taylor.town about now spam rss

does not spark joy

Town Hall #6: Spark Joy and Conversation

Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.

Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel, but it is the center hole that allows the wheel to function.

We mold clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that makes the vessel useful.

We fashion wood for a house, but it is the emptiness inside that makes it livable.

We work with the substantial, but the emptiness is what we use.

Time-management is futile if you have no time to manage.

Emptiness makes your calendar useful.

I've been using my time to create conversation.

If you haven't heard, I started a tech conference! Outland 2023 tickets go on sale March 1. I'm honestly surprised at how lucky we got with our venue and speaker lineup. Let me know if your company would like information about our sponsor packages.

My Strange Loop CFP submissions have come together quite nicely. I've been casually writing on a new programming language for the past ~7 years, and am ready to share some insights about writing sharable software. I also drafted lectures about evolutionary computation, distrubted systems architecture, and database optimization -- email me if you know of any good conferences I should put on my radar!

I've been using my time to create space.

First, I created space in my home. Marie Kondo is a treasure! I don't think I've ever been so delighted with my closet before.

Next, I made space in my software. I've obliterated some crusty codebases; fresh starts feel freeing. I've been working on multiple secret projects and writing about my experiences. I can't wait to share some juicy ideas with y'all over the coming months. Check out my now page to get a sense of the impending insanity.

As I train for the AIDS/Lifecycle (check out my donation page), I'm rediscovering the joy of bicycles! I love feeling one with my machine and exploring my community from a fresh perspective.


Open Questions

If you have questions or answers, send me an e-mail.


Recommendations

You may skip to books, people, images, videos, podcast episodes, or music.

You can also scour my entire history of book reviews and album ratings.

Books

People

Images

Videos

Podcast Episodes

★★★ Software Unscripted :: Swift and Unicode API Design with Rob Napier
★★☆ Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Abition without Burnout
★★☆ Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Is Productivity Overrated?
★★☆ Epic Gardening Daily :: Intermixing Flowers, Herbs, and Vegetables
★★☆ Epic Gardening Daily :: Perennial Edibles for the Landscape
★★☆ Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Worst Year in History
★★☆ Everything Everywhere Daily :: Wu Zetian: China's Only Female Emperor
★★☆ The Economics of Everyday Things :: My Sharona

Music

★★★★★ A Tribe Called Quest :: We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
★★★★★ Sewerslvt :: We Had Good Times Together, Don't Forget That
★★★★☆ Himera :: Sharing Secrets
★★★★☆ Jean-Michel Jarre :: Oxygène
★★★★☆ Nas :: Illmatic
★★★★☆ Soichi Terada :: Ape Escape 3 (Originape Soundtracks) サルゲッチュ3・オリジサル・サウンドトラック
★★★☆☆ Crywank :: Fist Me 'Til Your Hand Comes out My Mouth
★★★☆☆ Edison Glass :: Time is Fiction
★★★☆☆ Evil Needle :: L'Emprise
★★★☆☆ Fun. :: Aim and Ignite
★★★☆☆ Sufjan Stevens :: A Sun Came
★★☆☆☆ Anthony Green :: Young Legs
★★☆☆☆ Fink :: Sort of Revolution
★★☆☆☆ Snail's House :: Ordinary Songs 3
★★☆☆☆ Sweet Trip :: velocity : design : comfort.
★★☆☆☆ Tommy '86 :: Disco Machine
★★☆☆☆ scntfc :: Oxenfree
★☆☆☆☆ 813 :: Espoir Voyage - EP
★☆☆☆☆ Film School :: Hideout