Art:
- If you are looking for any confirmation that people are searching for handcrafted simplicity, and they’re willing to pay $125 for it, check out Paper Jam Press’ handcrafted letterpress posters.
- Ward Shelley creates hand painted elaborate timelines as paintings, placing real events in subjective contexts with stunning results. (hat tip to kottke.org)
Books:
- Bookforum’s review of “Death Becomes Him” (free log-in required) was intriguing enough to get the book put on my Amazon Wish List. I have a need to learn more about necronautica!
[...] what is left of a man when his memories and movements have been chiseled away? But it also suggests a type of purgatory, a halfway house or a waiting room.
Data:
- Edward Tufte asks his readers about life tracking and self-awareness tools. How many times will you check back to track for follow-up?
What kinds of effective displays are used by people in planning, recording, and assessing their daily activities? Since so much information is compiled, it is important to identify what kinds of data are relevant to understanding and changing one’s activities, to go beyond score-keeping. So we’re looking for data that would help see what we’re doing, how much is habit, and how one can be more effectively self-aware. The issues are less about display methods and more about choosing the key data worth looking at.
- Speaking of life tracking and self-awareness, Nicholas Felton has taken it to a new extreme and published an annual report of his life each year since 2005 replete with beautiful charts and new insights into how he spent his time. Felton is also the founder of a website called Daytum that can help you track all of this information for yourself and share it with others.
iPad (just because I need to know):
- I was dubious about an article claiming that the iPad needs multiple user switching and multitasking but this post on MacUser brings up very specific things that will feel broken in the experience if these two features don’t make it soon. Either that, or I’ll be buying myself an iPad and a special separate one for Jan!
