Archive • Hit and Miss • Buttondown

Hit and Miss #479: Think hard, relax well

November 8, 2026

Been a bit of a heavy week back, even as it’s been nice to spend time at home, catch up with friends, and dive back into work (yes, even that!). One of the...

Hit and Miss #478: Travel media diet

November 1, 2026

Hello! Been on the road the last few weeks (or, more accurately, in the air / on the train, with a teeny bit on the road here and there), and very much so...

Hit and Miss #477: Shut off the internet

October 25, 2026

Bad week for lovers of PHP (hi!) who still run their own servers. Matt Webb’s take on it is similar to mine: good time to shut off the internet, or at least...

Hit and Miss #476: Three mid-October tidbits

October 18, 2026

Hello!! A lot on the go this weekend, so will keep it brief. Highlights from this week: T and I voted (early) in the municipal election! It was painless and...

Hit and Miss #475: Turkey survivor’s guilt

October 11, 2026

Did the Thanksgiving weekend tradition (ish) of going around Rockcliffe and surrounds, this time meandering very slowly on my bike. Saw a group of wild...

Hit and Miss #474: Field notes revisited

October 4, 2026

One of those weekends that passes in a space-y haze, where you’re not quite sure what you did or why you feel a bit down. But T nudged me toward a good...

Hit and Miss #473: So many PEPPERS

September 27, 2026

T and I did a snacky grocery store stroll Friday night. Best time to do groceries—barely anyone in the aisles! The goal, as you might surmise, was to restock...

Hit and Miss #472: Post-event reading

September 20, 2026

Thank you to everyone for the very kind words and well wishes about T and me. We’ve returned to daily life, largely the same but just a little bit different,...

Hit and Miss #471: A pretty well perfect day

September 13, 2026

Nine years ago (accounting for leap years), in the first issue of this newsletter, I wrote the following under “An update on my life”: I’m writing this at...

Hit and Miss #470: Digital transformation and neighbourliness

September 6, 2026

So the big news this week, for a certain definition of big and a certain audience for news, was the long-awaited announcement of Digital Transformation...

Hit and Miss #469: Overtired or… hungry?

August 30, 2026

Perennial note to self: the overtired you’re feeling at the end of a long day’s drive is likely a combination of, yes, actual tiredness, but also hunger. So...

Hit and Miss #468: Glossing

August 23, 2026

Gloss (glŏs), transitive verb 1. To render clear and evident by comments; to illustrate; to explain; to annotate. (Webster’s Unabridged 1913) Mandy Brown,...

Hit and Miss #467: Vampires and the administrative state

August 16, 2026

So, I don’t think vampires exist. But if they did, in our world, imagine their perspective on technological and political trends. As governments digitalize,...

Hit and Miss #466: A sea of shimmering metal

August 9, 2026

Driving along the 401 yesterday, cresting a hill and seeing cars, cars in all directions, express and collectors, east and west alike. If only there was a...

Hit and Miss #465: Links of links, quotes of quotes

August 2, 2026

Hello! Writing this in between visits with friends and other things going on this weekend, so will move straight to the links: Deb Chachra’s latest...

Hit and Miss #464: Government nerdy, HVAC and construction economics, and the two Ursulas

July 26, 2026

Was excellent to visit with friends yesterday (S+H+B+A!), revisiting an old childhood favourite (Aviation Museum!) and making the most of an excellent summer...

Hit and Miss #463: Mid-summer chill

July 19, 2026

THANK YOU TO THE WEATHER GODS! Let today’s weather be the beginning to the rest of an easy breezy summer. (ha) Feels like you could take Ken Whyte’s analysis...

Hit and Miss #462: Good advice in trying times

July 12, 2026

Hi! A great week / weekend with old friends, for which I’m really grateful given how things’ve been these past few weeks. (Highlights: farm! hike! BBQ! ice...

Hit and Miss #461: But have you considered resting

July 5, 2026

Me, here, last week: It’ll be the first bit of vacation in a while, especially just being at home, and it’s sorely needed. We’ll see how I did in next week’s...

Hit and Miss #460: Mid-year grab bag

June 28, 2026

It’s rare that I start drafting this newsletter after 9 pm, but it’s a rare week—I’m here on my own as T set off with G (very early) this morning for a...