Thursday Things

What I’m Contemplating

• Why I stopped using roadmaps and switched to GIST instead – “Over the years I created my fair share of product strategies, roadmaps and project gantts. I don’t use them anymore.”
• Slack is the opposite of organizational memory – I’ve maintained for a while that tools like Slack have a place and value, but are a poor substitute for other collaboration tools like wikis and email.
• Somebody Needs to Make a Movie About John Shuster and His Ragtag Team of Curling Rejects – I watched more curling (men’s and women’s) than all other sports combined this olympics. I expect to get out and play again this coming fall.
• How Warren Buffett Won His Multi-Million Dollar Long Bet – No shocker here. Fund managers always win.

What I’m Reading

• I read The Fountainhead (audio version) as I’ve heard it is “better” than Atlas Shrugged. It was moderately enjoyable but I’m not sure I would call it a classic.
• I listened to Hitler: Ascent, 1889–1939, the best biography I’ve read to date. The account of the early 1930s Nazi takeover was masterfully done

What I’m Listening To

• Chris Stapleton’s Traveler – this is the sort of country music I like.
• The Wood Brothers’ One Drop of Truth – didn’t love it.
• The Low Anthem’s The Salt Doll Went To Measure The Depth Of The Sea – I’ve been a fan for 10 years and this album doesn’t disappoint. This is spatial, theme music that for me will be good for relaxation and concentration. I think I wanted it to be more like The Crane Wife with some driving anthems interwoven with their audio tapestries.

What I’m Playing

I’ve played a ton of games since I last checked in! Many were at my annual gaming retreat (the photo above was from one of our morning runs), which I’ll write more about soon.

Played at Game On! in Issaquah:

• Championship Formula Racing
• South Pacific: Breaking the Bismarck Barrier 1942–1943
• South Pacific: Breaking the Bismarck Barrier 1942–1943
• Charterstone
• SET
• Nations: The Dice Game
• 1846: The Race for the Midwest
• Charterstone
• Holland ’44: Operation Market-Garden

Others:

• Puerto Rico
• Advanced Squad Leader: Starter Kit #1
• Advanced Squad Leader
• Combat Commander: Europe
• Cartagena

Played at my game retreat:

• Viticulture: Complete Collector’s Edition
• Jump Drive
• Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition
• Azul
• Frank’s Zoo
• Viticulture: Complete Collector’s Edition
• Azul
• High Frontier (3rd edition)
• GTS Operation Mercury: The Invasion of Crete
• Die Sieben Siegel
• Viticulture: Complete Collector’s Edition
• Triumph & Tragedy
• Viticulture: Complete Collector’s Edition
• Azul