and things ventured from the last several days….
I really appreciated waking up this morning to Randy Murray’s wonderful take on the higher calling of art. It helped speak directly to something I’ve been trying to put some though into lately. I especially liked this:
Earning a living is a necessity for most of us, but only that, a necessity. Art is not a promise of fame or fortune. Art is a way to express oneself.
Or, as I like to put it: Surviving can keep you from living.
Tikker is a decidedly new take on a watch. Not only does it tell you the time but it also counts down the life you have left, from years to seconds, and helps keep you aware of making each moment count. The product page was a bit unclear as to how it figures out how much time we have left (and, obviously, it can’t know for sure). So, I did some digging and here is what I found:
The wearer simply fills out a questionnaire, deducts his/her current age from the results, and TIKKER is ready to start the countdown.
My guess it is some calculation of age, weight, diet, vices, etc. It is an interesting idea for sure.
Lots of really great stuff coming out of the recent XOXO Fest a few weeks back. I’m really kicking myself for not making the effort to go and plan to rectify that next year. My only consolation is some of the great thoughts, ideas, and takeaways people are sharing that did attend. Glenn Fleishman’s take, In a Time of Hugs and Kisses, was a nicely compelling and informative spin on what it was like to attend. Pinboard.in founder Maciej Ceglowski posted the notes and slides of his talk, Thoreau 2.0. Which as a huge Thoreau fan both exposed some of the seeming contradictions between the author’s views and his lifestyle and how the way he actually lived might be better for us. And Frank Chimero’s The Inferno Of Independence just may be the best piece on the state of the internet today that I have read all year.
Lots of my friends are updating a releasing lots of cool stuff lately. My friend Brett Kelly recently released the latest version of his excellent Evernote Essentials which is currently half price but wont be for much longer. My friend Brad Dowdy and his partner have officially launched the Kickstarter for their new pen/pencil/notebook case venture, Nock Co.. My friend Nick Wynja recently released his Pinboard based Read-It-Later service, Paperback… It’s nice to be in such creative company.
Of course, I released the audiobook version of my Apple Consulting Guide and launched The Unrecorded Podcast last week so I have been busy trying to keep up in the shipping department too.
That covers it for now. Have a great week.