Take What You Like, Leave the Rest
A mix of running, tech, good reads, and one unforgettable roadside attraction.
This is a link-heavy dispatch, and I promise you, you’re going to find something in here to enjoy! I ran the Syracuse Half Marathon and Skunk Cabbage Half Marathon in back-to-back weekends in late March, so it’s on my to-do list to get those race reports done, but in the meantime, on with the show!
Firstly, Ty Finck including me in his Tiny Talk series. The article turned out just as good as this ice cream looks to me after the last few days of record-breaking heat we recently enjoyed. Check out the interview and stay for all of the other really cool things on his site, including his 365 photo project, Sixtep (I’m still playing daily), and stellar font creations. Don’t miss a beat and subscribe.
Also this week, Berklee featured my son Xander in an interview about his Boston Marathon playlist. He’s running the storied race on Monday!
After a long bout of procrastination, I wrote a few technical how-to posts you might enjoy, depending on what sandboxes you play in:
Do you like coffee? Sure you do. I enjoyed reading about Wall Street’s elite coffee-tasting force (subscription required), and about their recruiting process. It was even more fun to see the article pop up since I work at the same company, and the grading room used to be in my old office before we consolidated some offices in Manhattan. The smell of coffee permeating the office on grading days, and the ceiling of the grading room was glass, allowing us to look down into it from the floor above.
If you’ve passed Warners, NY on the New York State Thruway, you may have noticed a most wonderful landmark – Boatona Hill. One of our pastimes in the car is seeing points of interest on our car’s display. Clicking on each reveals some pretty wonderful reviews, and Boatona Hill tops the charts. I’ll paste the best review here, but you can click on through to read more.
Move over Eiffel Tower. Step aside Grand Canyon. For I have gazed upon The Boat On The Hill, and I am forever changed.
Perched majestically at a 37 degree angle just off the side of the road, this fiberglass ark of destiny rests not in water, but on a proud bed of weeds. It’s not just a boat. It’s THE boat. A monument to human ambition, nautical abandonment, and the eternal question: “How did it even get up there?”
They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, well neither was this experience. I spent three hours sitting next to it, meditating on life, love, and the sheer audacity of someone dumping a Bayliner in a ditch and walking away like a boss. A family of raccoons poked their heads out of the hull and nodded at me with quiet respect. I felt seen. I’m here to say, start your pilgrimage. Bring the kids. Pack a lunch. Take a commemorative photo next to the boat. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll wonder why this isn’t on a postage stamp.
10/10. Would visit again. If I’m ever lost, bury me next to this vessel of dreams.
Last up: Artificial Intelligence. It has substantially changed the way I do my job as a product designer and front-end developer. This podcast episode from The Daily is a really great exploration of the transformative effect AI is having on the development industry.
A Tip for the Modern Worker
Grow and cultivate your network. Networking is important. A solid network of social and professional connections can pay long-term dividends. Your network might help you blaze a career path. It might help you land a big deal. You might play a major role in helping someone else achieve their dreams. And someone you know professionally may be the one to throw you a lifeline when you need it the most.
This tip is one of 365 in my Handbook for the Modern Worker. That followed my first book, The Art of Working Remotely, about my experience working from home since 1998. Depending on where you work and which way the wind is blowing, these may be banned books or fan fiction. I hope it’s the latter.
Mail Bag: If you work remotely and have come across an issue that needs solving, a thorn that needs removing, or just an observation you’d like to share, hit reply. I’d love to hear from you.