Murals in Cabbagetown, Atlanta, Georgia
Cabbagetown in Atlanta has devoted entire blocks to massive murals.
How To Have a National Park All To Yourself
Our National Parks (along with every other tourist destination) suffer from overcrowding. Even some places with infrastructure and thoughtful visitors…
4 Reasons To Re-Brand a Half-Marathon as a Pythian or Dekatrion
I’ve been able to run several Marathons, Half Marathons, Trail Half Marathons – along with shorter races. I love them…
3 Reasons Why Meat Reducatarianism Is Underrated
In the developed West, we could all eat less meat. It’s better for our health, our wallet, our local environment,…
5 Reasons Why Mosquito Spraying is a Scam
It’s late summer in Georgia, and mosquitoes are everywhere. Specifically, there are Asian Tiger Mosquitoes everywhere – the invasive, pesky,…
7 Lessons on Lumber & Leaving An Entire Industry
My first corporate job was with 84 Lumber. I started right after college – a few weeks before graduation. It…
3 Reasons Why RSS Is Underrated
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is, like email, one of the foundational technologies of the old Internet. It allows anyone to…
Governments are bigger than ever. They are also more useless [Because Almost All The Money Goes To Old Age Care and Not Investment]
There’s yet another fake fight brewing in the United States (and across the rich world) about government spending and borrowing….
3 Reasons Why Public Domain Magazines Are Underrated
Public domain magazines and newspapers are often overlooked as valuable resources, but they offer a wealth of information and benefits…
3 Reasons Why Public Domain Software Is Underrated
Public domain software refers to software that has been released without any copyright restrictions, meaning anyone can use, modify, redistribute,…
Expand The House & Pass The Equal Representation Amendment
The US flag and the House of Representatives both used to change regularly to reflect the nation’s growth. Since the Reapportionment Act of 1929, the number of Representatives has been fixed at 435, despite significant population growth. This discrepancy leads to unequal representation and inefficiency. A possible solution is to expand the House to better represent the current population.
3 Reasons Why Public Domain Databases Are Underrated
The first time I found data.gov…I was blown away. There was more original, raw data about all the things than…
3 Reasons Why Town Mascots Are Underrated
Japan has them. US cities have them via their sports teams. And there should be more of them!
3 Reasons Why Radio Is Underrated
It’s a hundred years old, but should be better than ever.
3 Reasons Why Online Libraries Are Underrated
Most everyone in the US has access to an online version of their library. But I can almost guarantee that…
3 Reasons Why Adopting a Tree Is Underrated
No, I’m not talking about some official program. I’m talking about literally noticing a single tree, naming it, and declaring…
3 Reasons Why Tech Sabbaths Are Underrated
A Tech Sabbath or Tech Sunday is simply picking one day per week to severely limit your use of modern…
5 Reasons Why I’m (Temporarily) Switching Back from an Electric Car in 2024
I have owned an all-electric car for more than seven years. Even though I’ve only put ~21,000 miles on the…
No, People Are Not Watching 4-Hour YouTube Videos
News outlets have been breathlessly reporting a trend in 2024 around ridiculously long YouTube videos. Today, NPR ran a story…
3 Reasons Why Personal Websites Are Underrated
Personal websites and blogs are not as cool as they were in the early 2000s, but they have never been…
Whitley Gap Shelter on the Appalachian Trail
One of the best short day hikes in Georgia is up to Cowrock Mountain from Tesnatee Gap. However, the hike…
Why Is Australia So Athletic & Good At Sports?
The Olympics are coming this summer. And there will be one thing for sure – Australia is going to win…
Cemetery in Bainbridge, Georgia, USA
I love old cemeteries in the South. Bonaventure in Savannah and Oakland in Atlanta are obviously the best. But there…
3 Reasons Why Libraries Are Underrated
I love libraries and will never pass up a chance to visit. But I’m still finding out awesome things about…
The Death of The Follower & The Future of Creativity by Jack Conte
This is a long presentation from Patreon CEO Jack Conte, but absolutely essential watch for anyone who creates anything on…
Blogging Principles I Use
I’ve run this site for more than 14 years now. I haven’t published consistently for years at a time, but…
Progression of The Web with Trail Websites
There is a lot of digital ink being spilled by whether the Web is dying, dead, or being reinvented. I…
3 Reasons Why Open University Courses Are Underrated
Unless you need a piece of paper proving that you know something, skills and knowledge are wide open now.
Best Campfire Firewoods
One of the most useful pages of Bushcraft by Dave Canterbury was this chart on the burnability (word?) of different…
Who I’m Voting For in the May 2024 Primary Election in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
Here is the problem that I run into every 2 years. I’m sold on the idea that voting in every…
Don’t Install Sod
Sod is held together with plastic netting. The netting reduces shipping costs and makes for a more consistent, better-looking product…
3 Reasons Why Public Domain Books Are Underrated
While Amazon and the book publishing industry are pushing the latest, greatest bestseller, there are more books in the public…
3 Reasons Why Public Domain Music Is Underrated
Public Domain Music exists and should be used more.
Morgan Housel on Billionaires, Money, Kids & What Money to Give To them
I was listening to a podcast episode with Morgan Housel, who has managed to write two of the best personal…
Elon Musk’s The Algorithm
There is a lot of digital ink spilled by Elon Musk. I’m less interested in him as a person than…
3 Reasons Why Community Recreation Centers Are Underrated
Community rec centers are often overlooked – they get drowned out when their own (admittedly) poor hours & communication go…
10 Initial Notes On Using Mastodon
In December 2023, I signed up for Mastodon. It had been a full year since the crazy, impulse Twitter migration….
3 Reasons Why Podcasts Are Underrated
Podcasts are trendy but they are still underrated in so many ways.
How Do I Find New Music Now That I’m Old & Irrelevant?
One of my takeaways from Tom Vanderbilt’s You May Also Like was that for various reasons, everyone’s taste in music…
3 Reasons Why Wandering Around Is Underrated
Spontaneity is memorable. And there’s not much spontaneity anymore. We have to engineer it. And walking around aimlessly is a…
How To Make a Decision
I loved this Blinkist summary from How To Decide by Annie Duke.
3 Reasons Why Commuting by Bike Is Underrated
Getting around on a bike is underrated and totally the future of smart transportation.
How to Buy Happiness
Eric Barker is one of my absolute favorite authors. I loved reading Barking Up The Wrong Tree and Plays Well…
LLM AIs Have Turned Into a Classic Moral Panic
A “moral panic” refers to a widespread fear, often irrational, that emerges within a society over a perceived threat to…
Sales Is Just Providing Options
I’ve had a lot of different jobs over the years, and it’s taken much too long to learn that sales…
“Wherever you get your podcasts” is a radical statement
Via…https://www.anildash.com/2024/02/06/wherever-you-get-podcasts
3 Reasons Why Public Art Installations Are Underrated
For a long-time, I never really understood public art or its importance. But it’s seriously underrated and we should have…
Using Army Fitness Standards As An Objective Maintenance Fitness Goal
Fitness has a goal problem. Goals are great for achievement, but are terrible for living. If I want to run…
3 Reasons Why Public Domain Images and Artwork Are Underrated
Most public domain fanfare goes to books entering the public domain. But all copyright works enter the public domain after…
Why I’m Not Buying Dawn Platinum Powerwash
TL;DR There is conflicting information from Canada & the EU about the risks of the main new active ingredient in…
3 Reasons Why Wikipedia Is Underrated
Everyone knows about Wikipedia. But 20 years after it started, it’s still underrated for just how big of a deal…
3 Reasons Why National Parks Are Underrated
I don’t think National Parks are underrated as a whole. In the US, they are held pretty sacred and deeply…
Paris Built 68 New Transit Stations + 120 miles of Rail in 7 Years…for Half The Price Of American Transit
But change is coming – and on a huge scale. The venerable Paris Métro is about to get its most…
10 Things I Miss About The Philippines
I grew up in The Philippines, on the northern end of the island of Luzon. I lived there for 8…
7 Reasons To Switch Your Search Engine in 2024
It’s always a good time to change up habits. And the number one habit we all have is to search…
Berta Elder’s Interview on 92 Years of Change
In 1977, the Oconee Enterprise interviewed Berta Elder (my great-grandmother, aka, “Granny”). She was born in 1901 and died in…
Small Urbanism in Atlanta
Right in the middle of the City of Atlanta, near the wannabe walkable, urban Peachtree Street, there is a Trader…
3 Reasons Why Spreadsheets Are Underrated
I’m pretty sure most of my career success is because I know more about spreadsheets than my coworkers or clients….
3 Reasons Why Broadcast Television Is Underrated
Tired of your streaming service raising prices? Well, broadcast television is still around. And honestly, it’s a bit better than…
How To Explore My Website
This is my digital home & personal website. I work in marketing, live in Atlanta, have done quite a few…
Visiting India after 8 Years: 8 Observations
In June, I got to visit India for a week. It’s been 8 years almost to the week since I…
Long Live Baseball
I did deep dive on just how bad long baseball games had gotten by the 2021 season. As much as…
Asking an LLM AI To Create Human Identities & Religions
So right now, many people are generally going nuts about a type of artificial intelligence that uses LLMs. I’ve been…
Working at Switchyards Neighborhood Work Club
Ever since leaving my former employer and re-starting my own business, I’ve been on the hunt for an ideal work…
A Radical Pessimist’s Predictions After 10 Years
10 years ago, I bookmarked “A radical pessimist’s guide to the next 10 years” by Douglas Coupland. I’m not sure…
7+ Reasons To Restart Blogging Again
Almost exactly 10 years ago, I attended my first WordCamp in Atlanta. I learned a lot about building websites and…
Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
There has been a lot of digital ink spilled over why discourse and *waves arm at world* has been so…weird….
The Future is Vast
Our World In Data published an incredible post visualizing the current moment in a long-term outlook. In a month where…
Atlanta’s Newly Renovated Central Library
Atlanta’s newly renovated Central Library is incredible & worth regular visits.
The Average Duration of a World Series Game per Year
If you are a baseball fan, you know that the pace of play has been a problem for a while….
The Case for Optimism
Kevin Kelly is one of my favorite authors, writers, and Twitter accounts. He recently wrote an excellent long-form post on…
How Much The World Has Developed Since 1990
This fascinating map (source) was making the Internet rounds last week showing how much countries around the world have developed…
Finding & Eating Paw Paw Fruit
I’ve always been a fan of exotic fruits. I’m the one likely to track down and buy an imported jackfruit…
Blackberry Cobbler
This is a photo of my first blackberry cobbler that I made with blackberries grown in my own backyard. A…
Southside BeltLine in 2021
I took this photo in February 2021 along the Southside BeltLine near DH Stanton Park in Peoplestown. In about a…
How To Save Money on Produce (with one data-backed tip)
There are dozens of tips for how to save money buying fruits and vegetables on the Internet. Very few are…
The 2020 US Election
In the past two years, I’m proud to have participated in a political march, participated in Get Out The Vote…
Finding That Perfect Novel with NoveList Plus
NoveList Plus is an incredible tool that I found on my library’s website. It allows you to search & compare…
Vote Forward
I signed up with Vote Forward this election cycle.
Bardcore Music
Bardcore is the medievalization of contemporary pop songs. It’s one of my favorite Internet trends of the past few years.
Preventing Dementia
The Economist ran a Special Report last week on Dementia. They called it the “silent tsunami” facing every nation on…
Biking with Takeout
Inspired by other cyclist’s transportation experiments, I’ve starting trying to carry a wider range of stuff on my bike.
Westside BeltLine
This is a completed section of the Westside BeltLine on its way to meet up with the Southside BeltLine near…
Build Cities for Bikes, Buses, and Feet—Not Cars
Driving is an enforced preference. The modern American city is designed to favor cars and make other ways of getting…
My Favorite Communist Party Sponsored YouTube Channel
I’ve written about the sheer weirdness and 1984-esque nature of exploring China’s Internet before. And even though I do occasionally…
Pros & Cons of Moving To Atlanta
My family and I moved to Atlanta in February 2013 from Athens, GA. We have lived here ever since. Like…
Personal History of Oakridge, TN – The Secret City
One of my favorite YouTube channels, Half As Interesting, did an explainer about the founding of Oakridge, Tennessee. It was…
Understanding Persuasion in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Francois Chollet recently wrote an essay on “What worries me about AI”. He argues that the big worry about AI…
Understanding Signaling, Social Media & Internet Content
I love the Internet. I remember the first time that I saw a webpage load. It has changed my life…
How John Grisham Writes So Many Books
John Grisham has written an entire book every year for the past 10 to 15 years. I’ve always assumed that…
Your Addiction To Social Media Is No Accident
All this might seem a little underhanded, but it’s nothing compared to some of the design features currently showing up…
On Leaving Nebo Agency & Going Full-Time with a Growing Business
Today is my last day working for Nebo Agency. I’ve been with Nebo for over 2 years. It’s by far…
All The Stuff I’ve Ever Tried
The best career advice book I’ve ever read is How To Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by…
What Happens When An American Posts About Tiananmen Square On Weibo (China’s Twitter)
June 4th, 2014 was the 25th anniversary of the Tienanmen Square protests/massacre in China, immortalized by the Tank Man photo. It…
Reader Question: How To Choose What To Write About For Your Personal Blog
I received a reader question that basically relates to how to choose what to write about for your blog/book/etc. Here’s…
Stereotypes of Top 50 US Cities
I always find it really fascinating to find out how people from different places can perceive the same things so…
Collection of City Time Lapse Films
I’m a huge fan of time lapse films in general, and of cities in particular. I’ve never been able to…
5 Lessons From Simplifying Online Life
A few weeks ago, I started drastically paring back all the tools, feeds, news sites, and networks that I use….
2 Really Cool Old Maps
I’ve wasted enjoyed thousands of hours staring at maps – especially old maps. Here are two of the best maps I’ve…