Do we have to make money with every hobby we enjoy?
The Weekly Review: Vol VIII Issue 13
Hello citizens of this fine rock hurdling through space! I'm Chris Bowler and this is The Weekly Review, my less-than-weekly missive on various topics (with an emphasis on software, theology, and PKM).
As always, you can stop these emails anytime they're no longer bringing you a moment of joy or respite.
================================
What's your monetization strategy?
That's the question that comes to my mind when I wrote the opening to this newsletter. Yeah, I like to write about a few different things that, if you look at just right, likely have some intersection. Somewhere down the line. But they're things that interest me and catch my attention and that makes me want to talk to others about them.
That's what a good newsletter is for.
At least, that's how I define it. Same for personal website. I love blogs — I wish more people had them.
But if you think about the advice that most people give (or follow), it's about finding a niche, finding a pain point, then becoming an expert in that thing (or at least know enough about it to sound like an expert). You can write about any specific topic, but the end result must be one thing: the ability to earn money from it. Directly or indirectly.
But what about simply sharing in order to find others with similar passions? Your tribe, so to speak. Plenty of words have been written about the ills of turning every hobby into a business.
And that's exactly how I like to think of my newsletter, my blog, my small corner of the web. It's a hobby. Something I put energy into regularly, not because I have to, but because I want to. Something that can at times get ignored, but never for too long. Like that scarf that takes my wife 6 months to finish, writing is a regular part of my life. Even on those weeks when I have to squeeze it in.
That's it — that's the strategy!
================================
Items of note
Western Canada burns and deaths mount after world’s most extreme heat wave in modern history
We've returned to cooler weather in our town, but I confess I've quite enjoyed the warmer than usual temperatures we've had the past 6 weeks. And while I worry about climate change, I also am growing callous towards "news" these days. Any time an event occurs, it feels (to me) that we all want to see a bigger issue behind the event. And we have a word for that:
Here's the opening of this article:
Hundreds of North Americans – and perhaps many more yet to be tallied – have died of heat-related illness over the past week after a mind-boggling heat wave struck the U.S. Pacific Northwest and far southwest Canada. It’s virtually certain to be the deadliest weather event on record for the region. The unprecedented death toll is the result of a heat onslaught more intense by some measures than anything in global records, yet very much in line with the expected impacts of a human-warmed climate.
I care about our environment. And I certainly don't want to see people die from extreme heat. But I'm also super hesitant to give validity to what is reported in 2021. News content is written to play upon this innate desire to see the worst in any situation.
It's quite possible the issue here is me, not the sources of news. But I continue to seek out sources of information on current events that take the long view and do not provide a hot take.
The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine?
I confess I’ve reduced my coffee consumption over the past year or two. I often have only one cup in a day, although I probably average two. Whatever the number is, I’m often mindful of the effects this drug has one me.
But here’s what’s uniquely insidious about caffeine: the drug is not only a leading cause of our sleep deprivation; it is also the principal tool we rely on to remedy the problem. Most of the caffeine consumed today is being used to compensate for the lousy sleep that caffeine causes – which means that caffeine is helping to hide from our awareness the very problem that caffeine creates.
This article may be focused on those whose intake is much higher than my own. I can’t quite relate to the descriptions made, but I still appreciate the point.
What will happen to my music library when Spotify dies?
Great article on the impermanence of our digital lives.
“If somebody buys an album, they’re going to invest the time to listen to it [in order to] try to get their money’s worth,” says Mark Mulligan, a music-industry analyst at the consultancy MIDiA Research. “Sometimes that results in albums that might be a difficult listen the first couple of times turning out to be all-time great albums.”
This quote sums up the topic perfectly for me. If I didn’t have a physical copy of Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins, I likely would never have given it the time needed as Billy Corgan’s voice was painful the first few listens. But because I had spent $18 of my hard earned cash, I did give it time, fell in love with their music, and it changed my listening habits completely. Suddenly the world of grunge music opened up to me.
This taste-altering experience happened to me several times in my teens and 20’s and I’m not sure I’m that patient with new music now.
================================
Quote of the week
We selected Monday as our off-day initially because we work with marinas and campgrounds and Friday is typically a busy day for recreation and we wanted to be fully available on Fridays for them. But Monday over Friday has also had some unexpected benefits. I’ve heard from team members that having Monday to themselves — with no family obligations and no work obligations — gives them time to think heading into the week. Whereas Friday acts as a jumpstart into the weekend, Monday can give people the mental break to start off their weeks strong.
Mike Melillo, A year ago we dropped to a four-day-work week, here’s what has happened since
We've been running a four-day workweek since 2017 and most of our team takes Fridays off (a few folks on our customer success team take off Mondays instead). But I do appreciate the difference articulated here. Doing a good, proper weekly review can be hard on Fridays or the weekend. Having Monday off would be a nice way to start the week.
================================
Currently
Watching: We've been (mostly) enjoying season 2 of Home Before Dark — one of the better shows produced by Apple. It's got a little Stranger Things vibe, but with younger kids who hang out at the library a lot.
We finished off Loki as well. Apart from a slightly weak ending, I really enjoyed this show. The entire nostalgic 60's TVA theme was spot on — I would let the credits roll at the end of each episode.
Listening: A lot of singles for artists I enjoy who have new albums coming … but not yet. I'm not sure I like this new way of releasing music. Similar to the article above, this method of accessing music leads me to having no sense of albums — I merely recognize music from artists I enjoy, but cannot place what album a track is from.
Drinking: Tried a few options from Bright Eye brewing as we’re on holidays visiting family in Kamloops, BC. This brewery seems to focus on the fruity beers as they have mostly sours and hazy options available. I enjoyed their Peaches offering, a pale ale with peaches and vanilla. Very smooth.
================================
Signing off on this issue. May you experience some peace and love in your corner of the world 🙏