Category: Start With These

Artificial (Lack Of) Intelligence

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25 COMMENTS

(Listen to this post, here.) Like many earthlings, I began baking sourdough bread during the pandemic. I don’t exactly remember why, but I assume it had something to do with needing an at-home activity that didn’t involve Zoom and could be accomplished pantless. (Warning: never combine these two activities.) I’ve been baking bread ever since. My routine is simple: I feed the starter about twice a week; I bake a new loaf about once a week; I cut it up into slices, freeze it, and toast as needed. Interestingly, and […] Click to read more…

Nobody Buys Process

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8 COMMENTS

(Listen to this post, here.) I bought a brand new car about a year ago. I wasn’t planning on it. My 2013 Ford Focus was running just fine. It only had 117,000 miles (that’s three fortnights and half a stone for those of you in the United Kingdom) and I expected to drive it for many more years. Plus, my stated stance at the time regarding car purchases was that I would never again buy a new one, instead opting for the improved investment value of a used vehicle. But one […] Click to read more…

Their Marketing Does Not Apply to You

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22 COMMENTS

(Listen to this post, here.) When it comes to watching sports, I am far from what you would call a “superfan.” Football? Occasionally. Baseball? Only if I’m at a live game. Hockey? No interest. Looks like something a bunch of middle schoolers invented after their moms told them to turn off the TV and go play outside. But basketball … that I like. Plus, because I play each week in my town’s middle school gym, there’s some potential for me to take what I learn from watching the professionals and apply […] Click to read more…

Lessons From 500 Newsletters

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22 COMMENTS

(Listen to this post, here.) You hold in your hands (sort of) the 500th edition of this newsletter. I published the first one in September of 1999. Just to put into perspective how long ago 1999 was, in that same year, Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France; Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca” went to #1; and Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was just an annoying, self-important adolescent (okay, not everything has changed). But I have learned quite a few things in the course of publishing 500 newsletters. So, I thought I might […] Click to read more…

It’s Not Me, It’s You

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14 COMMENTS

(Listen to this post, here.) My son Evan can juggle five balls (simultaneously). My daughter Emily finished a half marathon with an average speed of 8:04 per mile. My son Jonathan is lead singer in a band that won “Battle of the Bands” two years in a row at his college. Do you care? I didn’t think so. You’ve got your own life. And while reading about the skills and accomplishments of other people’s children might occasionally be interesting, it’s not something you’re likely to go in search of. As […] Click to read more…