What is this, fundamentally? What is its nature and substance, its reason for being? What is it doing in the world? How long is it here for?
~ Marcus Aurelius
slip:4a518.
Author: Craig Constantine
White-with-orange
white-with-orange, orange
white-with-green, BLUE!
white-with-blue, GREEN!
white-with-brown, brown
I have probably said that sequenceāsure, aloud many times, but mostly muttering under my breath, always moving my lipsāabout 9 gazillion times. If you know what that is, I weep for you; and we have a support group which meets at the bar and the first round is on me.
I’m readingāliterally just this momentā¦ I have my arms stretched around the book as I typeāOn Writing by Stephen King. (Highly recommended by the way. In parts deeply useful, deeply touching, deeply funny, just all-around deeply.)
John Grisham, of course, knows lawyers. What you know makes you unique in some other way. Be brave. Map the enemy’s positions, come back, tell us all you know. And remember that plumbers in space is not such a bad setup for a story.
~ Stephen King from, On Writing
POW! my brain muttered “white-with-orange…” And I was yanked, much in the way I’ve yanked L I T E R A L L Y miles of wire through ceilingsā¦ hell, I know what a plenum is and why you can pull that cable through it and not this other cable. POW! “white-with-orange, orange, ā¦” Yanked back to good old, kill-me-now I’d forgotten this and hoped I’d never remember it: T568B.
B. BEE! mind you. omgbecky don’t go all white-with-green on me to start the sequence ‘cuz that’s T568A and if you we do B on this end, but A on the punch-down blocks back in the squirrel closet we won’t even get link lights let alone have the tester [magic box of circuitry] be happy.
Never mind when they started using Category-5 cabling and I stripped off the jacketā¦ Actually, with Cat-5āor was that 5+? or Cat-6ā¦ I need a drinkāwhere the jacket is sort of partly heat-shrunk on so you need a special tool just to get the jacket cut before you can pull it off. And then you discover not only are the pairs of wires twistedābro’ that’s so Cat-3, right? No, now in Cat-5 the pairs are twisted at different ratesāthe number of twists-per-inch is different on each of the four pairs to reduce the magnetic inductance couplingāno, I’m not making this stuff up; pay attention, kid. Oh, and they’re not only twisted, but the pair is actually in a stuck together jacketāso you need this other little tool that you shove onto the end of the pair and it has a teeny razor blade in it that cuts the wires apart likeāsorry for this metaphorālike a razor cutting the skin between your fingers, as you push and spin the tool to separate the wires.
Then you can wrestle the pairs, in the right order (see above!) into the shape, like a whale tail. Eight tiny wires that you VICE-finger-pinch flat, then cut ’em all off in one go. Wizards could shoot those eight tiny wire snips into a little trash catch we had with us so we didn’t leave ’em in the ‘ol office carpet. Thenāhey, don’t slip!āslide the plug on the end, and stuff it in this special tool… When you grabbed it, you had to exactly judge where to grab cuz if you’re too far from the end it’s not good, too close to the end and you can’t get the plug on fully, and you can’t move your fingers at all because it takes full-strength to pin 8 tiny wires perfectly in the right place after you cut them off in one go.
Or if you’re making up a wall-jack or a punch-down panel you can just sort of lay the wires in the v-groovesābut don’t untwist them too far, each one is a tiny radio antennaāand “punch” them down with a tool that trimmed the endsāwhich always managed to ping, pong, bing, bong right into anything that you couldn’t get into to retrieve them. Ever wonder why vents on computers, and everything are on the sides?
One. That’s one. This office has 150 more wall jacks, and the other ends of course, and all the wires have to be labeled cuz the rat nest has to make sense…. and then you have to test it and if one single wire isn’t perfect.
So yeah, that was fun. Holy shit! Where’s the Tylenol?!
É
Scenes
Because they can only show scenes, ā¦
~ Ryan Holiday from, Sorry, An Epiphany Isnāt Whatās Going To Change Your Life
slip:4uryso2.
Check the following against your experience: Except for sleep, or fits of unconsciousness, my life is a perfectly seamless and continuous experience. It has no montages, elisions of time, “jump cuts,” nor cross fades. I’ve never experienced a rerun of any moment; every moment is the next moment found directly after that moment that was now, but is now just past.
From my point of view, every other personā¦ every bookā¦ every movieā¦ every image painting film storyā¦ I experience those in one, compressed form or another. I catch up with a friend over lunch; I get two weeks of their experience compressed into a thirty-second story. Rocky goes from zero to hero in a two-minute (I’m guessing) montage. That person experiences an entire year; I experience their birthday dinner.
Everything out there is a small scene from some real experience. Is it any wonder it’s difficult to understand?
É
Well enough alone
Some take nothing into account, and others want to take account for everything. They are always talking importance, always taking things too seriously, turning them into debate and mystery. Few bothersome things are important enough to bother with. It is folly to take to heart what you should turn your back on. Not the least of life’s rules is to leave well enough alone.
~ Baltasar GraciƔn
slip:4a339.
Narrative
Cinematic Portraiture ā¦ I try to make a picture that draws elements of a larger scene happening. For me it’s always that challenge of how do you come up with a picture that gets the essence of the person, but also does a little more.
~ Sam Jones starting around 44:50, from How to Cultivate Your Authentic Voice
It’s different depending on the medium, but there are some things that are the same throughout. One of them is, you have to know or define your narrative because you’re always telling a story whether it’s in a single frame or in a two hour documentary. The first thing for me is to know what story I’m telling. With photographs it’s often, I read about the person, I start sketching ideas, and hopefully I can make up a story that I can tell that is true with that person. If it’s a music video, I’ll try to get what I want to say about the song; Whether it’s trying to be very literal or trying to be very opposite, I still have to know the story I want to tell. With doing Off Camera, it really isā You could talk to anyone for 100 hours and not get even close to their whole deal, so the idea is to try to pick the things you really want to look into and develop a little narrative.
slip:4c2na1a.
Sam Jones is well-known for his Off-Camera project. Each “episode” is a photoshoot, documentary video, podcast and print magazine. This interview from 2015 on Rich Roll’s podcast covers a wide range of things related to being creative. This podcast episode is a true gem.
É
A right to know what?
It’s hard to quarrel with that ancient justification of the free press: “America’s right to know.” It seems almost cruel to ask, ingenuously, “America’s right to know what, please? Science? Mathematics? Economics? Foreign languages?” None of those things, of course. In fact, one might well suppose that the popular feeling is that Americans are a lot better off without any of that tripe.
~ Isaac Asimov from, (Newsweek Jan 21, 1980) A Cult of Ignorance
tripe n. 2: something poor, worthless, or offensive
That’s the second definition, and is clearly the one Asimov was using. For some reason, I believe I would have said that the first definition had something to do with fish. (It does not.)
In addition, suspecting that Asimov knew a thing or three more than me, had not made a capitalization error in writing “mandarin minority”āyou’ll have to click now, won’t you?āI spent several minutes in my Dictionary and learned a second thing.
And finally a third thing: 1980. 2021. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
É
The art of living
Philosophy does not promise to secure anything external for man, otherwise it would be admitting something that lies beyond its proper subject-matter. For as the material of the carpenter is wood, and that of statuary bronze, so the subject-matter of the art of living is each person’s own life.
~ Epictetus
slip:4a524.
Wrangling life’s admin tasks
Just as with job-related admin, ālife adminā represents some of our least favorite, and most procrastinated on, to-dos. And yet completing them is essential to keeping our lives organized, functioning, and moving ahead.
~ Brett McKay from How to Better Manage Your Life Admin
slip:4uaoai7.
A couple years ago I simply threw my hands up in the air and picked one day of the week which I’ve literally labeled as my “admin” day. On that day each week, I tackle everything related to life admin. It’s awesome; Stuff gets done.
But even better than that: It frees me on the other six days of the week. During the other six days each week, whole swaths of things are trivially lobbed onto the pile for the next admin day.
Try this: Pick a day of the week to be admin day, and start lobbing stuff to that day. Laundry, housecleaningā¦ hell, I don’t even open postal mail until admin day. Pay bills, schedule things, shopping, errandsā¦
É
The guilty, crazy secret
The bullshitā ā¦well, it disappears for a fleeting second.
~ Ryan Holiday from, The Guilty, Crazy Secret That Helps Me Write
slip:4uryte4.
I have playlists for this exact thing. Hundreds of individual songs selected and shuffled, for very specific purposes.
Sometimes I go “hunting” to find new tracks for these lists; My Mac says my music library has 9,121 items, 26.5 days, 77.96 GB, and I have a “smart” playlist which grabs 250 least-recently played. It avoids some genres (like “Spoken Word” so it doesn’t pick out French lessons, etc) and it avoids any track I’ve one-starred (my way of saying omg no)… It’s basically an endless series of, “I forgot about that!” I often flip over to the original album, start from the front, and sometimes I add a track to one of my play lists.
What? Why? ā¦best of both worlds. I have playlists that do what I needāhide the world, hide everything. And I’m continuously startled with delight by my tiny music collection.
É
Personal drama
The greatest crime is the overlooking of who you really are in favor of the story of who you think you are. This preoccupation with your personal drama is the cloud that masks the sun.
~ Wu Hsin
slip:4a359.
Nostalgic
All people have a “tact filter”, which applies tact in one direction to everything that passes through it.
~ Jeff Bigler from, Tact Filters
slip:4umija1.
A short and startlingly insightful idea aboutā ā¦well, no. I’m going to make you click.
Also: Cue my misty-eyed nostalgia. That’s what the web looked like in ’96. Back when I proudly wielded the self-selected job title of “spyder.” (Do I have to explain that? Please tell me I don’t have to explain that.)
É
How to save the world
As we leave childhood, we unwittingly dial down our imagination and our ambition, because an ancient and out-of-touch part of our minds tells us they are dangerous. Creativity suffers, and so do our prospects for personal greatness and happiness. [ā¦] The purpose of this book is to illustrate this great discrepancy — between what is normal and what is possible — and give you some stepping stones to begin crossing the rift.
~ David Cain from, On Becoming an Individual
slip:4uraoe1.
Ignore me. Click the link.
ā¦you’re still here, why? Seriously the entire point of this post is simply so I can link to Cain’s post, and the sublime 46 page PDF attached to it.
Go. Go now!
É
slip:2oe2.
Complaining
Don’t be overheard complaining about life at court. Not even to yourself.
~ Marcus Aurelius
slip:4a521.
Not so little anymore
Recently my “little” box of quotes outgrew its original little box. The collection now exceeds 600 cards and continues to grow at an accelerating pace.
ā¦and it has expanded conceptually far beyond simply being a box on my desk. The Little Box of Quotes podcast has surpassed a year of daily episodes. A precious 10 or so of the quotes were the original seeds for what became my personal sequence of daily reminders for reflection. My personal sequence then inspired my series on Practicing Reflection which ran during the opening days of 2021.
I’m curious to see where I’ll be with this in another 5 years.
É
Seriously
I know I’ve been off on two long tangents recently: The long series of posts about practicing self reflection kept this blog busy for two months, and before-and-after that I’ve been doing a deep rabbit hole exploration of Slipboxes. I’m still yappin’ about Slipboxes, but I think we’ll be seeing more random things here in April.
But before that happens here’s another thing related to the Slipbox: I found this really detailed summary of Ahrens’s, How to Take Smart Notes. I’ve been reading and studying these notes, as I’m reading and studying the book. Take a look at this post, How to Takeā¦ āthe site is literally named The Rabbit Hole. You’ve been warned.
É
slip:2ho1a.
Craig Constantine: Experience, pruning, and benefit
What motivates and defines meaningful conversations in podcasting, and how does preparation and intentionality shape these interactions?
Doing the āsameā thing over 100 times seems like a lot, but feels like much less when each time is a unique and valuable experience. Craig discusses the process he uses to create space and have authentic conversations with each guest. He unpacks the idea of āpruningā your projects and how reflection is integral to the process. Craig shares his personal reasons for creating the podcast, why video is not on the agenda, and changes we may see moving forward.
If you think about howā¦ This is actually really hard to do, I think. If you think: ‘I am going to go over to my friend’s house at three o’clock on Tuesday, and I’m going to have a good conversation!’ With that, I mean, that’s basically what we’re trying to do.
~ Craig Constantine (14:17)
This conversation navigates the dynamics of podcasting, emphasizing the intentional shift from traditional interviews to organic conversations. Key points include the importance of preparation, balancing listener needs with authentic dialogue, and creating a space where guests feel seen and heard. Insights into reflective practices reveal how curiosity and follow-through shape meaningful exchanges.
The discussion also touches on challenges in managing creative projects, with pruning as a metaphor for intentional decision-making. The process of saying no to certain projects to create room for impactful endeavors highlights the speakerās philosophy. Other topics explored include the importance of diversity in guest selection and the iterative process of refining the podcast’s mission.
Takeaways
Creating meaningful conversations ā Preparation and curiosity play a crucial role in fostering organic and reflective discussions.
Balancing dual roles ā The host must navigate the tension between serving listeners and maintaining an authentic connection with guests.
Pruning projects ā Intentionally saying no helps streamline focus and manage creative energy.
Diversity in voices ā Amplifying marginalized and diverse perspectives enriches the depth of storytelling.
Reflection as growth ā Journaling and structured self-reflection can lead to personal and professional efficacy.
Intentional guest preparation ā Taking time to “load” the guest into the hostās mindset enhances the quality of the exchange.
Crafting spaces ā The physical and emotional setup influences the dynamics of conversations.
Celebrating milestones ā Recognizing achievements provides opportunities for both reflection and forward momentum.
Resources
Constantine.name ā Craig’s personal blog serves as a reflective space for exploring project insights.
Art of Retreat ā Referenced as another platform tied to recorded discussions.
Discovery, Reflection, Efficacy ā Core themes of the podcast discussed in the episode.
Episode about Three Words ā An in-depth look at the “Three Words” question used in the podcast.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
É
Already knowing
The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him.
~ Leo Tolstoy
slip:4a392.
Bombast
When is the last time you read a dictionary? Have you ever sat down, and started reading the dictionary at the very beginning? My mind has been melted and reformed. My foundations are shaken, (and stirred.)
Things were defensive from the outset: The literally-first, full sentence I encounteredāset off within a box, with a fancy-schmancy Merriam-Webster logo atopāis, “The name Webster alone is no guarantee of excellence.” Followed immediately by the we’re-sick-of-litigating, but-that-isn’t-stopping-us thumb in the eye of, “It is used by a number of publishers and may serve mainly to mislead an unwary buyer.” Considering myself forewarned, and forearmed with a magnifying glass, I pushed forward into the volume set entirely in a font size whose capital letters tower exactly 2 millimeters. Sure, the Prefaceāa two-column wall of microfiche occupying the totality of page 6aāwas winsome, as far as, I assume, dictionary Prefaces go. Pragmatic was the listing upon page 7a of persons comprising the Editorial Staff. However, things became serious, bordering on salacious, with the Explanatory Chart printed, (apparently primarily for practical purposes,) in sprawled repose across pages 8a and 9a as a visual menagerie detailing the architecture and idiosyncrasies of the dictionary’s didactic details. None the less, the degree of magniloquence encountered in the long-form Explanatory Notes for that chart, which begin on page 10a, and which span some 40 columns, is penultimate.
É
One slipbox to rule them all
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
~ J R R Tolkien
At least, one Slipbox to rule over all the various mediums of information I have.
You see, the Slipbox also solves a problem I’ve known I’ve had, (stop laughing at me!) for a long time: PDF documents get lost. Not, “I can’t find it,” lost but lost under the gently falling snow which ultimately covers all. For a while, I used to print and comb-bind stacks of things from their digital format, just so they would be “equal citizens” in my spaces with other professionally printed things. But, (aside from the killing trees wastefulness of it,) this is a crap-ton of work. Yes I have them in a folder, (not on a hard drive but rather on a file server with a redundent array of drives backed up into the cloud,) but I never look in that folder. Out of sight, and they’re soon out of mind.
The Slipbox solved the real problems of finding a PDF and remembering to continue reading it. (Aside: Bear in mind that being able to print-to-PDF means I can turn anything from the Internet into a PDF. You should too.) I simply create a slip in the Slipbox for the digital document; When Where Matters: How Psychoactive Space is Created and Utilised, wound up at 8d in the Slipbox, (still early days in my fledgling Slipbox’s addresses.) So I prepended “8d – ” to the filename and then threw it into the storage folder.
Perhaps you guessed that I have a small mark on the slip too? I do. It’s a little sort of dog-eared document icon telling me that there’s a digital document “attached” to this slip. Done. Now the slip points to the digital doc; Digital doc points back to the slip.
And then I tossed that slip on my desk with the stack of books I’m currently reading. Second problem solved: Digital PDF is now on the same footing at things physically on my desk.
É
slip:1a3.
Perfection of character
Perfection of character: To live your last day, every day, without frenzy, or sloth, or pretense.
~ Marcus Aurelius
slip:4a536.