creativity
A plea to fellow paranormal researchers: break free of walled gardens and build your own digital gardens
Earlier this year, one of my favorite thinkers, sci-fi author Cory Doctorow coined the term "enshittification." Enshittification is the process of a platform destroying itself. It often goes like this: the platform initially seems great, so users sign up, then it shafts its users in favor of attracting business users,

How to set up your own digital garden
Yesterday, I wrote about why I set up a digital garden. Today, I wanted to share a bit more about exactly how I set it up, as well as my current workflow for sharing notes. I'm only a couple weeks into tending my digital garden, so I wouldn't be surprised
Tending the garden: digital gardening goals
I recently set up a digital garden to share some of my in-progress research notes. Yesterday, I wrote about what a digital garden is. Today, I want to delve into my goals for the garden. My notetaking methods As a paranormal researcher, I use the zettlekasten method of taking notes.

Digital gardens, zettlekasten, and paranormal research
How and why I'm sharing my in-progress research notes

Digital gardens and fungi research (Learning Things: May 15, 2023)
It's really feeling like spring here in NYC (or summer, really—it's been toasty). My wife and I went to Central Park this week, which is in bloom and full of birds (we saw a black-crowned night heron, which is always exciting). The cranesbill bloom pixel art that accompanies this

Vintage zines and research woes (Learning Things: May 8, 2023)
Here's a rundown of what I've been up to this week: Paranormal research Over the weekend, I spent a while looking through old UFO newsletters and zines. I love the aesthetic of the typewritten, xeroxed 1950s-1980s publications (I definitely have a bit of anemoia when it comes to 'em.) I

On mylar balloons and forgotten futures
Some thoughts about mylar balloons, what they represent in the paranormal, and what else they might mean in terms of our world and our future.

Tree talkin' and train tracks (Learning Things: April 24, 2023)
I wish I could say that I made a ton of progress on all of my goals this week, unlike last time. But that'd be a lie. I was a bit under the weather this week and moved very, very slowly, so it's kinda a wonder I got anything done

Magnolia trees and frustration (Learning Things: April 17, 2023)
A lot of my efforts (in all areas of my life) this week have felt like trudging slowly through mud. While writing this, I paused and looked up whether a Mercury Retrograde is approaching, and sure enough, it looks like we've been in the shadow period since the April 6.

Starting the biodata sonification build (Learning Things: April 10, 2023)
Biodata sonification supplies and Erik Satie-inspired automatic drawings.
