You

How Getting Older Makes You Tougher and Wiser

Getting older is good! Well, not in every way — I’m getting near-sighted and having trouble bending my legs. 🤷🏻‍♂️ But in more significant ways, aging makes you better.

I don’t love the name of this article, but I do like the observations it contains.

👉 The Incredibly Harsh Lessons You Learn with Age

These are some great lessons learned from aging, and I agree with them all.

  • Nothing is ever “done”
  • Success increases with your ability to be vulnerable
  • There is always another struggle coming next
  • You always have more to learn
  • Being uncomfortable feels the best

I especially like the last one.

As you age and you understand the struggle never ends, you learn to move closer to uncomfortable situations because that’s where progress is unlocked and fulfillment can be found.

Me · You

The 50/50 Rule and Why I Blog

My blog’s current tag line is “This is not a blog.”

Originally, this site was intended as a way to keep track of links to interesting or useful things, like glorified bookmarks. But since then, it has evolved to serve another purpose: to make me think and communicate about stuff.

See, as I was bookmarking stuff, I found myself adding little bits about why I liked the link or context about how I found it. Over time, I found that when I would link to an article, I would sometimes want to add a summary about the article to help me process it and remember it better.

A better way to learn, process, retain and remember information is to learn half the time, and share half the time.

If I take two seconds to effortlessly save a bookmark, then the information is saved and soon forgotten. If I add even a quick post about it, giving it a title and some context or a summary, then that post is now a part of me. And as a bonus, I get to share it with other people.

So I was happy to see this article, which makes me think I am not wasting my time.

👉 The 50/50 Rule (How to Retain And Remember 90% of Everything You Learn)

It basically says that if you make yourself talk about something, then you come to understand it or appreciate it better. Spend half you time learning and half your time explaining what you learned.

According to the article, I would be serving myself better by writing out my notes by hand. It seems people type too fast for their brain to absorb what they’re doing. And simply by writing that, I now remember that fact. But I’m typing this anyways because you can’t tag, search, and share your paper notebook. 🤷🏻‍♂️

And yes, this article is so meta.

Photos

50 years ago today, the first human stepped onto the surface of the moon. 🚀🌝🚶‍♂️🇺🇸 This was an insanely difficult and dangerous mission, and is IMHO the crowing achievement of humankind to date.

If you’re not impressed, read “Failure is Not an Option” for just one perspective of the Mercury and Apollo programs.

Okay, let’s hashtag this 😆 #moon #apollo #apollo11 #apollo11anniversary #nasa #space #usa #houston #sky #shotoniphone via Instagram https://ift.tt/2xZpncU

Travel

The Metropolitan Opera

Next time you’re in NYC, why not go see an opera? The tickets are surprisingly affordable (from $30). And even if you’re not an opera fan, this is a unique and interesting experience.

👉 The Metropolitan Opera (NYC)

Funnily enough, this tip came as a recommendation from Andy Ihnatko on a tech podcast. Listen in at this spot for more inspiration about the opera. 🤷🏻‍♂️

👉 MacBreak Weekly (MP3) 565: 10 Years After (via Overcast)

Lobby of The Metropolitan Opera before a performance.

Travel

The McKittrick Hotel: Not a Hotel

The McKittrick Hotel in the Chelsea neighborhood of in New York City is not actually a hotel (as far as I can tell). It’s more of a bizarre collection of venues and edgy entertainment.

👉 The McKittrick Hotel

Their about page sets the tone…

Completed in 1939, The McKittrick Hotel was intended to be New York City’s finest and most decadent luxury hotel of its time. Six weeks before opening, and two days after the outbreak of World War II, the legendary hotel was condemned and left locked, permanently sealed from the public. Until now…

This “hotel” features the creepy and insanely immersive Sleep No More, a bar on the roof, a bar in the basement, magic shows, cabaret, anything weird and especially 1930’s-themed.

Related image

This may be the weirdest and most fun place in NYC (that I know of). I’m definitely going back if I ever get the chance.