I’m slowly but surely moving back into the wonderful combination of TheBrain, Tinderbox, and DEVONthink.
I love sending emails from my Protonmail account (jbaty@pm.me) to another Protonmail user. Privacy feels good.
I never did find my TWSBI 580 after the move, so today I replaced it with the Aluminum version in Nickel Gray. IMO the TWSBIs are the best pens you can get for under $100.
TWSBI Diamond 580ALR Fountain Pen
I’ve decided that two pages are the right number of “Morning Pages” for me. Nice and symmetrical. Three pages is too many and makes me avoid writing them at all.
Glut: Mastering Information through the Ages
Glut: Mastering Information through the AgesGlut: Mastering Information through the Ages by Alex Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Interesting, but I’m not sure why I needed to know 3/4 of it. My favorite bits were about Ted Nelson and hypertext.
Terrible cover.
Tinderbox 8 is available and is another solid update. Map views continue to improve. Filtered outlines are really handy. Tinderbox remains the most useful app on my Mac.
Self-driving cars will be considered unthinkable 50 years from now
The simple explanation for why this situation didn’t escalate: the unspoken social contract of the bus driver’s authority in this space. We have invested years in developing social contracts around both private and public transportation. When you get into a bus or a train, or even a car, you acknowledge that the person at the wheel is in charge. This power relationship is what allows shared transportation to flourish, and this social contract is what helps many of us in marginalized groups feel safer while riding transportation. It doesn’t feel safe to imagine riding in a shared driverless vehicle. Not just because the technology doesn’t work — but because it doesn’t feel safe to be alone in a small, enclosed space with strange men.
I hadn’t thought about that specific problem with self-driving public transportation. Feels important, but I don’t see how it condemns all self-driving vehicles. It does make me wonder what else I haven’t considered. On the other hand, I believe she’s overly defeatist and contrarian on the topic overall1. My prediction is that in 50 years she’ll be proven 75% wrong.
(via Kottke)
I have not read her book, though, so
¯\_(ツ)_/¯↩︎
A few favorite objects
I noticed that a few of my favorite objects had arranged themselves on a corner of my desk.
A few favorite objects
Clockwise from left:
General Electric alarm clock. I had a clock just like this on my desk when in high school, maybe earlier, and have used it ever since. It finally died a couple years ago so I replaced it with an identical model found on Etsy. I plug it in and it tells me the time, quietly and accurately, until Daylight Saving Time or a power outage. So, maybe two or three times a year. When I do have to adjust the time, I do it by turning an obvious knob on the back of the clock. A minor inconvenience in exchange for simple, pragmatic time-keeping on a mid-century device.
“The Planter” by Dudek Modern Goods. A beautiful, hand-made solid block of walnut. I love its minimal design and the little succulent I have in it. It holds all of my favorite pens at the ready. Speaking of favorite pens, the one on the right is a Montblanc rollerball. I was given the pen in 1991 and I still use it regularly.
Caran d’Ache Pencil Sharpener. Now here’s an over-engineered delight for sharpening pencils. A lovely, precise “sharpening machine” with the cutest little drawer for collecting shavings. This sharpener is reason enough to use pencils and it does a wonderful job.
Ernest Wright Turton Scissors. I have no doubt that these scissors will become a family heirloom. Just look at them. I’m left-handed, so the slight curve of the blades means that I don’t have to awkwardly twist my fingers to get a clean cut. I love them. I love the idea of them.