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Hi from Dublin, I'm Matt...

I hope this edition of Stuff finds you well and full of happiness wherever you are.

Over last couple of days, the Aviva Stadium (right next to my house) has been hosting a famous Irish boy band as they kick-off a huge tour. I'm not a fan but hearing 40,000+ people sing along as fireworks explode over the stadium has been quite joyful.

Thank you for being a part of Stuff. If you received this email from an excellent friend, and would like to subscribe, please go here. If you'd like an archive of Stuff from the beginning of 2022 - it's here.

Onward with the Stuff that MattRs this week...
  1. Monday Motivation:  Let this week be the one where you start getting ready for your next performance review by implementing a 'brag document'.  I've done this for the last couple of years, it's called 'Matt DONE List' and I block out 30 minutes each month to capture a list of my key achievements. When it comes to review time, I have a everything I need.  Here's a copy of my DONE list template.
  2. Your new superpower:  Write emails with military precision.  Excellent advice here that could take your email to the next level.   I am going to use the BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) technique from this week.
  3. Essential Reading: Six strategies that you help you be a better reader. I really like idea #1 here, giving up on books you don't enjoy.   Soldiering through a unenjoyable (to you) book is one way to reduce the fun in reading.  We've covered plenty of tools for finding new books on Stuff - I like this one.  
  4. Take care: Check your hearing online.   Years of DJ'ing (mostly) with earplugs in has left mine in fairly undamaged shape, but it is still worth testing.
  5. TWIL:  Knives and spoons are ancient, but forks are a recent addition to our eating tools.
  6. How to sleep well again: Insomnia can be debilitating, even after one night of poor sleep we can feel groggy and irritable. Here are some practical things you can do to help improve your sleep.
  7. Do I need a big coat? Ventusky has some of the best weather maps I've ever seen, with tons of overlays for temperature, wind, UV etc.  Extremely useful!  
  8. Who left the printer out of paper? I've featured these sound generator sites before, but this one recreates the sound of being in an office with colleagues.   Except that person who does a conference call on a loudspeaker, they aren't there.  
  9. Congratulations, you have solved philosophy:  Absurd Trolley Problems. This is fun derivative of the 'trolley dilemma' which pits a thinker against a moral dilemma.  You can test your own ethics on the Moral Machine.
  10. Finally: The Restaurant of Mistaken Orders.  Your order might be correct, or it might not be.  There is a great reason for that.
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I use Refind to uncover new insights and links to share each week on Stuff - Refind will send you 7 links that make you smarter every day.
Recommended Stuff to make you Smarter

📚 Just one recommendation this week. I'm halfway through the first novel from Werner Herzog called The Twilight World, and it tells the story of a Japanese soldier who lived in a remote Philippine Island, not knowing that World War Two had ended. It's exceptionally good, with Herzog writing like condensed milk. Not one word is wasted.
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My aural stuff for you this week is from Adrian Quesada - a member of Black Pumas who is based in Austin, Texas. Boleros Psicodèlicos is a collection of tracks that celebrate and modernise latin traditions. With a group of guest vocalists, Quesada has created a fabulously summery album of great tunes that are really worth a listen.

Listen to Adrian Quesada - Boleros Psicodèlicos on Spotify here.

Stuff that someone said:

"The lack of sleep is no great matter, but the images that insomnia brings - no, I prefer nightmares."   Samuel Beckett

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