Welcome to this week's edition of our Quality Linkage column. Please enjoy this week’s collection of interesting and entertaining links. Brew a fresh cup of coffee, find a comfortable place, and relax.
?: “How does it feel to get everything you ever wanted?” Ryan Holiday's answer to that question may surprise you:
So how does that feel? How does it feel to have everything you ever wanted in life? To have it earlier than you ever could have realistically expected?
I can tell you: It feels like nothing.
Hitting #1 on the bestseller list?
Looking at a comfortable bank balance?
Sitting across the table from some powerful person as they hang on your every word?
Nothing.
I'm reminded of a Zen proverb: “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”
??: The cold hard truth is, recipe websites aren't always easy to follow, nor are they usually helpful when it comes to measurement conversions or ingredient substitutes. Not to mention how you're always having to go back and reference the ingredients list and then try to re-find where you are in the recipe.
So, as a side project, web developer Simeon Griggs set out to design a more complete recipe website:
To a developer, recipes represent such a complex and delicious content model. So why do so many recipe websites leave a bad taste? Let's explore cooking up a more ideal version.
Watch the accompanying video to get a sense of how neat his ideas are:
You can also view his demo website here.
??: You know that GameChops video game record label I recently mentioned in my post about the hip-hop tribute to Final Fantasy 7? You might be interested to know they run a 24/7 “Video Game Study Lounge” YouTube stream that's a lot like the famous “Chilledcow” stream — you know, 'lo-fi beats to study/relax to', it's probably shown up in your recommends at some point — except it features lo-fi video game remixes and chiptune stuff.
They maintain a Spotify playlist for these tunes as well, so hit that up as needed. I've also found a decent copycat on Apple Music, although it's not as stringently maintained, I don't think.
??: If you're looking for more of a background audio thing to work to instead of music, check out the “I Miss My Bar” website, where you can customize your own 'bar ambiance' sound experience.
?: Thanks to this tweet that came up in my feed the other day, I've found myself obsessing over the glitched-out rugs of Azerbaijani artist Faig Ahmed. Absolutely extraordinary stuff here, I would love having one of these in my home.
?: Speaking of tweets, you ever look at the replies of something someone said and see dozens of people making the same joke or comment back at them, blissfully unaware of one another or even the fact that they're flooding the original person's mentions? Maybe you've been guilty of doing it yourself without thinking.
Well, it's a common enough occurrence that some people have to set insta-block policies to filter that stuff out, simply for Twitter to be usable. Just something to think about the next time you go to type up that low-hanging-fruit comment.
I try to be mindful of this every time I respond to someone on Twitter. If the thing I'm thinking has already been said and I have nothing else of value to add, my 99th rendition of that comment can be kept to myself just fine.
✉️?: Interesting experiment from the HEY team: You send an email, it becomes a blog post online. Curious to see where this goes.
?: Planning to grill burgers soon? You might consider making Neven Mrgan's burger buns instead of buying cheap ones from the store. They look suuuuper good.
+ Apropos of nothing, I very much miss his and Jim Ray's Salt & Fat blog, which hasn't been updated in over half a decade :(
?: This desk setup article from designer and Carrot co-founder Arun Venkatesan (aka @zhenpixels) is next-level. Those photos!
?: The etymology of the term “boss” in video games is something I've somehow never thought about before. You ever wonder how many other things there are like this that we use in our shared everyday lexicon and never stop to consider for even a moment?
Neat Stuff We've Published Recently
- Piranesi is an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality, from the bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
- Level up your vegetables with these low-effort, high-impact dishes that pack a punch and unlock surprising new depths of flavor.
- The 5-pocket jean, reinvented: These slim-fit pants are engineered to give you freedom of movement and all-day comfort.
- You may not think so yet, but you might soon be telling the world that your most prized possession is an AM/FM radio.
- A large play mat and drawstring bag that cinches together to swiftly and easily clean up all those LEGOs and other toys.
- With a motor that peaks at two full horsepower, the Vitamix 5200 “Legacy Series” is “just a blender” in the same way an ECM Technika is “just a coffee maker.”
Got any suggestions for articles, videos, stories, photographs, and any other links you think we should be posting in our weekly Quality Linkage? Please do let us know on Twitter.