Read part one here. It’s always someone’s responsibility and today it’s his because he’s the oldest and he’s built this all up for everyone and he’s paying — well, indirectly — for them all to be here today but there’s no time to get hung up on anything that’s not what’s coming without warning. Every… Continue reading Flight Time, pt. 2
"[Meta/Facebook/Instagram/Google] ads don't make businesses. They scale businesses." I can't remember who said that but the ultimate truth of digital advertising is that this is true. It's basically true of any kind of advertising in general but even in the post-iOS 11 world of digital ads it is easier, faster, simpler, and more data-driven than… Continue reading Traffic Arbitrage
I ran from Quest Maribyrnong due west. The thing that strikes me the most as the difference between Melbourne and Brisbane are the kinds of houses that make up suburbia. Brisbane’s dotted with elevated wooden Queenslanders, airy, light, impossible to really ever be ahead of the upkeep of. Melbourne by contrast is almost all single-storey… Continue reading The Maribyrnong River Trail
I finished up with TradeMutt yesterday to head out into the wild world of freelancing full-time, starting with Inka Arthouse. In two years starting conversations about mental health with work shirts, what did I learn? Brand marketing is short term AND long. Every single time I’ve been stuck with what to do with our ad… Continue reading Conversation Starting In Past Tense
No one knows, really, because it’s not the kind of thing you prepare for. Even if you’d’ve given it some thought it comes on faster in the moment in some ways and slower in others such that it breaks all the plans you might have made. Everything cuts out and there are breaking reports of… Continue reading Flight Time
Legend has it that the Kamo River through central Kyoto first ran south in another location altogether. When the city became home to the imperial capital, the thought was that a river cleaving this new home in two would signify the division of the nation. So the Kamo was diverted to its current course due… Continue reading The Kamo River Running Path
This is not fiction. I had a target in 2024 to write 1,000,000 words for the year. That's 2,740 words per day every day on average. It's a hard thing to do and it was the challenge for the year because it was hard. I did not hit the target. I came in, as per… Continue reading 101,203 Short
Across algorithmic feeds all over the internet, content short form and long, you can find The North Pole’s “operations” livestreamed to general punters curious from December 1st to December 24th what happens inside Santa’s workshop. It is, of course, all for show. The mechanised manufacture of toys at the scale that satisfying the world’s children requires cannot be contained inside a single gingerbread house no matter how large or authentic (some of the elves take bites from the walls and doors as what seems like proof but comments swirl in more cynical circles that they might just have the well-rehearsed taste for thin MDF).
The Gold Coast Marathon, the only full marathon I've run before, is a warm marathon. On July 7th, 2024, on the day of the full marathon, the Gold Coast had a low of 15 degrees Celsius and a high of 24 degrees Celsius. Today in Brisbane on my homemade marathon, we finished in 28 degree… Continue reading Zac & Sean’s 2024 Homemade Marathon
He had to stop himself swearing because the kids were catching on. “How was I supposed to see that?” “You weren’t,” the crashed into driver said, “but maybe stay this side." The Volvo had bounced off the other car and they were both now shouldered on the side of the motorway. The crashed into driver… Continue reading Indicator
Zac van Manen 