From the Editor's Desk | #1
10 Things from the Desk of the Editor-in-Chief
We took a European Christmas Vacation and visited two Scandinavian Countries - Denmark + Sweden. Both are elegantly designed and there was no better example of this than at the Arlanda Airport in Stockholm. The airport itself was so miraculously well put together. But the express train from the airport to Stockholm’s city center is called the Arlanda Express and it is a thing our beauty. It was voted “product design of the year” for 2011. The red dot award is the world’s largest design competition. The interior, the acoustics, the smoothness of the ride, the attention to detail, the simplicity of the train schedule. It was the total package.
Earlier this week I had to make a trip to the Apple Store only to receive some critical information about the health of our daughter’s phone and its audio ports. While waiting on my Genius Bar associate, I noticed the layout of a particular merchandising display. It inspired the banner image of our RING-IN | 2019 journal entry.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Christmas present to my wife is a damn near perfect video game experience. We are currently elbow deep in this N64 masterpiece and are having a blast exploring wild lands and defeating outrageous monsters.
Magic the Gathering - I know nothing of this competitive card game. But I am a big fan of 99% Invisible and the first show of the New Year was about Magic. Its really worth a listen.
Taking stock + Routines & Cycles + a Variety of Postures - New Year’s is a great time to assess. Between our RING-OUT | 2018 & RING-IN | 2019 journal entries and this practice of curating inspirational stimuli, I’d say stock is being aptly taken. On another podcast, I heard a comic book artist refer to “a variety of postures” and as someone who often works from home, I have found that creating separate spaces for different tasks to be paramount to efficiency.
ESPN X-Games Darkmane + Brian Deegan Commercials - its amazing and very re-watchable.
Award Season + Bad Time at the El Royal & Leave No Trace - The Golden Globes (which had a strange and unexplained, to our knowledge, promo with a bell hop in full-dress and an elevator and Kristen Cavalari) ushered in the beginning of Award season. I don’t care too much for the award shows, but they are nice as a check-in on music and movies you may have missed. On our trip home from Stockholm we watched two great movies from 2018. Bad Times at the El Royal and Leave No Trace. Highly recommend both films.
Goal Posts - can’t trust kickers, ever. The Chicago Bears fell to the hPhiladelphia Eagles 15-16 after Bears kicker Cody Parkey double-doinked a last second FG attempt (but turns out it was tipped by an Eagles player). Regardless, here’s another, more joyous, field goal moment in Chicago Bears history. And that guys hair is amazing.
Ear Candy - Trapped in a Box by Gwen Stefani + My, My by Seven Mary Three + Baby, I Love You by Tommy Roe
More Ear Candy - Japanese Cinematic Jazz from the 70’s I listen to this almost everyday while creating.
Freakonomics - Behavioral Economics + how to be happy episode + social trust + how to win at games
