Watching the Olympics, contemplating the concept of socially constructed bodies, and fiddling around in Paper by Fiftythree

An evening doodle with Procreate.

In the thick of the world, and the work I’m building up to this year, there’s a tendency to want to hustle all the time. But I like DHH’s advice there, to take some time out, rest, and enjoy life.

Being mostly self-employed, it’s a tricky feat, since I want to make sure I’m able to make ends meet, while also still doing the best work and providing the best care and services I can.

Today, I took time with family, cooking for the week ahead, watching some Olympics, and generally resting. I’m behind on some work I need to get done, but the rest day felt right and I plan to schedule some time during the week to play catch-up.

Six weeks ago today, I taught my last Zumba class. Part of my plan was to work on reclaiming my weekends, getting more rest, and having more availability for on-call work, should the need arise. So far, I have worked on three of the six weekends, which is more than I expected, though likely that should even out soon enough.

Part of my goal was to be able to be open for other goals I’ve been pursuing. One goal was to work toward teaching workshops, and this week I learned that one of my latest proposals was accepted for a conference. I’m excited to bring it to life, and to keep studying, learning, and improving on these fronts.

I said it then and I’ll say it now: onward and upward!

Om Malik, noting some conclusions about the latest news that facebook acknowledging the role of fake profiles and groups supporting Donald Trump:

1. Facebook had underestimated the extent of the problem.
2. The bot creators got smarter and kept beating Facebook’s checks and balances.
3. Facebook willingly ignored the fake and duplicate accounts because it allowed them to show growth and to the Wall Street.

Om suggests it’s a combination of all three. I suspect facebook knows just big an issue this is, so feel like they’re using that to hedge and make themselves seem less culpable. To me, it’s likely a combination of 2 and 3, given that facebook has a history of fighting advertising disclosure rules. Which brings a fourth, and just as likely, concluding: facebook willingly ignored the problem because they were profiting from it.

Given all this, and also that given Republican politicians are being paid large sums of money by the NRA to refuse to take action on regulating access to military-grade weapons, it’s clearer than ever that we need get money out of politics.

Virtual private networks are intended to help safeguard your internet use when on public or otherwise unknown or outside connections. Of course, if you’re Facebook and you own a VPN, your idea of “protecting” your users is to collect all the data you possibly can from them. Sarah Perez:

But Facebook didn’t buy Onavo for its security protections.

Instead, Onavo’s VPN allow Facebook to monitor user activity across apps, giving Facebook a big advantage in terms of spotting new trends across the larger mobile ecosystem. For example, Facebook gets an early heads up about apps that are becoming breakout hits; it can tell which are seeing slowing user growth; it sees which apps’ new features appear to be resonating with their users, and much more.

I’m no legal scholar, but not only is Facebook not acting in users’ best interests, this also seems like it should raise some anti-trust red flags. Facebook is taking advantage of a lack of adequate regulation in order to monopolize the market.

As John Gruber astutely points out, this is spyware.

And it’s not lost on me that TechCrunch’s comment system? It’s Facebook, too.

Jason Kottke on the United States of Guns:

Like many of you, I read the news of a single person killing at least 17 people in Parkland, Florida today. While this is an outrageous and horrifying event, it isn’t surprising or shocking in any way in a country where more than 33,000 people die from gun violence each year and guns that can fire dozens of rounds a minute are perfectly legal.

America is a stuck in a Groundhog Day loop of gun violence. We’ll keep waking up, stuck in the same reality of oppression, carnage, and ruined lives until we can figure out how to effect meaningful change.

Jason also has a chronicle of other gun-related posts you can read here.

Of note, this is the 18th school shooting this year alone.

In reference to my post yesterday, I counted how many browser tabs I had open among various devices.

• iMac: 22 tabs
• iPad: 35 tabs
• iPhone: 85 tabs

That’s 142 tabs open. Enough that when I was just looking through to count them, there were multiple tabs on my phone which were duplicates. Clearly, there are recurring themes to things I am researching or trying to learn. I see recipes, workout ideas, education, and research for workshops I’m in the process of developing.

Small wonder why I’ve lately found just myself feeling like I can’t quite keep myself on track and focused.

I wonder if keeping more organized notes with links, dates, and references will be more helpful, and help me feel less scattered.

In addition to the chronic fight for my attention from external sources, I’m just as guilty of having way too many tabs open in my browser, regardless of which device I’m using.

Typically, I think it stems from thinking about something, opening a tab to look into it, or perhaps to remind myself of it later. Only instead of then addressing it, I forget about it, and forget why I even wanted to do so. I notice a change when I have fewer tabs open, or heck, fewer programs open. It’s hard to reclaim your attention when your tools are too good at all running simultaneously.

At least in terms of my browsing habits, LifeHacker suggests I limit myself to no more than nine open tabs. My browser may not be slow, but I sure am.

I am not a sports fan, generally. However, I’m a huge fan of the Olympics. Every two years, I go a little overboard with watching the games. I love the way the games bring out the best in athletes, both in their respective sports and their sense of sportsmanship. There are exceptions, of course, but so far these past few days, I’ve seen much more cheering among competitors and support for one another’s accomplishments.

The only downside to watching the games is that the TV is always on in the background. I usually prefer to have it off, as the sound plus the visual stimuli is exhausting. Timely note here, since I just read about the science of silence (h/t to Patrick Rhone for that article).

To help, I muted the sound and added captions, then spent some time doodling in between the many breaks and commercials. Here’s a little piece I did in Procreate. Nothing fancy, but it was a relaxing way to unwind.

  <img src="https://philly.micro.blog/uploads/2019/50a374cc74.jpg" alt=""/>

It’s interesting to observe the tech world from the outside. When I was recently in Los Angeles for a conference, I saw a bunch of Bird scooters in the Santa Monica area. From their website:

We work closely with cities to help make transportation better & more environmentally friendly. Cities can report any issues to our city relations team & we're happy to quickly address them.

This is actually an idea I rather like. It makes sense to have little scooters to get around, plus scooters are fun to ride. What’s not to like?

Of course, like with other start-ups, Bird seems to have neglected to pursue any real attempts at operating above-board (emphasis mine).

Black, electric-powered scooters suddenly began appearing on the downtown streets, suburban sidewalks and beachside a few months ago in this urban coastal city.

The dockless shared scooters took Santa Monica by surprise, including the mayor, who says he received a LinkedIn message from Bird chief executive Travis VanderZanden, offering to introduce him to the company’s “exciting new mobility strategy for Santa Monica” — after they landed in town.

“If you’re talking about those scooters that are out there already, there are some legal issues we have to discuss,” Santa Monica Mayor Ted Winterer said he told VanderZanden.

And to reinforce the point, the city filed a criminal complaint of nine counts centered on Bird’s failure to obtain a vendor permit, something the company maintains is applicable to food vendors, not dockless shared electric scooters.

The start-up world has taken facebook’s “move fast and break things” philosophy and run with it. In some ways, it’s a riff on the sometimes great but oft-overused “it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission”.

The problem, in this case, is that there’s safety implications (the WP story linked above notes multiple traffic and safety violations, and injuries including traumatic brain injury and broken bones). Without vendor permits, how do you maintain liability? In their zeal for hockey stick growth curves and monetization, start-ups assume (correctly) that following proper protocol will cost money and time. I won’t argue that our current regulatory system is slow and filled with red-tape. But understanding why the red tape is key, and approaching the goal with an interest in safety should never be a bad thing.

I like the idea of having small scooters as means to get around. It seems like a great way complement existing public transit and helping to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. With quality of life, environmental impact, and safety being considered, I don’t see how that could possibly be turned down. It would be well worth the time and effort to make that happen. Working backwards like this is counterproductive.

Kashmir Hill and Surya Mattu, writing in a widely shared piece for Gizmodo:

After two months of data collection, I was able to pick up a bunch of insights into the Hill household—what time they wake up, when they turn their lights on and off, when their child wakes up and falls asleep—but the weirdest one for me personally was knowing when Kashmir brushes her teeth. Her Philips Sonicare Connected toothbrush notifies the app when it’s being used, sending a distinctive digital fingerprint to the router. While not necessarily the most sensitive information, it made me imagine the next iteration of insurance incentives: Use a smart toothbrush and get dental insurance at a discount!

The larger pattern that emerged about the smart home was that all of the devices phoned home daily, even if they hadn’t been used, telling the companies that made them, “Hey. I’m still here. I’ve still got power. Have any updates for me?”

The privacy implications here are huge, of course. Even with encryption, patterns can be detected which can gain insight into habits, routines, preferences for activity, and changes or deviations from norms.

It’s interesting that Hill concludes, too, that setting up and trying to navigate “smart” devices is also, for the most part, less efficient than simply flipping a switch manually.

I’m generally a fan of technology, but outside a fancy thermostat, have never found much utility in the idea of anything else considered “smart” technology.

Hill’s thoughts also echo the sentiment of Dr. Drang’s comments about HomeKit from Six Colors’ Apple Report Card in 2017:

“I’m still satisfied with walking over to the switch to turn my lights on and off,” wrote Dr. Drang. “Quite reliable.”

Om Malik, on blogging in the early days:

A long long long time ago when I started blogging, it was for two reasons: I wanted to share what I learned on a daily basis as a reporter — tiny bytes of intelligence — and at the same time, have a place to think out loud about everything from baseball to broadband. Never for a minute did I think my blog was a news publication.

…

Today, we “think out loud” in too many places on the Internet and as a result are creating a diffused online presence. The more I try new services, the more I come to appreciate my Omstead, my thought place!

I remember those days well. I started out as a personal blogger, an introvert who found like-minded folks online. There was no theme or real direction to what I wrote. Whatever I found interesting, or was pondering, was open for writing about.

I remember watching the gradual shift to niche blogs, lifestyle blogs, and the growing swarm of social media. Many of us turned more to social networks for interaction, some became “social media experts” before that was even a thing. Over time, many of us stopped writing (including me) as graduate school and careers began to consume ever more time.

I forgot what it was like to write, to have a place that was mine. I went from having a blog and a Twitter account; to having a blog, a Twitter account, and a Tumblr account; to having a blog, a Twitter account, a Tumblr account, and an Instagram account. I don’t count facebook here, as I had that from its inception when I was in college, but in those days we used it mostly for simple events like our weekly glow-in-the-dark Ultimate Frisbee game.

I’m a creature of habit, and also a chronic over-thinker.

Today, I went to a restaurant craving something familiar, and ended up trying something new.

Thoughts. Will I miss what I craved in the first place? Will this other item that sounds good taste just as good? Will I wish I had settled on the familiar comfort? Will it be a long time before we come back?

I ordered something different.

It was a delightful change of pace.

Note to self. Try new things now and again.

Today, SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon Heavy into orbit. It’s worth watching the video not just to learn about the rockets, but to hear (and see) the cheering of the teams whose hard work made this possible. Truly groundbreaking achievement, and to see the two side cores land simultaneously is so astounding it’s hard to really comprehend.

Falcon Heavy side cores have landed at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2. pic.twitter.com/oMBqizqnpI

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 6, 2018

Sometimes I just need to know that other people want to fight for peace, too. Matisyahu reminds me why I love music, and why music is one of my favorite vehicles for peace.

I finished reading All Fall Down today. It was a quick read, shallow and full of cliche. It had a lot of potential, and there were elements that were thoughtful, but it felt forced.

Not recommended.

The element in common is to slow down, pay attention tot he world, and take the time to do something different. It doesn’t have to be one thing all the time.

Today, I’ve been reading. Other days, I draw, or maybe write. Many days, I photograph, though if I’m honest, not enough days.

I don’t have to be great at any of the above to enjoy them, and it’s liberating to just let go, enjoy the process, and keep doing more.

I made sure there was less on my plate today. I gave myself a chance to breathe, to watch the world go by, and to look up for a change. Mind the bullshit, but look for the beauty.

  <img src="https://philly.micro.blog/uploads/2019/276f80cb57.jpg" alt=""/>

Friday will be twelve days in a row worked without a break. Sometimes saying yes to too many things is a cause for being so busy. Noted.

Some days, I get too busy for my own good. On these days, I think less clearly, think less critically, and feel less effective.

Fewer of these days seems like a good plan.

Since I’ve been posting more here, I’ve noticed a gradual change in the questions I ask myself.

Before, I found myself asking what was happening in the world. Then I might ask about what was happening with my friends.

Now, I’ve been asking myself, what will I write today?

It doesn’t mean I’m not aware of the world. But it does mean I’m taking the time to reflect, think about finding meaning in my own life, and actively working on making a difference in others’ lives.

I just finished reading Sarah Vowell’s Unfamiliar Fishes. It was a fascinating read, not to mention a sad one. The version taught in school, if taught at all, favors the victors. Though the book is full of thoughtful observations, a few toward the end really stood out to me:

A Hawaiian word can have so many meanings and associations that each noun becomes a portal into stories and beliefs, like how the word for wealth, waiwai, is just the word for water spoken twice.

Language so clearly reflects a cultural value. Here, I take this to mean that water is essential for life, and to have more water is to be wealthy. It’s simple but powerful. (As an aside, I also love the word haole, because it’s one of those great words whose meaning is so perfect for its sound.)

In keeping with the theme of powerful words, there’s also this:

[Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole’s] “Over the Rainbow” is as sweet and soft as trade winds rustling through palms. It is the perfect song for Hawaiian vacations because the tranquility of its sound captures the feeling tourists flock there to find. Even though it’s a song that is actually about the human inability to be happy where one is, the suspicion that joy is always somewhere else.

I’ve always loved his version of the song. It was recorded in just one take, according to the above-linked Wikipedia page. Here’s the video below, and it’s equally beautiful. The video celebrates both his life and death by including fans scattering his ashes into the Pacific ocean. Very moving.

After a fairly busy weekend, I took some time this evening to listen to some best-of episodes of one of my all-time favorite podcasts, Professor Blastoff. I usually am driving while listening to podcasts, so while home, I picked up my Apple Pencil and doodled.

  <img src="https://philly.micro.blog/uploads/2019/4105df7a44.jpg" alt=""/>

David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), writing about why he left facebook years ago:

I quit Facebook back in 2011 for a lot of reasons, but perhaps the most crucial was to rebel against its core mission: Connecting the world. I was over-connected with the world, acquaintances and friends from the past, and I wanted out.

In my own reviewing of my use of facebook, I’ve realized just how little it adds to my life. Since that time, I’ve looked at it about once a week, just to see what it feels like. The little red dots become more insistent. “You’re keeping a new friend waiting,” the dot informs me. “Your friends haven’t heard from you in a while”, another dot says. A red dot with an increasingly large number beckons for my attention. “Here’s what you’ve missed since you last signed in.”

The feeling I get without all that? It’s better than the feeling I get when seeing it. It’s a relief to close the tab and move on.

Regarding DHH’s point about acquaintances, I’m “friends” on facebook with people I’ve met once, or perhaps twice. Our paths crossed through other friends, and maybe we enjoyed a good conversation at that point in time. Despite not ever seeing each other since, we still see each other online, though we don’t interact. I often ask, “How do I know this person again?” They’re great people, of course, but it’s a marvel to realize the cognitive effort needed to remember someone, then make sense of whatever they post about.

I started using facebook when it first started out in the world, when I was in college. I connected with new college friends, and some high school friends. I’ve never been to a high school reunion. Facebook tells me all I need to know, but more than that, I didn’t really enjoy high school and have no need to go back and relive it. I don’t keep up with friends from high school, even on facebook. So what am I waiting for?

Here’s DHH again:

In real life, this force [of losing touch] is mercifully thrust upon you at critical moments for self-discovery and evolution. You leave university, and you automatically lose touch with most of the people you knew there. It’s not an affront to anyone that this happens. It doesn’t take any effort. Everyone accepts that it’s a natural process.

Different people play different roles in your life. Those roles fluctuate with time, and if you drift apart, there’s no reason you can’t reconnect later, should your paths cross then. I’ve noted that often in that instance, we pick up right where we left off. Or we pick up in new place, realizing how much we’ve both grown.

Maybe the fear of letting the past go makes it that much more difficult to open up to the future. But wherever you go, it’s okay to make those connections, touch others’ lives and in return let theirs touch yours. When the time comes, it’s okay to move on.