Matthew Lang

I love this post from Adrian about what he's learnt from his time as a developer and where he sees himself going next.

Take conscious decisions in your life. Be aware of your actions and their effect. Do not blush or be embarrased for changing your opinions. Say “I’m sorry” when required. Listen. Do not be a hotshot. Have integrity and self-respect.

— Being a Developer After 40 by Adrian Kosmaczewski

The big four-o for me is just around the corner. I can't freelance for another twenty years, or can I?

The Awl remembers the glory days of Google Reader.

Instead, our websites now keep tabs on us, the better to target us and hold us down and turn us into money, like so many caged broiler chickens, puffed up with soybean meal. Doesn’t feel good, does it?

— O Reader! My Reader by The Awl

To be fair it's not all that bad. People are still blogging and the demise of Google Reader as seen a growing market in RSS readers which is great for everyone. The glory days might still be ahead.

The project is vaguely on your mind. You sip coffee and read a book. You scan the news but with faint attention because you are still sorting out the project. As much as you might like to do so, the process can't be rushed.

— Nothing But Thinking by Michael Wade

I'm coming off the back of a frantic couple of months of client work and looking forward to a little bit more time spent like this.

Do this.

A wonderful piece highlighting some life lessons from a father.

Begin conversations with people on airplanes when you hear “We have begun our descent.” If they prove to be fascinating, you will broaden your world; if they prove insufferable, it’s only 15 minutes. Uber rides and chairlifts provide a similar opportunity — exposure to people you would not otherwise meet in controlled time periods.

— Unsolicited Advice for My Three Sons, In No Particular Order by Rufus Griscom

It's writing like this that I love to read but going through the thousands of posts on Medium is a real problem. Another walled garden of potentially great content I guess.

Today marks 20 years since Ocean Colour Scene’s Moseley Shoals entered the British charts. It was the band’s second stab at success: their self-titled 1992 debut sunk without trace and they’d been honing the follow-up for four penniless years. “We knew it was good,” said guitarist Steve Cradock. “We spent a lot of time working on it.” Championed by Radio 1’s Chris Evans – who loved The Riverboat Song so much he made it the theme tune to TFI Friday – it screamed in at No 2 and stayed in the top 10 all summer, buoyed by support from Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher. The real reason for its success, though, was simpler: it was an absolute gem of a record, by a brilliant group of musicians.

— Ocean Colour Scene: the band whose chief crime was being too normal by The Guardian

I can't believe it's 20 years since Moseley Shoals was released. I'm still an avid listener of Ocean Colour Scene today. Can't fault them at all. Recommended.

Find it again.