Web Miscellany: Compilation #4

What are you up to this weekend? I’m planning on getting settled in the extended stay suite I’ll be calling home for the next three months (or maybe my in-laws’ house) and squeezing in some extra rest.

I just finished watching Breaking Bad and I’m debating what to watch next. I’m thinking season two of Westworld or Alone. Do you have favorites shows or recommendations?

Hope you have a good weekend. Here are a few fun links from around the web:

1. Default to simplicity in design, making things as intuitive as possible and removing attributes that violate the existing mental models surrounding an object.
2. I enjoyed Tim Ferriss’ interview with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, particularly the portion on internal versus external locus of control as it relates to fame. Joseph suggests that, rather than seeking more followers and ‘likes,’ we define success as pursuing the fun challenges that evoke a sense of personal accomplished.
3. I love picking wild flowers from the yard or picking up small bouquets from the farmer’s market, but I always fail at making them look presentable. A few tips: pair a droopy flower with something stiffer, peel of the dead outer petals of a rose, and add warm water to the vase every day.
4. Last week, I required a biopsy for a suspicious mole on my back. Thankfully it was benign, but I wanted to share a reminder to always wear sunscreen. My dermatologist suggested anything with zinc oxide, and thankfully the single brand that works for my pale skin fits the bill: ThinkSport SPF 50+ and Every Day Face Sunscreen (Naturally Tinted).
5. China is crazy for the NBA, but official sources use boring phonetic transcriptions, failing to take advantage of Chinese characters having both sound and meaning. Chinese netizens have “improved” on these official names. I’m not a fan of sports, but is pretty funny.
6. My current obsession: Blueberry Coconut White Tea from Lov Organic and Stone Grindz Ecuadorian dark chocolate.
7. I’ve been listening to Ludovico Einaudi’s composition “Experience” on repeat. I just love how the song builds and progresses, as if telling the story of a life well-lived. If you prefer songs with vocals, you can’t go wrong with Birdy.
8. The Boston Public Library has digitized their collection of M.C. Escher prints; browse the whole collection here. As a child, I spent hours trying to make sense of his optical illusions. If you’re looking for a modern-day, interactive parallel, check out the phone app Monument Valley; the story, puzzles, and visual aesthetics are unmatched.
9. 10 Book Designers Discuss the Book Covers They Rejected, And Why. I love reading, and am fascinated by how illustrators visually distill an entire story into a few square inches. Neat discussion.
10. 5 Essential Investments Every Human Being Should Make In Themselves from Srinivas Rao: physical health, mental health, education, professional development, and environment.
11. From the article Able, Allowed, Should; Navigating Modern Tech Ethics: “But the fact is, a well-capitalized business can do a lot of innovative things that are good for the world. We just need to make sure that we keep the long view in mind and are vigilant about making ethical, responsible decisions along the way.”
12. I’ve adored Robert Wright since reading The Moral Animal in 2008, and recently picked up his latest book, Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. It’s a great read and I just stumbled upon a excerpt: What is nirvana? Check it out!
13. Quote I’m pondering, from Ralph Marston: “Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.”
14. This secret to a great marriage made me chuckle: “We want our partners to be happy. And they should want us to be happy too. So if your persuasive attempts fail, just follow these steps. One: buy the present you’ve been wanting. Two: hand it to your partner. Three: say ‘I got you this to give to me.'”
15.  Dollar Street is a project by Anna Rosling Rönnlund that imagines the world as a street ordered by income, with poor families at one end and rich families at the other. A team of photographers went out to capture the everyday items owned by families of all income levels–shoes, toothbrushes, TVs, beds, lights, toilets–so that visitors to the site can see how much income affects how families live.