Colorado

My summer essentially ends on Monday when I go to work at a law firm in Austin.  But I'm ending my summer with 10 days in Colorado - backpacking with some friends and vacationing with my extended family.  Here are some photos of the trip so far as documented by my phone.

- Joel

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

© Joel Thomason

Instagrid

© Joel Thomason

Ever wish you could share your Instagram photos over the web without going through Twitter?  I have and I just heard about a way to do it.  Check out www.instagrid.me.  You can publish your Instagram feed on the web.  Big time photographers may not like it because people can download your photos from your feed.  But for someone like me who doesn't have much skill, it's a great way to get them to the web.  Check out my feed here.  And then create your own.

- Joel

Uncle Drew

I'm not sure how authentically the people at this basketball court were fooled, but it's a great idea nonetheless.  It reminds me of the old LeBron commercials, back when LeBron was likable.

- Joel

Song of the Day

Bryan John Appleby - "The Words of the Revelator"
Source: T-Sides

Why Smart People Are Stupid

A friend shared a recent New Yorker article discussing the propensity of intelligent people to make mental mistakes.  It seems that smart people (aka people who perform well on standardized tests) are more vulnerable to thinking errors, because they are more likely to take mental shortcuts and less likely to rely on deliberate evaluation.  Alternately phrased, pride comes before the fall.  Research shows that intelligent people are more likely to recognize the cognitive mistakes made by others but less likely to recognize their own mental mistakes.  As a result, they slightly are more prone to common mental mistakes.  Though the article doesn't offer a solution, I wonder if cultivating an attitude of humility is the answer.  You can read the article at the link below.

- Joel

Jonah Lehrer - "Why Smart People Are Stupid"

Patrick Watson

I'd never really heard of Patrick Watson until I watched the Killian Martin skate video I posted a last week. The title track of his recently released Adventures In Your Own Backyard was featured in the video.  I dove into his album and love it. Check out another other track from the album and take a second look at the skate video below. - Joel

Patrick Watson - "Lighthouse"
Source: A Has Been That Never Was

© Joel Thomason

A few tracks I've been listening to lately.

- Joel

Tomas Barfod feat. Nina Kinert - "November Skies"
Source: Friday Mixtape
AlunaGeorge - "You Know You Like It (Bondax Remix)"
Source: Handsome Clothing

The Lumineers - "Ho Hey"

I heard this song by The Lumineers on a Bing.com commercial today.  It's a fun Americana love song.  Take a listen.

- Joel

The Lumineers - "Ho Hey"

Rudimental

Check out this track from Rudimental. Apparently it's blowing up in the UK. Also, the song's two music videos are both superb - one features urban horseback riding (a real phenomenon according to This American Life) and the other some sick dance moves.

- Joel
 

Song of the Day

This is what Michael Bublé would sound like if he was in an indie rock band.

- Joel

The Soft Pack - "Mexico"
Source: RolloGrady

Ellie Goulding Covers The Weeknd

Check out this cover of The Weeknd's "High For This" by Ellie Goulding.  I only have one other song from Ellie Goulding in my iTunes library - a cover of Bon Iver's "The Wolves."  Apparently she is good at covers.

- Joel

Ellie Goulding - "High For This (The Weeknd cover)"
Source: saintwoods

Killian Martin

I love a good skate film.  I watch this and think I made the wrong career move.

- Joel