My Mom was born in 1932.
Which seems an impossibly long time ago,
A time when people existed in black and white,
A time as different as 1960 must seem to my own daughter.
In my younger years I spent a ridiculous amount of time perusing The Book of Lists’ fasinating collections of arcana. I mean, who could possibly resist a list of famous people who died during sexual intercourse?
Part travelogue and part profile in courage, this film tells the story of Aaron Ralph’s insane 2,700-kilometer bikepacking trip from the bottom to the top of the United Kingdom.
Watch this beautifully filmed, intimate conversation between two people from radically different backgrounds, yet strikingly similar experiences, reflecting on their respective journeys.
This poignant tale of grief and recovery is the best article I read this week.
Depending on your risk tolerance, this video will give you either sweaty palms or a vicarious adrenaline rush.
Check out this beautiful and sad original song by Reina Del Cid, performed with fellow musician and youtuber Josh Turner.
Did you know that your eyes can’t properly focus on blue colored objects and your brain compensates for this built-in design problem? This article does a lovely job explaining why.
This beautiful short film tells the unforgettable story about a young man who spent three years living in a tree, along with several associates, to protect a grove of ancient redwood trees.
Check out this beautiful short film showing some of the most dramatic tides in the world on the northwest coast of France.
Peter Jackson’s documentary on the Beatles’ final chapter is due out this Fall. Until then, enjoy this whirlwind tour, courtesy of Google Earth, of notable places in Beatles music.
Twitter’s 280 character limit raises an interesting question: how many tweets are possible before nothing new can be said?
This short video is a fascinating study in the reaction to panic. The subject is virtuoso pianist Maria Joao Pires, who faces a performer’s worst nightmare - she prepared for the wrong piece.
Right now - do you have hundreds or even thousands of emails in your inbox? I hate feeling like my main communication channel is a godawful mess. The good news: the road to gmail bliss is easy, just follow me…
Today you’re going back to school. Imagine you’re standing at one end of a corridor, with exactly 100 lockers all in a row, all of which are initially closed.
Check out this video of street busker Damiyr, working one of the toughest crowds in the world - New York subway commuters. He performs an original interpreation of Asaf Avidan’s “One Day”, when a dancer spontaneously joins in.
I just read this article: Programming is Hard. I agree with several points made therein, but I have a different way of explaining how hard it is to be a programmer. I like to ask, by analogy, how hard is it to learn to play piano?
There’s a worrying social trend in the US that is going largely unnoticed:
Nearly half of middle-class workers may be forced to live on a food budget of as little as five dollars a day when they retire.
My good friend Jose shared this video with me earlier this week, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
My friend Gus shared this ingenious demo of an old puzzle on twitter. Check out the short video below and see if you can tell what’s happening.
Yesterday, my friend Ali tweeted a lovely original limerick about Node.js and invited his followers to contribute more. Challenge accepted.
In 1969, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young performed for nearly half a million people at the legendary Woodstock Festival. A year later they released their first album, Deja Vu, which sold 14 million copies worldwide. Then, things started coming apart.
I love this video of Jimmy Page on two levels.
This is effectively a one and a half minute commercial, but it’s also one of the most soothing, satisfying things you’ll see today.
In Bret Victor’s groundbreaking talk Stop Drawing Dead Fish, he compellingly argues that new media call for new ways to express ourselves, and not just to repeat our old styles of expression in a new format.
The economic devastation wrought by the pandemic is forcing a lot of people to rethink their career choices. But who has time to go back to school for a Bachelors or Masters degree? One option I just learned about seems promising…
The new logo you see in the upper left corner was made for me by a very talented artist named Berk Tarakcıoğlu.
An open letter to my employer…
I’m not going to say anything about this short film. Just take 19 minutes out of your life to watch this video. I promise you will be humbled, inspired, and enriched, or I’ll give you your money back.
