Weekly Thing #141 / We provided 147,360 meals for those in need!
I’m Jamie Thingelstad, and this is the Weekly Thing. You can read this, click on articles, all while knowing that your privacy is preserved and nobody is watching you. There are no tracking pixels or masked links here, and never will be!
Last week in issue #140 I launched a fundraising campaign for Second Harvest. The response has been amazing! Because of the contributions from Weekly Thing readers we have provided 147,360 meals for those in need! That is stunning! 🍽
So many of you stepped forward to make a donation to Second Harvest. We raised $12,355 in donations!
After tallying it all up, I added my match of $5,000! Archie Black added his match of $5,000 as well! And we were at $22,355. But, there was that additional amount was out there. We actually exceeded the $10,000 match!
We were oversubscribed!
I mentioned this to my brother-in-law Hector Fernandez and he instantly volunteered to match an additional $2,155 so that all the funds were matched! Amazing! (If you are keeping track real close, we had a couple of donations arrive after all the matches were done!)
Counting all the matching, we raised a total of $24,560!
But remember, this all was happening while Second Harvest itself had a matching pledge from two different organizations. So all of these matched dollars were matched again, taking the total raised to $49,020!
That turns into 147,360 meals that we were able to help provide for those in need. Seriously, great work everyone!
By the way, you may still be able to do more. Many of you work at places that will match donations to non-profits. If you take the receipt that you got and follow your company's process we can amplify this effort even more. Every part helps!
I want to sincerely thank all of you for doing this with me. Like many of you, I have found the Covid-19 situation to be hard to engage with. You all helped me focus on the positives, the things we can do for other people. Spending a little more time focusing on those good things was great for me. I appreciate it so much! 🙏
I also want to welcome a slew of new subscribers to the Weekly Thing! Hey there! 👋 Through this fundraising effort as well as a highlight in Dense Discovery, another newsletter I've subscribed to for a long time, there are a bunch of new subscribers getting issue #141. A hearty and engaging welcome to all of you! I hope you enjoy the Weekly Thing! Cheers! 🍻
Must Read
That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief
This resonates with me, and I think calling it what it is, grief, may help.
Yes, and we’re feeling a number of different griefs. We feel the world has changed, and it has. We know this is temporary, but it doesn’t feel that way, and we realize things will be different. Just as going to the airport is forever different from how it was before 9/11, things will change and this is the point at which they changed. The loss of normalcy; the fear of economic toll; the loss of connection. This is hitting us and we’re grieving. Collectively. We are not used to this kind of collective grief in the air.
I shared with Tammy last week when I was getting cheeseburgers from one of our favorite places that I felt incredibly sad being there. It is usually a busy place, and nobody was there. One other person showed up to get takeout as well. But the streets were really empty. Almost no pedestrian activity, in a normally fairly busy spot in South Minneapolis. I couldn't have named it, but grief is the right word to describe the feeling.
O’Reilly’s events business - O’Reilly Media
O'Reilly hosts some of the most revered technology conferences that exist. This announcement by them is both difficult because of all the people that just lost their job, but also setting the tone for what I think may be the future for events like this.
Today, we’re sharing the news that we’ve made the very difficult decision to cancel all future O’Reilly in-person conferences and close down this portion of our business. Without understanding when this global health emergency may come to an end, we can’t plan for or execute on a business that will be forever changed as a result of this crisis. With large technology vendors moving their events completely on-line, we believe the stage is set for a new normal moving forward when it comes to in-person events. We also know we are poised to accept that challenge, having already delivered a version of our Strata event on-line to over 4600 participants last week.
Technology events make sense to go this direction first. Their audience is equipped, and adept at using the tools to have this experience. There will need to be innovation on things like the "hallway track", where you just see people you know, but I for sure know that I would probably attend some of these events if they were virtual as opposed to requiring me to fly there and take all that time.
Total Cost of Her COVID-19 Treatment: $34,927.43 | Time
I expect there are going to be so many stories like this.
Over the next several days, Askini saw her temperature spike and drop dangerously, and she developed a cough that gurgled because of all the liquid in her lungs. After two more trips to the ER that week, Askini was given a final test on the seventh day of her illness, and once doctors helped manage her flu and pneumonia symptoms, they again sent her home to recover. She waited another three days for a lab to process her test, and at last she had a diagnosis: COVID-19.
A few days later, Askini got the bills for her testing and treatment: $34,927.43. "I was pretty sticker-shocked," she says. "I personally don’t know anybody who has that kind of money."
I've been pondering if THE PANDEMIC may end up causing American's to rethink how our medical system works. We spend more on medical services than any other country in the world, and we don't have tests, and hospitals don't have protective equipment. It seems impossible to me that we will get on the other side of THE PANDEMIC and still be able to claim, with any sort of credibility, that we have the world's best healthcare system. I've been skeptical of the ability for us to make significant changes to our healthcare system. It would require so much structural change that it seems impossible. But perhaps this experience will either galvanize opinions, or cause so much hardship that it becomes a mandate.
Currently
Watching: We decided to try out Disney+, because OF PANDEMIC, and have been watching the show Diary of a Future President as a family. It's pretty good, and everyone seems entertained by it.
Listening: Scott Galloway's new The Prof G Show is out now and even though I haven't been commuting DUE TO PANDEMIC I still made time to listen to this new series. I like it! It’s a hard time to launch a new thing like this and it’s great.
Photog
I took the DJI Mavic Mini out for another drone selfie!
Improve deliverability? 🤔
You can help make sure that you always get each issue of this by adding my email address to your address book! It should be simple, click on my name and there is probably a button to add to contacts or add to address book.
Recommended Links
How it Works - LettuceMeet
Super simple alternative to Doodle for scheduling group events.
Full Third-Party Cookie Blocking and More | WebKit
I’m very happy to see WebKit (Safari) continuing to push for individuals privacy. Third-Party cookies serve no good purpose other than tracking you around.
Cookies for cross-site resources are now blocked by default across the board. This is a significant improvement for privacy since it removes any sense of exceptions or "a little bit of cross-site tracking is allowed
Google is hoping to add this to Chrome by 2022. Just like Do Not Track, expect them to be the last to protect your privacy.
Crucial Skills for Crucial Times | Crucial Skills by VitalSmarts
This is a great list of personal recommendations.
A crisis is a terrible thing to waste. I hope this one helps you develop life patterns that minimize the inevitable and maximize your wellbeing long past the current moment.
I've recently pushed on my #FitByFifty efforts. I've restarted my long dormant Gratitude Journal. I've doubled down on my meditation. This is all great stuff. I have a project in OmniFocus now, it repeats daily, with tasks to "Be My Best Self". Let's do this, and get better through the trials. 💯
Who Would Have Thought an iPad Cursor Could Be So Much Fun? | WIRED
I love that Apple used the introduction of cursor support in iPadOS to not just add a cursor, but to rethink what a cursor should behave like in a touch-based system.
Daring Fireball: The 2020 iPad Pros
The new iteration of iPad Pros look incredible, as usual. This is the new computer. Oh, and it has lidar? How cool is that!
Food Safety and Coronavirus: A Comprehensive Guide | Serious Eats
Mostly this comes down to you can eat the virus, but you cannot breath it.
According to multiple health and safety organizations worldwide, including the CDC, the USDA, and the European Food safety Authority, there is currently no evidence that COVID-19 has spread through food or food packaging. Previous coronavirus epidemics likewise showed no evidence of having been spread through food or packaging.
🍽
Amazon Prime delivery delays are now as long as a month - Vox
Hard to know what the best choice is here. It makes sense to prioritize, but the amount of the delay for other products seems far greater than one would have assumed. I could see going from Prime 2-day to something like 4 or 5-day. But months seems exceedingly long for other items.
For Amazon merchants who sell in categories outside of the ones Amazon currently deems essential, the delivery delays could be problematic.
That is an understatement. If your product is deemed non-essential, regardless of the consumer demand to buy it you are getting nothing.
I Need a Budget, Like, RIGHT NOW | You Need A Budget
Tammy and I have been using You Need a Budget to manage our personal finances for years. It checks so many boxes that we want in a personal finance product. There are going to be a lot of people working through gaps in income, and struggling to make dollars go farther. I would highly recommend this product and the opinionated approach it has to money as a way to get a better handle on your personal finances.
Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How. - POLITICO
Interesting list of things that could become reality after dealing with THE PANDEMIC.
Day trading emotions | Seth's Blog
Seth Godin again with a look at managing your emotions with THE PANDEMIC going on. I like the analogy of day trading here.
Just as it’s almost impossible to make a profit as a day trader, it’s difficult to be happy when you day trade emotions.
His recommendation, we act more like investors.
Long-term contributions matter. Today ends tonight and tomorrow starts again, but we only get one long-term life.
I like it. 🤔
4 Mindfulness Practices That We Need Right Now : zen habits
If you are feeling a little "crispy" with THE PANDEMIC, any or all of these processes will help out, nearly guaranteed. I've been very happy to have a solid, repeatable meditation practice to rely on with this all going on.
Using Tech to Help At Risk Neighbors Shop | MacTech.com
This is built into any modern iPhone, but it’s a great idea to collaborate with neighbors that you might be running errands for. Everyone stays completely isolated, but you can still help out. Great recommendation!
Netflix Creates $100 Million Coronavirus Relief Fund – Variety
It’s great to see Netflix putting some dollars to help those that make the entertainment industry run.
Netflix has created a $100 million relief fund to help members of the creative community who have been left unemployed and without a way to earn an income during the coronavirus crisis. The streaming giant said the bulk of the funds will go toward supporting laid-off crew members.
👏
Calm also has a coefficient | Seth's Blog
There is a lot of stuff out there to be anxious about. I like Seth Godin's read on thinking about calm too.
And Twitter? Twitter has been engineered to maximize panic. Calm is penalized, panic is amplified. And if you are hanging out in real life with people who spend a lot of time on social media and news sites, you’ve invited all of those people into your circle as well.
The emphasis is mine. It made me think about what activities I am engaging in each day, and how they fall on that calm v. panic scale.
Status Updates
Apple update day.
Awesome spin class on Peloton with Jess King in the new studio. Great EDM music. 30 min EDM/Electronic Dance Ride #FitByFifty
We have a new dog! Lucky joined our family today! She’s our new Bernedoodle.
Getting takeout from Tap Society! Delicious cheeseburgers and we need to support our local businesses! 🍔🍔🍔
I’ve “rebooted” my gratitude journal. 🙏 This may seem like the worst time possible to do that, but I suspect that makes it the best time possible.
We watched A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood tonight. What a fabulous movie. Great performances as well. 🎬⭐️
Doing family voting process for potential dog names! Scout and Milo are at the top. Lucky, Cosmo, Sandy, and Ziggy are the next tranche.
I was able to spend some time this morning with my good friend Michael Rock on FaceTime over coffee. Mike is an emergency physician on the front-line of the pandemic and also oversees clinical physician operations at a number of hospitals. I was very curious to see how his world was being impacted by Covid-19. Amongst all the very real challenges that you read about, he shared some snippets of caring with me that touched me greatly.
- Construction companies have shown up at the hospital with N95 masks that they use for sanding, giving them to the doctors/nurses knowing they need them more.
- Restaurants that have seen business evaporate have cooked meals and brought them to the hospital so that healthcare professionals can easily access a meal.
- Companies that set up tents for events and are now idle have volunteered to come and set up tents outside so they can get more space to operate.
These are the kinds of stories we need to hear in times like this. People focused on helping those around them.
As we were talking he shared some areas where technology experts may be able to help by using digital tools instead of protective equipment to provide service. We all should seek out areas that we can help those around us in the coming weeks and months.
This sales data is remarkable. From our municipal liquor store…
Edina Liquor
The three Edina Liquor stores were closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 17. We moved all sales to our online portal and home delivery service. On Wednesday, we generated $8,300 in revenue. For perspective, that is $403.00 more than an average Wednesday operating with three retail locations during the same time frame. We ended the day on Wednesday with close to 200 online orders and over $20,000 in revenue – again, in line with an average Wednesday with three open stores. Based on our sales data over the past 10 days, if we maintain the current delivery volume through the month of March, Edina Liquor will exceed our growth target of 3.5 percent year over year and essentially be unharmed by this closure.
Local transformations are going to happen at a blinding pace as we go through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yeah, about time. 🍺
FYI
Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 13.4 with iPad Cursor Support and Keyboard Improvements, iCloud Drive Shared Folders, and More - MacStories
There are a lot of new things in iOS 14.4. I’m glad to finally see iCloud Drive Shared Folders finally arrive!
WHO launches global megatrial of the four most promising coronavirus treatments | Science | AAAS
Scientists around the world are running at THE PANDEMIC as fast as they possibly can! 👩🔬
LibraryThing Is Now Free to All « The LibraryThing Blog
I haven't used this in years, but it’s nice that it is now free to use.
How to help people who’ve lost jobs or need aid in the wake of coronavirus - Vox
Good list of things you can do to help. 🦺
Apple cuts streaming quality of Apple TV+ in Europe — Apple World Today
With so many people staying in their homes, and the increase in HD quality all the way to 4K video, we can saturate the Internet. Very high resolution video takes a lot of bits.
The Doctor Who Helped Defeat Smallpox Explains What's Coming | WIRED
Thorough article by someone that knows the world of THE PANDEMIC well. Interviewed by Steven Levy, who I’m a big fan of.
Coronavirus: The Hammer and the Dance - Tomas Pueyo - Medium
Tons of detailed scenarios on how Coronavirus could spread around the world.
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Fortune
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About
The Weekly Thing highlights helpful, engaging, or insightful articles from the week. I am a voracious reader of technology, culture, leadership, privacy, and many other topics as my interests roam. Each item I share is framed with personal commentary combining my decades of experiences. My goal is to positively impact your journey with knowledge and insight.
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Recent Issues
- Special Thing #140 / Matching Donations to Second Harvest!
- Weekly Thing #139 / Control, Energy
- Weekly Thing #138 / Covid-19, Credibility, Clearview AI, Hair Freezing
- Weekly Thing #137 / Let's Encrypt, Fraidycat, Metagame, Real-Flame what?
This work by Jamie Thingelstad is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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