emily stoddard furrow

vintage emily: fun with the wayback machine

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:44:33 -0500

Inspired by my friend Ashima’s recent finds on the Wayback Machine, I searched for one of the first websites I built. It was 1996 or 1997. I was 12 and obsessed with online zines and AOL message boards. I had created my own zine, which focused on advice for and by kids. It was called Problems & Solutions (so creative), and it was the very vanilla precursor to my edgier zine in high school, which I called “damsel” — lol. I wish I could find the archives of the zines themselves, but this website is still a gem (and the funky characters working as dividers appeared as dots and squares back in the day, for what it’s worth): http://web.archive.org/web/20010725144630/http://members.aol.com/emily28/

Just backed > MATTER — Kickstarter

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:31:16 -0500

Just backed > MATTER — Kickstarter:

I just backed this project on Kickstarter… love the new ideas/efforts popping up to address the need for more in-depth, critical thinking in online publishing. (Just hope the team behind Matter is more diverse than what the video suggests…)

"Physicists are changing how we think of empty space, i.e. a vacuum, to explain how the universe..."

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:57:02 -0500

“Physicists are changing how we think of empty space, i.e. a vacuum, to explain how the universe could have come from ‘nothing’. Empty space, it turns out, may not be empty at all. One of the leading proponents of this view, cosmologist Lawrence Krauss, distinguishes between three different kinds of empty space. One, which the Greeks knew, is a space where nothing is seen to exist but which we now understand to be teeming with energy and magnetism. From there, things get strange, then they get incredibly strange.”

- How the Universe Came from Nothing | IdeaFeed | Big Think

Carl and I were just pondering this last night. I was trying to make sense of how there can be galaxies that give the appearance (to our human eyes) of being contained and having edges, yet that confinedness might also suggest that there is space (or emptiness) between them… but how? Or why? Or is it space that we simply cannot make sense of from where we sit? And how do “somethings” come from so much “nothing”? (Admittedly, I’m always using my poetic mind to imagine such questions, so maybe they aren’t framed in the most scientific way, but still…)

confession tuesday: i know the secret to inbox zero

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:27:53 -0500

I confess that I really do know the secret (for me). And it’s decidedly simple:

1. Sign up for the most well-designed to do list ever: Teux Deux. Get the iPhone app while you’re at it.

2. Marvel at the beauty of dragging and dropping your to do list items and prioritizing your life with a swipe of your precious little fingertip.

3. Discover that you keep most emails in your inbox because you have to *do* something with them… inevitably you are always two or three steps away from simply replying, which in turn (somehow) equates to always being 385 emails away from inbox zero.

4. Start adding those reply steps/projects to Teux Deux and booting them out of your inbox. If a client sends you content for a brochure you’re writing, it does not belong in your inbox. It’s an asset that can be found later. (This is the trick: thinking of your inbox as a magical library where people submit new stories and content every single day.)

5. Archive the associated email. (Assuming you’ve already discovered the power of Gmail.)

6. Watch your inbox count dwindle. And thanks to Teux Deux’s ability to effortlessly add and shift line items around, you will brainhack your way to email activity that is a tool for *making stuff happen* instead of creating more emails. Suddenly you’ll manage your responses and email activity based on your actual capacity and the actual priority of the project. The “just power through” emailpalooza lunch break disappears.

7. When an item on Teux Deux does relate to an email, search your Gmail archives, find related email (like looking up the resource you need in a library), and as the cool kids say, “Git er done.”

And that, my friends, is how I’ve been at inbox zero for almost a week.

Ranking committee member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) had asked Issa...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:56:04 -0500

Ranking committee member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) had asked Issa to include a female witness at the hearing, but the Chairman refused, arguing that “As the hearing is not about reproductive rights and contraception but instead about the Administration’s actions as they relate to freedom of religion and conscience, he believes that Ms. Fluke is not an appropriate witness.” (via Democratic Women Boycott House Contraception Hearing After Republicans Prevent Women From Testifying | ThinkProgress)

This makes my brain feel like it’s on fire. In an “oh my goodness, I think I’m going to explode from the crazy” way. While the issue at hand (systematic destruction of access to contraception) is bad enough, the fact that the process is not being allowed to reflect the voices of all those affected is infuriating.

America is changing how it works. As more people start their own...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:42:48 -0500

America is changing how it works. As more people start their own entrepreneurial businesses out of their bedrooms, is it time to rethink how we divide work and living? This new home design makes space for both. (via LiveWork: The Future Of Living Where You Work And Working Where You Live | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation)

Love this idea. Carl and I have discussed the possibility of someday buying land or a building that would have live/work flexibility. More and more I need less space for living and want more interesting spaces for creating and connecting.

confession tuesday: travel and birthdays and things

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:53:48 -0500

Hello Tuesday. It’s been awhile since I’ve stopped by to confess all my deepest, darkest secrets. So let’s get to it —

On travel
Paris and Rome were something special. I saw a nun flash mob in front of Notre Dame. I’m still riding the happy wave from that. I confess that I have a deep admiration for nuns. There was a time I was discerning whether that was the path for me… and then it was a nun and her guitar, framed by sunlight in a Mexican orphanage, that made me think otherwise. I confess that my faith has been a curious path. Now I’m not even a practicing Catholic. But I wouldn’t change the journey, and through it all, I have never lost my admiration of nuns… I confess that I am sometimes envious of the focus that their vocation affords.

There were more nuns in Rome, of course, so it continued to be a happy trip once we finally (finally) got off the train from Paris. Except I confess that in Rome I was very concerned for the nuns, as they were all wearing skirts and it was snowing and drizzling and freezing. I was reminded of the time my mom had to fight my Catholic school to let the girls wear pants instead of skirts in the winter.

Rome was magical. I want to go back already. I confess that it mystifies me that there is not an ounce of Italian in me. I love the language, the appreciation for long meals and big families, the friendly vibe… it’s nothing overt — I just feel at ease. But I am so Polish and German and English and Scottish and Welsh and stuff. I have a steak and potatoes family tree but a pasta and limoncello personality.

The highlight of the time in Rome was probably the tour of the necropolis beneath St. Peter’s. Our guide was a soon-to-be priest from Philadelphia who is studying theology. I’m still unpacking the stories he shared, like how the first example of saintly intercession was discovered in the necropolis. One of the headstones said something to the effect of, “Peter, pray me to Jesus…” I confess that it was the first time I considered just how innate such intercession is in the Catholic faith. And I wondered what that says about the human condition and our relationship to God… perhaps that most people are so fearful or intimidated or scared of addressing their own mortality that we intuitively seek an ambassador in the afterlife. (Just an initial thought. I’m still processing.)

On a birthday
I turned 28 last week. But that didn’t stop everyone in Paris and Rome and on the flights from thinking I was a teenager. I confess that no matter how much eye makeup I wear, no matter how I cut my hair, no matter whether wear I jeans or wear dressy clothes, I will look young. It’s just the way it is. I confess that I stopped wearing suits a long time ago because I just looked like an intern playing a part. Also because I discovered that the people who make a big deal of those sorts of things are not great people to work with or for. Also because of Steve Jobs (really, I confess that is totally true, however silly).

I confess that while turning 27 felt like a transition or transformative time, turning 28 feels more… practical. Not in a bad way. This feels like a time of housekeeping and quiet, subtle preparation. Maybe the word should be contemplative or reflective instead of practical. I’m actually excited about that, although I confess that it feels like I am already watching this year unravel. How is March right around the corner?

Final birthday note: I was overwhelmed with incredibly personalized and thoughtful gifts and notes this year. Some of my closest friends and family shared things with me that not only mean a lot, but seem to reflect the particular way they relate to me. It was humbling.

On long posts
I confess that I know this is a long post, but I really don’t care, people. I’ve had fun writing it.

On what’s next
I confess that I have lots of link goodies that I have wanted to post here since catching up from the trip. An explosion of internet wisdom and thinking is likely on its way to this little bloggy-abode. You’ve been warned.

(The end.)

Our second day in Paris, and not likely to be topped. We were...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:34:58 -0500

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

Our second day in Paris, and not likely to be topped. We were visiting Notre Dame, which had been converged upon by hundreds of nuns of all orders, backgrounds, and ages. It was a bubbly and happy crowd. I have a soft spot for nuns, so I was already in my people-watching glory being surrounded by them.

As we got closer to the entrance of the cathedral, music began playing… and it only took a couple notes for me to realize it was “Oh Happy Day,” which everyone knows is the favorite song of nuns everywhere (thanks, Sister Act!) and happens to be a DVQ Studio favorite. I looked at my brother and dad and said, “If these nuns break out dancing, I will die happy.”

And oh my sweet baby Jesus — the nuns broke out into a flash mob! My heart pretty much exploded with the power of 100 Hail Marys.

And for the record, if you were ever wondering what a nun’s face looks like after successful completion of flash mob choreography, it is pure joy.

away we go

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:26:00 -0500

We are a few hours into our journey to Paris and Rome, hanging out at the Minneapolis airport before our flight leaves. I have decided the Delta Sky Lounge is today’s closest equivalent to Ten Forward, with a bar and furniture that attempts to be hip-modern and everything, but unfortunately no Guinan. I wouldn’t mind hanging out with her all day. (Look it up, kids.)

So far my biggest adventure has been attempting to operate on about four hours sleep and low reserves after a packed week. This has resulted in me spilling coffee on myself and (a little) on the dude next to me on the plane from Grand Rapids to Minneapolis. It also involved not understanding how the coffee machine in the Sky Lounge works and missing the obvious “STOP” button and watching milk overflow, in a state of mystification. (In other words, if you’re following the theme here, I couldn’t even be trusted with a food replicator right now.)

Also, this airport has three arcades. And I am now ranked in the top five for a few races on California Driving.

Anyway, the plane ride over was lovely. The sunrise was at our back. I discovered the sweetest note from Carl waiting for me on my iPad — that’s the only great part of traveling without him. The love notes. Otherwise, I hate that he’s not here. In a weird way, it’s like an injury that reminds you how important your limbs are. Like, hey that bruise really hurts, but wow, did I ever underestimate how deeply I care about my arm and need it to be whole. This will be the longest time we’ve ever been apart, can you tell?

Ok. This post killed all of about 15 minutes. Back to people-watching and hopefully not spilling or stumbling over myself too much more.

"Perhaps the ‘I don’t have time to read’ line is just a cover. A way that people excuse..."

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:54:20 -0500

“Perhaps the ‘I don’t have time to read’ line is just a cover. A way that people excuse themselves from the uncomfortable truth that they do, in fact, have time but that they would rather do something other than read with that time (such as pretending to be a wood-elf). We exalt reading as ‘good’ like exercise and vegetables and so we are always making excuses as to why we avoid it.”

- In the Land of the Non-Reader « The Bygone Bureau

I’ve been reading much more lately and wondering about this excuse as well. Elsewhere in this post, the writer talks about reading in terms of empathy and new ideas. The irony for me has been that the more I read, the less alone I feel. Especially after days when I feel like I’ve been pitching ideas and concepts and language to varying degrees of success, there’s nothing like Jane Hirshfield or Henry David Thoreau or Virginia Woolf to convince me I’m not crazy and then challenge me to dig even deeper.

"Just as companies create pop-up stores during the holidays or during certain promotional periods,..."

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:42:00 -0500

“Just as companies create pop-up stores during the holidays or during certain promotional periods, P2P marketplaces for the exchange of services make it possible for individuals to create their own little pop-up human capital stores, wherever they happen to be, and for as long as they want. This concept can be especially empowering for any individual who is unemployed (or under-employed) – or even someone who is employed and is interested in trying out a new career path. We’ve been trained to think of small businesses as the driver of economic growth and new employment in the economy, but it might just be the case that this model of employment needs a good re-think.”

- Pop-Up Human Capital: A New Employment Model? | Endless Innovation | Big Think

I confess that I wish every Tuesday could begin with breakfast with my best friends and end with a...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:15:20 -0500

I confess that I wish every Tuesday could begin with breakfast with my best friends and end with a pedicure with my sister-in-law, with pizza and wine with the hubby as the epilogue. Tuesday is not typically so much fun (especially considering that I actually worked, too). And so rarely does it end with my toes sporting a happy pink-red shade, this one in particular called California Raspberry. And yes, I picked the color first, but it was the name that sold me.

this is how nerds say i love you

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:30:40 -0500

Seriously. I love this guy SO MUCH.

so... i'm going to paris. and rome. in 15 days.

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:59:00 -0500

A few days into the year, I decided my mantra for 2012 would be: Honor what’s essential. Do what energizes.

It’s not a resolution. It’s an intention. And it’s already making this year feel like a time of magic. I’m not a huge fan of the word magic — it seems a little too sentimental even for me — but I feel like I discredit the energy that’s taking shape if I name it anything less.

My parents and my brother and I had a long conversation last night, about purpose and direction and spirituality and travel. My dad and my brother are good friends with restlessness, like I am, so when it showed up again last night, they met it at the door with a greeting popular among restless people: obsessive browsing of travel websites.

By 10 pm I got the call that they wanted to go to Paris, take the train to Rome, and then fly home from there. And they wanted to do this at the end of the month. And the deals were hot, so I’d better act fast — was I in? A series of texts in the middle of the night, which I woke up to, informed me that they couldn’t wait for my decision and had booked their tickets. And they had reserved the hotel rooms for three people, hoping there was still a chance I’d join them.

Some hours of work and two conversations with my husband (his response: Of course you should go!) and my business partner (her response: Of course you should go!) later, I’m going. And it feels like I just drew a circle on the map for good energy and new adventures and said, “Here’s where you can find me. Please visit often.”

Did I mention I’m ridiculously excited?

"Any business that ignores these transformations does so at its own peril. Despite recession,..."

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:53:11 -0500

“Any business that ignores these transformations does so at its own peril. Despite recession, currency crises, and tremors of financial instability, the pace of disruption is roaring ahead. The frictionless spread of information and the expansion of personal, corporate, and global networks have plenty of room to run. And here’s the conundrum: When businesspeople search for the right forecast—the road map and model that will define the next era—no credible long-term picture emerges. There is one certainty, however. The next decade or two will be defined more by fluidity than by any new, settled paradigm; if there is a pattern to all this, it is that there is no pattern. The most valuable insight is that we are, in a critical sense, in a time of chaos.”

- This Is Generation Flux: Meet The Pioneers Of The New (And Chaotic) Frontier Of Business | Fast Company

So many things I could quote from this article. A very good read. (Except for the introduction of yet another generational term… the whole “generation this” and “generation that” is getting old.)

"Living Social is likely the fastest growing technology business in Washington, DC that’s run..."

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:59:32 -0500

“Living Social is likely the fastest growing technology business in Washington, DC that’s run into a problem: they cannot find engineers in the DC area quickly enough. So instead of uprooting and moving to Silicon Valley or some other more tech-dense city, Living Social is taking a different approach. They’re trying to create more developers. Hungry Academy’s goal is to take 24 driven people without development skill, and turn them into developers. And they’ll employ them, full-time, while they’re undergoing training.”

- Information Diet | Why Hungry Academy Matters

This is brilliant. And another sign that higher education is not only overpriced, but increasingly out of touch. Rack up student loan debt for a degree that may not even teach you the real world of programming, or earn a living while learning from people in the industry?

I know my choice. We’re in the thick of paying Carl’s loans, yet almost everything he learned about real-world development he either taught himself since middle school or learned on the job. (And the people who learn this way are the ones you really want to hire anyway. A degree does not a student make.)

"I don’t like this expression ‘First World problems.’ It is false and it is condescending. Yes,..."

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:49:43 -0500

““I don’t like this expression ‘First World problems.’ It is false and it is condescending. Yes, Nigerians struggle with floods or infant mortality. But these same Nigerians also deal with mundane and seemingly luxurious hassles. Connectivity issues on your BlackBerry, cost of car repair, how to sync your iPad, what brand of noodles to buy: Third World problems. All the silly stuff of life doesn’t …disappear just because you’re black and live in a poorer country. People in the richer nations need a more robust sense of the lives being lived in the darker nations. Here’s a First World problem: the inability to see that others are as fully complex and as keen on technology and pleasure as you are.””

- Nigerian author and artist Teju Cole (via xkimberlyx)

BOOM

YOU JUST GOT KNOWLEDGE’D

(via noitemsfoxonlyfinaldestination)

I love you. The end. Lets write beautiful poetry together for the rest of our lives.

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:38:30 -0500

This sounds like a perfectly magical way to spend a life. I’m in.

"A good poem is a contribution to reality. The world is never the same once a good poem has been..."

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:21:48 -0500

“A good poem is a contribution to reality. The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it. A good poem helps to change the shape of the universe, helps to extend everyone’s knowledge of himself and the world around him.”

- Dylan Thomas (via aquaticuss)

Dear Side Plank, I thought we’d never get along. That...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:23:58 -0500

Dear Side Plank,

I thought we’d never get along. That first day of yoga, when you made my arms shimmy like an unbalanced wash machine, I discovered you were the pose that revealed my painful secret: 20-something and hiding behind the genetic gift of an overactive metabolism. More than a decade of lying during annual physicals: “Yes, of course I exercise.” “Oh, I don’t know. Two or three times a week?”

I had arrived at yoga fixated on the idea that touching my toes would be a big, audacious accomplishment. But then I met you. And your simplicity taunted me. How could a pose so plain reveal so much of my weakness? It took me two or three or four more encounters with you before I figured out that simplicity can be a kind of invitation, rather than a confrontation.

And tonight, many months after meeting you, long after I have discovered the sensation of touching my own toes, you and I made peace. My body went up, and instead of arguing, you and I nodded at each other, and we did the work together. When my arm started to shake a little, the fingers of the other, extended above, pushed higher.

We held each other up. Thanks for that. And for your patience.

Sincerely,

Emily