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I Voted for Kamala Harris

The oldest posts on this blog comprise a three–part series I wrote in fervor after the 2016 election. I was a college student who couldn’t drink alcohol yet but had learned a tremendous amount about the world while working as a residence advisor. I empathized with the experiences of others with incomprehensibly different life stories. I saw the fear, frustration, and numbness that came over people I loved and cared about. It was awful.

I wrote the third part two days after that election, closing in part with this naive statement of hope:

So as I contemplate the culture we have become entrenched in, I truly hope that Trump can work to fix some of the major damage he has done. I hope that the hateful speech grinds to a halt and that he can focus on legitimate policies which can hopefully be beneficial to many Americans. While it will be a struggle for so many who are hurt by the shift in mood we are faced with, I hope we can make strides in mending our interactions, discourse and culture.

Nothing has changed. We’ve spent eight years watching the brazenness of hate increase. Trump and his crew of self-serving, power-thirsty thugs that he will leave in his wake have no incentive to change their ways, to improve anything except for themselves. It didn’t happen eight years ago, and it sure as hell won’t happen now.

The only option is to resoundingly rebuke his rhetoric at the polls. Among many other reasons, that’s why I voted for Kamala Harris on Saturday during Connecticut’s early voting period. Unlike Trump and his ilk, this isn’t about retribution or getting back at anyone. It’s about determining the best choice for what America is supposed to represent. It’s about having the mental fortitude to accept that nothing will ever be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we should let it deteriorate beyond recognition. It is a straightforward choice between a felon with no moral boundaries and a politician similar to most of the others; importantly, someone who respects our institutions and will work to preserve them.

We live in a goddamn society, and it takes individual effort to preserve it.

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NaNoWriMo 2024 Announcement

I’m doing it again.

I plan to return to the basics for the first time since my initial attempt in 2019. I’ll be sitting at any number of devices—I have half a mind to resurrect my old ThinkPad that runs Pop!_OS and make it a dedicated writing computer—and writing a new novel wholecloth. I feel both intimidated and energized by the prospect. I’ve been working hard on other side projects, including writing blog posts in advance, to make sure I have the space to give this a good effort.

In light of the NaNoWriMo controversy and the near-dissolution of the official website among those who care, I’ll track my daily word count in a spreadsheet, which I’ll make available on the NaNoWriMo page of my website. In addition, I’ll link to a PDF file in Dropbox that I’ll update at least daily, as I’ve done in the past.

NaNoWriMo is about the perfect mixture of commitment and carelessness: You need the perseverance and motivation to keep pushing each day but the naivety not to second-guess yourself the whole way through. I’m intrigued to see what comes out of my head this time.

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Digital News

In addition to receiving a physical copy of the Sunday edition of the New Haven Register, my subscription includes access to their “E-Edition,” which amounts to a digital scan of the paper. It’s perfect for reading on my iPad.

Image of an iPad showing the digital edition of the New Haven Register in the browser.

Clicking on an article opens it in a dedicated and simplified reader view, avoiding the need to flip through the paper to continue reading. Plus, I can still read the daily comics.

I prefer reading the “curated” daily newspaper instead of checking the website or the CT Insider app for new articles.1Or, even worse, enable push notifications from the app. I can dedicate time to sit down and peruse the day’s news, then not feel obligated to have it follow me around on my phone. It’s helped me become more informed on news of all types—more than poking around on Reddit allows—without succumbing to a 24-hour news cycle or doom-scrolling social media to see all the hottest takes.

I still enjoy going outside on a sleepy Sunday morning to see a bagged newspaper at the base of the front porch, but it would certainly be a waste to have that every day. This online version, which I made a shortcut to access easily, is more than sufficient.

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    Or, even worse, enable push notifications from the app.
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Aim For the Gaps

Sports offer excellent metaphors that are used for general success in life precisely because they exist to be entertaining microcosms of life itself. Individuals or teams vie in a competitive landscape typically officiated by imperfect referees. Preparation is allowed, but on-field performance is all anyone remembers. Sports reflect real life in numerous ways, and each sport brings its own flair to the conversation.

Golf of any variety is a wonderful mix of planning, tactics, and execution. It’s about discrete decisions, managing each shot based on given strengths and the likelihood of success. I became overwhelmed each time I tried untangling these metaphors. It was too much.

Let me instead focus on one mindset adjustment I first jokingly heard in a disc golf YouTube video, but which I found impactful: The woods are mostly air. Aim for the gaps.

Continue reading “Aim For the Gaps”
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The Sunday Paper

Wake up to a slight chill in the air, a quiet morning with leaves strewn across the sidewalks, brown and red and orange and yellow, preparing to crinkle later that afternoon once the morning dew glistening upon them evaporates. Throat is a bit scratchy. Pull up the covers for an extra moment of soft warmth before stretching out, rolling to the side, bare feet on wood floor.

Wipe eyes, grab some water, and go shut the window accidentally left open overnight leading to this moderate discomfort and grogginess. On second thought, it’s going to warm up today. Not too much. Just enough to keep the window cracked and let some warmer air make its way through.

Out the door, to the kitchen, striding gently and quietly so early in the day, trying to avoid the edges of the floor that habitually creak.

Ah, warm relief from the living room rug. Remember back, just a minute ago, when the sheets were pulled up, everything protected against the air that is fondly referred to as “crisp.” The thicker patterns in the rug shield against drafts from the windows—also left open—that spill across the floor.

Walk to the window and peer outside to see new piles of leaves collected on the sidewalk, listen to the birds chirping as the sun breaks through the mild canopy of the neighborhood, and smell the slightly humid air. Eyes cast about, taking it all in, then rest on the small red plastic bag at the base of the porch stairs.

The Sunday paper has arrived with its bold headlines, Associated Press blurbs, comics and box scores, and hyper-localized reporting. It is quaint and fun and supports a good cause; it is the perfect reading material to skim through on a calm, quiet morning.

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We Are So Back with iA Writer on the iPad

With iOS and iPadOS 18 out, I decided to give iA Writer another shot on my iPad. I adore it on my MacBook, and it’s been frustrating not having a consistent interface for my personal writing.

Lo and behold, I discover that iA Writer has been properly working with Dropbox since May! Dropbox decided to hop aboard the “modern File Provider API” train, leading to a slightly worse experience than many years ago1That is Apple’s fault., but a significantly better experience than when using any Dropbox text file would result in errors and conflicted files.

I’m holding my breath—it takes a while for me to rebuild trust with tools that failed me so thoroughly, regardless of who is “at fault”—but I’ve been writing for the last twenty minutes and have clear indicators that my files are being saved. That makes me feel right at home.

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    That is Apple’s fault.
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Slough House Book Series

Earlier this year I read the Slough House series by Mick Herron, prompted by rave reviews of its TV adaptation on Apple TV+ and my unwillingness to dive into such an adaptation until I read the associated books.

In short, I adore this series.

I’ve always jived with wry British humor that somehow mixes a superiority complex with a dismal outlook, all while providing cutting insights into the absurdity of life which are provided via a superb command of the English language, turning phrases that I could not have conceived of. Mick Herron hits all of this precisely right with his set of outcast characters, each with glaring personality flaws that range from endearing to horrific.

These books are hugely entertaining. I read all eight available books this spring. They have the enjoyable, exciting elements of a spy thriller coupled with tremendous dark comedic elements. If you can accept that objectional characters can still be enjoyed and rooted for, then you’ve made it over the first hurdle.

The first book in the series is Slow Horses, which is the namesake for the TV show that I’ve yet to begin. Read the first two chapters of the book and you’ll know whether it’s for you.