The Ruffian
Rattle Bag
Thoughts on the Boris brand, Biden's prospects, why the Brits got so good at pop, and what to read.
a year ago
Thoughts on the Boris brand, Biden's prospects, why the Brits got so good at pop, and what to read.
Passing Time
Mourning a Dam to Love a River
Hurricane Michael's Destruction of Kapps Mill Dam
3 months ago
Hurricane Michael's Destruction of Kapps Mill Dam
Diaries of Note
Why am I always struggling to get them to blend?
In March of 1976, Eleanor Coppola and her family waved goodbye to their home in California and...
a year ago
In March of 1976, Eleanor Coppola and her family waved goodbye to their home in California and headed for the Philippines, the filming location for her husband’s next film, Apocalypse Now. As the lush landscape of the Southeast Asian archipelago sprawled out before them, little...
Castles in the Sky
Open Thread: Castles in the Sky in Your Life
Castles in the Sky #37
a year ago
Unfiltered by Tim...
It's Absolutely Pointless to Start Anything Unless You'll Do It Daily
The simple shift in thinking that'll help you work on less so you get deep focus.
5 days ago
The simple shift in thinking that'll help you work on less so you get deep focus.
The Honest Broker
I Say Forbidden Things About Sports
What's happening in athletics is tragic—but don't expect to hear about on ESPN
3 weeks ago
What's happening in athletics is tragic—but don't expect to hear about on ESPN
The Ruffian
The Social Media Cage Fight
A Rattle Bag of Goodies, Including Some Shameless Self-Promotion
a year ago
A Rattle Bag of Goodies, Including Some Shameless Self-Promotion
Adrian Hanft, III:...
The Slow, Steady, Inevitable March Towards Oatmeal
Pushing back against the idea that you are doomed to become a commodity.
over a year ago
Pushing back against the idea that you are doomed to become a commodity.
DYNOMIGHT
What if you just bought everyone air purifiers?
I haven’t written about air quality in a while. Ominously, sometimes people ask me if I still care...
11 months ago
I haven’t written about air quality in a while. Ominously, sometimes people ask me if I still care about it. So, lest anyone think I have some kind of dreadful healthy mental balance, I thought I should do some Fermi estimates.
Say you’re one of the five humans who have $100...
Wait But Why
SpaceX’s Big Freaking Rocket – The Full Story (G-Rated Version)
It's not a small rocket.
The post SpaceX’s Big Freaking Rocket – The Full Story (G-Rated Version)...
over a year ago
It's not a small rocket.
The post SpaceX’s Big Freaking Rocket – The Full Story (G-Rated Version) appeared first on Wait But Why.
Both Are True
i want to be with someone i can goof with - help?
wherever you goof, there you harr (i am so sorry)
8 months ago
wherever you goof, there you harr (i am so sorry)
Daniel Bourke
Home alone on a Saturday night
Got caught in thought space today.
Ideas galore, activities here and there, actions minimal, lots of...
over a year ago
Got caught in thought space today.
Ideas galore, activities here and there, actions minimal, lots of standing around watching not enough touching.
Like the guy with a crush on a girl but never says anything.
So I took a step outside thought space.
And found gravity.
Twenty...
Diaries of Note
The French coast was torn up
On July 1, 1944, Vincent “Roi” Ottley boarded S.S. Scythia in New York and began his unprecedented...
a year ago
On July 1, 1944, Vincent “Roi” Ottley boarded S.S. Scythia in New York and began his unprecedented journey as the first African American war correspondent in World War II. Arriving in a Europe scarred by conflict, Ottley reported for three different publications, providing...
journal – Winnie Lim
biometrics pre, during & post-covid
A couple of weeks ago I received a notification from my apple watch that there were some new health...
a year ago
A couple of weeks ago I received a notification from my apple watch that there were some new health trends from the health app: Obviously this is because I had covid: being...
The Ruffian
When will an AI win the Booker?
A reflection on whether novelists will ever be made obsolete by ChatGPT
a year ago
A reflection on whether novelists will ever be made obsolete by ChatGPT
Diaries of Note
I declare private war
Alfred Wintle was living in Dunkirk when the First World War began—sixteen years old and fiercely...
a year ago
Alfred Wintle was living in Dunkirk when the First World War began—sixteen years old and fiercely patriotic. Desperate to join the army, in 1915 he entered the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich to begin his training, and within months was on the front line. At the Third Battle...
Scarlet Ink
3 Good Things and 3 Bad Things About Working at Amazon: From 12+ Years in Management
Line manager to Senior Manager to Director. It was a great place to work, but I have a pretty...
a month ago
Line manager to Senior Manager to Director. It was a great place to work, but I have a pretty balanced view of what Amazon does well, and what it doesn't.
Nat Eliason's...
Softening Our Inner Critic
Find nourishment in the weeds
a year ago
Find nourishment in the weeds
Both Are True
a ride on the ol' braintrain
hi
4 months ago
journal – Winnie Lim
happiness is a difficult thing to bear
I am an unhappy person in general. But once in a while, an acute sense of awareness strikes me and I...
a year ago
I am an unhappy person in general. But once in a while, an acute sense of awareness strikes me and I experience the totality of that particular moment – I catch a...
journal – Winnie Lim
why i turn to books on buddhism in times of suffering
Over the past decade I tend to turn to books on buddhism whenever I feel down. I wouldn’t consider...
a month ago
Over the past decade I tend to turn to books on buddhism whenever I feel down. I wouldn’t consider myself religious or a buddhist, and I don’t really fully agree wth much...
DYNOMIGHT
Nursing doubts: Is breastfeeding good?
If you ask the internet if breastfeeding is good, you will soon learn that YOU MUST BREASTFEED...
3 months ago
If you ask the internet if breastfeeding is good, you will soon learn that YOU MUST BREASTFEED because BREAST MILK = OPTIMAL FOOD FOR BABY. But if you look for evidence, you’ll discover two disturbing facts.
First, there’s no consensus about why breastfeeding is good. I’ve seen...
Diaries of Note
CORONACION DAY
On 23rd April 1661, a decade after fleeing the country following defeat by Oliver Cromwell, Charles...
a year ago
On 23rd April 1661, a decade after fleeing the country following defeat by Oliver Cromwell, Charles II was crowned king, heralding the restoration of the monarchy and the end of political turmoil. The Abbey was resplendently adorned in reds that day, and the finest of garments...
Tech and Tea
Transformed into a couch
On taking this time to slooooooow down
a year ago
On taking this time to slooooooow down
Luxagraf:...
Halloween in the Outer Banks
From Virginia Beach we drifted south, making the short drive down to Oregon Inlet in the Outer...
a year ago
From Virginia Beach we drifted south, making the short drive down to Oregon Inlet in the Outer Banks. Our plan was to spend a couple of weeks there, visit friends, get some time at the beach, and then head to Ocracoke for Thanksgiving. It was pretty good plan, but it didn't work...
Stoic Simple
What Does Stoicism Teach About Pleasure and Pain?
Stoicism is an ancient philosophy that has gained increasing popularity in recent years. At the...
a year ago
Stoicism is an ancient philosophy that has gained increasing popularity in recent years. At the heart of this school of thought is the idea that we can achieve true happiness by living in accordance with nature, accepting what we cannot change, and focusing on developing our own...
Laetitia@Work
The Future of Work & the Sandwich Generation
Laetitia@Work #63
a year ago
Left To Write
№ 63: They Accused Me of Collusion, Confiscated My $$$ and Taught Me A Priceless Lesson In Real Risk
From fleecing Chinese Players to being fleeced - The Ludic Fallacy - Avoiding being a sucker - The...
a year ago
From fleecing Chinese Players to being fleeced - The Ludic Fallacy - Avoiding being a sucker - The only certainty is uncertainty
Diaries of Note
I did so want to be a great actress
Rachel Roberts was a formidable Welsh actress whose performances on stage and screen garnered praise...
a year ago
Rachel Roberts was a formidable Welsh actress whose performances on stage and screen garnered praise and awards, her name often spoken with a mix of reverence and endearment within theatrical circles. Sadly, her personal life was at odds with her professional one, and in the last...
Left To Write
Trust Me, I’m A Lying Social Media Performer
The early 2010’s internet used to be so simple. Facebook was used for connecting with friends....
a year ago
The early 2010’s internet used to be so simple. Facebook was used for connecting with friends. Instagram for sharing our pictures. Twitter for our thoughts. And LinkedIn to network. Everything was shown in chronological order. Fast forward to today, and the internet has become...
The Honest Broker
Is Rock Dead? (and Other Questions from Readers)
And I invite you to ask questions of your own
a year ago
And I invite you to ask questions of your own
Diaries of Note
The goose for Xmas disappeared
In the waning days of 1948, George Orwell was secluded on the Scottish island of Jura in a remote...
12 months ago
In the waning days of 1948, George Orwell was secluded on the Scottish island of Jura in a remote farmhouse named Barnhill—a stark, white-washed building set against the backdrop of Jura’s untamed wilderness. It was there, amidst the stark beauty of nature and in declining...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Typo Donuts
I end each of my Saturday stories with two words of encouragement. _Stay creative._ Why? Because...
over a year ago
I end each of my Saturday stories with two words of encouragement. _Stay creative._ Why? Because your creativity is under attack. Tell me you don’t feel it. It takes tremendous determination to defend your best ideas day after day. Isn’t it tempting to take the easy path, to...
Scarlet Ink
Senior Engineer or Senior Citizen? How Can Vintage Tech Workers Age Like Fine Wine?
Experience in some careers is viewed as universally positive, but that's not necessarily the case in...
4 months ago
Experience in some careers is viewed as universally positive, but that's not necessarily the case in tech. Why is that, and what can you do about it?
The Honest Broker
8 Ways of Connecting Your Wi-Fi Can't Deliver
They are the pillars of a happy life. So why are they under such fierce attack?
2 months ago
They are the pillars of a happy life. So why are they under such fierce attack?
Luxagraf:...
What Vanlife is Really Like
I have no idea what Vanlife is or is like. But I can tell you that if you think you're just going to...
a year ago
I have no idea what Vanlife is or is like. But I can tell you that if you think you're just going to cruise around in an old vehicle, living the life, um, yeah, not all the time. Some of the time, sure. Maybe even most of the time, but there's a good bit of work to be done on the...
Laetitia@Work
What if generative AI was actually underwhelming?
Laetitia@Work #69
8 months ago
Diaries of Note
She’s going, boys!
On 21st November 1915, following months of struggle against the implacable Antarctic ice, the crew...
a year ago
On 21st November 1915, following months of struggle against the implacable Antarctic ice, the crew of Endurance, led by the intrepid Sir Ernest Shackleton, witnessed the final sinking of their ship—a vessel that had promised passage across the continent. In his diary that night,...
journal – Winnie Lim
chronic unease
Some people are good at denial, forgetting, and moving on. I am good at none of those. I accumulate...
a year ago
Some people are good at denial, forgetting, and moving on. I am good at none of those. I accumulate trauma, remember them deeply like they are etched into my bones helpless as...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Graceful Duck Whiffing
I am lucky to work at a place that has a ping pong table in the back. The outcome of epic games hang...
over a year ago
I am lucky to work at a place that has a ping pong table in the back. The outcome of epic games hang on one or two points that could bounce in either player's favor. Nearly every game contains a moment where the back and forth battle tips when a well-placed ball is barely...
Letters of Note
Live a life worth living
On 19 March 2018, almost five years after being diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer,...
over a year ago
On 19 March 2018, almost five years after being diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer, thirty-eight-year-old Julie Yip-Williams died, leaving behind a husband and two daughters. Her early years had been anything but easy. Born blind in Vietnam, at two months of age she was almost...
Diaries of Note
France has capitulated
On 22nd June 1940, just six weeks after German forces began their assault on western Europe, France...
a year ago
On 22nd June 1940, just six weeks after German forces began their assault on western Europe, France surrendered to Hitler’s ferocious regime and life changed irrevocably for its millions of inhabitants. One of the affected was Virginia d’Albert-Lake, an American woman who had...
Left To Write
#9 Writemas: What Is Driving You?
I had a call with an old poker friend earlier. We both have similar backgrounds; we are reasonably...
a year ago
I had a call with an old poker friend earlier. We both have similar backgrounds; we are reasonably well educated, started poker around the same time, and never felt like we were enough. Both of our poker careers were driven by insecurity. We both had this desire to prove...
Diaries of Note
Very many delightful things were shown
On 12th July 1520, German Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer, accompanied by his wife, Agnes,...
a year ago
On 12th July 1520, German Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer, accompanied by his wife, Agnes, embarked on a significant journey from Germany to the Netherlands, both to attend the coronation of Charles V in October and ensure the continuation of the pension he had received for...
Stoic Simple
Stoicism for Athletes: Why Stoic Philosophy is Perfect for Sports
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the application of Stoic philosophy in various...
a year ago
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the application of Stoic philosophy in various aspects of life, including sports. Stoicism is an ancient philosophy that emphasizes the development of self-control, rationality, and resilience in the face of adversity. By...
The Ruffian
Is Forgiveness a Power Move?
Plus a very juicy rattle bag which includes my favourite ever sad song
4 months ago
Plus a very juicy rattle bag which includes my favourite ever sad song
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Negative Space
One of the most important lessons you learn as a student of design is the importance of negative...
over a year ago
One of the most important lessons you learn as a student of design is the importance of negative space. For every mark you make you are changing the space around it. Artists understand that this negative space is just as important as the mark itself. Visually this is a critical...
RhysTranter.com
Visit to Oxford Oratory
This week I had the joy of taking a group of students to the University of Oxford open day. In a few...
5 months ago
This week I had the joy of taking a group of students to the University of Oxford open day. In a few quiet moments, I had an opportunity to pray at the Oxford Oratory on Woodstock Road
The Ruffian
My Year In Reading
Books I Read Or At Least Picked Up In 2023
a year ago
Books I Read Or At Least Picked Up In 2023
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Gravity Prayers
A cube of ice trembled in the hand of a stupid boy. Like a loaded dice, its melting walls possessed...
over a year ago
A cube of ice trembled in the hand of a stupid boy. Like a loaded dice, its melting walls possessed the power to steer the fate of the foolish teenager. From the top of the bleachers the boy considers a dare as a high school marching band blares behind him. Two hundred feet below...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Eavesdrops and Dropouts
I heard my name as I was coming up the stairs from the basement of the art building. Two art...
over a year ago
I heard my name as I was coming up the stairs from the basement of the art building. Two art professors thought they were alone and were talking freely about their students. So before I opened the door, I eavesdropped. It was a chance to hear what they really thought of me. I was...
Nat Eliason's...
Cope as an Essential Life Skill
Go Fox Go
a year ago
journal – Winnie Lim
running 10km, and making life’s calculations
I completed my only 2023 resolution this last week by finally running my first 10km in my life. It...
a year ago
I completed my only 2023 resolution this last week by finally running my first 10km in my life. It had seemed like an unattainable goal: I was struggling even to finish 5km,...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Sabotaging the Beautiful Web
At the peak of FontBurner’s success it was delivering fonts to thousands of websites. I was so proud...
over a year ago
At the peak of FontBurner’s success it was delivering fonts to thousands of websites. I was so proud of that tool. That’s why what happened next broke my heart almost completely.
Nat Eliason's...
Why (And How) I'm Self-Publishing My Novel
The First HUSK Update!
a week ago
journal – Winnie Lim
documenting my mom making kueh lapis
I cannot remember how long has it been that my mother has been making kueh lapis for the lunar new...
10 months ago
I cannot remember how long has it been that my mother has been making kueh lapis for the lunar new year every year. Kueh means cake, and lapis means layers, so kueh...
Stoic Simple
Students of Stoicism: Using Stoic Philosophy in Teaching & Education
In today's fast-paced and highly competitive world, students face immense pressure to perform well...
a year ago
In today's fast-paced and highly competitive world, students face immense pressure to perform well academically, often at the cost of their emotional and mental well-being. As a result, many students struggle with stress, anxiety, and low self-esteem, which can impact their...
Atoms vs Bits
Progress Studies Conference - I'll Defend Fusion
The progress studies conference didn't have anyone to defend fusion energy, so I will.
a month ago
The progress studies conference didn't have anyone to defend fusion energy, so I will.
Mark Manson
Why Growth Requires Struggle
I get a lot of reader questions about pain, trauma, challenge, and struggle. Most of these questions...
over a year ago
I get a lot of reader questions about pain, trauma, challenge, and struggle. Most of these questions were some variation of, “Is there such a thing as being exposed to too much pain?” or “Are there situations where pain and struggle aren’t helpful but only hurtful?” or “What...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Seven Minutes on David Letterman
Abandon it in a garden and it may never catch anyone’s gaze. Lost in plain sight, it could be...
over a year ago
Abandon it in a garden and it may never catch anyone’s gaze. Lost in plain sight, it could be mistaken for an odd stone or the tip of a dark root protruding from the earth. The steel egg is alien, not beautiful in the way humans have decided is appropriate for display in art...
Left To Write
Sinking To Survive
I always feel like I’m drowning. At this point I’m used to it. But I do question how much of this is...
a year ago
I always feel like I’m drowning. At this point I’m used to it. But I do question how much of this is inherited and how much of this is self-inflicted. Last year, I read an article on Epigenetics. The gist of it is that we’re shaped by the genes of our parents and grandparents,...
Diaries of Note
Color and I are one
In 1914, everything changed for Paul Klee. Whilst sampling the delights of Tunisia on a twelve-day...
a year ago
In 1914, everything changed for Paul Klee. Whilst sampling the delights of Tunisia on a twelve-day trip with fellow artists Louis Moilliet and Auguste Macke, he found himself profoundly affected by the light and colours of North Africa—an intense experience that inspired him to...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Memory Spin
The day after Patriot missiles streaked the skies and lit up our TV set with fuzzy trails narrated...
over a year ago
The day after Patriot missiles streaked the skies and lit up our TV set with fuzzy trails narrated by nervous reporters I was screwing in a lightbulb. As I helped my dad install a flagpole in our front yard we talked about the Persian Gulf War.
The Honest Broker
Are There Alternating Cycles of Hot and Cool in American Cultural History? (Part 1 of 2)
And are we midway through a hot cycle right now?
a year ago
And are we midway through a hot cycle right now?
The Honest Broker
It's Open Mic Day: Tell Us What You're Doing
Here's a chance to pitch your own project
10 months ago
Here's a chance to pitch your own project
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Powered by a Whisper
As promised, today we are going to take a journey to the heart of the web. The web has become...
over a year ago
As promised, today we are going to take a journey to the heart of the web. The web has become bloated and gluttonous. We need hungry scalpels, sharp mental x-acto knives to cut away the excess. What will we find at the center? Is there a truth worth saving at the heart of the...
The Map is Mostly...
Let the world dawn on you (influences pt. 2)
I know the houses too. As I walk along they seem to run forward in the streets to look out at me...
a year ago
I know the houses too. As I walk along they seem to run forward in the streets to look out at me from every window, and almost to say: "Good-morning! How do you do? I am quite well, thank God, and I am to have a new storey in May," or, "How are you? I am being redecorated...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Talent Myths and the Story of Imperceptible Gains
I made a discovery as I sifted through the running data I have been collecting for the last nine...
over a year ago
I made a discovery as I sifted through the running data I have been collecting for the last nine years. After 897 runs and 4,659 miles I have gotten faster. How much faster? Well, for every mile I run I get 0.012 seconds faster. That's about as imperceptible as a fart.
The Convivial...
Chats, Notes, and Patrons
A brief welcome to the Convivial Society and update about new features
a year ago
A brief welcome to the Convivial Society and update about new features
Castles in the Sky
Beautiful and Ordinary
Saturday
a year ago
Diaries of Note
The sight that met us was beyond anything one could conceive
Few archaeologists can claim to have felt the surge of exhilaration that Howard Carter did on 27th...
a year ago
Few archaeologists can claim to have felt the surge of exhilaration that Howard Carter did on 27th November 1922, as he stood before the threshold of discovery in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. The electric lights glared down on a scene of ancient splendour as Carter and his team...
Castles in the Sky
Pure Research is a Bet on Progress
Normally I spend part of my summer convincing a group of reluctant students that pure research is an...
a year ago
Normally I spend part of my summer convincing a group of reluctant students that pure research is an essential part of the progress and preservation of civilization. But for the first time in four years, my calendar was blank for the middle weeks of June. I would usually teach a...
Castles in the Sky
Treat life like a trip to the used bookstore.
Bookstore Register #4
9 months ago
Stoic Simple
Stoicism, Law & Justice: How Stoic Philosophy Sees Crime & Punishment
Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy, has been a subject of fascination and study for centuries....
a year ago
Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy, has been a subject of fascination and study for centuries. One of its central themes has been the pursuit of justice. The Stoics believed that living a just life entailed cultivating certain qualities of character and making decisions based...
The Honest Broker
When the Olympics Gave Medals to Artists
They did it for 40 years—so why did they stop?
5 months ago
They did it for 40 years—so why did they stop?
Diaries of Note
Nothing can be less beautiful than the first sight of London
Emily Shore was just nineteen when she died of tuberculosis—a short life, but one brimming with...
a year ago
Emily Shore was just nineteen when she died of tuberculosis—a short life, but one brimming with intellectual curiosity. Born in Suffolk, England in 1819, her now-celebrated journal contains not just her intricate observations of the natural world, but also thoughtful reflections...
The Ruffian
A Brief History of Suburban Creativity
The power of not being with the in-crowd
a year ago
The power of not being with the in-crowd
The Ruffian
Who Has The Better Final Pitch?
It's Closing Time In America
a month ago
It's Closing Time In America
Castles in the Sky
Castles in the Sky 27
Next Big Steps
a year ago
Paul Cudenec
An African henchman of the global mafia
The importance of Rwanda to the imperialist agenda is confirmed by the fact that alongside Agnes...
4 days ago
The importance of Rwanda to the imperialist agenda is confirmed by the fact that alongside Agnes Binagwaho on the Rockefeller Foundation board of trustees we find fellow Rwandan Donald Kaberuka. [156]
Diaries of Note
Ran through Ritz, walked miles, drank in Dorchester
On 15th August of 1945, three months after Nazi Germany’s surrender in Europe, the world rejoiced as...
a year ago
On 15th August of 1945, three months after Nazi Germany’s surrender in Europe, the world rejoiced as Japan announced its unconditional surrender, bringing an end to World War II. Streets from New York to London, Sydney to Shanghai, were flooded with jubilant crowds celebrating...
Luxagraf:...
Microcosm
We sprinted across Florida, from St. Augustine to the far end of the panhandle in two quick drives....
10 months ago
We sprinted across Florida, from St. Augustine to the far end of the panhandle in two quick drives. We stopped in the middle at the Tallahassee Car Museum, an odd little museum with a few campsites out front (not everything on Harvest Hosts is a farm).
The kids and I wandered...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
The Pattern Recognition Machine
At some point our work inevitably makes contact with people who won’t be able to match your work...
over a year ago
At some point our work inevitably makes contact with people who won’t be able to match your work with their mental patterns. Pattern recognition is convenient when we are stocking the shelves but it can be stifling when we interact with concepts that want to change us.
The Map is Mostly...
Designing a New Old Home: Light
In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle-light. In summer, quite the other way, I have...
a year ago
In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle-light. In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day. — Robert Louis Stevenson, Bed in Summer This post is part of a series about building a house that looks and feels traditional in New Hampshire. However, this...
Nat Eliason's...
Sapiens is Good You Silly Status Monkeys
No banana for you!
a year ago
Luxagraf:...
Bus and Repair Q & A
I got a lot of questions about the bus, life on the road, repairing things, and more. I will...
a year ago
I got a lot of questions about the bus, life on the road, repairing things, and more. I will probably write something up as well at some point, but for now I thought I'd make a video to answer a few of the more frequently asked questions.
Watch on YouTube
Apologies for the...
The Map is Mostly...
Breadcrumbs
One belief I have is that if you wish to be virtuous you will learn to eat cereal virtuously.
2 months ago
One belief I have is that if you wish to be virtuous you will learn to eat cereal virtuously.
Daniel Bourke
Not just fishing knots
Took mum to her childhood home Sunday just gone to see Papa.
We walked in and mum saw Nana and they...
8 months ago
Took mum to her childhood home Sunday just gone to see Papa.
We walked in and mum saw Nana and they both started to cry.
Papa, Alan, Alby, my grandfather was quite sick.
The room was quiet and somber but had an unshakable aura of warmth and love.
Everyone was
Left To Write
№ 64: How I Make A V60 Pourover Coffee
My morning coffee ritual - Choosing intention - Mother's cooking - Finding passion & purpose
a year ago
My morning coffee ritual - Choosing intention - Mother's cooking - Finding passion & purpose
Castles in the Sky
"Dada, slow down!" Fatherhood at Thirty-Thousand Feet
A letter from a father flying solo with his toddler
7 months ago
A letter from a father flying solo with his toddler
Diaries of Note
The newspapers are having a field day
Few broadcasters have left as indelible a mark on the hearts and minds of the British public as Sir...
a year ago
Few broadcasters have left as indelible a mark on the hearts and minds of the British public as Sir Terry Wogan. A consummate professional, Wogan’s wit, warmth, and engaging personality endeared him to audiences throughout his long and successful career in radio and television....
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Your Skull’s Fourth Wall
Inside your skull a movie is playing. You, obviously, are the hero in this movie. You narrate as a...
over a year ago
Inside your skull a movie is playing. You, obviously, are the hero in this movie. You narrate as a cast of characters play the supporting roles of friends and family, misfits and villains.
The Convivial...
Embracing Sub-Optimal Relationships
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 10
4 months ago
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 10
The Honest Broker
Nobody Will Tell You the Ugly Reason Apple Acquired a Classical Music Label
But you need to know, because it offers a glimpse into the dark future of streaming
a year ago
But you need to know, because it offers a glimpse into the dark future of streaming
Luxagraf:...
Repair Fail
One of the most underappreciated, least talked about aspects of repair is the hierarchy. There are...
a year ago
One of the most underappreciated, least talked about aspects of repair is the hierarchy. There are repair wizards and there are newbies and there are the rest of us, somewhere between those two poles. This hierarchy of skill and experience requires that you earn your way to the...
Daniel Bourke
Silent idols
Showing without telling.
a year ago
Atoms vs Bits
80/20 Strength Training
or, weightlifting for lazy people
a year ago
or, weightlifting for lazy people
Diaries of Note
Man cannot live long without joy
Dorothy Day was an influential American journalist and social activist who co-founded the Catholic...
a year ago
Dorothy Day was an influential American journalist and social activist who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement in the 1930s. Driven by her deep spiritual convictions, Day was a relentless advocate for social justice, and in the late 1930s and early 1940s her work took on a...
Stoic Simple
Living in the Present Moment: Stoicism & the Concept of Time
Stoicism is a philosophy that has been around for centuries, yet its teachings continue to resonate...
a year ago
Stoicism is a philosophy that has been around for centuries, yet its teachings continue to resonate with people today. One particular aspect of Stoic thought that is relevant to our modern age is its relationship with the concept of time. In this article, we will explore the...
Letters of Note
You would be so proud
Uhuru Houston was born in Brooklyn in 1969. He joined the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey...
over a year ago
Uhuru Houston was born in Brooklyn in 1969. He joined the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department in 1993, and three years later married Sonya, whom he had met when they were both students at Norfolk State University. In 1999, he was assigned to the World...
The Tao Of Wealth
A Prayer For The New Year
God, grant me the serenityto accept the things I cannot change,the courage to change the things I...
over a year ago
God, grant me the serenityto accept the things I cannot change,the courage to change the things I can,and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time,enjoying one moment at a time;accepting hardship as a pathway to peace;taking, as Your Divine Incarnations...
The Convivial...
The Prompt Box is a Minefield: AI Chatbots and Power of Language
The Convivial Society: Vol. 4, No. 2
a year ago
The Convivial Society: Vol. 4, No. 2
Both Are True
testing testing is this thing on
hopefully not
3 months ago
Diaries of Note
I have been playing a new game called insomnia
In December of 1941, three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 26-year-old Thomas Merton entered...
a year ago
In December of 1941, three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 26-year-old Thomas Merton entered the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where he began life as a Trappist monk. Over the next 27 years, until his death in 1968, Merton authored more than fifty books that...
Diaries of Note
You drunken dog
In 1773, Dr. Samuel Johnson, the eminent intellectual and moralist, and James Boswell, a young...
a year ago
In 1773, Dr. Samuel Johnson, the eminent intellectual and moralist, and James Boswell, a young Scottish lawyer captivated by Johnson’s brilliance, embarked on a journey through the Highlands of Scotland. Their relationship was one of mentorship and friendship, a dynamic that...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Boston's Evolution: 1897–2018
My Boston Marathon dataset expands to encompass the last 121 years. With the benefit of another...
over a year ago
My Boston Marathon dataset expands to encompass the last 121 years. With the benefit of another century of data, what will we learn?
Daniel Bourke
Where’s the magic?
I got asked once my favourite person from history in a job interview.
I said Isaac Newton.
An old...
11 months ago
I got asked once my favourite person from history in a job interview.
I said Isaac Newton.
An old cricket coach told me about the laws of motion.
And I never forgot.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
It helped fix my right arm leg spin.
I later
Stoic Simple
The Stoic’s Guide to Achieving Lasting Contentment
Are you tired of constantly searching for happiness? Do you find yourself feeling unsatisfied,...
a year ago
Are you tired of constantly searching for happiness? Do you find yourself feeling unsatisfied, regardless of your accomplishments and possessions? If so, you might benefit from adopting the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. In this guide, we will explore the principles of Stoicism...
Left To Write
#3 Writemas: Developing Taste
Last week, on a Bloomstory team day out to the Design Museum in London, I said to my friend Myles,...
a year ago
Last week, on a Bloomstory team day out to the Design Museum in London, I said to my friend Myles, “Given we’re in a creative field, it’s important we develop taste.” I know it’s subjective, but I’ve often wondered about how universal ‘good’ taste is. However, instead of driving...
Diaries of Note
Y’all are under arrest
On 4th May, 1961, a courageous group of activists, later known as the Freedom Riders, set off on an...
a year ago
On 4th May, 1961, a courageous group of activists, later known as the Freedom Riders, set off on an arduous journey during which they would protest the segregation laws of various states. Beginning in Washington, D.C. they headed for the South aboard two buses, their ultimate...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Two Imaginary Cages
One mouse, one bird, and two cages. A grim parable for modern workers.
over a year ago
One mouse, one bird, and two cages. A grim parable for modern workers.
Stoic Simple
Seneca’s Writing on Stoicism and Philosophy
Seneca is one of the most prominent philosophers within the Stoic tradition, known for his...
a year ago
Seneca is one of the most prominent philosophers within the Stoic tradition, known for his contributions to ethical theory and his reflections on human nature. Understanding Seneca's philosophy and applying his teachings can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful life. This...
Luxagraf:...
In The Dunes
Nothing can be more useful to a man than a determination not to be hurried.—Henry David Thoreau,...
a year ago
Nothing can be more useful to a man than a determination not to be hurried.—Henry David Thoreau, Journal, March 22, 1842
Mornings grow colder with every passing day. The sunrise edges a little further south every time I crest the dunes to watch. The wind howls most mornings, a...
The Ruffian
The Age of Centrist Heroes Is Over
I Hope You Like Pizza
5 months ago
The Honest Broker
He Might Have Been the First Jazz Star...
But Ford Dabney kept making wrong bets at the wrong time
5 months ago
But Ford Dabney kept making wrong bets at the wrong time
Mind Mine
being more available to myself requires me to be less available to others
& other patterns i am trying to notice and break within myself
4 months ago
& other patterns i am trying to notice and break within myself
Diaries of Note
God, living is enormous!
When she wrote the following entry in her journal and imagined fleeing college to venture into the...
a year ago
When she wrote the following entry in her journal and imagined fleeing college to venture into the unknown, Susan Sontag was a precocious sixteen-year-old studying English at the University of California, Berkeley. By the end of the year she had indeed left—not on a bus to an...
Mark Manson
5 Ways to Get Rid of Anxiety
We're living in an era where anxiety seems to be omnipresent, and everyone is struggling with it to...
a year ago
We're living in an era where anxiety seems to be omnipresent, and everyone is struggling with it to some degree.
It's important to remember that the reasons behind our anxiety may not be as crucial as our reactions to it. In this guide, let's explore five comprehensive ways to...
The Convivial...
Care, Not Control
The Convivial Society: Vol. 4, No. 11
a year ago
The Convivial Society: Vol. 4, No. 11
Castles in the Sky
What We Have Given Up in Exchange for This Limitless Bounty
Novelty and Nostalgia in Second-Tier Grocery Stores
6 months ago
Novelty and Nostalgia in Second-Tier Grocery Stores
Both Are True
free t-shirts
+a lil story + a genuinely useful lil tip!!
7 months ago
+a lil story + a genuinely useful lil tip!!
Adrian Hanft, III:...
My First Golden Combover
My design education had indoctrinated me with belief in the purity of flat design. I was a true...
over a year ago
My design education had indoctrinated me with belief in the purity of flat design. I was a true believer. I was faced with a moral dilemma on my very first assignment. What did I do?
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Seeking Good Light
There used to be a small park just off a Colorado highway down in the Big Thompson Canyon. If you...
over a year ago
There used to be a small park just off a Colorado highway down in the Big Thompson Canyon. If you stopped there you would usually see several photographers pointing their cameras at the glow of pre-married couples, the awkward smiles of pimply high school seniors, or toddlers...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Boston Marathon Data Analysis, Part 1
Every time I line up at the start of a marathon I am amazed by the diversity of humans I see....
over a year ago
Every time I line up at the start of a marathon I am amazed by the diversity of humans I see. Running is truly a sport for all shapes, sizes, and varieties of people. While the top finishers steal the headlines, the real story to me is the thousands of runners who finish behind...
journal – Winnie Lim
osaka, and thoughts on travel blogging
We were surprised to discover that Osaka has quite a number of outdoor dining options. Our first...
a year ago
We were surprised to discover that Osaka has quite a number of outdoor dining options. Our first meal was okonomiyaki of course, and my partner found a okonomiyaki restaurant with outdoor seating:...
Wait But Why
What’s Our Problem?
a self-help book for societies available now as an e-book, audiobook, or directly on the Wait But...
a year ago
a self-help book for societies available now as an e-book, audiobook, or directly on the Wait But Why website
The post What’s Our Problem? appeared first on Wait But Why.
Wait But Why
Mailbag #2
We have a whole lot to talk about.
The post Mailbag #2 appeared first on Wait But Why.
over a year ago
We have a whole lot to talk about.
The post Mailbag #2 appeared first on Wait But Why.
Adrian Hanft, III:...
The Locker Room Talk of Mentors and Minions
I saw myself at 22, lifting a wheel, struggling under its weight to attach it to a car. Behind me...
over a year ago
I saw myself at 22, lifting a wheel, struggling under its weight to attach it to a car. Behind me was an experienced mechanic who has mastered the heavier machinery. He worked with skill, with a quickness that hid the forces he was wielding, making the power required to rip tires...
Atoms vs Bits
Don't Meet Me In The Middle
Against journey centerism
2 months ago
Against journey centerism
Adrian Hanft, III:...
The Greatest Jedi Mind Trick of All Time
What percentage of your visible world would you say you can see? Yes, you read that correctly. The...
over a year ago
What percentage of your visible world would you say you can see? Yes, you read that correctly. The obvious answer is "all of it." But stick with me.
Nat Eliason's...
This Moment is Your Life
How to not waste it
9 months ago
journal – Winnie Lim
one year of strength training
Last year around this time I had my first strength training session with a personal trainer. I had...
a month ago
Last year around this time I had my first strength training session with a personal trainer. I had only 3 sessions with them, but due to a fundamental incompatibility – they had...
Paul Cudenec
Terrorism and the demonocracy
One of the most shocking of all the harrowing accounts to come out of Gaza this year was provided by...
a month ago
One of the most shocking of all the harrowing accounts to come out of Gaza this year was provided by UK surgeon Nizam Mamode.
journal – Winnie Lim
to develop compassion is to develop thinking in systems
I had a lot of self-hatred when I was younger. But over the past few years it gradually eased up as...
6 months ago
I had a lot of self-hatred when I was younger. But over the past few years it gradually eased up as I embarked on a journey of self-understanding. This journey wasn’t voluntary,...
Diaries of Note
Standing on the ramparts of Jodhpur fort
In 1925, at the age of thirty-one and seven years before publication of Brave New World, English...
a year ago
In 1925, at the age of thirty-one and seven years before publication of Brave New World, English author Aldous Huxley ventured to India on the first leg of a global tour that would take him and his wife to such places as Japan, China, Burma, and America. Their trip would later be...
Passing Time
Backyard Skiing
You don’t have to go far from home for adventure
9 months ago
You don’t have to go far from home for adventure
The Honest Broker
Tell Us About the Person Who Inspires You Most
It's Open Mic Day at 'The Honest Broker'
5 months ago
It's Open Mic Day at 'The Honest Broker'
Castles in the Sky
Notes on Artistry from Jonathan Miller, TV Director for BBC's Shakespeare Seasons 3-4
A long Wikipedia excerpt
5 months ago
Adrian Hanft, III:...
How to use your AirPod Pros to Trigger Flow
It’s 2020 and if you are like me you are hoping to spend as much of this year in a flow state as...
over a year ago
It’s 2020 and if you are like me you are hoping to spend as much of this year in a flow state as possible. I am always looking for hacks that allow my to get into the zone faster, stay there longer, and increase my creative output. Here’s a new trick that has been working for me...
RhysTranter.com
World Youth Day Pilgrimage, Portugal 2023
In July and August, I accompanied the Archdiocese of Cardiff and the Diocese of Menevia on a...
a year ago
In July and August, I accompanied the Archdiocese of Cardiff and the Diocese of Menevia on a two-week pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal. I acted as one of the Team Leaders joining over fifty other pilgrims on the journey, including Archbishop Mark O'Toole and five...
Daniel Bourke
Wu wei (无为) — The art of not forcing
The controlled accident.
Sometimes it gets mistaken for "do nothing" or "doing nothing".
Because the...
a year ago
The controlled accident.
Sometimes it gets mistaken for "do nothing" or "doing nothing".
Because the characters 无为 (wu wei) mean nothing (wu, 无) and doing (wei, 为).
So although a literal translation would be doing nothing, it doesn’t mean the same as sitting
The Honest Broker
Live Music Is Coming Back!
Is this the first stirring of a backlash against sanitized, algorithmic digital culture?
3 months ago
Is this the first stirring of a backlash against sanitized, algorithmic digital culture?
Castles in the Sky
You're not Simon Sarris.
Castles in the Sky December 20, 2024
2 days ago
Castles in the Sky December 20, 2024
Tech and Tea
Leaving my full-time job
Just in time to settle into the end of the year with a cozy holiday season
a week ago
Just in time to settle into the end of the year with a cozy holiday season
Daniel Bourke
Attitude follows behaviour
Imposter syndrome.
Feeling like you’re doing something you shouldn’t be.
Hanging around those who...
a year ago
Imposter syndrome.
Feeling like you’re doing something you shouldn’t be.
Hanging around those who you feel should be.
It’s true, if at any time you feel your skill is inadequate, it likely is.
But that just means you know what you don’t
Diaries of Note
Grey morning
Alexandra Feodorovna, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, was born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine...
a year ago
Alexandra Feodorovna, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, was born Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine on June 6, 1872. Twenty-two years later, she wed Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, and adopted her new name. Her reign as Tsarina was turbulent, marked by her controversial...
The Tao Of Wealth
The Thoughts You Want To Have By Your Side
It is far more exciting to create a miracle than waiting for one to happen. It is only your life...
over a year ago
It is far more exciting to create a miracle than waiting for one to happen. It is only your life that grows old, not you, nor your spirit. When you die, you won’t think of how much money you made, you will think of how much love you gave. The universe is ready when youContinue...
Diaries of Note
I put all this down in order to clarify my own heart
It was in 1925 that Louise Bogan married Raymond P. Holden, marking the beginning of a tumultuous...
a year ago
It was in 1925 that Louise Bogan married Raymond P. Holden, marking the beginning of a tumultuous relationship. Eight years later, Bogan, a cornerstone of 20th-century American poetry, received a Guggenheim Fellowship, offering her a year in Italy and a much-needed escape from...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
The Resignation Letter I Couldn’t Send
Writing a resignation letter is easy. Knowing whether or not to send it is the hard part.
over a year ago
Writing a resignation letter is easy. Knowing whether or not to send it is the hard part.
journal – Winnie Lim
the amazing tools and research we now have for our metabolic health
[cw: metabolic health, diet] My paternal grandmother died before I was born, apparently of diabetes...
10 months ago
[cw: metabolic health, diet] My paternal grandmother died before I was born, apparently of diabetes complications. When I was younger I couldn’t understand what it meant to die of diabetes complications –...
Mark Manson
Why You’re So Unhappy
This isn't going to be your typical pep talk about how the universe works in mysterious ways, or how...
a year ago
This isn't going to be your typical pep talk about how the universe works in mysterious ways, or how everything will fall into place if you're patient.
Spoiler alert: it won’t.
The cold hard truth is this: the universe doesn’t care about your happiness. You do.
Maybe you've...
Both Are True
Being an idiot and writing your newsletter - an interview I did for Creator Spotlight
+ my brand deal with an indie shoe company called ADIDAS
a month ago
+ my brand deal with an indie shoe company called ADIDAS
Diaries of Note
To pay up would constitute a precedent
Kenneth Tynan was a towering figure in the British theatre scene, known for his sharp criticism and...
a year ago
Kenneth Tynan was a towering figure in the British theatre scene, known for his sharp criticism and a remarkable ability to discern the pulse of contemporary drama. Born in Birmingham, England, in 1927, he began documenting his life and thoughts in diaries from the age of six, a...
Diaries of Note
His tiny tadpole body…
When she wrote this diary entry in April of 1890, Beatrice Potter could not have imagined that a...
a year ago
When she wrote this diary entry in April of 1890, Beatrice Potter could not have imagined that a mere two years later, this man with the “tiny tadpole body,” Sidney Webb, would become her husband. Nor could she have foreseen the powerful intellectual partnership that would...
The Honest Broker
Panic Among the Streamers
Spotify's losses get worse, and the CEO dumps $100 million in stock—but that's just a small part of...
a year ago
Spotify's losses get worse, and the CEO dumps $100 million in stock—but that's just a small part of the streaming crisis
Atoms vs Bits
You (Were) The Top
Eighty years later, how many things are still considered Top?
a year ago
Eighty years later, how many things are still considered Top?
Diaries of Note
Every lie pronounced is accepted as high truth itself
William Shirer was an American journalist who found himself at the heart of unfolding history in...
a year ago
William Shirer was an American journalist who found himself at the heart of unfolding history in Nazi Germany, both in print and on the radio for CBS. In September of 1934, just one month after Hitler assumed the title of Führer, Shirer attended the Nuremberg rally, where an...
The Ruffian
Movies as Discourse Generators
Notes on Recent Films
a year ago
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Evidence that Steve Jobs was aware of his reality distortion field
I thought that the reality distortion field theory was just an invention that Apple haters invented...
over a year ago
I thought that the reality distortion field theory was just an invention that Apple haters invented in hindsight. I didn’t realize that it was a part of Steve Jobs vision from the beginning.
Diaries of Note
We mutually agreed to call it The First World War
Born in South West England in 1858, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles à Court Repington was forced to...
a year ago
Born in South West England in 1858, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles à Court Repington was forced to retire from the British Army in 1902 due to a scandalous affair with the wife of a fellow officer. Returning to London, he quickly pivoted to journalism and rose to prominence as one of...
Diaries of Note
Today is Mother’s Day
Born in the Brazilian town of Sacramento in 1914, Carolina Maria de Jesus was unemployed and...
a year ago
Born in the Brazilian town of Sacramento in 1914, Carolina Maria de Jesus was unemployed and pregnant when she moved to the favela of Canindé, São Paulo in 1947. There, living with her children in a wooden shack and working as a scrap collector, she faced seemingly insurmountable...
journal – Winnie Lim
5 scenes from fukuoka
I was too tired to post anything yesterday, so I guess this wouldn’t be a daily thing. But something...
a year ago
I was too tired to post anything yesterday, so I guess this wouldn’t be a daily thing. But something is better than nothing, so I am back posting a few highlights. We...
The Convivial...
The Enclosure of the Human Psyche
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 13
3 weeks ago
The Convivial Society: Vol. 5, No. 13
Castles in the Sky
Cathedral: A Short Story
Castles in the Sky #42
a year ago
Passing Time
Respecting Repose
There's a difference between noise and sound.
over a year ago
There's a difference between noise and sound.
Letters of Note
Diaries of Note
Dear all, On 1st January of this year, after what feels like centuries of preparation, I launched...
a year ago
Dear all, On 1st January of this year, after what feels like centuries of preparation, I launched Diaries of Note, and though incredibly difficult to plan, the premise is simple: every single day, on the Diaries of Note website, I am featuring a single diary entry from history,...
Luxagraf:...
Going Up North
Eight days of travel. Six days driving. 1508 miles from the shores of St George Island to the shores...
a year ago
Eight days of travel. Six days driving. 1508 miles from the shores of St George Island to the shores of Lake Superior.
It was too fast. I knew it was too fast, but we wanted to get out of the heat. I was ready for the toll it takes on us, but I was not prepared for the toll it...
Diaries of Note
The Ape of Waters
Lafcadio Hearn was a remarkable writer of the 19th century best known for his fascination with...
a year ago
Lafcadio Hearn was a remarkable writer of the 19th century best known for his fascination with Japanese culture. Born in Greece and raised in Ireland, it was in 1890 that Hearn first visited Japan, its rich tapestry of history, folklore, and traditions instantly enchanting him....
Laetitia@Work
Debunking the Laziness Lie
Laetitia@Work #53
over a year ago
Castles in the Sky
Beyond Food and Travel: Remembering Anthony Bourdain
I used to sit in my apartment, eating Ramen and watching Anthony Bourdain, wondering about all of...
5 months ago
I used to sit in my apartment, eating Ramen and watching Anthony Bourdain, wondering about all of the things life and the world had to offer. It’s difficult to overstate the influence Anthony Bourdain has had on my worldview. For over a decade, whenever someone asked, “what do...
Nat Eliason's...
Great Writing is Invisible
Helping the hallucination
a year ago
Helping the hallucination
Diaries of Note
You’d think I would be happy all the time
Nikki Sixx was twenty-two when he co-founded Mötley Crüe, a heavy metal band destined to become one...
a year ago
Nikki Sixx was twenty-two when he co-founded Mötley Crüe, a heavy metal band destined to become one of the most successful music acts in history. As the band’s bassist and principal songwriter, Sixx played a key role in developing their iconic rebellious persona, his escalating...
journal – Winnie Lim
temporary amnesia
Travel enriches me in many ways. Apart from novelty and discovery, new surroundings help me to...
4 months ago
Travel enriches me in many ways. Apart from novelty and discovery, new surroundings help me to temporarily forget things that usually weigh me down. Certain familiar things back home trigger uncomfortable feelings...
The Honest Broker
My Secret Life as a Social Media Coach
When people ask my advice on how to flourish online, I share these five rules
2 months ago
When people ask my advice on how to flourish online, I share these five rules
Both Are True
Alex Dobrenko SAVES the Sublime website (BRAVE)
a seven minute long story that people are calling the next Apple's 1984 ad the one w the hammer
4 months ago
a seven minute long story that people are calling the next Apple's 1984 ad the one w the hammer
The Ruffian
Five Bad Motivations With Good Outcomes
Plus a Rattle Bag of Juicy Links
5 months ago
Plus a Rattle Bag of Juicy Links
Tech and Tea
Fall Delights
A few things that have brought me joy lately during this time of transition
2 months ago
A few things that have brought me joy lately during this time of transition
Diaries of Note
I am glad to be on planet Earth with you
It was in 2008 that famed British neurologist Oliver Sacks sent a letter to American writer and...
a year ago
It was in 2008 that famed British neurologist Oliver Sacks sent a letter to American writer and photographer Bill Hayes, giving rise to a friendship that ultimately evolved into a deeply affectionate partnership, one that endured until Sacks’s death from cancer in 2015. With a...
journal – Winnie Lim
my strange relationship with time
I have a strange relationship with time. On one hand, I have time anxiety: the fear that time will...
a year ago
I have a strange relationship with time. On one hand, I have time anxiety: the fear that time will pass too quickly and I’ll run out of time. On the other hand,...
Castles in the Sky
Original Castles in the Sky Art
This is the home for all the original art in Castles in the Sky that is an AI generation, original...
a year ago
This is the home for all the original art in Castles in the Sky that is an AI generation, original commission, or some collage of the two. When the art is AI-generated, I will link to the first time it appeared in Castles in the Sky along with the prompt I used.
RhysTranter.com
Henri Nouwen on the Practice of the Presence of God
In a November entry of The Genesee Diary, Henri Nouwen reflects on the writing and spirituality of...
6 months ago
In a November entry of The Genesee Diary, Henri Nouwen reflects on the writing and spirituality of Brother Lawrence
The Map is Mostly...
Dispatches from childhood
Humility is the virtue of seeing each sunrise as truly new. Little children have no trouble with...
a year ago
Humility is the virtue of seeing each sunrise as truly new. Little children have no trouble with this perspective, they could not live any other way. Everything is visceral to them, and they carry this visceral interiority everywhere.
Atoms vs Bits
The "Rice Knuckle Rule" Rule
If you didn't actually follow the rule you said you followed, what use was the rule?
a week ago
If you didn't actually follow the rule you said you followed, what use was the rule?
Diaries of Note
Now is the winter…
When 35-year-old Anthony Sher took on the role of Richard III at the Royal Shakespeare Company in...
a year ago
When 35-year-old Anthony Sher took on the role of Richard III at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1984, two years after playing the Fool to Michael Gambon’s King Lear, he delivered a transformative performance. Using crutches to evoke a spider-like figure, Sher crafted a...
Diaries of Note
Work under any circumstances
Benjamin Robert Haydon was a 19th-century British artist and writer whose career was plagued by...
a year ago
Benjamin Robert Haydon was a 19th-century British artist and writer whose career was plagued by financial hardship and legal troubles. Born in 1786, Haydon’s passion for historical painting led him down a tumultuous path, as mounting debts and controversial public statements...
Luxagraf:...
St. Andrews
Leaving Fort Pickens made me a little sad. We've spent so much time here over the years its started...
a year ago
Leaving Fort Pickens made me a little sad. We've spent so much time here over the years its started to feel like one of our many homes. But there are time limits. We can't stay any more this season, and with our current plans we probably won't be back for several years. I'll miss...
Left To Write
Why? and Why Not?
Thoughts on behaviour change, risk, faith and love.
a year ago
Thoughts on behaviour change, risk, faith and love.
Adrian Hanft, III:...
I used to knock on the doors of old ladies
No, it wasn't a prank. Lonely women were the only people home in our apartment complex during the...
over a year ago
No, it wasn't a prank. Lonely women were the only people home in our apartment complex during the days when I was homeschooled. Most of the time the ladies would invite me in. They would offer me dry cookies or hard candy and tell me stories about their grandkids. Sometimes I...
The Honest Broker
How to Know If You're Living in a Doom Loop
Let's look at the warning signs
4 months ago
Let's look at the warning signs
The Ruffian
The Unreal Thing
What Coca Cola's Christmas Ad and Ben Affleck Tell Us About AI and the Future of the Creative...
a month ago
What Coca Cola's Christmas Ad and Ben Affleck Tell Us About AI and the Future of the Creative Industries
The Honest Broker
How Do You Celebrate Truman Capote's 100th Birthday?
Today is his centenary, but is Capote a hero or just an embarrassment?
2 months ago
Today is his centenary, but is Capote a hero or just an embarrassment?
The Honest Broker
Healing with a Tin Whistle
Also a story about Dave Brubeck (and more)
11 months ago
Also a story about Dave Brubeck (and more)
Diaries of Note
This tedious battle against the mountain is almost over
At 3:15 pm on 22nd May 1963, Luther ‘Lute’ Jerstad and his teammate Barry Bishop became the second...
a year ago
At 3:15 pm on 22nd May 1963, Luther ‘Lute’ Jerstad and his teammate Barry Bishop became the second and third Americans ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest, following an arduous journey that began alongside a formidable team of 17 other Americans, 32 Sherpas, and 909 porters...
Diaries of Note
Beginning of Classes
In 1911, having recently become interested in the field of psychoanalysis, 50-year-old German writer...
a year ago
In 1911, having recently become interested in the field of psychoanalysis, 50-year-old German writer Lou Andreas-Salomé attended the Third Psychoanalytical Congress in Weimar and met, amongst other leading figures, Sigmund Freud. A year later, in September of 1912, she wrote to...
Atoms vs Bits
Conversation-Catalysing Events
There's a famous British politics quote where the 1960s Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, aka...
9 months ago
There's a famous British politics quote where the 1960s Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, aka Supermac, is asked the hardest thing about government and replies “Events, dear boy, events”. This probably never happened and is absolutely irrelevant to this blogpost regardless, but I...
The Honest Broker
I Had to Say Something at My Son's Wedding
So I'm sharing it with you too
9 months ago
So I'm sharing it with you too
Diaries of Note
My oldest Friend is at last going to leave me
Born in 1741 in Caernarvonshire, Wales, Hester Thrale belonged to the esteemed Salusbury family....
a year ago
Born in 1741 in Caernarvonshire, Wales, Hester Thrale belonged to the esteemed Salusbury family. Famous for her friendships with such luminaries as Samuel Johnson, Joshua Reynolds, and David Garrick, Thrale was a prominent figure of the period, and her writings, particularly the...
The Honest Broker
Car Drivers Torment a City with Celine Dion Songs
An update on dangerous music
a year ago
An update on dangerous music
Nat Eliason's...
I'm Writing a Book!
Book Update 1
a year ago
RhysTranter.com
Easter 2022: A Roman Pilgrimage
This Easter, my wife and I headed to Rome. What follows is a simple journal that records some of the...
over a year ago
This Easter, my wife and I headed to Rome. What follows is a simple journal that records some of the things that we did, with a selection of photographs from each day.
The Honest Broker
A Failed Rock Adaption of Dune Might Have Starred Mick Jagger, Orson Welles & Salvador Dalí (with...
This gets the top spot on my list of never-made films I'd like to see
9 months ago
This gets the top spot on my list of never-made films I'd like to see
The Honest Broker
A 2000-Year-Old Argument Over the Flute Is the Most Important Thing in Our Culture Right Now
This bitter debate from ancient times helps us understand today's crisis in music and other creative...
4 months ago
This bitter debate from ancient times helps us understand today's crisis in music and other creative fields
Nat Eliason's...
The Bad Goal of $5m by 30
And perhaps a better framing
a year ago
And perhaps a better framing
Laetitia@Work
Artist vs Artisan: what's the difference?
Laetitia@Work #44
over a year ago
Laetitia@Work
Desperate for more male nurses, teachers and cleaners
Laetitia@Work #57
a year ago
The Honest Broker
The Dying Singer Who Cured Himself with Music
The strange case of Leo Kofler
3 months ago
The strange case of Leo Kofler
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Unusual UI
I knew if I built my app exactly the way I wanted there was a chance it might not make it through...
over a year ago
I knew if I built my app exactly the way I wanted there was a chance it might not make it through Apple’s approval gauntlet.
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Outrageous Side Projects
The joy of side projects is that you don't have to answer to anyone but yourself. Free from the...
over a year ago
The joy of side projects is that you don't have to answer to anyone but yourself. Free from the bureaucracy of your day job you can listen to those little voices that would normally get shouted down in business situations.
Atoms vs Bits
Dogs That Don't Bark
I once had to end a very nice person's freelance work contract for a role which they were doing...
6 months ago
I once had to end a very nice person's freelance work contract for a role which they were doing quite badly. I wrote them an email that tried to say only things that were both nice and true, such as some version of "we're wanting
The Ruffian
The Good Enough Trap
How Technology Can Get Us Stuck In Place
7 months ago
How Technology Can Get Us Stuck In Place
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Frank Lloyd Wright and Kitchen Toilet Camo
Don't let anyone say you can't have a toilet in your kitchen. You can. It isn't about aesthetics, a...
over a year ago
Don't let anyone say you can't have a toilet in your kitchen. You can. It isn't about aesthetics, a kitchen toilet is all about utility. It is about convenience. It is about value add. Efficiency. Optimization. ROI. If your architect tries to talk you out of that request that's...
Both Are True
An important reminder about all social media including Substack Notes
The truths they don’t want you to know about
7 months ago
The truths they don’t want you to know about
The Honest Broker
Is There Such a Thing as Western Harmony?
Does anyone really own music theory, and who gets to decide?
a year ago
Does anyone really own music theory, and who gets to decide?
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Hidden Weaknesses and Outsourced Risk
The benefits of not asking for help (even when you desperately need it)
over a year ago
The benefits of not asking for help (even when you desperately need it)
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Make Your Stone Sing
Most sculptors will tap the stone to hear if it is solid and without fractures. A nice solid stone...
over a year ago
Most sculptors will tap the stone to hear if it is solid and without fractures. A nice solid stone will make a very beautiful clear sound. If there are unseen fractures anywhere in the stone it will sound dull.
Diaries of Note
My soul, my soul, where are you?
In 1913, at the age of 38, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung embarked upon a profound and deeply...
a year ago
In 1913, at the age of 38, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung embarked upon a profound and deeply introspective journey that would mark a significant phase in his life and work. Prompted by a series of unsettling dreams and visions amidst his contentious break with Freud, Jung found...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Month 3 of Daily Art
Since January 1, I have been posting one piece of art a day.
over a year ago
Since January 1, I have been posting one piece of art a day.
Stoic Simple
Stoic Advice on Parenting & Children: Ask Marcus Aurelius
Previous Next Using Marcus Aurelius's writing in his Meditations and experiences inferred from...
a year ago
Previous Next Using Marcus Aurelius's writing in his Meditations and experiences inferred from historical records, we created an AI digital personality that spoke with us about how to practice Stoicism in our modern world. This AI persona literally thinks that it's Marcus...
Scarlet Ink
A Three Topic Article — Interviewing, Multiple Choice Management, and My Holiday Gift Guide
Sometimes you have a single topic, sometimes you have three. Today is a 3-fer.
a month ago
Sometimes you have a single topic, sometimes you have three. Today is a 3-fer.
Diaries of Note
An impossible scene in the real past
For a period of eighty days, beginning on 14th October 1964, Russian-American novelist Vladimir...
a year ago
For a period of eighty days, beginning on 14th October 1964, Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov kept a diary devoted exclusively to his dreams. Drawing inspiration from J.W. Dunne’s influential 1927 work, An Experiment with Time, Nabokov embarked on this introspective...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Selecting Sticks and Stones
When my behavior was bad enough to warrant a swat on the butt, my family performed an odd ritual....
over a year ago
When my behavior was bad enough to warrant a swat on the butt, my family performed an odd ritual. Dad and I would go for a walk in search of a spanking stick. Today as an adult I punish my body by running. I follow another odd ritual before particularly demanding workouts.
Mark Manson
40 Life Lessons I Know at 40 (That I Wish I Knew at 20)
Today is my 40th birthday.
When I turned 30 a decade ago, I wrote an article sharing life lessons to...
9 months ago
Today is my 40th birthday.
When I turned 30 a decade ago, I wrote an article sharing life lessons to survive your 20s and crowd-sourced advice on how to excel in your 30s. And apparently you guys loved it.
So, here's more of the good stuff: 40 life lessons I now know at 40 that I...
Mark Manson
The Outrage Cycle
The Outrage Begins
First Hour: Journalists scramble to disseminate news of the Significant Event far...
over a year ago
The Outrage Begins
First Hour: Journalists scramble to disseminate news of the Significant Event far and wide. Most of this happens on Twitter, but placeholder web pages are thrown together on various news sites and cable news channels interrupt the latest car chase to give you...
Mind Mine
why i quit status games
stumbling towards trusting myself
3 months ago
stumbling towards trusting myself
Nat Eliason's...
Maybe Your Sleep Tracking is Killing You?
The Lure of the Measurable
a year ago
The Lure of the Measurable
journal – Winnie Lim
a small life
A few weeks ago my host emailed me that for some reason google bot was hitting my site so much that...
yesterday
A few weeks ago my host emailed me that for some reason google bot was hitting my site so much that it slowed down the entire server – since it was affecting...
Mark Manson
Motivation: What It Is, How It Works, and Where to Find It
We all want to be motivated. We want to feel energized and excited about the things we do. We want...
over a year ago
We all want to be motivated. We want to feel energized and excited about the things we do. We want to wake up in the morning with a sense of purpose and drive, ready to tackle the day ahead.
But the truth is, motivation is not always easy to come by.
We tell ourselves lies about...
Stoic Simple
Stoic Advice on Social Anxiety: Ask Marcus Aurelius
Previous Next Using Marcus Aurelius's writing in his Meditations and experiences inferred from...
a year ago
Previous Next Using Marcus Aurelius's writing in his Meditations and experiences inferred from historical records, we created an AI digital personality that spoke with us about how to practice Stoicism in our modern world. This AI persona literally thinks that it's Marcus...
Both Are True
A study of the heart (guest post)
cardiology and a dream rendezvous
7 months ago
cardiology and a dream rendezvous
Diaries of Note
Look! Land!
From May to November of 1876, Philadelphia hosted the Centennial International Exhibition, a world...
a year ago
From May to November of 1876, Philadelphia hosted the Centennial International Exhibition, a world fair that attracted ten million visitors keen to marvel at the innovations, cultures, and achievements presented by thirty-seven countries. For China, this represented a unique...
Diaries of Note
Oh, self, they make me so sick!
Born in rural Georgia in 1930, Richelene Mitchell faced significant obstacles throughout her life,...
a year ago
Born in rural Georgia in 1930, Richelene Mitchell faced significant obstacles throughout her life, from the entrenched racism of the American South to the economic hardships that forced her into public housing and onto welfare. Yet, despite the unyielding challenges she faced as...
Diaries of Note
Dickens flew into so violent a passion
Born in London in 1793, William Charles Macready was one of the most famous Shakespearean actors of...
a year ago
Born in London in 1793, William Charles Macready was one of the most famous Shakespearean actors of his generation, thanks to a forty year career that began on stage in 1810 and also saw him manage both the Covent Garden and Drury Lane theatres in the 1840s. Such a career...
journal – Winnie Lim
open-air dining in seoul
It probably sounds obscure to write specifically about dining in open air in seoul, but when I...
a year ago
It probably sounds obscure to write specifically about dining in open air in seoul, but when I conducted my own research prior to the trip it was challenging for me to find...
Both Are True
How close we got to having an 8th day of the week (and other new truths learned during E1 and E2 of...
Season One, Week One: A Recap
a year ago
Season One, Week One: A Recap
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Heart Sneeze
Important Medical Advice for Creative People
over a year ago
Important Medical Advice for Creative People
journal – Winnie Lim
my experience on starting exercise from zero
I don’t know if people know this, but I used to be extremely sedentary and I hated any form of...
5 months ago
I don’t know if people know this, but I used to be extremely sedentary and I hated any form of physical activity. Only upon hindsight I realised it was probably related to...
The Honest Broker
How Miles Davis Hired John Coltrane
A fascinating interlude from James Kaplan's new book '3 Shades of Blue'
9 months ago
A fascinating interlude from James Kaplan's new book '3 Shades of Blue'
Stoic Simple
Stoic Resilience: How Stoicism Makes Us Resilient When Facing Challenges
Life can be incredibly unpredictable, and there are times when it can feel like the entire world is...
a year ago
Life can be incredibly unpredictable, and there are times when it can feel like the entire world is working against us. These are the moments when we need to muster all the resilience we can and face adversity with a sturdy sense of perseverance. Luckily, the philosophy of...
The Ruffian
The Six Million Dollar Banana
Why I Find Conceptual Artists Inspiring
3 weeks ago
Why I Find Conceptual Artists Inspiring
The Honest Broker
Here's a Map to 'The Honest Broker'
Let me take you on a tour
7 months ago
Let me take you on a tour
journal – Winnie Lim
why i love hong kong
Hong Kong still seems like the same place in many ways, but it feels different. I don’t know how...
7 months ago
Hong Kong still seems like the same place in many ways, but it feels different. I don’t know how much of it is due to the changes in me or the changes...
Castles in the Sky
Castles in the Sky 35
Thirteen Perspective Changing Experiences from July 2023
a year ago
Thirteen Perspective Changing Experiences from July 2023
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Seven ways to increase stress
This week you have a homework assignment. Below is a list of seven stress-inducing exercises. Pick...
over a year ago
This week you have a homework assignment. Below is a list of seven stress-inducing exercises. Pick one.
The Honest Broker
The Best Online Essays & Articles of 2023
Longform journalism is coming back (and deserves our support)
12 months ago
Longform journalism is coming back (and deserves our support)
Unfiltered by Tim...
Being a High Performer Is Lonely as Hell
It's also the best feeling in the world
2 months ago
It's also the best feeling in the world
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Lost in Sawdust
Most personal development takes the form of blade sharpening. You see an edge, take a class, and add...
over a year ago
Most personal development takes the form of blade sharpening. You see an edge, take a class, and add a bullet point to your resume. You polish that blade, perfect it, and imagine yourself as a Samurai. Then you step out into the woodworking shop where a sword is not just...
Diaries of Note
Now is the time
Shortly after writing this diary entry on 3rd December 1988, 21-year-old Jennifer Bonner was wheeled...
a year ago
Shortly after writing this diary entry on 3rd December 1988, 21-year-old Jennifer Bonner was wheeled into the operating theatre at the University of Minnesota Hospital where her battle-scarred heart, heavy with hope and history, was to be replaced with that of a donor—the hopeful...
Left To Write
Do The Verb To Become The Noun
Chasing after who you want to become is hard
a year ago
Chasing after who you want to become is hard
The Honest Broker
Twelve Brutal Truths about AI Music
Ignore the hype—here's what the bots will really do to our songs
a year ago
Ignore the hype—here's what the bots will really do to our songs
Adrian Hanft, III:...
The most profound message in the history of junk literature
I have always been a slow reader. I get discouraged by dense text and I struggle to finish books...
over a year ago
I have always been a slow reader. I get discouraged by dense text and I struggle to finish books thicker than the width of my thumb.
Left To Write
StorySelling
How to skip the brain, bypass reason and head straight for the heart to sell
a year ago
How to skip the brain, bypass reason and head straight for the heart to sell
journal – Winnie Lim
when my body goes rogue
[cw: pain, death] Yesterday I started experiencing pain in my body again. It is difficult not to...
a year ago
[cw: pain, death] Yesterday I started experiencing pain in my body again. It is difficult not to feel low when it happens. I think chronic pain snowballs into a form of ptsd,...
Both Are True
I always (always!) tell people to write like they’re texting a best friend who loves them
And now I can basically do just that cuz Substack lets me write posts from my phone.
4 months ago
And now I can basically do just that cuz Substack lets me write posts from my phone.
Tech and Tea
Space to do whatever
How letting go of being productive with my time made space for creativity
a year ago
How letting go of being productive with my time made space for creativity
Nat Eliason's...
Avoiding the Prep Trap: A Key to Rapid Learning
And why so much "rapid learning" is bullshit
2 months ago
And why so much "rapid learning" is bullshit
Left To Write
#1 Writemas
Prioritising time to think, write and publish
a year ago
Prioritising time to think, write and publish
Castles in the Sky
Once the Cosmos Become Commonplace
Castles in the Sky #59
9 months ago
Stoic Simple
Stoic Quotes on Family: The Best Stoicism Sayings & Phrases
Previous Next https://youtu.be/f4sPP8SkiYQ Family was, without a doubt, an important element in the...
a year ago
Previous Next https://youtu.be/f4sPP8SkiYQ Family was, without a doubt, an important element in the lives of the ancient Stoic philosophers. While Stoicism teaches that we shouldn't become too attached to people and that we should remember everyone can be taken from us, it also...
The Ruffian
What Does It Mean For a Brand To Be Radical?
Thoughts on Jaguar's Relaunch, Plus a Juicy Cultural Rattle Bag
4 weeks ago
Thoughts on Jaguar's Relaunch, Plus a Juicy Cultural Rattle Bag
The Honest Broker
How I Write
I tell everything in an in-depth video interview
6 months ago
I tell everything in an in-depth video interview
Diaries of Note
A movie has come to life and engulfed us
On the evening of 23rd March 2020, in a televised address to a shellshocked nation, British Prime...
a year ago
On the evening of 23rd March 2020, in a televised address to a shellshocked nation, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a legally-enforced, pandemic-induced lockdown across the UK that would immediately force millions to stay at home for months on end and countless...
Passing Time
Incommensurate Goods in ESG
When values conflict, how do you choose what to prioritize?
over a year ago
When values conflict, how do you choose what to prioritize?
The Convivial...
On Two Ways of Relating to the World
The Convivial Society: Vol. 3, No. 18
over a year ago
The Convivial Society: Vol. 3, No. 18
The Honest Broker
How the Music Business Can Tame the Dangerous AI Dragon
Here's a five point plan that makes a difference (and not just for music)
6 months ago
Here's a five point plan that makes a difference (and not just for music)
Mind Mine
being in bloom
don’t forget to smell the roses
5 months ago
don’t forget to smell the roses
Atoms vs Bits
Magic Cutoffs
There's nothing magic about six berries, specifically
a year ago
There's nothing magic about six berries, specifically
The Honest Broker
The Final Triumph of Cormac McCarthy (1933-2023)
The novelist delivered an end-of-life masterpiece, but the culture machine was barely interested
a year ago
The novelist delivered an end-of-life masterpiece, but the culture machine was barely interested
The Convivial...
The One Best Way Is a Trap
The Convivial Society: Vol. 4, No. 9
a year ago
The Convivial Society: Vol. 4, No. 9
Mind Mine
one thing at a time
the only antidote to overwhelm
5 months ago
the only antidote to overwhelm
Luxagraf:...
Canada
When we plotted our route east we planned to duck south of Lake Erie. The more direct route -- along...
a year ago
When we plotted our route east we planned to duck south of Lake Erie. The more direct route -- along the north shore of Lake Erie -- involved going into Canada, and the kids' passports were expired.
About two weeks before we left Washburn we mentioned something about that to our...
Castles in the Sky
To go and lay down in that sense of it.
Castles in the Sky #45
10 months ago
Both Are True
i want to be good but i am bad - help?
at what point are we no longer able to change our brains?
9 months ago
at what point are we no longer able to change our brains?
Adrian Hanft, III:...
The Top 17 Design Tools You Must Master in 2016 to Stay Relevant
Could there be a single skill that makes all that software irrelevant?
over a year ago
Could there be a single skill that makes all that software irrelevant?
DYNOMIGHT
Something weird is happening with LLMs and chess
A year ago, there was a lot of talk about large language models (LLMs) playing chess. Word was that...
a month ago
A year ago, there was a lot of talk about large language models (LLMs) playing chess. Word was that if you trained a big enough model on enough text, then you could send it a partially played game, ask it to predict the next move, and it would play at the level of an advanced...
Laetitia@Work
Back-to-school impostor syndrome
Laetitia@Work #50
over a year ago
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Functional Depletion and the Pitfalls of Stress Transcendence
Last weekend I took time off from writing to run a race. This week as I limped around reflecting on...
over a year ago
Last weekend I took time off from writing to run a race. This week as I limped around reflecting on the training that lead up to the marathon I wondered if we are wrong about stress.
The Convivial...
Eye to Eye
"Is This Anything?"
a year ago
Diaries of Note
Then, no more
English poets Sylvia Townsend Warner and Valentine Ackland lived together for almost 40 years, their...
a year ago
English poets Sylvia Townsend Warner and Valentine Ackland lived together for almost 40 years, their partnership both a romantic and literary alliance that formed in 1930. It was in the 1960s that Ackland’s health began to decline, and on 9th November 1969, at their home in...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Pseudo Sacrifice vs. Speculation
Observers are stunned when they witness a queen sacrifice. For a chess player to abandon their most...
over a year ago
Observers are stunned when they witness a queen sacrifice. For a chess player to abandon their most powerful piece seems like a daring risk. The sacrifice is followed by a decisive combo resulting in checkmate. Bravo, the crowd goes wild.
Diaries of Note
I’ve given my pee to science
On 23rd November 2014, former Italian Air Force pilot Samantha Cristoforetti embarked on a...
a year ago
On 23rd November 2014, former Italian Air Force pilot Samantha Cristoforetti embarked on a monumental journey. Strapped into the confines of a Soyuz spacecraft in Kazakhstan, she was launched towards the International Space Station where she was to live for 199 days—the longest...
journal – Winnie Lim
100 days of post-covid infection: state of mind, health & writing
It has been 100 days since I tested negative for covid. I know this because I count it incrementally...
a year ago
It has been 100 days since I tested negative for covid. I know this because I count it incrementally in my morning pages. If I do develop long covid it would be...
RhysTranter.com
Ignatius Loyola: A Saint Reads the Saints
31 July marks the feast day of Saint Ignatius Loyola (b.1491), the founder of the Society of Jesus...
over a year ago
31 July marks the feast day of Saint Ignatius Loyola (b.1491), the founder of the Society of Jesus (more commonly known as the Jesuits). In a breviary, I come across a passage from the Acts of Saint Ignatius taken down by Luis Gonzalez, which describes the growing influence of...
Diaries of Note
It may lack elegance, but is infallible
Jules Renard was a French author and playwright born in 1864 who is probably best-known for Poil de...
a year ago
Jules Renard was a French author and playwright born in 1864 who is probably best-known for Poil de carotte (‘Carrot Top’), a darkly comical autobiographical novel in which he recalls his terrible upbringing as a red-headed child in a detached bourgeois family. Aside from his...
DYNOMIGHT
Sloth was not the right answer
Once, when I was 12, my parents asked me what my favorite animal was. And I thought:
OK, self, what...
a month ago
Once, when I was 12, my parents asked me what my favorite animal was. And I thought:
OK, self, what you’ve got here is a totally safe question. There are no “right” or “wrong” animals and no need to worry about any consequences. Let your heart soar!
At school recently, I had seen...
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Regaining Write-Access to Your Brain
For us the world is mostly predictable, but the child's reality is still expanding. What if you...
over a year ago
For us the world is mostly predictable, but the child's reality is still expanding. What if you could get back there, recapture the joy you felt when everything was still waiting for you to discover it?
Adrian Hanft, III:...
The Designer’s Invisible Skill Set
How some designers become magicians while others remain stylists
over a year ago
How some designers become magicians while others remain stylists
Adrian Hanft, III:...
Inverse Grudges and Brand Burns
I am not the kind of person who thinks people should be rewarded for doing their job. That's why I...
over a year ago
I am not the kind of person who thinks people should be rewarded for doing their job. That's why I surprised myself by calling an 800 number to praise the service of the guy who sold me a water heater. I look for Bill when I am at Lowes and struggling with a weekend home project...
Diaries of Note
Our worst fears are realized
On 2nd June 1854, following a failed rescue attempt at the courthouse, huge numbers of angry...
a year ago
On 2nd June 1854, following a failed rescue attempt at the courthouse, huge numbers of angry protesters lined the streets of Boston as hundreds of federal soldiers led twenty-year-old Anthony Burns to the harbour where he was to be shipped to Virginia, back to the life of slavery...
Both Are True
lord bless the partners of comedians
a video and a story watch the video tho its 1 min long come on
a year ago
a video and a story watch the video tho its 1 min long come on
Diaries of Note
Black female life is worth nothing
Between January and May of 1979, eleven Black women were killed in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in a...
a year ago
Between January and May of 1979, eleven Black women were killed in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in a spate of murders that went largely unreported in the national media. Instead, it was left to grassroots organisations like the Black feminist group Combahee River Collective,...
Letters of Note
I’ve got a hunch
In July of 1938, American novelist Thomas Wolfe was struck down with pneumonia and taken to...
over a year ago
In July of 1938, American novelist Thomas Wolfe was struck down with pneumonia and taken to hospital. He was soon diagnosed as having tuberculosis of the brain, from which he would never recover. Wolfe died on 15th September, aged just 37. A month before his death, as he lay in...
RhysTranter.com
A New Role at St David’s Catholic College, Cardiff
I have just started a new role as a pastoral tutor at St David's Catholic College in Cardiff. Over...
over a year ago
I have just started a new role as a pastoral tutor at St David's Catholic College in Cardiff. Over the last two years I have been looking for a secure full-time job that would allow me to draw on my teaching skills and experience, while also offering an opportunity to serve my...
Diaries of Note
Hop tu naa!
Richard Adams, born in Berkshire, England, in 1920, is best known for his bestselling debut novel,...
a year ago
Richard Adams, born in Berkshire, England, in 1920, is best known for his bestselling debut novel, Watership Down, a tale that follows a group of rabbits escaping their doomed warren. However, beyond fiction, Adams had an eye for the rhythms of nature and a knack for capturing...
The Honest Broker
10 Reasons Why Technological Progress Is Now Reversing
Or How Silicon Valley Started Breaking Bad
4 months ago
Or How Silicon Valley Started Breaking Bad
Scarlet Ink
6 Ways that Good People Build Trust, and Become Leaders That Others Follow
What type of leader do you want to be? One core identifying feature of admired leaders is how many...
2 weeks ago
What type of leader do you want to be? One core identifying feature of admired leaders is how many people follow them to their next role. And trust is the core tool to improve that metric.
Stoic Simple
What Influence Did Stoicism Have on Early Christianity?
Stoicism and Christianity are two of the most influential philosophical and religious traditions in...
a year ago
Stoicism and Christianity are two of the most influential philosophical and religious traditions in human history. Both have helped shape our understanding of the world and our place in it. While they seem quite distinct from one another, there are many overlapping themes and...
Castles in the Sky
How many of The New York Times 100 Best Books of the 21st Century have I read?
This is a Workshop post, which means it doesn’t get emailed out to everyone and doesn’t show up in...
5 months ago
This is a Workshop post, which means it doesn’t get emailed out to everyone and doesn’t show up in the Castles in the Sky best of lists. To subscribe and receive these in your email inbox (or unsubscribe from them if you’re already receiving them), adjust your
The Ruffian
Zadie Smith and the 'Both Sides' Problem
On Centrist Meta-Commentaries
7 months ago
On Centrist Meta-Commentaries
Diaries of Note
Morbidness—is it?
English author George Gissing was known for writing tales of Victorian life that often centred...
a year ago
English author George Gissing was known for writing tales of Victorian life that often centred around class struggles and social issues—a literary prowess that led George Orwell to acclaim him as “perhaps the best novelist England has produced.” When he penned this poignant diary...
Both Are True
Being enough isn't the fucking point
How some toy cars and a bunch of farts helped me transcend the need to be 'enough' // S1E5
a year ago
How some toy cars and a bunch of farts helped me transcend the need to be 'enough' // S1E5
Full Width 
Shortcuts 
Sign Up 
Log In 
Articles 
Reading List 