We are running a race. Come join us.
3.4 miles to freedom
The Loop: The Race is simple: Run 3.4 miles between October 24 and October 31. Log it in Strava (people Bill knows) or don’t do that (people Noah knows). Either way, send your results to run@threepointfourmedia.com. You can also run with us (virtually) at 12 EST on Saturday, October 24. We’ll set up a Google hangout or something where we can all huff and puff together. Or maybe not. That sounds like a terrible idea and kind of gross.
Look, we’re still thinking through some of the details. But the race is on. We’re going to donate $115.60 ($34*3.4, obvi) to the charity of the winner’s choice, as well as $34 each for second and third place. And also $34 each to a charity chosen by a random participant and the person with the slowest time. Everyone is a winner. Unless more than five people run. Then some people will actually win and others will win metaphorically. Here’s a flyer:
“Circles”—Soul Coughing
An Article
On Venus, Cloudy With a Chance of Microbial Life
At some point during the last six months—it all sort of runs together, doesn’t it?—I started reading Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem trilogy. I got the first one out of the library when that was still a thing we could do, then immediately bought the second and third books. They are perfect: expansive, focused, illuminating, thoughtful. (The Game of Thrones dummies think they are going to turn it into a coherent television show. Good luck with that, fellas. At least there’s already an ending.) Would highly highly recommend if you want to feel very small and also hopeful in this vast universe.
This Dennis Overbye article made me feel that way again. Read it until the end. It won’t take nearly as much time as three thick novels.
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An Interview
I talked to Allbirds co-founder Tim Brown about trying to build a profitable company that’s actually good. Would we be better off if every company ran like Allbirds? Probably. Would it be enough? Probably not. A good convo; I learned a lot about the carbon footprint of shoes.
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A Project
The Tools of Production: Mastering the Content Creation Stack
In addition to running in circles, playing golf, and thinking of newsletter subject lines, we do actually work occasionally at the Three Point Four Media Industrial Complex and Boutique Coffee Shoppe. For the past few months, we’ve been putting together a package for Backstage about how the world of production is changing, big agencies being replaced by pick and chose your own adventure services. Early on, someone mentioned the idea of “lego-bricking services,” and we rolled with that metaphor because it works and we are pro-Lego. (Sidebar: Baby Yoda, sorry “The Child,” legos!) So we wrote a long piece about it all, made a pretty infographic, built a Google Sheet with 1000 companies to use for any part of the production project, and developed a Google Form where people can add their own companies or companies they use. We learned a lot about Google Forms. Big month for knowledge.
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A Thing You Probably Shouldn't Buy
Eddie Bauer X Sub Pop Flannel Shirt ($85)
Kurt Cobain, now more dead. I like how three of the models have tastefully tied the flannel shirts around their waists as if to say, well, something. “Look cool, even when it’s hot”? “Global warming, amirite”? “Only bros can wear flannel”? “I don’t know how I got here”? Is there no un-patterned clothing in the Pacific Northwest? But these shirts look comfy, too. Winter is coming, etc. Buying one of these flannel shirts is probably a better use of money than, say, purchasing options on oil futures.
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A Thing You Probably Should Buy
STILL: A 60-day photographic journey through New York City during the COVID-19 lockdown.
We reached our Kickstarter goal, but there’s still time to snag a copy of this most excellent photography book.
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