Jul 14, 2021Taking Cal Newport’s Deep Work SeriouslyOne of the things I talk and write most about is reading. This is the puffer fish intellectualism of someone who has a lot to say yet knows that most of it has already been said. My bookshelf is a window into how much of my knowledge, and therefore my…Work4 min readWork4 min read
Dec 22, 2020I read 50 books this year. Here’s what I learned.Short answer: Not much. I’m a sucker for Goodreads’ annual reading challenge. In past years, I’d set myself the goal of reading 26 books a year — one each fortnight — and whether or not I hit the target, I found it a useful way to stay motivated. …Productivity4 min readProductivity4 min read
Oct 28, 2020Taking Play Seriously“The play-concept is of a higher order than seriousness. For seriousness seeks to exclude play, whereas play can very well include seriousness.” — Johan Huizinga I became the Director of the long-form improvisation company in my town — Only the Human — with great reluctance. The reasons I said “yes”…Improv5 min readImprov5 min read
Apr 14, 2020Is Improvisation Political?Note: This is an inchoate, conversational thought-dump. It is not without serious thought, but it is without serious rigour. It is an invitation, mostly to myself, to explore the political potential of improvisation. Thoughts are welcome and a real person is behind this, so e-mail me at aden@adendate.com …6 min read6 min read
Mar 21, 2020The Perfect Storm: Get Ready for ‘Productivity Anxiety.’If you’ve done an MBA, you’ve probably seen something like this:Productivity4 min readProductivity4 min read
Mar 16, 2020Three Ways COVID-19 Prefigures a Response to the Climate EmergencyGovernments right now are a little like the X-Men. Having mostly kept their powers hidden, citizens in liberal democracies are discovering that our governments have extraordinary powers to mobilise significant resources in response to a crisis. Where governments declare an emergency they are capable of extraordinarily quick responses to emergent…Co Vid 193 min readCo Vid 193 min read
Mar 9, 2020Choosing Empathy over JudgementA scrap broke out at a Woolworths in Sydney earlier this week, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In response to the Coronavirus, many Australians have begun panic buying toilet paper. Panic buying reflects a breakdown of trust. People are hoarding toilet paper because they believe a time may…Coronavirus2 min readCoronavirus2 min read
Dec 11, 2019Via Negativa: Learning What You Love by Learning What You Hate“I’ve looked under chairs I’ve looked under tables I’ve tried to find the key To fifty million fables They call me The Seeker I’ve been searching low and high I won’t get to get what I’m after Till the day I die.” — The Seeker, by The Who It is…Life Lessons4 min readLife Lessons4 min read
Jul 14, 2019Why Fools Recommend BooksI had coffee with a few friends shortly after returning from life abroad in East Africa. I missed the agora-like coffee shop while living abroad. Western-style cafes aren’t lacking, but they’re used for planning safari tours or doing business deals. …Politics4 min readPolitics4 min read
Jun 28, 2019Can Progressive Politics survive without Progress?Field Notes on ‘Progress 2019’ — My dad used to take my sister and I out for a Maccas breakfast each Sunday morning. One year, around age eight or nine, my sister was in the outdoor play area while I finished eating honey-soaked pancakes out of a styrofoam box. My dad, sitting opposite, decided this morning…Politics4 min readPolitics4 min read
