Has the Pandemic Transformed the Office Forever? - New York Mag
I think the answer is a definite yes. As I reflect on my own career journey, working remotely is not only normal but preferred. I love interactions with people and definitely find virtual a bit lacking for certain types of engagements, but the pros greatly outweigh the cons from a life perspective. I’ve lived in Northern Westchester since 2005 and commuted on the train for most of that time working in agencies slogging long workweeks as well as balancing a sometimes massive travel volume for the year.
Dinner with my family most nights and daily engagement as normal is a remarkable change that I cannot believe was sacrificed for so long. When my father’s company was acquired in the late 90’s by Euro RSCG (Havas today) I started working in an open space with little if any personal privacy as my desk along with my close colleagues was at the base of a staircase that passed through the building. A few years later I was at MRM and had a small office which I thought was great including my own small fridge with weekly beverage deliveries. When I found my way to R/GA (references in the piece above) we had shared work surfaces, little privacy and a mostly open plan. Uncomfortable at first it became quite normal over time. WFH was not normal and certainly, an exception that stayed constant over the years … my subsequent agency was also open plan with limited remote work and even less video conferencing which was long standardized at R/GA. When I joined Techstars in 2019, my home became my office and while that also took some getting used to, I would have a hard time really considering a full-time commute again. With privacy, connectivity, and proximity to my family and life away from work I can be productive and maintain a high quality of life at the same time.
Culture Of Time New York's Newest Public Clock Is A Triumph - HODINKEE
I can’t see passing through the new station any time soon and Grand Central was my normal … yet this clock and the station general look like fantastic additions to the city. Gorgeous images and terrific design consideration here.
Is This Cycling Duel the Best Rivalry in Sports? - WSJ
You don’t need to love cycling or track the professional side of things to appreciate the epic nature of a strong rivalry. In this case, add in the insane conditions and you get a complete spectacle. I highly recommend watching the UCI recap and would also add in this unreal piece speaking with the photographer capturing the images from the winter ocean!
Inside the craziest meeting of the Trump presidency - Axios
There are so many insane things to consider about this meeting and you should really read the whole piece, but here’s a quick peek and how far things were from normal -
It was now four against four.
Flynn went berserk. The former three-star general, whom Trump had fired as his first national security adviser after he was caught lying to the FBI (and later pardoned), stood up and turned from the Resolute Desk to face Herschmann.
"You're quitting! You're a quitter! You're not fighting!” he exploded at the senior adviser. Flynn then turned to the president, and implored: "Sir, we need fighters."
Herschmann ignored Flynn at first and continued to probe Powell's pitch with questions about the underlying evidence. "All you do is promise, but never deliver," he said to her sharply.
Flynn was ranting, seemingly infuriated about anyone challenging Powell, who had represented him in his recent legal battles.
Finally Herschmann had enough. "Why the fuck do you keep standing up and screaming at me?" he shot back at Flynn. "If you want to come over here, come over here. If not, sit your ass down." Flynn sat back down.
No better way to play this one out …