On this day

September 17th

Meh

September 17, 2023

In March of 2022 I returned to tracking my activity. For me, what gets tracked gets optimized. I created the simplest tracking worksheet that did what I wanted and I set about keeping track. There are things I loath about my current FitBit; I can’t quite entirely disable the notifications. And touch screens don’t work with sweaty fingers, which leads to frustration just when I’m exhausted. I’ve never had an Apple Watch, but maybe it was time?

When I bought the phone last year, I went all out. I got the 1 terabyte model (a ridiculous amount of storage space, in hindsight), because I expected to have the thing for a while. But I’ve come to resent this phone.

~ Chris Bailey from, Smartphones should not be this nice – Chris Bailey

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I went to the Apple Store to arrange for a battery replacement for my iPhone, and I intended to spend my waiting time examining watches. I spent an hour exploring and testing, and picked one out. I bought it, booted it up, synced it to my Apple ecosystem, and strapped it on. I went on my way with a new phone battery and $700 in conspicuous consumption on my wrist. Intending to lean into wearing and using the watch as much as possible.

And for the next two days I wanted to rip it off my wrist and smash it with a hammer. I spent endless hours trying to disable this, silence that, adjust this feature, avoid setting up that other feature… All because I wanted the Watch’s better GPS tracking of distance covered, and better biometric measurements. I struggled with trying to sleep with a digital screen strapped to my wrist—there is no digital screen that will ever exist, which is permitted in my sleep space. Alas, the Watch is the antithesis of calm technology and it was clear I was never going to change its DNA.

On the third day, I carefully put it all back in its packaging as best I could. I drove all the way back to the Apple Store. I knew Apple had a 7-day, no questions asked, full money back guarantee. I handed it back to a rep. They of course asked, “Was there a problem? Or something you didn’t like?” My reply—

“Meh.” And then I left.

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Vulnerability and transparency

September 17, 2022

Let’s shatter this illusioned stigma. Authentic vulnerability and transparency are strengths masquerading as weaknesses. And companies too scared to embrace both traits in their content forfeit bona fide user-brand connections for often shallow, misleading engagement tactics that create fleeting relationships.

~ Travis McKnight from, The Untapped Power of Vulnerability & Transparency in Content Strategy – A List Apart

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Simply some evergreen content reminding me that people have been fighting the good fight for a long time against the usual litany of online issue. Well, at least for three years since the article was written. Three years is long, right? I mean it feels like forever since it was 2019.

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House keeping

September 17, 2021

A shout-out to Alice who joins us this week. Welcome! :)

The front of my blog includes a random selection of testimonial quotes from readers of this email. It would be helpful if you’d hit reply and write something I could add to those testimonials.

Also, I’ve made a small addition to also show the tags for each of these items. After 10 years and 3,000+ posts, all my tagging along the way has proved well worth the time. If you’re curious, I have two pages for tags; One is an insane “all the tags” page, (there are 1,326 unique tags on my blog,) and the other is a more useful page of “tags with 10+ posts.The latter runs to about 100 tags and is an insightful glimpse into the sorts of things which interest me.

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Why we all need philosophy

September 17, 2020

Philosophy is, therefore, undismissable for the simple reason that it encompasses all of conscious experience. To criticize philosophy, you must rely on some degree of philosophy. To shit on systematic frameworks of understanding, you must generate a systematic framework of understanding.

~ Mark Manson from, Why We All Need Philosophy

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Irreverant as usual, but—as is also often the case with Manson—an insightful look at why you are already doing philosophy.

Years ago, when I said, “screw this I’m starting,” and tried to get Philosophy wrapped around my brain… Years ago, one of the most profitable things I ever did was subscribe to a little podcast called Philosophy Bites. And then listen to all of them. I’m still not an ivory-tower armchair philosopher, but there’s a crap-ton fewer unknown-unknowns.

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Website obesity

September 17, 2019

Let me start by saying that beautiful websites come in all sizes and page weights. I love big websites packed with images. I love high-resolution video. I love sprawling Javascript experiments or well-designed web apps.

This talk isn’t about any of those. It’s about mostly-text sites that, for unfathomable reasons, are growing bigger with every passing year.

~ Maciej Cegłowski from, The Website Obesity Crisis

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This is so true that it makes me laugh and cry at the same time. I weep. I weep for the Internet. The Internet we know today was made possible by advertising, because too many of us don’t understand how reality works. That’s a good thing—that the Internet happened and grew to be as pervasive as it is—but the current trajectory does not lead to the best possibilities.

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Sebastien Foucan (Part 2 of 3): Training, coaching, and preparation

September 17, 2018

Sebastien Foucan (Part 2 of 3): Training, coaching, and preparation

What strategies and principles underpin effective training, mental resilience, and personal growth?

Sebastien Foucan and Craig continue their conversation in the second part of Sebastien’s three part interview. In this episode, Sebastien discusses how he trains, how he coaches, and how he prepares for his roles in various movies and films. Craig and Sebastien also discuss the influence genetics and natural skill has on the success of a person in their sport.

Being always in motion keeps you fit and healthy. And if you don’t push too much that’s good, it’s good for you.

~ Sebastien Foucan (1:38)

The conversation explores the philosophy and practice of training, emphasizing the importance of specificity and alignment with individual goals. The discussion digs into distinctions between training and practice, the role of adaptability, and how unique circumstances dictate specific training regimens. Examples range from parkour to acting, illustrating how preparation varies across disciplines.

Mental resilience and personal growth also feature prominently, particularly through the lens of overcoming setbacks. The dialogue covers how life challenges, such as health issues and personal losses, can redefine perspectives on discipline and motivation. Additional topics include the interplay of genetics, environment, and personal choices in shaping potential, and how these elements influence broader life decisions.

Takeaways

Training specificity — Training must align with the goals and nature of the activity, whether physical, mental, or technical.

Adaptation and creativity — Effective training requires adapting to the specific challenges of each goal and using creative approaches.

Mental resilience — Life challenges, such as health setbacks, can inspire reevaluation and foster growth in discipline and motivation.

Role of environment — Success often depends on the support and conditions provided by one’s surroundings.

Genetics and potential — Physical and mental capacities are influenced by genetics, highlighting the need for realistic self-assessment.

Exploration mindset — Treating challenges as opportunities for discovery fosters growth and resilience.

Integration of play — Activities like sparring or trekking are incorporated to balance training with enjoyment and functionality.

Holistic health — Awareness of food choices and their impact on health is critical for sustainable training and well-being.

Resources

World Chase Tag — A competitive version of tag, blending physical agility and strategy.

Angry Chicken Advertisement — A pivotal project in Sebastien’s career that won a Lion d’Or award.

Cus D’Amato on YouTube — Insights into training philosophy and mentorship.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) — A framework discussed in the context of motivation and mental programming.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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Few shots from Friday

September 17, 2016

If you ask me, this was a pretty sweet place to start climbing! Super easy warm up… before we moved onto some much harder stuff. I can just barely climb the “easy” climbs here. Lots of insane over-hanging stuff that is way beyond me.

I did about 6 climbs in the afternoon before I was totally “burnt”. A couple of them were a grade or more above my best climbs the last time Mike and I were on the rocks. Really happy about that; Means my general “get in shape” continues to yield broad (health, life, parkour, climbing) benefits without my having to hyper-focus on specific sports.

Still a member of the Vertical Club… YES!

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Work with curiosity

September 17, 2015

(Part 6 of 37 in series, Study inspired by Pakour & Art du Déplacement by V. Thibault)

Finally, going forward, let’s practice tossing out our expectations of how we’re going to do today (and in life in general), and instead adopt an attitude of curiosity. We don’t know how we’re going to do at work, or in our relationships, or with our personal habits. We can’t know. So let’s find out: what will today be like? How will it go?

~ Leo Babauta from, A Guide to Dealing with Frustration & Disappointment in Yourself – Zen Habits Website

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Another something that jumped out at me as part of my regular, ongoing reading. Leo talks a lot about “mindfulness” and related practices. If you’re digging Vincent’s section 1, I think you’ll like this too.

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