Scree

noun : an accumulation of loose stones or rocky debris lying on a slope or at the base of a hill or cliff.

Temperature matters →

Published June 21, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 21  ·  ,

The other evidence we have is animals who live in the cold have higher metabolic rates, higher activity levels, yet higher body fat and body mass than those that live in the warmth. This suggests that fluctuations in body fat may be tied to changes in temperature exposure, and not just to protect us from famine. The bottom line is temperature matters.

~ Brad Pilon from, Does Temperature Affect Weight Loss? – Brad Pilon’s ‘Eat Blog Eat’

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My pull-quote is from the very end of Pilon’s article. Overall it lays out a delightful overview of the main systems that regulate our body composition. I love this last point—the part I’ve quoted—because it has nothing to do with humans; It’s a nice “and the same thing seems to be true for other mammals” that provides a great reality check on the models he’s presented in the article.

Pilon is the author who made things clear and simple enough for me to try intentionally manipulating the window of time each day when I stuff food in my face. Being intentional about that greatly increased my awareness of subtle signals from my body. At 8:30am, when I’m day-dreaming of blueberry pancakes, am I actually hungry or am I simply having a craving for carbohydrates? And when I wake up at 1am with a massive cramp in my left calf… I should probably have remembered to take my magnesium supplement before bed, and I better eat a banana first thing in the morning.

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Rescuing life from productivity →

Published June 20, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 20  ·  

And so we get to the crux of our human predicament — the underbelly of our anxiety about every unanswered email, every unfinished project, and every unbegun dream: Our capacities are limited, our time is finite, and we have no control over how it will unfold or when it will run out. Beyond the lucky fact of being born, life is one great sweep of uncertainty, bookended by the only other lucky certainty we have. It is hardly any wonder that the sweep is dusted with so much worry and we respond with so much obsessive planning, compulsive productivity, and other touching illusions of control.

~ Maria Popova from, Escaping the Trap of Efficiency: The Counterintuitive Antidote to the Time-Anxiety That Haunts and Hampers Our Search for Meaning – The Marginalian

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For years I’ve been finding myself judging my day, each evening as I go to sleep. I lie down, and try as I might, my thoughts go beyond simply reviewing. I tried to stop doing the judging part, to no avail.

There’s a Steve Jobs quote about asking himself a question each morning, and that’s great, (but not something I do.) I realized that I’m asking myself that question at the end of each day after closing my eyes to beckon sleep:

If that was the last day of my life, am I satisfied with what I did?

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The only rule →

Published June 19, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 19  ·  

What I learned from reading about writing…

~ “Dynomight” from, What I learned from reading about writing

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This was a fun read and is mostly not the usual titles one sees suggested to read on writing. Among many things, I am a writer. I enjoy learning what appears—in others’ view—to be the right way to do things. The more I read, write, and read on writing, the more I’m convinced it’s just like any other mastery practice: The only rule is that there really are no real rules. Understand the best, accepted practices, (often labeled “rules” to get the newbies to start in the correct direction,) and then later move on to do whatever you please.

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How to be productive →

Published June 18, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 18  ·  ,

For me the pattern is now perfectly clear: the later I come at the task, the more time I’ll spend dancing around it before beginning in earnest. If I can make contact at an earlier hour, the urge to dance away from it is diminished, because I only have so many dance moves, and I’ll run out long before lunchtime.

~ David Cain from, 9 Things I Learned About Productivity This Year

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About once per year I trot out a, HOLY CRAP!

This entire article is jammed full of insights, only one of which did I quote above. I’d say that I have learned those same things. But absolutely I have not learned them in a single year. Where’s my time machine? I need to get this to my 16-year-old self.

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Longevity with Bryce Clarke →

Published June 17, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 17  ·  

Longevity – with Bryce Clarke

How is Parkour evolving as a practice and community in New York City and beyond?

New York City’s architecture naturally creates countless Parkour challenges waiting to be discovered.

The way that these kids will surpass us one day is going to be amazing.

~ Bryce Clarke (8:48)

The conversation explores the evolution of Parkour as both a practice and a community in New York City. Bryce reflects on how the city’s architecture and public spaces, including playgrounds and scaffolding, provide natural challenges for practitioners. He highlights how grassroots initiatives like Parkour NYC aim to foster community engagement, create awareness, and secure dedicated spaces for training. This effort has led to the development of new Parkour parks and increased recognition of the discipline.

The discussion also touches on the generational progression in Parkour, noting that younger practitioners are starting earlier and achieving greater proficiency. There is optimism that normalization will create opportunities, such as coaching careers and safer training environments. Despite commercialization, the essence of Parkour as an exploratory and inclusive activity remains intact, fueled by shared passion and innovation within the community.

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Three habits →

Published June 17, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 17  ·  

The thing about really deep learning is it actually changes the structure of your brain. You are breaking an old pathway and creating a new neurological pathway. […] The three habits I’ve talked about—seeing in systems, taking multiple perspectives and asking different questions. Those are the natural habits of people who are farther along in this adult development path. If we can encourage ourselves to develop some of those patterns in ourselves, and we can be learning those things in ways that create new neural networks, then suddenly, we are living our way into these more advanced forms of development as we are just going about our daily lives.

~ Jennifer Garvey Berger from ~1h 13m into, The Mental Habits of Effective Leaders with; transcript edited for clarity; The Mental Habits of Effective Leaders: My Interview with Jennifer Garvey Berger

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This episode from Shane Parrish’s, The Knowledge Project, podcast is excellent. About two-thirds of the way through the 90 minutes, they start going really deep into mental habits including specifics of how to change one’s mindset. The title of the episode could well be expanded to, …of Effective People.

I’ve been asked how it is that I do what I do, in podcast conversations. Here Berger and Parrish have explained it; Frankly, I better understand how I do it, now having listened to Berger. These three habits she points out are the magic that I use to power my conversations. I’ve always had the habit—my parents would say, “to a fault”—of asking good questions. About 35 years ago, when I became immersed in engineering, physics, computers, and the Internet I perfected the habit—here I would say, “to a fault”—of thinking in systems. And 10 years ago, as I began my journey rediscovering my personal movement, I realized the magnificent knowledge and experience available to me through others’ perspectives.

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Collaboration with Sean Mallary →

Published June 16, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 16

What motivates people to engage with storytelling, both as creators and participants, in different formats like podcasting and lighting?

A lighting designer reflects on the parallels between creating ambiance for theater and producing audio stories.

I joke with people that I still know in that industry and I’m like I did lighting for 20 years and now I’m calling myself a sound guy I don’t know what the heck is going on.

~ Sean Mallary (22:45)

The conversation explores the intersections of storytelling, personal connections, and technical expertise, primarily through the lens of podcasting and lighting design. Sean shares his preference for working behind the scenes, explaining that producing and editing align more closely with his personality. He also recounts transformative experiences as a Lyft driver, discussing the vulnerability of passengers and the inspiration it provided for creative projects.

Another key topic is the balance between personal growth and professional roles. Sean reflects on how interviewing strangers has enhanced his communication skills, contrasting this with his previous career in lighting, where collaboration took center stage. The importance of community emerges as a recurring theme, with the Akimbo workshop highlighted as a space for connection and skill-sharing in the otherwise solitary pursuit of podcasting.

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Storytelling with Doug Thompson →

Published June 16, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 16

What strategies and experiences contribute to effective storytelling and meaningful conversation?

Effective storytelling bridges gaps between technical concepts and emotional connections.

Listening is not just on the surface—it’s listening to what they’re telling you, what’s going on, and then doing the number one rule in Improv: yes, and.

~ Doug Thompson (32:58)

The conversation focuses on the art of storytelling, touching on its unconscious development and practical applications in fields like sales and communication. Doug shares his early experiences in radio and technology sales, which helped him refine his ability to craft and adapt stories to connect with diverse audiences. He reflects on storytelling as both a natural inclination and a skill honed through practice.

The discussion also explores tools for storytelling, such as improvisation training and active listening. Doug highlights the importance of understanding an audience’s needs, using relatable language, and adapting narratives to resonate effectively. He discusses the neurological basis for storytelling, emphasizing its role in human connection and memory. The talk concludes with advice on encouraging others to embrace storytelling through interactive activities and social engagement.

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Broke my but →

Published June 16, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 16  ·  ,

In my journey writing thousands of blog posts I’ve developed certain habits and a style. There have been a precious few points where I’ve intentionally made a significant change. I used to lead with the URL followed by the pull-quote, before changing to a more normal style of a quote with a following attribution. At one point I started adding slip addresses, and at another point I started reigning in my use of exclamation marks.

Recently I asked one of my mentors, Jesse, for feedback on some copy, and he made a comment about his personal rule to be very intentional about using the word, “but”. I didn’t think I was overusing it, but [oh no!] I often used it as a conjunction— I often used it as a way to connect two sentences to create a point and counter-point structure— Dammit, Jesse. Now I cannot unsee every “but” as a weasel word. You suck. Thanks for making me better.

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Guiding principles →

Published June 15, 2022  ·  All posts on Jun 15  ·  

We rarely take the time to capture these guiding principles—even though recognizing them can help steer our actions, lead us to better decisions, and let us live more in alignment with who we are.

~ Chris Bailey from, My 6 guiding principles – Chris Bailey

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As with Bailey, I don’t think I have a clear set of guiding principles. I’m not sure if I’m okay with that. I am sure that I do not want to spiral off and spend my entire day—that’s what would surely happen to me if I begin—thinking about this. Instead, I read his list and spent some time letting my thinking happen spurred by his principles. Just as he described, I did have one principle spring immediately to mind: Curiosity. To be powered by curiosity. To be passionately curious. “Curioser and curioser”, said Alice.

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