Month: October 2024

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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.

  • 1
    Or, even worse, enable push notifications from the app.
Posted on

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”