Through Lines 227
I didn’t know I needed St. Vincent performing for (with?) a bunch of puppies to bookend a long week, but here we are. I continue to like this more real, unguarded version of Annie Clark.
- Cardinals at the Window is a massive 136-song collection supporting flood relief in North Carolina including previously unreleased tracks by R.E.M., Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, The Decemberists, Feist, Jeff Tweedy and so many more.
- “If you show me the incentives, I’ll show you the outcome.” This line from Charlie Munger nails it — especially if you’re trying to understand what’s going on behind the curtain of things like technology. This succinctly explains what you need to know about how the big social networks work and how we've ended up where we are.
- I’ve know the work of Margaret Calvert, but not her. Woman at Work: Margaret Calvert, a monograph from Unit Editions covering her pioneering public service design and typography aims to remedy that.
- “Nature doesn’t care about our computing issues.” It’s fun to read articles about advances in the study of the universe and go, hey, I actually know that guy — in this case, astrophysicist, Kevin Hainline. The Beautiful Confusion of the First Billion Years Comes Into View.
- For How Much Longer Can Life Continue on This Troubled Planet? None of us on the planet right now will be here to find out for sure, but it’s an interesting and useful exercise to try to understand.
- If only all conference talks were anywhere near as energetic, enthusiastic and genuinely sweet as Cabel Sassar's XOXO '24 talk. I know I’m better for having seen it. Also, don’t miss Erin Kissane.
- I’m with Naz on this. I don't need a new iPhone. My now nearly 2-year old phone is still a marvel and has a year or two in it before I can justify an upgrade.
- Go revel in Doug Wilson’s photos from a recent trip to the Ottmar Mergenthaler Museum.
- A brief history of the CBC logo, otherwise known as “the gem” or the “exploding pizza” (ugh, no) designed by Burton Kramer and told by Richard Baird.
- The venerable P22 type foundry's site launched a substantial redesign this week. Gorgeous.
- Desperation algorithms. Yup.
- We all need Lucky.
The last few weeks have been fairly intense on the work front, all leading up to signing on full-time with the kind, thoughtful and brilliant team at Humane in SF who I’ve had the pleasure of working with and learning alongside for the last year and change. We need to redefine our relationships with technology to reconnect with each other and the world. Despite early product reviews, I’ve seen first-hand a commitment to and evolution of ideas by the team — and big leaps in their first product that are ultimately about closing the gap towards that lofty, but important goal. Don’t count an underdog out yet.