Culture
TIME's Person of the Year nominee write-ups are way more interesting than the winner's profile. Why is that?
The TIME article profiling their person of the year is rarely as insightful as their articles explaining why they chose the nominees. I don't want to talk about Donald Trump, instead I spent more time reading about the No. 3 choice this year, "The Hackers."
Said of what The Hackers' impact has been, we're left "grappling with an acutely modern form of disquiet—the suspicion that the information we have become used to creating in mass quantities, almost constantly, may come to light, out of context and as destructive payload."
Be sure to read through each of the nominees' write-ups. They're all very thoughtful and articulate, and they'll each leave you feeling a little uneasy about what makes people popular and influential.
Who controls the image, the artist or the subject?
The interesting thing about this piece isn't the argument the author makes that the Trump cover is a subversive piece of political art, but instead the author's certainty about who's controlling the image.
In college, I took a course on The Art of Power, in which we learned how the powerful, kings and presidents, have controlled their image throughout time. We watched The West Wing because it shows what it's like behind the curtains in the White House. These days, with more access to powerful people via social media, iPhone videos and hot mics, we feel like we're seeing behind the curtains.
But we should be aware of the subtle difference between what we think is happening behind the curtains and what is actually just a presentation going on backstage.
Business
Litmus raised $49 million. So what?
I've gotten to know the team at Litmus recently. That's how I came across this link about the only funding they have taken—which happened a year ago.
What they've accomplished as a business is impressive. A $49 million Series A sounds like your typical VC deal until you learn that their only outside funding before this was a £10,000 bank loan a decade ago. A decade ago. This is how you do it.
My favorite line in this piece, notably not a Techcrunch article, is the last one: "Spectrum and Litmus celebrated the close of the funding round last night with a dinner at Menton, a French-Italian restaurant in Fort Point Channel." The cocktail menu at this place looks incredible.
Outerwall made a great buy with Red Box
Outerwall (OUTR) makes CoinStar and now Red Box kiosks and were recently taken private by a company who sees value (hopefully) in fluttering brands.
What I like about this deal is how transactional it was. Here we have a brand that will not last, but it's a cash cow. Should they try and reimagine it to compete, or should they accept it for what it is and live off the cash flow? I know what my guess is, considering CoinStar is literally a business that sucks pennies into a hole until they're gone.
What I like about the business is their focus and flexibility. They can swap out the product they sell because they're a real estate business, they just lease 4' x 4' spaces.
Food and Drink
Enjoy a cocktail with this inaugural issue
I've included commentary on the links below to help you understand why I think they're challenging and interesting. I try to get along with everyone, but I also find myself swimming upstream against conventional wisdom. So, it's in that spirit that I'm going to be sharing the links that inspire me and make me think critically about the world we're responsible for.
On that note, go make a cocktail and enjoy this inaugural issue. I suggest a Negroni, which is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, stirred and garnished with an orange peel. I like it served up, but on the rocks is fine if you're into that. If you don't drink, you can make a virgin Negroni by pouring water into a cup and drinking that instead—I like to serve this version in one of those free take-home plastic cups from Soul Fish.
Whatever your choice of beverage, do yourself a favor and slow down, read slowly this evening.
Essential Cocktails by Dale Degroff
Speaking of cocktails, about a year ago, my good friend Dan Price from Proper Cocktails came out to my house to teach me how to make classic craft cocktails—yeah, I pretty much had a cocktail consultant train me in my home.
One of the most rewarding aspects of learning to make craft cocktails has been the focus on doing simple things well before worrying about experimentation. What I mean is, I have been working as a designer and business owner for long enough that I sometimes forget how rewarding the basic formula for mixing up a user experience can be.
Anyway, Dan shared this book with me, and it's awesome. It's a great resource if you want a reliable resource for making cocktails.
You should go buy it now.