Good morning my friends! I am writing to you from a much warmer Austin after what was a hell of a week due to an unprecedented winter storm… Tara and I were very lucky and grateful to have family nearby so that we could find refuge from our apartment that had no water and heat for over a week. That truly was a privilege and our hearts are still so heavy for the hundreds of thousands of Texans that couldn’t (or still cannot) escape the awful circumstances… The snow+ice melted days ago, but the damage is still to be fixed for so many.

Read (and solve!) 📚

I will share a link to the twitter thread that explains an extremely clever puzzle/Easter egg that was created inside the parachute on the Mars rover, Perseverance (Percy). I have always loved Easter eggs so when I saw this, I couldn’t help but smile and become giddy with excitement at the brilliance of the many people behind our modern day marvels. Seeing the rover land on Mars the other day brought tears to my eyes, really all space endeavors cause me to become emotional. If you want to download the PDF to solve the fun mystery, here is the link.

Watch 👀

I was able to finally see a film that I have been excited about for many months called, Nomadland. This week it became available for a limited time on, Hulu.

It is based on a true story and the storytelling is so well done that at times I had to remind myself that Francis McDormand is an actress and I wasn’t watching a documentary. If you are interested in seeing a moving piece on rural America, this is your film. Cannot wait to revisit this one from time to time.

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Over the last few months been implementing a new digital system for all of my thinking and I have hinted at it a few times now, and I’m getting closer and closer to sharing it with all of you here. It may not be for everyone, but I’m excited to share my process nonetheless.

Also, would any of you prefer this to be an emailed newsletter instead? I have been thinking about that for a few months too. Feel free to reach out to me via email or the contact page.

“Everything’s destiny is to change, to be transformed, to perish. So that new things can be born.” – Marcus Aurelius

Good morning everyone! Friday has long been my favorite day of the week. When I was younger it usually meant coming home from school to then go with one of my parents to Blockbuster and pick out a movie, as I got older it meant sleepovers with my friends, and into adulthood it now means a fun meal and movie night with my wife. I hope all of you have a peaceful and enjoyable day. This volume will hopefully introduce you to some things I think will be worth your time.

Listen 🎧

At the end of 2020 I stumbled upon a history podcast that is done by a group called, The National Museum of American Religion. Their first episode came out in Oct. 2020 and they are now on episode #18. They discuss different religious leaders, movements, and events and how those experiences influenced the American story. It is very well produced and I have learned about some incredible stories from people I never heard of before such as Fannie Lou Hamer and Elizabeth Seton.

Play 👾

Tara and I have been itching for something to add to our nightly activities and decided to try and find a game that we could get excited to set up and play with/against each other. We did a curbside pickup at a local game store here in Austin for the game, Sushi Go! Party. After a round or two of trial and error we not only figured out how it was supposed to be played but completely fell in love with it. It is a card game that can change each time you play it depending on the cards you choose to use for that session, similar to Dominion (one of my all-time favorite games.) The box says it is rated for ages 8+ and I would believe that to be the case. If you are looking for a new game to play with two people or the entire family, try out Sushi Go! Party.

Watch 👀

I would be very surprised if you happen to find this post and not have already seen this wholesome and short video. Going to give zero context, it is just so innocent and relevant.

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Short and sweet this one. Cheers!

I guess after living in Austin for almost a month now I should be starting this with “Hey Y’all!” but I don’t see that becoming a thing… Anyway, good morning and happy Friday my Internet friends. I don’t know about you, but I have certainly felt a greater sense of peace the last few weeks as we’ve witnessed a new administration trying to move mountains to tackle the pandemic. This year is undoubtedly going to be full of moments that continue to ask so much of us, but with the right frame of mind we can handle those moments with patience and hope.

Here are some of the things I’ve been enjoying:

Read 📚

Okay, so this recommendation is a really long read and but I think it is worth it now and will also be a good article to save for years to come. At the beginning of the month, The New Yorker released an article on the current known history of the COVID-19 pandemic titled, The Plague Year. I found a paper copy of this issue at Barnes & Noble, but I imagine that it has already been replaced with a newer issue, but you can read the digital version for free. Lawrence Wright does a beautiful job of introducing the people whose names I wouldn’t otherwise know and have been working for decades to come up with the solutions we are seeing today. I hope that later this year he writes a follow-up and with the length of this article I’m presuming he is planning to turn it into a book.

This one is for my design obsessed friends and for any horologist. The article is pure eye candy and goes into detail about the design language of watches and how they inspire the Apple Watch. If you are remotely interested in watches, I think you will enjoy this read.

Disclaimer, I not only love the Apple Watch, but I also work at Apple.

Listen 🎧

Okay, this one I know I will be writing about again in April. But just a couple of days ago one of my favorite artists, Porter Robinson, announced his second full-album will be released on April 23rd, and I am beyond excited. You can add it to your library now and listen to a couple of tracks as part of a pre-release, Look at the Sky is my favorite so far.

Technology ⚡️

I have fallen in love with a new piece of technology. The Logitech MX Master 3 has been on my list of things to try for a long time. I first heard about this mouse years ago, and I decided recently to just got for it. I am blown away about how much of a joy it is to use as an input device. If you are a macOS & iOS user it has great integration (Mission Control & Spaces) and one of the neat features is that with a button press on the bottom you can easily switch between three different devices.

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Have a great weekend and see you February! 💕