If my mind could gain a firm footing, I would not make essays, I would make decisions; but it is always in apprenticeship and on trial.
–Montaigne
Went to Roseville Galleria today. Ordered some new glasses at Warby Parker. Shopped for a bit. Ate at the food court. But, I’m most excited about this new rain coat from REI…because the forecast calls for rain all week.
Thinking of warmer climates. These two pics were from a trip to Baja in 1990. San Felipe and Punta Estrella. I haven’t visited since 2002, but I sure would like to go back.
I feel like I’m neglecting my plants. This lavender on the side of the house really needs to be trimmed back, but I just haven’t had the time. Or, maybe I haven’t made the time. Of course, it’s rained the last three weekends so I didn’t feel like doing yard work and landscape maintenance in the rain and mud. And, the time change “spring forward” is next weekend.
stock and flow
…I think most of all about the concept of stock and flow.
Do you know about this? It couldn’t be simpler. There are two kinds of quantities in the world. Stock is a static value: money in the bank or trees in the forest. Flow is a rate of change: fifteen dollars an hour or three thousand toothpicks a day. Easy. Too easy.
But I actually think stock and flow is a useful metaphor for media in the 21st century. Here’s what I mean:
- Flow is the feed. It’s the posts and the tweets. It’s the stream of daily and sub-daily updates that reminds people you exist.
- Stock is the durable stuff. It’s the content you produce that’s as interesting in two months (or two years) as it is today. It’s what people discover via search. It’s what spreads slowly but surely, building fans over time.
Flow is ascendant these days, for obvious reasons—but I think we neglect stock at our peril. I mean that both in terms of the health of an audience and, like, the health of a soul. Flow is a treadmill, and you can’t spend all of your time running on the treadmill. Well, you can. But then one day you’ll get off and look around and go: oh man. I’ve got nothing here.
—via Snarkmarket