Medium
I have issues with this article, but I think it’s a valuable read, as it makes some good points and cites relevant source material. The tone and take-away messages are, to me, annoying – but I don’t think I’m coming at this as the target audience (the author strikes me as the type of person who owns multiple suits and matching shoes, and wields the word “cashmere” with wanton abandon). In fitting Gibson’s narrative to his Message, he left out a few important reasons for Gibson’s decline, such as Gibson’s entanglement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service over their importing of hardwoods. While that case settled for a relatively small penalty, the confiscation of materials, the investigation itself, and the onerous changes Gibson had to make in order to get right by the government took a significant toll on the company that was already staggering from the financial miscues described in the article above. In general, though, I do agree with his comparison between Fender’s interpretation of innovation versus Gibson’s.
Citylab
The Tokyo subway was in the news last week because a conductor was chastised and had to make a public apology for leaving the station 25 seconds early. This article discusses that, plus discusses implementation of “nudge theory” and mood lighting to reduce suicide attempts. Fascinating stuff!
CampendiumI’ve got a bad case of wanderlust lately and I’m trying to see how cheap I can plan a motorcycle road trip. This involves determining where the cheapest campgrounds are and what exactly the state they’re in. Campendium has a great collection of user-reviews of various spots both on and off the beaten path. Their newsletter is great, too, as it profiles recent reviews from all over the country and provides a little glimpse of places to put on my “to visit” list.
Saw the new Star Wars movie on Thursday. Loved it! The link above goes to the trailer if you haven’t seen it already. Unlike every other movie in the Star Wars universe, the stakes are much lower here – there’s no Death Star or Death Star-like base to be destroyed, no Skywalker heir in site – so it really just feels like an adventure story. And after some of the more explosive blockbusters this year (I’m looking at you, Avengers: Infinity War!) it’s nice just to have a good popcorn movie. And the connection to the Star Wars universe? All the better!
Mojang (part of Microsoft Studios)
Minecraft is nothing new. I bought a copy when it was still a tiny little thing back in 2010 and I’ve noodled with it ever since. And what a phenomenon it has become! They’re seriously making a Minecraft movie, there are “realms” and skins you can buy… I don’t understand half of it. Hell, I don’t even understand the whole potion thing. I’ve barely tamed a horse! A year back or so I bought Minecraft for the Xbox One because my PC’s video card had fried itself. The controls aren’t nearly as intuitive as on the PC (WASD + mouse 4EVAH!!) but chilling on the couch playing on a bigger screen… it’s pretty awesome. These days I crank up Minecraft on the Xbox when I want to zone out because I can spend hours doing nothing but exploring or building a step-mine to bedrock, or building a shelter out of glass…. or doing whatever! The possibilities are endless and because of the insane popularity they’re constantly adding new things – the other day I was in a boat and there were DOLPHINS! It’s become a sort of meditation for me these days. Need to reset? Clear the evening, it’s a Minecraft night. And it works. Give it a try – it’s not just for kids.
