---
title: "Dispatch #36 (February 2026)"
date: 2026-01-29T22:40:09-05:00
draft: false
tags:
- dispatch
references:
- title: "Dan McQuade, 1983–2026 | Defector"
  url: https://defector.com/dan-mcquade-1983-2026
  date: 2026-01-30T03:40:45Z
  file: defector-com-hefgsb.txt
- title: "Food Comas and Some Bests • Buttondown"
  url: https://buttondown.com/nathanlong/archive/food-comas-and-some-bests/
  date: 2026-01-06T18:39:37Z
  file: buttondown-com-lxmsti.txt
- title: "3 books with Samuel Arbesman (Interconnected)"
  url: https://interconnected.org/home/2025/11/14/arbesman
  date: 2026-01-06T18:40:18Z
  file: interconnected-org-9bc7pq.txt
---

Greetings from frigid Durham, North Carolina. We've had an uncharacteristic amount of winter precipitation this month (mostly ice last weekend but a few inches of snow this one). On the one hand, our work is pretty flexible and we've gotten plenty of extra time with the kids. On the other, my home office and all my hobbies are in the basement, where it's presently around 40°F, so I'm about ready for things to get back to normal.

{{<dither IMG_3192.jpeg "782x600">}}Bundled up in a double stroller, both kids happily munching snacks on a chilly street.{{</dither>}}
{{<dither IMG_3258.jpeg "782x600">}}Snowy woods selfie: bundled mom and baby, rosy cheeks, winter headbands, big smiles.{{</dither>}}

{{<dither IMG_3244.jpeg "782x600">}}Pink pom-pom hat, tiny hands in the snow, and a big winter laugh.{{</dither>}}
{{<dither IMG_3260.jpeg "782x600">}}Bundled up and ready for a snowy sled ride.{{</dither>}}

I spent a few days in Miami for a company leadership retreat. Highlights included a run along the [Miami Beach Beachwalk][1] and beers at [Abbey Brewing Company][2]. Then we headed up to DC for a friend's baby shower and some time with my folks.

[1]: https://www.miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/parks-and-recreation/parks-facilities-directory/beachwalk/
[2]: https://www.instagram.com/abbeybrewingmia/

While we were up there, our car finally gave up the ghost. It's been struggling to start for a while now, so it wasn't completely unexpected, but I'd hoped to replace it by choice rather than by necessity. We've got a Toyota Rav4 plug-in hybrid headed our way. I'm pretty psyched for this, getting around town on electric power but still being able to fill up with gas when we travel.

## Voice Note Shortcut

I'm constantly thinking of, and then promptly forgetting, things I need to do, groceries to buy, ideas for these blog posts, etc. I've been on the hunt for some way to quickly capture these fleeting thoughts. I like the idea of a ring that can record voice memos, but [this one][3] requires a $10/mo subscription, and [this one][4] just ... turns into trash after 12-15 hours of recording.

Instead, I played around in the iOS Shortcuts app and made a shortcut that captures text from speech, then looks for a note named for today's date (creating it if necessary), and appends the dictated text to it. Then I m/System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/Resources/MyLibraries/myDocuments.cannedSearch ade it so that double-tapping the back of the phone launches the shortcut (shout out Viget friend [Max Myers][5]).

[Here's the shortcut if you want to give it a shot.][6]

[3]: https://www.sandbar.com/stream
[4]: https://repebble.com/index
[5]: https://maxmyers.me/
[6]: /journal/dispatch-36-february-2026/voice-note.shortcut

- Nico’s a full-on dude
  - Opened the door to find him waking up and saying “hi dad”
- Voice note shortcut
- Dilbert / J.K. Rowling / Om Malik
  - Online makes you dumber
- Stencil + Airbrush
  - <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTB2N2D9>

<!--more-->

Finally, [RIP Dan McQuade][7]. 43 years old. What the hell. I'm off to go hug my family.

[7]: https://defector.com/dan-mcquade-1983-2026

### This Month

* Adventure:
* Project:
* Skill:

### Reading & Listening

* Fiction: [_The Will of the Many_][8], James Islington ([via][9])
* Non-fiction: [_The Magic of Code_][10], Samuel Arbesman  ([via][11])
* Music: I've got a bit of a backlog here; gonna spend some time with the records I already have (assuming the basement warms up)

[8]: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Will-of-the-Many/James-Islington/Hierarchy/9781982141189
[9]: https://buttondown.com/nathanlong/archive/food-comas-and-some-bests/
[10]: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/samuel-arbesman/the-magic-of-code/9781541704480/
[11]: https://interconnected.org/home/2025/11/14/arbesman

### Links

* [Title][12]
* [Title][13]
* [Title][14]

[12]: https://example.com/
[13]: https://example.com/
[14]: https://example.com/