Libby's Magazine Rack FTW!

I realize I a late to the party on this app, but I’ve got to give Libby a shout out. I always knew the app was out there but I never really explored what was available. I haven’t tried renting or reading a book through the app yet, but the magazine options are phenomenal. And all for free!

Below is my ‘magazine rack.’ I’ve paid for some of these subscription in the past, but why spend the money when I can read ‘em for free on my iPad. I’m confident that annual subscriptions to all these periodicals would set me back at least a few hundred dollars. I also love that I can zoom in on the pages. Oh, and the automatically update on their own and you can browse older editions. And did I mention it’s free?

The only drawback I’ve encountered is not being able to do the crossword at the back The Week. There puzzle is my favorite because it contains current event clues and is just the right level of difficulty for me. You win some, you lose some, eh?

Insight Timer FTW, My Choice for a Meditation App

There are several meditation apps on the market that are quite popular. These include Headspace, Calm, and Sam Harris' excellent app Waking Up. Calm was the first such app that I ever tried and I have dabbled with a subscription Waking Up because I dig Sam Harris' podcast and paying for the app provides full access to his enlightening long form interviews.

However, the app I have been using for a decade for meditation is Insight Timer. I do not and have never paid for a subscription because the free version does all that I need. Specifically, I want something simple, with options about start/start sounds, and a decdent choice of ambient sounds I can play while meditating when I’m in the mood. Another important feature I love about Insight Timer is their tracking system. They used colored stars and I love it because a) I like tracking things and b) I love that if gamifies the habit. Despite my age, I’m a sucker for good gamification.

While I’m the first to admit the negative aspects of modern technology, and phones in particular, I love that my phone has helped me build an important personal habit. My meditation sessions are not very long (I have averaged about 10 minutes a day over the past ten years), but I have managed to meditate most days over the past 12 years or so. The habit is important to me personally and has definitely helped with both my mental and physical health.

Another Cool App: WisprFlow

In addition to Bevel, I have recently taken the plunge on another super cool app. This one is called WisprFlow and it seems to be taking over the Internet to a certain extent. The app is an AI voice to text app that I’ve been seeing in the productivity space online for more than a year. I finally decided to give it a try.

What’s cool about the app is that you can use it in any other app where a text box lives. That means I can use it to speed up my journaling, my assignment creation, my feedback on student work, my texting, my Second Brain note-taking, my recording of my food in Bevel (and in my other Google Doc food journal), my brainstorming, my blogging, and my interactions with Gemini and Claude. I’m still getting the hang of initiating it on my various devices, but I can already tell after less than a week that once I get the hang of using it–and train myself to think voice first instead of typing–I’m going to love what it does to my productivity.

Though it is still early days for me with Wispr Flow, I am very impressed with its ability to deal with the grammar of a stream of consciousness ramble. Indeed, this is one of their main selling points. It also does lists really well.

It is also worth noting that another of their selling points is that you can whisper and it will still accurately transcribe what you say (hence their name). So in a coffee shop, car, classroom, or living room (with someone else present) you can still use the app successfully. I have been very impressed with this feature so far.

For those worried about it training AI on your data, they give you the chance to opt out of that happening when you first set up your account.

Bevel Health App

As a QS nerd, I’m always on the lookout for a cool new way to improve my ability to glean valuable information from my QS data. Recently I came across an app called Bevel. I was able to get 50% for a year to experiment and so far I am digging it. The app pulls data from my Oura ring, my Apple Watch, and my meditation app and makes it easy to track my food/drink intake. It provides some scores and I can check in with the data any time and it gives advice regarding food and excercise. I’m only 3 weeks in, but I’m a fan.

Encore

This represents why I love Goose in particular and jambands in general. This is an encore from Goose’s El Gonzo festival last week down in Mexico. Cortez the Killer had never been played before by Goose so it was a major bust out, and then the Rockdale is classic Goose. Not my favorite version, but it’s unique because Jim James is rocking out with them. It’s also a good reflection of what I am listening to a lot these days, namely live Goose.

YouTube Video

Artemis II Pics of Earth

The Artemis II mission last month marked the first crewed flyby of the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Science is cool. Apparently one can download images from the recent mission. Check out this official website if cool pictures of your planet are on your must have list.

Knock Down the House

Today was the AP Gov exam, so I had many students out of class for the test. On such days, I often do something in class that I hardly ever do–show a film in it’s entirety. Today I screened the same documentary that I showed last year. Not only is it relevant to what we are learning about in class (elections and campaigning), but it features a politician most of my students have heard of…Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

If one is remotely interested in politics in general, or left-leaning politics in particular, this film is worth your time. In a nutshell, the film follows four women running in the 2018 congressional primaries. AOC gets the most screen time because she is the lone winner.

What struck me about the film was learning about the struggles that lead these four women to try and win a seat in the national legislature. Amy Viela’s story is the most heart wrenching. Her 22 year old daughter was denied tests after being admitted to the hospital because she didn’t have insurance. She died soon thereafter of a pulmonary embolism. So sad, and so very fucking American. AOC’s father, whom she was very close to, died while she was in college.

I was also struck by AOC’s confidence and tenacity. Watch the film, see if you see it to. I know she has become the boogyman of the right, and it is clear to see why–she’s smart, articulate, passionate, and has learned from the trevails she’s faced how to approach daunting challenges. Knowing more about her having seen the film, I am definitely rooting for her. She’e absolutely pissing off the right people.

Good2B Goose!

I am a huge Goose fan and they have a new album coming out in June. Their Spring Tour starts this weekend. Here is the short version of the first single from the new record. I like it more and more each time I hear it and I definitely dig the video. Hopefully I see them play this in Bend in August.

YouTube Video

In the Strangest of Places

This morning I came across this cool story in The Oregonian. Apparently there is a mysterious group in Portland that is beautifying public spaces by creating little pockets of artful color and beauty where there are cracks on the ground on roads or sidewalks. They have an Instagram account titled @fillthevoidpdx.

What caught my eye, other than the utter Portlandness of this activity, is that several of the installations contain Grateful Dead lyrics. Check out the examples of Portland Dead weirdness below. Here’s to this anonymous group’s continued activity around the Rose City.

7 Beautiful Covers

I love me a good cover. Here are some mostly femaie covers of songs I grew up loving.

  1. The Rain Song, Led Zeppelin

  2. Tears, Rush

  3. Going to California, Led Zep

  4. Landslide, Fleetwood Mac

  5. Sweet Child o' Mine, Guns and Roses

  6. Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd

  7. Dirty Work, Steely Dan

A Visit to the Getty

I was lucky today to visit the Getty Center and Museum in Los Angeles. Beautiful day, and a beautiful location. The art was beautiful and the garden and attendant views were stunning. I don’t know a lot about art, but the more art museums I visit, the more I enjoy looking at paintings and photo collections. Indeed, I think I like sculpture the most. In recent years I have been able to enjoy the Rikjismuseum in Amsterdam and the Tate in London. On the other hand, last spring break I passed up the opportunity to visit the Chicago Museum of Art. Oh well, that is one more reason to go back there when I get a chance.

Below are some pics from my visit. Note, I used Nano Banana on the red bust to take away the pedestal just to see what it looked like.

A Shoppe Moost Gentil

When I am vacationing, checking out local bookstores is a top priority. Recently I was able to enjoy Santa Barbara’s excellent Chaucer Books. The wee one headed to her section and I enjoyed a good 45 minute browse. Lots and lots of new titles, including a bunch of books I hadn’t browsed before, which is saying something since I browse bookstores on the regular. Their history section, in particular, was fantastic. Walked out with one book I hadn’t seen before. 4.5/5 rating all together. Only thing holding back the perfect score was size. Compared to Powell’s or NYC’s The Strand, it has a small footprint.

Some YouTube Recs

I got off social media many years ago and it was a great decision. Don’t miss those platforms at all. Not only was it good for my mental health, but it saved me a ton of time. That said, I do probably spend a bit too much time on YouTube. Nevertheless, there are a ton of great channels on YT that I get a lot out of. I thought I’d share 5 of them, mostly on the information side of things. These are all channels that I can have on in the kitchen and listen to, while not feeling like I need to ‘watch’ the video.

In no particular order….

  1. Caolan Robertson: This young dude is an amazing example of independent journalism. He has been camped out in Ukraine since the war started (he isn’t Ukrainian) and offers fantastic reporting on the war with Russia. If you want to know what is happening there, this channel is mandatory.

  2. The Warning with Steve Schmidt: Schmidt is a former Republican campaign pro who helped start The Lincoln Project. He has gone independent and offers a view of American politics very close to my own. He knows his history and doesn’t pull any punches.

  3. Amanpour & Company: This is a PBS show hosted by journalist Christiane Amanpour. They do substantive interviews with major newsmakers and smart pundits. They go deep, are very informative, and have enough respect for their audience not to try and gaslight them.

  4. C-SPAN: I know, I know….borrrrrring! But hey, I teach AP Governmet so this channel has a ton of content that is relevant to my job. One thing that is nice about this channel is that you can watch what transpires in Washington without it being filtered though the (usually conservative corporate) media. I also love their focus on non-fiction books and writing.

  5. Nugs: I listen to a lot of music on YouTube and this is one of my favorite channels. Tons of different bands are featured. However, my favorite type of video are their free opening Goose set live streams. Honk!

5 Nights of Bliss in the Big Apple

I will likely be in the woods camping when this run of shows at MSG will be taking place at the end of July. Nevertheless, for me, this would be just about the best week of music I could imagine at one venue. Considering Rush will likely be mixing up their set lists pretty substantially, I shudder to think of all the great moments that the lucky few who attend all these shows are going to witness.

Loving both bands as I do, I am really hopeful that they take in a night of each other’s gigs. I am rooting hard for pics of the Phish guys at Rush (they of course grew up listening to Rush and used to cover them in their early, early days) and for the Rush guys checking out the amazing prog band known as Phish.

I am reminded of the fact that in August 2010 I caught three nights of Phish at the Greek in Berkeley, then saw Rush on night four at Shoreline. The Phish shows were peak, but being on the lawn at Shoreline was a bit of a let down after the intimacy of the Greek.

Man, what a run that’s going to be in the Big Apple!

5 Recommendations

  1. The American Empathy Project Spread the word, we definitely need more of this. It is time to fight back against idiotic ‘Chrstian’ nationalism. More here.

  2. Netflix’s series House of Guinness. Great, historical drama with a strong cast, good writing, and for once, and absence of gratuitous sex. I’m sure they are takng some liberties with the actual history, but I found the first season entertaining. I hope Season Two is out soon!

  3. Billy Strings' recent homage to Bobby Weir. Firey Cassidy in Georgia!

  4. Framing time as cyclical, not linear. I’ve been thinking about this idea as I read Neil Howe’s fascinating book The Fourth Turning is Here. My default is to think of time as linear, but as a teacher my life is very seasonal, and cyclical. This has been an interesting new frame of reference for me.

  5. Dynalist outlining software. I still think linearly, so that means I like to make outlines to capture my thinking. I tried Workflowy, but didn’t like it (becaue the keystroke commands weren’t intuitive). Dynalist fits my brain better. Is free to use online.

Happy Frederick Douglass Day ❤️

I learned today that the great Frederick Douglass, not knowing exactly what day he was born on, decided on February 14 as his official ‘birthdate.’ I learned this fact about the great human rights advocate from this video by Heather Cox Richardson. In honor of Frederick Douglass, here are 5 other interesting facts about him.

  1. He taught himself to read and write in secret. Douglass grew up in Maryland and his master eventually forbade him from learning. He continued to learn in secret, giving food to whites for reading lessons.

  2. He was probably the most photographed American of the 19th century, hence all the different pics you’ll see if you Google him. He figured actual photographs would humanize Black Americans and counteract the widespread racial charicatures that were so prevalent then.

  3. He named himself. A primary cause of his renaming was to make it harder to be recaptured. The last name he picked is based on a character in Sir Walter Scott’s poem The Lady of the Lake.

  4. He was a strong advocate for women’s rights. Indeed, he was the only Black person at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, which was the first women’s rights convention in American history. He supported women’s suffrage, believing that the franchise belonged to all Americans.

  5. He was nominated as Vice President in 1872 by the Equal Rights Party. The head of the ticket was Victoria Woodhull, but Douglass apparently never acknowledged the nomination.

Brian Johnson's Philosopher's Notes Got an Upgrade

I am a longtime admirer of Brian Johnson. I first came across his Philosopher’s Notes, which were multipage summaries of great books. I like them because they were not too short, but also not too long and easily digestible. He eventually started a business called Heroic which aims to have at least 51% of the world flourishing by 2051. The dude is smart, compassionate, and driven to improve both himself and the world. Indeed, I’ve recommended his products before on my blog.

The reason I am revisiting his work is because Heroic just re-did their Philosopher’s Notes web experience and it is very cool if you are are type of person who is interested in great ideas. The site has 718 sets of book notes as of today (they generally add them consistently). The site also has 61 videos of Brian breaking down books.

A new feature that I think is cool is their Quests (see pic below). The Mental Toughness Quest has 9 books selected to work through. When you click on a note, you can access a pdf (which is downloadable) or an audio file, if you’d prefer listen.

The site also has an ‘AI Brian’ tool, where the user can query Brian about anything. I asked what it was trained on and it said: Here’s the rundown:

  • Heroic +1s: Daily audio nuggets (like 1,700+ episodes) on everything from journaling to epic challenges—bite-sized wisdom to level up moment to moment.

  • Areté and Optimize: Deep dives into Brian’s experiments in living at your highest potential, with journaling prompts, challenges, and frameworks like Basic Training.

  • Podcasts and talks: Heroic Wisdom Daily, live workshops, keynotes—hours of riffing on purpose, habits, relationships, energy, and creating a flourishing world.

  • Books and courses: Stuff like A Philosopher’s Notes (distilling 1,000+ ideas into 10 principles), Optimal Living 101 classes, and the Coach program.

I am a lifetime member of Heroic, so I’m not sure what it costs now to access this amazing resource. However, it is high quality and especially if you want to learn without spending all the time reading the entire books, Heroic’s Philosopher’s Notes website is worth exploring.

4 Articles and a Song

I came across these 4 article and 1 song in my recent internet wanderings and wanted to share.

  1. This article is about how the exposure to fire influenced human evolution.

  2. Found this by browsing the always interesting blog of Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution. AI renting humans??

  3. Cato Institute study on immigrants. Turns out, immigration is good for America. Who knew? See summary of study below.

  4. Ever wanted to know the history of the United States and Greenland? Here ya go.

  5. Lettuce playing Breathe. Nice Estimated tease in there!

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Daily Reminders from Notebook LM

I am enjoying learning how to utilize Notebook LM, Google’s relatively new app that allows users to create their own knowledge bases that they can query or use for learning. One way I have started using it has to do with the fact that I enjoy and need daily reminders. Not only do frequent reminders help me internalize a concept, but it also acts as motivation. Some people likely scoff at such habits, but I find a lot of benefit in them.

Below are two screenshots of one of these reminders. I put together a ‘notebook’ with documents that cover 1. Stoicicsm 2. Buddhism 3. Toaism and 4. The teachings of the one and only David Goggins. Hey, anyone who wants to get better should have Goggins chirping at them in their head!

I throw the same question in every morning (I do this in the morning while I am having my first cup of joe and going through my morning routine). It give me a theme and three quick detailed notes that I should keep in mind. The footnotes is a nice Notebook LM feature that allows you to find where the answer is coming from within your notebook. If I click on one of those footnotes, I am taken to where that idea originates.

Another example of how I use Notebook LM has to do with my diet. I upload documents (and websites and videos) that describe the type of diet and health goals I am shooting for. I also ask it to give me a score (and I provide the rubric I want it to use). Then I upload my daily food and beverage intake and ask it to score me. Again, this is way too much for a lot of folks. However, for a QS nerd like me who wants data and frequent encouragement, this is solid gold.

Three Cheers for Brandon Stanton's Work

I am a serious fan of Brandon Stanton’s photo books. His first book, Humans of New York, blew up when it was first published. I loved the concept and thought the photos and quotes from the people he photographed were fascinating. I liked his book Humans even more. I am now almost through his latest coffee table book, Dear New York,.

The concept is simple. Each page has a photo and is accompanied by a quote from the person in the picture. I love the books because the people are so unique and often the things they say are entertaining, weird, insightful, revelatory, inspirational, or all of the above wrapped into one monologue. They also provide a similar benefit to traveling, which is to expose oneself to people that are utterly different than oneself.

I can’t recommend these books enough.