Matthew Lang

It will never die. I write now more than I ever did. The growing collection of notebooks and pens on my desk is proof of that.

Despite those who say it’s dying. That it’s obsolete. That, more and more, machines will take over the tasks we use handwriting for. That schools will teach it less and less. Despite all of the obstacles and the naysayers, writing by hand will live on long after you and I are gone.

How do I know?

Our children. Mine and yours. All of us who write by hand and advocate its importance and advantages. We who have children will write by hand in front of those children. Through such actions they will learn from us that writing by hand is something one does. We will teach them to do the same.

— Handwriting will not die... by Patrick Rhone at The Cramped

via AllFixedGear

A bike bell that doesn't look like a bike bell.

How is it that it's taken this long for someone to come up with a design like this?

I am tempted.

Apple received a boost in its fight against the FBI after a judge ruled in Apple's favour.

Judge Orenstein applied previous legal decisions interpreting the AWA and concluded that the law does not “justif[y] imposing on Apple the obligation to assist the government’s investigation against its will.” In a formulation extremely favorable to Apple, the judge wrote that the key question raised by the government’s request is whether the AWA allows a court “to compel Apple — a private party with no alleged involvement in Feng’s criminal activity — to perform work for the government against its will.”

— Apple Wins Major Court Victory Against FBI in a Case Similar to San Bernardino by The Intercept

While I do think it's important for technology companies to help government agencies, especially in the case of providing evidence, there has to be a line drawn in the level of powers that an agency can invoke.

Last week my wife Jennifer was looking for something to read during her lunch break. She stumbled across this piece on reasons why we appear to be so alone in the universe. Read at your peril. The numbers are mind boggling.

As many stars as there are in our galaxy (100 – 400 billion), there are roughly an equal number of galaxies in the observable universe—so for every star in the colossal Milky Way, there’s a whole galaxy out there. All together, that comes out to the typically quoted range of between 1022 and 1024 total stars, which means that for every grain of sand on every beach on Earth, there are 10,000 stars out there.

— The Fermi Paradox by Wait But Why

is often the most valued step.

Thanks Michael!

While reading On Writing Well last night, I was glad to have found the section on technical writing.

Describing how a process works is valuable for two reasons. It forces you to make sure you know how it works. Then it forces you to take the reader through the same sequence of ideas and deductions that made the process clear to you.

— On Writing Well by William Zinsser