Happy Sunday morning! This will go out the morning after one of the biggest hockey games of the last decade, and I’m sure there will be more than a few hangovers on both sides. It’s so, so great to have best-on-best hockey back on the international stage — the world has waited a long time to see the modern greats play together.
My wife started a new work position this week, moving her close to her first full-time job since before our children were born. Two career full-time jobs and three children? We’re going to try it. It will be chaotic and hectic, and there likely won’t be a ton of extra time to spend with our little family. But we also want to honour those who came before us. Eight-hour days, ample vacation time, early retirements — those are modern things which most of human history has gone without. Hard work is a part of life. Building doesn’t only happen between 9:00AM and 5:00PM. We hope to embrace it for a short period of time.
This week’s Sunday Edition has a somewhat patriotic element to it. I’m not about to chime in on North American affairs — Canadians and Americans are far more alike than we are different — but the boosted Canadian pride is something we can get used to again. It’s been a long time since we were allowed to be proud to be Canadian.
On Jon Batiste’s National Anthem
I’m no football fan, but you’d be remiss to miss the Super Bowl. This year’s game must rank near the bottom of Super Bowls all-time (unless that’s what we consider entertaining?), but the football is — as always — only half the story.
When Jon Batiste flowed through the Star Spangled Banner, chills went straight up my spine. He is obviously a wizard. He has a unique voice and I love his gigantic smile. He oozes soul and personality on the piano. Check out this incredible rendition of Für Elise. Batiste is remarkable.
That sent me down a YouTube rabbit hole of some of the best national anthems performed on big sports stages. I specifically remember Super Bowl LVII’s Chris Stapleton national anthem. Just pure, unabashed Americanism in that rendition.
Then there’s the greatest Star Spangled Banner likely ever sung in the history of, well, anything. Whitney Houston’s rendition of the anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl (what a great year, by the way) will not only give you chills, it’ll likely make you cry. Truly, I don’t know how an anthem could get better than this.
And then there’s the greatest Canadian anthem ever played at a hockey game — the flag-raising after Sid the Kid’s golden goal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. If that doesn’t get your Canadian blood flowing, I don’t know what will. (Can you believe that’s 15 years ago already? Look at how young Sid looks!)
Finally, in the spirit of Canada’s 60th anniversary of the unveiling of the new Maple Leaf Canadian flag (don’t miss this Wikipedia look at our original Canadian flag, still the most beautiful flag in the history of our country), I want to point out a couple historical notes. First, the lyrics of Alexander Muir’s “Maple Leaf Forever”, with some true pro-Britannia, “for King and Country!” vibes.
Second, it is important all Canadians read and understand the three additional verses to our beautiful national anthem. (It’s also important to read and understand the entire French anthem, which has an entirely different message to it.) Our second, third, and fourth verses highlight our beautiful geography from sea to sea, hope for those who work and toil, our gentle and polite nature, and our great God who holds the country in His hands. We can’t ever forget this. It’s a truly beautiful anthem, and though would take far too long to sing, would be great for Canadians to better learn and understand. The lyrics:
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us thy broad domain,
From East to Western Sea,
Thou land of hope for all who toil!
Thou True North, strong and free!
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,
To keep thee steadfast through the years
From East to Western Sea,
Our own beloved native land!
Our True North, strong and free!
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our dominion within thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the Better Day,
We ever stand on guard.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada!
On Great Winter Clothing
We’re caught in the middle of a deep freeze here in Manitoba (though, thankfully, we haven’t received any snow like they did in Ontario and Quebec). We’re going on 10 straight days of -20C or colder. But as the age-old adage goes, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” (Or something like that.)
In that spirit, I want to express my gratitude for two items. These items are solved problems for me — barring rips, tears, or breakdowns, I don’t expect to replace these items, and I’ll surely replace them with a new purchase of the same item.
The first is a pair of Baffin winter boots. There may be other “better” options out there, but these boots have changed how I dress in the winter. I have these Baffin Snow Monster boots. They are comfortable and more slip-resistant than any other boot I’ve tried, and most importantly, they are extra warm in the worst of weather. These boots don’t skip a beat when the mercury drops below -35C and the wind chill hits -45C. I don’t wear them every day of the winter, but I never pause due to my footwear when it gots ripping cold outside.
The second is a warm pair of winter pants. My father-in-law gifted me a pair of these Carhartt Loose Fit Insulated Bib Overalls, and they are the best thing since sliced bread. I wear them to shovel snow, to go tobogganing with the girls, and to skate on the outdoor rink. I am never cold, I am never afraid to go knee-deep or deeper into the snow, and I’m never afraid to get to work in these overalls.
A combination of warm pants and warm boots — and a luxurious hot tub — make bearing the cold winter a breeze. To me, these items ensure winter feels like a largely solved problem.
Matt Gemmell is Back to the Mac
Matt Gemmell is one of those longest standing writers who have a control over the English language few technology bloggers possess. I’ve always loved his iPad-only posts, or his extra-fun journey through ergonomic mechanical keyboards. However, it looks like Gemmell has returned to the trusty Mac:
The period during which the iPad was sufficient for my needs was perhaps the most emotionally satisfying — and principled — portion of my computer-using adult life. As things stand, however, that period has largely elapsed. And, I find myself concerned that those erstwhile needs are a straightforward subset of a larger product identity which itself still seems to be mostly undefined.
None of that is true for the Mac. It’s satisfying in the conventional way, in that it meets needs without drama or acrobatics. It works in the sense that it marshals its resources firmly in the direction of service, rather than theatre. It’s flexible not as a shape-shifting device of modularity and digital magic, but in the unassuming and reliable way that its answer is invariably yes. For me, that’s more than enough of a recommendation.
I could attempt to wax poetic like Gemmell about my beloved MacBook Pro, but I don’t possess that type of linguistic skill. I’ll dive in another day. The M4 Pro MacBook Pro that I’m using today feels more than an evolutionary step. It’s the same chassis as the last few years, and there’s little in the way of a changed experience from the 2021 MacBook Pro. But a combination of extreme speed with the M4 Pro chip and a large SSD that houses all my file-work locally has increased my efficiency beyond a level I thought possible.
“Trusty, boring, conventional.” For a work tool, these are the best compliments you can provide.
The Second Cup
- How a Billionaire Spends 7 Days — (Robert Herjavec)
– You can choose to be disgusted by the excess, but I find it interesting to see how some of these guys live their daily lives. There sure is a lot of travel involved. - How Sidney Crosby became the greatest winner in hockey history — (National Post)
– It’s disappointing it takes 20+ years of not making a mistake for the world to finally provide Sidney Crosby the recognition he deserves. They were so quick to rip him when he was younger. Now, finally, after all the years and accolades, Crosby is finding himself consistently on the Mount Rushmore of hockey. - Serving the country — (David Heinemeier Hanson)
– I’m feeling confident in the analysis that the reason for the DOGE pushback is because of the actor and not because of the premise. There’s a ton of value in burning things to the ground and rebuilding without excess. Canada would be good to adopt some sort of DOGE methodology to hone the size of our government. - Sprout Sit-to-Stand Table — (Herman Miller)
– Never mind the price of this desk. I just like the way the desk rises to standing height via the four corner legs. - Little Joys — (Danny Gevirtz)
– What a wonderful little video reminding us of the smallest moments in life, providing over-the-top levels of joy. Thanks for sharing, Thomas.
Happy Sunday. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead.