Scree

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

Silent majority →

Published September 14, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 14  ·  ,

The great biographer Robert Caro once said, “Power doesn’t always corrupt, but power always reveals.” Perhaps the same is true of the most powerful networks in human history.

Social media has not corrupted us, it’s merely revealed who we always were.

~ Mark Manson from, The Real Dangers of Social Media

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There’s a lot of good—writing, concepts, anecdote, data—in this article. But the thing that leapt out at me was something I’d already known, but seem to have forgotten… or, if not fully forgotten, I’d failed to connect it to other things in my model of the world: The idea of the silent majority.

About 90% of the people participating on social networks, are not even participating. They’re simply observing. It turns out that the other 10% are the people with extreme views; not “blow stuff up” extreme, but simply more towards the opposing ends of whatever spectrum of views you care to consider.

Two things to consider: First, boy howdy guilty as charged! I’m on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn— but the only content I post is related to my projects. I don’t engage with anything, reshare… or even, really, participate unless it’s related to a project. *face palm* Woa! I’m literally a member of the silent majority. Perhaps you are to? If 10 of you are reading, then 9 of you are just like me.

Second, because math! If you look at the stream we all like to say, “it’s endless!” Right. There must be thousands of posts, right? I’ll pause while you do math… right. If there are only thousands of posts for me to see, I’m clearly not seeing all the activity from the millions of people. Sure, some of that is the platform filtering, but I have the feeling that the numbers hold true: If everyone posted a lot we’d have thousands of times more stuff flying around.

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Just one good idea →

Published September 13, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 13  ·  

I believe the standard how-to book contains too much new stuff for a human brain to take on board once, or at least it does for my brain. Implementing a single habit – flossing before bed, for example – is something most people can do if they’re really focusing on it, but even that is hard. Converting your workday into the full-bore Pomodoro system, or (God help you) the GTD system, represents a dozen or more habits that all have to come online more or less at the same time.

~ David Cain from, How to Get Things Done When You Have Trouble Getting Things Done

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This is an unusual post from Cain. It is very much nuts-and-bolts material—ending in a pitch for a book of his own—rather than his usual philosophical pontifications. To his observation quoted above I’d like to add the following: If I am able to find just one good idea in a book which I can implement, then I get very excited.

For example, one can read many books and come away with new ideas. (Man’s Search for Meaning, or Leaves of Grass, spring to mind as examples.) But the vast majority of books do not contain actionable things that can be implemented to make a difference in your life. An idea like, “be the change you want to see in the world,” is sublime. But how—be specific in your thinking here—do I do that? There are many examples: “Practice gratitude.” How, exactly? And compare that to the same idea, in actionable form: “Begin each day by writing down three things for which you are grateful.”

I’m not trying to denigrate great ideas. I’m trying to explain my sheer delight when I do find a great idea which is readily attemptable. Many of those actionable ideas still fall by the wayside, but a few of them have really stuck and served me well.

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Risk and reward →

Published September 12, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 12

If you take risk out of climbing, it’s not climbing anymore.

~ Yvon Chouinard from, «https://www.rockandice.com/people/yvon-chouinard-what-ive-learned/»

Just checking: Be sure you know who Yvon Chouinard is.

Risk is everywhere. If you’re not a climber, I’d venture to guess that you regularly ride in automobiles, which is the most dangerous thing you regularly do. It’s not particularly risky—the chances of catastrophe are low. And it’s a risk I’m comfortable with. Comfortable in both senses: I’ve rationally assessed the risk and do what I can to reduce that risk, and I’ve been exposed to the risk so often that it no longer evinces a visceral reaction.

Certainly, in climbing the objective hazards loom larger; when you’re looking down on large birds cruising the ridge-lift, your physical perspective shifts your mental perspective on life. But there are objective hazards everywhere. For me, I like to do everything reasonable to reduce all of the risks, but knowing that the risks exist— spending some time each day sitting with those risks, knowing I cannot fully eliminate all of them— that’s living.

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If it’s good enough for Faraday →

Published September 11, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 11  ·  

In part, Faraday credits his own “inventing the method of invention” to reading Watts’s books, particularly The Improvement of the Mind — a self improvement guide a few centuries before the internet. Watts recommended keeping a commonplace book to record facts, and Faraday did. Watts recommended he be guided by observed facts, and Faraday was. Watts recommended finding a great teacher, and Faraday starting attending lectures.

~ Shane Parrish from, Isaac Watts and the Improvement of the Mind

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Yes, that Michael Faraday. And book ordered.

I’m a vigorous agreer with Will Smith’s comments about reading, (and I believe him regarding running but my body is not yet on board.) I hope that reading this book is a wonderful exercise in, “I already knew that. And that. And also that.” However, my current traipsing through, A College Manual of Rhetoric has proven to be a font of—apparently—long forgotten by most everyone, gems. As such, I’m willing to bet my hoped-for reading of, The Improvement of the Mind will turn out similarly.

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Alignment with Karen Bailey →

Published September 10, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 10

How can storytelling and purpose be effectively integrated into business and podcasting to create meaningful impact?

Explore the transformative power of storytelling for purpose-driven leaders and entrepreneurs.

I don’t know if it’s introverts or extroverts, or necessarily these characterizations. But I think that there are people that are generally kind of thinking really big picture, and maybe community-oriented. But they have to be paired up with these implementors, and these ‘takers’—as I call them—to bring this stuff to life. I keep seeing this pattern in a lot of different places, and people use a lot of different language to describe them.

~ Karen Bailey (10:18)

The discussion emphasizes the importance of integrating storytelling into business and podcasting, focusing on its ability to make abstract concepts like purpose tangible and actionable. Storytelling is framed as a tool not just for engagement but for education and leadership, offering insights into how businesses can clarify their purpose and create meaningful impacts on their communities and stakeholders. Karen shares her personal journey from blogging about purpose to podcasting, highlighting how audio storytelling allowed for richer, more dynamic sharing of ideas.

The conversation also explores the characteristics of purpose-driven leadership and the dynamic between “idea makers” and “idea takers.” Emphasis is placed on the synergy between these roles, with practical examples of how they complement each other in successful businesses. The value of collaboration, community, and accountability among podcasters is discussed as a key driver for overcoming challenges and achieving goals. The exchange concludes with reflections on the importance of clarity and intentionality in both podcasting and broader business efforts.

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Modulation →

Published September 10, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 10  ·  

Diet modulates weight. Nutrition quality will improve how fast you lose or gain weight. Exercise modulates body composition. Exercise intensity will improve how fast your body composition changes.

~ Steven Low, modified from, The relationship between diet and exercise – Steven Low

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Frankly, diet and exercise are topics that require a lifetime of study. The four sentences above—which I’ve reordered, but not otherwise edited—are as simple as I’d be willing to go in a description of “diet and exercise.” Fortunately, Low goes on. Much farther on.

I’ve tried a lot of things, and I’m confident that while several of them were turning points for me, not a single one of them is a panacea. In a very real sense, this meat-bag is nothing more than a moderately complex, space ship for my consciousness. It’s dented, sure, but it has a lot of good miles left on it.

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Subconscious with Simon Christopher Pellett →

Published September 9, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 9

How can podcasting serve as a tool for musicians to grow their audience, overcome challenges, and share their personal and professional journeys?

Exploring the intersection of music, entrepreneurship, and mental health highlights new paths for creative growth.

I think the way that musicians can use podcasting to their advantage is by talking about other subjects… other than trying to sell their music.

~ Simon Christopher Pellett (13:53)

The conversation examines how musicians can leverage podcasting to enhance their careers, foster deeper connections with their audiences, and navigate challenges in the music industry. Simon discusses the evolving landscape of creative media and entrepreneurship, emphasizing how podcasting allows artists to bypass traditional gatekeepers, explore diverse topics, and reach new audiences. Examples highlight the importance of reframing perspectives and embracing opportunities for growth, even in challenging circumstances.

Mental health emerges as a significant theme, with reflections on how personal struggles can shape professional journeys. The conversation touches on the Simon’s own experiences with anxiety and depression, showing how podcasting became a tool for self-expression and connection. Practical advice for musicians includes the benefits of sharing diverse interests, collaborating with a team, and finding unique ways to market their work.

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Who’s using whom →

Published September 9, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 9  ·  

The problem is that our New Tools are winning the battle of attention. We’ve gotten to the point where the tools use us as much as we use them. This new reality means we need to re-examine our relationship with our New Tools.

~ Shane Parrish from, Don’t Let Your (Technology) Tools Use You

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Also see, Jaron Lanier‘s comments about the Internet in general and social networks in particular. I consider myself fully innoculated against information overload and against my tools using me.

And yet, my mind wanders. I sit down to try to write out a blog post or three, and I find myself doing other things. The majority of my disruptions these days are simply ducking into my various projects and messaging platforms. The problem is that when I do, there’s always something to do. It’s not some inifite scroll that catches my eye, but rather a new message—from one of dozens of ongoing conversations—or something I spot which can be improved.

It’s not enough to simply do only productive things. No rather, I actually do far too many different productive things. A minute here replying to this person, two minutes there improving this little feature, 5 minutes writing a bug report, 10 minutes responding to a product vendor, … where was I? Right, trying to write this blog post.

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Why and how →

Published September 8, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 8

Your ideas are worth less than you think—it’s all about how you execute upon them.

~ Chris Bailey from, Your ideas aren’t that unique – Chris Bailey

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The pull-quote says it all. I recently had a pleasant conversation, wherein the idea of the “why” and the “how” came up. Thanks to Simon Sinek, we all know to, “start with why,” (that is to say, start with the idea.) The idea is important, but it’s literally worthless without the execution. Because anything, multiplied by zero, is zero.

To my 20-something-year-old’s surprise, knowing Al Gebra turned out to actually be useful. Take, for example, evaluating some idea and its execution: The total value could be calculated by multiplying the value of the idea by the value of the execution. (Note my use of, “could be.”) Great ideas are represented by a large, positive value, and terrible ideas by a large, negative value; Similarly for the execution. Great idea multiplied by great execution? Huge total value.

This simple model also shows me how I regularly ruin my life: Terrible idea, (represented by a negative value,) with great execution… Or, great idea, with terrible execution, (represented by a negative value,)… either leads to a large negative total. Interestingly, the slightest negativity—in either of those cases—amplifies the magnitude of the other parameter’s greatness.

This leads to an algebra of idea-and-execution. If you’re going to half-ass the execution, (a negative value,) or you’re concerned that you cannot execute well, it’s better to do so with a “small” idea. Only if you’re sure you can do the execution passably well, (“positive”,) should you try a really great idea. If you work through the logic with the roles flipped, the same feels true. This leads to a question that can be used in the fuzzy, real world: Is this pairing of idea and execution in alignment? Am I pairing the risk of negative-execution align with a “small” idea, or pairing the risk of a bad idea with “small” execution. That to me is a very interesting “soft” analysis tool, which falls surprising out of some very simple algebra.

What I’m not sure about though is what to do with the double-negative scenarios. (Which I’ll leave as an exercise for you, Dear Reader.) Perhaps, I should be using a quadratic equation?

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Just another day →

Published September 7, 2021  ·  All posts on Sep 7

18,263. Thanks Mom!

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PS: Also, great song.