Are you at the starting line or the finish line?

By Derek Sivers

New clients would often ask me, “How much does the average artist on CD Baby sell?”

Some people would take our posted sales figures and divide(dəˈvīd) them. $85 million paid, divided by 250,000 available albums(ˈalbəm) =(equals) $340 per album.

The numbers are right but the answer is wrong because it groups together two completely different approaches.

For some artists, releasing their music is like the starting line in a race(rās). The gun(gən) goes off! They work it! They spend hours a day pushing, promoting, and selling — reaching new people by any means necessary(ˈnesəˌserē).

For those types the average income, through my one little store, was $5000. Fifty of them earned over $100,000 each.

But for many artists, releasing their music is like the finish line in a race. They’ve always wanted to record and release their music. They did it. It’s done. They send it to friends and family, and glow(glō) in the compliments(ˈkämpləmənt). Their efforts are basically(ˈbāsik(ə)lē) finished — either because they’re satisfied(ˈsadəsˌfīd), or because they assumed the world would just flock(fläk) to it automatically(ˌôdəˈmadiklē).

For those types the average income was $20.

New clients who asked about the average were trying to predict(prəˈdikt) how well they would sell. But it depends on which approach you want to take.

Are you at the starting line or the finish line?

That’s the best predictor of how far you’ll go.

https://sivers.org/lines

William(ˈwilyəm) Francis(ˈfransəs) Franck(fräNGk)

William Francis Franck, 97, died peacefully on Wednesday, March(märCH) 18, 2015, in his home at Kings Grant Retirement Community Martinsville(ˈmärtn), Va. He was a generous friend, passionate(ˈpaSH(ə)nət) community builder, active church(CHərCH) leader, and always a loving father and husband. He birthed(bərTH) many visions(ˈviZHən) leaving(lēv) legacies(ˈlegəsē) of great love.

He was born on July 29, 1917, in Fayetteville(-vəl,ˈfāətˌvil), N.C., son of William F. Franck Sr. and Martha Lawhon Franck.

He was preceded(prəˈsēd) in death by his sister, Margaret(ˈmärɡ(ə)rət) F. Credle.

Surviving are his wife of 73 years, Carolyn Pannill Franck; four children, Martha F. Rollins, William F. Franck III, Ann F. Gordon, and John M. Franck; 11 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

He attended(əˈtend) public school in Durham(ˈdo͝or-,ˈdərəm), N.C., and received a BS at Duke(d(y)o͞ok) in 1939. In 1940, he moved to Martinsville with DuPont and in 1941 married Carolyn Pannill. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the United States Army(ˈärmē) as Lieutenant(lo͞oˈtenənt) charged with moving supplies to Patton’s troops(tro͞op). In 1946, he worked at Pannill Knitting(ˈnitiNG) and in 1950 he was hired(hīr) as VP of Sale Knitting. In 1953 he became president of Sale. In 1983 the company restructured into Tultex Corporation.

When he retired(rəˈtī(ə)rd) in 1992 the company had grown from 160 to 6500 employees(emˈploi-ē,ˌemploiˈē) in 27 locations. He served as the first president of Martinsville Chamber(ˈCHāmbər) of Commerce(ˈkämərs), president of Kiwanis(kəˈwänəs) Club, chairman(ˈCHe(ə)rmən) of the fund drive for building Memorial(məˈmôrēəl) Hospital, president of the Virginia(vərˈjinyə) Manufacturing(ˌmanyəˈfakCHər) Association(-SHē-,əˌsōsēˈāSHən). He was a principal founder and first president of Chatmoss Country Club. He was very active on the Martinsville Mayor’s(ˈmāər) Commission(kəˈmiSHən) of Human Values and sought to model racial(ˈrāSHəl) reconciliation(ˌrekənˌsilēˈāSHən). He was a member and past Elder and Trustee(trəˈstē) of First Presbyterian(ˌpres-,ˌprezbəˈtirēən) Church in Martinsville, and a principal founder and resident(ˈrez(ə)dənt,ˈrezəˌdent) of Kings Grant Retirement(rəˈtī(ə)rmənt) Community. He enjoyed life and was a benefit to many along the way.

https://www.roanoke.com/obituaries/franck-william-francis/article_0c5ad05a-3159-5dbb-95e7-530fa1af3429.html

mortality(môrˈtalədē): the elves(elvz), and us

a bittersweet(ˈbidərˌswēt) “gift”

the elves in Tolkien(ˈtōlˌkēn, ˈtäl-)’s Middle Earth
could think of mortality as a gift,
for we humans can appreciate(əˈprēSHēˌāt) moments(ˈmōmənt)
for how very brief(brēf) they are,
our treasured(ˈtreZHər) time able to compete(kəmˈpēt) with our losses(läs,lôs),
imagine Gaia(ˈgīə) and how sad
to watch a beloved(bəˈləv(ə)d) mountain disappear toward(t(ə)ˈwôrd,tôrd) the sea,
all the goodbyes as creatures, as species(ˈspēsēz, ˈspēSHēz), die,

now that I am 71,
the clock ticks(tik) “loss(läs,lôs)” at me more and more,
and I still use a ticking clock,
parents, colleagues, friends pass away into the mists(mist),
what particularly(pə(r)ˈtikyələrlē) wrenches(renCH) me
is when I survive(sərˈvīv) the students I’ve taught,

it’s sad enough when a long full life ends,
it’s tragic(ˈtrajik) when a bud(bəd) is blighted(blīt),
when the possibility that should flower(ˈflou(-ə)r) dies before its time,
as if a story stops before any resolution(ˌrezəˈlo͞oSHən),
but an abrupt(əˈbrəpt) “The End,” the final pages blank(blaNGk),

this week Facebook released(rəˈlēs) to me
the names of too many former students
who no longer walk the Earth, breathe(brēT͟H) the air,
connect, build, love,
I feel a need for some closure(ˈklōZHər) to deal with it all,
their closure came too soon, too abrupt,
it just feels wrong,

let us honor(ˈänər) those no longer with us,
let us connect, build, love,
for them,
for us.

by Henry H. Walker

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2019/06/mortality-elves-and-us.html

Michelin’s(ˈmiSHəlen) ingenious(inˈjēnyəs) new tires(tīr) ensure you’ll never get a flat(flat) again

They’re completely(kəmˈplētlē) airless(ˈerləs). And they should be on the market by 2024.

By Mark Wilson(ˈwilsən)

There’s no force in the universe(ˈyo͞onəˌvərs) more humbling(ˈhəmbəl) than a flat tire. Here you are, god of combustion(kəmˈbəsCHən) engines(ˈenjən), cruising(kro͞oz) effortlessly(ˈefərtləslē) at 40 miles(mīl) per hour in your Kia crossover(ˈkrôsˌōvər) with half a Costco’s worth of steamy(ˈstēmē) rotisserie(rōˈtisərē) chickens in the back when, bdump bdump bdump. And then the inner monologue(ˈmänəlˌôɡ, ˈmänəlˌäɡ) begins: Oh no. Not me. This couldn’t be happening to me. I drive a gently used 2016 Sorento!

But now the tire manufacturer(ˌmanyəˈfakCHərər) Michelin and the car giant(ˈjīənt) GM are teaming up to eliminate(əˈliməˌnāt) the problem. How? By taking the air out of tires altogether.

Michelin is developing a tire called the Uptis (or Unique(yo͞oˈnēk) Puncture(ˈpəNGkCHər)-proof(pro͞of) Tire System), which is a tire that cannot ever go flat or blow(blō) out because it doesn’t require air to stay rigid(ˈrijid). Instead, the Uptis features an internal system of flexible(ˈfleksəbəl) spokes(spōk) that support the tire.

The Uptis is a working prototytpe(ˈprōtəˌtīp) that will begin testing on some Chevy(ˈSHevē) Bolt(bōlt) models this year in Michigan(ˈmiSHigən). By 2024, the two companies hope to release(rəˈlēs) the Uptis on a commercially(kəˈmərSHəlē) available(əˈvāləbəl) vehicle(ˈvēəkəl,ˈvēˌhikəl).

Airless tires are not an entirely new idea. They already exist(igˈzist) in the world of cycling(ˈsīk(ə)liNG), and even Michelin sells something called the Tweel for lawnmowers(ˈlônˌmō(ə)r). The Tweel looks a whole lot like a mini version(ˈvərZHən) of the Uptis, with the same rubbery(ˈrəb(ə)rē) spokes in the middle of the tire. As the Tweel’s marketing materials(məˈti(ə)rēəl) explain(ikˈsplān), those spokes don’t merely(ˈmi(ə)rlē) replace the need for air, they work like mini shock(SHäk) absorbers(əbˈzôrb, əbˈsôrb), deforming(dəˈfôrm) to bumps(bəmp) to ensure a smoother(smo͞oT͟H) ride(rīd) than a bouncier(ˈbounsē), inflated(inˈflādəd) tire offers today. Yet the car industry has been shy to adopt(əˈdäpt) airless tires because, when properly(ˈpräpərlē) contained(kənˈtān), air is in many ways the perfect material for a tire. Air is virtually(ˈvərCHə(wə)lē) weightless, so it doesn’t impact a vehicle’s performance and efficiency(əˈfiSHənsē). Air can also be hit(hit) with bump(bəmp) after bump and it doesn’t lose(lo͞oz) any structural(ˈstrəkCHərəl) integrity(inˈteɡrədē). After all, it’s just air.

…
https://www.fastcompany.com/90359254/michelins-ingenious-new-tires-ensure-youll-never-get-a-flat-again

No one could open a safe for 40 years. A tourist(ˈto͝orəst) cracked(krakt) it on his first try.

By Allyson Chiu

Thirty seconds.

That’s how much time Stephen(ˈstēvən) Mills(mil) said it took him to open a safe that was sealed(sēl) for at least 40 years — a feat(fēt) even locksmiths(ˈläkˌsmiTH) had declared(diˈkler) was probably impossible.

“I’m pretty sure my jaw(jô) dropped to the floor,” Mills, a resident(ˈrez(ə)dənt,ˈrezəˌdent) of Fort(fôrt) McMurray(mikˈmarē) in Alberta(alˈbərdə), told The Washington Post on Wednesday. “I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’ ”

Since the early 1990s, the unwieldy(ˌənˈwēldē) 2,000-pound(pound) black metal(ˈmedl) box has been tucked(tək) away in the basement of a museum(myo͞oˈzēəm) in the small town of Vermilion(vərˈmilyən), located(lōˈkāt,ˈlōˌkāt) around 300 miles(mīl) northeast of Calgary(ˈkalgərē). In prominent(ˈprämənənt) all-caps yellow lettering(ˈledəriNG), the safe bears(be(ə)r) the name of its former owner, the Brunswick(ˈbrənzwik) Hotel, a local establishment(əˈstabliSHmənt) that closed in the 1970s, the Canadian(kəˈnādēən) Broadcasting(ˈbrôdˌkast) Corp. reported.

But when the safe was donated(dōˈnāt,ˈdōnāt) to the town museum(myo͞oˈzēəm), a vital(ˈvīdl) piece of information was missing: the combination.

For years, the museum’s staff repeatedly tried to get it open, turning to former owners, the safe’s manufacturer(ˌmanyəˈfakCHərər) and a locksmith(ˈläkˌsmiTH) for help, longtime volunteer Tom(täm) Kibblewhite(ˈkibəl (h)wīt) told CBC Radio’s “Edmonton(ˈedməntən) AM” this week.

The hotel’s manager couldn’t remember the numbers, according to CBC. A call to the manufacturer proved(pro͞ov) fruitless(ˈfro͞otləs), the Vermilion(vərˈmilyən) Standard reported. The locksmith provided possible combinations, but none of them worked, Kibblewhite said.

“We had a conference call going with several of us standing around the safe, trying what the locksmith was telling us,” he said.

After the safe’s door still refused to budge(bəj), Kibblewhite recalled the locksmith saying that the safe may have been left undisturbed(ˌəndəˈstərbd) for so long that even with the right combination, “the gears(gi(ə)r) weren’t falling into place fast enough.”

…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/06/06/safe-tourist-cracked-years-canada/

How to Have More Focused Hours in Your Day

By Leo Babauta

I was talking to someone today and he said that with all the time he spends putzing(ˈpo͝ots,ˈpəts) around on the internet, he gets maybe 2 hours of focused time a day. I actually think that’s higher than average!

But if he does incredible(inˈkredəbəl) work in those 2 hours a day, think of the good he could do if he doubled or even tripled(ˈtripəl) that amount of focused time. His impact(ˈimˌpakt) on the world would multiply(ˈməltəplē,ˈməltəˌplī).

It might be interesting to audit(ˈôdət) your own time, and see how much of it is focused, meaningful work. Is that a good amount for you, or would you like to increase(inˈkrēs) your focused hours and impact on the world?

For me, what success I’ve had in increasing my focused time comes down to three habits:

Asking myself what meaningful, impactful work I can get done today.
Creating space for the meaningful work instead of just doing busywork or being distracted(dəˈstraktəd) all day.
Working in fullscreen mode and diving(ˈdīviNG) in.

Let’s look at each of these habits.

Deciding on Your Impactful Work

Most of us just dive into our inboxes, social media, favorite online sites, and busywork to start our day. We might have some bigger tasks on our lists, but they get lost in the woods of our day.

It’s an incredible habit to take even a few moments at the beginning of your day (or the end of the day before) to give some thought to where you’d like to concentrate(ˈkänsənˌtrāt) your attention. What is worth doing today? What is worth focusing on? What is worth spending the limited time you have in this life?

For me, the answer is whatever meaningful, impactful work I might have on my plate(plāt). If I don’t have any, then it’s time to go to an even higher level view and ask what I want to focus on this year or this quarter(ˈkwôrdər). What good can I do in this world?

Usually, it’s fairly(ˈfe(ə)rlē) obvious(ˈäbvēəs) — I know the bigger, more meaningful tasks I need to do. I make a list of 3-4 of them to try to accomplish for the day. Now I know how I’d like to spend my focused time.

…
https://zenhabits.net/more-focused/

I may have finally figured out how to be a successful parent

By Michelle Béland

For the longest time, I thought successful mothering and parenting in general(ˈjenərəl) would look something like this:

At least two healthy(ˈhelTHē) and happy children enrolled(enˈrōl) in a variety(vəˈrīədē) of extracurricular(ˌekstrəkəˈrikyələr) activities. Ideally(īˈdē(ə)lē), one of those activities would be cello(ˈCHelō) lessons so my kid (didn’t matter who) could fulfill(fo͝olˈfil) my failed(fāld) dream of playing Bach’s(bäKH, bäk) Suite(swēt) No. 1 in G Major(ˈmājər). McDonalds? Prohibited(prō-,prəˈhibitid). Screen time? Minimal(ˈminəməl). Languages? They would speak three, just like my husband and I. Gender neutral(ˈn(y)o͞otrəl) clothing(ˈklōT͟HiNG) a must. And they would play with educational(ˌejəˈkāSHənl), non-toxic(ˈtäksik) toys, too – Montessori(ˌmäntəˈsôrē) style.

As for me, I would be a working mother with a sense of professional fulfillment and contribute to the financial(fī-,fəˈnanCHəl) stability(stəˈbilədē) of my household. I would prepare organic(ôrˈganik), non-GMO, home-cooked meals for my children. My husband and I would make time for regular date nights, of course, and explore our city’s amazing culinary(ˈkyo͞olə-,ˈkələˌnerē) scene(sēn).

When I actually became a parent and experienced life with a kid for a couple of years, I realized I had to change my expectations(ˌekspekˈtāSHən).

My first clue(klo͞o) was when my partner and I decided our family was complete with one child. When I realized I didn’t want a second child, I felt(felt) like a bad person. I felt conflicted(kənˈflikt, ˈkänˌflikt) and guilty(ˈgiltē) about not providing the experience of a sibling(ˈsibliNG) to my son just like my husband and I had. I was straying(strā) from my vision(ˈviZHən) board! However, I knew deep down what was right for me and for us as a family. It took a minute for me to say it out loud without shame(SHām) and not feel like the archetypal(ˌärkəˈtīp(ə)l) “bad mother.” A family of three we shall be, and let me just say, it’s pretty awesome(ˈôsəm).

…

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-i-may-have-finally-figured-out-how-to-be-a-successful-parent/

Small actions change your self-identity(ˌīˈden(t)ədē)

By Derek Sivers

When we think about what’s worth doing, we usually think of big things.

But when you hear the stories of how people got successful, they usually start with one little action:

Saying yes when someone asked for volunteers(ˌvälənˈtir)
Approaching(əˈprōCH) a celebrity(səˈlebrədē)
Reading one book or taking one course

That one little action changes how you think about yourself.

Having taken that one step, you start to think of yourself as brave(brāv), or an achiever(əˈCHēvər), or a bit(bit) of an expert(ˈekˌspərt) on a subject.

You do just one thing that makes you feel generous(ˈjenərəs), so you start to act generous, so you become generous.

You do just one thing that makes you feel like a leader(ˈlēdər), so you start to act like a leader, so you become a leader.

The world treats(trēt) you as you treat yourself. Your actions show the world who you are.

You won’t act differently until you think of yourself differently. So start by taking one small action that will change your self-identity.

https://sivers.org/actid

Repetition(ˌrepəˈtiSHən)

My 4-year-old son has recently fallen in love with listening to audio stories. Right now, most of them are in Chinese, but I’m hoping to expand our collection of English audio stories.

One thing I have found very interesting is that he likes to listen to the same stories repeatedly(rəˈpēdədlē). For instance, he would listen to a story about chickens over and over again. At first, my wife and I were somewhat resistant(rəˈzistənt) to this. We would ask him, “Why don’t you listen to a new story?” But he was very insistent(inˈsistənt), and we let him follow his interests.

Pretty(ˈpridē) soon, I noticed that he would recite(rəˈsīt) lines from the stories to himself when he was playing alone, and he would tell the story to me as we were walking down the street. I realized(ˈrē(ə)ˌlīz) that listening to the story repeatedly was actually playing a very important part in his learning process, and since then I’ve been excited(ikˈsīdəd) rather than concerned(kənˈsərnd) whenever he wants to listen to or read something “again”.

We can learn from this in our own language study. Practicing the same materials(məˈti(ə)rēəl) multiple times can also help us learn and remember(rəˈmembər) new language patterns(ˈpatərn). So as long as you find something interesting—whether it be an article, a lecture(ˈlek(t)SHər), a tv show or a movie—practicing it multiple times is a great idea!

How Making Chocolate(ˈCHäk(ə)lət) Is Like Mixing(miks) Concrete(ˈkänˌkrēt, ˌkänˈkrēt)

Researchers delved(delv) into the physics(ˈfiziks) of conching(käNGk, känCH), the stirring(ˈstəriNG) process that transforms ground cacao(kəˈkou,kəˈkāō) into a meltingly(melt) smooth(smo͞oT͟H) treat(trēt).

By Veronique(ˌverəˈnēk, ˌvārô-) Greenwood(ˈgrēnˌwo͝od)

What do chocolate and concrete have in common? More than you might think.

Chocolate is made by mixing liquid(ˈlikwid) and finely(ˈfīnlē) ground cacao beans in a device(dəˈvīs) that bears(be(ə)r) more than a passing resemblance(rəˈzembləns) to a cement(səˈment) mixer(ˈmiksər). In both cases, stirring(ˈstəriNG) tiny(ˈtīnē) granules(ˈgranyo͞ol) in a fluid(ˈflo͞oid) results in a substance(ˈsəbstəns) with very specific(spəˈsifik) properties — for chocolate, it’s a meltingly smooth mouthfeel, and for concrete, it’s a cohesive(kōˈhēsiv, kōˈhēziv), consistent texture(ˈteksCHər).

However, while physicists(ˈfizəsəst) have studied the physics of mixing concrete, fewer have taken a close look at the forces at work in chocolate conching, as the process is called. Now a team of physicists, funded in part by Mars, the confectionary(kənˈfekSHəˌnerē) company, published a paper last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy(əˈkadəmē) of Sciences(ˈsīəns) showing just what happens as the ingredients(iNG-,inˈgrēdēənt) of chocolate are given a stir(stər) on their way to becoming a delicious(dəˈliSHəs) treat.

When conching was invented(inˈvent) in 1879 by Rodolphe(rōˌdäf) Lindt, it could take more than a day of steady(ˈstedē) mixing for gritty(ˈɡridē) chocolate to grow smooth. Today, it is a shorter process. For this study, the researchers spun(spən) cacao powder(ˈpoudər) and a bit(bit) of oil in a conching machine for 40 minutes. They took photographs as the stuff went around, then added a different oil that reduces friction(ˈfrikSHən) during the final phase(fāz), which lasted an additional 20 minutes.

What they saw was that much like what happens in a cement(səˈment) mixer, the dry paste(pāst) formed from the powder and the fluid(ˈflo͞oid) made shaggy(ˈSHagē) clumps(kləmp). Then, at a certain point, it morphed(môrf) into a more liquid-like state(stāt) and started to flow(flō). Adding the oil near the end just encouraged the process, resulting in a shining(ˈSHīniNG) creamy(ˈkrēmē) liquid straight(strāt) out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate waterfall(ˈwôdərˌfôl, ˈwädərˌfôl).

…
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/science/chocolate-conching-physics.html