Spencer Beacock
@spencerbeacock.bsky.social
designing services and systems. building stuff in my backyard.
partner at https://october.systems
Toronto
partner at https://october.systems
Toronto
I mean I feel like it just underlines that grift, at any scale, is kind of a great gig!
The frame around “he’s selling a feeling” (to the rich, white, old, male audience) seems really true — the content of the book is secondary to the behavioural, political and emotional permission space it creates
The frame around “he’s selling a feeling” (to the rich, white, old, male audience) seems really true — the content of the book is secondary to the behavioural, political and emotional permission space it creates
November 21, 2025 at 2:02 AM
I mean I feel like it just underlines that grift, at any scale, is kind of a great gig!
The frame around “he’s selling a feeling” (to the rich, white, old, male audience) seems really true — the content of the book is secondary to the behavioural, political and emotional permission space it creates
The frame around “he’s selling a feeling” (to the rich, white, old, male audience) seems really true — the content of the book is secondary to the behavioural, political and emotional permission space it creates
listening now… the “declaration of independence” bit is 👀👀👀
November 21, 2025 at 1:33 AM
listening now… the “declaration of independence” bit is 👀👀👀
Real Caves of Qud energy here!
November 15, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Real Caves of Qud energy here!
hahaha their delight is infectious i love this
November 12, 2025 at 7:15 PM
hahaha their delight is infectious i love this
My PC is too old to play the remaster but new enough to run the OG very well so I (re)played it a bit when the remaster came out — it holds up! Although the original character build mechanics are pretty arcane and confusing; it sounds like they smoothed that over for the remaster. Enjoy!
November 7, 2025 at 5:13 PM
My PC is too old to play the remaster but new enough to run the OG very well so I (re)played it a bit when the remaster came out — it holds up! Although the original character build mechanics are pretty arcane and confusing; it sounds like they smoothed that over for the remaster. Enjoy!
Haha there’s a kind of carcinisation at play in those games where no matter what your initial build vision is, it’s hard not to wander back towards stealth archer
And yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever successfully applied a poison in a TES game
Sounds great though — loved Oblivion back in the day!
And yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever successfully applied a poison in a TES game
Sounds great though — loved Oblivion back in the day!
November 7, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Haha there’s a kind of carcinisation at play in those games where no matter what your initial build vision is, it’s hard not to wander back towards stealth archer
And yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever successfully applied a poison in a TES game
Sounds great though — loved Oblivion back in the day!
And yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever successfully applied a poison in a TES game
Sounds great though — loved Oblivion back in the day!
Priorities in order :) What’s your Oblivion build?
November 7, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Priorities in order :) What’s your Oblivion build?
Haha that IS interesting. “Frankenstein was the poster, this is Frankenstein’s newsletter”-type energy there
September 7, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Haha that IS interesting. “Frankenstein was the poster, this is Frankenstein’s newsletter”-type energy there
(Also FWIW, your posts about the survey tickled my curiosity to finally get me to sign up after thinking about it for a while — good marketing ploy :) )
September 7, 2025 at 11:09 AM
(Also FWIW, your posts about the survey tickled my curiosity to finally get me to sign up after thinking about it for a while — good marketing ploy :) )
I think if you wanted to know if people are total newsletter infants, a more pointed question like “Is this your first newsletter?” with y/n inputs, or “How familiar are you with the newsletter medium?” with gradations might do the trick
September 7, 2025 at 11:09 AM
I think if you wanted to know if people are total newsletter infants, a more pointed question like “Is this your first newsletter?” with y/n inputs, or “How familiar are you with the newsletter medium?” with gradations might do the trick
Are you concluding epiphany #3 based on this question? If so, I’m not sure it actually tells you whether users are total novices to the medium — I interpreted it as “are you planning to bring over a newsletter?” I’ve had newsletters in the past, on other platforms, that have withered
September 7, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Are you concluding epiphany #3 based on this question? If so, I’m not sure it actually tells you whether users are total novices to the medium — I interpreted it as “are you planning to bring over a newsletter?” I’ve had newsletters in the past, on other platforms, that have withered
That sounds real smart to me! Lil risotto pancakes.
(TBH savoury rice pudding sounds great but I know that’s not the risottobjective typically)
(TBH savoury rice pudding sounds great but I know that’s not the risottobjective typically)
September 4, 2025 at 1:51 AM
That sounds real smart to me! Lil risotto pancakes.
(TBH savoury rice pudding sounds great but I know that’s not the risottobjective typically)
(TBH savoury rice pudding sounds great but I know that’s not the risottobjective typically)
I made a comically-large amount of rice and peas so by Sunday I will be 40% rice and peas
September 4, 2025 at 1:47 AM
I made a comically-large amount of rice and peas so by Sunday I will be 40% rice and peas
I’m not sure there’s really a point here, haha, I’m posting while I cook 🤷♂️
August 15, 2025 at 9:34 PM
I’m not sure there’s really a point here, haha, I’m posting while I cook 🤷♂️
ferment of a more “hopping” food scene can lead to more ambition and creativity (and better food!)
BUT also often I think these performative lists of “cool” aren’t about quality or creativity but instead other signifiers: trend, brand, instagramability, etc.
BUT also often I think these performative lists of “cool” aren’t about quality or creativity but instead other signifiers: trend, brand, instagramability, etc.
August 15, 2025 at 9:33 PM
ferment of a more “hopping” food scene can lead to more ambition and creativity (and better food!)
BUT also often I think these performative lists of “cool” aren’t about quality or creativity but instead other signifiers: trend, brand, instagramability, etc.
BUT also often I think these performative lists of “cool” aren’t about quality or creativity but instead other signifiers: trend, brand, instagramability, etc.
A few years ago, when we had our first kid, we did the classic Toronto west-to-east move, and I mourned the sleepier West End food scene for a good while. Now, with some distance, it’s interesting what remains: a sense that the cool-chasing is not really that interesting, but that the general
August 15, 2025 at 9:33 PM
A few years ago, when we had our first kid, we did the classic Toronto west-to-east move, and I mourned the sleepier West End food scene for a good while. Now, with some distance, it’s interesting what remains: a sense that the cool-chasing is not really that interesting, but that the general
What’s got you chewing on it?
For myself: I simultaneously feel like I have aged out of a desire to stay on top of what’s cool, and also it seems like “cool” has become a lot less stable than it was even a decade ago?
For myself: I simultaneously feel like I have aged out of a desire to stay on top of what’s cool, and also it seems like “cool” has become a lot less stable than it was even a decade ago?
August 15, 2025 at 7:45 PM
What’s got you chewing on it?
For myself: I simultaneously feel like I have aged out of a desire to stay on top of what’s cool, and also it seems like “cool” has become a lot less stable than it was even a decade ago?
For myself: I simultaneously feel like I have aged out of a desire to stay on top of what’s cool, and also it seems like “cool” has become a lot less stable than it was even a decade ago?
which becomes much harder if your annual cost of housing alone requires an income above min wage at full hours for the year
June 4, 2025 at 7:15 PM
which becomes much harder if your annual cost of housing alone requires an income above min wage at full hours for the year
right! I guess the 'low income' version of this is the artist / surfer / climber / skiier model -- where you optimize your life (and material / familial attachments!) around pursuit of a very specific set of creative or values-aligned activities
June 4, 2025 at 7:14 PM
right! I guess the 'low income' version of this is the artist / surfer / climber / skiier model -- where you optimize your life (and material / familial attachments!) around pursuit of a very specific set of creative or values-aligned activities
in the sense that you should be making the most of prime physical / cognitive / mental health years?
June 4, 2025 at 6:47 PM
in the sense that you should be making the most of prime physical / cognitive / mental health years?
+1 for housing cost being key. i guess it's a broader thing in terms of "feeling free = life overhead covered", and housing is just unavoidably the big piece of that
I've been self-employed since 2019; in 2021 my housing costs doubled (by choice!) -- this made the work feel a lot less free and fun!
I've been self-employed since 2019; in 2021 my housing costs doubled (by choice!) -- this made the work feel a lot less free and fun!
June 4, 2025 at 6:41 PM
+1 for housing cost being key. i guess it's a broader thing in terms of "feeling free = life overhead covered", and housing is just unavoidably the big piece of that
I've been self-employed since 2019; in 2021 my housing costs doubled (by choice!) -- this made the work feel a lot less free and fun!
I've been self-employed since 2019; in 2021 my housing costs doubled (by choice!) -- this made the work feel a lot less free and fun!
I’m so sorry Sarah ❤️ I’m holding you and your family in my thoughts. He sounds like a special human
May 19, 2025 at 10:03 AM
I’m so sorry Sarah ❤️ I’m holding you and your family in my thoughts. He sounds like a special human
It was quite the thing in Toronto! So much lightning, and such sudden heavy rain that I was instantly awake thinking that something in my bathroom had sprung a catastrophic leak
May 16, 2025 at 1:54 PM
It was quite the thing in Toronto! So much lightning, and such sudden heavy rain that I was instantly awake thinking that something in my bathroom had sprung a catastrophic leak