Good read about some early GUI design at Xerox. The origin of the hamburger icon that is practically everywhere. The thought process behind creating icons for a graphical interface that would be meaningful to people who had never seen a graphical interface before … which was everyone. A nod to random decisions made without much thought at 8:30 on a Tuesday that end up putting a tiny dent in the universe.

But also, this:

I learned very quickly that I don’t wear a three-piece suit to PARC: it was t-shirts and shorts, kilts … one guy walked around with a parrot on his shoulder. Everyone had bean-bags in their office, and neon signs, and incense. Think California in the 1970s.

Bruce Sterling has a great Tumblr. Still tumblin’. Seems like there’s some good white space … or blue space … on the ironic side.

Every driver should own and use the Rand McNally Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas. Get the one with the laminated pages so when you spill your coffee you can wipe it off. It’s the best fifty-nine dollars you’ll ever spend. Forget about online systems, and don’t rely on the voice. It can be useful as a backup, but your primary guide needs to be a map. You need to visualize the route in your mind. Willie Joyce told me that since they started using GPS, drivers get lost or confused three times more than when they used road maps.

From The Long Haul: A Trucker’s Tales of Life on the Road” by Finn Murphy

5 or 6 years ago I bought a USB mic so that I could start a podcast with Ian.

We didn’t start a podcast. Though we’ve almost started talking about it  several times. That must count for something.

Tonight I recorded with that mic for the third time with the illustrious Adam Pierno for his podcast, The Strategy Inside Everything. 

We mostly talked about how the strategy track at the Brandcenter works. And a little bit about my career.

Also, I learned that my house is loud. Humming and buzzing and general room noise that I never noticed until I was listening through headphones.

And … my god, I have some vocal tics to contend with.

It’ll be out in a couple weeks.