links – Rants and Raves

Article: Can a Sommelier Be Sober?

This link was in my backlog – I found it interesting.

I think being a sober sommelier challenges the traditional stereotype of what a sommelier should be,” says France-based sober somm Laura Vidal. “It’s important for us to show that you don’t have to drink to appreciate wine, and that there are many different ways to enjoy it.”
Wine Enthusiast

The others mentioned in the article have different approaches- some don’t drink at all – one just tastes – etc. Interesting perspectives

Article: “Enshittification’ is coming for absolutely everything”

Ali pasted a link to a Financial Times editorial recently and I finally got around to reading it- Cory Doctorow on Enshittification. It’s a good read and I recommend that you check it out.

Link to the FT editorial.

There are four constraints that prevent enshittification: competition, regulation, self-help and
labour. To reverse enshittification and guard against its re-emergence, we must restore and
strengthen each of these.

An Interesting Look At Nespresso Pods

I have a love/hate relationship with Nespresso machines. One on hand they’re small, neat, precise and easy. On the other- they seem expensive (the coffee cost per gram), wasteful and not as good as the traditional way that I consume espresso.

I’ve also been fascinated with the story about Nestle losing the case that was brought forth by independent pod makers so they were forced to accept 3rd-party pods. And I’ve used those quite a bit- especially traveling. I’ve been in Air BnBs or Hotels where there was a Nespresso machine, but only 1 or 2 pods available. But I was able to stock up at nearby grocery stores on these trips and have enough espresso for my stay.

During these trips where I was having third party coffee, I noticed the time for a shot wasn’t the same and the quality was hit or miss. I just saw this James Hoffman video where he does a breakdown on the pods and machines themselves. I found it quite interesting- especially his praise for the Nespresso pods and the tech behind the grinds. It’s interesting.

Kareem’s Playlist

I’m a subscriber to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s newsletter on Substack. He’s a great writer – check out the Mycroft Holmes books he’s written – or re-watch season 3 of Veronica Mars- or look at the long list of articles, posts and books if you don’t believe me. Or subscribe to his newsletter!

One of the great things I love about the newsletter is that he usually has a music recommendation or three towards the end. I’ve been trying to save the recommendations to a playlist on Spotify. I don’t have everything on here- but I go back a bit from when I started paying attention. Save the list below and give it a listen sometime.

Quick Links – Dec 2022

A post about from a writer who wears a smartwatch on one wrist and a traditional watch on the other. It’s tempting me to get a smartwatch. I keep thinking about getting an Apple Watch or a Whoop device.

Kareem’s blog and newsletter– if you’re not a subscriber, you should be. His blog makes me want to work at becoming a better writer.

NYT’s Best Books of 2022 (And the Staff Picks for 2022)

Goodreads.com Best Books of 2022 (Based on User Choice)