The latest S3 video is now up:
I was looking into Star Trek strange new worlds yesterday, then realized I never watched it’s predecessor or Enterprise. That last one is with Scott Bakula, one of my favorite actors thanks to Quantum Leap. I got the first season on the spot. So far It’s such a fun show!
Joyland, 2022 - ★★★★
When this movie starts throwing punches, it doesn’t let go. Joyland has many layers that are both beautiful and terrible. It’s culturally refreshing, emotionally draining, romantically charming, gender and traditions devastating. It’s a milestone when you consider its Pakistani origins.
What I immediately liked the most about it was its slice-of-life manner of delivery. Nothing is fantastical. The actors are authentic and candid (especially Alina Khan and Rasti Farooq). You get a front-row sit into the intimate life of a family who could easily be your neighbors, sans the language and the country. The assumed culture is, surprisingly, too uncomfortably close to home.
Go in emotionally prepared and with a box of tissues nearby. This one’s gonna hurt.
Productivity tricks at work
The quality of work at my job this week has been higher thanks to a couple of renewed workflows I adjusted to my current role. I wanted to share some of these “mind tricks.”
I got my new sand timer (I don’t like the word hourglass, it doesn’t make sense) Tuesday. A big 30-minute glass with a sky-blue sand version of the pomodoro technique, it has two roles. First, it divides my work into 30-minute sessions; this keeps me productive while motivating me to pull through and finish a task as I watch the steady flow of sand getting me closer to a break. Second, it measures how many “sessions” I have in a day, which makes my productivity measurable in units. Having my time tangible like this is a nice boost to creativity I didn’t expect.
My checklists are back as well, and the effect was immediate. I found patterns in my workflow that allow me to automate more tasks mentally and spend time on details. One outcome, for example, is more organized communication with coworkers and adding it directly into each task’s notes rather than replying to endless email threads or chat logs. The details themselves are helpful and would make it easier to find references in the future.
I also started using the Microsoft style guide more often. This guide is generally accepted among technical writers for editing and regulating instructions. Now I have “use” and “do not use” word lists. For example, using “select” over “click” or “tap” when writing instructions for users to choose an option in a workflow, the manual is full of such examples to interact with the UI. I also hope to review our own work guide and add information about visual aids, headings, fonts, colors, etc. Rather than correctness, the emphasis for me is on uniformity.
It’s been a long week. I feel tired but accomplished. I made good progress this week in the right direction, and in turn, this will lead to better work and more quality in my free time.
Good morning!
Todays breakfast sandwich 🥪 is one of my favorites: goat cheese, reddish, brussels sprouts, and mustard.
Have you ever read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress? There’s a catchy phrase there, TINSTAAFL: there is no such thing as a free lunch. I want to suggest TINSTAFM: there is no such thing as five minutes. Any takers?
I tried to get into Stage Manager like all the cool kids for the last two days, but I can’t. The idea is nice, but it’s just so unintuitive. I keep fighting the UI, and I don’t need this level of separation between apps. I’m used to work with virtual desktops.
I picked up The Maid by Nita Prose 📚 at random from the library recommendations (most popular list of fiction). Read a sample, felt the writing is to my liking, and now I’m two chapters in. I think I will enjoy this one.
On my way back from the coffee roaster, I took a detour with my camera. Most of the photos didn’t come out interesting; I now call those “Zoom background” photos. Here are two that I liked. 📷
