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18 useful maxims for life, your secret work crush and the joy of jigsaws
As long-time readers will know, this newsletter is a labour of love, as opposed to a money-making scheme. I sit down every two weeks (mostly) on a Friday or Saturday and pull together an edited highlights of things I’ve come across over the past, along with a few other random thoughts.
Generally, I love doing it. It provides me an opportunity to be slightly creative, a little bit silly and mischievous (on occasion) and often clear my head.
Some weeks/fortnights, though, the process feels more of a slog than normal and I’m not even sure if the output is worthy. This is one of those issues, so apologies if it’s not ‘up to scratch’ – particularly if you’re a new subscriber, thinking “WTF is this load of hooey doing in my inbox?” You’re welcome to bid farewell now 🤣
After all that, here’s the stuff I’ve come across this issue…
Your secret work crush
This made me laugh because it’s so true. In many ways, how could it not be? We seek out people we gel with, often along ideological or thematic lines, but also because we ‘like’ them, as people. And given how much time we spend working (even remotely), we crave that connection.
Office crushes, in all their mercurial glory and pain, continue to shape our working lives in deeply meaningful ways. They have the power to bring out our best work, and to transform a soul-crushing office into an experience we actually look forward to and enjoy.
How to stop losing 17,500 kidneys
Having read this, the first thing I really wanted to do is find out if there’s a similar problem in the NHS in the UK. I’d like to think not, but it sort of stands to reason that there are bound to be some potential donatable organs that don’t get used. A revealing interview!
BOOK OF THE FORTNIGHT
Damascus Station by David McCloskey
Buy from: Amazon | UK Bookshop *
I dip in and out of spy thrillers. A lot of them are a bit formulaic and uninspiring, but this is most definitely at the top of the pile. Even though it’s set a world away – in Paris and then Damascus – this feels real and gritty, scary and pulsating, but also takes its time. Very smart and highly recommended.
Fancy something else? My fiction bookshelf | My non-fiction bookshelf
The joy of jigsaws
Jigsaws are unfashionable. After all, in a world where we have any TV show or film at our disposal, or a multitude of video content or blog posts ready and waiting to be consumed, why would you sit at a table, trying to fit together 1000 cut-up pieces of board to make a picture – only to then take it apart almost immediately?
I’m about to finish my third jigsaw of the year – the one above was a birthday present from my older daughter and was a joy to solve. They take you out of yourself. You focus on really small things that feel achieveable and there’s a true sense of accomplishment when you finish.
Coincidentally, the ever-wonderful Storythings shared this lovely reel from the LA Public Library this week – which conveniently backed my point up, but also took it one stage further, citing jigsaws as a great way to create community.
Even if you don’t think you like a puzzle, ask to borrow one from a friend and give them a go. It might stop you bingeing the latest series of MAFS, which can hardly be a bad thing, can it?
The rise of A24 and the numbers behind their success
I’m a Picturehouses cinema member, which is possibly why I found this super-interesting. They routinely show the new films produced by A24 – Civil War is the latest.
In a cinematic world packed with mindless Marvel, endless sequels and franchises that never seem to go away (Fast & Furious 26 or something?!), A24 is a beacon for people who enjoy thoughtful entertainment.
When do we stop finding new music?
Are you open-eared? Do you listen to new styles and genres of music? It appears that there’s a tipping point at which we reach “sonic stagnation” – in other words we get totally stuck and rarely stray. Have a guess what age it is and then go read the article to see how accurate you were.
Incidentally, a recent discovery of mine is a wonderful French artist called Zaho de Sagazan, whose 2023 debut album La symphonie des éclairs has swept the French equivalent of the BRITs recently.
I loved this video that takes a tour through personality identity – what makes us really ‘us’?
18 useful maxims for life
I really like this list. A particular favourite that anyone can apply:
Luck Razor - If stuck with 2 equal options, pick the one that feels like it will produce the most luck later down the line.
This is a teenager
The Pudding never failed to produce the most amazing data journalism. This interactive piece about teenagers and how their circumstances over the years affect their outcomes is remarkable.
Tom Jones and Wilson Pickett!
I love the fact that there were 70s TV shows that made duets like this happen (and that the recordings still exist).
The “Multi-Multi-Multi-Million-Dollar” Art Fraud That Shook the World
Chances are you’re not necessarily that au fait with the work of indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau. Fakes of his work started appearing and – even though he disavowed many of them – they kept on coming.
The cloud under the sea
Ever thought about how the internet gets delivered to you? It’s thousands of underwater cables… Now how are they kept intact? This amazing interactive piece will tell you…
THE FINAL RANDOM LINKS
This interview with Dieter Helm about the climate crisis is required listening – you’ll think differently about the situation afterwards
It appears that the New York Times is now heavily reliant on its puzzles income!
That’s your lot! See you in a couple of weeks…
THANKS FOR READING
*As always my book recommendation links usually go to one of two places:
1) Bookshop.org (an online bookshop with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops – it's an affiliate link, so I earn a tiny amount at no extra cost to you)
2) I also include an Amazon affiliate link, though, as I know lots of people still read via Kindle, even though they're taking over the world!
I'm always grateful when people send on recommendations for inclusion in here. If you ever see something you think I'd love to read, please let me know, or comment below. The internet is a big space and I only search a small part of it...
A FINAL, FINAL WORD
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