In the can
In today’s Beetle Bailey, art imitates life.
“Be a hummingbird”
A story from Wangari Maathai, environmental activist, political activist, and winner of the Novel Peace Prize.
Staying in one place
A (pre-pandemic) observation from Philip Reed, a professional model maker: “I do not see that just having to stay in one place is a restriction on life. It’s more having to stay in one place in your head that’s a restriction on life.”
“The” four
People can be slotted into “the” four or five or six anything, one slot per person, only if you’re looking to attract eyeballs on the Internets.
Good advice from Ray Suarez
“All right, who do I want to be at the end of the day: promoted and a jerk, or owning myself and owning the way I want to be in the world and maybe missing out on that promotion?”
One more Rick Veach story
One more story about Rick, which I just thought of.
Rick Veach (1959–2017)
Rick Veach was our plumber and our heating and cooling specialist through almost all the twenty-seven years we’ve lived in our house. And he was our friend.
Words from Edward G. Robinson
“To work, to create, to grow, and to give of yourself: that is one of the chief aims in life. To have experienced it once: that is a great experience. To do it a hundred and one times, well, that’s really a small miracle.”
Ten bits and a jar
John Scalzi’s ten bits of advice for getting work done in these times, and Elaine’s idea for a jar of good things.
Two Guys
A price sticker, thirty-six years old.
Work advice
From Roger Rosenblatt.
David Letterman on his show’s end
“There will be reasonable, adult acceptance of transition. Or I will turn to a life of crime.”
A postcard from my future self
Writing to one’s future self may seem to you (as it does to me) awfully corny. Getting a note from one’s future self is another story.
“An eccentric, if not a subversive”
A wise observation from Bill Watterson, from a 1990 commencement address.
The front end
It is still called “the front end.”
The self-help guru we deserve?
Rebecca Mead profiles Timothy Ferriss.
Stalwart workers
“Intelligent, protective of their time away from work, and not especially interested in power, money, or becoming the boss.”
Tyne Daly, miner
A metaphor for different kinds of work.
Alice Notley on “non-careerist”
On where one belongs
Peter F. Drucker: “But most people, especially highly gifted people, do not really know where they belong until they are well past their mid-twenties. By that time, however, they should know the answers to the three questions: What are my strengths? How do I perform? and, What are my values?”
At work in the Intermezzo
A place to work, away from home