Author: dtpennington


  • Ink Is A Forgiving Medium

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    I’m still on a quest to figure out why drawing ended up being the answer, but I’m still at it and improving, I think. Whatever the case, my workspace is a perpetual mess of papers and inks and stubs of pencils. More brushes keep surfacing. Maybe, through it all, I just wanted to sit across…


  • Collage, without the mess.

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    Taking the tools I have and pushing them a little further to see what else I can do with them. Digital collage, photoshop, scanning, and making something out of the bits on the cutting room floor.


  • The Need for Nothing

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    The greatest insult to a capitalist culture is to want for nothing. Sounds nice. The past few weeks I’ve been embracing this idea of “nothing new.” I’ll write more on it later. The gist: where possible, I will acquire nothing new. Do without or buy secondhand. But there’s another kind of nothingness in addition to…


  • It’s a Wet Heat

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    We’re hitting the first hot and wet days here in Asheville. And as uncomfortable as it is, I tell myself that it could be worse. I know the Piedmont and coastal regions are easily 10 degrees warmer and 40 percent more humid just by being. I’ll never forget our late-July trip to Wilmington for a…


  • The Visceral Romance

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    I guess I could take a video of this so you can see it and share it. There are a pair of brown rabbits in the rose garden doing that jump-around thing that animals tend to do in the springtime. It rained aggressively last night, so the ground is covered in pink and red petals…


  • The Universal Reminders

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    Because sometimes you wonder if this is all worth it. Because doing your own thing, running your own business, sharing your story, making it matter, and going out of your way to try something way off base from the norm tends to fail far more often than it succeeds. Because sometimes you find yourself looking…


  • Tulum Trash

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    I had to nose the ATV gently through the gutter that had formed in the middle of the dirt road. I would have raced right through it, but Carly was hanging onto the back seat, and I could feel her clench everything down whenever I hit a bump. So, easy does it. We’re in Mexico…


  • Spending 2024 with Infinite Jest – Notes on the first readthrough.

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    Four months, one reading. And I’m not finished yet! Time to flip this over and see what else it can tell me.


  • Create More Than You Consume. Much More. Exponentially More.

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    “It actually makes me feel better knowing you’re not doing so great.” This line comes from one of my friends, but there’s no reason to take offense. As it goes, misery loves company. This has sat in drafts for a while. I wasn’t sure how to approach the idea of “everyone’s having a tough go,…


  • Consolidation to Reduce Anxiety

    • The Firm Pays For It

      One day I’ll get my print story running again.

    • Notes on ADHD

      For most of my life, my attention span for any job is about 6 months. Once I hit the 6-month mark I get restless in the company/ position, and I start looking for other stuff to do. This was particularly excruciating in sales and account management roles when every day/ week was more or less…

    • New Rules for Social Engagement

      I am absolutely the kind of guy who can’t be trusted to spend “just a minute” on social media because I will absolutely lose the next two hours of my life to it. I get sucked in even though I KNOW there is rarely anything interesting out there. If things were perfect, I would just…

    • Algorithms Just Replace People

      When I lived in Cap Hill in Denver, my Friday night routine involved walking by a little strip mall that had both a Qdoba and a Blockbuster. I suppose I am that old. I would pick up a few DVDs and two burritos for the weekend and keep walking the few blocks to my apartment.…

    • App Zero Progress – August 2024

      In the six months or so since I first approached the idea of “App Zero,” I’ve stumbled a few times. Here’s the thing: I don’t need another app. I don’t think anyone does. I sure as hell don’t need to be PAYING for any of them. But I like seeing what independent app developers create…

    • Notes From AVL Fest 2024

      Since we attended in 2023, we had option to buy early tickets for $50 for the weekend – worth buying no matter what the case. I don’t recall much about the 2023 lineup other than it bounced between soaking rains and insufferable heat.

    • Like A Bird

      The other night I was watching Jim & Andy – The Great Beyond. This stuck out: “I find it all so abstract….everything are these abstract structures that you’re given and they are supposed to hold you together somehow…I don’t need to be held together.” A lot of who we are was established long before we…

    Too many apps. Too many profiles. Too many inboxes. Not enough of the right attention going to the right places. The joke used to be: the first step to any new business idea is securing the domain name. The result was a lot of clever domain names that were registered even though they never went…